Pilot (Warehouse 13)
Encyclopedia
"Pilot" is the first episode of the Syfy
series Warehouse 13
. It first aired July 7, 2009, and was written by Brent Mote, Jane Espenson
, and David Simkins and directed by Jace Alexander.
museum, Secret Service
agents Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly
) and Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock
) clash over plans for a Presidential
visit; Myka is extremely organized, rigid, and by-the-book, while Peter is more flexible and receptive to the "vibe" of a situation. A curator cuts his finger on the crystal teeth of a carved stone head called an "Aztec Bloodstone" and is soon possessed by it. Later noticing a steady trickle of blood coming from the Bloodstone, on instinct Peter removes it from display. Myka dramatically thwarts the zombie-like curator's knife attack of the President (actually an attack on the Mexican Ambassador's daughter, as the "Bloodstone" craves virgin sacrifices) as Peter is confronted by a man who knows his name and disappears with the Bloodstone in a flash of light. Peter is temporarily suspended pending investigation into his strange story, but later visited by the mysterious Mrs. Frederick (C. C. H. Pounder), who orders him to report to particular coordinates for an extended special assignment. Arriving at an isolated government warehouse in South Dakota
, Peter finds a flummoxed Myka close behind him. They are welcomed to Warehouse 13 by Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek
), the man who had taken the Bloodstone. Artie explains that they will be joining him as "gatherers and protectors of secrets"—specifically, empowered and potentially dangerous objects both stored in the warehouse and located out in the world and in need of retrieval. Peter is somewhat intrigued by what Artie calls "America's attic," while Myka feels she is "too valuable to be wasted" at such a task.
While Myka and Peter's former boss Daniel Dickenson (Simon Reynolds) is trying to figure out how to get them back, Artie sends the agents to investigate a report of domestic abuse in Seever City, Iowa
which he believes may be connected to an item. The agents meet University of Southern Iowa law student Cody Thomas, being held for assaulting his girlfriend; during questioning, Cody begins speaking 15th century Italian and flies into a rage. The Renaissance professor who translates his words is driven to suicide, and Cody's godmother and lawyer Lorna Solliday (Sherry Miller
) reveals Cody's girlfriend Emily as the reason. Myka and Peter see a jeweled comb on Lorna, who suddenly tries to kill them. An unconscious Myka sees a vision of her deceased lover Sam Martino (Gabriel Hogan
) before she awakens. Artie determines that the comb had once been owned by Italian schemer Lucretia Borgia, and possesses "twisted desires" which will drive everyone around it to violence. Myka and Peter manage to stop Lorna and retrieve the comb. After meeting Mrs. Frederick, Dickenson gives Myka a choice: she can stay in South Dakota or return to Washington, but Peter must stay at Warehouse 13 either way. Myka stays.
and Eureka
. Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post
described it as "X-Files light, with the bickering Scully and Mulder stand-ins going off on Indiana Jones-style adventures." IGN
reviewer Ramsey Isler gave "Pilot" a positive review, but felt that it wasn't enough to give "SyFy a chance to once again boast the best sci-fi show on TV." Entertainment Weekly
gave it a negative review, describing it as an "unholy cross between The X-Files
, Bones
, and Raiders of the Lost Ark
." Carlos Delgado of iFMagazine.com gave the episode a "B". He like the premise, but felt that two hours was too long, saying "smart editing could have trimmed to show to at least an hour and a half, maybe even an hour." Randee Dawn of Reuters
felt that the "by-the-numbers hate/bonding ritual" between the lead characters in "Pilot" was weak, saying they are "no Mulder
and Scully
".
John Booth of Wired
listed 10 things that parents should consider when watching "Pilot" with their children: Language, which included "screwing off” and “what the hell". Violence, including fisticuffs, guns, and "a pretty tame immolation and crispy corpse". "One genuine moment of heart-race goosebumps". A brief scene involving a semi-nude woman in bed. That the show was unrealistic. And parallels to other television shows and movies, and other observations that he and his daughter made. Amy Amatangelo of Zap2it
singled out the character Pete's line "I’m trained to take a bullet if necessary but I’m not sure how to stop a dead Italian cougar" as one of her quotes of the week.
Jason Hughes of TV Squad enjoyed two mysteries that "Pilot" sets up, but does not explain. Why "CCH Pounder's Mrs. Frederic may be much older than she appears", and that the character Leena may be Mrs. Frederic's daughter. John Dugan of Time Out New York felt the episode was "ultimately slightly less than satisfying."
