Thank God for Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly. Warehouse 13's two appealing leads add a certain spark to their characters that clearly isn't on the page. It takes talented actors to brighten up a show that's unfortunately hog-tied by trite dialogue and boring mysteries of the week. Same goes for Saul Rubinek and new cast member Allison Scagliotti-Smith. These two have a great chemistry that helps liven up the show's never-ending exposition scenes. The great cast is the best thing about Warehouse 13, and it's probably the only reason I'm tuning in every week.

This week, Pete and Myka discovered the dead body of a former Warehouse agent. The agent's life was drained by a parasitic artifact that jumped from host to host feeding on human aggression. The artifact apparently was a metaphor for the Warehouse itself. It takes and takes until you have nothing left to give, another former agent, Rebecca, told Myka in the closing scene. Rebecca's warning to Myka brought up a number of questions I've had since the show's premiere: Who is controlling the Warehouse? Are they baddies or good guys? What is the ultimate plan for Pete and Myka?

In this episode, we learned that a former agent had to leave town and change her name to get away from the Warehouse. Another was killed -- fried even -- in the line of duty. Is this what's in store for Pete and Myka? Will they be stuck hunting down supernatural relics for the rest of their lives? Will the show ever explore these issues in a satisfying way instead of delivering one dull treasure hunt after another? These were the thoughts I entertained myself with while our adventurous agents were sluggishly CSI-ing their way to solving this week's mystery.

Things picked up in the third act when the artifact attached itself to Pete's back. The electrocution scene was pretty intense, even though I knew we were in store for a happy ending. I feel sorry for Pete -- the dude's always getting knocked around and sent to the hospital. I expect his physical abuse to become a running gag, much like his love of cookies.

I still love watching the characters goof around with the steampunk-inspired Warehouse tech. Claudia's cool 3-D projector was a nice mash-up of old and new. The same can be said about her dynamic with Artie. Watching these two bouncing ideas off of each other and trading insults is sometimes more exciting than tagging along with Pete and Myka in the field. I also like that the characters are starting to gel and feel more like a family. Now, if the procedural elements could only take a backseat to the characters, then Warehouse 13 might turn into a great light-hearted sci-fi show.