Sanctuary 4x06 Homecoming review

Sanctuary 4x06 Homecoming

Can we call this the schizophrenic episode?

I’ve never taken Scriptwriting 101, but I’m almost certain that the class doesn’t include anything that says if you’re going to bring a wonderfully funny, witty, and sarcastic story to your viewers, you should pair it with a “B” story that’s dull, lifeless and boring.

That’s pretty much what this episode entailed. It felt like somebody had the remote control and was going between fast-forward and extra slow motion. This is one of those episodes where I wish the “B” story would have included at least a little bit of humor.

Let’s start with the “B” story first –
We’ve got Will being mugged & knocked out, then we discover that because of the trauma, he’s temporary blinded and has to lie still on a bed. This allows him to bring back memories of his estrangement with his father following the death of his mother.

It’s actually a sweet & touching story (if a bit boring since it’s Will we’re talking about).

But when you pair a sweet, touching (and boring) Will & Daddy story with the wonderfully funny, witty, and sarcastic Helen/Henry/Birds story… Will/Daddy is going to feel really out of place.

So, let’s talk about the funny, witty & sarcasm-packed “A” story – with Helen, Henry and the wacky bird abnormal marrieds - Bruno & Sheila.
-- After the “Birds” make a surprise landing on top of the Sanctuary, we notice that this duo seems to have a habit of testing Helen’s patience.
Helen: Bruno, what on earth?
Bruno: you know, that color looks great on you..
Sheila: hey, Casanova, stow the sweet talk & give me a hand.
Bruno: just being polite, sweetie. Ever heard of etiquette?
Shelia: yes, a three syllable word. Careful you don’t hurt yourself.
Helen: Sheila, if you don’t mind…back to my original question
Bruno: yeah, right. My apologies for our unannounced arrival
Henry: You almost got yourselves shot
Sheila: Told him we should have called
Bruno: called… there wasn’t enough time
Sheila: etiquette, he says
Bruno: I’m doing this for you. The woman’s got a busted flap
Sheila: You may have noticed my landing?
Biggie: uuugggly.
Sheila: my left wing. Gives me too much yaw in my pitch
Helen: Might be some tendon damage
Bruno: High tension wire
Sheila: thanks to you
Bruno: I told you “turn left”
Sheila: but you always get your directions reversed
Bruno: well, this time I didn’t
Sheila: you picked a fine time to get it right.
Helen: Oh dear God.
Bruno: listen, cupcake, don’t project your anger on me
Helen: how about I get you both inside?
Sheila: thanks, Doc.
As they leave with Helen, Henry looks to Biggie.
Biggie: and you wonder why I’m still single.

Oy. I’d call them the Bickering Bickersons.

-- Helen & Henry in the office
Helen: Ah, so this is where you’re hiding.
Henry: What? I’m not… hiding.
Helen: haha. Right.
Henry: okay. I’m hiding. A little bit. You’ve got to admit those two are toxic twins.
Helen: oh yeah, they are a handful
Henry: how’s Sheila, though?
Helen: Oh, she’ll be fine.
Henry: But?
Helen: it’s just that the forensic evidence doesn’t match their story of the physical trauma.
Henry: you think they’re lying?
Helen: or at least faked the injury.
Henry: but why?
(alarm sounds)
Henry: attempted breach
Helen: roof?
Henry: armory

LOL okay, maybe Toxic Twins is better than Bickering Bickersons. I love the more personal/intimate scenes like this with these two. No, I don’t mean ‘intimate’ as in sexual. That would just be as bad as thinking of Helen & Will together… both scenarios are just… Cradle-Robbing EWWWWWWWWWWW. Anyway, I mean this cute, in Helen’s office, a bit playful and yet a semi-serious discussion.

