Musings about Warehouse 13

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
With Warehouse 13 returning tonight for the first episode of its final set of 6 episodes, I thought it might be interesting to reflect on the show a bit (by the way, the episode wasn't bad - wrapped up the Paracelsus story and hinted at how the story will end - get ready to say hello to Warehouse 14).

When it was going good, Warehouse 13 was entertaining fluff. Perhaps the best description would be a fantasy dramedy. The overall light tone (mostly) served the show well and the four main characters played off each other well - especially Pete and Myka who while partners also function a lot like each others best friend/sibling. In a similar vein Artie and Claudia have an almost father/daughter interaction. Everyone else is basically secondary as the show revolves around these four.

Note I said "when it was going good". This is because in the last season and a half (roughly) they started meddling with a good formula. First they added Jinks and for a short time tried to force him into the main group. I feel sorry for Aaron Ashmore - his character has always felt like the proverbial third wheel and always winds up on the outside looking in. He just does not fit this scooby gang. Second, some idiot decided they needed to make the show "darker and edgier". Um....not with this cast and premise. This show flat out does not work when they try to be dark and edgy.

Hopefully they follow up on wrapping up Paracelsus with a final episode set that hearkens back to what made this show work instead of more of how they messed things up.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
The show is definitely losing steam. And having everything that comes out of Pete's mouth be a stupid, goofy, cutesy quip is beyond annoying. They really forced it last night to the point that it was cringe worthy. Having him be the grouchy but cute and lovable man-child works best when it is done less, not more.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
That unfortunate trend really started when they brought Jinks in. Before then Pete was more serious and used the cartoon character bit almost on purpose to defuse situations. In that context it worked. It was like they decided to make Pete silly as part of trying to create a place for Jinks.

In a way the show reminds me of Sliders - good in its prime but then TPTB started meddling with the formula.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
I also don't care for the heavy hints at shipping between Pete and Myka. Sure last night she said "I'm your partner, not your girlfriend", but we all know that isn't the end of it. I can only hope to God that when the show is finally done they leave Pete and Myka as just friends. Not every male/female working partnership has to devolve into romance. I'm tired of that old trope.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
Again something that only started last season. Before that they acted like partners who were best friends and behaved a lot like a brother and sister.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
Again something that only started last season. Before that they acted like partners who were best friends and behaved a lot like a brother and sister.

A sign that the writers were/are out of ideas. Definitely time to close up shop.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
That's the irony of it (just like Sliders again).....the show did not start to feel like it was losing steam until TPTB started playing with the formula by darkening the tone, introducing shipping and trying to play with the core circle of the group.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
I never could watch this show, to campy.

That's cool. The semi comedic element was a draw to me as the show came along right when I was getting fed up with all the dark and edgy stuff.
 
B

Backstep

Guest
That's cool. The semi comedic element was a draw to me as the show came along right when I was getting fed up with all the dark and edgy stuff.


I to got fed up with the Nu dark and edgy, once dark and edgy meant something(The Outer limits TV shows) now it's just code for emo melodramatic fluff.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
I never could watch this show, to campy.

I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt because I saw that it had some potential originally but it quickly became too goofy for me. For several seasons now I've distractedly watched it on occasion but wasn't an ardent viewer. I did see the season premiere last night but all I got out of it was a large feeling of "meh".
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
That unfortunate trend really started when they brought Jinks in. Before then Pete was more serious and used the cartoon character bit almost on purpose to defuse situations. In that context it worked. It was like they decided to make Pete silly as part of trying to create a place for Jinks.

In a way the show reminds me of Sliders - good in its prime but then TPTB started meddling with the formula.

I remember disagreeing with your assessment of Jinks when he was initially introduced but I have to admit now that you were right. I expected the writers to do something with the character but so far he has served virtually no purpose. His special ability to tell if people are lying was rarely used or emphasized. And the reveal that he was gay was pointless and added nothing to the story; this includes the episode where his ex shows up and nothing happens other than the writers tell us that these characters are gay and that we should care cuz they're gay...yawn.

