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Bad to the Drone | What About Bob? | Best in Faux | I Do Over | Show Me the Mummy
Phased and Confused | Here Come the Suns | From Fear to Eternity | Welcome Back, Carter | Your Face or Mine?
Insane in the P-Brane | It's Not Easy Being Green | If You Build It | Ship Happens
Shower the People | You Don't Know Jack | Have an Ice Day | What Goes Around, Comes Around
We start with scenes from the season 2 ender, which is good because it's been a whole frelling year since we've seen Eureka, unless you watched the mini-marathon Skiffy had right before the season 3 opener. We're reminded that Stark had asked Allison to marry him. Now I know I said in my first SGA review that I see slash everywhere. Well, I lied. I have two shows where I don't see any slash and one where I have a het OTP and a slash OTP. Eureka is one of the two that have no slash. I prefer Allison with Jack. One of my favorite episodes is the one where Jack and Allison married in the alternate timeline. I think she compliments him a great deal and he helps keep her grounded. Of course the fact that I think Stark is a slimy weasel has absolutely nothing to do with it.The show opens with Jack and Zoe talking and unless you have teenagers, or can remember being one yourself, you have no idea what they're talking about. Turns out Zoe has a part-time job at Café Diem.
Zane and Jo are having coffee and Zane is still acting like he has to woo her by mentioning a weapon testing that'll be taking place shortly.
Stark and Allison are having breakfast. She tells him of her concerns and he tries to talk her into it. Vincent is eavesdropping, as usual. He tells Jo and Zoe that Stark asked Allison to marry him.
Fargo is working on the Viper, not sure if it stands of something because they never say, and up walks his nemesis, Larry who's eating what appears to be a mini shortcake but is probably supposed to be a jelly filled donut. Larry makes his usual remark about Fargo's incompetence and, as usual, Fargo just brushes it off. You'd think that after Fargo's grandfather was exonerated and it was discovered that Fargo isn't really as big a dolt as everyone thinks Larry would find a new target, but no. You know how bullies are; once they find someone they love to torment they keep at it for as long as they can.
And we are introduced to the 'problem' of tonight's episode, Martha, a target drone, or as Jack calls it 'a fancy clay pigeon'.
Fargo gets a message on his phone that the DOD representative has arrived. A woman called 'The Fixer'. Larry says her latest book makes Sensu look like Marry Poppins (anyone else have no idea what he's talking about? I mean I know about Mary Poppins but Sensu? No clue.) and for some reason thinks that Fargo is in big trouble.
Cut to some heels and Allison asking who The Fixer is. We learn her name is actually Eva Thorn and is some Wall Street hotshot. Her claim to fame is that she dismantles and rebuilds Fortune 500 companies. Judging by the music we can guess that the shoes we're watching belong to The Fixer. We also learn she coined the phrase 'downsizing' and fired Lee Iacocca, I recognize the name but can't for the life of me remember who he is. Allison can't understand why the DOD would send her to Eureka. I happen to agree. From what I can tell GD isn't a company in the traditional sense, especially since you have to have some pretty high security clearance to even know Eureka exists.
And now we're at the actual Viper testing. Allison is telling Eva about it. We get lots of scientific babble and learn that the Viper has been tested 19 times and today is lucky number 20. Martha's creator, Dr. Edison, is confident his baby will defeat Viper. And we're reminded that Zane is actually a law-breaker. He crashed the New York Stock Exchange, allegedly. We see Viper take out all but one drone. Martha has some kind of shield and ends up destroying Viper and goes rouge. Thorn is not amused.
We're at a prison and see Jack and Henry, who has shaved his head (and boy does he have an ugly head), playing chess. Henry isn't allowed to touch the chessboard so Jack has to move the pieces for both of them. Henry already has Jack under 'check' so it's just another move or two until he has Jack under 'check mate'. In between moves they talk about Henry's trial.
Jack arrives at Henry's garage to find the DOD taking everything Henry owns/owned. Jo tells Jack that Stark proposed to Allison. I think Jack still sorta, kinda, remembers the alternate timeline where he married Allison despite Henry wiping his memory. Jack takes the news remarkably well, or he's a really great actor. Something does a fly-by and Jack assumes it's a UFO.
Everyone is freaking because of Thorn. She walks in on Jack asking 'A "fixer" is...?' and she answers 'A silly nickname, but what can you do?' Allison tells him she's there to do a performance review of GD. Jack tells Thorn she has her work cut out for her and she replies 'so do you'. Allison wants to get Thorn away from Jack ASAP and suggests they get Thorn settled and continue the tour while Jack handles Martha. Thorn says any empty office will do and that's Larry's cue to enter stage right. If Stark is a slimy weasel then Larry is his clone. I've never liked the guy. He's only out for himself and I have yet to see why he's in Eureka where only the world's best and brightest scientific minds reside, with the exception of Jack (because he's the sheriff) and Zoe (his daughter). Surprise, surprise, Thorn falls for Larry's slick ways. Kiss ass. We now get one of my favorite lines, from Stark no less. Jack says he can't exactly arrest the drone for speeding and Stark says that Edison is protecting Martha. He's in the section 7 test range and Jack 'should go sheriff him up'. Jack lets Allison know he knows about her and Stark.
Edison tells Jack he has nothing to do with Martha going rogue. Jack tries to placate him but Zane is undermining it. Every time Jack says 'No one's "whatever" at you' Zane pops up with 'I am'. I keep waiting for Jack to GibbsSmack him. Turns out that Martha is a SI and capable of learning. She went from being a toddler to being a teenager over night. Remember this, it will be important later. Edison's teenager just stole a car, a gun and ran away from home which makes her very dangerous. We're also told that under no circumstances should anyone threaten Martha. We see Jack make comparisons between Edison and Martha and himself and Zoe.
We learn that Café Diem has no menu. Vincent is able to make anything and everything. He takes Zoe to the back and shows her the walk in fridge, which is huge. In fact it's so huge it requires a shuttle to get to the back. Jack and Jo are looking for Martha and chatting on their walkie-talkie phones. Edison married his college sweetheart. All together now, 'awwwwwww!' Jo votes for a coffee break so they can visit Zoe, just what every teenager wants, their parent, and his co-worker, showing up at their job. Jack says there's no time and he'd rather not. Jo takes this to mean he's not supportive. I see it as him not wanting to 'cramp Zoe's style' or, rather, just not wanting to spy on her. Either way, I don't see it as him not being supportive. Of course it could be that since my parents never showed up at my place of work, when I worked at McDonald's, but were supportive of my working (they allowed me to get a job at 14) that I don't see not going to watch Zoe working as being unsupportive. This also begs the question 'Was your father not supportive of you wanting to work when you were a teenager, Jo? Is that why you don't think Jack's being supportive?' We find out that Jack's terrified of becoming a granddad. Of course the fact that he doesn't really like Zoe's boyfriend may have something to do with that. Jack sees Martha in his rearview mirror and leads her to his office. Jack tells Jo to drop her gun while he calls Edison. Martha blows out the windows on Jack's Jeep and Jack takes that to mean she doesn't want him to call Edison. Jo and Jack get her to follow them inside and Jack says another of my favorite lines 'Nice killer drone'. Colin Ferguson says it with just the right amount of 'I'm really scared' and 'How the frell do I get myself into these messes?' Martha then goes invisible and crashes through a support beam. Jack takes a blanket and covers her with it, and gets an impromptu piggy-back ride in the bargain. Jack and Jo lock her in the cell and as they begin to celebrate, Martha blasts a hole in the brick wall and escapes. Guess they should have made it out of cinder blocks.
Stark makes Jack feel lower than low. Thorn tells Jack that his budget can't afford him. She shows him a chart that says that since he arrived the number of costly 'accidents' has increased. Stark and Jack argue, of course. Allison asks if they can get along for five minutes and they both reply, 'Not likely'. Jack then tells Jo to get everyone off the streets. Stark's all 'Oh, declaring martial law on review day? Not exactly a highlight for the resume.' Jack tells him to protect himself because it's what he does best. He has a great exit, but has to come back for his keys. Allison decides to go with Jack. Thorn picks up on the tension between Stark and Jack. She eggs him on and all but tells him he has her full support for stepping all over Jack's toes.
