Warehouse 13 was on and off for me for the duration of the first season, starting with the pilot. The plot holes were big enough to drive a bus through, the stories very tame, and the pacing was bothersome. Still, the cast had good chemistry which only increased as the show progressed, making Warehouse a fun, likable show fit for the summer. Towards the end of the season, and especially with the season finale, it felt like everything had come together to the point where the show was well-rounded in all areas. The second season, beginning with "Time Will Tell," starts off more or less in the same place--solid plot, chemistry, and faster pacing.
After MacPherson's destructive exit at the end of last season, Artie was presumed to be incinerated in the fire, though, no one--literally--would presume that Artie was actually dead. Of course the phoenix charm, introduced in the season finale, saves Artie. However, the side effect, causing someone nearby to combust, strikes Mrs. Frederick's driver. And, of course, she's still alive after the explosion. The writers seemed intent on playing up the drama when we knew there was no way any main character would die, and it clearly didn't work.
Artie travels to Geneva, Switzerland to find Claudia, who is contacting her brother, while Pete and Myka investigate at the warehouse. Their investigation brings them to H.G. Wells's house in London where, shockingly, H.G. Wells is a woman!! Okay, okay, just chalk it up to science fiction and we'll go with it... Anyway, she makes off with the Imperceptor, a vest that allows the wearer to move extra fast.
Meanwhile, MacPherson fools Joshua and steals some anti-matter which powers the Imperceptor. Together, MacPherson and H.G. go back to the warehouse. Their target is the Escher Vault, the storage place for the effects of those bronzed. Before H.G. returns, Myka pretends to be her, using Harriet Tubman's thimble and nabs MacPherson. H.G., however, shows how devious she is and cuts off the diamonds which allowed MacPherson to be inside the warehouse. He dies, but not before telling Artie that he put the phoenix charm in his pocket, leaving a somber tone in an otherwise happy moment.
They enter the Escher Vault, which looks incredibly cheesy with the low, low, low grade visual effects, and find that H.G stole her ring, locket, and compact. Oh goodie, we get a new enemy! The idea of a female (and hot) H.G. Wells seems gimmicky, so I won't put much importance on her, but the team is running with a full head of steam which is all good news.
Score: 8.8/10
