Eureka (2006-2012)

[Looney]

You didn't ask for it, but here it is.....

I am going to start by just bringing over what I have said in other forums about the first ten episodes. Then go from there. I am writing these posts across three forums so you may have already seen them on JMS News or ISN News.

I will first explain that I did watch some of Eureka back in 2006. I can't remember how far I got, but watching these first ten episodes I am feeling like I didn't get very far because they haven't really seemed terribly familiar. Honestly none of them have seemed familiar at all since the very early ones. This is easily explained with regard to the fact that I live in a rural community and back in 2006 we did not have reliable cable television. I don't remember if it was still the SciFi Channel back in 2006 or if it had already switched to the ridiculous SyFy channel, but either way it never worked well with our cable. If I could see the picture it was never clear and always "fuzzy". This made it very difficult to stick with shows on that channel. And in the interest of honesty this show didn't hook me long term. I did enjoy the pilot and the setup and this time around the pilot did hook me again. I want to see more, but I don't think I lasted long watching this the first time around.

So again the Pilot did hook me this time and I did enjoy it, but that is all I am going to mention on that one. The next nine posts will be what I "Liked" and "Didn't Like" from episodes two through ten.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 2
MANY HAPPY RETURNS

IMDB Synopsis
What appears to be a ghost begins terrorizing people and disrupting equipment shortly after a funeral, and even more surprising, one of the recently dead reappears alive.

Liked.....
I enjoyed this one. I like the whole SMART HOUSE concept. I liked the funeral twist. Not so sure how I feel about the new "villain".

Liked That the Daughter was gone.

Didn't Like.....

That they brought the daughter back.

REALLY didn't like what Allison Blake (Sally Richardson-Whitfield) did to Susan Perkins (Jennifer Clemment). That was horrible. I would have punched her in the face. Yeah I knew there was going to be some happy ending, but that was soooooooooo messed up.





WARNING!!!!! WARNING!!!!! SPOILER AHEAD WARNING!!!!! WARNIG!!!!!

What if the kid had seen her? And she isn't his mother so bringing her to pretend she is his mother is ridiculous. And how would you explain to the kid because you are going to have to explain to him when he realizes she doesn't act right. I know it is a TV show, but that started as a great twist and their forcing a happy ending just made it messed up.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 3
BEFORE I FORGET

B5 GUEST STAR SIGHTING - TAMLYN TOMITA

IMDB Synopsis
Occurrences of short-term memory loss begin when visiting scientists hit town, and Jack has to determine the cause while not letting down Zoe who is acting in a school play.

Liked.....

Pretty much everything. Andrew Airlie, does he end up a villain or at least a despicable person in everything? Maybe he just has that look.

Didn't like.....

Something I didn't like was a problem this show is going to have a tough time dealing with.... the implication. The implication of the technology they are creating in the show and how it is dealt with seems like it is going to become a HUGE plot flaw. In this episode two pieces of technology are a focal point and these pieces would change the world forever, but at the end of the episode they just gloss over that fact and move on like that wasn't really a thing. That is quite annoying and I have a feeling it is something this show will have to do every episode because it would be too difficult to explain and maintain the arc of all this created technology now being out there in the world. In the first episodes it was okay because part of the drama was the malfunction of the device. But in this episode there was no malfunction. These were two items that were ready to go out there and change the world forever, but that fact got left out of the final scenes.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 4
ALIENATED

IMDB Synopsis
The presence of a crop circle leads to thoughts of an alien invasion, the future of Eureka is threatened when a congressman visits, and Jo and Jack work on their trust issues.

Liked.....

Meh. This was just a passable episode for me. I like that Erica Cerra got a bit more to do. I like how ridiculous it was that Spencer had this crazy great home theater setup, but all of them were essentially sitting in kitchen table chairs. I like the little bit of germinating overall arc, but I feel like they won't be able to maintain it.

Didn't Like.....

Who had the terrible idea of making Matt Frewer Australian?!?!?!?! It is WAY too gimmicky. Once again we have the development of a device that will change the world forever, swept under the rug of the end credits. Get use to me mentioning that because it will likely be saying it after every episode.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 5
INVINCIBLE

IMDB Synopsis
A lab accident causes a scientist to, seemingly, become indestructible, but Carter and Stark have their own concerns.

