Welcome back Eureka Fans,
“Clash of the Titans” Written by Eric Tuchman. Tuchman also wrote another season four original Eureka episode, “Founders Day”. Fans may recall Tuchman wrote several episodes of “Kyle XY”, a show that ended well before it is time. The “Clash of the Titans” episode was co-written by Paula Yoo who also wrote the episode, “Crossing Over”, and several episodes of “The West Wing”, a Golden Globe and Emmy winning series.
There is lots going on in Eureka this week. Relationships that were established and beginning to warm are set to boil. But, to continue the heating metaphor, one particular relationship will undergo a cold shower. Guess which one?!
To start off this episode, Fargo (Neil Grayston) and Holly Marten (Felicia Day) are flirting on what appears to be Titan while they are busy working, which results in an accidental leak in Holly’s space suit. They are actually in a simulation. The scientist in charge, Dr. Huggins (Andrew McNee), is just a tad irritated by their flirting. Fargo, in retaliation, demands to know why the Titan environment must be vented after every test run. Holly and Fargo are ready to go again, but Huggins has to dash off to see the return of Tiny, the six legged robot that made it to Titan and back.
Inside Cafe Diem, Grace Monroe (Tembi Locke) tells Henry Deacon (Joe Morton) that they will require new rings for the wedding they are planning. Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) is listening, enjoying the interchange, when Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) enters to tell Carter she had to file an “I-A 248” with the D.O.D. For their “Intimate Alliance”. Their relationship has been “Red Flagged. As Allison finishes explaining to Carter, Warren Hughes (Wallace Shawn) enters and introduces himself. He has been sent to assess their relationship. The best lines in the episode are by Carter and Warren. He asks Warren how he assesses an intimate alliance. Warren replies, “I like to watch.”
It is later cleared up that Warren only means he observes the general behaviour of the couple, and nothing more intimate, but the writers are obviously having fun with the romances in Eureka since we have some similar lines to look forward to in this episode. With Warren close at hand, Carter and Allison arrive at the Bosun Cloud Exciter Site (aka the B.C.E, introduced in episode 11 of season four).
As Carter and Allison attempt to be on their best behaviour, Tiny returns to Earth. Within moments of her return and just as Henry Deacon deactivates her depressurization shield, Tiny explodes, sending bits and pieces of itself all over the area. Dr. Deacon theorizes that Tiny was saturated in methane from Titan. When the shield was released, a tiny spark likely caused the explosion.
Fargo and Holly are changing their clothing after their simulation. Since they are so distracted by each others presence, Holly proposes that they sleep together, and get their urges out of the way. Holly comments, “Our budding urges are interfering with our professional ambitions…The sooner we consummate, the sooner we concentrate.” Fargo picks up his communications device and declares, “We have a tiny problem.” Of course, the innuendo runs wild as Holly immediately sounds disappointed. Fargo corrects her, “The robot, she exploded. I have to go look into it.”
Meanwhile, Zane (Naill Matter) has decided that, now that he has been pardoned by Senator Wen (Ming Na), he won’t be sticking around Eureka. Jo Lupo (Erica Cerra) does her best to cover up her feelings and has Zane fill out and sign the necessary paperwork to formalize his pardon. As they discuss that this could be the last time they see each other, the inevitable happens and the scene ends with the two sharing a kiss.
Later, as Grace and Henry are attempting to examine the bits and pieces of Tiny to determine any new information, Jo drops by to share some more of the writer’s innuendo. When asked where she has been, Jo replies, “I was tangled up with Zane…his thing…his pardon.” To quickly change the subject, Jo takes the opportunity to recommend a big splashy wedding for Grace and Henry.
As the story progresses, the ground under Warren collapses as he and Carter are exploring the wooded area around the location of Tiny’s explosion. Carter manages to save Warren. They discover a low lying cloud of ethane nearby. Back at the Infirmary, Allison checks over Warren to make sure he has not been injured from his fall. She takes Carter aside and chastises him, “You almost broke the auditor”. Carter, knowing how to deal with this situation, decides that he needs to confer with Henry and hurries away.
Zane is still considering that he may leave Eureka. Fargo, as he observes Zane up grade the computer systems at G.D, asks for advice about women, specifically, Holly. Fargo wants to slow everything down and have a getting to know you courtship. Zane, on the other hand, tells Fargo that there is no such thing as having sex too soon. And if Fargo is lucky, he;s going to get seconds and thirds.
Carter and Henry are back at the B.C.E. Henry has identified that the unusual chemicals present, in this case, methane and ammonia, are destabilizing the ground around them. The problem could grow and the loss of the B.C.E could be the least of their problems. Henry comments that, “The idea of being swallowed into a giant sinkhole is not at all pleasant.” Carter jokes, “Marriage is a huge commitment.”
As Jo takes Grace for a stroll inside one of the botanical labs looking for the perfect flowers for the wedding, a noxious orange gas begins to permeate the area. Grace, Jo, and Dr. Maria Leonardo (Kim Poirier) the botanist, attempt to escape, but they are too late.
