Eureka/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Adorkable: Fargo.
  • Non Sequitur Scene: Henry gets a random scene where he sings "She Blinded Me With Science" for his alternate timeline wife, not to mention the whole laser light show, Fargo DJ'ing from his office, and everyone dancing. Then again, this was Fargo's idea. Should we really be surprised?
    • Somewhat Lampshaded: while trying to woo his alternate timeline wife, Henry realized that his alternative timeline self would already have used every play in his book, so he would have to do something completely out of character to impress her.
  • Cargo Ship: As of "Momstronsity", S.A.R.A.H. and Sheriff Andy. Yes really; she even has shades of Tsundere.
  • Creator's Pet / The Wesley: No, seriously. The Wesley. Crusher. Wil Wheaton joins the cast as Dr. Isaac Parrish. Rather amusingly, as much griping as he did about playing a snotty Insufferable Genius teenager, apparently he's perfectly willing to play a snotty insufferable genius thirty-something as long as he's deliberately unlikeable.
  • Crossover Ship: Claudia/Fargo in Crossing Over.
  • Crowning Music of Awesome: Bear McCreary created the music for Liftoff. Enough said.
  • Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: The hospital scene in the episode Games People Play
  • Die for Our Ship: Nathan Stark's death seems this way, but the actor actually asked to be written off the show.
    • In season four, Stark is Back. Does this actually disqualify him from this trope?
      • No because he's a hallucination.
  • Fan-Preferred Couple: Stark/Carter.
  • Genius Bonus: Vincent claims to have a Ph.D. in molecular gastronomy.
  • I Want My Jetpack: Dr. Grant actually complains that the Eureka of alternate-2010 is too pedestrian (on first blush at least) by the standards of 1940s visions of the future. It's actually Fridge Brilliance when you realize that Eureka (and the US government) probably goes to great lengths to appear as nothing more than a sleepy little bucolic town should any uninvited out-of-towner make their way there and take too long to leave. Subverted upon meeting the robot deputy and going to GD; he is suitably impressed once he gets past the mundane exterior of the town.
  • Magnificent Bastard: Nathan Stark.

Carter: "What were you dreaming about when it happened?"
Stark: "You know. The usual things... wealth... power... control... over everything..."
Carter: "... You dream about world domination?!"
Stark: "... Not all the time."

    • As the show progressed, he proved to be more of a Guile Hero: he was a jerk, but he was also very loyal to Eureka, to Allison, to Kevin...
      • Really, he was still a Magnificent Bastard, just a bit more magnificent than before:

Carter: "Can your ego even fit in this building?!
Stark: *nonchalantly checks the ceiling's height*

  • MST3K Mantra: Ninety percent of the "science" is Techno Babble BS that contradicts real science on nearly every level. Doesn't make the show any less enjoyable, though.
    • Best summed up by Carter: "Is it Eureka possible?" (The answer is usually "Maybe.")
  • Tastes Like Diabetes: In show reaction to Sheriff Carter's Christmas Story

Kid One: That was pretty sappy.
Kid Two: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got a cavity.

  • Tear Jerker: More than once. "Once in a Lifetime" is particularly poignant.
    • Sheriff Carter having to hold back Henry from saving Kim, you can't help but feel for the man when he breaks down after failing to save the love of his life.
      • Carter looks almost as devastated, not only because of what he's lost as well but because of what he's had to do to his friend.
    • The death of Callister in "Right as Raynes", particularly Stark's reaction.
    • Stark's message in the logic diamond in "Show Me the Mummy". Sob. His death in "I Do Over" was gut-wrenching too, but also more of a shock. It was this episode that really made it hit home.
    • Fargo realising that Jack lied to him in "Force Quit" and that Holly never made it out of the simulation alive.
    • And a couple episodes later, when Holly (whose mind is still stuck in the matrix) realizes that they can't pull her out of the matrix because she's dead. Poor Holly. That entire storyline is made of tearjerker.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: After Series 3, Allison frequently comes across as a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, more and more. See Unfortunate Implications for her attitude to finding her son no longer has Austism in Series 4 and over-the-top reaction to the Jo/Carter Ship Tease during Series 5, despite the fact that Carter clearly has been in love with her since day one and they are currently in a committed relationship. He even frigging proposed to her!
  • Trapped by Mountain Lions: Allison spends most of "Reprise" rescuing a man completely unrelated to the plot. subverted in that it was actually a fake memory to disguise some kind of Mind Probe put into her brain.
  • Ugly Cute: The little robot in "Momstrocity". D'awww!
  • The Woobie: Henry. Nothing ever seems to go right for Henry, the hardest working person in the town.
    • While Jack is more of the Butt Monkey/Chew Toy—i.e. most of the things that go wrong for him are played for laughs—he definitely has his woobie moments. The ending of "Unpredictable" is kind of heartbreaking: Allison is reconnecting with Nathan, his ex-wife is taking Zoe back to L.A. with her, and he's all alone in the middle of a crowded room.
    • Jo is staring to get this treatment in the fourth season. Her relationship with Zane has been erased, and she has to start from scratch with him. Plus everyone else thinks Zane's a menace, so she takes flack for trying to defend him. Then her house gets hit by a stray rocket. Now Zoey is starting up a relationship with Zane. That last one has her just barely avoid breaking down in public.
      • It's alright! She gets a wonderful new house... which Zane gleefully burns down under the influence of a song.
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