"Duped" is the eighth episode of Season One of Warehouse 13, airing on August 25, 2009.
Synopsis[]
Pete goes to Las Vegas with Myka to recover an artifact from a couple of gamblers, unaware that the real Myka is actually trapped in a mirror at the Warehouse while the woman who looks like Myka is something far more dangerous.
Plot[]
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In a hotel room, Pete tries to handcuff Myka, who insists she can't let him take the artifact. She attacks and knocks him out.
At the Warehouse, Leena and Artie argue over how he deals with James MacPherson. She suggests that Artie let Mrs. Frederic do it while he focuses on his job. Out in the Warehouse, Myka and Pete are doing inventory, except Pete has stopped to play table tennis through the Lewis Carroll looking glass with his reflection. Myka realizes what he's doing and tries to warn him that it is an artifact and could be dangerous, but Pete insists that not everything in the Warehouse is dangerous. He states that she's taking out her frustrations over Artie on him, he can tell because when she is angry at Artie she tilts her head instead of when she elongates her neck for when she is angry at him. Myka admits that Artie's past is dangerous and he should have told them about James MacPherson. As they argue, Myka shoves Pete. He knocks over the looking glass and they try to grab it. The Studio 54 Disco Ball is knocked down and activates, firing off lights and disco music. Hearing this, Artie realizes something is wrong. As he and Leena go to investigate, Myka tries to hold the mirror up until Pete can help her. Artie and the others arrive and Myka tells him to ask Pete what happened and walks off, seemingly shocked. Back at the bed and breakfast, Leena tries to talk to Myka about her concerns but Myka appears much more relaxed. Artie calls the agents in to brief them on Gary and Jillian Whitman, petty conmen who have recently been hitting winning streaks in casinos across the country. Claudia comes in to help and Artie isn't too happy to have her there, but Myka intervenes. Artie is sending Pete and Myka to Las Vegas to check it out. As they go, Artie asks Pete if Myka's mad at him. Pete admits she is but thinks the trip to Las Vegas should help her relax. Once they're gone, Artie snaps at Claudia, telling her not to get involved with James MacPherson in any way, shape, or form due to the danger he is. In Las Vegas, Myka dresses well for the occasion, much to Pete's surprise. She's figured that the Whitmans must have the artifact on them, and it must be a single item. Pete provides her with their ear radios and he ends up with the Farnsworth while Myka takes the Tesla. Artie and Claudia put the Studio 54 Disco Ball back and Artie warns that it projects cravings and encourages a grim attitude against humanity, from the 70s. He apologizes for snapping at her about James MacPherson. They pick the mirror up and start to walk away, but then realize that Myka's image is in the mirror. In Las Vegas, Jillian and Gary are gambling and Jillian tells Gary that they've got enough money, that they paid everyone back. Gary insists they need as much money as they can so they can settle down. Pete and Myka spot them and Pete goes to search their room while Myka keeps an eye on them. At the Warehouse, Artie and Claudia move the mirror to Artie's office and Leena arrives. Artie thinks that the blast messed up the mirror's reflective capacity and somehow infused a piece of Myka's psyche inside of it. He and wonders if the image is alive or not and needs Leena to make the determination. Artie holds on to her as Leena reaches out to the mirror in case she falls in. However, she can't get a reading through the glass barrier. Claudia suggests they ask the image but Artie warns it can be dangerous. Leena suggests that they contact Pete. At the hotel, Pete receives Artie's transmission while Myka listens in on the earpiece. Artie suggests that Pete try to get a vibe for anything out of the ordinary. Pete says everything's good and Artie doesn't go into more detail. Pete goes to the Whitmans' hotel room and starts searching, while Myka spots Gary holding a poker chip. Pete contacts Myka and says he has nothing, and she says she hasn't found anything either. At the Warehouse, Claudia comes in with a laser mic device she just whipped up to communicate with the mirror image. She wonders if the image is the real Myka, somehow trapped. Artie wants to think about it for a minute. Pete returns to the casino and notices Gary holding his hand. He spots Myka watching from the second floor balcony. She still tells Pete she hasn't seen anything and that he can rest. Noticing something is off, he decides they should stay together. Artie agrees to let Claudia use her laser mic and they make contact. Artie doesn't believe Myka is who she claims but Claudia isn't so sure. However, Artie turns off the laser mic and insists the image won't be leaving the mirror. He returns to the files on Lewis Carroll and notes that the author was chronicling the insanity of the real Alice. Leena finds a report indicating that somehow Alice became trapped in the mirror right after she committed a series of murders, and the Warehouse agents noted that they had no clue how it happened. Artie figures that somehow Alice's spirit has merged with Myka's image, but he's not going to let it get out. Gary and Jillian go back to their room and Gary insists that they have to keep betting