Review: Warehouse 13, S4, Ep. 404 – “There’s Always a Downside”
Air date: Monday, Aug 13, 2012 9/8c on Syfy
Rating
“This is a job. This is not a ‘choose your own adventure’ book.” Artie
Artie (Saul Rubinek) is on edge and doing something we haven’t seen in a long while, switching up the teams. He’s putting Myka (Joanne Kelly) and Jinks (Aaron Ashmore) together, leaving Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) and Pete (Eddie McClintock) to form a new dynamic duo.
I have to say, I liked the change up. I think it was time to see what each team member has to offer with new partners. Jink’s can benefit from Myka’s insight after he confides in her about the unique bond he shares with Claudia since being revived by the use of the metronome artifact. As to the part about not telling Claudia, I’m on the fence. Telling her could go either way. I also think Artie wanted to put Claudia with Pete for a purpose – to gain intel on Claudia’s demeanor. Is Artie putting too much stock into his nightmare about Claudia stabbing him or is his fear justified? Well, after the strange meeting with Brother Adrian (Brent Spiner), who figured out Artie is the one who stole the astrolabe artifact from the Brotherhood, I think Artie has every right to feel a bit on edge.
Rene Auberjonois as Hugo Miller
One of the cases this week gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘losing your marbles.’ An old friend and former Warehouse agent Hugo (guest star Rene Auberjonois) receives, via FedEx, a bag of marbles once belonging to Bobby Fischer. It seems strange that he would get these particular marbles since it was one of the artifacts he coveted the most during his time working at the warehouse. Who sent them? We’ll get to that later. The marbles gives the person a sense of intense focus and when Hugo’s nephew uses the marbles and gives a few to some of his classmates for a scholastic competition, things get a bit screwy. Now it’s up to Hugo, along with the help of Pete and Claudia, to get all their marbles back, so to speak.
Pictured: (l-r) Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering, Sam Hintington as Ethan, Aaron Ashmore as Steve Jinks
Meanwhile, Myka and Jinks are in New Orleans to solve the mystery of various patients suddenly recovering from different mental disorders. I found this case to be intriguing, especially after learning that a young jazz musician, Ethan (guest star Sam Huntington), is told that, to play jazz and to play it well, you essentially have to have lived a little and struggled, too. The way Ethan ‘borrows’ other people’s pain and suffering in order to play better seems like a novel idea but the repercussions were becoming deadly for him. Things take a turn for the worse when he tries to borrow Jinks’ pain. Remember, I mentioned that Jinks and Claudia have a unique bond now because of the metronome. If Jinks is being attacked, Claudia can feel it and with Ethan stealing Jinks pain, Claudia begins to suffer the aftereffects.
I thought it was a nice change of pace to see Huntington guest star in this episode. If you’re a Syfy fan, you know Huntington plays Josh on Being Human. His role as a jazz musician is a far cry from playing a tormented werewolf. Huntington is quite convincing as Ethan, the struggling musician so focused on his music that he’s not having the life experiences he needs to play better. He’s even oblivious to the advances of the female bartender. Sometimes, focusing on your career more than living life can be hazardous to your health. If you work all the time, what’s the point?
The unique artifacts and how they are being used, truly fascinates me and is one of the main reasons I love Warehouse 13. While “There’s Always a Downside” wasn’t the most engaging episode, there were many moments that propel the story, especially in the case of Brother Adrian and Artie.
Brother Adrian (Brent Spiner) delivers a powerful message to Artie
If the conversation Brother Adrian and Artie have in the diner is any indication of what’s to come, things are really going to start unraveling for everyone.
Artie: “I will not undo what I have done.”
Brother Adrian: “You came into my house and stole from me; dismantled my life’s work, and I will respond in kind. Things have already been set in motion, and unlike your Regents, we follow no rules—we do whatever has to be done.”
When Artie learns about the marbles from Pete, he realizes that the ‘things’ that ‘have already been set in motion’ means the Brotherhood has infiltrated the warehouse, leaving behind a black crystal which I take as their signature calling card. It was the Brotherhood who FedEx’d the marbles to Hugo. They set into motion the chaos that Artie and his team now have to restore. Will Artie reveal his secret about using the astrolabe to restore the warehouse? Will sharing the secret do more harm than good?
Observation:
Why is it always the mushrooms? If a person who’s had contact with an artifact needs an explanation, the team always says “bad mushrooms.” It’s funny, but it’s giving mushrooms a bad rap.
Funny moments/lines:
Hugo explaining to Pete what IMT means: “Interschool Multi-discipline Tournament…like Hogwarts.”
***
Claudia and Pete in the headmaster’s office after a student gets into a fight:
Claudia: “Hear that? The atmosphere is fraught with tension.”
Pete: “Yeah. Throw some violent, deadly marbles and Harry Potter becomes Full Metal Jacket.”
***
Claudia to a group of cheerleaders as she tries to clear the gym before a chemical is released into the ventilation system: “Alright, Heathers, very nice; Heather, Heather, Heather, Heather, aaand Heather. Let’s not have a brain tumor for breakfast—everybody out this way, please.”
***
I’m looking forward to more from the Brotherhood, especially Brother Adrian. While I don’t think he’s a bad person, I do think his methods are a bit archaic. Artie already told him that he was there when Artie used the astrolabe. If Artie tells him everything, could that help or will it make the situation and the “evil” Artie unleashed that much more dangerous?
Tune in to Warehouse 13, Mondays at 9/8c only on Syfy.
For more on the show, go to http://www.syfy.com/warehouse13/
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/warehouse13
Follow these cast members on Twitter: Eddie McClintock https://twitter.com/EddieMcClintock, Allison Scagliotti https://twitter.com/allisonscag, and Saul Rubinek https://twitter.com/saulrubinek.
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Photos © 2012 Syfy, a Division of NBC Universal. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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