Lower Decks

Third time’s the charm. That’s the saying, right? Well, I wouldn’t say that’s the case with Warehouse 13. The third episode wasn’t much better than the first two but then again it wasn’t much worse. I am more invested in Artie’s storyline, the one about strange power spikes and attempts to hack into Warehouse 13. Apparently things will come to a head in tomorrow’s episode. The character of Leena continues to simply take up space on the screen. At least there was a smattering of humor and some groping.

What is it with Warehouse 13 and groping? This episode and the previous episode (Resonance“) both involved a woman’s breasts being grabbed, although in “Resonance” it occurred off screen and was only recounted to Pete by Myka. In “Magnetism” it was poor Myka who kept being felt up by an EMT named Ross. Of course, he was under the influence of a psychically-infused armchair. Myka was very understanding.

I wonder if it was awkward to film the groping scenes? And what must have been going through Joanne Kelly’s mind when she first read the script? Or maybe the director or a producer pulled her aside and said, “Oh, by the way, you’re going to spend the afternoon having your breasts squeezed by this guy.” It wasn’t necessary for the episode. Ross could have continually tried to kiss her or slap her on the bum and the point would have come across just as strongly.

Anyway, the plot in “Magnetism” was more interesting than “Resonance,” with random individuals in a small town doing very out-of-character things. Jumping out of buildings, for instance. Artie sends Myka and Pete to get to the bottom of things. And they do, eventually, but not before Myka herself is “infected” and gives in to her desire to punch Pete in the face over and over again. That was amusing to watch, I’ll admit.

I can forgive the fact that the “artifact of the week” was a chair that was once owned by a psychic or something. The current owner is a priest and those sitting in the chair are affected by the chair’s metal frame? Was that the explanation? The frame was magnetized and its occupants somehow lose their inhibitions. The climax of the episode, with a cop who strapped a bomb to his body, was unexpected but over the top. The poor priest, more or less a total innocent, was shot. Sad.

The tag scene, in which Myka and Pete told Artie that his beloved car was destroyed by the bomb, was fantastic. They pulled off their little lie with aplomb. That’ll teach Artie not to play them against one another. Or maybe it will lead to an increasingly dangerous game of practical jokes in which Artie tries to get back at Myka and Pete and they, in turn, reply in kind, using artifacts held at Warehouse 13.

That, at least, would be exciting for a while.