Liked.....
I really liked this episode, but I might be biased because Saul Rubinek is guest stars in it. I really liked the plot and how it had a bit of a twist I didn't expect. I really liked the twist. If only the show could do that every week. Wrap things up all neat and tidy.

Didn't Like.....
Well there wasn't much I didn't like other than the fact I WISH they had known WAREHOUSE 13 was coming and Rubinek could have established Artie Nielsen in this series as a crossover. BUT of course there was three years between the two series.

This does make me REALLY want to watch WAREHOUSE 13 because I did the same thing to that show that I did with this one, stopped after Season One. I think I have said before that Rubinek was my favorite part of that show so this one really pushed that button.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 6
DR. NOBEL

IMDB Synopsis
After Fargo triggers a device from the Cold War era, the race is on to shut it off before it starts a world war, but the only solution may lie in the depths of a demented scientist's mind.

Liked....

Hmmmm.... This episode was okay. I like what they are doing with Henry even though you have to think around to make it logical. I look at it as he is the smartest person around, so he basically gets to do what he wants.

Didn't Like....

I didn't like how every aspect of this episode was HIGHLY predictable.

Why do shows feel they need to include characters like Zoe?! Soooo annoying. I feel that she should be part of the series, maybe two or three times a season. And why would she be surprised by VR tennis after being in a holographic play?

And I would have much preferred a bit of a different twist with Eugenia. I liked her character and would have liked to see things go differently, even possibly turn her into a recurring character. Alas I looked and this is her only appearance.

Okay, Okay, Okay this might be a bit of a spoiler, so look away. LOL

They had better eventually explain how Stark has a Nobel Prize. Fingers crossed he bought it from someone's estate.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 7
BLINK

IMDB Synopsis
A car accident leads back to scientists at Global, Zoe finds a boyfriend, and Jack tries to drum up support for a town baseball league.

Liked....

The humor in this one, but I feel they could have done more with it. I do like how much they are including Joe Morton. Can't help but think this series might have been better if he were Jack Carter. I do like how they are playing Stark, though I feel like there has to be a definite good or bad turn eventually. I think I will lose interest if they don't decide he is good or bad. They definitely need to give him more back story, in particular the Nobel thing.

Didn't Like....

This is going to become a common dislike I mention, Zoe. Oh she makes it hard to watch the show. I feel bad for the actress being a part of the show I do not like. I also didn't care for how predictable this was. And I thought it was quite ridiculous that the focus of the research wasn't on what was helping them focus on the research. I feel that discovery was a MUCH bigger deal than a Missile defense system and those involved didn't treat it with nearly the importance it deserved. For real, that was HUGE and was not treated in that manner at all. Shocking plot flaw.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 8
RIGHT AS RAYNES

IMDB Synopsis
Odd fluctuations in computer-controlled environments may have something to do with the return of Eureka's prodigal son.

Liked.....

Hmmmmm.... I thought Stark (Ed Quinn) was REALLY good in this one.

Didn't Like.....

WAY TOO MUCH ZOE. And overall this was a big fail for me outside of Quinn's performance. The concept was so ridiculous and there was a HUGE plot flaw you could drive a truck through.

Spoiler for spoiler:

..... My Android is acting up and the only way I can deal with it is to destroy my lab to cover up the experiment and release the Android into the world to live its own experiences. SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! It was just too ridiculous. ????

I am REALLY starting to like these characters and this cast. Have to say I am always a sucker for supporting cast. Too bad you don't fit that bill in this show Jordan Danger (AKA Jordan Hinson as ZOE in this show.)

*******SIDE NOTE ADDITION EXCLUSIVE HERE ON B5TV. I watched this on the 21st of September and I keep thinking about it because it really annoys me. They brought this technology in and then in the next two episodes it isn't mentioned. This is something that is really going to annoy me about this show. And extreme leap in Artificial Intelligence and it is just another crisis of the week episode. WOW!

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 9
PRIMAL

IMDB Synopsis
Taggart achieves a medical breakthrough while Fargo invents a device that bridges the divide between computers and human brains.

(This episode references back to INVINCIBLE Episode 5)

Liked.....

I think they opened a real can of worms with this episode, but thankfully it was quickly taken care of. On the whole I would say this was a winner.

