But before they go, here’s a quick look at where I stand with the current crop of futuristic, non-realistic, ghostly, ghastly, makes-you-wonder, shows on TV.

V: The Series

We’re only a few episodes in but I’m into V for the long haul (which means waiting until Spring of 2010 for the second half of the season.) I’m enjoying the pace of the reveals, I like the characters a lot and I see Visitors everywhere I look. I think this show is so fitting for the climate we live in today, even more so than when the original was made. The idea of sleeper agents among us, living next door, ready to turn on us at any moment. No one is safe and I really feel that from Elizabeth Mitchell’s character. I’m also very intrigued by the idea of a priest as one of the story’s main heroes. Religion keeps cropping up in all of my favorite shows and that, I believe, is also a sign of the times. (ABC/JEFF PETRY) JOEL GRETSCH, ELIZABETH MITCHELL)

V gets an A

The Vampire Diaries

Damon Salvatore is the coolest, hottest villain on TV right now. His patented mixture of snark and smarm keeps me coming back week after week. It’s kind of like a modern, teen version of Dark Shadows, with Elena as Victoria Winters. I’m glad that Elena learned the truth this early in the run. She’s a bright girl and to drag it out any further would have been unbelievable. Now, how they’re going to keep a vampire story going in one town for a whole season without it getting ridiculous — that’s the big question.

The downside of this series is the teen angst portion. I can barely sit through another one of Jeremy’s pout-fests or the all-girl gossip sessions. I do like the town vampire hunting council and the fact that they’ve taken Damon under their wing. Last week’s unexpected murder of the visiting vamp was a solid stamp that this show is prepared to go for the jugular anytime they want to. (Photo: Guy D’Alema/The CW ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

The Vampire Diaries gets a B

Warehouse 13

Currently on hiatus, but renewed for a second season, this series was an early favorite. Yes, I know there are plot problems and it is formulaic, but the characters make up for the flaws. Pete and Myka have that perfect relationship where they compliment each other, filling in where the other lacks. Eddie McClintock gives Pete that goofy smile and that childlike sense of wonder — he’s a character I’d love to spend the day with. . . and can we spend it in the warehouse? Like a softer version of Friday the 13: The Series which cursed objects running amuck, there’s no end to the stories that could be written. Saul Rubinek steals the show each week as Artie and paired with Allison Scagliotti’s Claudia, he’s even better.

What would I like to see in the new season? A little more danger. We got some of that near the end of last season and it helps balance out the more humorous tone of the show. I also hope they stick with objects from actual historical characters. Poe was a great one. Now let’s see H.P. Lovecraft left behind.(Photo: Syfy)

Warehouse 13 gets a B

Come back later this week as I deliver grades to Supernatural, Fringe, Stargate Universe and more.

Post from: SF Universe

Ghost Hunters: Ghost of Buffalo Bill

Air Date: November 4 on Syfy

The West is about to get a whole lot wilder.

Warehouse 13’s Eddie McClintock dons Ghost Hunters gear for a special TAPS investigation. Today, the team tackles the haunted gravesite of the legendary Buffalo Bill.

Violent, invisible forces are believed to haunt the area. The mysterious specter of a cowboy has been spotted in the neighboring museum. Spooky whispers echo through the building’s empty halls.

Could TAPS have a close encounter with our nation’s greatest showman? Or will they run into more hostile spirits?

“Oakland Hall” – Eaton, Georgia

And later in the episode, residents of Oakland Hall are scared senseless. For the past three years, a strange spirit has haunted the home, causing visitors to feel nauseated and sick. TAPS heads in to investigate.

Built in the early 1800s, Oakland Hall survived General Sherman’s famous “March to the Sea.” Today, the ghost of a mentally ill child is believed to haunt the premises. Electronics turn on and off, and apparitions have been spotted on the grounds.

Watch as TAPS solves the mystery of the haunted hall.