At Edison's Allison tells Jack to just let it all out. Jack tells her he can't understand why she wants to marry Stark again. She says 'I don't know, Carter, maybe I still love him'. Jack snarks back with my third favorite line of this episode 'Oh, well then you guys have something in common. He loves him.' They approach the front door and are greeted by Edison's wife holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Edison admits he didn't have the heart to tell her Martha went rogue. (and now I'm going to admit that every time I write that I think of Anna Paquin as Rogue in the X-men movies) Jack tells Edison that Martha went invisible. We also find out that if she wanted to hurt anyone they'd be dead and that Martha doesn't have the ability to go invisible because cloaking takes a lot of energy and she'll have to come 'home' to recharge. In storms Stark and a bunch of SWAT type guys who, just like bureaucrats everywhere, march in and take over. Jack tries to flex his sheriff muscles by saying that it's all evidence in an active police investigation. Stark says it's all property of GD and is beyond Jack's jurisdiction. Edison is threatened with being fired. Larry and Thorn head off to Café Diem and we see Jack through Martha. The HUD shows she's very low on energy.
Back to GD. Jack asks Jo how anyone can be attracted to the 'pompous and jackass' Stark. Jo responds 'Besides the ruggedly handsome, successful, powerful thing…' Jack asks Zane if the photon blast that Martha absorbed could have helped her upgrade her system. Zane responds in the negative. We find out that her radio frequency is encrypted. And we learn that Jack does listen as he says he knows that Vincent has a fusion reactor in his kitchen.
We find Zoe is lost in Vincent's fridge. She helps Martha refuel and makes a friend for life. Jack and Jo burst in demanding everyone hit the floor due to an invisible drone. Vincent tells Jack to lay off the 'Vin-spresso'. Zoe comes out saying she thinks she got everything and had help from his 'Cylon shuttle thing'. Thus we know that, yes, Martha is at Café Diem. Jack tries to find Martha with mustard and gets Vincent instead. Larry and Thorn walk in and Jack tells them Martha's here. Martha decloaks and shots at Thorn and Larry, hitting Larry in his book, which he has been carrying around all day. Jo and Jack then take Martha down with some rifles that disrupt her EM field.
We see Larry being taken to the hospital. Jack 'fires' Zoe by telling her to go home, he can't have her working while he's trying to do his job. He finds a remote transmitter and determines that Mina hacked into Martha and helped her beat the test. We find out that Edison is given restrictions that guarantee Martha's destroyed. And we discover that the transmitter isn't from Mina.
Vincent is pissed that Jack made Zoe quit. Jo and Jack find Larry's book and the paper is melted. They open it to find something that looks like a PDA.
Thorn tells Zane to take Martha apart. Martha's left alone and we find out that she's not 'dead'.
Jack goes to intimidate a confession outta Larry. And in true sci-fi tradition Allison tells Larry that he's lucky they got Martha back before things spiraled outta control just as the alarms start to sound. (my CC is off. Jack says 'So much for things not spiraling outta control' while him, Stark, Allison and Fargo stare at a Martha shaped hole in the ceiling but the CC says that Stark said it.) We see Martha leading all the attack drones away.
They try to get everyone off the streets but everyone is amazed by the drones. Zoe is talking to SARAH about how Jack is not letting her grow up. Jo has ordered a level four lockdown, which I'm guessing means that all SI's need to protect against Martha trying to talk them into go to the dark side. Then SARAH shuts down completely leaving Zoe literally in the dark. The door opens and Zoe freaks a bit more.
The drones start taking out the beacons for the EMField over Eureka. Zoe calls Jack to tell him that Martha is at their house. Jack arrives to find Zoe fine and SARAH rebooting. Zoe thinks Martha was trying to help her run away.
Thorn shows she's a bitch by not listening to everyone's opinions about how to handle Martha.
Stark tries to tell General Mansfield to not listen to Thorn. Everyone then goes behind Thorn's back to do what they know needs to be done. Thorn tries to get the fighter jets to shoot the drones down. Edison tries to talk to Martha, Jack's advice? 'Don't start WWIII' Zoe takes over and talks her down.
Thorn's not happy about it but everyone informs her that they're a team and will not let her walk all over them. Stark is returned to his previous position as Director of Research with Allison as Director of Operations. In other words one is the CEO and the other the COO with Thorn as The Chairman. She then leads them on a bit of a tour to show she has gotten a sponsor for GD. And guess who the sponsor is? You guessed it: Degree.
Allison proves that there is something between her and Jack and asks for his opinion about her and Stark. Jack should have grabbed her and kissed her senseless but he doesn't. He tells her to make her own decision. Allison decides to marry Stark. I hope it fails and she goes running to Jack for comfort. Zoe is once again working at Café Diem. Jack is bummed about Allison and Stark.
And in the final scene, which starts with some really creepy music that tells us this scene will be important over the next 12 episodes, we see Thorn's nefarious reason for being at GD. She opens a case and pulls out a vial with a purple liquid that has electric sparks shooting through it.
So this week Jack and Allison get back to nature. The title is 'What about Bob?' How original. I'm hoping it's better than the movie.We open on Zoe serving her boyfriend at Café Diem while Jack looks on. When asked if she needs a ride to school the next day she replies 'Isn't that what boyfriends are for?' and just before they kiss Jack demands service.
Vincent comes over and notices that Jack has only picked at his food. When Jack says he's not really hungry Vincent twists the knife in Jack's back by reminding him that his one true love is marrying another man. But he wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about Henry. Jack says that the town seems out of balance without Henry and Zoe proves this by dropping the tray she's carrying.
Back at GD Stark is upset that The Fixer is cutting 75 jobs. She says they have to start saving somewhere. Stark reminds her that firing that many people will decimate entire disciplines. She says that she's there to make everything run like a Fortune 100 company never mind that it's actually a town and research facility. She then tells Stark that while she likes his feedback she is the boss and will do what she wants regardless of how many people she pisses off. Then after saying all that she shows them this new lab she's built and put Zane in charge of where he has a blank check to do with as he wishes. Yeah, way to make people not want to go postal when you fire them. *two thumbs up* I don't know about y'all but when I get fired - sorry downsized - because of budget costs and then find out they spent more than what I ever made on something that's not necessary my blood begins to boil. Thorne justifies it by saying it's all paid for by Degree (the show's corporate sponsor). I don't care. You don't put a hiring freeze and lay-off 75 workers in other areas (more important in my mind) and then give someone else a blank check and tell them to hire whomever they want and buy whatever equipment they need. Uh-uh, not gonna work.
While they're all chit-chatting a person with long hair, looks like a girl to me, walks calmly out of a side door despite the fact that their arm is on fire! I'd be screaming for help if that were me. We get a close up of the person, and find out it's a guy, when he blows the fire out as if his arm was a birthday candle! Now we can see this goop that covers his arm and we take a moment to think maybe he's testing a new flame-retardant material that'll take the place of the uniforms firefighters wear.
On to the prison where Jack is trying to do a card trick for Henry. It's not going so well. Jack and Henry share a smile that has the slasher in me sitting up and taking notice before my Jack/Allison side beats it back into submission. Jack tries to make small talk and fails at that as well. The man really should just stick to being the sheriff. Henry asks Jack to tell him about the weather because he hasn't seen a sunset since his arrest. I guess this prison doesn't feel that he deserves to have a window in his cell or allow him to take his one hour of yard time at sunset. The visit ends when Allison pages her boyfriend with a 911.
When Jack gets back to GD Allison is waiting for him and steps into the elevator to take him to Lab 27. They are so awkward with each other it just breaks my heart. Jack then shows just how stupid he is (although some may say he's being the bigger man, whatev!) by asking Allison if the wedding planning is keeping her busy. But she knows him too well and asks if he really wants to know to which he just shakes his head and changes the subject. He asks about the 911 and is told that a scientist named Bob Nobb (I kid you not) has been missing for two days. Jack asks all the appropriate questions, did they check his house, and is told Bob lives in the lab. Man, this episode has a thing for rhyming. Still fighting laughter, Jack asks if they checked under his cot. Allison tries to warn him by saying 'it's not that simple'. He gets the hint and does him Sam Beckett impersonation (mentally at least) with an 'oh, boy' look/sigh combo when he replies 'it never is'.
In Lab 27 we're told that the lab has been running for 11 years, that Bob has been with the lab from the beginning and the current director has been around for the past two. Jack is still pretty much in the dark about what the lab is exactly and is asking about Bob's hang-outs. We find out that Lab 27 is a sealed bio-sphere that is used for the Mars missions, which Jack thinks are future happenings. You'd think after seeing the Moon rocks in that earlier episode that Jack would realize that the US government isn't telling its average citizens everything that's going on. Allison tells Director Boy, since we haven't been told his name yet and he's very young looking, to lie and let Jack think he's right and there haven't been any manned missions to Mars, yet.