even though his hand is being affected and he is falling ill. Pete and Myka follow them. When Jillian comes back toward them, Myka grabs Pete and kisses him as a cover, as she secretly pickpockets the Farnsworth. Myka then tells Pete to follow Jillian while she goes after Gary. At the Warehouse, Leena suggests that somehow the disco ball interacted with the mirror. Claudia suggests that Alice and Myka possibly switched places, and Artie remembers that Myka pulls her head to the right when she's angry at him. In Las Vegas, Jillian returns to the casino and Pete approaches her. Jillian ignores him and uses the chip to see the future and know where to place her bet. Artie removes the cloth from the mirror and reestablishes communication. Myka talks about how he refuses to see the things in front of his face, including her. He wants her to say something that only she would know and Myka says that she doesn't trust him and she needs him to tell her the truth. Myka admits that she likes him despite everything and wants him to think the same of her. Artie realizes it is actually Myka and admits he screwed up. In his hotel room, Gary is packing and holding his hand in pain. There's a knock on the door and he answers it. Myka is there, pretending that she's drunk and came to the wrong room. He immediately sees through her deception so she punches him and warns him he won't get another chance. A few minutes later, Artie calls her on the Farnsworth and tells her that Leena is looking for her ferret and needs to know what its name is to call for it. This Myka doesn't know the name and just tells them to put some food down. She then proceeds with interrogating Gary. At the Warehouse, the trio realizes that this Myka is lying because the real Myka named her ferret Pete, but if she figures out they know, she'll kill the human Pete. Pete contacts Jillian and tells her that the artifact is killing her and Gary and she needs to give it up, despite the rush it gives. He points out that it's leaving burns on her hand. She gives it to him and he assures her that he'll put it away for good as she is surprised that he isn't taking them to jail or something. However, when he triggers it accidentally, he gets a vision of the future. Jillian understands what he's going through and they watch as his vision comes true. At the Warehouse, Myka suggests that they tell Pete but Artie admits they can't get hold of him. Claudia points out that he's at a hotel. Jillian explains that they stole the chip from a man who claimed it saved his life in the Jubilee Grand Fire. Pete puts the chip in a bag of neutralizer and then hears a page for him on the courtesy phone. Meanwhile, this Myka tells Gary that now it's her time, and with the chip she'll know when people are coming for her. Gary tries to get free but this Myka shoots him with the Tesla. Pete comes in a few seconds later and checks the paralyzed Gary, trying to signal him to feign death. He draws on this Myka and reveals he knows who she is, explaining the real Myka would never have kissed him. This Myka notes that this is too bad because he is a good kisser and Pete says that Artie hasn't figured out how to release Myka but he soon will. This Myka tells him that nothing comes out of the mirror unless something goes in, and she doesn't plan to go back in. He orders her to turn around toward the hotel mirror, and her real image briefly appears, distracting Pete. During his brief period of distraction, she knocks him down, and then shoots him with the gun. Now believing she's killed Pete and Gary, this Myka leaves. 'Alice' drives to the Warehouse and uses the chip to see her future, in which she goes to the Warehouse and smashes the mirror. She enters the Warehouse, unaware that Artie is secretly watching her. This Myka goes to the mirror while Leena and Claudia set up equipment and watch her from the balcony of Artie's office. She gets to the mirror but Pete is there and distracts her with ping-pong balls. Artie fires a flare and Claudia shoots her laser mic's beam into the Studio 54 Disco Ball overhead. Alice is forced back into the mirror and it falls over. When Pete and Artie lift it, the real Myka is revealed. She hugs them both and thanks them. They cover the mirror over and move it to the Dark Vault. As they start to move it, the cloth briefly falls off, revealing the real Alice trapped inside, looking maliciously out at them. As they cover it back over, Pete has to explain that he spent the expense money to make a quick trip back to the Warehouse.[1] |
Credits[]
Main Cast[]
- Eddie McClintock as Pete Lattimer
- Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering and Alice Liddell
- Saul Rubinek as Artie Nielsen
- Genelle Williams as Leena
- Simon Reynolds as Daniel Dickinson (credit only)
Guest Starring[]
Cast[]
- Niall Matter as Gary Whitman
- Erica Cerra as Jillian Whitman
- Stephanie Barrett as Alice Liddell
- Andrea Moseanu as Croupier
Artifacts and Gadgets Featured[]
- Lewis Carroll's Looking Glass: The true nature of the mirror's full powers is revealed in this episode; it serves as a prison for people's consciousnesses, most notably the vengeful and violent spirit of Alice Liddell. When a light is projected on the mirror, such as from the Studio 54 disco ball, it refracts and enables the switch between consciousnesses, only taking someone out when someone goes back in. After the events of the episode it is placed in the Dark Vault. It is the main artifact of the episode.
