I initially thought this new format of Warehouse 13 was positive, and I had a small explanation in my review of the second episode of this season. To summarize, the biggest problem I had with the show was that it would often turn into a procedural with an artifact at the center of it. By running two concurrent plots, one larger than the other, the show would avoid any of these problems since space wouldn't have to be filled and the plots wouldn't have to be needlessly complex.
I'm having second thoughts, however. What it seems to be now is that the writers are essentially splitting each episode into parts, where one of the plots can be lifted in its entirety and placed in another episode. There is such a strict divide between the two groups--Myka and Pete, and Claudia and Steve--that the writers seem to be taking it easy. Claudia and Steve go to the Civil War reenactment and find the artifact, without interacting with any other characters, while Pete and Myka go to Pete's ex-wife's wedding and find that artifact. The writers don't even try to have the characters interact with someone else in another group, and the isolation makes for a disconnected episode.
Despite this, "Queen for a Day" hits some nice notes, as we learn about Pete's past, connecting to his alcoholism, and and his ex-wife Amanda (played by Jeri Ryan, better known as Seven of Nine). The action in the episode was a cut above the rest and had the rambunctious fun that makes the show so enjoyable. As disconnected as the Civil War plot was, Allison Scagliotti has some hilarious scenes and we learn about Steve's deceased sister and how Claudia reminds him of her.
Score: 8.4/10
