Not since last season’s finale have I been this engaged in a Warehouse 13 episode, and kudos must be given to the writers for doing such an impeccable job of pulling the wool over my eyes in "The Ones You Love."

It seems that the Astrolabe is not about casting evil on someone else but rather inside the user. By reversing time Artie has unknowingly caused himself to become the greatest enemy of all.

I’m still attempting to gather my thoughts from such an epic plot twist. Artie is the absolute last person I would have ever guessed as having the potential for evil, and while this is not of his own doing, it’s still wonderfully done.

Artie’s erratic behavior - that’s gotten progressively worse over the season - hasn’t been from Brother Adrian (a big clue for me should have been that he and Adrian were the only ones in the cast ever sharing a scene). But Artie’s descent into paranoia as his mind created an elaborate plot to lay the foundation needed to further the Astrolabe’s effects really opens things up to a few recurring themes.

It fits both Artie’s original goal and the show itself. Artie used the Astrolabe to save the people he’s grown close to and he continues to do so now even if that means he needs to make up a story; however, the greatest cost to using it is the people he loves. As we saw with Artie (potentially) murdering Leena, and with many artifacts, the greatest cost to using them is usually the individuals in sight of the collateral damage.

All of which begs the question: What now? Nothing is ever going to be the same. Leena has been the emotional core of the show at times. She’s been a sister and a mother to those who needed her during certain crises, and while she’s never been a front-burner, Leena has always been part of the gang. When, or if, Artie is able to overcome the Astrolabe, this puts another huge weight on his shoulders. Leena’s blood is directly on his hands, and, after working so hard and risking to much to protect those he loves, in the end it’s his own doing that brings the end of his world.

Other thoughts:

• Was Artie so self-convinced of Brother Adrian being the real bad guy that Steve couldn’t lie detect him?
• Warehouse 13 pays some homage to Fringe and its amber. Have to say I absolutely loved it. Although I wish Claudia had used a gust of air to get her brother out.
• This episode must have set a new record for how long Eddie McClintock has had his shirt off.
• Must be the catnip.

What did you think of tonight’s Warehouse 13?