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Pilot
Pilot
Air date July 18, 2006
Written by Andrew Cosby & Jaime Paglia
Directed by Peter O'Fallon
Episode guide
Preceded by
None (Start of series)
Followed by
"Many Happy Returns"
Cast | Transcript
Wiki wide
Season 1
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12
Season 2

"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of Eureka.

Synopsis[]

While transporting his charge (and delinquent daughter) back to Los Angeles, U.S. Marshal Jack Carter crashes his car near Eureka. He assists in a case involving a tachyon accelerator and is hired as the Sheriff.

Plot[]

The episode opens with a quote from Albert Einstein: "A little knowledge is dangerous. So is a lot." Then, a shot of Susan Perkins getting into bed. She calls down to her husband, Walter Perkins, who is in the basement working on a machine. It works, but then Walter says "Oh, no", and the camera zooms out and zooms back in on a car driving towards the town.

In the car is Marshal Jack Carter and Zoe Carter, who are trying to drive back to L.A. A dog walks in front of them, and they spin off the road. They walk into the town next morning, and go to look for the Sheriff, Sheriff Cobb. They are received by Deputy Jo Lupo, who gets off with a bad start with Jack. When the Sheriff comes in, he has Jo call the local mechanic, Henry Deacon. After Henry looks at the car, he says it will take 3–4 days.

After Henry tows the vehicle to his shop, Walter and Susan Perkins come with their son, Brian

The town begins to experience time and space anomalies, a child is nearly killed, and a herd of cows is lost. When Carter investigates these incidents, Jim Taggart kidnaps him and Carter meets Allison Blake, who shows him Global Dynamics (GD) and the real side of Eureka. The accelerator is eventually found, and the scientist who built it dies trying to shut it off, and the military comes in and quarantines the town.

The rift caused by the tachyon accelerator can be stopped if another particle collision can occur, but a large quantum physics problem must be solved (half of it went missing while the anomalies occurred all over town). With the help of Jo the deputy, Carter sneaks out of the heavily guarded GD and grabs Allison's autistic son, who solves the problem, another collision occurs, and Eureka—and Earth—is saved. In the end, Carter gets a promotion like he wanted, but just not the one he expected: he becomes the new sheriff of Eureka after the old one retires.

Memorable Quotes[]

Jack Carter: Doesn't anyone do anything halfway around here?

Jack Carter: "Whoa whoa whoa, let's.. not... shoot the crazy end-of-the-world machine just yet, okay?"

[While driving.]
Zoe Carter: Listen-- dog.
Jack Carter: No, you listen, home girl--
Zoe: [pointing] No, dog!

Zoe: What if you don't make it back? I'll be stuck in here like those guys in the plane who had to eat each other.
Carter: You're right.
Zoe: I know.
Carter: Here. Here's some ketchup. Start at your feet, work your way up.

Carter: How long've you been in the tow business?
Henry Deacon: Oh, I don't do this for a living, I do this for fun! I just always liked fixing things. I was, uh, an engineer, back in the day.
Carter: As in trains?
Henry: Space shuttles.

Beverly Barlowe: Will your wife be joining you?
Carter: My wife? Oh, umm. [holds up hand with ring] Not likely. We're separated.
Beverly: Was it the sex?
Carter: Excuse me?
Beverly: Well, it's a common problem in long term relationships. People get bored, they want to experiment sexually, and they don't know how to express their needs.
Carter: Well, not that sharing my sex life with a total stranger doesn't sound like loads of fun, uh, at the moment my needs are a nap and a shower.

Carter: Deputy, where is the sheriff?
Jo Lupo: Can't you see I'm busy?
Carter: Ummm... Honestly?
Jo: You wanna know where the sheriff is? He's out on police business. Which is where I should be, instead of babysitting Felon Spice here.
Zoe: Hey!
Jo: Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna stop doing your job, and start doing mine.

Carter: What're you doing out of your cell?
Zoe: I'm getting take-out for me and Jo. Turns out we have a lot in common.
Carter: Like what?
Zoe: Like fighting an oppressive patriarchal society to express our feminine power.

Notes[]

  • Henry's "We're gonna need a bigger battery." is, of course, a "Jaws" nod.
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