-- Helen & Bruno in the office after he gets caught trying to sneak into the armory.
Bruno: I hear your anger. I acknowledge your point of view, and I want to address your concern.
Helen: Bruno, I’m not the police. Whatever penny ante scam you’re running in Old City is none of my concern, just so long as no one gets hurt.
Bruno: please, Doc. Come on.
Helen: but when you’re under my roof, you play by my rules.
Bruno: okay, I’ll admit that we’ve been a little less than straight with you.
Helen: what were you trying to steal from the armory?
Bruno: there’s a shipment of Red List abnormals on its way into town, clearly headed for the black market.
Helen: clearly.
Bruno: clearly I couldn’t let that happen.
Helen: not so clear.
Bruno: okay, well see, Sheila & me, we had a plan. We’re gonna scam our way into the sanctuary, grab a few stunners and then head out to the drop spot.
Helen: and do what? Take down the smugglers & secure the abnormals?
Bruno: way ahead of me, as usual.
Helen: Please. What’s in it for you?
Bruno: okay. That is exactly the reason why I didn’t come to you directly. You don’t believe me.
Helen: and you blame me?
Bruno: you know what I’m gonna do? You’re so positive that I’m scamming, go ahead, call my bluff. I’m not too proud to admit I could use a little help.
Helen: so, you & I…
Bruno: join forces. Yes. … Come on. With my intel & your experience? Love it. You’re gonna love… love it. You’re gonna love that?
Helen: IF…these Red Listers do exist, my priority is to make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Bruno: obviously. Sure.
Helen: and I’ll be keeping a VERY tight leash on you.
Bruno: raaarrr.

Hmmm That usually sounds so much cuter coming from Tesla. I really like seeing people/abnormals who have dealt with Helen before and know how to handle her, and in turn, she knows how to handle them. In this case, it’s someone she knows to be wary of, as well as trying to hold her patience with him.

-- Biggie & Sheila
Biggie: healing nicely.
Sheila: I know. Cecele’s been asking about you again.
Biggie grunts
Sheila: so is it too much effort to pick up the phone?
Biggie: Magnus says you should, uh, take it easy for a few days
Sheila: ah, so you just waltz into Old City, break a few hearts, and then you’re gone?
Biggie: no.
Sheila: what, you think you’re too good for a Feralump, is that it?
Henry comes in. Biggie grabs his arm
Biggie: thank goodness you got here.
Henry: Shoooo…oooting. Pain.
Biggie: Huh? Oh. Sorry.
Henry: Magnus wants to see us.
Biggie: Good. Later.
Henry: all of us.
They all start to leave. Sheila turns around to talk to Biggie
Sheila: she still keeps a lock of your fur.
Biggie shivers.

LOL a bit of a Biggie love story. Love it. Now I wonder what a Feralump is.

-- Getting ready to go “hunting”
Biggie: Com sets on channel 1. And NO idle chit chat. (to Helen) what’s going on?
Helen: you know, Bruno, it would help if we knew exactly where we were going.
Bruno: yes, you will know when we get there.
Helen: that’s not how I usually operate.
Bruno: living on the edge. My kind of gal.
Sheila: are you flirting again?
Bruno: Babealicious, never.
Henry: alright, before I choke on my own bile. (Hands Helen a stunner) these are fully charged.
Bruno: perfect. Where’s my stunner?
Sheila: oh yeah, mine too.
Helen: not even gonna have that conversation.
Bruno: wait. You don’t expect us to go in unarmed, do you?
Helen: as far as I’m concerned, the two of you are backseat drivers. You get us there, we’ll do the rest.
Henry: Um, Doc. Can we have a word?
Henry, Helen & Biggie huddle up
Henry: you know I’ve got your back. Always. But tag-team with Hekyll & Jekyll.
Biggie: you don’t actually trust them?
Helen: of course I don’t, but we need their information. However…dubious…the source may be.
Bruno: Okay. Chop chop. Let’s get this party started, huh?

I had to laugh at Henry’s Hekyll & Jekyll mention. Haven’t they had enough Jekyll for a while at least? LOL
I also love Helen’s quip to the Toxic Twins that she’s ‘not having that conversation.’

-- as they get to the site with the container of abnormals
Helen: alright, you two stay here.
Sheila: honey.
Bruno: w-w-w-wait. You’re making a big mistake.
Helen: I’ll live with it.

LOL I love sarcastic Helen. It’s fun to see that the thinner her patience gets, the more her sarcasm increases.

-- After the fight
Helen: Well done Henry.
Henry: I gotcha.

Awwww some Mama Magnus love for the young’un. Isn’t that two weeks in a row for Henry getting some Magnus praise? That’s why I love these two working together. SO much more chemistry than Helen & Will.

-- Finding a “woman’s best friend”
Helen: BRUNO.
Bruno: you. Look at you…your…the way the street light, the lamp
Helen: DON’T... speak.
Bruno: it’s beautiful.
Helen: just hand it over.

Yep. Miss Magnus is really starting to get pissy. How can she still have patience left. This guy is so much more annoying than Tesla. At least Nikola has some “gentleman” qualities that can shine through when needed. Bruno is beyond repair.

