A Town Called Eureka: Season 4.0 review (DVD) ★★

The first thing you need to know about A Town Called Eureka (or simply Eureka in it’s native US) is that this is only the first half of the fourth season; nine of a total 18 episodes. While this matches the way the season was originally shown on the SyFy network, you could easily be forgiven for waiting for the complete series which will be released later in the year, inevitably cheaper overall and complete. Actually, you could be forgiven for giving this series a miss altogether. This is dull and derivative, moving firmly into the flogging-a-dead-horse territory, a shame for a series that started with such promise and an original perspective.

Chances are if you’ve been along on the ride this far you know if you’re picking this up or not, but for newcomers, some history: Eureka is a town located on the Pacific Northwest that is populated almost entirely by geniuses and scientists, with everyone working for a research company called Global Dynamics, who have been responsible for all of the major breakthroughs in science and technology over the last half-century. The first episode saw cop Jack Carter (Ferguson) stumble across the town and subsequently replace the sheriff who was seriously injured. Although far from a genius, his ability for straight talking and common sense, plus his constant saving of Eureka from disaster quickly wins his popularity amongst the brainiacs.

Most episodes concern the misuse of new technology or an accident from the dealings of the town scientists that require Carter’s help to solve, along with bigger plot arcs that generally span much of the season. Like SyFy’s other flagship show Warehouse 13 having the history of scientific breakthroughs and inventions afford the writers a lot of scope. Season one featured amongst it’s many varied plots alien artifacts, electrical ghosts, superhuman drugs, with two taking in personal force fields, people turning into gold and the recreation of the big bang. The insanity is all held together by the excellent Colin Ferguson, who brings a down-to-earth, what-the-hell-is-happening character to the proceedings. Carter is funny, messed up and out of his depth, instantly likeable and the driving force behind the show. His relationships with his crazy teenage daughter Zoe (Hinson) and Government liason Alison Blake (Richardson-Whitfield), that may or may not lead to romance, formed a fine drama against the sci-fi madness. So far, so good.

However, season three suffered badly from repetition, with many recycled and familiar plots that lacked imagination and a bunch of new characters written to formula (a hard new boss that wants to make Eureka profitable encompassed every cliché in the book) that quickly became tiresome and lost their appeal. Even the very best shows run out of steam - the trick is to know when to let them go and move on. With this latest season the creative team have opted for a time travel plot - in the first episode Carter is out running and suddenly transported back to 1947, where everyone in the town has either disappeared or established characters are now acting differently.

There are still standalone threats to the town (zombies, people turning to statues) but these are swamped by Carter’s ongoing attempts to get back to his own time. It should (and could) be entertaining. It isn’t. The black humour, once a staple of the show, has disappeared, replaced by poor dialogue, worse writing and bad continuity. Everyone stands around sprouting techno-babble while looking miserable. It’s a feeling you’ll also have as the viewer. Even a cross-over episode with Warehouse 13 fails to ignite a spark. Combine two shows in 45 minutes and you should have something to work with, but it comes across as desperation. Throw enough mud and it’ll stick? Not here, and best avoided unless you’re a completist.