Didn't Like....

I don't feel the title was very fitting. I also feel like Matt Frewer reaction to what he did to the dog was WAY to subdued. I mean the face of so many things has just possibly been changed forever and he acted like it was an every day occurrence.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 10
PURPLE HAZE

This is my own synopsis.
*After a strange night of multiple people randomly passing out Eureka awakens to find everyone acting out of the ordinary. Carter must race to solve the mystery before the town, and perhaps the world, plunge into chaos.*

(This episode also references back to INVINCIBLE, Episode 5.)


Liked....
Seeing the actors get to do things they wouldn't normally do. Lots of great banter and out of character moments.

Didn't Like....
Some of the afflicted characters didn't seem to act very out of character. Early on in the episode it appeared only the female characters were affected because the male characters didn't seem to be out of character.

The ending was a bit shaky with regard to being believable. When Carter was dealing with it there seemed to be a bit of a stretch as to how he was able to remain unaffected.

All and all I did really like the episode despite mentioning more of what I didn't like.

 

[Looney]

​Episode 11
H.O.U.S.E. RULES

IMDB Synopsis
A bad day in the lab forces Carter to rethink his decision to live in Eureka, prompting an intervention from S.A.R.A.H. (the Self Activated Residential Automated Habitat)

(This episode references back to PURPLE HAZE, Episode 10.)

Liked.....

So much of this episode. I am shocked how much I like Stark in this season. When I was re-introduced to this character I thought I was going to hate him, but Ed Quinn has done an excellent job of creating a character I am interested in. Sooooooooooo glad they kept Zoe out of this as much as possible.

Didn't Like.....

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh did this episode make a TERRIBLE mistake. It was SHOCKING!!!!! But I will put that in the spoiler section below. It really just destroyed an episode I was loving. Anywho other things I didn't like would be this forced thing that is happening with Jo (Erica Cerra) and Taggart (Matt Frewer). My only solace is I know Frewer doesn't last on the show, so whatever they are trying to force here is going away soon.

Spoiler for spoiler:

They destroyed this episode when they killed the comic relief. You NEVER kill the comic relief. It changed the whole tone of the episode in the WORST way. They were looking for a tonal shift, but this was wrong. And it was soooooooooooo predictable.

Plus it utterly failed because it didn't create the effect it should have. The uptick in danger from this tragedy is basically passed over because the guy was comic relief. I don't think one character utter a word about that poor guy. There was no real mention of the home-icide. (I am hilarious!!!!! ) after the initial visual. But seriously the rest of the cast basically glosses over the fact someone was killed and that someone was a person. That is a huge problem shows like this have. Supporting characters get killed off, but they need to move the plot along so it gets glossed over. It really makes all of these main characters look extremely bad, like they all think that guy didn't really matter because the show painted him as just the guy who delivered the pizza.

And there is NO chance Carter would stay in that house no matter what changes were made. That was the most ridiculous thing to end on. Even if the guns were removed he would still have to worry about what else S.A.R.A.H. could do, such as with the air and water. Ridiculous....

Sorry I was REALLY enjoying this episode and this one incident pretty much spoiled my overall rating of it.​

 

[Kraig]

I like your Eureka thread, but you do know that

Spoiler for tags:

spoiler tags are available.

 

[Looney]

I know there are, but I always forget how to do it.

 

[Looney]

EPISODE 12
ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Okay so I have been taking a break from Eureka to start a 31 Day Horror Movie Marathon. It hasn't been going great. The goal is to see 31 Horror/Ghost/Monster/Halloween movies I've never seen before and I've seen a lot of stinkers already. The BEST ones I've seen so far have been GET OUT (2017) and HOCUS POCUS (1993).

I watched one that was a pretty good movie, but I would never ever, ever, ever watch again because it profoundly depressed me. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because I don't want people to be depressed. ACACIA {Original Title - AKASIA} (2003) is a Korean film that made it so I had to watch something more light-hearted immediately and the Eureka Season One Finale, ONCE IN A LIFETIME 1.12, was my choice. (It honestly didn't help much. ACACIA (2003) is going to haunt me for awhile.)

Okay sooo moving on....

