The tagline for the second season finale of Warehouse 13 [Syfy, Tuesdays, 9/8C] reads: Following H.G. Wells’ treacherous attack and devastating betrayal in Egypt, the Warehouse team must determine the plan she has been secretly orchestrating for more than one hundred years. When it becomes clear that that Wells has her hands on an incomprehensibly dangerous artifact, Pete, Myka, Artie, Claudia and Mrs. Frederic race against the clock to stop her deadly endgame.
That, as they say, is an understatement.
The second season of Warehouse 13 has been even more enjoyably intriguing than the first. The addition of Jaime Murray in the recurring role of H. [Helena] G. Wells has given the show an extra bit of spice as the Warehouse team [except for Artie] tried to figure out whether she was the danger implied by her having been bronzed [Artie never wavered in his distrust of her].
Also adding some extra zing was Paula Garces [Defying Gravity] as the Univille veterinarian and romantic foil for Pete [Eddie McClintock], Dr. Kelly Hernandez.
In Reset, the team has to shake of the emotional effects of Well’s betrayal at Warehouse 2 and figure out her plan. All they have to go on are Mrs Frederic’s [CCH Pounder] fading memory of the Warehouse 2 inventory – it appears a spear has gone missing – and an image that has been haunting Leena [Genelle Williams] ever since the Pearl of Wisdom was removed from her brain in the season-opener.
Meanwhile, Pete has decided that Kelly is his One – the one person with whom he can share the true nature of his job – if only he and Myka [Joanne Kelly] can stop Wells from destroying the world.
The screener I received for review did include the names of the writer or director [work on that for next season, Syfy!], so I can’t assign praise to either – which is a shame. Reset is a terrific season finale that melds together clues that have dotted the previous twelve episodes and brings the season together with a shattering climax.
It’s all here: the Pete and Myka/Artie [Saul Rubinek] and Claudia [Allison Scagliotti] banter and the mysterious Mrs. Frederic [whom we learned last week has an actual, living connection to the Warehouse]; the saucy and unexpectedly twisted Wells, and a quintessential race against time.
For especially keen-eyed viewers, there’s a connection between something Claudia works on in the ep that appears in the opening credits. It’s a lovely little Easter egg that I only saw on a second viewing, but it’s one of those cool little moments that let you know that there’s a lot of work that’s going into making a cohesive season.
There’s even a closing tag that will tug hearts as much as Artie’s apparent death at the end of season one. It’s more than enough to keep the show’s fans [among whom I count myself] on the hook until the third season begins.
Final Grade: A
Photos by Ken Woroner/Courtesy of Syfy