And with the latest episode it's obvious that Jinks is still acting as wallpaper. Pretty much the only thing he did in this episode was to ride an exercise bike to keep the time portal open. :rolleyes:

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Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
I remember disagreeing with your assessment of Jinks when he was initially introduced but I have to admit now that you were right. I expected the writers to do something with the character but so far he has served virtually no purpose. His special ability to tell if people are lying was rarely used or emphasized. And the reveal that he was gay was pointless and added nothing to the story; this includes the episode where his ex shows up and nothing happens other than the writers tell us that these characters are gay and that we should care cuz they're gay...yawn.

And with the latest episode it's obvious that Jinks is still acting as wallpaper. Pretty much the only thing he did in this episode was to ride an exercise bike to keep the time portal open. :rolleyes:

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I dont get that either. Why add a "reveal" that a given character is gay unless it is done just to grab the gay audience? Like in Star trek: First Contact, they were touting the "first openly gay character" on Star trek and it was supposed to be Lt. Hawk:

download.jpg


But in the movie, him being supposedly gay had absolutely no relevance in the movie whatsoever, and nobody ever talked about gayness in the movie. As far as adding it into any show, why do it unless the episodes/show/movie centers around sexuality? Somebody being straight or gay or bisexual in a movie or TV show should not really even matter, nor should it be highlighted or revealed unless it is central to the story (and not just titillation). You cant do Brokeback Mountain without dealing directly with homosexuality. But to just say "Captain Janeway was a lesbian in Voyager", and there be no episodes dealing with homosexuality or LBGT issues, why bother?
 
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Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
I think of the "pre Jinks" era as when the show was in its prime. Basically that was from the start up to when H.G. Wells tried to destroy the world and Myka resigned over the whole thing. That was when they had the cast right, the timing right and the stories struck the right comedy-fantasy-drama balance.

It was starting with the next season (S3) that they started to mess with the formula by bringing in Jinks. Interestingly this season still had several good episodes earlier on before late in the season they also went edgy and dark. Last season also had a couple of good ones but mostly they were going edgy and dark and shippy.

Maybe, TPTB should learn not to interfere with a formula that is working?
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Didnt the bank foreclose on Warehouse 13? I heard they were turning it into a bowling alley/skating rink/multiplex or something. :happy0007:
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
Didnt the bank foreclose on Warehouse 13? I heard they were turning it into a bowling alley/skating rink/multiplex or something. :happy0007:

Nope. I can already guess the end as it was hinted at for a while. The warehouses have life cycles after which the old one is closed and sealed and a new one started. The show is ending with the startup of Warehouse 14 (there is even an episode named that).
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
Well I just watched the most recent installment (I had it recorded).......

WHAT ON EARTH DID I JUST SEE!?!?!

Artie, Pete and Myka get sucked into a television and start living out a telemundo? And the B story with Claudia and Jinks was high order loony also. No one in the cast showed a lick of seriousness and Pete was so cartoony he might as well have been a cartoon character. And they use an artifact.....Harvey Korman's cufflinks?

As far as I can tell the whole episode seemed like the cast and crew were flipping SyFy a giant birdie, maybe over the way they treated the show over the last year. It was so surreal that I would not have been shocked to discover at the end it was all dreamt by Artie who is in his Warehouse office sniffing model cement.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
Yeah, when I saw the Telemundo episode last night I honestly thought that the end can't come quick enough for this show. It's beyond moronic now. The writing is so bad that I wasn't even upset by the gay stereotype they had Jinks play. I just felt sorry for the writer who penned this travesty because the guy has no talent. Pitiful, just pitiful.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
It almost felt to me like the episode was a collective bird flip by the cast and crew to SyFy - kind of like "treat us like garbage and we'll give you garbage right back".
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
It almost felt to me like the episode was a collective bird flip by the cast and crew to SyFy - kind of like "treat us like garbage and we'll give you garbage right back".

I got the impression the writers actually thought this episode was good-natured wacky fun. They probably believe they are going out on top and that this episode will become a classic that viewers will remember fondly. No matter the motivation, this episode was just plain lousy. The show should be cancelled now. It's crap.
 
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