Warehouse13

It wasn't love at first sight for me and Syfy's Warehouse 13. The first few episodes showed some promise, but the series' fun and kooky concept was weighed down by a batch of stale case-of-the-week procedural plots. Thankfully, things got better as the first season progressed. The show got funnier and weirder, and it took on a more serial tone, leading to a thrilling season ender that left me jonesing for more.

And more is on the way. Syfy says production on the 13-episode second season officially kicks off this month, for a premiere on July -- you guessed it -- 13! The ol' relic hunitin' gang -- Saul Rubinek, Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Allison Scagliotti, and CCH Punder -- is gettng back together to take down big bad MacPherson (Roger Reese) and to bag some more supernatural souvenirs. And just like last year, the show will welcome some geek-friendly guest stars in season two.

The first will be Jewel Staite, aka Firefly/Serenity's Kaylee. Staite tweeted the news about her upcoming guest appearance earlier this week:

"Got offered a lovely role on Warehouse 13. Wish I could tell you more. All I can say is, you Browncoats are gonna freak," she posted.

So what's so "freaky" about Staite's Warehouse role? Will she be playing a spaceship mechanic? Will she appear as twins, with one twin acting like Kaylee and the other walking and talking like Dr. Keller from Stargate Atlantis? Whatever the case, I can't wait to see her, and the show, return to TV.

It took a while, but Warehouse 13 finally broke away from the stale case-of-the-week episodes (and the stale dialogue) to become the summer's most amusing slice of sci-fi TV. The shift happened a few weeks ago when Roger Rees' smug and sadistic baddie, Macpherson, showed up to make trouble for the team.

Macpherson turned out to be the big bad Warehouse 13 was missing all along. He was an ex-Warehouse agent with a vendetta against Artie and the regents. His evil plots forced Artie and the agents to bond and trust each other, and they also gave the show a real sense of danger and purpose. Oh, and Macpherson also gave us Claudia and Leena, apparently.

Macpherson returned to twist the knife one more time in a season finale packed with surprises, red herrings, and a few insane artifacts (Timothy Leary's psychedelic glasses? That was a good one.)

What a fast, fun, and strange trip it's been. Syfy's Warehouse 13 started out strong with a promising premiere back in July, but the show quickly fell into a rut with a batch of dull case-of-the week episodes. Things picked up a few weeks ago thanks to some truly awesome eps that featured the cast gelling like never before and the introduction of Roger Rees as the evil Macpherson.

Rees returns tonight to stir up some trouble for Artie and the Warehouse agents in the show's season finale. Head after the jump for some spoilery preview pics and a scene from tonight's episode.

It's time to welcome Dollhouse, Heroes and Smallville back to the TV sked. Will Echo's adventures live up to the promise of last season's finale and "Epitaph One"? Can Heroes turn things around in year four? Will Tom Welling look good wearing an "S" on his chest?? It's time for some answers, people.

Plus, FlashForward debuts on ABC and Warehouse 13 ends it first season on Syfy. Read on for this week's TV picks and video previews.

Heroes, "Orientation" – Circus freaks! Lesbians! Hiro on his deathbed! None of the promised storylines for season four make me want to start watching Heroes again but, surprisingly, NBC's intriguing preview video for tonight's premiere is having the opposite effect. Watch it after the jump. (Monday, 8 p.m. on NBC.)

It's time to welcome fall's slate of new and returning shows and say goodbye to summer's light sci-fi fare. I'm looking forward to catching the final episode of Eureka's third season this week, as well as the second season premiere of Fringe. We've also got new episodes of Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries headed our way, plus Saul Tigh guest stars on Warehouse 13. Read on for this week's TV picks and video previews.

- Warehouse 13, "Nevermore" – Myka's hard-ass dad, played by Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan, falls under an Edgar Allan Poe-related artifact's spell. Pete and Myka travel back to Myka's home to try and save daddy before its too late. This episode promises to be a big deal for Myka, who we know has a very rocky relationship with her father. Hopefully, this ep will leave room for Hogan to return in a recurring role. (Tuesday, 9 p.m. on Syfy.)

More picks and previews after the jump.