DESTINATION TRUTH – FALL FINALE
“Bhutan Yeti”

In the fall finale, Josh and the rest of the Destination Truth crew travel to Bhutan, Nepal to continue their search of the Yeti, after their exciting discovery of a mysterious footprint during a past investigation.

This timeless myth proves once again to yield fruitful results for the team, and they return to the United States with more startling evidence of the elusive creature..

WAREHOUSE 13 — Pictured: Eddie McClintock as Pete Lattimer — SCI FI Channel Photo: Justin Stephens

Post from: SF Universe

Warehouse 13: MacPherson

Air Date: September 22 on Syfy

MacPherson, after a failed attempt to take Artie’s life, is now selling dangerous artifacts, stolen from the Warehouse shelves, on the black-market. Artie and Leena (Genelle Williams) also suspect there’s a mole in the Warehouse who’s secretly aligned with MacPherson – could it be Claudia? Meanwhile, as the team hunts down MacPherson, they realize too late that his capture is a carefully orchestrated trap to destroy them.

Pictured: (l-r) Roger Rees as James MacPherson, Eddie McClintock as Pete Lattimer, Saul Rubinek as Artie Nelsen — Syfy Photo: Ken Woroner

Post from: SF Universe

Tonight’s episode sounds like it belongs in the dark vault as well and then next week we have the season finale. Already. Syfy has already renewed the series for a second season, so don’t worry. This won’t be the last we see of the Warehouse 13 gang.

Warehouse 13:  Nevermore

Air Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 @ 9 PM on Syfy

After a failed MacPherson (Roger Rees) capture, Myka (Joanne Kelly) receives word her father is dying. She soon discovers the situation is more dire—he has a bifurcated artifact; the second part is wreaking havoc in an Oregon high school, and both belonged to Edgar Allen Poe! Can the team neutralize the two-part artifact before the situation becomes too macabre?

Battlestar Galactica’s Michael Hogan guest stars.

WAREHOUSE 13 — “Nevermore” Episode 111 — Pictured: (l-r) Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering, Allison Scagliotti as Claudia Donovan, Eddie Mcclintock as Pete Lattimer — Syfy Photo: Ken Woroner

Post from: SF Universe

Warehouse 13:  Breakdown

Air Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 @ 9 PM o n Syfy

While the Regents question Artie (Saul Rubinek) during a surprise meeting with Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder), Pete (Eddie McClintock), Myka (Joanne Kelly) and Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) find themselves trapped in the Warehouse, with energy levels reaching critical mass.

Will they be able to save it before Artie gets back? Mark Sheppard guest stars.

Pictured: (l-r) Saul Rubinek as Artie Nielsen, Mark Sheppard as Benedict Valda — Syfy Photo: Steve Wilkie

Post from: SF Universe

Warehouse 13: Regrets

Air Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 @ 9 PM on Syfy

When Artie (Saul Rubinek) receives word of a rash of unexplained suicides at a Florida prison, Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) are sent to investigate. Claudia, relegated to inventory duty, decides to change a light bulb—with the help of an artifact…

Eureka’s Joe Morton guest stars. Word is he’ll also be appearing on Brothers & Sisters this fall.

Pictured: Joe Morton as John Hill — Syfy Photo: Philippe Bosse

Post from: SF Universe

When I say Michael Watkins is new, I only mean to this series. He’s a long-time TV director and producer whose credits include Smallville and X-Files.  Last night’s episode had a glitzy, artsy style that worked so perfectly with both the Vegas plot line and the twisted notion of Wonderland.  I loved the montage that juxtaposed the roulette table with Myka getting dolled up to head out. And there are several hotel room scenes made more interesting because he shot through a vase of flowers. Small details but they add up to a cool style that you may not consciously notice but it gets through.

In the episode, Pete is using Lewis Carroll’s mirror to play ping-pong with himself. I love the way he uses the warehouse as a giant toybox as I know I’d be tempted to do the same. Myka comes by, things go sideways, the disco ball from Studio 54 lights up and the mirror comes crashing down. Being a child of that era, I got a big kick out of the sudden burst of disco music that filled the warehouse as the rays of the glitter ball lit it up like a star gone nova.

