#021- Warehouse 13- Ep. 7- Implosion

Airdate: August 11th, 2009
Episode Title: "Implosion
Episode #: 107
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly

When an ancient sword with marvelous power is unearth and prepared to be given to the U.S. President as a gift from Japan, Bering and Lattimere must swap out the artifact and replace it with a new one before the swords immense power is released. Unfortunately, it doesn't go according to plan when a demon from Artie's past resurfaces and competes for possession of the sword. A good episode that continues the recent trend of having Artie more involved with the team and the development of the episode. On the other hand, I'd love to know where Claudia was through this entire episode, and she needs to get more screen time over the completely forgettable bed and breakfast owner who only seems to appear to say something loony and then tamper off again. If she has no other use for the show, she needs to get killed off ASAP. Also, Mrs. Fredrick resurfaces to deliver some more cryptic information about the past of the warehouse and Artie. This episode was solid and routine, nothing great, nothing disappointing. With the finale within reach, and an obvious story arc being seeded in this episode, I'm excited to see how this season ends.

Score: 8.5
Story: B+
Characters: B
Originality: B
Impact: B

#020- Defying Gravity- Ep. 4- H2IK

Airdate: August 16th, 2009
Episode Title: H2IK
Episode #: 104 (Season 1, Episode 4)
Starring: Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Malik Yoba, Christina Cox, Peter Howitt

Defying Gravity seems to be getting better with each week, but I can't shake this sinking feeling that it won't make it past August. It seemed strange to begin with the start a new series in the dog days of Summer, especially because how can you measure the success of a show when its airing in a dead time slot (Sunday nights) in the most horrid month of TV watching? Anyway, I like the mystery and intrigue surrounding the Antares crew, and whatever this enigma of "Beta" is, I hope the show survives long enough to reveal it. The characters, whom I was originally disappointed with, have grown on me a little, but they still have a long way to go before I consider them an A-class cast. This episode revolved around a malfunction which shut down most of the spaceships function and almost blew the entire mission wide open. While the crew tried to fix it above, mission control was forced to bring AJ back into the pit to help solve the problem, which he figured was an H2IK sequence. H2IK, for those of you who don't know means "Hell If I know". With time running out, Donne, Zoe and the rest of the Antares crew have to figure it out before the missions is grounded. All in all, very watchable, but will it survive? Hell If I know.

Score: 8.7
Story: B+
Characters: B
Originality: B+
Impact: B+

#019- Psych- Ep. 2- He Dead

Airdate: August 14th, 2009
Episode Title: He Dead
Episode #: 402 (Season 4, Episode 2)
Starring: James Roday, Dule Hill

Figuring I needed to add a comedy to my troupe, I started watching Psych in its second episode of season 4. While the show is quirkier and a little off key at times, it is still a pretty entertaining show, especially for the USA network. The show follows psychic private detective Shawn Spencer (Roday) and his sidekick Gus (Hill) as they use their skills to unearth mysteries and solve crimes. This particularly episode focused on Shawn finding out the murder of a rich investor, through a pretty routine Who-dun-it style episode. It was funny at times, and corny at others, but all in all at least a B-level comedy television series. I'd recommend it for those looking for a more light-hearted crime-drama.

Score (out of 10) 8.3
Story: B-
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Impact: B-

#018- Eureka- Ep. 6- Ship Happens

Airdate: August 14th, 2009
Episode Title: Ship Happens
Episode #: 314 (Season 3, Episode 14)
Starring: Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

With the arrival of the mysterious spacecraft baring the United States flag, it is soon revealed the project originated in Eureka. When something shocking happens shortly after the cock pit opens, Jack, Deacon, Jo, Allison and Tess are thrust into an interesting case. The episode focuses mainly on Deacon and something that suddenly starts haunting him from his past aboard the spaceship. Meanwhile, there is an outbreak of a virus that could kill everyone in Eureka unless Jack and the gang can find a way to stop it. This episode lacked the usual lightheartedness and humor of a typical Eureka episode, and instead went for a deep, impacting episode, but it just didn't have the legs to get there. While still a good episode, its nothing to write home about and a bit of a disappointment after such a thrilling adventure last Friday. Nevertheless, Eureka remains my top show of the summer!

