Warehouse 13 - "Time Will Tell"

Warehouse 13 is one of those shows I want to like a lot more than I actually do. I love the idea of it. It's set in my beloved home state. I think the cast is pretty fun, and I really love the character of Artie, who has what's pretty much my dream job. This has all of the ingredients necessary to make a goofy, fun summertime romp. And yet, something about it holds me completely at arm's length. I've enjoyed individual episodes (particularly as season one got going and found a groove), but the series itself is full of moments that never coalesce for me. Inevitably, when the show turns to its master plot about who's behind the warehouse or all of the crazy things it has on its shelves, I start to zone out. The same goes for the rivalry between Artie and MacPherson. Sadly, much of the season premiere focuses on that relationship.

I think the reason so many people love this show so much is because the world the show has cooked up is a fun place to hang out. The idea that there's a massive warehouse in the South Dakota badlands that features numerous objects from various fictional traditions is an inherently fun one, and that gives the show a lot of goodwill from the start. Honestly, this show could just be about people wandering around the warehouse and having laconic conversations about its contents for a half hour every week, and it would probably still be pretty enjoyable.