Strange deaths lead to the discovery of what happened to a warehouse Secret Service agent who disappeared in the 1960s. The victims were electrocuted by a deadly artifact called "the spine of the Saracens." The Saracens were Muslims who fought against the Christian Crusaders. Artie explains that the spider like "spine" made them fierce warriors. When one host dies the spine adheres itself to another host. This is what killed the agent tracking the spine in the 60s. The spine fastens itself on Pete who knows how to stop the spine but it could result in his own death. The best part of this show was the character Rebecca St. Clair who was also a warehouse agent. Now disillusioned and somewhat cynical, she provides vital clues to Pete and Myka. And she also provides one of the most interesting scenes in the episode when she puts an electrical charge to the spine. Not spectacular but a good show.
5 Reviews
Pete and Myka investigate an artefact that was first looked for by agent in the '60s
Tweekums7 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Myka and Pete are sent to St Louis to investigate an explosion at a police station; the official story is that it was a gas explosion but the bodies indicate something else. As they search the building's previously sealed basement they find a room containing a body. It turns out to be the remains of a former Warehouse 13 agent who disappeared in the early sixties. Luckily it is Warehouse policy to preserve the accommodation of any agent who dies mysteriously or disappears so it is possible to track down the man's girlfriend. The deaths in the police station aren't the last; it turns out that an artefact is involved; an ancient Saracen weapon that attaches itself to people's spines and channels their anger to electrocute people. Dealing with it will but out protagonists in grave danger.
This was a rather fun episode; I liked the nature of the artefact and I especially liked how it reminded us that the Warehouse has been operating for a long time with the mention of old agents and talk of records going back two hundred years. There is a good sense of threat; even though nobody will think Pete will really die one can't help be concerned towards the end. Having Claudia in the Warehouse has made the scenes there much more interesting; Allison Scagliotti and Saul Rubinek have some great scenes together as Claudia and Artie. The special effects are pretty good; particularly the holograms created from photographs taken by Myka. Overall I wouldn't say this was the best episode but it was still lots of fun.
This was a rather fun episode; I liked the nature of the artefact and I especially liked how it reminded us that the Warehouse has been operating for a long time with the mention of old agents and talk of records going back two hundred years. There is a good sense of threat; even though nobody will think Pete will really die one can't help be concerned towards the end. Having Claudia in the Warehouse has made the scenes there much more interesting; Allison Scagliotti and Saul Rubinek have some great scenes together as Claudia and Artie. The special effects are pretty good; particularly the holograms created from photographs taken by Myka. Overall I wouldn't say this was the best episode but it was still lots of fun.
Once More With Feeling ( As In Severe Back Pain )
Patriotlad@aol.com11 August 2009
The creative team behind "Warehouse 13" has consistently sought and attained a very high level of creative fiction, in the writing and the production of this series' episodes. This latest installment, called "Burnout," is no exception, nor is it an exception which proves the rule. The plot revolves around an artifact of great antiquity, dating back perhaps to Babylonian times, and definitely to about 1100 A.D. and the army of the Saracens. Whether the "device" which is pivotal to this storyline is magical or some kind of an organic fluke is left, somewhat, unresolved. And that's really OK, for after all, this is science-fiction and fantasy, not rocket science.
Well, maybe there's a little rocket science tossed in to the mix, every now and then !! And speaking of mix, Allison S. in her role of Claudia Donovan has now become an established -- and most probably quite irreplaceable -- member of the Warehouse 13 team. And that is also really OK.
What makes it OK is that the writers have found subtle ways to use the Claudia character to spark creative thoughts in Artie ( Saul Rubinek ), thus making her into a problem-solver where she was a trouble-maker. This is a brilliant move which adds a nice touch of spice to the grumpy but genial persona which has been created by Rubinek for his role.
And so, again, the creators have introduced a crucial new relationship into the Warehouse mix thus making the team into a new Gang Of Four. The plot for "Burnout" has less comedy and more action than what has been presented in some previous episodes, and yet it seems wholly and completely natural to the storyline. That's another indication of how brilliant and yet subtle this newest SyFy series really is.
Moreover, the creative team condenses all of these relationships which are blooming between the Gang into the forty-odd minutes of actual story time which are alloted. Although there is no sense of the story being adrenaline fueled, it is supercharged, as the pacing is fast and organic to the story itself. And the artifact sought in this most recent episode is one hundred per cent scary, as in panic-inducing.