And now Jack finds out that there are 10 people on the planet that have been mostly out of touch with the rest of the world of the past 11 years. Personally, I wouldn't be able to handle it. Director Boy informs us he wanted to be on the team. Jack says 'congrats' and Director Boy says 'Well, uh, I wasn't chosen [duh]' and Jack tells him that that's why he's getting congratulated. And Allison's all 'Boys!'. Jack gets back on track by clarifying that no one's been in or out in the past 11 years and says something about it being a walk in the park. Director Boy says 'See for yourself' and my vertigo kicks in as the floor under everyone's feet opens up to reveal the bio-sphere. Jack's fear of heights kicks in and he tries really hard to not look down ending the teaser with 'That's a big park'.
Thorne just keeps proving how much of a bitch she is by telling Director Boy that his idea of 'priceless and balanced' is different from hers, and of course hers is the only one that counts. Not! Jack tells Director Boy and Thorne to duke it out while he goes inside to investigate. Allison tells him he can't go in but he can talk to the scientists that are still inside. He says no dice. He needs to be able to read their body language which he can't do over a vid phone. Thorne sets my Spidey Sense a-tingling by agreeing with Jack and telling him to take Allison with him. Is she saying this so she can get him outta the way for something, hm? She deflects them by saying that while he's doing his 'job he can help justify why we're not filling in this giant money pit'. She's all about winning over the underlings, ain't she?
So Allison and Jack enter this clean room type thing where they have to take a sonic shower, together before putting on what's called a 'clean suit' which looks like a jogging suit from the 80's. Just before that Zane approaches Jack and tells him to look up while pointing at the ceiling. When Jack does he shoots him with some kind of needle-gun-thing. This then shows a hologram of Jack, sans clothes (although there he is wearing a pair of flesh colored briefs.) Director Boy forgets to tell them about this bright flash that momentarily blinds them and we get a nice scene where Jack 'accidentally' feels Allison up while looking for his clothes. While taking the shower, Allison makes a comment about this not being how she pictured them winding up naked. Jack is of course intrigued and she does some fast backpedaling. They step into the bio-sphere and what appears to be a forest, just like in Vancouver!
Stark comes in to the control room telling Thorne 'Gutting GD's research is one thing, but putting our greatest human assets at risk is quite another.' Thorne assumes he's talking about Jack, or maybe she's trying to get a little jib in. Stark tells her to beat it; he'll run point on this. She hints at her true reason for being in Eureka and leaves after saying she has some business to take care of in town.
We learn that the plants and animals are real but the weather is not. In fact the rain, which falls several times a day, is from recycled pee. All together now...Ewwwwww! A girl steps out of the trees and says 'I've been sent to bring you to the others' like this is some horror movie or something. Teri, she actually introduces herself, appears to be about 16 which means that she was just a child when she entered the bio-sphere (and I keep wanting to write Bio-dome which makes me think of that Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin tanker from 1996).
Back in town, Fargo is placing a mini-satellite dish on one of the windows of Café Diem and Vincent is practically vibrating in place at the prospect of watching 'As the Bio-sphere Turns'. Zoe gets suspicious and asks what's going on. Turns out that the thing to do, back in the day, was to sit around and watch Lab 27. 'The Mother of all reality shows' according to Fargo. He also calls it his 'Barney', not sure why. Zoe asks Vincent what his excuse is and is told that him and Fargo are 'viewing buddies'. It's how they 'bonded'. I think I now have a slash pairing for this show. Zoe asks 'what's so special about today?' and is told that there are 'new characters' arriving: her dad and Allison.
As Teri is leading Allison and Jack to 'the others' (I feel like I should be capitalizing that), they come upon Bob's garden. The plants are huge and Allison thinks that some of them are extinct. Jack asks Teri to tell him more about Bob and we learn that no one likes him much. We meet some of 'the others' and get three names. Jack says that him and Allison are there about their 'friend Bob' and is told that just because they all live together doesn't mean the man's anyone's friend. Jack asks if anyone misses Bob and a young woman with glasses, not one of the three whose names we learned, raises her hand. My cc says that someone says 'Seriously, Grace' but I don't hear it. I'm gonna say this girl's name is Grace, so Grace then says 'Not really' like she was forced by peer-pressure to say that. We're informed that all the animals, minus the humans of course, are not predators just as a woman screams off-camera. Turns out it's Teri. Everyone rushes off to find her. She fainted when she saw 'it' (no, not Stephen King's 'It'). Jack shows he's related to John Sheppard by touching the icky goo that 'it' left behind on a bush. He goes running off after it, with Allison in pursuit and we find Bob's uniform. Jack says it went into this hole in the ground and he has to be right because of the goo dripping off the leaves covering the entrance.
We get tricked into thinking the show hasn't taken a commercial break yet by Zane doing a commercial for Degree. Vin Diesel has a new movie called Babylon A.D. which looks pretty damn good.
Back to the show. Zoe has been roped into watching 'As the Bio-sphere Turns' with Vincent and Fargo by the time her boyfriend walks in. Guess it's not a school day.
In the bio-sphere Stark is telling Allison, whom he calls Alli *gag*, that he's worried about her safety. We finally learn that Director Boy's name is Derek. And it appears that him and Teri just might be having a relationship. Stark has Jack tell him about the hole. I totally expected him to say 'Uh, it was a ...hole' but what he says is 'Uh, it was a ...slippery...hole' and a man's tennis shoe was inside it. Stark decides to pull everyone out but because of not being part of the big bad world for 10 years, I could have sworn it was 11?, the scientists' immune systems can't handle just walking out like Allison and Jack can. They'll need to be in a transition facility and that'll take time. Jack asks Stark to find out what the goo is and then finds what appears to be skin on the inside of the shoe.
Back in town, Thorne shows up at the sheriff's office to try and sweet talk Jo into doing her dirty work. And by dirty work I mean she wants Vincent to start charging for food/drink, she wants parking meters, fees for library cards and the museum shut down. Raise your hand if you knew Eureka had a museum? *looks around and sees no one*
Jack finally asks one of the 'adults' about Bob. We find out that Bobby-boy's a player. Including Teri who has to be young enough to be his daughter. Teri's father says he caught her coming back from Bob's garden all dreamy-eyed saying she'd been looking at the clouds. She had to have developed a crush on Bob because it's not like she has access to any boys her age, oh wait, she does: Derek. But because Daddy-dearest doesn't consider him a threat, since they've never actually met, it can't possibly be him. Jack then walks in on Allison and Stark having a lover's discussion. And we find out that Allison's afraid that Thorne will fire Jack. But then everyone seems to forget he didn't ask for the job. He found the town by accident while chasing Zoe when she ran away and his bosses transferred him there.
Back at Café Diem, everyone's talking about the feed from the bio-sphere like it's an actual show on TV. Vincent wants to know which scientist is 'the red herring'. What does he mean by that? I keep waiting for someone to ask if they think the arrival of Allison and Jack has made 'the show' 'jump the shark'. Zoe thinks everyone is crazy.
Jack and Grace are walking and talking and Grace claims to be in a relationship with Bob since she's the only single woman in the sphere other than Teri. Grace is in genetics and now Jack's Spidey Sense is a-tingling. Jack sees Teri leaving the phone in the garden and man have the plants started dying fast. Jack does his sheriff thing and finds out that Teri has made, and received, a lot of calls to Derek. Jack hears something and goes off after it. When he catches it it's…Bob! But not Bob. He appears to be changing into something and he whispers 'Help me!' just like the guy in The Fly.
Thorne wants to order a lock-down but Stark refuses to allow that. He reminds Thorne that she's not a scientist and therefore doesn't know what she's talking about. Stark proves he's not as stupid as I want him to be by telling Derek to shut off the rain. While Allison is examining Bob Stark mentions that it appears that Bob is de-evolving. Turns out that Henry can help them stop what's happening but Thorne is adamant that no one else is entering that lab. Jack puts on his thinking cap and says that Henry doesn't have to enter the lab. Zane can make a hologram of him.
Jack asks for a lesson in self-contained bio-systems just as Henry appears. We learn that if what happened to Bob was part of the eco-system then people would have gotten sick years ago. Jack says 'what if the contaminate wasn't in the system years ago?' and Allison says 'Carter, it's a closed system.' to which Jack replies 'everyone keeps saying that, but we're here.' Henry notices that the ionization of the water is off and it could be what's changing Bob. Teri comes in and asks Jack to look under her shirt. Turns out it's because she's changing too. The change is not reversible but they can stop it from getting worse.