They fall unconscious to the ground. Carter and Henry happen on the scene in time to close the vents. Dr. Leonardo tells them that the plants probably saved their lives. If nitrates were present, they could stimulate the massive overgrowth.
Carter, keeping track, remarks that they now have ethane, methane, ammonia and nitrogen, all gases that are present on Titan. Henry, as he gains more information, now believes that the gasses are showing up around Eureka by way of the soil and into the venting system.
Holly gets the bad news at G.D. Fargo is not as excited about having sex as Holly is. He walks away from her after stating, “I can’t do this, not like this, not with you.” Meanwhile, Vincent (Christopher Gauthier) has two awesome cakes he wants Grace and Henry to try for the wedding.
And, Warren has found someone else to annoy, or rather, question; Jo Lupo. When he asks her if Carter and Allison have ever been indiscreet, Jo immediately begins to run off at the mouth, “ they are always discreet, even when Allison spends the night at our house…my house is under construction…” Warren interrupts Jo by putting what he believes is happening together, “Sheriff Carter is dating the head of G.D while living with the head of G.D security.” Jo protests that it’s not as “Three’s Company” as it sounds, but it’s too late. The damage has been done.
In Fargo’s misery and self pity regarding his relationship, or lack thereof, with Holly, he complains that “Dr. Huggins is so type A that with any mistake, he flushes the entire simulation down the proverbial toilet”.
Carter has his Ah-ha or “Eureka” moment. Carter asks, “When he dumped it, where did it go?” Henry shows Carter a map of geothermal vents that run under G.D, to the B.C.E site and under Eureka. Now we have a bigger problem. They realize that not only the botany lab and the B.C.E site are in danger, but the town as well. They split up to deal with it.
Carter stops Dr. Huggins from dumping any more of his simulations and Henry rounds up people on the streets of Eureka and shepherds them indoors. Carter asks Huggins if there is any way to vent the Methane fog off of main street. Huggins has a portable evacuation unit, but it hasn’t been tested yet. Fargo steps up to the plate. He says he’s trained for this. All he needs is his partner. Now, where to vent it. Allison suggests the vents can be redirected to the botany labs. The plants seem to love absorbing Titan’s atmosphere.
In the middle of a raging Methane snow storm that is highly explosive according to Grace, Holly and Fargo appear. Holly informs Fargo that from now on, they are strictly business. Struggling with the vent she is supposed to open, she loses her balance and damages one of the tanks connected to her suit. She begins to lose oxygen. One of Holly’s best lines, “I’m going to die on Titan without leaving main street.”
Fargo comes to the rescue. He switches to the reserve tank on Holly’s suit and saves her. Meanwhile, Carter, Jo, Allison and Warren have raced to the botanical lab. Carter yells at Warren to, “stay!” They rush inside and struggle to turn the valve to open it. Warren runs in, stating he can bench press twice his weight, helping Carter, Jo and Allison to open the valve. Working together, they save the day.
Back where they started, removing the space suits they were wearing, Fargo and Holly have a discussion. Fargo apologizes and tells Holly that he is very interested in her but wants to wait so they can get to know each other better. Holly worries that they might not be compatible. After all, what if he likes original Star Trek and she likes “Star Trek Next Generation? Fargo admits that he likes both Star Treks. They are such a pair of geeks, and so cute together.
Henry and Grace are observed walking along main street, now that everything is back to normal, discussing the rings. Henry tells her that he feels strange getting new rings. They settle the problem by agreeing to use the old ones. Jo shows up in her car and tells them to get in. She takes them back to Henry’s garage where they first met. It is shrouded in darkness.
The lights come on to reveal that it has been decorated for a wedding. Vincent is taking pictures, and Grace and Henry declare that everything is perfect. Of course Warren has a license to marry Henry and Grace. While there, he tells Allison and Carter that their personal feelings will get in the way, so their intimate alliance has not been approved. They will either have to terminate their relationship or one of them will have to resign his or her position.
So, after three plus years of tension between Carter and Allison, just when they are getting together, the government’s typical reaction is to not permit it. They even have official forms to disallow it. The options are, Carter and Allison obey the order and are miserable as they interact, they cheat on the government and see each other in secret, one of them resigns their position so they can stay together, or, the one I’m betting on, is that Warren sees that he has made a mistake in his audit and lets them continue to see each other.
What was missing in this episode: Jack Carter’s Sheriff’s vehicle did not get destroyed, nor did Deputy Andy suffer a mishap. Both have suffered some form of destruction so many times this season, I was hoping that it would be a weekly event.
What I loved: Wallace Shawn as Warren Hughs.(Rex from Toy Story 3, Arlos from Stargate SG-1, Grand Negus Zek – Deep Space Nine, Dr. Stiles – Crossing Jordan, Cyrus Rose – Gossip Girl and many others) Casting this fine character actor as a government bureaucrat was a stroke of genius. Wallace Shawn never disappoints.
It’s great to see the writers having fun with this episode. Judging from their performances, the actors really enjoyed it as well. Great episode, guys.
Eureka returns this evening Monday August 29, 2011 on Syfy with “This One Time at Space Camp …” We include the sneak peek below courtesy of Syfy!
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Regards.
ArcticGoddess1 (Patricia)
