Warehouse 13 4.08 "Second Chance" REVIEW

Boxing Clever

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Warehouse 13 4.08 REVIEW

Episode 4.08
Writer:
Diego Gutierrez
Director: Constantine Makris

THE ONE WHERE Pete and Myka sort out a rust problem, Steve and Claudia visit Mrs Jinks, while Artie, HG, Leena and Mrs Frederic sit round and have a chat.

VERDICT If the case-of-the-week was the weak link in the last episode, the opposite can be said for “Second Chance”, which has a much more satisfying, red-herring-filled artifact hunt, but is let down by a distinct lack of fun character moments that make Warehouse 13 (at its best) such a joy to watch.

Quite why the victims of Cody’s right hook start to rust we’re not sure, but as a consequence of getting whammied it couldn’t be more Warehouse 13 . The slow investigation does a respectable job of keeping you in the dark until Myka’s eureka moment, and the neutralisation (a syringe to the heart) is so outlandish you can’t help but got with it.

Claudia and Jinks have the sweeter secondary plot, one which manages to cram a fair amount of emotion into such a short space of time. It’s a shame we’ve never met Jinks’ mum before, which might have leant their first meeting in however many years more weight, but the friction between the pair is compellingly fraught, and admirably balanced – both sides of their dispute are understandable. The answer to the metronome’s riddle is patently obvious, of course, but you believe Steve would be willing to risk Claudia’s (and his own) life by destroying the metronome, however out of character that sounds on paper.

The events back at the hotel are the biggest letdown, what’s discussed could have been sorted out in 30 seconds. Did it really need an entire episode to resolve? Particularly given how tedious the arc plot has become this season.

IT’S WOSSERNAME Give yourself a bonus SFX point if you recognise Mrs Jinks, Laura Innes, from The Event . Give yourself all the bonus points if you recognise her from the criminally underseen Awake .

KEY ARTIFACTS Spartan Armour Shrapnel (grants superhuman strength at times of high emotion); Johann Maelzel’s Metronome (the connection between Jinks and Claudia is broken this episode)

BEST LINES
Myka: “Are you sure you're okay? You still look a little woozy.”
Pete : “That's my look.”

Jordan Farley (@ JordanFarley )

Warehouse 13 currently airs on Syfy in the UK

Read our previous Warehouse 13 reviews

Jordan Farley
Deputy Editor, Total Film

I'm the Deputy Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the features section of every issue where you can read exclusive, in-depth interviews and see first-look images from the biggest films. I was previously the News Editor at sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie bible SFX. You'll find my name on news, reviews, and features covering every type of movie, from the latest French arthouse release to the biggest Hollywood blockbuster. My work has also featured in Official PlayStation Magazine and Edge.