Monsters of Television

“Oh, has the definition of killer changed a bunch since the 1890s cause, H.G., you killed a guy!”

Finally! Claudia is now an agent! Well…apprentice as everyone keeps reminding her. So on her first mission she’s going to do her best to live up to the job title. It’s important to her. Being an agent is important to everyone. “For the Team” gave us a look at what being an agent means to everyone. Including H.G Wells.

What’s that? Start with Claudia? Don’t mind if I do.

It’s no secret that Claudia’s been dying to be more than just a desk jockey (although a mighty fine desk jockey she makes) and she’s finally given her chance. With Pete still forbidden from field duty after the events of last week’s “Around the Bend” (mind control and hallucinations are a bitch), Claudia accompanies Myka on a mission to a college where members of the wrestling time are lighting up. Not marijuana mind you, they are spontaneously combusting.

Claudia’s first field assignment is to interview members of the team, try and get info on the coach, team members and any possible artifacts. She takes a very stiff gumshoe approach as she fumbles through her interrogation with Gary, one of the wrestlers. He asks if she’s new at this, noting that she’s not very good. Back off guy, it’s her first mission.

Her problem is she’s been trying to go about things with a very Myka approach. When they arrive on campus she asks Myka if she should have dressed more professionally like she did. When reporting her flubbed questioning she admits that she was trying to be like Mike Myka. There’s nothing wrong with trying to emulate her superior officer, she’s a great agent. But she tells Claudia she needs to be herself. The team has a Myka already, a Claudia approach is something they need. That pep talk was just what she needed as Claudia managed to get valuable information that helped bring about the solving of this week’s mystery. Watch for this experience and new found self confidence to help shape Claudia in the near future. I have some interesting theories on how. We’ll get to those later.

Further proving her commitment and drive to become an agent, Claudia accepts application information to SDU that Myka got for her. A college education is something Artie has bugged Claudia about before and she was adamantly against it. Myka informs her that she can’t join the secret service without a college degree, basically saying if she wants to be an agent she has to go to school. Looks like Claudia’s goin’ to college. Oh the campus shenanigans that are sure to follow.

For a few weeks now I’ve found myself wondering “Where the hell is H.G. Wells?” as she had yet to make a reappearance after her season 2 Big Bad setup from the premiere. Well she finally showed up again this week, but not as a Big Bad. She came to help. She shares a photo of her daughter with Myka and says that she has nothing in this world anymore. Being an agent is all she has now. We know she was an apprentice in Warehouse 12 so she’s not completely lying, she has the Warehouse background. But Myka is still suspicious. When asked why she was bronzed H.G. dodges the question like a champion saying that women were treated differently in her time (and still are) and that the scales of justice aren’t always fair.

We know H.G has some serious inventive skills and she shows them off yet again this episode by saving Myka’s life by avoiding an oncoming car with the use of a grappling gun she invented. She also comes up with an antidote to save Claudia after she is poisoned. Maybe she really does want to change, maybe she really does just want back in at the Warehouse. In the end she leaves her grappler with Myka and disappears yet again. Silently running off isn’t exactly a mark for the “I’m not evil anymore” column but leaving such a useful tool is quite the show of good will. Is she evil? Isn’t she? Either way, the Warehouse was at one point (and still could presently be) important to her.

Myka was given some time to shine this week as well. With Pete out of the picture, she was the one calling the shots in the field. She was great at handling her young apprentice, she showed compassion (which could prove to be stupidity) with H.G., and most importantly she solved the mystery and retrieved an artifact. And she got a super cool new gadget out of the deal too. I’m hoping it comes into play later on in the season Can you tell I’m a fan of stuff like that?

While the ladies were out having all sorts of fun, Pete was bored stuck in the Warehouse on desk duty with Artie. He was itching for action. He’s the type who wants to be out there in the field doing, not sitting around. He amused himself wearing Timothy Leary’s glasses (how fun of an artifact must that be!) for a while but when Artie took them away he amused himself by bugging Artie. The Warehouse doctor (Lindsay Wagner) paid Artie a visit to examine his appendix (which Artie grows back yearly using P.T Barnum’s limb/organ growing spinning top so she’ll come visit) and it’s blatantly obvious he has a crush on her.

Pete’s trying to make a little love connection of his own with Kelly the Univille veterinarian. Romantic subplots galore this season. Artie convinces Pete to make a move on her because he doesn’t want Pete to end up like him: alone and obsessed wit the Warehouse. Being an agent means a lot to Artie, too much perhaps, and he wants Pete to have a life outside of the Warehouse as well. In the end, both gentleman procure dates with their lady friends. Score.

Ok. Crazy awesome theory time. Claudia is already a computer whiz and has shown a knack for inventing and tinkering. Her skills are only going to get better and are only going to grow as an asset to the Warehouse. That much is clear. But there’s another path this could follow. Claudia’s mention of bantha poodoo in the episode got me thinking about Star Wars. More specifically about the dark side. With her genius and rebellious nature, Claudia could easily become another H.G. Wells. There are signs. Her aforementioned skills and personality traits, the fact that the Regents have a file on ways to dispose of her; these point towards a potential dark downfall.

AND! What if H.G. (assuming she is still evil) is the turning point for her? H.G. spoke of the Warehouse’s unjust treatment of women. What if she planted the seeds of doubt and corruption in young Claudia’s mind? What if she takes Claudia as an evil apprentice!? This theorizing is slightly tangential, sure, but an evil Claudia is something very fun to think about. And not out of the realms of possibility. Just sayin’.

Final Thoughts:

• Claudia references Star Wars and the Young Avengers, furthering proving she is the perfect nerd girlfriend.
• I know guys do some crazy stuff to get girls, but giving yourself appendicitis yearly seems a bit much.