Best use of South Dakota in a television series

So, I mentioned the Syfy show Warehouse 13 a little while ago. If you're not familiar, it's about a government department responsible for collecting objects of supernatural power and containing them lest they be misused by evil-doers. Think of the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but designed by Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison and MC Escher (so they tell us). This is the thirteenth incarnation of the warehouse, it's located in South Dakota and it houses some of the most dangerous items in the world. While the show design is riding the popularity of steampunk hard, it combines the 19th century brass goggles aesthetic with a good assortment of 21st century gadgets. Some of it comes off as a little ridiculous (like Artie's computer set-up), but I've found that I really don't mind the ridiculous if it's done well, and in this case I think the effect is fun.

Unfortunately, I don't much care for two of the leads. They're a conventionally attractive, relatively young man and woman who rely on the pigtail-pulling method of flirting with each other. Rather than being cute and entertaining, it just comes off as irritating and unbelievable. They make it hard to swallow the idea that they're supposed to be trained US Secret Service agents.

Well, I don't watch for them. I love their superior, Artie, and not just because he's played by Saul Rubinek. I love his demeanor, his genius, his impatience and tolerance. I don't love that he doesn't bring some cast iron smackdown on the children he works with, but that's not his fault; he's written by people who think that kind of shit is cute, so what's he supposed to do? I like Leena, though she has me wondering if the mysterious and beautiful double-crossing innkeeper is a trope I just never heard of. Well, maybe we'll see something different when the show returns. Let's see, Mrs. Frederic and her shadow, Oddjob, tickle me every time they show up, some of the objects stored in the warehouse are super fucking cool, and did I mention how much I like Artie?

Warehouse 13 has been compared to a few shows, including The Librarian and Friday the 13th the Series. Indeed, it's not the freshest idea, but I think it has the potential to stand out if it can focus on the characters and let the objects be incidental to the real stories. Whackass-mystical-artifact-of-the-week only goes so far. There was some intrigue and vendetta business going on at the end of last season, so here's hoping that continues into its second season, which is due sometime this summer.