Visual references to Back To The Future, dialogue references to Total Recall and Bill and Ted and plot reference to Star Trek? Truly, the only thing this week’s Warehouse 13 missed was Huey Lewis and the News popping up to play “Back In Time.” Here’re 13 thoughts about this week’s time-bending “Where And When”:
1. Hello, Strange And Unexpected Conclusions To Draw From This Week’s Episode. “Strange and unexpected conclusions,” you say? “Like what?” you ask. Well, like the fact that Warehouse 13 is apparently pro-assisted suicide, considering that’s pretty much what happened to Rebecca with the time-jump conclusion. Also, am I the only one who finds the whole “I woke up and I was kissing Jack but that was cool” thing more than a little disturbing? I probably think about these things too much.
2. So, Time Travel Is Possible. Apparently, I misunderstood HG Wells’ time travel thing from last week (or else, it was reworked for this week): Turns out that HG had traveled in time, but been unable to change history and save her daughter – which makes her a more sympathetic character, yes, but also confuses me about the motivations she spoke about last week: So she was hoping to find another time machine to try again? Or are we supposed to notice that things aren’t quite adding up? See also: I probably think about these things too much.
3. It’s Mad Warehouse 13! There wasn’t one overt reference to AMC’s Mad Men in last night’s episode, but I spent the entire episode thinking of it. Is that a sign that I watch too much Mad Men, or that the series has successfully made an impact on pop culture? Either way, I was amused by Pete’s “I’m on fire!” reaction to all the smoking when he arrived.
4. That Was A Busy Warehouse, Wasn’t It? There really were a lot of people in the 1961 Warehouse, weren’t there? I wonder if that’s some kind of statement on the wonders of the computer age reducing the number of people needed to keep things running, or a commentary on how rundown the Warehouse program became in the 49 years between the two eras.
5. “Get Yah Ahs To Mahs!” Okay, last night’s episode was nerd nirvana in terms of call-outs to other things: Pete quoting Total Recall, Pete and Claudia going Wyld Stallions at the thought of time travel, HG’s time machine having a Back To The Future-style flux capacitor, Armin Shimerman and David Anders guest-starring, and Pete going all McCoy in “City On The Edge of Forever”? It’s as if they were going for some kind of award, but all they won was my heart. Awwww.
6. And Talking Of Pete Wanting To Change Time… Of course Pete wanted to change time. It’s a time travel episode of a television show. That’s what they do. That said…
7. “If We Just Accept Fate, We’re No Better Than – “ What was that all about? When Pete was arguing with Myka about why he wanted to change history, he said “Can’t you see? We’ve got to keep trying. If we just accept fate, we’re no better than – ” before being interrupted… Was he going to say “no better than robots/mindless automatons/slaves to destiny” or something else? For a minute, I thought it was a rivalry thing with HG, who failed to change her history…
8. “There Will Be A Period Of Adjustment, Although I Have Earned A Gold Star.” With Artie seemingly won over by the end of the episode – and his distrust being explained away as transferred MacPherson issues was, I thought, a surprisingly good idea – Harriet really has wormed her way in with the Warehouse agents very quickly. I really, really hope this is set-up for a turnaround later in the season, though; we’ve already had the “threat brought into the team” thing with Claudia, after all…
9. I can’t remember: Did we see Leena’s reaction to HG joining the team? Because you’re think that the woman who was possessed by the man who freed HG, and who may or may not have some psychic echo of said man floating around in her brain, would have more issues than most with that happening.
10. Vests! This comes via my lovely wife Kate, who is convinced that someone behind the scenes is obsessed with putting women into vests wherever possible. I must admit, I hadn’t noticed, but she claims that not only was HG in one this week, but Myka can normally be found in one, and even Claudia has sported the look on occasion. “Either the costume designer has a thing for vests, or they got a really good deal at some point,” she says.
11. And Back To My Gender Politics Soapbox. Is it important that Jonah, the man ultimately revealed to be at the center of this week’s episode in a way that wasn’t as it first appeared, may continue the show’s under-the-radar feminism? After all, the women that were killed were secretaries about whom he saw the potential to do more than take dictation and sit behind a desk, typing up other people’s thoughts… Admittedly, it’s not HG’s “I was bronzed because the world wasn’t ready for a woman to do a man’s job,” but still. Hmm.
12. No Mrs. Frederick Is Always A Missed Opportunity. Yes, she was mentioned, but I’m sad that we didn’t get a chance to see 1961’s Mrs. Frederick, if only because you just know that she would’ve looked exactly like the 2010 Mrs. Frederick.
13. A Happy Ending Is Never Impossible. So, apparently, not all Warehouse agents go evil or insane. Despite my “Wait, so what actually happened to Rebecca? Did her body actually shut down without her mind, because Pete and Myka’s didn’t, when their minds were in the ’60s” misgivings, that was something approaching a happy ending for her, after a season that promised only bad things for former agents. Is this the exception that proved the rule, or a sign that Myka and Pete can be hopeful for better days eventually?