SyFy decides to pool its resources this week, with a job swap between its two biggest earners, Eureka and Warehouse 13. The last episode of the paranormal artefact show saw Fargo upgrading the computer system within the warehouse and to return the favour, Eureka receives a guest in the form of Claudia. The episode setup follows the traditional Eureka formula, but there are some great moments between a selection of characters and the dynamic between Jack and the displaced Dr Grant is an enjoyable contrast to all the camaraderie.
This week sees some unfortunate side-effects developing when Henry and Dr Grant tamper once again with the infamous bridge device that messed with the fabric of space time at the start of the season. Hopefully we can now draw a line under this series of events, as this particular cow has now been milked dry. Exotic particles within Dr Grant are triggered into attracting their counterparts in his original time. This causes objects large and small to be dragged through wormholes and materialise around Eureka. It is utterly ridiculous and about as scientific as Desperate Housewives, but it does allow for more screen time for James Callis who provides a great deal of whit, charm and some of the craziest facial expressions since my last prostate exam.
Meanwhile, sexy young Claudia is recruited to get to the bottom of the quantum mystery. Fargo has an understandable crush and Claudia is not entirely unresponsive to his awkward advances. Warehouse 13 and Eureka are both science fiction, however the paranormal and magical nature of the artefacts don’t quite meld with the faux science portrayed in Eureka. There are only so many times I can hear about Fargo’s goo before I start to get nauseous. But Fargo and Claudia are a great pairing and watching them in a selection of awkward but sexually charged moments, was both fun and endearing.
Things are now largely back to normal within Eureka after the events that opened the season. There are a few unresolved issues, but equilibrium has largely been restored. Henry is still struggling to get intimate with his new wife and she is beginning to question the change within him and Jo is starting to recognise pieces of the Zane she left behind. Unfortunately, Jack is resting on his laurels as far as Allison is concerned. After the kiss in the first episode, the only interactions we see between them are mild flirtations. This has left the door wide open for Dr Grant, who is relentless in his persual of Allison and by the episode close; she appears to be relenting to ever so slightly.
The main development if you can call it that, is that the bridge device is finally leaving Eureka, so we can only hope that this plot line can be left behind so that we might concentrate on properly defining each character’s new role within the town. Dr Grant still has no real place within Global Dynamic and now that his project with Henry has come to a close, it is not clear what exactly the writers are going to do with his character.
Overall
An enjoyable if not original episode. Claudia’s presence provided a nice dynamic and it was great to see Fargo get the girl for once. The two shows have a tenuous connection and it was a clever way of providing some continuity between the SyFy worlds. Eureka could still benefit from closer attention to all the variations between this reality and the one they left behind. The characters sit comfortably in their new roles, but it is a shame things have to fall back into the traditional format quite so quickly.