- Jubilee Grand Casino Poker Chip: Allows the holder precognition approximately a minute into the future. Prolonged use results in psychological addiction and contact burns.
- Studio 54 Disco Ball: Emits light and plays 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor by itself when knocked or hit. It also projects the yearnings and desires absorbed by the ball, making one act like those who attended the Studio 54 disco in the 70s. During the episode it interacted with Lewis Carroll's looking glass to enable the mind-switching abilities of the mirror.
Trivia[]
- The Maximus Hotel later makes an appearance in "The Sky's the Limit".
- Artie states that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There were "Warehouse fabrications" written by agents of Warehouse 12, based on Lewis Carroll's documentation of Alice Liddell's descent into homicidal sociopathy. However, Artie's wording paradoxically claims that the books were both written by Carroll as a chronicle of Alice's decline and Warehouse fabrications to hide the truth of the mirror.[2]
- This is later somewhat clarified in "Fractures", when it is reiterated at the books were written by an agent of Warehouse 12 and incorporated elements inspired by artifacts.[3]
- Assuming Alice Liddell was born, and the books were published in, the same year as they were in reality (1852 and 1865, respectively), she was only around 13 years old at the time.
- The song that plays when Pete and Alice/Myka go to Las Vegas is Frank Sinatra's cover of "Luck Be a Lady"[4], written by Frank Loesser and first performed by Robert Alda in Guys and Dolls. The lyrics relate the point of view of a gambler, Alda's character, who hopes that he will win a bet, the outcome of which will decide whether or not he is able to save his relationship with the girl of his dreams.[5]
- A copy of this episode's script signed by Erica Cerra was sold on ScreenBid's SyFy auction in support of the Kristian Domingo Foundation for $425 on November 16th, 2018.[6][7] It was sold along with signed copies of Eureka and Battlestar Galactica scripts, mugs, and T-shirts (including a long sleeved double sided "What the Frak?!"/Battlestar Galactica logo shirt).
- Erica Cerra and Niall Matter are known for starring on Syfy's Eureka, as Jo Lupo and Zane Donovan respectively who are also romantically involved, which exists within the same universe as Warehouse 13. Saul Rubinek also guest-starred on Eureka. No explanation is given for the characters looking like their doppelgangers on their respective shows.
- On the other hand, Neil Grayston (Eureka's Douglas Fargo) and Allison Scagliotti will later cross over to each other's respective shows as their regular characters and the warehouse is referenced on Eureka.
- The title of the episode, "Duped", is a pun with two meanings. The word "to dupe" means to trick or deceive somebody, usually by misleading them; the word can also be short for "duplicate". In the context of the episode, the title may be seen as referring both to Alice as a Myka's doppelganger as well as to her deception of the rest of the characters.
References[]
- ↑ TV.com
- ↑ Arthur Nielsen: "And Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, was not writing books. He was chronicling this young woman's descent into a sociopathic madness in all of his books. He didn't write these books, these are Warehouse fabrications - brilliant fabrications - to hide the truth about that mirror."
- ↑ Claudia Donovan: "So the Warehouse agent who wrote Alice in Wonderland incorporated artifacts into the narrative." (Fractures)
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJpGHR6ofus
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luck_Be_a_Lady
- ↑ Twitter(@ericacerra 2 days Left!! 'http://screen.bid/erica) Instagram (ericacerra You can bid on these items at Screenbid.com and the proceeds will go directly to the Kristian Domingo Foundation.” THANK YOU! 🙏🏼)
- ↑ Warehouse 13: Erica Cerra Signed "Duped" Script (see this image)
#01 "Pilot" | #07 "Implosion" |
#02 "Resonance" | #08 "Duped" |
#03 "Magnetism" | #09 "Regrets" |
#04 "Claudia" | #10 "Breakdown" |
#05 "Elements" | #11 "Nevermore" |
#06 "Burnout" | #12 "MacPherson" |