Genre: Sci-Fi | Comedy | Action

Premiere: July 11th, 2011 at 8/7c

Network: Syfy

Creator: Andrew Cosby and Jaime Paglia

Director: Mike Rohl

Teleplay: Bruce Miller

Story: Jamie Paglia and Bruce Miller

Eureka stars Colin Ferguson (Sheriff Jack Carter), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Joe Morton (Henry Deacon), Erica Cerra (Jo Lupo), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo), and Niall Matter (Zane Donovan). Co-creator Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller are executive producers. The series is produced and distributed by Universal Cable Productions.

Summary: Eureka seems like any other cozy, Pacific Northwest town, but is actually a secret community of geniuses assembled by the government to conduct top-secret research. What they’ve unwittingly created is a place where anything imaginable can happen … and does. New and returning fans won’t want to miss the big changes in store for everyone in Eureka after a cataclysmic shift turns their lives upside down.

This show does not have edge, it has heart. When the heart is missing it is mediocre, and was so for seasons two and three. The heart returned for season 4.0 (the most recent season, the one with James Callis).Whether it was because of the scripted reboot or the reboot behind the scenes, the end result was a return to most of what I loved about season one.

And I am now happy to report that the newly-restored heart is still intact for episode one of season 4.5 (don’t even get me started on the silliness of the season numbering; even the writers call these half-seasons simply “seasons”). There is some inter-character sparring, and a dangerous issue, and some nice science-y stuff, and some silliness, but the camaraderie and heart of season 4.0 continues unabated.

I’m also happy to report that season 4.5 takes over basically right where season 4.0 stopped, and yes, that means that James Callis is still gone. I’m sure that his character’s presence would have gotten old if his character didn’t evolve but there sure was a lot of evolving available to him. Ah well, if it was stunt casting it worked, along with everything else that they did.

Because yes, everyone’s changes from the first half of the season are still intact. The big event from the beginning of season 4 and its consequences is referenced as a voiceover, kind of a “previously on” sort of thing, right at the start of this new episode just so that everyone is on the same page.

By the way, the portentous “no one saw it coming” advertising that Syfy has been doing for Eureka? It doesn’t fit this episode. Just a head’s up for you. I hate when I see advertisements for a show and then don’t understand what those advertisements were talking about by the end of that show. This is one of those times. I am, however, giving Syfy the benefit of the doubt and presuming that they are talking about a new story arc that will roll out throughout the season, or maybe just reveal itself in the next episode. Same thing with the “cataclysmic shift” referenced in the Syfy-created summary above.

But if you loved season 4 as I did, especially the tone and the heart and the coziness, and you think you can bear it without James Callis (come on, give it a try), then I say you’ll likely be relieved to know that you can expect more of the same with this first 4.5 episode.

I give Eureka Episode 4.11 “Liftoff” Four out of Five Stars.