Bob thinks everyone likes him. He's the most severe case because of his garden. Jack says they need to go back to the scene of the crime and there is a perfect circle of dead plants. And we find out that the 'sun' could have been used to help the changes along.
Jack catches Teri talking to Derek and makes the connection that it was Derek. Awwww. It's Romeo and Juliet. Teri's parents tell her they would have left if she'd've told them she wanted to be 'a real girl'.
Zoe's boyfriend, I know they've said his name (not in this ep though) but I can't remember what it is, says that Rick and Grace were the red herrings. Grace is the single geneticist but who's Rick? And how are they the red herrings?
Thorne comes in and Vincent rushes over to help her. She orders coffee and he charges her $25. Jo comes in and tells her about making the museum curator leave. Thorne tells Jo that one day the town just might thank her. She says she's not your normal corporate fixer and Jo responds with 'and we're not your normal town'. Jo warns Thorne that she's messing with Eureka's 'special balance'. Somehow I don't think Thorne's quite shaking in her boots. Yet. But that's because she doesn't know what the residents of Eureka are truly capable of.
Henry tells Jack that it'll take at least a few days before they have a fix just before a woman screams off camera. They rush to where they've been keeping Bob and find that he's escaped and taken Allison.
We see one of those old 'Please stand by' screens on the TV at Café Diem and Zoe is all panicky.
Stark wants to rush in half-cocked and save Allison *gag* but Zane won't let him. Jack suggests they use Zane's biosensor gun to deliver the 'cure'. Zane makes Jo's day by coming into the sheriff's office and saying 'I need a gun. A big powerful gun'. You just know she's gonna have wet dreams about him saying that for months, maybe even years, to come (no pun intended).
Henry thinks Snake!Bob may have taken Allison for food. It's more likely he took her as a mate. Stark enters the bio-sphere anyway to help Jack and Henry hunt Snake!Bob. The sound of the gun warming up scares Snake!Bob off. Teri shows up as bait and Jack gets his shot just as Snake!Bob lunges for Hologram!Teri. Allison rushes into Stark's arms. Excuse me? Jack just saved your life, not Stark!
Back at Café Diem we find out that everyone is fine.
Thorne asks Zane about Henry.
Jack tells Bob to be nicer to the ladies so he doesn't risk getting shot again. We find out that Teri's parents are thinking about having her leave the sphere and Jack takes Henry to watch the sunset. And the slasher in me raises its head again.
Thorne is watching Henry and Jack say their good-byes and you can actually see the wheels turning in her head.
Zoe has Jack's Spidey Sense tingling by bringing him a burger even though she's off and we find out that Zoe does indeed love her father, not that that was in question, and that Jo cares as well. And Henry has been pardoned. Thorne has decided to let everything go back to the way it's supposed to be, free food and all. I like Jack's relationship with Henry. Henry's the only person who doesn't talk down to Jack and actually takes the time to explain things so he, and most of the viewers, can understand.
Thorne has an ulterior motive for closing down the museum as we discover by seeing her watching some old films. One is of a nuclear explosion. In Eureka.
We start with Jack and Zoe discussing the fact that she was just put into the advanced physics class at school. We all know that Zoe is smart but hides just how smart she is from Jack, because he's only of average intelligence and she doesn't want to make him feel bad, so we have to wonder how she got placed in the advanced class at a school for geniuses.She says she doesn't like the pressure and Jack tells her his mother used to say that pressure makes diamonds and doesn't she want to be a diamond? She asks if she 'can be an emerald that still has time to hang out with her friends'. Jack takes that as his cue to bring up the fact he doesn't like her having a job, again. I've never seen a father so intent on his teenage daughter not working. I mean seriously. I got my first job at 15. I didn't work the year I was 16 because we had just moved and my parents said I didn't have to if I didn't want to, but I went and got one once I started driving, had to pay for my own gas. I would really like to know why Jack doesn't want Zoe to work. Really, would someone please enlighten me?
After Zoe backs down and walks into the kitchen, Jack turns and come face to face with a Shih Tzu being held by Fargo. We then notice that everyone in Café Diem has a dog with them. Jack asks Jo what's up with all the dogs and she replies 'They're biomimetic.' Jack says he doesn't care what breed they are and Jo refrains from making a snarky comment about her bosses intelligence and informs him that means they're fake. And Jack pretends he was kidding and asks if the DOD has a program to create heavily armed robot dog soldiers and the warrior in Jo lights up at the idea. And we find out that the dogs are made for fun.
At this point Stark and Allison walk in giggling with Allison hanging onto Stark like she'll drown if he gets too far away from her. And they're discussing the wedding. Jo offers to go dress shopping with Allison (I have to say at this point that I hate the way the writers spell her name) and Stark says 'it's a wedding gown not a flak Jacket' and proves that he is indeed dumber than he looks. Here's a hint for ya, Starky-boy, just 'cause a woman likes guns and beating people up doesn't mean she's not really a woman or that she can't like the girly things too. Geez, I really hate that guy. Vincent comes over and pouts that he wasn't asked to cater the wedding, who else would? I mean isn't Café Diem the only restaurant in town? Stark starts to ask and Vincent holds out his arm and says 'Twist my arm. Ow! Uncle!'
Jack heads off to a possible break-in while Vincent talks about having an Elizabethan Ball. Outside a dog starts barking at Jack like an alert dog that's just smelled some drugs. It then walks up and lifts its leg on Jack's shoe. Jo tells him that his pants will be fine, after all robot dogs can't really make a mess. And we find out this dog is the reigning champ, Fifi.
I'm gonna pause here and ask how Jack can live in a town for three years and not know about the robot dogs. Seriously. He's not so stupid that he wouldn't have noticed them before.
And now in walks Michael Shanks' wife, Lexa Doig. Her dog is Fifi's biggest rival. While the owners are exchanging barbs Fifi dies in a shower of sparks.
Thorne approaches Henry to ask him to do something for her and I find myself disliking her even more. I can tell that whatever it is she wants Henry to do, it'll be just this side of legal and ethical.
The break-in is at the home/lab of one Dr. Mendel. He thinks the robot dog makers are the ones to blame. He makes fake mucus and thinks they stole some to make their dogs appear more life-like. His mucus is to kill all known air-born pathogens. His proof that there was a break-in is a broken beaker on the floor. He says it could have been a disaster and when Jack asks how he shows him by mixing some chemicals together to create this green colored foam that spills over onto the table. Jack has Jo take Dr. Mendel inside to see if anything's missing and is told to not touch anything. Jack does the 'I'm not touching it!' thing and turns to look at the broken glass. There's this green aura over the table and then everything starts to shake like there's an earthquake. Two beakers fall over and Jack knows that's bad and then the foam erupts and he's covered in it.
Jo and Dr. Mendel come into the lab and find Jack covered in the green foam and Jo demands to know what Jack did like she's his mother or something. Dr. Mendel accuses Jack of touching stuff. Jack tells them he was a good boy and didn't touch anything; they fell over in the quake. Jo and Mendel are like 'What quake? Eureka doesn't get earthquakes.'
Back at GD Allison tells Jack that Eureka was built where it is because there are no fault lines and no volcanic activity. She says 'This here' *stomps foot* 'is stable. You I'm not so sure about.' She blames him as well, saying he probably got dizzy from the fumes and knocked them over. Just as she asks him to get cleaned up they run into Thorne who actually has a funny line here: 'Runny nose?' Thorne asks about the investigation into Fifi's 'death' and he says there isn't one. It's not his job to investigate malfunctioning toys. Allison tells him that they're not toys. The Eureka dog show has lead to some incredible breakthroughs. Artificial skin for burn people, compact neural computers, nasal spray that allows soldiers to 'sniff' out explosives. The biomimetic dogs have great marketing potential. I can see people who are allergic owning just such a dog. Also people who are on a very tight budget but want a pet. Well, maybe not them because the dogs would most likely be quite expensive so I guess the no eating or urinating thing would work best for people who travel a lot.
Stark comes in just as Thorne gets a phone call and walks off. He says he needs to go over the details of the seismic motion scan. As Jack and Stark walk off Jack says there was a weird light and everything started to shake. Stark makes me hate him just a tiny bit more (eventually this will be impossible because I doubt I can keep hating someone even more forever) by saying 'Shut up, Carter. There was no earthquake. Jo was 50 feet from you. She would have felt it too. I need a favor.' Just say no, Jack!
