The Sci Fi Channel kicked off their inexplicable name change to Syfy (whatever that stands for) with the premiere of Warehouse 13, a show about two CIA agents recruited to track down cursed items and store them away indefinitely.
There have been many comparisons to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, X-files, & Eureka but the real inspiration (read: plagiarism) is the cult classic Friday the 13th: The Series
However unlike any of those shows, Warehouse 13 is devoid of any real humor or excitement. Granted it’s the pilot, but science fiction & fantasy are not genres you ease the audience into. YOU WOW THEM! And after 2 hours I was not wowed.
The entire episode was just too subtle like when Pete arrives at the warehouse and gets hit by a football from out of nowhere. Later Artie explains that he threw it before Pete arrived, but he doesn’t really explain it. Instead Artie simply throws the ball into orbit (presumably to return again). Of course later it dawns on you that it’s a cursed object, but by then you’ve moved on.
The one very bright side is the team’s gal Friday Leena played by Genelle Williams (picture right), who reminds me of Fringe‘s Jasika Nicole for many reasons not least of which are her cute hair, cute smile, and a body that’s anything but cute. Let’s just hope she’s not too busy doing all the real work like Astrid to get some actual screen time!
