Let’s go back to the beginning for a moment, for those who have never had the guilty pleasure of this hilarious and lighthearted delight from the very talented Jane Espenson and D. Brent Mote. ‘Warehouse 13’ premiered on July 7, 2009. The shows Executive Producers, Jack Kenny and David Simkins, describes the dramatic comedy as being based on the 1980’s television series, Friday the 13th.
The ‘Warehouse’ is set in South Dakota, apparently, in the middle of no where. The secret agents, Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering, are assigned to protect an exposition in Washington D.C., but they fail and a rare Aztec stone is stolen. However, they are individually assigned to a matter of national security by the mysterious Mrs. Irene Frederic. Arthur “Artie” Nelson shows the new agents the thousands of artifacts stored to protect mankind against their powers. Pete and Myka travel to Iowa to investigate a jewel that belonged to Lucrecia Borgia.
‘Resonance’, the second episode in the series, finds Pete and Myka in Chicago to investigate a device that creates a sound resonance so severe it hypnotizes all who hear it and leaves them in a state of euphoria for minutes after. Episode 4 introduces one of the ‘Warehouse’s’ favorite spitfires, Claudia Donovan. She hacked into the warehouse computer systems and kidnapped Artie so that he would help her retrieve her brother who was believed to be dead. She now works in the warehouse with Artie and the others.
Up to this point, there has never been a complete explanation as to what happened to warehouse’s 1 through 11. We do know, however, that Warehouse 2 is located in Egypt, as the end of season two will attest. We do know that Warehouse 1 started way back in 336 BC.
Artie Neilson (Saul Rubinek), runs the warehouse, and has uncanny knowledge of all things Warehouse. But even Artie has his superiors, known as “The Regents”, a mysterious and seemingly extraordinary group of individuals. Other members of the Warehouse are Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), Claudia, Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) and Leena (Genelle Williams). Mrs. Frederic (C. C. H. Pounder) appears to be associated with the Regents, since it is known that she carries the blueprints of the warehouse in her head. We can only assume that she ascended to the “Corporate Office” where the Regents reside for that to have been possible. Also in season two, it is hinted that our beloved redhead, Claudia, may be earmarked to take over Mrs. Frederic’s position.
H. G. Wells, played by the lovely & talented Jaime Murray, was an Apprentice Agent of Warehouse 12 in the late 19th century, and also the female author behind the works attributed to her brother. She herself requested to be bronzed, after grief from the murder of her daughter led her to misuse Warehouse artifacts. She was released by James MacPherson in the Season 2 premiere, and reinstated after proving her loyalty. In the Season 2 finale she is revealed as a villain when she seizes the Minoan Trident—”the first weapon of mass destruction “—and attempts to rupture the Yellowstone Caldera and start a new Ice Age. Her plans were halted with the intervention of Myka, after which she was taken away by the Regents to be detained in an unspecified manner; implied to be worse than bronzing.
The season 2 highlight for me was Douglas Fargo of Eureka’s Global Dynamics comes to Warehouse 13 to help update its aging computer system. This triggers a seemingly sentient computer virus that sends the Warehouse into lockdown and traps the team inside. ‘Merge With Caution’, the 8th episode, switches bodies between Pete & Myka with, at first, hilarious results.
On a side note, one of my favorites (Myka), played by the amazing Joanne Kelly, left the show and I’ve yet to hear exactly why, but I can only assume it was of her own accord.
I trust this brief look into the Warehouse prepares you for season three, ‘Warehouse 13: The New Guy’ airs Monday, July 11 At 9:00 Pm On Syfy.
