Eureka: When it rains...

Poor Carter! The dude's just trying to go about his everyman, common sense-having, surprised-at-nothing business, and the universe conspires against him at every turn! Harsh, universe, harsh. You really had to go and pelt the guy with hail? That stuff stings! I gotta say, with a main character as likeable as Carter (and facing so many amusing predicaments), I don't understand why this show isn't more popular. I guess the fact that it's on Sci Fi doesn't help, and it lacks the cult appeal of something like Farscape, but come on, America! Eureka rocks, and is getting ...rock...ing...er (Rockier? Increasingly rocktastic?) every week!

This week, in particular, showcased the dialogue, which has improved by leaps and bounds as the characters have developed. Eureka makes me laugh more than the majority of straight comedies on television, and it's mostly character-based humor, rather than punchline-driven. For example, when trying to find the cause of Eureka's unusual (and deadly) weather, Carter happens upon a giant satellite thingy, and says, "Does this look like a crazy weather machine to you?" On the face of it, that's not a hilarious line. However, Colin Ferguson's deadpan delivery and Carter's perfect blend of being an outsider yet accepting all that goes on in Eureka combined to make me laugh out loud. (Similar example: After Henry translates Eurekaspeak into Carterspeak for him, "Why don't you people just say 'ice funnel of death'?")

Elsewhere on the Carter front, things are getting pretty complicated. With the ex in town trying to steal Zoe (in a sympathetic way, sure, but I still hate her a little), things are going to be a little bumpy with Allison. And what a shame, too, since their chemistry has improved exponentially since last season (yeah, didn't take much). I especially loved their interaction at the beginning of the episode, when she busted him chatting up Zoe's friend: "I’ll remember this when you’re getting arrested on Dateline." Oh, snap! And he actually got a rain check on the coffee date, even after accidentally calling her old! Shame on you, Abbey the Possibly Evil Ex, for making the already-complicated Carter-Allison-Stark love triangle into some sort of love square, trapezoid, or rhombus.

Although Allison, I suppose, has enough to deal with already. You know, what with the autistic savant son who may or may not be channeling a mysterious and deadly artifact that's killed people already. Oh, and the slightly morally compromised ex-husband who, obsessed with the artifact and claiming to be concerned for Kevin's safety, has been studying him, or some kind of crazy business. So yeah, love life? Probably not her biggest concern.

And okay, Beverly? With the cash and the passports and the gun and the mysterious computer chip? Whaaaa? Is she working for SD-6 or something? I love how she's all stealth evil, and Henry's all stealth evil, but they seem to be working to different stealth evil ends. I'm just going to assume they'll balance each other out, and Eureka will come out on top. And let's hope so, since Eureka is probably the awesomest town to ever awesome. And right now, the show has the perfect ratio of overarching plot to standalone episode, so let's hope they keep it that way. It's all about the balance, y'all. The balance, and not underappreciating your weatherman.