Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Bob Goodman
Directed by Michael McMurray
I had a good feeling about Deb as soon as she was in a scene with Pete. Let’s face it: in the last few episodes, Pete has regressed to the grating, over-the-top personality that dominated the second season. I much preferred the more nuanced third season Pete, so this is a step back, in my book. But his earnest attraction to Deb, and her ability to confound him at every pass, brought a smile to my face.
I was a bit worried when they seemed to be pushing for Deb to become another agent, perhaps in preparation for Steve’s eventual foreshadowed departure, but I like the idea of her recruitment as a Regent even better. If it also means we get to see more sides of Mr. Kosan, that would also be amenable. That element of the episode alone took a largely standard artifact-of-the-week story and made it much more enjoyable.
Artie’s little secret is quickly unraveling at the same time, and it’s hard to watch. Going to H.G Wells made a lot of sense, but it makes equal sense that she would recognize the signs of someone trying to cover up time travel shenanigans. And since she’s on a bit of a journey towards personal redemption, her decision to tell Mrs. Frederic about what she suspects is a nice touch. Add to that the notion that Brother Adrian is clearly not above using artifacts to achieve his own concept of “the greater good”, and all those layers of meaning and context continue to pile up in Artie’s plot thread. He may not be a villain, per se, but we are definitely seeing things from the perspective of someone doing questionable things for perceived “right reasons”.
It would be good for the writers to move on from this particular ongoing plot point, because frankly, I’m getting tired of Artie constantly wringing his hands over the situation. And if we get much more about how telling people about the evil that is coming will put them in danger, I’m going to scream. Wouldn’t Artie, of all people, recognize that the agents are always in danger, and that keeping secrets is the best way to get them killed? It’s one thing when disclosure will lure innocents into the line of fire, but no one at the Warehouse is ignorant of the possibilities at this point.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Score: 7/10