Score (out of 10) 8.4
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: B-
Impact: B

#017- Warehouse 13- Ep. 6- Burnout

Airdate: August 11th, 2009
Episode Title: "Burnout"
Episode #: 106
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly

The story followed a mysterious string of electrifying murders, including one of a lost Warehouse Agent that had been missing for fifty years. Lattimere and Bering are red-hot on the tale of an artifact created as a warrior-maker that literally fries its enemies, whilst draining the host like a battery. Interesting story and an interesting episode and so far my favorite Warehouse 13 episode to date. The show has grown a little, especially with the addition of Claudia Donovan to the main cast, and allowing Artie to be more a part of the episode than he was in the first few. Agent Lattimere is still my favorite character, and in this episode we really got to see more into him. Overall, this was an impactful episode that packed a bit more of a bunch than the previous five and hopefully Warehouse 13 will continue to build towards a good finale in the final four episodes of the first season.

Score (out of 10) 8.7
Story: B+
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Impact: B+

#016- Eureka- Ep. 5- "If You Build It..."

Airdate: August 7th, 2009
Episode Title: If You Build It...
Episode #: 313 (Season 3, Episode 13)
Starring: Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

I even like the theme song. Eureka is really a great show and this episode takes the cake as the best on the summer season right now. Revolving around a mysterious and potentially threatening device being built overnight, Jack, Jo and his gang try and find the source and the intentions of the device. Meanwhile, Fargo has a "love triangle" issue when his old car "Tabby" won't stop stalking him when he buys a newer model. This episode had everything, humor, excitement, mystery and the impact of a riveting episode that kept you guessing up until the very end when it slam the door shut and smashed to black. Jack Carter (Ferguson) is easily one of my favorite characters on television, right up there with House, Denny Crane, and John Locke. He's funny, charming, and his audience-level intelligence in a town full of geniuses helps to get the viewer to understand the techno babble the other characters are running off. It's become a frequent joke of the show to have Carter stop and use phrases like "in English" and "small words" as the scientists of Global Dynamic rant about what is destroying Eureka this Friday. But this episode when beyond episodic pseudo-crisis's that happen every episode, this one gave you the feeling that something big was happening, and it didn't disappoint and kept me engage throughout the 60 minute display. I'm very excited for next week, the trailer look phenomenal and the geniuses of Eureka are MORE than brilliant. Eureka continues to be a must-watch summer series for those looking for comedy, mystery, and sci-fi.

Episode Score (out of 10) 9.3
Story: A-
Characters: A
Originality: B+
Impact: A

#015- Warehouse 13- Ep. 5- "Elements"

Airdate: August 5th, 2009
Episode Title: "Elements"
Episode #: 105
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly

The premise of this episode centered on a series of artifacts that controlled the four elements of earth, (rock, water, fire, wind). It's an idea we've seen a bunch of times, but it was at least moderately entertaining. Warehouse 13 continues to be a B-level show, and I think its safe to say its never going to evolve into something more. The characters are funny and realistic, and I've liked that Artie has stopped being so mopey and joined in with the investigations more. Lattimere (McClintock) is easily the most entertaining character and he complements Myka (Kelly) and her up tightness and insecurity well. All in all, Warehouse 13 remains a niche marker for those looking for sci-fi/mystery/crime drama.

Episode Score (out of 10) 8.4
Story: B+
Characters: B+
Originality/Creativity: C+
Impact: B

#014- Defying Gravity- Ep. 1-2- "Pilot"/"Natural Selection"

Airdate: August 2nd, 2009
Episode Title: Pilot/Natural Selection
Episode #: 101-102 (Season 1, Episodes 1&2)
Starring: Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Malik Yoba, Christina Cox, Peter Howitt

Pitched as Grey's Anatomy in space, I gave Defying Gravity a chance solely on its unique location of taking place entirely in space. While the show maintains to soap like drama of a Grey's Anatomy, it has an heir of mystery and science fiction action that at least kept me watching through the two hour pilot. The show follows eight astronauts, 4 male and 4 female as the journey on a six year mission on board spaceship Anteles, visiting various planets in our solar system, the first being Venus. The opener was riddled with character flashbacks trying to present the characters to us, but also had numerous B-plots that confused me and made the two-hour premiere feel rushed. I wouldn't say I was impressed, but I wasn't disappointed either. The first season, schedule for thirteen episodes, runs through August and presumably to October. While the special effects of the show are magnificent and gigantic, the shows characters are almost entirely lifeless pieces of cardboard. Ron Livingston, who plays the lead role of "Maddux" is baffling confusing, I'm not entirely sure what his character is, but he was certainly cheesy and overacted in the first two hours. Laura Harris, playing "Zoe Barnes", is Maddux's love interest, but her girlish innocence and cunning makes her appear and sound a lot like Elizabeth Mitchell's character Juliet on LOST. The other characters are almost entirely forgettable. However, not only was the graphic stunning, with a full space ship, plenty of visual effects and stunning solar moments, the show played with a mysterious entity only called "beta" that is apparently controlling every aspect of the Anteles mission. Let's see how next weeks episode plays out, but I have a striking feeling that this one is dead in space.

