WAREHOUSE 13 Recap: ‘3…2…1’

As TV fans know, show writers have to choose which characters will get the most action, dialogue, screentime etc in a particular episode. This episode, “3, 2, 1,” felt a little light on the modern warehouse agents, and I’m interested in hearing whether or not you liked that. There were three “generations” of warehouse agents represented in this episode: Helena (HG Wells) and her partner Wolcott in 1893, Jack and Rebecca (from 1962, and for us, from season two) and Pete and Myka in the present day.

The episode flashed back and forth (without the use of Wells’ time machine, mind you) between the three couples as they worked to control a high-powered artifact — Joshua’s horn used in the battle of Jericho. I though the mix of settings was really well done, and props to the set design team for their work. In the blink of an eye, 1962 became the present day, and I really loved that.

I also will always love any time the writers bring in Jaime Murray as Helena/HG. She was, quite simply, divine and never seems to waste a single second of her screen time. She has great chemistry with the other actors on the show — sometimes even better than they have with one another, in my opinion. I’m hoping she’s not gone for good. Either way, it’s all hands on deck for this case, except for Jinksy, who was attending to some personal matters. I was a little bummed about that, but it makes sense. From a writing perspective, sending Jinks away is a lot easier than trying to bring him up to speed on HG and Jack and Rebecca and all of that.

The artifact, Joshua’s horn, changed location over the years, and as the episode progresses, it’s up to the team to determine how it managed to get from Britain to Pittsburgh. Each time it’s tampered with, it fairly sizzles and disintegrates anything in its wake, with the sound of a horn blowing. Myka wants to bring Helena’s holographic image up in order to assist on the case, but Pete is resistant. Myka doesn’t necessarily win, in that the Regents decided to bring HG back, but she does get her way. Pete is obstinate and borderline rude toward Helena as she tries to help. But she does still have information — she remembers the artifact from 1893.

She was working a case where a man was disintegrated by an artifact, and to her horror, Vincent Crowley, the head of the warehouse at the time, has decided to take over the warehouse for evil — to save the British Empire. In an effort to stop him, Helena sends the horn in a rocket of her own design, hopefully completely out of this world and never to return.

Obviously, the horn did return to earth in 1962 in Ohio, where it resulted in the death of a man. Jack and Rebecca talk to his family, including his son, Daniel Varley. They both try to deactivate the horn (while also discussing whether or not it’s worth being in love with one another. Hmmmm…), and they think they are successful.

But when more people are obliterated by it, it’s clear that they weren’t. Artie and Claudia help determine where now-adult Daniel is, and Pete and Myka arrive to see him with the horn attached to a satellite, prepared to sound off to the skies for assistance from aliens. Pete and Myka try to convince him that it’s not possible and that if he does sound the horn, thousands of people will die in the aftermath. Daniel is single-minded in his desire to see his dad’s life restored. Pete wisely has the hologram of Helena pulled up, and Daniel thinks she’s an alien. HG tells him that it was a terrible mistake that Daniel’s father died, and she takes responsibility for it. Daniel realizes he can’t change the past, and his attempt to contact aliens is halted.

The episode ends with scenes from each time period, and it was nice to see the different partnerly relationship examples. But I must say that I think at this point, the “I’m sorry I left” plot point between Myka and Pete feels overplayed. It seems to me that almost every episode has some sort of variation of Pete being a bit prickly and Myka saying something like “I came back” or whatever. I hope that doesn’t happen anymore for the rest of this season. I think it’s time to move forward.

Thoughts from you on that? Does Myka have more she needs to do to prove her loyalty to the team? Is Pete’s reaction to Helena justified? Will she be back, do you think? How about Jack and Rebecca? And speaking of WH13 items coming back, are you as bummed as I am that we’re still not getting the original opening credits and theme song? Let’s discuss!