We finally get to see the computer core for GD. Logic Diamond processors connected with tantalum beams. Some woman approaches and is all 'Why are you here? No one ever comes into my domain unless I screwed something up.' she offers to show Stark her 'radial upgrades'. He says that's not necessary because he's only there for the clearances which Fargo forgot to deliver. He leaves to find poor Fargo and the woman, I'll call her Megan because I like that name, starts chatting with Jack. He says he didn't know that diamonds where/could be used in computers and she spouts off some techno-babble that leaves him glassy-eyed. She follows that up with 'Diamonds can store tons of data and transmit it super fast.' Stark reappears holding Fargo by the scruff of his neck. Ah, Fargo calls her Tracy.
Jack finally asks why he's there and Stark shows him a logic diamond on a chain and says he needs law enforcement permission to take one out of the building. Jack asks if it's for a big experiment, hopefully a disfiguring one, and Stark bursts his bubble by saying no, it's a wedding gift for Allison.
Fargo tells Jack that there are no earthquakes in Eureka when Jack says he's investigating the earthquake but he can always get a second opinion from Dr. Hood.
As Jack and Hood talk Jack makes a joke about leaving the bar the next time he feels the earth shake and sees the northern lights inside. Hood acts like he doesn't believe him but after he leaves Hood starts doing something with his computers while mumbling 'Northern lights, huh?'
Back in town Jo and Jack are discussing the Fifi case. Jack can't believe these people spend millions of dollars building something that they can get for free from just about every pound in America and Jo says that people need a hobby. She tells him she used to collect handcuffs, used to? I think she still does. Jack says 'And meanwhile there was an earthquake that no one felt but me which is impossible.' and Jo says 'Because there are no earthquakes in Eureka.' Just as the ground begins to shake. But this time it's not an earthquake, it's Dr. Hood in a machine that looks like a doodle-bug.
Jack is a glorified traffic cop. We find out that there's a pocket of magma under the town and it developed spontaneously and it's set to blow at any time.
Henry is tutoring Zoe at Café Diem. Why does it seem like these kids are never in school?
Thorne tells Henry she wants to build a hotel in the middle of a field but she found records of radiation. We know she's lying because of the film we saw her watching last week.
Back in town Jo and Jack are questioning Dr. Young about Fifi. Young offers to let Jack toss Thunder a Frisbee so he can see the dog run. While jumping to catch the Frisbee Thunder explodes into a ball of blue flame. Jack tells Fargo to see if he can find out what 'killed' Thunder. Fargo is all excited to be able to look under Thunder's hood.
Back at the sheriff's office Allison is trying on wedding dresses. The one she's currently wearing is too big for her. The dressmaker uses a cellphone looking thing to make the dress fit correctly and Jo is all 'Can I try it on next?' just before the earth starts to shake and everything has a blue aura. And the device that made the dress fit isn't working anymore and Allison can't get out of it.
Allison and Jack arrive at a field and when Allison asks Jack if he has something to tell her, she thinks Hood is responsible for the quake she felt in town, he says 'I do' and oh, how I wish she was marrying him! Hood manages to get Allison to allow him thirty seconds to show her a vent that's about to blow and when she says his time's up he says 'Oh, c'mon. A little grace period? I'm trying to nail a fumarole eruption down to the second here.' Allison freaks and begins getting ready to run. Jack of course asks what a fumarole is and is told that it's a mud volcano just as one erupts covering Allison in mud.
Stark arrives and tells Allison he likes the neckline of her dress but isn't crazy about the color and Jack's trying to make him stop talking by making a cutting motion across his neck. Allison and Stark start talking techno-babble again and Jack asks what will all that tell them. Stark actually has a funny line: 'Nothing. We just like sounding smart' but he says it in such a way that I'm pretty sure he's making fun of Jack. Again. Really, the man needs to get a life. He's got the girl so why is he still tormenting poor Jack? Allison says that the fumarole proves there's pressurized magma down there and Stark says that Hood might be the problem. Jack can't see it. Neither can I. While it does look like Hood is enjoying being believed again I don't see him risking people lives just for some recognition.
Fargo calls Jack to tell him that the two 'dead' dogs were cheaters. They were hopped up on 'juice', aka logic diamonds. This means that the owners broke federal law. Fargo makes a joke about the owners going to Gitmo. Jack says he'll talk to the women in question and Fargo says he already did and they swear they have no idea how the diamonds got into their dogs. Jack tells him to leave the interrogations to him and takes the diamonds to Tracy. She says the diamonds in question didn't come from GD's stock, which means they're most likely from a foreign source. For some reason I don't believe her.
Jack walks in on Allison trying to cut herself out of the dress. She asks him to help her get out of it. They have a really nice moment where if she wasn't going to marry the devil incarnate they'd most likely end up getting all sweaty.
Henry tells Thorne that the spot she asked him to scan has every radiation known to man. He says that once he takes samples he can tell her the exact frequencies and she says that's not necessary. I think he's starting to figure out that the whole hotel story is a lie. She asks him to not tell anyone about 'her plans' and he says he's very good at keeping secrets. At this point I want to shake him and demand he tell Jack and Allison that they're supposed to be together.
Jack tells Hood that Allison thinks he made the volcano. Hood says he has a machine, I'm not even going to attempt to spell its name, that might tell Jack where the logic diamonds where mined. We find out that no two diamond mines are the same. In other words the molecular structure of each diamond from a certain mine will be different from diamonds from another mine. Hood puts the diamond that Jack just happens to be carrying in his pocket into this machine and we find out that the diamonds are being made in Eureka.
Jack, Jo and Hood head down to the old coal mine and find the logic diamond vein. Suddenly this sound wave shoots out from this machine that none of them noticed until now and pins Hood to the wall.
Jack takes an ax and cuts the power cord.
Back at GD we learn that what Tracy told Jack was a lie. We, America, are the only country in the world that is making logic diamonds. There are only six people in the world who know how to make logic diamonds and all are in Pensacola. Jack then asks to see the personnel records. We learn that Tracy spent three years in Pensacola and that she became an expert of sorts on how to grow logic diamonds. She says she doesn't like the fact that the DOD uses her inventions for weapons. Allison says that GD is a science facility and Tracy counters with 'it's a top secret lab' she only put them in the dogs to test them.
Thorne, Stark, Allison and Jack begin trying to figure out what to do about the impending volcano when Jack says they must have something in the building that can help them find the pocket. He suggests they start knocking on doors or put a note in the elevator. Stark says they don't have anything that'll sniff out magma 2,000 feet below the earth's surface. A light bulb goes off over Jack's head and he says 'I got an idea. Just tell me if it's incredibly stupid' and Stark says 'yes' without even hearing what Jack's idea is. Jack wants to have Fifi sniff out the magma. Once Jack gets Fifi's owner to agree him and Stark head over to Hood's place to get his tunneling machine. Jack is having Fifi smell the lava and keeps telling her 'good girl. Smell the lava.' Fifi is going to be carrying live explosives into the volcano and Jack thinks she's not thrilled about it, but it's actually him that's not keen on being around live explosives. Hood reminds him he's gonna need the explosives to release the magma. Jack asks why they can't just poke a hole in it and Stark says they can, if Jack wants to be a charcoal briquette. Hood says that when it breaks through it'll be firing down the tunnel to the lake at 80 feet per second and when that happens Jack will want to be long gone. Jack concedes saying 'breaking though bad, running away good.'
Stark, Fifi and Jack get in the machine and head down to find the magma pocket. They find it, just as it's breaking through the rock.
When they finally get to the lake Stark turns to Jack and says 'next time Fargo's driving' I'm guessing that Fargo's not that good a driver. Jack hits his head hard against the head rest of his seat. And I just now noticed that Fifi looks a bit like the puppet/character Sir Didymus from Labyrinth. Jack turns to Stark and asks 'so what do you want to do tomorrow?' while they stand and watch the magma, now termed lava, vent into the lake.
That evening in town, Jack and Hood are hanging out at Café Diem when Stark and Allison walk in. Jack makes a comment about it being steamy outside and Stark says to get used to it because the magma will be venting for days. Jack shows he did learn something on today's little fieldtrip and says that he's pretty sure it's now lava. Allison says that him and Stark did good work and they should team up more often. Both guys say yeah really sarcastically. And before he walks away Stark manages to make me like him a tiny bit by telling Jack he did good. Fargo comes in with his 'best in show' trophy. And we learn that Fargo cheated by entering a real dog in the competition.
Jack heads over to his office where Henry is setting up their chessboard. They talk about Thorne and the radiation that Henry found. Jack thanks him for keeping him in the loop and Henry replies with 'I don't keep secrets from my friends. Anymore'. (If that was true then he'd tell Jack about him and Allison from the alternate timeline. C'mon, Henry! You know Allison won't be happy with Stark. At least not as happy as she'd be with Jack. Tell them! Tell them now!) Now Jack's all interested to know what he meant by that.