Some of us are even warming up to Myka, Joanne Kelly, the otherwise stone-cold brainiac Secret Service agent, and that's another plus for the team.
Well, maybe there's a little rocket science tossed in to the mix, every now and then !! And speaking of mix, Allison S. in her role of Claudia Donovan has now become an established -- and most probably quite irreplaceable -- member of the Warehouse 13 team. And that is also really OK.
What makes it OK is that the writers have found subtle ways to use the Claudia character to spark creative thoughts in Artie ( Saul Rubinek ), thus making her into a problem-solver where she was a trouble-maker. This is a brilliant move which adds a nice touch of spice to the grumpy but genial persona which has been created by Rubinek for his role.
And so, again, the creators have introduced a crucial new relationship into the Warehouse mix thus making the team into a new Gang Of Four. The plot for "Burnout" has less comedy and more action than what has been presented in some previous episodes, and yet it seems wholly and completely natural to the storyline. That's another indication of how brilliant and yet subtle this newest SyFy series really is.
Moreover, the creative team condenses all of these relationships which are blooming between the Gang into the forty-odd minutes of actual story time which are alloted. Although there is no sense of the story being adrenaline fueled, it is supercharged, as the pacing is fast and organic to the story itself. And the artifact sought in this most recent episode is one hundred per cent scary, as in panic-inducing.
Some of us are even warming up to Myka, Joanne Kelly, the otherwise stone-cold brainiac Secret Service agent, and that's another plus for the team.
Electric
ctomvelu115 August 2009
Pete and Myka are on the trail of an ancient Turkish artifact that turns people into killing machines. The artifact as such is a copy of the old Tingler (with Vincent Price), with the idea being much the same. It is a large insect-like creature that attaches itself to the spinal column and takes over the person. Back at the lab, Artie's new assistant Claudia is beginning to pull Artie into the 21st century, starting by reworking an old holographic projector into a much improved digital device. The truth is, "The Tingler" (from 1957) was a lot scarier than this episode, as every episode of WAREHOUSE 13 constantly pulls its punches in order to be kid-friendly -- just like EUREKA. Again I say, this is no X-FILES, which never pulled its punches even when it probably should have. As a sort of "Family Channel" version of THE X-FILES, this show sometimes works. But as an adult show, it doesn't. Character development can be enough for some shows. Here, we need something more visceral. Otherwise, I feel like I'm watching one of those after-school Halloween TV specials the networks crank out every few years.
Burnout is right.
scottwallvashon12 August 2009
Did I just experience "Burnout"? These episodes of Warehouse 13 pass through me like mineral oil now. I have pretty much relegated this show to background noise while I am doing tedious paper work. Interestingly, there has never been a tendency to stop and listen. When I am watching a repeat episode of Lost or The Twilight Zone I very frequently discover that I have ceased to work and started to concentrate on the show.
I keep reading reviews that claim Warehouse 13 is a show about "character development" or that episodes have to be seen several times to be understood. Absolute malarkey.
Two-dimensional characters do not develop—spread, perhaps, but never develop. It is interesting, however, to see Myka and Pete getting "cuter" as the episodes progress. This apparently resulted from the producers anticipating ready acceptance by the science fiction community and supposing that this gradually escalating "cuteness" would seem appropriate. In shows like The X-Files, where the audience identification is genuine, this escalating tendency to make fun of their own quirks seems appropriate. In warehouse 13, it seems like a comedian cranking out his memorized routine long after the audience has ceased to laugh.
Warehouse 13 does not demand study and repeated viewing. Concentrating on an episode of this show would be a chore. Concentrating on it twice would be unbearable. I know of science fiction presentations that seem more meaningful every time you watch them. Among these masterpieces are Forbidden Planet, Blade Runner, and The Fifth Element. Some of these seemed meager at first but gradually took on new form. To make this claim about Warhorse 13 is pure sophistry. This claim is made only by persons who want to ensure a return on their investment.
Speaking of investments, with the money and talent that went into Warehouse 13, it could have been a great show. Instead, it is a gigantic marketing ploy. The SyFy Channel drew on the years of audience research they did as the SciFi Channel and created a ponderous behavioral function. The problem with their creation is the same problem that plagues many special effects: even when an audience cannot explain why something looks faked, they can sense that it is faked.
