Eureka (2006-2012)

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.6
PHASED AND CONFUSED

Synopsis: Jack keeps having to rescue his sister Lexi from a bumbling superhero.

LIKED.....
I would say I liked most of this episode, but it had one of the most hilariously poor or bad..... those are really too negative. It wasn't really negative so much as a hilarious copout.

DIDN'T LIKE.....

Once again we get a giant facility under Eureka. Come on this is dumb. And what I mentioned above. Jack you can't start using discarded phasing technology because the technology was abandoned because people died when the effect couldn't be reversed. Cut to Jack is dying and a magic cure because apparently saving his life motivated them to find a cure while those other folks were just not worth trying hard enough.

That has to be one of the most hilarious copout endings I've ever seen in a show. It was such a copout they seem to literally point at themselves as being a copout.

Episode is okay by me. Not my favorite, but it had its moments.

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.7
HERE COME THE SUNS

IMDB Synopsis: The appearance of a second sun makes election week in Eureka a little more intense, and gives Eva Thorne an opening that may mean the end of Global Dynamics.

I haven't done one in awhile so here is a B5 Guest Star sighting.....
DEAN MARSHALL - Malcolm Bridges from BABYLON 5: THE LEGEND OF THE RANGERS: TO LIVE AND DIE IN STARLIGHT (2002)

LIKED.....
Seeing Dean Marshall make an appearance. I like the tension with Eva Thorne (Frances Fisher). I liked the election stuff, in particular I found Vincent's role to be subdued but humorous. They should have played with his part just a little more. REALLY liked Henry's reaction at the end.

DIDN'T LIKE.....
I can't say there was much I didn't like.

Here is something that I thought would be bad and then it wasn't.

So Degree Antiperspirant became a sponsor of the show. They played this in with the introduction of Eva Thorne (Frances Fisher) coming in to make Global Dynamics a profitable entity. So sporadically through episodes you will see a Degree Antiperspirant in a medicine cabinet or sitting on a sink. Occasionally they will show a poster or things around Global Dynamics. All very obvious, but not too intrusive - until this episode, but not a problem. In this episode one of the Antiperspirants shows up in the middle of a shot in someone's work station. Not something impossible to happen, but in this instance WAY too obvious. So I thought it was going to be ridiculously all over the episode, BUT in an episode with a second sun I was shocked Degree didn't end up in every scene. LOL

So I enjoyed this one. 6 out of 10. I know I haven't really used a numbering system, but I felt like it this time.

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.8
FROM FEAR TO ETERNITY

IMDB Synopsis: All of Eva Thorne's secrets are revealed when she pushes for early destruction of the bunker. Zoe begins to experience the effect of the substance in which she slipped, leaving Carter to risk his life and job in order to save her.

LIKED.....
Hmmmm I would say I liked most of the episode.

DIDN'T LIKE......
I can't think of anything other than the huge spoiler......

that this was Frances Fisher's last episode. I thought she added an interesting dynamic, though I also felt like she has overshadowed Salli Richardson-Whitfield all season. It really seems like after the whole Nathan Stark affair at the beginning of the season she has been a non-entity for me. I don't know. Could just be me. I guess if I was going to say there is one negative it would be that Fisher left. And if there were one pointless gesture it is that Carter was fired. I love that something like that happened, because something like that would have to happen, but it also seems pointless - especially since I know the next episode is called WELCOME BACK, CARTER.

All and all a good episode, but the ending was a bit contrived and had no weight to it because I know the show isn't over. ?

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.9
WELCOME BACK, CARTER

IMDB Synopsis - Sheriff Carter interviews for a new job, Zoe braces herself for change.

LIKED.....
Very contrived, but still an entertaining episode.

DIDN'T LIKE.....
SHERIFF ANDY was a bit too much.

- I mean the technology used. He was more life like than Data. Thankfully Ty Olsson is an entertaining actor. All and all the last two episode were entertaining, but as far as Carter leaving and coming back they weren't really at that level.

Guest Star Ty Olsson made this one worth while.

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.10
YOUR FACE OR MINE

IMDB Synopsis: Jo displays atypical behavior after a DNA scan malfunctions, unfortunately it's while she's interim sheriff when Carter is required to undergo a 48-hour DOD recertification test.