We've only got a few more weeks until some of our favorite summer series go into hibernation to make room for fall's slate of new shows, including Stargate Universe, V, Flash Forward and Human Target. We'll be covering those shows and more here on TV Geek Week this fall. We'll also be geeking out over returning shows like Dollhouse, Fringe and Lost. But summer isn't over yet, so check out this week's picks below.

True Blood, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin" - OK, I'll be honest here. We really don't know any more about Sunday's True Blood season finale than we did last week, but we still can't wait to watch. The HBO series has really kicked it up to eleven this season with great drama, horror, humor and mystery. Lots and lots of mystery. Will we find out more about Sookie's supernatural side? Will Jason and Andy help save the day? Will Erik steal Bill's hero moment and make Sookie's steamy V-induced dreams come true? And will someone finally please kill Maryann? I love Michelle Forbes, but isn't it time for her to start filming a guest spot on Stargate Universe or something? Check out the trailer after the jump and this gallery of pics from the season finale. (Sunday, 9 p.m. on HBO.)

More TV picks and previews after the jump.

You'll have to wait two more weeks to watch the sure-to-be freaky season finale of HBO's True Blood. Last Sunday's ep, "Frenzy," was one of the series' best yet. We were introduced to Sophie-Anne, the strange, hilarious and decadent Vampire Queen of Louisiana. But everything went to hell in Bon Temps while the Queen kept Bill waiting in her "day room." Lots of new questions were brought up (what's the deal with the egg?), and now it looks like Sookie Stackhouse's darkest night is about to fall.

On the lighter side, Syfy is treating us to a 24-hour Eureka marathon on Friday, and the always-awesome Joe Morton visits Warehouse 13 on Tuesday.

Head after the jump for more TV picks and previews.

This week, two of our favorite Eureka residents, Erica Cerra and Niall Matter, visit Warehouse 13 to complicate Pete and Myka's Vegas vacation. And Evan Rachel Wood's Vampire Queen makes her bow -- and gives Bill hell -- in the next awesome and absurd episode of True Blood.

Warehouse 13, "Duped" - The show finally (sort of) broke away from the stale artifact-of-the-week formula last Tuesday by offering a glimpse of Artie's dark past. Things are bound to get weird this week when Myka steps through Lewis Carroll's magical looking glass and is replaced by her slutty, Tesla trigger-happy clone. In case you haven't heard, Eureka's Niall Matter and Erica Cerra are guest starring. I'll let them explain their roles to you in the second video posted below. (Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET on Syfy.)

Head after the jump for more TV picks and previews.

With the fall TV season approaching, it's almost time to say goodbye to some of our favorite (and least favorite) summer sci-fi shows. There are only four more episodes of Eureka's third season left, and the first season of Warehouse 13 will be over in less than six weeks. Defying Gravity will wrap its first season in less than a month (if ABC doesn't cancel it due to low ratings first), and Being Human only has two more episodes scheduled to air on BBC America. Over on HBO, True Blood is sprinting to the finish of season two with only three episodes left, but the cable network has already given the green light to season four.

The fall will bring some slightly darker sci-fi fare with the premiere of ABC's Flash Forward in September, the mid-season launch of the V redo, and the premiere of the final season of Lost in 2010. Dollhouse and Fringe will return to Fox for their second seasons in September, and the network will launch the comic book adaptation Human Target in 2010. Syfy's new season starts in October with the two-hour premiere of Stargate Universe. Look for Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel series, to hit the air January 22 on Syfy. Oh, I almost forgot ... Heroes comes back to NBC on Sept. 21.

We'll have more about these new and returning fall shows starting next week. Now lets get to this week's picks and previews.

The soapy Defying Gravity sinks, Warehouse 13 gets a boost from a spunky new cast member, and a spaceship touches down on Eureka in this week's dose of sci-fi TV. Click through for more picks and preview videos.

Warehouse 13, "Burnout" - I still have problems with the show's formulaic structure and its dull mystery plots, but thankfully Allison Scagliotti-Smith is shaking things up a bit as newbie whiz kid Claudia. With "Burnout," Pete and Myka dig little deeper into the history of the Warehouse and find that a former agent didn't get the chance to finish his assignment. (Tuesday, 9 p.m. on SyFy.)