A Review of the Syfy Series “Warehouse 13” by Tiffany A. White
Throughout history, government agencies have built secret warehouses around the world to house and protect magical artifacts. These warehouses are overseen by the Secret Service and a group known as the Council of Regents.
Warehouse 13, the current warehouse designed by a team including Thomas Edison, is hidden deep in the mountains outside of the fictional town of Univille, South Dakota, also known as the middle of nowhere. As a part of their cover, the Secret Service agents claim to work for the IRS, and therefore the townsfolk snub them. After all, who likes the IRS?
Dr. Arthur “Artie” Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) is the agent-in-charge of the warehouse. Artie has a hard time trusting others with the artifacts, and he is oftentimes frustrated with his two lead agents, Myka and Pete. Artie isn’t very personable, although he does have an ongoing crush on a visiting doctor played by Lindsay Wagner, who comes once a year to remove his regenerating appendix (it’s a magical show, remember?).
Viewers learn that Artie’s mysterious past includes his unknowingly trading magical artifacts to the Soviet Union in exchange for the release of his imprisoned family members, an act that was considered treason by the United States. Once he turned himself in, the US government assigned him to the warehouse where he has been ever since.
Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) is the traditional, play by the rules, Secret Service agent working at the warehouse. Like most women, Myka pays great attention to detail, and her professional style clashes with her goofy partner, Pete. On a personal note, Myka has a pet ferret (that she named Pete) and she loves Twizzlers.
What “special power” does Myka bring to the table? She has a photographic memory.
Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) is the other side of the partnership. He’s a former Marine and a recovering alcoholic, yet he still has a goofy and fun side. Pete loves sports, collects comic books, and craves junk food.
What “special power” does Pete bring to the table? He’s a master at reading lips and he can sense when something bad is about to happen.
The two partners share a cute relationship—it’s clear that they love each other, but more in a brotherly/sisterly kind of way. Pete dated the town veterinarian for a little while (until an artifact possessed her and she tried to kill him), while Myka managed to kiss the boy she crushed on in high school at her reunion. Other than that, the Warehouse 13 agents rarely have time for any romantic interludes.
The Warehouse also employs Claudia (Allison Scagliotti), a young techie-genius who went to work for the team after breaking into the warehouse…
A few other recurring characters include: Mrs. Frederic (C.C.H. Pounder), the director of the warehouse and liaison between the agents and regents; Helena “H.G.” Wells (Jaime Murray), an agent from the late 1800’s, who bounces back and forth between good and evil; and, Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore), an agent brought in after Myka temporarily resigned.
A huge bonus to working at the warehouse is the access to very cool gadgets. The agents communicate with one another visually and telephonically via a “Farnsworth” in lieu of cell phones. Instead of using real guns, the agents fire a “Tesla Gun”—a weapon that shoots lightning bolts and stuns the bad guys instead of killing them. The agents also use caution when in public by capturing the magic of the artifacts by sealing them inside metallic “flash” bags.
Warehouse 13 has featured many historical artifacts throughout the seasons including Lewis Carroll’s looking glass, Lizzie Borden’s compact, Marilyn Monroe’s hair brush, Harry Houdini’s wallet, Marie Antoinette’s guillotine blade (well, the one that killed her), Ben Franklin’s lightning rod, and Edgar Allan Poe’s quill pen.
Not personally big on most shows featured on SyFy, I find Warehouse 13 very enjoyable. I read somewhere that W13 has over 50% female viewers, maybe for the very same reasons that I watch—it’s fun, magical, and an escape from reality.
*****
Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery “Football Sweetheart” series. She blogs at The Ooo Factor and is available for contact via Twitter at , Facebook at , or by email at .
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