LIKED.....
So Colin Ferguson directed this one. Usually one might assume this would be the week Carter was off, but not for this Director. I was surprised how much he was in it. Decent enough episode.

DIDN'T LIKE.....
I can't think of anything I didn't really care for other than the base things that have always been around that I don't really care for...... Zane.

Highly predictable episode, but I liked the episode focus on Jo. ?

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.11
INSANE IN THE P-BRANE

IMDB Synopsis: Carter finds out more than he bargained for when he's trapped in an alternate dimension.

LIKED.....
I'll just say that this was a fairly middle of the road episode for me. I enjoyed some of it.

DIDN'T LIKE.....
Not really sure what the whole point of Ever Caradine's character has been. Overall I really have found her to be unnecessary and I'm wondering what the original intent of adding her was meant to do because it really hasn't done much for overall scheme of things.

Wasn't much of a fan of them introducing another character to serve as romantic tension. Also I'm not sure I can take much more of Episode after Episode threatening the entire world. I see no reason they needed to escalate this problem to that level. Even threatening the whole town wasn't necessary. Come on! Eventually with town and World being threatened with destruction because of issues coming out of Eureka someone would eventually pull the plug and say that these projects shouldn't be done in such close proximity. ....

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.12
IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

IMDB Synopsis: A bowling tournament brings a rival team from Area 51 to town, but when a practical joke goes too far Jack may be the town's only hope for survival.

LIKED.....
Another middle of the road episode, but still entertaining.

DIDN'T LIKE.....
Another middle of the road episode, but still entertaining. ?

So after getting off to a great start Season Three as really leveled off. It isn't bad, but they are not really hitting home runs.

I feel like they are trying a bit too hard to combine disaster of the week with relationship drama of the week and it isn't really all that entertaining. While they are still coming up with some novel concepts it is just getting redundant. -Experiment gets out of control. -Someone's starting, or ending, or having relationship trouble. The same formula week after week. And as I've said, how many times can Eureka threaten the existence of the world without being shutdown..... apparently enough times to last five seasons of a show. I like this show, but I am starting to question how they managed five seasons. I keep hoping there is a big change around the corner, but the current underlying mystery plot doesn't even have me remotely intrigued.

I know the above is not much of a direct spoiler, but it does spoil something about the episode so I locked it up. ?

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.13
IF YOU BUILD IT....

IMDB Synopsis: Jack, Henry, and the rest of the GD team try to figure out why teenagers are building towers out of junk, the signal moves closer faster, and Fargo's old car doesn't like being dumped.

LIKED.....
The stuff with the cars was fun. I enjoyed this episode, but it seems to be the start of a multi-episode arc and.....

DIDN'T LIKE.....
.....and I'm not sure I cared for the ending cliffhanger. I just do get shows that try to force romantic entanglements. I know it is all part of a marketing formula, but they are so pointless. I mean logically they would exist, but why try to force them with EVERY character.

As stated this was the start of a multi-episode arc so I am reserving judgement until I see it all. I'm on shaky ground with it right now.

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.14
SHIP HAPPENS

B5 GUEST STAR: TAMLYN TOMITA

IMDB Synopsis (abbreviated): Henry tries to figure out why his spaceship came home.

LIKED.....
Okay so I left out of my previous post the fact Kim (Tamlyn Tomita) reappeared in Eureka at the very last moment of the previous episode. I didn't want to spoil it, but there is no getting around it because I'm going to mention Babylon 5 guest stars. So what I liked about the episode is the first half where the mystery of Kim's return is spinning.

DIDN'T LIKE......
The second half of the episode, specifically how it pertained to the return of Kim.

So Tomita returns as a recreation of Kim. Wrapping your head around the things they were trying to do in this episode are somewhat difficult, but in the first half things were going well enough I was able to let it slide. THEN the second half of the episode started and the eternal need for drama to add drama kicked in. I the first half Tomita was brilliant as living computer Kim. In the second half they decided to let emotion creep in and made the whole concept a big fail for me. It was quite annoying that they couldn't just allow things to play out. They had to stress the interpersonal relationships for the sake of creating unnecessary drama.