Warehouse 13 is faked. However, in this case it is not the images that have been faked, but the sincerity. There is no genuine inspiration behind the quirky smiles or the odd happenstance. It is a purely plastic effort to elicit a calculated effect.
When trying to imagine how this show was made, I envision rooms full of target audience subjects with little knobs like the ones that are used to evaluate political speeches. The subjects are shown millions of scenes from thousands of science fiction presentations, and a careful record is kept of which ones elicit a positive response. Then, Warehouse 13 is created. It is sewn together like a patchwork quilt from well-received lines, scenes, and props borrowed from other shows. If you think about it, you will understand what I mean: here is the canister from Ghostbusters; there are the stones from The Fifth Element.
The sad thing is that it seems to work. Warehouse 13 is doing well in the Nielson ratings. Apparently the way to make a successful show is not to have an original idea or an active imagination. Apparently writing talent and story telling talent are not requisites either. The key is to adapt well to the marketing research and acquiesce to the formula. Of course, Warehouse 13 is not setting any records in the Nielson ratings. It is, after all, just schlock. But it will get the numbers it needs to win a second season, and it will undoubtedly muddle through to a third.
Warehouse 13 is an interesting sociological experiment. Will it be possible to brainwash a sizable population into thinking it is the latest cult classic? Will we be hearing more slogans like "the most dangerous night on television"? How hard will the producers push this mockery down our throats and how far will they manage to push it?
I keep reading reviews that claim Warehouse 13 is a show about "character development" or that episodes have to be seen several times to be understood. Absolute malarkey.
Two-dimensional characters do not develop—spread, perhaps, but never develop. It is interesting, however, to see Myka and Pete getting "cuter" as the episodes progress. This apparently resulted from the producers anticipating ready acceptance by the science fiction community and supposing that this gradually escalating "cuteness" would seem appropriate. In shows like The X-Files, where the audience identification is genuine, this escalating tendency to make fun of their own quirks seems appropriate. In warehouse 13, it seems like a comedian cranking out his memorized routine long after the audience has ceased to laugh.
Warehouse 13 does not demand study and repeated viewing. Concentrating on an episode of this show would be a chore. Concentrating on it twice would be unbearable. I know of science fiction presentations that seem more meaningful every time you watch them. Among these masterpieces are Forbidden Planet, Blade Runner, and The Fifth Element. Some of these seemed meager at first but gradually took on new form. To make this claim about Warhorse 13 is pure sophistry. This claim is made only by persons who want to ensure a return on their investment.
Speaking of investments, with the money and talent that went into Warehouse 13, it could have been a great show. Instead, it is a gigantic marketing ploy. The SyFy Channel drew on the years of audience research they did as the SciFi Channel and created a ponderous behavioral function. The problem with their creation is the same problem that plagues many special effects: even when an audience cannot explain why something looks faked, they can sense that it is faked.
Warehouse 13 is faked. However, in this case it is not the images that have been faked, but the sincerity. There is no genuine inspiration behind the quirky smiles or the odd happenstance. It is a purely plastic effort to elicit a calculated effect.
When trying to imagine how this show was made, I envision rooms full of target audience subjects with little knobs like the ones that are used to evaluate political speeches. The subjects are shown millions of scenes from thousands of science fiction presentations, and a careful record is kept of which ones elicit a positive response. Then, Warehouse 13 is created. It is sewn together like a patchwork quilt from well-received lines, scenes, and props borrowed from other shows. If you think about it, you will understand what I mean: here is the canister from Ghostbusters; there are the stones from The Fifth Element.
The sad thing is that it seems to work. Warehouse 13 is doing well in the Nielson ratings. Apparently the way to make a successful show is not to have an original idea or an active imagination. Apparently writing talent and story telling talent are not requisites either. The key is to adapt well to the marketing research and acquiesce to the formula. Of course, Warehouse 13 is not setting any records in the Nielson ratings. It is, after all, just schlock. But it will get the numbers it needs to win a second season, and it will undoubtedly muddle through to a third.
Warehouse 13 is an interesting sociological experiment. Will it be possible to brainwash a sizable population into thinking it is the latest cult classic? Will we be hearing more slogans like "the most dangerous night on television"? How hard will the producers push this mockery down our throats and how far will they manage to push it?
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
