What do you mean no new episodes until 2009?!

It's mid-season finale time at Eure-caps.  This episode had the good fortune or providing a "monster-of-the-week" story along with answering the mystery regarding Thorne and the underground bunker.  And thankfully, not one single mention of deodorant! 

It's just politics...

Dear Eureka and Degree – OK, I get it.  You feel the need to inject product placement into each week’s episode.  But if I never have to hear the term “over engineered” again, I think I’ll die a happy man.  Sincerely, your audience.

Welcome back to Eure-caps.  Last week we were stuck with a Eure-run, but now we’re back up and running.  Let’s begin.  Carter is trying to fix his old walkie talkie – a relic from his rookie days.  Vincent needs help at Diem because Lex has decided to go green in the middle of the restaurant.  Carter puts a stop to Lex’s recycling drive, but not before we meet Chuck, Eureka’s recycling guy.  Hey, if they can have a poop guy, they can have a recycling guy.  Zoe enters in a new yoga outfit with mat to match.  Lex has convinced her to go to a 3-day seminar at an ashram, but Carter says she can’t miss school.  Zoe is mad…what a surprise.  Lex can’t stay and fight because she’s going to get a tour of the recycling center.  

Queen of the Undead

Alright, so this week’s title might be a groaner, but the episode turned out to be a good one.  Aunt Lexie’s still hanging around the smart-house, listening to BSG-style zither music and doing yoga – don’t worry, it’s not harmful to the baby.  Baby daddy is still half-way around the world.  Lex has been making changes, such as feng shui-ing S.A.R.A.H. and soy milk – ooh, brave new world.  Luckily a call from G.D. gets Carter out of there.  In the Dr. Nathan Stark Memorial Hallway, Fargo is obsessing over every last detail, while Henry is forced to endure him.  Carter’s looking for Thorne who is in Section 3, where today’s big unveiling of a tomb has caused some hubbub.  This town sure loves big unveilings (as evident in just about every episode this season).  You’d think they’d have learned their lesson by now. 

Poor Jack

Here we go again…and again.  Before I start, I just want to point out that this season of “Eureka” has been full of Bill Murray movie references.  We’ve seen “Ghostbuster”-like weapons, an episode titled “What About Bob?”, and now we get “Groundhog Day.”  Don’t get me wrong, the guy’s a terrific actor, but if next week features a wily-little gopher, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

Welcome back to Eure-caps!  Tonight’s episode was all over the place, so let’s dive right in.  Carter is turning up the pressure on Zoe to take an advanced physics class – one can only imagine what that’s like in this town.  But everyone else is looking to play.  Turns out the people of Eureka are dog lovers.  The town is going nuts over their upcoming dog show…well, sort of.  These pups are bio-manetic.  Robot dogs.  Jo thinks they’d make for cool weapons.  Of course she does.  Allison and Nathan are talking wedding plans in Diem, and it turns out Jo likes weddings!  She says she’ll go dress shopping with Allison.  The Sheriff gets a page – possible break-in. 

Put on you’re particle-accelerated thinking caps, because it’s time to head back to Eureka.  Things start off as business as usual.  Zoe’s still working at Café Diem, chatting it up with her steady man Lucas (chicks dig smart guys), and Carter’s still none-too pleased.  But Carter’s not at the café to eat – seems as if he doesn’t have much of an appetite.  Town gossip Vincent assumes it’s over Allison’s impending nuptials to Nathan, but turns out Carter’s more worried for his friend Henry.  Me too, frankly.  Seriously, one scene last week?!  Vincent’s been sending Henry care packages, so at least he’s got that going for him. 

Eureka - Carter 

Welcome back to Eureka, the smartest little town in America.  What could possibly go wrong?  Well, everything.  We resume season three without a clear indication as to how much time has passed since the season two finale.  We’ll get some clues, but no straight answer, so let’s cut right to what’s happening. 

We got word this week that Eureka has been renewed for a third season. That's great news! It gives the writers thirteen more episodes to fix all the stuff they screwed up over this past season! Woo hoo! Y'all can start with Allison! To give credit where it's due, they got plenty right, like the addition of the Baldwin, Zoe's integration into Eureka life, and Lupo's continued kickassness, but when your one overarching season-long plot stinks to high heaven and manages to insult career women, autistic kids and anyone with an IQ higher than 111, maybe it's time to go back to the plotty drawing board and hatch something new. Either that, or you could just keep pulling Stargate actors out of the pantry; there seems to be an unlimited supply and they come with a built-in fanbase. When we last saw the crew of the U.S.S. Plothandwave, a mutated Midas virus had been let loose on the bloodstreams of Eureka, and Allison, Kevin, Henry, and Beverly Barlowe's Breasts had disappeared down into a long tunnel in Allison's hermetically sealed office-on-rails, leaving Carter and Fuzzy staring impotently after them. Lead characters in peril? Check. The town in jeopardy? Check. Fate of the world resting in the balance? Check. Thirteenth verse, same as the first!

They saved the best for last! The best guest star, that is…tune in next week to see if they salvaged anything from that tacked-on plot extender. But hey, if you're going to steal cast members wholesale from the Stargate franchise, you might as well pick the really cute one with the brawny shoulders and rabid loyal fanbase; it's probably a good way to boost the ratings for your double-the-trouble season finale.