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The Magic Is Gone. Retrospective: Warehouse 13 – “The Sky’s the Limit”

Season 4.5, Episode 14

Air date: Monday, May 20, 2013 10/9c on Syfy

Rating ★★★★★

 

“Tonight’s forecast: Cloudy with a 40% chance of Pete!” — Pete

 

What happened to the magic? Where is the old ‘saw a woman in half’ trick? “The Sky’s the Limit” leaves me wanting, and despite the heartwarming tale of Monty the Magnificent (guest star Joel Gray), there is a shocking lack of wonder and amazement.

 

Pete and Myka investigate mysterious deaths in Las Vegas.

Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) head off to Sin City to investigate mysterious deaths – people literally falling from the sky, glowing orange and ice cold. As they continue their search for clues, they are led to the Maximus Casino where they find Val Preston (guest star Steve Valentine) who is the hottest magic act in Vegas. Valentine’s brief guest spot is superb. It’s a shame he’s only showcased for a moment because his diva act is absolutely spot on. I love the way he scolds his manager for empty seats despite the hotel giving away free tickets. And how many towels does one need to dab sweat off his brow?

 

Of course, Pete and Myka find another magic act, the act where Val stole most of his ideas – Monty the Magnificent. Monty is an aging magician who’s beyond his heyday. He has the spirit and firmly believes that magic is real. Accompanied by his lovely assistant and granddaughter Rose (guest star Nora Zehetner) (whom you may recognize as the Musai from a recent episode of Grimm), it’s not immediately apparent who possesses an artifact to make people levitate. And wouldn’t you know it, Pete gets an uplifting experience that could mean his demise if he and Myka can’t find the artifact.

 

Joel Grey as Monty, Nora Zehetner as Rose

Meanwhile, Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) and Steve (Aaron Ashmore) are in jolly old England investigating a case of depleted jockeys at a horse track. It seems the jockeys are becoming drained of their adrenaline while racing. To say I find this storyline a bit boring is an understatement. While I love this dynamic duo, the most interesting part about this case is Charlotte Dupres (guest star Polly Walker) showing up. We know she’s searching for Prof. Sutton/Saint Germain (guest start James Marsters) but how does she find the warehouse out in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota? Her cryptic text to person(s) unknown about Claudia being the target troubles me too. But I’m also excited because I hope to see Marsters make another guest appearance. Both Saint Germain and Charlotte’s storylines are quite intriguing.

 

Steve Valentine as Val Preston…so sad he only had a brief moment in this episode.

Artie (Saul Rubinek) gets an impromptu visit from Mrs. Frederic accompanied by Abigail (guest star Kelly Hu), the new owner of the B&B where the warehouse agents reside. There is a reason behind it all – Abigail used to be in the psychology field and Mrs. Frederic is hoping Abigail can get through to Artie and help him with his grief. As much as I enjoy seeing Hu guest star in “The Sky’s the Limit,” her presence only brings to light the fact that Warehouse 13 isn’t going to be around much longer. And her words to Mrs. Frederic puzzle me: “If you want me to play in your sand box, I need to have access to your toys.” By sandbox, she means the warehouse and by toys, she means the artifacts. Is this a ploy to get her hands on various lucrative items or does she truly want to find something that can help Artie through his grief?

 

With only a few more episodes remaining in this season of Warehouse 13 and a limited six-episode final fifth season ahead, “The Sky’s the Limit” is definitely a filler episode used to introduce Abigail into the fray. I’m still curious about the conversation Steve had with Regent Kosan (Faran Tahir) in “The Big Bang” and what the Regents plan on doing about Artie. Is Abigail their solution or a lame attempt at patching Artie’s wounded resolve? Will they continue to take further measures to ensure Artie doesn’t behave recklessly again while on a mission?

 

While I enjoyed parts of “The Sky’s the Limit,” overall I wasn’t enthused. The most intriguing aspects are 1.) Charlotte Dupres showing up. 2.) Monty stealing Henry Blackburn Sr.’s lightbulb (and does anyone else find it odd that Myka and Pete give Monty a private tour of the warehouse?) because taking an artifact isn’t’ good for anyone. 3.) Abigail’s presence is still unclear — is she friend or foe? I’d like to think the former but knowing the luck of the warehouse team, I wouldn’t be surprised if she turns out to be a frenemy (or maybe that’s just what I want her to be to add more drama to the mix).

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For more on the show, go to http://www.syfy.com/warehouse13/.

Follow on Twitter @Warehouse13.

Follow these cast members on Twitter: Eddie McClintock, Allison Scagliotti, and Saul Rubinek.

Like Warehouse 13 on Facebook.

 

Photos © 2013 Syfy, a division of NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.