So, HG Wells finally returned in last night’s episode of Warehouse 13, and did she bring a hint of what’s to come? Maaaaaaybe. Here’re 13 thoughts about “For The Team.”
1. Oh, There You Are, HG. Finally! It’s only been, what, six weeks since we saw her last, and this time around, she had explanations of a sort as to what she’d been up to the whole time. Not that I actually believe them, mind you: The idea that she’d been going around, gathering and disposing of dangerous artifacts to earn a place back in the Warehouse rings so false that I can’t believe Myka seemed to fall for it, and the whole thing about her daughter rang especially false, if only because it seemed completely out of place for the character, who’d previously shunned such stereotypically “feminine” moments of sentiment. Clearly, she’s up to something…
2. Back To My Gender Politics Theory. Interesting that HG showed up again when Pete is out of action, and the two agents in the field were women, wasn’t it? Especially when she, again, complained that women are held to a double standard, and that society is still more sexist than she’d like. Foreshadowing for an endgame later in the season, or simply the writers playing with my mind, knowing that I’d read too much into it? Who can tell?
3. Disappointment Of The Episode… …may be that we’re really not going to get any more from HG or any other character about what MacPherson’s plan was, way back when. Assuming – and I think this is a fair assumption, considering that MacPherson died and all* – that HG is playing her own reindeer games instead of carrying out MacPherson’s master plan, and with Leena apparently no longer appearing in the show now that she’s not being possessed (Seriously, if she wasn’t going to be a series regular, why not just have her really turn evil and keep her around as another thorn in everyone’s side?), that plot really does seem to be entirely dead and never to be mentioned again. Which is both disappointing and frustratingly sloppy on the part of the writers.
4. * – On The Other Hand… There’s no chance that MacPherson isn’t really dead, right? HG’s seeming surprise about being called a murderer implied that perhaps she knew something we didn’t about his ultimate fate, but they’ve already done the “Is he dead? Is he a ghost? Is he in Leena’s head?” thing already, haven’t they…?
5. Poor Claudia, The Series’ Most Inconsistent Character. Firstly, why would Claudia be so freaked out about being an agent – I’m sorry, assistant – when she’s been out in the field (in, admittedly, less-than-official capacities) before, without as many nerves? Secondly, why did she freak out so much in the locker room? Don’t get me wrong, she’s one of my favorite characters in the show, but she’s also one with the most differing personalities, depending on what’s necessary for the plot.
5.5. Mind You. Congratulations to whoever’s in charge of the hair on the show: Hiding Claudia’s purple stripe while she’s lost her confidence and trying to be someone else was a nice, subtle, touch.
6. No Wonder Healthcare Costs Are So High. Wait, so Lindsay Wagner’s doctor character only handles cases for the Warehouse crew and the Regents, and jets in and out as needed? Sure, that works out for special guest-star purposes, but I’m sure it’d just be cheaper to give everyone at the Warehouse crash courses in first aid and let them fend for themselves. Of course, it does seem as if the closest town relies on a vet to handle medical emergencies, so maybe not.
7. Hey! Kelly The Vet Is Back! Maybe I’m paranoid, but I’m now convinced she’s got an artifact somewhere in her past that we’ll find out about sooner rather than later. Still, it was nice to see her turn Pete down when he asked her out. Shame she changed her mind when he asked again (Aside to Pete/The Writers: Whatever happened to “No means no”?).
8. The Importance Of Relationships. So, Pete asks out his vet, Artie asks out his doctor, and both point to the necessity of having a life outside of the Warehouse as reason enough why. “You’re one of those agents who’s obsessed with the Warehouse. That always works out so well,” both said at various points last night. And, while Claudia had the confusingly short fling with Todd earlier in the season, note that Myka remains boyfriendless.
9. I Knew They Did That. Random moment of yay last night? The casual use of Timothy Leary’s glasses (which, apparently, let you listen to the Hair soundtrack as well as hallucinate) and PT Barnum’s top. I knew that there had to be some recreational use of artifacts going on that we’d never seen before. I mean, you would, wouldn’t you?
10. Boiling Point? That’s A Little On The Nose, Isn’t It? Perhaps fittingly for an episode where the artifact seemed so much less important than all the subplots, the whole Case of The Spontaneously Combusting Wrestlers seemed more than a little haphazardly put together and unsatisfying, especially the false jeopardy of Claudia falling in the potentially inflammatory juice (And how unsatisfying was that resolution? “I think I can make an antidote!” Next scene: “Here’s my antidote!”) and the idea that, hey, no-one else would’ve realized that the drink was making people explode before that?
11. Scooby-Doobie-Doo! I cannot explain how much it amused me that both Pete and Claudia said “ruh-roh” last night, independently of each other. The simple things, my friends. That’s all I need.
12. Group Hug, Everyone! Really, this episode was about bonding between people who hadn’t really had a chance to make it happen before: Pete and Artie – who play off well against each other, and arguably better than Pete and Myke or Claudia and Artie – saw past their defenses to have a moment, Claudia got a pep-talk from Myka, and Myka began to see the potential good in HG Wells. Or maybe that should be the “good” in HG. But, as far as character-based episodes go, this was a fun one. More, please.
13. So Much For Me Complaining About A Lack of Myka Plots. Wait: Is Myka going to go rogue? Is HG’s plan something to do with convincing Myka to trust her and, ultimately, turn against Artie and Pete? Think about it: We’ve been told repeatedly that agents go bad or die eventually, we’ve been told that there are contingencies for agents that go rogue, and we’ve had a dress rehearsal with Pete’s paranoia last week. This week, Pete and Artie take steps to have lives outside of the Warehouse, but Myka’s not been afforded the same thing – instead, she begins to trust someone we all know she shouldn’t. Is this all part of a bigger plan?
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