Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Warehouse 13 Wednesday: 5.2 Secret Services

EPISODE: 5.2 "Secret Services"
Original Air Date: 21 April 2014
MYKA: "I liked it better when you just stared at my boobs."

Warning: This review may contain spoilers.

Before I get into this review I need to do a little bit of a rant. This episode touched on the subject of character relationship "Shipping" which I feel is OK for fan fiction but NOT for the actual canon of a shows on-air history, unless the evolution of the characters were planned like that from the start. I'm talking about the Pete and Myka relationship, they hinted at taking it to a real level. UGH! Warehouse 13 is first and foremost a Sci-Fi action/adventure with touch of Steampunk NOT ROMANCE FANTASY FICTION. I've seen plenty of fans for the Pete/Myka relationship in online forums, but I have been dead set against it from day one. Their relationship is one that needs the tension. They are also like brother and sister not romantic lovers. From day one it has been obvious that Pete has the hots for Myka (who wouldn't even H.G. was hot for her) but Myka has NEVER shown, shared or reciprocated the feelings/thoughts (I know the feeling). Hooking characters up just to have them hook up is never good for a show, especially if they have had this tension type of relationship. Shows like Moonlighting and The X-Files tried shipping the main characters and it totally ruined the show. OK Warehouse 13 is in the final episodes, but come on people don't stoop down to that level. Sadly it looks like the producers and the writers have listened to the minority fan-girls of the show that want the relationship to be real. Again UGH! The time they spent on the "relationship" affected my rating of this episode. Yet Again UGH! - End Rant

Now onto the review: This episode had three plot points when it really should have only had two. The main artifact was one of the main plots that brought in some Secret Service acquaintances of Pete and Myka who had been working on an unrelated case. That brought in the awful Pete and Myka shipping angle I ranted about because the pair of acquaintances Agents Ted Simkins (Mark Deklin) and Elise Mayer (Janet Varney) were partners who grew to love each other and started suggesting that Pete and Myka should follow their feelings. UGH! The third plot point was Claudia digging into what has become of her sister Claire (Chryssie Whitehead) whom she had previously presumed had died along with her parents. She gets Artie to show her what really happened since he had lied to her about it previously.

Somebody or more precisely something is killing Congressmen by spontaneous drowning. Long drawn out review short it is the effect of Alfred Dreyfus's Sword Hilt when someone looks at the sword hilt it flashes its power onto them so the next time that they lie they start drowning from sea water. Before Pete and Myka actually know what is causing the drowning Myka figures out a temporary relief by using a necklace made from the silver mines of the Atacama Desert (The driest place on Earth) which dries up the seawater in their lungs. The big revealing connection of the victims was some sort of conspiracy concerning Oil Fracking, yes a Battlestar Galactica reference is made by Pete the Geek.

Meanwhile Artie reluctantly shows Claudia the events that lead up to current condition of her sister Claire through the use of a pair of bronze baby shoes.When holding the baby shoes past events are relived,  apparently you can control what memories are brought up by concentrating on a past event. Claudia discovers that Claire had acted up due to the influence of Frances Farmer's Music Box which causes telekinetic outbursts triggered by anger. Claire activated the music box when she tested to see if it worked at a yard sale. Claire has been kept under an artifact induced coma by the Warehouse Regents through the use of a combination of Joseph Pilates' Resistance Bands to keep Claire's muscles from moving but keep her circulatory system active. and Oliver Sach's Record Player which keeps her mind in the coma.

Series Regulars:
Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock)
Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly)
Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubenik)
Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti)
Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore)
Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder)

Guest Cast:
Ted Simkins (Mark Deklin)
Elise Mayer (Janet Varney)
Diane Hewlett (Megan Gallagher)
Julia Helmsworth (Emily Alatalo)
Claire Donovan (Chryssie Whitehead)
Young (15 years old) Claire (Abigail Winter)
Young Claudia (T.J. McGibbon)
Claudia's Mom (Fiona Byrne)
Clauida's Dad (Peter Valdron)

Due to the character shipping I had to drop my rating of this episode down one point. The relationship issue was too much of a major plot point. With that in mind I give this episode 3 Warehouse artifacts ***

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