“Pilot – Part 2” is episode two of season one of Warehouse 13.
In the previous episode, “Pilot – Part 1” (sometimes these two are simply a single, feature length episode), two Secret Service agents, Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering, had been assigned by the mysterious Mrs Frederic (who, in an old picture, looked pretty much the same age), to Warehouse 13 in South Dakota. Warehouse 13 is where the United States stores all the weird things discovered; their job is going to be tracking down those weird things, neutralising them and bringing them back for storage. Bering really doesn’t want to be there, but her boss is currently unable to do anything about it. He doesn’t even know who Mrs Frederic is either, but she apparently has quite high level clearance.
Pete and Myka have been assigned their first case by Artie, who runs the Warehouse (he’s a bit reluctant because former operatives have met bad ends; or, possibly, will meet a bad end in the future). Myka doesn’t know it, but she’s also accidentally carried out Harry Houdini’s wallet from the building.
This episode opens with Mrs Frederic talking, briefly, to Pete and Myka’s boss, Dickinson. She tells him that they are now both hers. This is from later in the episode.
Pete and Myka are in Seever City, Iowa, talking to local law enforcement. Their first case involves a college student who acted in a way that was completely at odds with his regular behaviour; Artie suspects an artefact. Myka gets a call from Dickinson, saying that he hasn’t been able to free them, but he’s discovered that Mrs Frederic worked for the Treasury in the 50s. Bering says that it can’t be the same person, as Mrs Frederic is far too young; Dickinson says that he will have them out of the job they are in – which has a black budget – within 48 hours, tops. No he won’t. Bering still isn’t happy.
They are now questioning the subject, Cody, using the odd list of questions that Archie has provided them. Myka is not impressed with the questions. Cody says that he doesn’t remember hitting his girlfriend. He has no history of blackouts, there are no drugs or alcohol in his system and he says it isn’t him. Then Cody starts talking in another language (Italian, but odd), things start fluttering around as the room gets hotter and he rips the table he is handcuffed to off the floor – it was fastened down. Quite firmly. So, definitely something odd. Pete had a vibe that something was going to happen.
Being near a college campus, they get a translation of the Italian from a Renaissance scholar. It’s quite old Italian, 15th century or earlier, and Myka thinks the professor they asked is hiding something, as he seemed nervous. That was because he recognised the words from an old book he has. The book will get him in trouble, and may well be the item they’re are looking for. Artie also seems to recognise the translation as well.
Weird stuff is happening to Myka, connected to whatever thing happened in Denver. Probably also connected to Houdini’s wallet. Neither are particularly convinced by Artie’s more mystical explanations. Yet.
Incidentally, being in a fairly serious car crash without a seatbelt is not something you generally survive with a few cuts.