‘Warehouse 13’ – Series Finale Review (Spoiler Free)

Stars: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, Aaron Ashmore | Written by John-Paul Nickel | Directed by Jack Kenny

Series creator Jack Kenny gets behind (and in front of) the camera for the last-ever episode of one of my (and Nerdly’s) favourite sci-fi/fantasy shows of all-time, Warehouse 13.

Coming hot on the heels of last weeks episode which wrapped up the main storyline post the season 4 cliffhanger and it’s fall out (the alternate timeline, Claudia’s sister etc.), this series finale had plenty of breathing room to give the series the send-off it truly deserved, a send-off which will both please and frustrate long-standing fans. Yes, we get the character resolution that often is missing from cancelled TV shows, but the episode also serves to remind the audience what we will be missing now the series has ended!

Given that the team behind the show knew the series was set to end after a brief six-episode fifth season, there was plenty of chance for loose ends to be resolved, long-standing plot threads tied-up and goodbyes to be said. And thankfully this concluding episode serves a both a reminder of how ridiculous and fun the series could be at times and how touching and emotionally resonant it could also be. Oh and how it tugs on the emotions in this particular episode!

Using the shows typical mumbo-jumbo macguffin – in this case a stone table that inspired the legend of King Arthur’s round table – the series finale sees the occupants of the warehouse: Myka, Pete, Claudia, Artie and Steve discover their “defining moment” from their time as a warehouse agent through visions shown to them when they touch the table.

And these aren’t just flashbacks to old episodes, although the audience is given a chance to remember some of the fantastic moments that made Warehouse 13 such a fan-favourite, nope these particular moments are all new – and yet still in the spirit of what made the show so great. And it’s not just the core cast that get a send-off, we get to see H.G. Wells take down Jack the Ripper during her time as a Warehouse 12 agent, we see Lena’s first introduction to the warehouse – an introduction which foretold of her demise years later. Hell, we even get to see Mrs. Fredrich break out into laughter, something the character hasn’t done in the five years the series has been on air.

There’s an odd flash-forward to “several decades later” as the shows final coda, which continues Claudia’s particular story and the story of Warehouse 13, which in all honesty felt a little out of place (and a tad forced), but the real star of this series finale is Eddie McClintock and his character Pete… Who knew the goofball of the show would ultimately end up making the final episode so bloody emotional?

Through his character we get to feel both the sadness and anger at the show ending and just how amazing the show has been over the years. His “defining moment” is less of a singular moment and more of his entire time as a warehouse agent – allowing him, and the audience, to remember some of the best moments of the show’s five years. Not those fantastical artefact-snagging moments, but the moments between the shows core cast of characters, a cast who became both a family on the show and a family to the fans. And it’s one hell of a powerful vision, I’m man enough to say I got a little choked up at seeing some of the shows best moments and, like Pete, coming to the conclusion that it’s something we would never see again.

As a long-term fan of the series, I can safely say that from series creator Jack Kenny to stars Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, and Aaron Ashmore – everything and everyone fit perfectly from day one and Syfy truly caught lightning in a bottle when they commissioned Warehouse 13. I know all good things must come to an end (and this is a VERY good thing) but did it have to end so soon?

Goodbye Warehouse 13, you will be missed.