Back at his house, SARAH is telling Jack he had planned to exercise and then pay bills, not drink the beer he has in his hand, and he tells her he's taking the night off. SARAH tells him that stress is America's number one health problem and he tells her to drop dead to which she replies 'followed by sarcasm'. Zoe comes in and Jack asks if she wants to join him in watching the game and she says she needs to study so she can get an 'A' on her physics quiz. He tells her to just do her best. He then steps outside his emotional comfort zone and tells Zoe he's proud of her. Awwwww. Being a single dad has really helped him grow.
Before I go on to my review of this episode of Eureka I want to say that I went into this hoping that Stark was the one to bite it. I've never liked the character, the actor, yes; the character, not so much. I wouldn't have minded him so much if they hadn't paired him with Allison. As I've said before, my OTP is Jack/Allison which surprised me because I tend to favor slash pairings. Last time I had a het OTP was Farscape.We open at Jack's house as he's beginning his day. He has SARAH turn the shower on and out comes cold water. You'd think she'd know by now that he likes his shower warm. He almost falls when he jumps backward out of the spray. He ends up having to forgo a shower because he's out of body wash. This whole scene is just a Degree commercial. He cuts himself while shaving.
Zoe doesn't understand why Allison's working the morning of her wedding. SARAH tells Jack that she keeps ketchup on tap and he says he prefers the bottle. My Spidey Sense tells me that it's not a good idea for him to try using the bottle. Zoe informs her father that she is aware of his feelings for Allison, which he denies. And he proves me right by getting a dollop of ketchup on his last clean work shirt.
Jack's sister has arrived. She has with her a couple of cats. According to her one of them is the reincarnation of their Grandma Lil. Jack obviously doesn't like cats because he tells her to put them in the guest room.
Jack and Allison are walking and talking about her wedding. He thinks she should be at a beauty parlor or something. She says that she's perfectly capable of getting ready for her wedding without sitting at a salon all day. He tells her that getting married should be momentous and she says that redaction is momentous too and she 'owes it to those people to see them through it'. I'm guessing they're saying 'redaction' in place of 'fired', 'laid off' or 'terminated'. Not sure why, I mean any of those three words tells you exactly what's happening. 'Redaction' on the other hand...I haven't a clue where it came from and I really wish it'd go back there. Now, please.
Thorne approaches and tries to make Allison think she's sorry about making her work on her wedding day and hands her a folder with a list of even more lay-offs. Thorne then notices the ketchup stain on Jack's shirt and asks if it's blood. Jack admits he's just a messy eater. Thorne then gets a barb in with Allison by saying sarcastically 'Wouldn't want to miss your beautiful wedding'. Jack asks if Allison invited her and Allison says no in such a way that I'm sure she wants to add 'do I look crazy to you?'
Jack then starts his rounds of telling people they've been fired. He starts with The Excrement Guy, Lincoln. There's really no nice way of say 'your badge will be disabled at 6 pm', ya know? But Jack really tries.
Stark and Fargo come marching down the hall and Stark makes a snarky comment about the stain on Jack's shirt, 'Carter, bar fight?' and you just know he's hoping there was one, although he hates he missed it, and that Jack's been injured. Jack gets back at him by asking if he should be at a beauty parlor since it's his big day. Stark says he's supervising an important delivery that Fargo says is time-sensitive and one gets the feeling they wish Jack would just go away. Jack asks them where he can find the last guy on his list and is told he can be found in the basement. Stark tells him to just do whatever it is he has to do but please don't be late for the wedding and don't forget the necklace.
Jack finds Weinbrenner, the last name on his list. Well sort of. He walks into this blue light that blinds him for a moment. He decides to let Weinbrenner stay employed for one more day and walks out.
At the wedding, Vincent is using this laser type thing to decorate the cake. Stark meets Jack as he's arriving and tells him he's late. Jack says 'yeah, I had to redact 12 people then find a tie'. Stark asks if he brought the necklace and Jack replies 'what necklace?' It doesn't get the laugh Jack was hoping for.
Lexi, Jack's sister, and Zoe are by the punch talking about how the French let their kids drink wine. Jack catches Zoe just as she's about to take a sip of champagne.
As Jack approaches the bridal tent, Jo yells at him for being late and says she met his sister. Jack tells her to arrest Lex for corrupting a minor. When he enters the tent he finds Allison admiring herself in the mirror. She's wearing a very lovely mermaid strapless dress with a light brown sash. It shows off her figure just beautifully. She asks Jack if everything's okay because he looks pale. He responds with 'That's the white tent'. He then tells her to not marry Stark because they were married and expecting a daughter in an alternate reality - er, he says he cares for her very much and that he'll always be there for her. No matter what. She says 'Everything's going to work out the way it's supposed to' and the part of me that is in lurve with Jack/Allison is saying 'you bet it will 'cause Stark's about to die and while you're grieving for him, Allison, you'll realize you actually love Jack'.
Jack then walks her down the aisle to Stark. Henry is presiding. Why aren't they using that female minster from last season? And how many degrees does Henry have? And why is one of them in theology? Just as Henry asks for any objections Jack sees a rip in the space-time continuum and we're back to this morning. Jack's doing everything just as he did before but is not quite sure of things.
This time when Jack enters the kitchen we get a bit more of the conversation with Zoe. Jack is still feeling weird and not quite sure why. Zoe is the one to get ketchup on Jack's shirt this time around. When his sister's arrival is announced by SARAH he starts making the connection, he's not quite there but he's starting to figure it out.
[pause]I could've sworn that Eureka required a very high level security clearance to even know about its existence and yet in the three years the show has been on we've seen four people just wander into town. First was Jack and Zoe, then Jack's ex-wife and now Jack's sister. Can someone tell me how this is possible if the town is supposed to be a government secret?[/pause]
Jack goes on to GD and tries to tell Allison that he's stuck in a time loop but he hasn't figured out that that's what's happening. He thinks it's just a very strong case of deja vue. This time we find out what Stark and Fargo are up to. Sort of. Jack asks if time-loops are possible and is told no, that time flows in one direction only and that if it was to fold back on itself it would affect causality and delete us from the time-space continuum.
In town, Zoe and Lexi are at Café Diem talking about Lexi's travels and Lexi's man. Zoe calls him Lexi's gorgeous Dr. WHO and Vincent just about wets himself when he says he loves that show. Turns out WHO stands for World Health Organization. He tries to cover by saying he was just playing around.
Jack comes in and Lexi psychoanalyzes him saying the day's repeating because he's in love with Allison.
Flash forward to the wedding, Allison's not ready but Jack doesn't care. He kisses her and even though she actually likes it she sticks with the 'I'm marrying another man because we have a history' thing she has going. Henry asks for objections and I want to scream 'No! She loves Jack!' and then the rip appears and Jack's back in the shower trying to not fall as he jumps away from the cold spray.
We get yet another version of his morning conversation with Zoe.
At GD he goes directly to see Stark and Fargo. This time we find out that the delivery is actually a sub-femtosecond atomic clock that will make GD the constant for time in all the known universe. Fargo says that the Swiss guys are really fuming. Not sure why.
Jack tries to get Stark to not set it up. When Stark refuses, Jack goes to Thorne who explains a bit more about the device and why the Swiss are not happy that GD has it. It seems that it will give GD universal ownership of time. I didn't realize that time could be owned.
This time around he tells Allison he cares for her and will always be there for her before the wedding. He tries to convince her that everyone's stuck in a time loop but she's not buying it either. In fact she thinks he's saying, and doing, all this to keep her from marrying Stark.
At the wedding, we get some more of Zoe's conversation with Lexi.
Back at GD, Jack and Fargo are entering the room with the new clock-thingy and Fargo wonders who'll kill them first for being late to the wedding, Allison or Stark. Jack tells Fargo to turn it off and when he refuses, Jack pulls his gun and points it at the clock-thingy. Fargo breaks the vacuum seal and breaks the clock. This time when the rip in the space-time continuum happens everyone sees it and when Jack lands back in the shower, he's sitting on the floor with a cut on his cheek from a piece of debris that hit him in the face just before the loop started over.
This time we go straight to the area where the excrement guy works. Due to the cut on Jack's face Stark is still able to get his 'Bar fight?' jab in. Jack tries to explain that time is folding back on itself but they don't believe him. And here's where I ask why the writers made him not very smart. They could have written him like Jack O'Neill or John Sheppard. Those two guys are quite smart but hide it well. I'm sure Jack Carter could have pulled off the 'I'm not very smart so can you dumb that down for me' thing while actually understanding perfectly.