-- We continue as Magnus is seriously pissed at being deceived yet again
Helen: YOU LIED TO ME.
Bruno: I promised you Red List’ers, you got Red List’ers.
Helen: yeah, you failed to mention a small fortune in diamonds.
Bruno: details
Henry: that’s a nice haul, dude.
Helen: really moving up in the criminal world.
Sheila: the diamonds aren’t for us.
Bruno: let me explain this, cuddlecakes, okay?
Sheila: yeah, since you’re doing such a great job already.
Bruno: really?
Helen: The diamonds.
Bruno: we need them to buy…weapons.
Helen: can you not see how this is going in the wrong direction?
Sheila: let me explain.
Bruno: no no no no. let me explain
Helen: SOMEONE please explain.
Henry: What are you doing with the weapons?
Bruno: they’re not for us
Sheila: oh, perish the thought
Bruno: no. they’re for the international arms dealer.
Sheila: yeah. Yeah you see, we sell the weapons, make a hefty profit, which we need.
Helen: do you?
Bruno: of course we do. …for the orphans.
Helen: … orphans.
Henry: you’re giving weapons to…orphans?
Sheila: now that’s crazy
Bruno: okay, follow me here. We need the diamonds to buy then guns. We then sell the guns, double our profit
Sheila: and we use that money to pay the black marketeers.
Bruno: and save the orphans from being sold into slavery. … tah-dah. .. cue the violence.
Helen is speechless.
Henry: I got nothing.
Helen: (still a bit speechless) … … it’s STUNNING.
Bruno: so what do ya say, Doc? Hand over the ice & it’s high-fives all around, huh?

A speechless Helen Magnus. Never thought I’d see the day. It’s even funnier after you’ve seen the full episode and realize that their “outrageous story” is actually the truth.

-- after their “highly unbelievable” story, the Toxic Twins get put into the isolation room.
Helen: (closes the door) and…peace.

LOL yes Helen, my sentiments exactly.

-- Henry’s doing his computer magic
Henry: Holy Crap.
Helen: Pray tell.
Henry: I was poking around where I shouldn’t be poking around.
Helen: Ah, good lad.
Henry: NSA, Homeland Security, real back door wet job stuff here.
Helen: and the bottom line is…
Henry: looks like maybe Bruno’s telling the truth. At least about the weapons. Seems there really is a shipment.
Helen: anti-abnormal prototypes.
Henry: Specially designed by SCIU.
Helen: Oh, dear lord.
Henry: there’s some really cool stuff here…. Except for the fact that it’s designed to kill abnormals.
Helen: then we’d better intercept that shipment. (she leaves)
Henry: Define “WE”?

More Helen praise for Henry. I love it. And may I say just how HOT Helen looks in the jeans & leather jacket?

-- up on the rooftop, where the birdies flew
Sheila: (to Bruno) oh you look incredible
Helen & Henry arrive
Helen: you are BOTH incredible
Bruno: how did you? Did you take the stairs?
Helen: start talking. I welcomed you into my home & you manipulated the entire situation.
Henry: shame on both of you.
Bruno: I can see why you’re angry, but I can promise you this wasn’t a double-cross.
Helen: Really? Then what would you call it?
Sheila: a mixup? And I don’t like your tone
Bruno: I got this one, lovemuffin. Okay, here’s the thing: we needed to make sure the weapons were secure.
Sheila: he was actually very heroic.
Bruno: it was pure instinct, but thank you, darling.
Helen: before I vomit.
Bruno: those government agents, who are they working for again?
Henry: SCIU
Bruno: cool. Anyway, they compromised our contact before we arrived. It was all happening in real time, I needed to do something to protect the mission.
Helen: so you flew off & left us to fend for ourselves.
Bruno: you…wanted us to stay & help?
Sheila: they had guns
Bruno: no, we fly & you guys kick ass, it’s the law of the universe. And then, hey, it all worked out in the end.
Helen: except for the part where you…stole the weapons & tried to hide them from us.
Bruno: … I was about to call you.
Henry: my head is about to explode
Helen: wow.
Bruno: I appreciate, Doc, how this all may look, but, we were both set up.

