Warehouse 13 4.06 “Fractures” REVIEW
Episode 4.06
Writers: Benjamin Raab & Deric A Hughes
Director: Chris Fisher
THE ONE WHERE Alice Liddell is loose (again) and body-hopping all over South Dakota.
VERDICT If last week’s episode wore its Misery influence on its sleeve, this week’s starts with its face covered in Exorcist -like projectile-vomit. The Linda Blair gags fall to the wayside early on, however, replaced by a plot that resembles duff Denzel Washington thriller Fallen – Alice Liddell is back and body jumping around Rapid City to get the drop on Artie. Quite how Brother Adrian is controlling the artifact, and its victim, we’re not sure, but clearly he has an inside man. Or woman...
In general it’s a much more entertaining 42 minutes than recent weeks. Alice is a great (albeit one-note) villain – particularly her first sassy human incarnation, Kristen. The only disappointment is that she was brought back in the first place; surely the writers haven’t run out of ideas already? This week’s episode also continues the recent trend of slightly mishandled moments in Warehouse 13 . Note to directors: cheap looking slow motion doesn’t necessarily make your action scenes more exciting or impactful. Sometimes it can just make them look rubbish. The hotel confrontation between Alice and the Warehouse gang, including Dr Calder (Lindasy Wagner, returning for the first time this season) is tense and the outcome worryingly uncertain, until all that good work is undone with a comically bad resolution.
Season four has seen Warehouse 13 take several steps back from the highs of season three, with four episodes left before the mid-season break let’s hope they get back on track soon.
SPECULATION Is Leena working for brother Adrian? Unlikely, she’s been the villian’s pawn before (MacPherson’s in season one) and even the writers of Warehouse 13 wouldn’t repeat that trick again, would they?
NITPICK Unless it’s a trap, why would Artie reveal where he’s hidden the Astrolabe by checking on it? Clearly he knows someone is watching. Either he’s incredibly dumb, or incredibly smart.
FEATURED MUSIC The Alice In Wonderland song that plays during Alice Liddell’s hospital escape is “ Looking Glass” by Hynpogaja.
REFERENCE The camera has a sign that says “Click Me” attached – much in the way that Alice encounters a shrinking potion that says “Drink Me” and a cake that says “Eat Me” on her travels in Wonderland.
KEY ARTIFACTS Lewis Carroll’s Mirror (contains the spirit of Alice Liddell and allows her to possess bodies); Abul-Fath Gilani's Hookah (inspired the Blue Caterpillar, draws spirits out and traps them); Spear (generates a surge of electricity); Ferdinand Magellan's Astrolabe (hidden in a column in the Dark Vault).
BEST LINES
Artie : “Claudia, you keep an eye on the front door by hiding behind that plant over there. Don't let Alice see you.”
Claudia : “Oh, thank god you said that. Because I was going to jump up and down and yell, ‘Hey, crazy Alice, look over here.’”
Artie : “You made your point. Thank you.”
Jordan Farley (@ JordanFarley )
Warehouse 13 season 4 will air in the UK on Syfy later this year.
Read more Warehouse 13 season 4 reviews .