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
series Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13 is an American fantasy television series that premiered on July 7, 2009 on the Syfy network.Executive-produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, the dramatic comedy from Universal Media Studios has been described as borrowing much from 1980s television series Friday the 13th: The...
. It first aired July 7, 2009, and was written by Brent Mote, Jane Espenson
Jane Espenson
Jane Espenson is an American script writer and television producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on the episode "Conversations with Dead People"...
, and David Simkins and directed by Jace Alexander.
Plot
At a Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
museum, Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agents Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly
Joanne Kelly
Joanne Kelly is a Canadian actress, known for her appearances in films such as Going the Distance and in TV series such as Warehouse 13, in which she plays Secret Service agent Myka Bering.- Career :...
) and Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock
Eddie McClintock
Edward "Eddie" Theodore McClintock is an American actor who has starred and guest starred in numerous television shows. He currently portrays the role of Secret Service agent Peter Lattimer on the Syfy series Warehouse 13....
) clash over plans for a Presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
visit; Myka is extremely organized, rigid, and by-the-book, while Peter is more flexible and receptive to the "vibe" of a situation. A curator cuts his finger on the crystal teeth of a carved stone head called an "Aztec Bloodstone" and is soon possessed by it. Later noticing a steady trickle of blood coming from the Bloodstone, on instinct Peter removes it from display. Myka dramatically thwarts the zombie-like curator's knife attack of the President (actually an attack on the Mexican Ambassador's daughter, as the "Bloodstone" craves virgin sacrifices) as Peter is confronted by a man who knows his name and disappears with the Bloodstone in a flash of light. Peter is temporarily suspended pending investigation into his strange story, but later visited by the mysterious Mrs. Frederick (C. C. H. Pounder), who orders him to report to particular coordinates for an extended special assignment. Arriving at an isolated government warehouse in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, Peter finds a flummoxed Myka close behind him. They are welcomed to Warehouse 13 by Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek
Saul Rubinek
Saul Rubinek is a Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright, known for his work in TV, film and the stage.-Early life:...
), the man who had taken the Bloodstone. Artie explains that they will be joining him as "gatherers and protectors of secrets"—specifically, empowered and potentially dangerous objects both stored in the warehouse and located out in the world and in need of retrieval. Peter is somewhat intrigued by what Artie calls "America's attic," while Myka feels she is "too valuable to be wasted" at such a task.
While Myka and Peter's former boss Daniel Dickenson (Simon Reynolds) is trying to figure out how to get them back, Artie sends the agents to investigate a report of domestic abuse in Seever City, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
which he believes may be connected to an item. The agents meet University of Southern Iowa law student Cody Thomas, being held for assaulting his girlfriend; during questioning, Cody begins speaking 15th century Italian and flies into a rage. The Renaissance professor who translates his words is driven to suicide, and Cody's godmother and lawyer Lorna Solliday (Sherry Miller
Sherry Miller
Sherry Miller is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Jane Oliver on the Canadian drama E.N.G. , Jennifer Taylor on the Showtime television show Queer As Folk and Dorothy O'Sullivan on The Best Years .- Biography :Miller began her career as a singer and dancer, gaining attention...
) reveals Cody's girlfriend Emily as the reason. Myka and Peter see a jeweled comb on Lorna, who suddenly tries to kill them. An unconscious Myka sees a vision of her deceased lover Sam Martino (Gabriel Hogan
Gabriel Hogan
Gabriel Hogan is a Canadian actor.Hogan is best known for his continuing roles on Canadian hit dramas Traders and The Associates.- Background :...
) before she awakens. Artie determines that the comb had once been owned by Italian schemer Lucretia Borgia, and possesses "twisted desires" which will drive everyone around it to violence. Myka and Peter manage to stop Lorna and retrieve the comb. After meeting Mrs. Frederick, Dickenson gives Myka a choice: she can stay in South Dakota or return to Washington, but Peter must stay at Warehouse 13 either way. Myka stays.
Artifacts
- Aztec Bloodstone - used in human sacrifices. The museum worker affected by the Bloodstone took a ceremonial Aztec knife and attacked the daughter of the Mexican Ambassador, who he was somehow able to identify as a virgin.
- Tesla - a polyphase electrical stun gun invented by Nikola TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
. Standard issue weapon for Warehouse Agents, seen in multiple episodes. The power on the Tesla has settings from 1 to 5 in half-point increments; Artie suggests not using it above 2. - Farnsworth - a two-way video communication system invented by Philo FarnsworthPhilo FarnsworthPhilo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. Although he made many contributions that were crucial to the early development of all-electronic television, he is perhaps best known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device , the "image...