But when the dust settles, Myka is trapped in the mirror and her sexy alter-ego (which is really Alice from Wonderland) comes out to play. Of course, no one notices the problem until Myka and Pete are in Las Vegas looking for an artifact that is turning two con artists into perpetual winners.

Jillian and Gary were interesting villains but they’re story got kind of lost in the whole Myka through the looking glass tale. We’re teased with the idea of a coin that shows the future, thus they can see which number is going to hit on a roulette wheel and place their bets accordingly. But when you rub the coin to activate it, it actually burns the skin and with increased use, it appears to cause irreparable damage to the arm and maybe more.

This small fact could have been an interesting thing to explore — how much pain is a person willing to tolerate in exchange for winning? We don’t get to do much of that because Myka (Alice) goes after Gary and boy is she mad when he doesn’t have the coin on him.

Joanne Kelly does a terrific job playing Alice in Myka’s body. She’s raw and sexy and violent — everything Myka is not. And I nearly choked when she slammed Pete up against the wall and kissed him. I love how he said this was the giveaway (even though it wasn’t.)

So evil Alice subdues Pete then takes off for the Warehouse to destroy the mirror with White Rabbit thrumming through the background. It doesn’t get better than that.

Of course, her plans are foiled by Artie and Claudia and Leena, whose had a bigger role these past few weeks and I like that. Leena is to Warehouse 13 as Astrid is to Fringe and I think they’re both under used.

The one thing I didn’t buy in this episode was the very end where Artie says he’ll lock up the mirror — tomorrow — then leaves it out. The disco ball glints and we’re supposed to get that this may not be over. Cute, but it makes no sense for Artie to leave a dangerous artifact on the floor for no reason what so ever.

Favorite lines:

Artie: We do not converse with reflective entities.

Claudia: Why?

Artie: Two words, Bloody Mary.

Did you also catch Pete’s “Kirk, out” ?

As much as I liked this episode, next week’s looks even better and it’s being handled by the same director so I’m expecting to be wow’d.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Warehouse 13?

SyFy Photo: Philippe Bosse

Post from: SF Universe

Air Date:  August 25, 2009 @ 9 PM on Syfy

Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) are dispatched to Las Vegas to retrieve an artifact that seems to grant good fortune to a couple of gamblers.  But their simple snag it, bag it, tag it mission gets complicated when Myka accidentally gets trapped in Lewis Carroll’s mirror—unleashing the malevolent entity that was trapped inside. 

Guest Stars:   Erica  Cerra and Niall Matter of Eureka

Photo: Philippe Bosse / Syfy

Post from: SF Universe

It’s these fine marks that have earned the series a second season on Syfy and that’s great news. While many critics point out issues with the weekly “cursed object” storylines, no one finds fault with the characters and the relationships between them. There’s a chemistry between Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly that gets warmer every week. McClintock’s Pete provides the banter while Kelly’s Myka is the perfect foil. And now, thanks to the addition of Allison Scagliotti there’s a similar dynamic going on with Saul Rubinek back at the warehouse.

If you haven’t given the show a try, tune in next week when Myka gets trapped inside a mirror once owned by Lewis Carroll

Pictured: (l-r) Saul Rubinek as Artie Nelsen, Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering, Eddie McClintock as Pete Lattimer — SCI FI Channel Photo: Justin Stephens

Post from: SF Universe

Air Date: August 18, 2009 @ 9 PM

Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) rejoin their Secret Service detail in Washington to intercept a samurai sword that’s about to be given as a gift to the President. They expect the mission to be a quick swap with a decoy, but instead discover that someone else is out there, also trying to collect objects that belong in the Warehouse.

(l-r) Saul Rubinek as Artie Nielsen, Eddie Mcclintock as Pete Lattimer, Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering — SyFy Channel Photo: Philippe Bosse

Post from: SF Universe