Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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196 of 201 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.", April 4, 2007
Welcome to EUREKA, the weirdest town in America, and also the title to the Sci-Fi Channel's inventive, breath of fresh air television series. Here's the set-up: When U.S. Marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) transports his rebellious, runaway daughter Zoey (Jordan Hinson) home in his custody, an auto accident lands him and his charge in Eureka, a top-secret, rustic town populated by eccentrics and genius scientists. Carter immediately becomes aware of Eureka's uniqueness as embodied in its odd residents who are more than they seem: an auto mechanic who's also a space shuttle engineer, a beautiful innkeeper who doubles as a psychotherapist, children who give intricate directions and who write mathematical formulas on the sidewalk...Added to the peculiar sights he witnesses, Carter's interest is further piqued when his offers to help the local constabulary in a missing child case is summarily rebuffed.
In due course, he does learn the secret of Eureka, of which origin dates back to Albert Einstein and Harry S. Truman, who, after World War 2 and the scare of the atomic bomb, decided to build the tiny town as a safe haven and a workplace for our nation's greatest thinkers. In the fifty years of Eureka's existence, its residents have been hugely responsible for most of today's technological advances. But, of course, not everything can be a bonafide success. Global warming, for example, has been touted as one side effect of one experimental goof in Eureka. Sworn to secrecy, Jack Carter proves to be instrumental in resolving a horrific scientific project gone awry, impressing the powers-that-be enough that he ends up as the new Sheriff of Eureka.
The series is colorfully flavored with a host of idiosyncratic characters effectively brought to life by a good cast: Carter's mutinous daughter Zoey (Jordan Hinson); the beautiful, gung-ho ex-Army Ranger and current Deputy Sheriff Josefina "Jo" Lupo (Erica Cerra, with whom I think I'm in love); Department of Defense agent Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), who toils as the government liaison between Eureka and the Pentagon and who, by the way, looks muy caliente in her pink undies; Nathan Stark (Ed Quinn), the icy, controlling head researcher of Global Dynamics and also Allison's husband; the insightful and sexy psychotherapist Beverly Barlowe (Debrah Farentino), who has dark secrets of her own; genial guy and mechanical genius Henry Deacon (Joe Morton), who slums as a car mechanic; the unstable Aussie Jim Taggart (Matt Frewer), the self-styled "biological containment specialist"; and young Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston), the bespectacled, sycophant computer geek. By the way, solely from a red-blooded dude's perspective, it's always appreciated when three gorgeous females are featured regularly in the same show, and Richardson-Whitfield, Farentino, and Cerra contribute in lifting EUREKA to new heights of must-see-TV-ness.
Colin Ferguson's performance as Sheriff Jack Carter provides the bridge and the grounding point of view for the audience. As the witty, perceptive, and sometimes lost-at-sea Sheriff, he hits all the right notes here. His normal guy reactions to the endless slew of strangeness surrounding him are believable and, at times, hilarious. There's some nice verbal sparring (read: sexual tension) between Carter and Allison, but I particularly relish the chemistry *snicker* between Carter and his fully automated, hermetically sealed, very vocal military bunker/smart house, S.A.R.A.H.
As a television series, EUREKA proved to be the highest-rated show on the Sci-Fi Channel of 2006, beating out the equally excellent, revamped BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. This exuberant show is equal parts X-FILES, TWILIGHT ZONE, STAR TREK and NORTHERN EXPOSURE in its playful quirkiness and forays into the weird; not to mention, the whistly, whimsical theme tune puts you immediately in sync with the show's oddball frequency.
These are some of the tried and true sci-fi themes that are touched on: ESP, cloning, cell regeneration, mind manipulation, death rays, super speed, AIs, and nanotechnology. The laudable special effects are there when needed but do not overwhelm the show; the episodes are engrossing, if a bit warped at times, and the season's main story arc, involving the super secret Section 5 and something called the Artifact, promises to go somewhere. I'm so glad the Sci-Fi Channel decided to renew this series for a second season. So, if you want to catch a show where crazy quantum physics regularly run amok, where wild inventions surface on a daily basis which are, by the way, gadgety cool enough to make even James Bond swoon, and where cheerleaders spout theorems and school nerds run the school, and also where the world is constantly threatened by the scientific lab toys of Eureka's brilliant but erratic personalities...well, then, yes, get your geek on and give EUREKA: SEASON ONE a whirl.
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40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the few series I watch, June 29, 2007
There are lots of lengthy good reviews so I'll just say this is one of the few shows that interests me on tv. It has great humor, a great premise and great characters. The father-daughter relationship of the sheriff is wonderful, love the deputy, the wonderful chef at the cafe, pretty much all the characters. The humor is intelligent, the stories are entertaining and interesting. I really, really enjoy this show! I was so excited to hear the 2nd season was starting.
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28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Original From The Sci-Fi Channel!!!, April 21, 2007
As someone stated earlier the Sci-Fi channel over the last few years have been trying to bolster its viewership with original shows. Well "Eureka" is arguably the best of the bunch. The show is definately an original and is a refreshing storyline compared to the same old Science Fiction story.
First of all, the actors and actresses in this show are phenomenal. The leading character, Sheriff Jack Carter, is played by Colin Ferguson an outstanding actor. Another actor that I would like to mention by name is Joe Morton, who plays the resident genius / car garage owner by the name of Henry Deacon. Each week presents a different problem and Deacon is usually in the middle of it. Morton has to be one of the best and most underrated actors on prime time TV. He has played on every prime time show imaginable from CSI: NY and the original Law & Order to the X-Files (episode 1, 2000).
Secondly, if you watch shows because of beautiful women, then this is the show for you. Eureka has three of the most beautiful women on primetime TV.
Allison Blake is a co-star played by Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Salli plays an agent of the federal govt. who acts as the liaison between the federal govt. and Eureka. She is smart, professional, and a goddess.
Then there is Beverly Barlowe played by Debrah Farentino. Beverly is the town therapist / Inn owner who is also some kind of secret agent. Her sex appeal seeps from the TV. Its unbelievable that she is not a bigger star than she is.
Last there is Deputy Jo Lupo played by actress Erica Cerra. Jo is Jack Carter's Gung Ho Deputy who thinks she is the next Dirty Harry. She is a little Tom Boy-ish, but even that can't hide her beauty.
The layout and the setting of this show is great. It has just the right amount of fresh new ideas mixed with some traditional themes of TV. For instance there is a "thing" between Carter and Blake that somewhat remind me of "Who's The Boss"
Overall this is one of the best shows on night time TV, both cable and major networks. If you missed the first season, order it now watch it, and be prepared for season 2.
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