It’s been a little while since we’ve had the pleasure of seeing Claudia and Jinks in action together, and as usual, Artie is in the midst of their latest caper. This leaves Pete and Myka to work more or less on their own, as befitting the more experienced team. Add to that some more detail into Myka’s background, and it’s a nice step up from the previous episode’s flawed experimentation.
As I’ve said many times, I’m not at all familiar with the first season of the series, so I have to assume that the situation with Myka’s former partner was explored during that period. It could have detracted from my enjoyment of the episode, if the story hadn’t been handled well enough to make it a moot point. I never felt like I was missing something significant. That said, it probably appealed even more to those with the proper background on the events in Denver.
This is quite the spotlight for Myka, and it feels like she hasn’t quite had a moment like this since her unusual relationship with H.G. in the second season. Myka is usually very strong and confident, so it was interesting to see her face up to those inner demons and deal with the guilt of days past. In essence, she was given a reason to let go of the responsibility, while still coming to terms (again) with the stakes of being in law enforcement. Even the best agents lose partners, and often there’s little that could have gone differently.
With Myka in a situation where she needed support and understanding, it was great to see Pete stand by her and demonstrate just how much he’s grown. This is why I’ve liked the series so much more in the third season; all the characters are now being fleshed out and feel three-dimensional, with the excesses kept under control (for the most part). Funny how Pete’s wacky side is much less grating when it’s just part of a more complete personality.
Back at the Warehouse, there’s not much of a follow-up to what happened with the painting at the end of the previous episode. Instead, other events lead Artie, Claudia, and Jinks to the truth about Agent Stukowski, which ought to serve to escalate the season arc a bit more. Season arcs have been the weak point of the series thus far, so I’m hoping that this slow build will pay off better than, say, the H.G. arc in the second season.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10