Eureka - Tuesdays at 9:00PM/8:00 Central on The Sci-Fi Channel

Tonight was the second episode -- first regular episode (after the two-hour pilot) of Sci-Fi's newest ongoing series, Eureka.

In an earlier review, I belabored the fact that most critics were too busy comparing it to other shows to give it a fair shake. But I guess certain comparisons are inevitable and that's not a bad thing. Let's face it, Eureka does have that similar ring of a new X-Files and the quirkiness of Northern Exposure, as well as the dry humor of good-old Ed. But I think tonight's episode went a long way in establishing Eureka's unique place amongst all these similar shows, as well as what we viewers should expect throughout the rest of the season.

First off, while still funny, it's not as jokey as the premiere; it's a toned-down sort of humor that allows for more suspense and creepiness and really fits better, overall. The premiere was great, but if the series kept up its level of comedy, it would technically be a comedy, and I'm sure that's not what they were going for. That level of funny works for Dead Like Me because Dead Like Me is a black comedy, and black comedies have a pretty specific focus -- to make light of death, violence, and tragedy. Eureka's premise is far too wide-open to confine itself to any one category (aside from the obvious "sci-fi," but even that doesn't quite cover it), especially this early on.

And it followed the pilot up nicely, dovetailing existing storylines while introducing new story arcs, and deftly handling subplots so they didn't overshadow everything else. I'm really impressed with the continuity, actually; it wasn't a one-shot sort of story where everything got solved in an hour. That was a problem I always had with the aforementioned X-Files; it's like the "Conspiracy" was just tacked-on for continuity's sake -- some reason for viewers to tune in next week, since the gargoyles were defeated in the first 55 minutes and weren't likely to make a second appearance in later episodes.

Best part: Carter apologizing to his house.

Tomorrow night: Stan Lee's LightSpeed