EUREKA Season 4.5 Premiere Review

Eureka Season 4.5

After accidentally traveling to the past and altering the time-line, Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), Dr. Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), Jo Lupo (Erica Cerra), Henry Deacon (Joe Morton) and Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston) are still adjusting to their new lives.

After accidentally traveling to the past and altering the time-line, Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), Dr. Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), Jo Lupo (Erica Cerra), Henry Deacon (Joe Morton) and Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston) are still adjusting to their new lives. After a complicatedly failed attempt by Dr. Trevor Grant (James Callis – BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) to go back in time to fix things, he leaves Eureka to travel the world to help prevent anyone from discovering his true identity. Unfortunately one of those complications stays behind, namely Beverly Barlowe (Debrah Farentino) who’s turned her sights on the newly coupled Jack and Allison.

I’ve had the opportunity to see the first three episodes of the show’s return and they’re pretty spectacular, as always. By the third episode they’ve picked up and advanced all the major cliffhangers and introduce some new wrinkles in style. Tonight’s premiere focuses on Fargo and Zane Donovan (Niall Matter) who get trapped and must work together to survive some incredibly extreme conditions. Meanwhile, Jack and Allison’s newly minted relationship hits its first speed-bump as Deputy Andy (Kavan Smith) has some relationship problems of his own.

Eureka Season 4.5

My favorite of the three is the second episode, “Reprise,” which introduces recurring guest star Felicia Day as Dr. Holly Marten, a scientist sent by the Department of the Defense to assist in a new project. Day plays up Holly’s nervous, neurotic tendencies at the perfect level and is still absolutely delightful. She also has some chemistry with Fargo but it remains to be seen if they’ll ever get together. I like her so much that I hope she becomes a more permanent fixture on the series. Fingers crossed she comes back in Season 5. The episode also marks the return of Wil Wheatons’s jerky Dr. Isaac Parrish and a cameo by none other than comic legend Stan “The Man” Lee.

While avoiding time-travel protocol punishment is still a concern, I’d bet Beverly is going to be a far worse problem (though I wouldn’t be surprised if the two coincide). Like in the past, no matter how briefly she appears, huge problems always follow. The big question is does she know Jack et al have also traveled through time and does that fit into her big mysterious, nefarious plot?

I am constantly delighted by how consistently awesome the show is. Very few series have EUREKA’s track record of writing excellence and is arguably the best series on Syfy right now. I have every confidence this season is going to finish in a big way.

EUREKA Season Premiere on Syfy Monday, July 11th 8/7c