So another bit of a dud for me. The episode started off pretty well, but by the end started to lean too much into romantic entanglements rather than telling a decent story. I am DEFINITELY being hard on this one, but that is because I loved how Tomita started out and then they ruined it.

[Jan]

Random thought - I really wonder how a guest actor feels coming on to a show like this for one or two episodes. It's gotta be pretty surreal, huh?

[Looney]

Random thought - I really wonder how a guest actor feels coming on to a show like this for one or two episodes. It's gotta be pretty surreal, huh?

Especially in a situation like this where the character left the show and then comes back later down the line. I'm sure she had to think, "They like me. They really like me."

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.15
SHOWER THE PEOPLE

B5 GUEST STAR TAMLYN TOMITA

IMDB Synopsis: Women who attended a Allison's baby shower are turning up drowned and there was no apparent source for the water. There doesn't seem to be anyway to extract the data stored in Kim's body without destroying her.

LIKED.....
Meh liked the usual qualities I like in every episode. The characters and some of the humor.

DIDN'T LIKE.....
This one cheated a bit. In every plot there is a quality of mystery the audience is supposed to figure out. This one cheated a bit by not only hiding a key plot twist, but also making it so you have to believe one of the supposed highly intelligent individuals didn't put two and two together to make make four.

The plot leaves out a key scene that would have given the mystery away. AND you are to believe that Tess didn't mention what happened in the key scene. It isn't impossible because they were focused on a different event and therefore she was thinking of that event, but an "Oh By The Way We Also Did This..." is something that definitely would have popped in this genius' head. I guess the actual main plot revolved around Tomita's character, but I wasn't interested. It was just a way to hit the romance, sacrifice, and melodrama cues. It was kind of pathetic when one considers the grand scope of the creation of this character that just ended up being a way to have a tragic love story thrown in the drama.

Another forgettable episode. Sad that Season Three started so strong and has not been able to maintain it. Honestly these episodes have become formulaic and Ho-Hum.

[Looney]

EPISODE 3.16
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK

IMDB SYNOPSIS: Jack and Allison are trapped within the Global Dynamics building during a countdown for a sonic cleaning. Fargo messes with the memory recording system Dr. Fontana has been working on, which accidentally leads to widespread amnesia.

LIKED.......
Hmmmmmmmm. I guess I liked the creative and entertaining way they did the clip show.

DIDN'T LIKE......
UGGGGGGGH A CLIP SHOW!!!!!!!!

Okay now that is out of the way I did appreciate the concept. It was very "EUREKA" to do a clip show this way. HOWEVER, not really the best timing during what has become a Ho-Hum Season.

[Looney]

So after a long break I went back to EUREKA. Apologies to all my loyal readers , but October was a 31 days of Horror movies ? challenge and since I have struggled to catch up on a lot of other things I had been watching. Finally made it back to EUREKA.

EPISODE 3.17
HAVE AN ICE DAY

SYNOPSIS: Eureka has an ice problem.

LIKED.....
I liked very little of this episode because very little of it had to do with anything but the romantic entanglements of the characters. ?

DIDN'T LIKE.....
(SEE ABOVE)

So my interest in this show continues to decline as its seems to continue to want to use the romances of the characters as a main driving force. In episodes like this one they either felt they didn't have enough of a story to tell about the crisis or they felt they needed to build the crisis around the relationship stories they wanted to tell. Either way they are losing me.

One more episode to go in Season Three so I am hopeful this trend will not continue into Season Four. (I have my doubts.)

Returning to my above explanation of why I have been away from EUREKA for so long, I think this post is a good indicator of why. I took a break and the quality of the show has not given me the desire to return. Here is hoping it gets better.

[Looney]

EPISODE 4.1
FOUNDER'S DAY

IMDB SYNOPSIS: During the Founder's Day celebration, Jack, Allison, Fargo, Henry, and Jo somehow end up in 1947, in the middle of the army base that existed before Eureka was founded.

LIKED.....
Admittedly after my disappointment with how Season 3 went I was pretty skeptical going into this one. Pleasant surprise. I enjoyed it.

DIDN'T LIKE......
I have to say what I didn't like is there is no way I am going to end up enjoying this concept.

So I FINALLY started Season 4. It is off to a good start, but Season 3 also started really strong and then fell off.