B5 GUEST STAR SIGHTING - TAMLYN TOMITA

IMDB Synopsis
After another lab accident Jack wakens to a whole new world. ..... (This sums it up perfectly. I wish I had be tabulating how many of these episodes were going to revolve around lab accidents. 20/20 Hindsight)

(This references several Season One Episodes.)


LIKED.....
Hmmmm.... I can't say I liked a lot of this one.

Spoiler for spoiler:

I liked that we might get a reason why Stark turns completely evil. It was a nice glimpse at an alternate history, but ...

DIDN'T LIKE.....

Spoiler for spoiler:

.....it was far too utopian. I mean one might argue that if Kim doesn't live then all of their lives really go wrong - look at how Zoe turned around. That may not happen. I also didn't like that Carter was the only person, other than Henry, to magically remember the alternate timeline.

That didn't make any sense at all.

All and all I guess it was a decent Season Ender that could have doubled as a Series Ender if necessary. DEFINITELY looking forward to Season Two.

 

[Kraig]

EPISODE 12
ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Okay so I have been taking a break from Eureka to start a 31 Day Horror Movie Marathon. It hasn't been going great. The goal is to see 31 Horror/Ghost/Monster/Halloween movies I've never seen before and I've seen a lot of stinkers already. The BEST ones I've seen so far have been GET OUT (2017) and HOCUS POCUS (1993).

I watched one that was a pretty good movie, but I would never ever, ever, ever watch again because it profoundly depressed me. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because I don't want people to be depressed. ACACIA {Original Title - AKASIA} (2003) is a Korean film that made it so I had to watch something more light-hearted immediately and the Eureka Season One Finale, ONCE IN A LIFETIME 1.12, was my choice. (It honestly didn't help much. ACACIA (2003) is going to haunt me for awhile.)

For horror if you haven't seen it yet

Spoiler for spoiler:

The Cabin in the Woods

Spoiler tags are so

Spoiler for spoiler:

difficult.

 

[Looney]

Spoiler tags are so

Spoiler for spoiler:

difficult.

Spoiler for spoiler:

Well yeah they are difficult when you don't know how to do them and when every other site you use just has [spoiler] instead of this way. Why would it require spoiler=spoiler instead of just [spoiler]?!

I will never remember that, as has already been proven. :guffaw::guffaw:

 

[Kraig]

You can also say

Spoiler for :

spoiler

Or this is a

Spoiler for specific reason:

special or show name type of spoiler.

The Cabin in the Woods

Spoiler for The Cabin in the Woods:

is an excellent Horror movie while being tongue and cheek about Horror movies.

 

[Looney]

Ooops sorry I meant to say in my last post that I have indeed seen CABIN IN THE WOODS in the past.

I am up to 23 on my 31 days, so I think I am going to make it.

Yesterday I got in:

ISLE OF THE SNAKE PEOPLE (1971) Boris Karloff could not save this waste of time.
DRIVE-IN MASSACRE (1976) Another waste of time, in particular due to the fact that it doesn't really have an ending.

Took a break from horror and went to a 5 o'clock showing of THE WAR WITH GRANDPA (2020) at a theater. I recommend it if you like fun and formulaic. The whole time I was watching it I kept thinking how much it reminded me of every similar movie since the 1990s. But I still enjoyed it quite a bit for what it is.

Back to horror. My friend has a screened in patio area and a new projector, so he had a little gathering and screened....

READY OR NOT (2019) I enjoyed this one, but would have preferred it ended differently. Had it been given the conclusion I wanted I likely would have bought a physical copy of this movie as soon as it ended. But they went a different direction so they don't get my money.

THE DEAD DON'T DIE (2019) What a mis-fire. And I mean my friend deciding to show this turkey at a gathering. :wtf: But yes the movie itself is a mis-fire as well. Brilliant in parts, but it doesn't come together as a whole. I think Jim Jarmusch just over thought this one and tried to include too much.

 

[Kraig]

I have two movies in the DVR that have been recorded and I haven't watched yet. WIki links below with spoilers.

Slaughterhouse Rulez & Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

 

[Looney]

Well now I definitely want to see SLAUGHTERHOUSE RULEZ after just seeing the poster. :thumbsup:

I saw SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK (2019) in the theater. Don't have high expectations and you will be fine. I didn't think it was a bad movie by any means. I was just a little disappointed because I had expectations.