Warehouse 13 (TV Series) Elements (2009) User Reviews

Claudia joins the team

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 5 November 2017]

When a sculpture is stolen from an apparently impregnable vault in New York Myka and Pete are sent to investigate. How the item was taken isn't a mystery as we are shown somebody wearing a Native American cloak simply walk through a wall and take it and soon after their arrival Myka finds a feather from the cloak protruding from a wall. It turns out the sculpture was part of a set of four; each representing a traditional element and that when brought together in the correct way they show the location of a cave which contains items that can give a person godlike powers. Two wealthy men had been trying to acquire the sculpture; Pete and Myka will have to discover which of them was more likely to steal it. Meanwhile, following on from the previous episode, Claudia is being made to undo the damage she did to the Warehouse and fix its security systems. She proves to be rather useful and it looks as though she will become a regular member of the team.

This was another enjoyable episode; the main story didn't provide too many surprises but was still effective. The special effects are impressive as we see characters walk through walls, or in Pete's case be thrown through the side of a moving van. Given the fact that the artefact enables the wearer to pass through objects one may be forgiven for wondering how the wearer is meant to pick things up rather than just passing through the item… sometimes it's just best not to over-think these things! While only a secondary part of the story the main interest for me was the transition of Claudia from an apparent one story character to a regular cast member; she is a fun character managing to have plenty of attitude without being irritating; Allison Scagliotti is great in the role and is a welcome addition to the cast; even if she is still listed as a guest star at this point.

Elemental

[ctomvelu1 · 6/10 · 8 August 2009]

A cloaked figure steals an item from a museum, and Pete and Myka are soon on the trail of the thief, who apparently can walk through walls. Turns out the missing item is one of the four elements sacred to an Indian tribe. Soon enough, the thief steals the second item in question, and nearly kills Pete in the process. The plot is taken from THE FIFTH ELEMENT, and it is clear that all four items united will bring immense power to the possessor. Back at the warehouse, Claudia is settling in with Artie and it looks like she may be staying for good after her brother leaves for Switzerland. The show is not up to the X-FILES, unfortunately, which it most closely resembles. It is more like the old Friday THE 13TH TV series, which was extremely uneven.

Beware obsessive collectors

[Paularoc · 7/10 · 23 October 2012]

This episode was pretty good but not as good as the previous episode. Pete and Myka are sent to investigate the theft of a sculpture from a museum that had top notch security. They discover that someone was able to go through solid walls. Soon there is growing concern because the stolen sculpture was one of the four representing the elements. The collector who brings all of the four sculptures together will have incredible and indeed limitless power. There are two collectors after these sculptures and Pete and Myka's first job is to figure which of them is the power hungry maniac. The Native American motif of the episode is an interesting one albeit a bit overdone. Not a favorite episode of mine but certainly watchable.

Development Of Character Is The Key To This Warehouse

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 5 August 2009]

This Warehouse 13 science-fiction is more like a Lotus blossom, than a rose, in that it floats on the water and draws nourishment from the pond of our willingness to believe. Episode by episode, the main characters give up a little more of the back-story, their histories, and we are getting to know them as if they are our friends.

To that point, the addition of the Wild Child -- Claudia, played very well by Allison Scagliotti -- is rather like drawing a trump card in an obscure card game. It is nice to get it but then the question becomes, how does one play that trump card, and when ? The way forward in playing an obscure game of cards is simple: keep playing it and playing it again, as every game that was ever popular has its own rules and therefore its own dynamics. And this is a very dynamic science-fiction series, with its own rules.

In truth, 'getting' this series has required viewing each episode at least twice, and perhaps that is a nuisance to some or many fans of science-fiction, but then this is not some 'cookie cutter' fiction and the investment of time watching has paid handsome dividends so far. My sense is that it will continue to pay those dividends, as these episodes unfurl. Some comments on the show have noted that the actress who plays Myka has managed to get hired on other series which have been canceled. True, her character is not my personal favorite in The Warehouse, but shows get canceled for lots of reasons, and rarely is the performance or lack of performance of one actor in one role the key reason for the failure. Besides that, "Pete" more than makes up for any real or any perceived deficiency in this show's dynamic duo.

In an odd way, the seeming lack of chemistry between the two agents is rather realistic and even charming, as the mysterious Mrs. Frederick is charming, while being both spooky and yet practical. Her best line so far is -- "we are the authorities".

Stick with this fine show, there's more dividends to come.

Worn out phrases and longing gazes

[scottwallvashon · 2/10 · 5 August 2009]

The problem, as I see it, is that these writers just don't know how to tell a story. In a better show, such as The Lost Room or The X-Files, by the time these earthshaking secrets were revealed, we would have been dying to see what comes next. In this show there is no sense of mystery. There is no anticipation. There is no growing curiosity to understand how it could all tie together.

When the secrets are finally revealed, there is no sudden comprehension. Let's face it: fireworks are kind of boring if they are devoid of meaning. That's why they are set off at New Years Eve and the Fourth of July and not just any old time of year.

One of the really great moments in television was in the show Lost when we finally saw the Black Rock. Now there was a good example of setting up a sense of mystery and suspense. We kept hearing about it and wondering what it was. When we finally found out, it was an enormous shock and created an even greater sense of mystery. Warhorse 13 just doesn't have any of that; none at all. Things just happen. True, they are spectacular things, but they are basically just fireworks devoid of meaning. Gaudy special effects have been around for a long time now. They just won't win an audiences heart any more.

If you are looking for a good new Sci-Fi show (and not a SyFy...sigh...fie) anther one called Defying Gravity is infinitely better than Warhorse 13.