. It's fairly flat, with several knobs to select communication frequencies and a round black and white screen. In a later episode, Artie mentions that they have their own frequency which cannot be hacked. Standard issue for Warehouse Agents, seen in multiple episodes. - American football - when thrown, it apparently circles the earth and returns to the place it was thrown.
- Wand - unknown effect. Artie uses it to "fix the fish."
- Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
's Bio-Electric Vehicle - created as a prototype for Henry FordHenry FordHenry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, but he chose to forego the electric car in favor of the internal combustion engineInternal combustion engineThe internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
. If two people hold onto the bar on the front of the vehicle, the electricity from their bodies powers the car. - Harry HoudiniHarry HoudiniHarry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
's Wallet - Possesses the power of "charonic transfer," allowing the bearer to see and hear visions of dead people. Causes Myka to see her deceased partner, Sam Martino. According to the tag on the shelf, the wallet was obtained three days after Houdini's death. - Tea kettle - The kettle can apparently move itself around unnoticed; it sneaks into Pete's hand while Artie is explaining the function of the Warehouse. The kettle grants wishes, but if someone makes a wish that cannot be granted, the kettle produces a ferret instead; nobody knows why it does this.
- Mayan Calendar - Artie states that two Warehouse Agents had their "clocks stopped" with this artifact, implying that they're still alive, but wish they won't be in a hundred years. Not shown but mentioned.
- Lucrezia BorgiaLucrezia BorgiaLucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
's comb - transmits the mindset of the famous Italian murderess through the crystals in the comb. It also gives the bearer the ability to control the actions of others, using an Italian phrase as a phonetic trigger.
Production
"Pilot" marked the first series debut after SyFy changed its name from The Sci Fi Channel. "Pilot" was produced by Universal Cable Productions. Development of the series began in 2005, and a number of people worked on the pilot, with multiple versions of the script, before a version credited to Mote, Espenson and Simkins was ordered in October 2007. The pilot for Warehouse 13 was Eddie McClintock's 10th pilot. The previous nine were unsuccessful. Warehouse 13 is the first series where McClintock has received top billing, although he was the lead in two unsuccessful pilots. Showrunner Jack Kenny feels that roles are partially defined by their actor, and that writer Simkins "in crafting the pilot, I think really made it a nice fit for Jo and Eddie to slip into these parts and Saul as well."Reception
"Pilot" was the most-watched cable show on its night, with 3.5 million viewers. This earned Syfy its third best premiere, after Stargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
and Eureka
Eureka (TV series)
Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011...
. Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
described it as "X-Files light, with the bickering Scully and Mulder stand-ins going off on Indiana Jones-style adventures." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer Ramsey Isler gave "Pilot" a positive review, but felt that it wasn't enough to give "SyFy a chance to once again boast the best sci-fi show on TV." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave it a negative review, describing it as an "unholy cross between The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
." Carlos Delgado of iFMagazine.com gave the episode a "B". He like the premise, but felt that two hours was too long, saying "smart editing could have trimmed to show to at least an hour and a half, maybe even an hour." Randee Dawn of Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
felt that the "by-the-numbers hate/bonding ritual" between the lead characters in "Pilot" was weak, saying they are "no Mulder
Mulder
Mulder is a Dutch surname deriving from a former Dutch word for "miller", mulder.- People named Mulder :*Allan Mulder, Australian politician*Bob Mulder, Dutch football player*Boyito Mulder, Dutch figure skater...
and Scully
Scully
Scully may refer to:a surnameThe Irish name, "Scully" comes from older forms Ó Scalaidhe, Ó Scolaidhe, Ó Scolaí and Ó Scolaighe. These surnames referred to an ancestor who functioned as a sceulaidhe, a high-ranking storyteller of an old Irish court, or a "student"...
".
John Booth of Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
listed 10 things that parents should consider when watching "Pilot" with their children: Language, which included "screwing off” and “what the hell". Violence, including fisticuffs, guns, and "a pretty tame immolation and crispy corpse". "One genuine moment of heart-race goosebumps". A brief scene involving a semi-nude woman in bed. That the show was unrealistic. And parallels to other television shows and movies, and other observations that he and his daughter made. Amy Amatangelo of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
singled out the character Pete's line "I’m trained to take a bullet if necessary but I’m not sure how to stop a dead Italian cougar" as one of her quotes of the week.
Jason Hughes of TV Squad enjoyed two mysteries that "Pilot" sets up, but does not explain. Why "CCH Pounder's Mrs. Frederic may be much older than she appears", and that the character Leena may be Mrs. Frederic's daughter. John Dugan of Time Out New York felt the episode was "ultimately slightly less than satisfying."