Warehouse 13

Warehouse 13 is a new series on the SyFy network -- and it is, well, cool. I like it. I like it on a few levels, actually.

First, I like the concept. The series follows United States Secret Service agents Myka Bering and Peter Lattimer as they are reassigned to the government's secret Warehouse 13, which houses supernatural objects. They are tasked to retrieve missing objects and investigate reports of new ones. The promos for this show call Warehouse 13 "America's Attic."

Second, I like the ensemble cast. As the characters develop, they are growin growing on me. (Here is a list of the characters that I grabbed from Wikipedia. I've added some of my comments to the list.)

• Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), a "rule-bender" Secret Service agent. Agent Lattimer is smart, handsome, athletic and has a knack for quick thinking. He's a recovering alcoholic and can sometimes be prone to petulance. He has a deaf sister who taught him lip reading. He has a sixth sense in regards to immediate dangers and a weakness for cookies. Peter reminds me of a cross between Tony on NCIS and they guy on Bones.
  
• Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly), Lattimer's "by-the-book" partner. She has more book smarts and an eye for details. She takes her job very seriously and has many clashes with Lattimer.
  
• Arthur "Artie" Nielsen (Saul Rubinek), the Secret Service agent in charge of Warehouse 13. Although incredibly smart, he is uncouth and lacks certain social skills. He has a fondness for baking cookies, which is good for Peter. (Arite is in the photo above.) He brings a good bit of comic relief to the story -- and add the important connection to the history of this multi-century operation at the Warehouse.
  
• Leena (Genelle Williams), the proprietor of the bed-and-breakfast where Lattimer and Bering stay. She can see auras and also knows about Warehouse 13. She has been aware of Warehouse 13 for quite a while and has known many of the Warehouse agents that have died -- making it seem as if she is much older than she appears to be. We'll see.
  
• Daniel Dickinson (Simon Reynolds), Lattimer and Bering's former boss at the Secret Service.
  
• Mrs. Frederick (C. C. H. Pounder), the director of a secret government organization, who IS older than she appears. She is a shadowy figure and is usually accompanied by her bodyguard. She is apparently Artie's superior. This woman is truly a trip.
  
• Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti), a "young, hip, brilliant techno-wiz" whose brother was believed to be dead. She hacked into the warehouse computer systems and kidnapped Artie so that he would help her bring back her brother and now works in the warehouse with Artie. She's the Abby from NCIS character -- but not exactly.

Finally, the gadgets are delicious. Not the artifacts, the gadgets. The ways they communicate and record or search for info, get around in the warehouse. That stuff. I imagine that the design team who creates these things is having a great time with this job. Set design and props. (What do that call it in television?)