Jack tries to talk to Allison but Leo comes in and he's looking very nervous! Jack tells him to wait that he needs to talk to him and Allison walks away. Jack asks if he's the guy in charge of time and Leo says 'Was, until today' and Jack doesn't even pay attention to the fact that Leo knows he's been fired before Thorne has even given the list to Allison. When Jack asks about the time loop, Leo throws him onto Thorne by saying the new clock could have something to do with it. Leo then tells Jack he'll sign the redaction papers whenever he brings them by and this time Jack finds that a little strange but doesn't really think much of it.
Jack then overhears Thorne giving orders for some equipment to be loaded saying 'there's a time factor here and I don't want to miss my window. Jack asks why Thorne would want to get rid of Leo and is told that the new clock does the same function as Leo without health care. He then asks her to be his date to the wedding and she turns him down due to whatever evil plan she's cooking up. They happen upon Allison and Thorne tells her that the quarterly balance sheets are due on Monday and tells Jack to make sure she doesn't miss her beautiful wedding before walking away. Jack tells Allison that she should have invited Thorne.
Back in town, we see Zoe and Lexi again dishing about Lexi's man and again we get the whole 'gorgeous Dr. WHO' 'Dr. Who!? I love that show!' exchange. And this time we discover that Lexi is preggers and hasn't told the father. Jack finds out he's gonna be an uncle and is shaken by the news. My CC is off because twice in that scene it showed dialogue that wasn't spoken. But I guess that makes up for the dialogue that gets spoken and not reported by the CC.
On to some clearing in the woods. Thorne is looking at the holo-image of some underground structure. Jack confronts Thorne and she tells him he's way off the mark. He asks which button to push on the device she's holding to make time repeat just before the rip appears and throws him back to the shower, still dressed and dirty. SARAH tells him he has broken ribs and is cut up pretty badly and asks if she should call 911. He says not unless they can fix a hole in the universe.
Jack takes the device he's still holding to Henry. Jack is convinced it's a time-loop device and Henry tells him it's a geological depth finder. Henry tells Jack that Leo is smarter than the average maintenance worker but that altering time is still impossible. And now Jack makes the connection to Leo's comment about his redaction.
Jack goes to GD to confront Leo and is told that Leo knew Jack was on to him the last time through. Leo tries to explain what he did. We find out that Leo doesn't know how to reverse the time loop. Leo tells Jack he has a way of, hopefully, fixing things but if it doesn't work Jack's gonna have to get Stark to help next time. Jack knows that Stark won't believe him but Leo thinks he will if Jack learns an equation. A very complex and difficult equation. Leo tries his fix and fails.
Jack finds Leo's charred body in the clock. Jack tries to tell Stark and Fargo what happened and Stark says 'Carter, you're crazy. Fargo, tell him why he's crazy'. Before Fargo can, Jack starts singing the equation under his breath. Everyone now believes him.
This time when Vincent says he loves Dr. Who when Lexi and Zoe are talking about it and is corrected as to what they're actually talking about he just says 'oh. [my bad]'.
Back at GD Fargo, Stark and Jack are attempting to correct the time flow. The first try doesn't work. Stark decides to do it manually. Jack and Fargo both try to talk him into not doing it. It works and Stark is dead.
At the wedding Lexi is trying to get Zoe to drink a glass of champagne. Jack goes to tell Allison the bad news. You just know that having to hurt Allison like that is eating him up inside.
I was really planning on doing an in depth review of this one but after just a few minutes into it I realized I didn't like it any more than I liked the Stargate Atlantis episode Whispers, so I'm just not going to review it. Other than to say that both episodes were too similar for my tastes. They reminded me of bad horror/sci-fi flicks and I expect much more from these shows.
You know a show has lost my attention when I don't stop playing whatever game I'm playing when it starts. Plus I no longer have any interest in what Thorne's about. In fact, I couldn't care less anymore. I will watch the rest of the season but I don't know if I'll be reviewing anymore episodes. Of course if any of the remaining ones are like the first 4 of the season I will write a review. But until then, I'm sorry. I just don't have the time to review an episode that didn't hold my attention during a first viewing.Despite not focusing completely on what was on the TV I guessed who was in the 'Captain Eureka' suit. Now that's just sad. Someone who's not even really watching is able to figure out who the 'super hero' is. Pathetic.
This was another I couldn't make myself review. I'm pretty sure it's the Thorne character. I think the show jumped the shark when she showed up.
So, in all the advertisements of this week's Eureka, Skiffy was calling it the 'mid season finale' but not once during the actual showing did I see that as a bug on the bottom of the screen. And why would the 8th episode of the season be the 'mid season finale' anyway? I coulda sworn Eureka was only 13 episodes long so the midway point would have been two episodes back. And when are they planning on showing the rest of the season? It's not like Skiffy has regular season programming that Eureka was being used as a summer place-holder for so why not just show the remaining 5 episodes now? Enough of the mini-rant, on to the review!We begin with scenes from previous episodes. I have to say I really don't like Jo and Zane. She is way too smart to fall for a guy like him. Plus he's not exactly the type to sit back and let 'his woman' fend for herself. He'd insist on being the conquering hero at all times, never mind the fact that she has training and can probably break him in half without breaking a sweat. Also, I hate the word 'redacted'. Seriously writers, stop using it. Now, please.
Zoe's boyfriend (sorry still can't remember the guy's name) is at Café Diem and Zoe comes over to his table complaining about her job. If she doesn't like it why does she have one? Her father has told her on several occasions that she doesn't have to work. I know when my parents said I didn't have to have a job, I didn't. I just enjoyed being a teenager. Even now, if I could find myself a sugar daddy who'd let me sit at home all day and write, I would so let him. So, anyway, Zoe's boy-toy pulls her down to his lap and lays a big wet one on her not thinking that Jack is in the Café and can probably see them. And he does; via a well place mirror. After Jack interrupts them, Boyfriend picks up his magazine, which is upside down, and pretends to read it. Zoe then goes to bitch at Jo about her father and gets some bitch thrown back at her. Seems Zane has cooled things off with Jo. Wonder why. No, actually I don't. I also don't care why Jo's acting like a 14 year-old girl whose crush doesn't know she exists. Zane walks in and tries to talk to Jo but she continues to act like a tween and ignores him.
Jack, Allison and Henry are trying to find out what Thorne is hiding. Again with the dreaded 'redacted'! Jack has an idea about the photos that Thorne took from Café Diem.
At the bunker site, Thorne is telling the guy she's hired what she needs him to do. She's actually less a bitch at the moment. Jo goes to the site to talk to the guy but he's not home. Zane finds her and says she should stop being passive-aggressive and she asks if he wants 'just aggressive'? He of course says 'no, not really'. As he's walking off muttering under his breath she finds a canister and asks him to come look at it. He thinks she wants to hit him with it. Can I hit him with it? He determines it's some kind of explosive canister that can hold just about anything.
Jack has Fargo looking for the photos on his laptop. As he's going through his folder he comes across some personal photos of his? cat dressed up in fugly clothes. Seriously, who dresses up a CAT? A dog I can see, but a cat? And what cat allows it without scarring the person who's trying to do so? Anyway, he finds the photo Jack wants and says he can't blow it up on Jack's relic of a laptop; he'll have to either do it at GD or go home. Jack says go home now. Fargo says that Allison won't like him breaking the rules. Jack hints that she'd be okay with it this time.
Allison finds the crates with the dead bodies. And does something to them with some kind of scanner.
Zoe and Boyfriend are walking down the stairs to SARAH and Zoe's saying she'll never make fun of Lexi again. She feels like she's the one preggers with twins. When did we find out that Lexi was having twins? I would have remembered that. Seriously, I would have if for the look of horror on Jack's face alone. (yes I know he's not the father but he's gonna have to help raise them so…) Boyfriend cautions her to not mention 'the p-word' around her father. They enter SARAH and Zoe is instantly zapped with some kind of beam because SARAH doesn't recognize her DNA.
Jack can't get SARAH to turn off the security beam. When he finally does Boyfriend asks if SARAH's dead.
In Henry's garage he and Allison are doing autopsies on the bodies (so that's what she was doing with the scanner) and Allison starts to feel a bit dizzy. My first thought: she's preggers. Why? 'Cause this is Skiffy and her twu wuv died recently.
