TV Review


EUREKA: What About Bob?

By: Stephen Lackey
Review Date: Thursday, August 07, 2008

Now, this is starting to get back to the Eureka that will all want. The episode isn’t quite as humorous as other episodes, but the humor here is well executed. Also, there’s a surprising bit of social commentary in play in the episode too.
 
The setup this week is that a man has disappeared from a biosphere experiment and Carter and Allison go into the isolated environment to investigate. Early in the episode we are treated to one of the best scenes in the episode with Carter and Allison forced to be naked together in a shower like device that prepares them to enter the biosphere. Allison comments that she never imagined that this was how she imagined the two of them naked together and of course Carter had to put a fine point on the comment by commenting that she had imagined such a situation. The scene is really funny stuff.
 
Allison and Carter have a ton of chemistry together so putting them together away from the rest of the main cast works really well. The only disappointment is that they don’t seem to get enough time for the banter that they are so great at. They do have several moments, including the previously mentioned one, but there just doesn’t seem to be enough. That’s probably because there are so many character threads happening in this episode. The best is the group in the café that have hacked into the camera feed for the biosphere and are watching it like a reality television series. This is where the social commentary comes into play because these viewers are watching this “show” looking for plot twists and character development as if they are watching a fiction series but the developments are all of real people that these viewers are related too or at least friends with.
 
Along with everything else that’s happening, the “Fixer” is still hard at work manipulating Eureka and actually pulling off some clever distractions in order to set up for something more intriguing than any of the inhabitants of Eureka can guess. She takes away everything and in the end returns enough to Eureka while keeping what she seemingly wanted from the beginning-the museum. The “fixer’ is quickly becoming an extremely interesting character.
 
The more controversial aspect of the episode, and the series requires mentioning – the product placement. At first glance, the inclusion of the Degree product placement seems annoying and even after further consideration ,it still may be annoying but it is forward thinking on the part of the show runners and SCIFI Channel. With the heavy use of DVR’s and the internet for viewing television programming, traditional ads aren’t watched as much as they used to be. It’s just too easy to fast forward past them. Without the ads, we’d have to pay for everything we watch. The next big experiment is with innovative product placement. The use of Degree in Eureka is smartly integrated into the main story arc of the series. If you think it’s not smartly done, check out the Stride episode of Smallville and you’ll change your mind. Sure it’s heavy handed, but at least it feels like it’s a part of the story and not just in there for no reason.
 
“What About Bob” is a step up from the season premiere and a slow return to what makes the show so much fun. We need more banter between Allison and Carter and more snarky-ness between Carter and Stark and we’re back where we once were.



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Comments/Responses
1
mpe1 • Aug 07, 2008, 04:50am •
I have a question for anyone who got to se the whole show. (my DVR turned off at 10 pm exactly ) At the end of the episode we got to see the the "Fixer" watching an old reel to reel of an atomic blast. What did it say on the cover of the can and what was she looking for. I realize that it had someting to do with the museum, but what?

jetpackjesus • Aug 07, 2008, 06:17am •
Top Secret: United States Dept. of War: Feb. 21 1938: Report if Seal is Broken: Followed by some catalog number I didn't think was significant.

This was a great part of the episode. I assume the underground nuclear test in Eureka is how the hole Lab 27 is in was created. The more interesting part, though, is that date on the case. The Manhattan Project did not start until 1939, and the first atomic bomb was not tested until 1945. So Eureka was testing a bomb 7 years early.

I agree with Stephen about the Fixer becoming an interesting character. She was pissing me off through much of the episode still, but the final few minutes really did a lot to establish her as a more interesting character. She's up to something and now I want to know what.

mpe1 • Aug 07, 2008, 06:41am •
Thanks "jetpack" I appreciat it. There was also another timeline thing that was said about the "ongoing Mars Mission" and Carter states something like when it happens then everyone in the room starts saying "yea , yea when we go to mars"
wonder if we will hear or see any more about "mission to mars"

Arby • Aug 07, 2008, 11:07pm •
I didn't like the fixer and never will. It's just depressing crap. With that stuff happening all the time in the real world, causing real misery, I don't need it in my entertainment. It depends on the intentions of the storyteller of course. But I'm not trusting. They (capitalists) have still got my eyeballs for their ads. At least leave us with our fantasy and give the propaganda a break. They're winning afterall. What more do they want?

So far, This season of Eureka hasn't really impressed me. I'm delighted it's back though (even if we have to endure a mad, annoying grin and his twit, like, daughter). If it's a comedy, that fact escaped me. I obviously see the humour that's there. But I would prefer the show to be more serious, rather than less serious. The sci fi is less believable the more goofy the show gets, which is okay for a certain kind of show. I loved Lexx for example. I love Doctor Who. But it seems to me that Eureka isn't supposed to be that kind of sci fi, if that makes any sense. Of course, It will be whatever it's creators want it to be.

Still, It's all good.

1
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