TV Verdict

Eureka 3.18, “What Goes Around, Comes Around,” picks up where the last episode left off–or, rather, the morning after. Tess and Carter are having coffee at his place.

Zoe got her early premed admission to Harvard, but boyfriend Lucas didn’t make it. “All the data in the world can’t take the place of the woman you love,” Lucas tells Henry, who literally had his wife replaced with data a few episodes back. “Sorry.” Tess might also be leaving, since there’s a job offer in Australia. What does Carter want her to do? “Whatever makes you happy.” Actually, it looks like he’d like to make that plunge–he’s planning a trip as the episode ends–but you know he’ll be back in Eureka in time for Season Four. After all, a job change for him could mean the end of the world, literally.

Fargo’s predicting “an extinction-level event,” but it’s only two thousand years away. “Next time, don’t bury the lead,” Carter says. The supercollider at General Dynamics might be a more pressing problem, though. Suddenly the folks in the lab–including Fargo, Carter, and Tess–are “talking like Chip and Dale.” Carter thinks Larry, who said the supercollider could be dangerous, might have tampered with it.

The problems continue: Fargo suddenly, temporarily becomes an electromagnet. Zoe gets trapped underwater beneath flames during a diving exhibition, forcing Carter to dive to the rescue. Carter notices that the strange events resemble Fargo’s computer simulation of an neutron star event. Lucas’ science project, combined with the supercollider, created a new magnetic pole, precisely what he was trying to figure out how to prevent. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending–thanks to Carter’s heroism again–and Lucas’ research could save the world someday.

Not everything’s gloom and doom. Fargo and Juliet found love. “Now I know the world’s ending,” Carter says. With some openings in the cast, will Juliet be a regular next season? Watching them start–and her sidetracking him–on Fargo’s bucket list was hilarious.

I liked the season finale a lot, mostly, I’ll have to admit, because Tess left on her own two feet as Jaime Ray Newman left for Eastwick. With all the dramatic departures on TV nowadays, it’s nice to see characters simply moving on. The departures of Tess and Zoe could also make Eureka less Carter-centric by making room for more oddball GD regulars.

“What Goes Around Comes Around” Episode 3018 — Pictured: (right) Neil Grayston as Douglas Fargo — Syfy Photo: Marcel Williams