Back at GD Jo, Zane and Jack are in Zane's lab looking at the canister. Jack is playing with it and when he drops it (duh) it opens and spills this foam stuff around Jo and Zane's feet binding them together. *head desk* Can they be any more obvious? And why is Jack always the bumbling idiot? He is smart, maybe not as smart as everyone else in Eureka but still. It takes some kind of intelligence to become a US Marshall. Jack beats a hasty retreat. Dear Eureka writers, If you want two characters to work on their issues with each other, and intrapersonal relationships, just have them sit down over dinner and talk. There is no need to 'stick' them together. Also, just 'cause they're both young, relatively attractive and unattached doesn't mean they have to start banging boots with each other. Just saying.
Jack finds the guy responsible for the foam stuff that has Jo stuck with Zane. He scolds the man for closing a road without his permission. He's told that there is no way to cut through the foam.
Back in the lab Zane's destroying a jack hammer trying to get them out and when Jo glares at him he actually says 'don't you look at me in that tone of voice'. What is he, 12? Oh, wait…
Back in town, Lexi and Zoe are at an outside table chit-chatting and Lex actually says she's sleeping for the boys. I've been preggers. Never once did I feel I was sleeping for two. Eating for two, yes; sleeping, no. Zoe says she aches all over and asks if this is what it feels like to be 30. Lexi says 'I'll forgive you for that in 15 years'. Excuse me? Since when is Zoe 15? I coulda sworn she was like 17 or so. If she is 17 then in 15 years she'll be 32. Fargo comes out and says that maybe SARAH had a memory glitch because Zoe's DNA didn't match the one in SARAH's memory banks. He then says he has the old photos Jack wants ready just as Thorne's coming out of Café Diem. She says she loves old photos and wants to see. Can't the woman keep her nose out of anything? The DOD brought her out to help make GD run smoother, not get into the lives of the citizens of Eureka. And with that sentence I'm reminded that I never questioned her presence in Eureka. I questioned Lexi's but not Thorne's. How do these people get the clearance to come to Eureka? In the very first episode we're told it's one of those top-level security clearance places where only the president and Joint Chiefs know of its existence and yet so many civilians seem to be able to just wander in and out whenever they damn well pelase.
So, Jack gets Thorne off the trail by saying the pictures on question were his grandfather's. He then starts hounding Thorne for info and she actually berates him for sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong. Pot, meet kettle. She's now back to being uber bitch.
We find out that the bodies didn't die of natural causes. That 'goo' Thorne has in the tiny little vial is what's responsible.
Back in GD Zane and Jo and starting to have sexual sparks when Jack comes in and ruins the moment. Zane implies his job is more important than Jo's which, of course, pisses her off.
Back at SARAH, she's trying to make things up to Lexi by telling her of the different flavors of tea she has on tap. Zoe is now blind. And why Lexi didn't immediately see how cloudy Zoe's eyes are is puzzling to me.
Back at the bunker Hendrix is ready to set off his canisters. Thorne had him move it up a day. She shakes his hand and goes back inside. Is she going to kill herself?
Back at GD, now Zane's the one not able to do his job. Henry is able to fix Zoe's eyes. When did he become a medical doctor? Henry tells Jack to not worry. Well, he actually says 'try to not worry' but what parent wouldn't worry when told their child might die of old age at 17?
As Jack's heading out to find a sample of the purple liquid Zoe slipped in he's stopped by Fargo and Allison. They show him a picture of a group of scientists from 1939 and there's Eva Thorne right smack dab in the center. Now it could be a look-alike ancestor but I highly doubt it. Why? Because this is Skiffy and they're trying real hard to make all my shows soap operas.
Down in the bunker Thorne opens a journal and pulls out a picture that she then kisses. Her lover? Husband? We'll find out, I hope.
Jack comes marching through and sees a canister sitting at the base of the hole from Tesla. He goes to touch it then tells himself 'Don't touch the pretty metal canisters'. Again, why do the writers have to make the heroes of these shows such idiots? First there was Jack O'Neill in Cold Lazarus, then John Sheppard in Doppelganger and now Jack Carter in this episode. Just 'cause they're pretty men doesn't automatically make them stupid. Take a page from fanfiction, the well written ones, and make your male leads believable and smart. Lots of women find intelligence very sexy. I know I do. I would not love these characters any less, although I just might love them more, if they were allowed to show just how smart they really are. Like O'Neill and Sheppard. They're pilots. That means they have to be able to make complex calculations in their heads at any given time. Sure it makes it easier to catch the bad guys if they think the guy coming after them is stupid, but please let them show just how smart they really are. Especially when it comes to math. *more on this rant in the review of SGA First Contact*
Sorry about that. Anyway, Jack finds Thorne and she tells him to leave. Now. He demands answers and tells her that Zoe has been exposed. Thorne does a complete 180 and is concerned for Zoe. She says they have to leave and Jack says it's okay because Hendrix isn't sealing the place until tomorrow. Before Thorne can say no, I made him move it up, the canisters start going off. As they rush to the air vent that Jack had picked as his point of exit, a canister goes off, sealing the vent shut.
Jack tells Thorne he knows she has a secret. She tells him she's ready to die. Says she never had the courage to commit suicide before. Sorry, but suicide is not courageous. It's cowardly. Only the courageous live life. She tells him this story that is so very unbelievable except it's sci-fi. Turns out she's 107 years old. The 'goo' that turned them old has kept her young.
Allison has Hendrix arrested.
Thorne tells Jack the first A-bomb was set off in Eureka. She tells him that the element they used created the purple liquid; 'element X'. We find out that Jimmy, I'm guessing it was his picture she kissed, was project leader. The men who died were exposed 28 days before they died. Zoe was exposed 7 days ago.
Hendrix says he might be able to create something to dissolve the foam but they need something that there is less than an ounce of. Zane says nope. We got plenty. Funny how Eureka has everything that they'd ever need right there in the archives. Allison finds out that the bunker is sealed.
Thorne and Jack go to this vault thing. She sets the keys down and you can't help but think she'll forget them. Jack finds out that Thorne isn't her name. And that she's related to Jimmy. He's her brother. Excuse me? The kiss she gave his picture is one of a lover, not a sister. She's now crying as she talks about saving Zoe. I'm sorry. I'm just not buying her sudden change in attitude. She's been nothing short of a bitch this whole time and now she shows female emotions? Maybe if they'd have stretched this out over the entire season or maybe even into the next one I'd believe it but not once did we ever get a glimpse that she has a heart. Okay, maybe when she reopened the museum and granted Henry a pardon but that's all she's done and those were more because she realized she needed the peoples of Eureka on her side than out of the goodness of her heart. They head for the coolant chamber and am I surprised when she grabs the keys before leaving the vault.
Hendrix has finished with the dissolvent but before he uses it he says there is a small chance of an explosion. Does anyone doubt it'll work and no one will be injured? No? Okay, just checking.
Allison thinks she might have been exposed and Henry tells her to get tested.
Jack notices that the coolant pool is cracked and Element X is leaking into the ground water.
Thorne shows Jack her vial of 'purple stuff'. She says Zoe needs it more than she does. Again, not buying the self-sacrificing she's doing right now.
Thorne and Jack are in the room with the sealed air shaft. Thorne mentions that the foam is invulnerable just before it dissolves. Revealing Jo and Zane. WTF? Why is Zane there? Jo says the funniest line in the whole episode 'Good afternoon! My name's Jo Lupo and I'll be saving your ass today.' Jack says she needs to be promoted. But that would put him out of a job, wouldn't it?
We find out that the water is contaminated. Lexi says something about them being lucky they don't have a boss just as Allison gets a call that the General is in town. He wants Thorne arrested. Jack tells him that she's needed until Zoe is cured. Zane's looking at Thorne's brother's journal and he sees they created a bomb that should help to cure the town and decontaminate the water. Zane finds it and sets about finishing it. They set off the bomb. Anyone think it won't work? Didn't think so.
Jo and Zane are not cute at all. I mean really. I preferred her with What's-his-face from the first season. Zoe's fine and Jack and Lexi are on their way to repairing their relationship. Henry takes Thorne to a bus stop and she's all miss nice and shit. Sorry, still not buying it. A hard ass like she was in the beginning doesn't turn around that quickly. Allison doesn't want to know why she's so tired. Henry says it in such a way as to make us think it's not good news. Zoe and Boyfriend are kissing in Jack's general area and he's saying 'I'm not gonna look' and then he does. Allison tells him that she's preggers with Stark's baby. Mansfield comes over and fires Jack for letting Thorne escape.
So, after a very disappointing season we have any even more disappointing mid-season finale.