Not only is “Shadows” a good episode, it also passes the Bechdel test.
Warehouse 13 is like that old Megazord toy you find in your storage room in your house. You’re tentative to pick it up at first, but once you do, you find yourself enjoying it. Warehouse 13 is this — a playground for TV geeks. It’s essentially what would happen if you put the cast of The Big Bang Theory in charge of Indiana Jones’ warehouse. This particular episode not only develops Pete’s relationship with his mother, it also passes the infamously feminist Bechdel Test.
This episode has Pete (Eddie McKlintock) and his mother going into their memories to search for the meaning of the “A to Z” organization. Meanwhile, Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) investigate a nuclear artifact. By the end of this episode we are shown who the big baddie of this season is and we learn karma is a hateful dominatrix.
I had watched some episodes of Warehouse 13 before and found myself impressed with the whimsy of the series. Furthermore, the main team of Pete and Myka remind audiences of Mulder and Scully. You could say Myka is the badass Scully that never existed and that Pete is the wisecracking jock version of Mulder — which for Pete is not always a good thing. Pete’s diarrhea of geek references seems to be the only insufferable aspect of the show. This episode actually avoids his constant shout-outs and focuses on his character development with his mother. Due to him being paired off with his mother, Myka and Claudia must team up to stop an artifact. The episode earns it second star by having these two strong characters pass the “Bechdel Test” which, in simple terms, means they talk about anything but stereotypical girl things.
If there is one thing you can say about Syfy’s programming, it’s that they don’t shy away from gender equality. Warehouse 13 already made a quiet, but potent, geek splash when character Steve Jinks (played by Aaron Ashmore) came out of the closet. Warehouse 13 earns points for at least trying to bring some sexual and gender diversity. It earns more points for doing it with a sense of whimsy. Claudia and Myka retain their witty exchanges despite being separated from their male counterparts in addition to proving that there are still kick-ass females in the genre.
When you ponder much of the Warehouse 13-verse you discover that it is a very matriarchal world. Much of the characters in power are women like Mrs. Frederic (C.C. H. Pounder) and Pete’s mother. In fact, the show is quite estrogen-heavy despite its hyper-masculine hero and all of the female characters can hold themselves well in a fight. Warehouse 13 sports great equality while simultaneously providing its audience with good ole’ fashioned adventure. It makes me want to play with my Megazords again.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.