Warehouse 13: Review: Season 3 Ep 5

Syfy (US) August 8

An artifact first discovered by Warehouse 12 in 1893 has consequences for Warehouse 13 both in 1964 and the present day…

In this reviewer’s not-so-humble opinion, making Helena Wells into a mustache-twirling villain at the end of Warehouse 13‘s second season was a massive misstep. Jamie Murray’s Helena was a magnificent character who added tremendous texture to the show, and basically writing her out was foolish.

This week, she returns, after a fashion. Stuck in limbo by the Regents, she’s brought back as a hologram to advise on a case. In 1893, Warehouse 12 found Joshua’s horn, which disintegrates anything in its path, and assigned Helena to the case. It resurfaced in 1962, where Warehouse agents Rebecca and Jack (from the second season’s “Where and When”) believed it to have been destroyed. However, now it’s back, and wiping out bits of Pittsburgh.

(By the way? Pete wasn’t kidding when he said they’ll put fries on anything in the Iron City. It’s weird…)

Warehouse 13‘s strongest episodes have been ones that dealt with the lengthy history of the Warehouse, and “3…2…1” embraces this wholeheartedly, with a three-part structure. Flashbacks to both 1893 – with Helena and Agent Woolcott (played with befuddled charm by the perfectly cast Gareth David-Lloyd) – and 1962, with the star-crossed lovers Rebecca and Jack (Alex Paxton-Beesley and Chad Connell, getting a lot more to do this time), intermix with the 2011 storyline. The plot itself isn’t overburdened by surprises, but it’s fun seeing the different dynamics. Woolcott is very much Helena’s sidekick, the Watson to her Holmes; Rebecca and Jack are a true couple, lovers and partners both; while Myka and Pete are more traditional working partners.

But mostly we see what we’ve been missing not having Jamie Murray around. Helena’s arc continues in this episode, both her own steps on what she hopes is the road to redemption, and her former teammates dealing with their conflicting feelings toward her.

Verdict: A brilliant episode covering three time periods and bringing back a sorely missed character.

Episode 5 “3…2…1”: 9/10

Keith R.A. DeCandido

Check out our other Warehouse 13 reviews