… flabby … More emphasis on character is needed, and less on silly props …Entertainment Weekly says:
… The pilot drags, but Saul Rubinek, who plays the warehouse curator, is entertaining enough that I want to believe it will improve …The New York Times says:
… This, insidiously, is science fiction as extreme midlife crisis. As Lattimer puts it, “I’m trained to take a bullet if necessary, but I’m not sure how to stop a dead Italian cougar.” Or, he might have added, deeply stupid plots.The Los Angeles Times says:
… as lightly thrilling as the sound of the Good Humor man's bell on a drowsy afternoon. … "Warehouse 13" has no Cancer Man, no irritating prophesy, no need to bludgeon viewers with lessons in mortality and morality. The warehouse is warm and cozy with its Oriental rugs and Victorian lighting, Rubinek's Artie steals every scene he is in, and McClintock and Kelly provide a happy friction that promises great things. …The Chicago Tribune says:
… surprisingly satisfying, especially if you're in the mood for a light procedural with a dash of "X-Files" spookiness. … Smart, thoughtful character development is really the necessary key for "Warehouse 13." With any luck, the trio prowling Warehouse 13's vast aisles will come to matter more than the possessed bric-a-brac they collect.The Washington Post says:
… Whatever. As Kelly laments at one point, "This is crazy, this is crazy." Also, for the first hour, off-puttingly poky. But if you stay with it, the mysteriousness of it all is kind of seductive, and the disparate strands of plot and subplots do eventually come together -- sort of. Basically it's a half-baked adventure series, but it's July, and fully baked may just not be the way to go.The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… Like other Sci Fi shows of the recent past (think: "Eureka"), "Warehouse 13" begins with a strong concept and suffers from weak execution. … There's no sparkling dialogue or surprising plot turns. "Warehouse 13" has more in common with executive producer Simkins' "Dresden Files," another lackluster Sci Fi entry. … Too often "Warehouse 13" comes off like a mash-up of leftover parts from better series ("X-Files," "Moonlighting" and a hint of "Lost"), and in its premiere never manages to distinguish itself as a show worth watching.The Boston Herald says:
… tepid … Despite the slight material, McClintock and Kelly sizzle together onscreen. They may remind viewers of the leads on Fox’s “Bones.” Kelly comes off as one of the more believable female law enforcement agents on the tube right now. (NBC’s “Listener,” I’m looking right at you.) Like Syfy’s “Eureka,” “Warehouse 13” is prime-time comfort food. The premise is easy to understand, and it practically gift-wraps its happy endings. It’s also the kind of show you could put on a shelf and forget about.The Boston Globe says:
… the quirkiness overtakes the creepiness by far, and here’s where “Warehouse 13’’ faces its biggest challenge: There’s a fine line between wink-wink clever and desperately cheesy. Tonight’s story crosses into Kraft Singles territory more often than it should, with bleeding statues and bloodshot eyes, sacrificial fires and some poorly acted demonic possession. Rubinek vamps hard for comic effect, perhaps a little too hard. Pounder does far better, in her brief onscreen moments, being funny and sinister at once. A little more of her alchemy, and “Warehouse 13’’ would be closer to out-of-this-world.The Hollywood Reporter says:
… Lattimer and Bering are no Mulder and Scully, following a by-the-numbers meet hate/bonding ritual that's one of the flatter parts of the pilot. But the presence of such top-notch character actors as Saul Rubinek (Nielsen) and CCH Pounder (Mrs. Frederic) more than make up for any initial lack of chemistry. But the show's real speed bump is buried in Lattimer and Bering's assignments: They're sent out to capture interesting devices, defuse them and file them away. While that might be just governmental duty -- label it, pack it up -- it undercuts the "invitation to endless wonder" Frederic offered Lattimer early on. Who wants to run a library if you can't read the books? Perhaps that is on the way. For now, "Warehouse" shows promise.Variety says:
… while the male-female team thrust into this weird world is promised "an invitation to endless wonderment," the grand opening is more like a ticket to banality. Although the premise is rife with possibilities, based on the two-hour premiere, one suspects there's better inventory hidden away in Warehouses 1 through 12. … those eager to find true "wonderment" will have go shopping somewhere other than the big-box store known as "Warehouse 13."9 p.m. Tuesday. Syfy.