I think I really love the “Law of the universe”. Helen has certainly kicked a lot of ass in her 270+ years now. It’s about time it became a law. LOL

-- Helen’s lost her patience
Helen: according to you, we were both set up, so none of this is your fault, in which case, we should confiscate the weapons & return the gems to their rightful owners.
Bruno: w-w-what is this, a Hallmark moment? You need to see the bigger picture here.
Sheila: we need this stuff.
Helen: so you ARE in this for the money?
Bruno: for good reason
Henry: whoa, if you say ‘orphans’.
Sheila: these kids need our help, yes. And you’re taking food from their little mouths.
Henry: now that…that’s a Hallmark moment.
Bruno: we are doing all of this for children in need, if you think helping the needy is a worthless venture, then go ahead, take it. Take it. Take it all. Here (gives Helen the diamonds) here you go.
Sheila: oh, you are a nasty woman.
Henry: angry birds…there are no orphans.
Helen: (looks unsure) what choice do we have? Our trust has been betrayed at every turn. I’m sorry, to both of you. But this is the end of us working together.
Henry: Oh, amen.
Bruno: I understand. I want to thank both of you for all you’ve done. It didn’t work out, that’s life, right? Onward.

Watching this the second time around & knowing their story is real, I kind of want to cry – and yell at Magnus. Just a little bit.

-- Helen seems to be having doubts
Helen: what if they’re telling the truth?
Henry: about the orphans?
Helen: if they do exist, can we afford to turn our backs?
Henry: Doc, I looked into it, okay. There is nothing on any boatload of missing kids, oh, and wait, the flying Bickersons have screwed us over twice.
Helen: think back over recent events, something about this isn’t right.
Henry: yeah, the fact that they’re lying thieves.
Helen: thieves maybe, but liars? Not deliberately. They might have filtered the truth or been a bit selective with the information…
Henry: which is commonly known as lying.
Helen: the intel they supplied is essentially correct. The red list shipment, the weapons buy
Henry: stash of diamonds, the stealing
Helen: it’s an imperfect world. Being flexible with our allies gives us more than condemning them. Days of judging things at face value are over.

Yep. Her gut instinct is tried & true. I loved her final line there about not judging things at face value.

-- Henry’s not convinced yet
Henry: okay, so we’ve gone rogue, and now we have to hang with the dead beats. I get that, Doc, but we don’t have to trust them.
Helen: Maybe we need to stop being so judgmental.
Henry: this is that whole 113 years of zen philosophy, isn’t it?
Helen: you know what I mean.
Henry: I really don’t, but I do know what you’re gonna say
Helen: there’s something I need you to check for me, Henry.
Henry: course there is.

Ah, I love how Mama Magnus has to re-teach the children the new rules of the sanctuary now. Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE Helen & Henry together?

-- Henry’s doing his geeky computer thing in the van
Helen: Henry.
Henry: I am colating here.
Helen: well either do it silently, or tell me something.
Henry: wow, what happened to the zen patience? Hmm found something. Interpol warrants for red list supplier out of Dublin. Finn Noland.
Helen: warrants for what? (looks at the computer) Child slave trading.
Henry: yeah, keep reading the encrypted data.
Helen: Abnormal child slave trading. Dear god.
Henry: yeah. Noland is an extremely bad dude. The rumor mill puts him in town tonight with cargo at the docks. …orphans.
Helen: If Bruno & Sheila try to intercept the shipment alone.
Henry: oh, that could go very badly.

LOL Helen’s lost her zen patience now? These two are just…


-- Henry blowing the surprise for Will. LOL Guess it’s Helen & Henry going to Alfredo’s again this time.


I love all of the Helen/Henry moments both in this episode and the previous one. It’s so great to finally get more of the Helen/Henry interaction and keep Will off on his own. Truthfully, I wouldn’t mind if Will got totally lost for a few episodes….or seasons.

It seems that Bruno is the poor-man’s version (or maybe it’s the Bird-Man version) of Nikola Tesla. We see that Helen’s patience gets tested with Nikola on occasion, but I think too much exposure to Bruno would turn anyone insane in quick order. Those poor orphan kids. I hope they find someone else to live with than Bruno & Sheila.

On a technical note – since this was Robin Dunne’s directorial debut, I have to say that he did a pretty nice job. Also, big kudos to Anthem for the wonderful VFX again. Great views from the rooftop, and of course the scenes where Will morphs back in his mind.

I had to laugh – after the rerun of this episode aired on SyFy, they played a rerun of Stargate SG1’s “Icon” (which for the record is one of the most boring SG1 eps ever. Just saying.), which began with Daniel getting his eyes unwrapped after being injured. It was so similar to Will getting his eyes unwrapped a few moments before in Sanctuary. Did anyone else think of Daniel when we first saw young Will with glasses in tonight’s episode. Okay, so maybe the real young Will looked a bit more like Harry Potter, but college-age Will looked like Daniel Jackson.

Finally, watching the promo for next week’s episode, I almost got a feeling of season 1’s “Kush”, with the snow, cold and not knowing who’s real. Are they really recycling storylines already for this series?