Eureka ep. 2.2 - "Try, Try Again" Review

[contains spoilers for this episode]
This episode of Eureka is essentially the story of a “boy in a bubble.” Granted, this is no ordinary bubble, but rather an unstable and expanding personal force field device with Fargo trapped inside. Yeah, it’s that kind of episode.

The episode takes place on Allison’s first day as Director of Global Dynamics, the big research-and-development company at the heart of Eureka. When a new director is appointed, the entire computer system and all projects are shut down for eight hours while the transfer of power occurs. Eight hours until reactivation? A “snow day.” You just know no good will come of this.

Somehow, Fargo is slipped an unknown device. Being Fargo, naturally, he turns it on. Turns out, the device is our personal force field generator, and it will not shut off. Or stop expanding. The entire town – and world – is in danger now and it’s up to Sheriff Carter and Nathan Stark to save the day.

There is some great banter between Carter and Stark as they work their way toward a solution. These two don’t get along in the best of times, probably because they both have feeling for Allison, Nathan’s ex-wife. I’m really hoping that Nathan’s character sticks around after being ousted as the Director of Global. He’s a great counter-point and rival to Carter.

While all this is going on, Henry meets with Beverly for some required counseling after the loss of Kim. She questions why Henry is so eager to return to work when it appears he is less than enthusiastic about the way science is “used” in Eureka. I’m thinking Beverly sees Henry as a tool to exploit in her secretive dealings – and murder – in relation to the artifact. Something to keep an eye on.

I was really impressed – and should have known better – by the mystery surrounding who slipped Fargo the device. They plant such an obvious clue and suspect in the first five minutes of the show that you become convinced this Larry dude is the bad guy. Turns out he wasn’t. In fact, he’s just a loser trying to capitalize on Fargo’s “absence.” The real bad guy turns out to be some ordinary worker who simply is robbing Global of its old projects to sell off their parts. He simply needed a fall guy to get away during the computer reset.

Of course they save the day – and Fargo – at the last minute possible. Instead of dropping Fargo and the device down a two-mile shaft and detonating a nuclear bomb on top of it, they decide to shoot Fargo in the heart with a paralyzing fishing gun (yeah, still that kind of show). Once Fargo’s heart is stopped, the device turns off and they can get Fargo free. A little CPR later and Fargo is back to his normal self.

During this episode – and if I were to look back to the first episode of this season I might notice this as well – I began to hear a more developed score. Characters like Allison and Henry now have fully developed character themes. There may have been themes in the score last season, but none so impressive and noticeable as the ones in this episode. Allison has a banjo-y/folk music-esque theme that reminds me very much of the score music used on Battlestar Galactica for Adama – and for good reason, it appears that Bear McCreary has taken over the score for at least the first five episodes of this season. He’s the kick-butt composer on Battlestar. Henry’s theme is dark, moody, somewhat sinister and lovesick – fully describing the Henry of this season. I hope – pray – they release a score album for this season.

This was another great episode of TV. The second season of Eureka is starting out very, very strongly. It is the MUST watch series of the summer.

Next episode: The town of Eureka faces hostile weather and “ice funnels of death.”