Warehouse 13

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Agents track mystical objects in fun supernatural series.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sci-fi series about two Secret Service agents assigned to a special unit that retrieves and safeguards mysterious artifacts frequently involves dangerous situations, combat, and weapon use -- but overall the action scenes tend to focus more on the artifacts' unusual and unexpected capabilities than on person-on-person violence. There’s also some flirting and sexual innuendo and occasional social drinking by adults.

  • The main characters sometimes have trouble believing what they’re seeing and often must carry out their missions without revealing the details of their jobs to people they encounter. They're somewhat unhappy about this assignment and eager to be transferred back to their regular duties, especially Myka.
  • The two agents often butt heads but work well together when it counts, making them effective partners.
  • Action scenes include guns, hand-to-hand combat, and some really unusual weaponry, though the combat scenes aren't especially violent or gory.
  • Pete is something of a ladies’ man. There’s plenty of flirting, and characters are sometimes seen in bed, but there's not much in the way of actual sex or nudity.
  • “Crap” is about as rough as it gets.
  • Not applicable.
  • Moderate social drinking at parties and other events. The characters also sometimes talk about drinking -- or how some of their unusual escapades make them feel like they “need” a drink.

What's the story?

Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) distinguish themselves when a  lunatic makes an attempt on the president’s life -- she for a textbook response that helps stop the would-be assassin, he for an unsubstantiated hunch that something seems off about an ancient sculpture. Their talents lead to a new assignment at a top-secret storage facility in a remote part of South Dakota: WAREHOUSE 13. Artie (Saul Rubinek), the facility's caretaker and their new handler, describes the place as “America’s attic,” a dusty repository for mysterious objects and powerful relics from history and legend. Most of the items have unique capabilities, ranging from the entertaining to the deadly. Harry Houdini’s wallet, for example, constantly tries to escape the warehouse, while a comb belonging to legendary poisoner Lucrezia Borgia nearly triggers a mass murder in a small town. The agents’ new assignment: Track down and retrieve these dangerous artifacts.


Is it any good?

 

The characters of Lattimer and Bering are a good combination for this assignment. Her by-the-book attitude makes her ready for any crisis, while his ability to sense when the "vibes" are "off" helps him accept that some of their missions involve powers beyond their comprehension. But the actors playing the parts lack chemistry; it’s sometimes tough to believe them in the roles because they don’t always seem to buy into the premise themselves. They treat the amazing as the ordinary, which makes the show less than amazing for the viewer.

The best part of the series is watching Artie shamble around the warehouse, looking for a specific item or reshelving some of the many odd objects that always seem to be lying about. He accepts that these relics are powerful, though he isn’t always certain why, giving him a childlike sense of wonder. But once the show moves into the field, the agents’ missions seem much like the tasks on so many other shows about covert agencies. Bottom line? It's fun, but ultimately Warehouse 13 plays like the love child of a less-whimsical Men in Black and a less serious version of The X-Files.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the supernatural. Do you think ghosts, witchcraft, and magic are real? Why do so many movies and TV shows feature ancient artifacts with unusual capabilities?

  • Families can also discuss government secrets. Why would the powers-that-be want to hide mysterious, powerful artifacts from the public? Can you think of any other movies or TV shows that suggest the government is hiding such revelations? Why are conspiracy theories so entertaining?


This review was written by Will Wade
Teen, 15 years old
June 4, 2010
 

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Parent of 9 and 10 year old
October 6, 2010
 
Fun for kids of all ages.
Fun show with a curious, cooperative team. Occassional off-camera sex (couples lying in bed) borders on iffy. For a fantasy "police" style show, there's fairly little violence. Messages are positive and most of the main characters are worthy of admiration.

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Parent of 16 year old
November 4, 2009
 

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Parent of 14 year old
October 11, 2009
 
Fluffy sci fi
This is a cute series, its fluffy sci fi ...think a family friendly "X-files" its awfully full of stereotypes a strict girl cop, a flirty boy cop, a sassy genius teen etc Its not as great for budding sci-fi geeks as "The middleman" but for for budding sci-fi fans its some thing.

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Parent of 12 and 15 year old
September 22, 2009
 
Tweens and up
This show has lots of interesting artifacts that lead to discussions of real historical people. Brief discussions but, hey! it's something! Once in awhile I worry about sexual references... but it is not all the time. This is a show we record to watch as a family.

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Teen, 15 years old
September 11, 2010
 
This is a review by my friend Loie not me.
it's awesome! a great show especially if you aren't the biggest fan of just plain sci-fi, because it has great humor and chemistry in the cast.

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Adult
January 26, 2010
 

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Teen, 17 years old
September 19, 2009
 
Great family show
I've been watching every episode of this show since it first aired a couple of months ago. It's very similar to the show Fringe, except lighter and friendlier. The show is about the government agents who are recruited to work for a secret Warehouse organization that scours the country of artifacts with 'magical' abilities. Kind of like the warehouse from the end of Indiana Jones... This show is designed as a family or teenage show and, as a result, isn't too bad as far as explicit content. The characters use guns, along with other, more creative weapons (gadgets and 'artifacts'). There is some mild sexual content, but besides that its fine for even smaller kids. Great show, interesting characters, classic (and some not so classic) plot twists, and expected humor to give it that positive feeling.

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Teen, 15 years old
August 19, 2009
 
Perfect for teens and adults, but below 10 is iffy.
I very much like it, and its a very interesting, captivating show perfect for Teens and adults alike. By the way, the violence is not graphic but there is some suggestive content(short and brief)

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Parent
September 15, 2011
 
Starting to go downhill summer 2011
Good show, but in 2011 they added an openly homosexual partner and Pete went off and it started to get pretty sexual - bed scenes of Pete and his partner which seems to set the tone for a downhill slide.

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This review was written by Will Wade
TV rating:TV-14
Network:Syfy
Cast:Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek
Genre:Science Fiction

This review was written by Will Wade
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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