Episode Score (out of 10) 8.5
Story: B
Characters: C+
Creativity: A-
Impact: B+

#013- Eureka- Ep. 4- It's Not Easy Being Green

Airdate: July 31st, 2009
Episode Title: It's Not Easy Being Green
Episode #: 312 (Season 3, Episode 12)
Starring: Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

The recent news that Eureka has been renewed for a full order of 22 episodes for a fourth season was both exciting and eye-opening, mostly because I realized that I was not watching the fourth season of Eureka now, but rather the second half of season three. Anyway, the twelfth episode of season three, and the fourth since the show returned in the summer since last fall, was my favorite. The show followed many things, one being a rivalry bowling match up between Fargo and the Eureka team and Bismarck and the Area 51 team. The interactions between the characters in this episode are brilliant and hilarious. The plot followed a pet named "Spot" that bares a lot of resemblance to flubber, which becomes a radiation eating monster that wreaks havoc across Global Dynamics and the town. Meanwhile, Lexi and Duncan are still having issues revolving around their twins (boring, but it FINALLY gets resolved). The story was exciting and captivating, the characters were near-flawless as usually, and Jack Carters seemed to be bolstering along as usual with his "Andy Griffith charm". Also, the lingering story arc of the "thing coming for Eureka" is built up more in this episode, particularly at the end when Allison decides that they need to do something about it now before they even know what it is. The trailer for next week looks like something big is going down and I can't wait to see what.

Episode Score (out of 10) 9.1
Story: B+
Characters: A-
Creativity: A-
Impact: A-

#012- Warehouse 13- Ep.4 - "Claudia"

Airdate: July 28th, 2009
Episode Title: "Claudia"
Episode #: 04
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly

Each week Warehouse 13 seems to just slowly be getting a little better. This week finally answered the questions as to who was hacking into the Warehouse 13 data base, and why. It finally gave Artie the screen time he deserved and it did so in a manner that was entertaining and exciting. The episode focuses on a girl named Claudia, who kidnaps Artie in an attempt to bring her "dead" brother back because she believes he is trapped in another dimension from one of his experiments Artie helped fund a long time ago. Meanwhile, Myka and Lattimere try to track down Artie's whereabouts. The episode is riddle with flashbacks to Artie's past that help explain what is going on during the episode. This is probably the best episode to date, as it creates a lot of drama, helped by Claudia's acting (portrayed by Allison Scagliotti). I'm still waiting (and getting impatient) for Warehouse 13 to produce an episode that really blows me away, they seemed to be just throwing out satisfactory episodes, when they could be doing a lot more. Nevertheless, I set the DVR again.

Episode Score (out of 10) 8.5
Story: B-
Characters: B+
Creativity: B+
Impact: B

#011- Eureka- Ep. 3- Insane in the P-Brain

Airdate: July 24th, 2009
Episode Title: Insane in the P-Brain
Episode #: 403 (Season 4, Episode 3)
Starring: Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

The third episode of the season follows the Sheriff and new comer Tess as they accidentally fall victim to a top-secret Global Dynamic project that shifts them into an alternate dimension, where they can't be seen or heard. While Tess and Jack are trapped, one of Eureka's residents begins having surges in measurements that he claims are ghosts and spirits trying to contact us from the other side...when its really Jack and Tess! The episode on a whole was kind of boring and not what I've come to expect from Eureka. The story was weak and the nagging b-plot of Lexi's pregnancy and Duncan deciding whether or not he wants to help raise the baby is kind of annoying and progressing too slowly. I'd be perfectly happy to see both characters leave Eureka, and give more air time to the quirkier super geniuses like Fargo and Decan. All in all, Eureka is still my second-favorite summer series behind Harper's Island. This episode did hit us with a cliffhanger that "something was coming for Eureka" from space, and it looks to be a big part of the next few episode and it will definitely have me tuning in. You should too.

Episode Score (out of 10) 8.4
Story: C+
Characters: B
Creativity: B+
Impact: B+