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Eureka
S1.E11
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

H.O.U.S.E. Rules

  • Episode aired Sep 26, 2006
  • TV-PG
  • 44m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
665
YOUR RATING
Pilot (2006)
AdventureComedyDramaRomanceSci-Fi

A bad day in the lab forces Carter to rethink his decision to live in Eureka, prompting an intervention from S.A.R.A.H. (the self Activated Residential Automated Habitat).A bad day in the lab forces Carter to rethink his decision to live in Eureka, prompting an intervention from S.A.R.A.H. (the self Activated Residential Automated Habitat).A bad day in the lab forces Carter to rethink his decision to live in Eureka, prompting an intervention from S.A.R.A.H. (the self Activated Residential Automated Habitat).

  • Director
    • Jeff Woolnough
  • Writers
    • Andrew Cosby
    • Jaime Paglia
    • Harry Victor
  • Stars
    • Colin Ferguson
    • Salli Richardson-Whitfield
    • Joe Morton
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    665
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jeff Woolnough
    • Writers
      • Andrew Cosby
      • Jaime Paglia
      • Harry Victor
    • Stars
      • Colin Ferguson
      • Salli Richardson-Whitfield
      • Joe Morton
    • 3User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos1

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    Top cast11

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    Colin Ferguson
    Colin Ferguson
    • Jack Carter
    Salli Richardson-Whitfield
    Salli Richardson-Whitfield
    • Allison Blake
    Joe Morton
    Joe Morton
    • Henry Deacon
    Jordan Hinson
    Jordan Hinson
    • Zoe Carter
    Ed Quinn
    Ed Quinn
    • Nathan Stark
    Erica Cerra
    Erica Cerra
    • Jo Lupo
    Neil Grayston
    Neil Grayston
    • Douglas Fargo
    Matt Frewer
    Matt Frewer
    • Jim Taggart
    Debrah Farentino
    Debrah Farentino
    • Beverly Barlowe
    Michael Coleman
    Michael Coleman
    • Pizza Dude
    Arthur Corber
    • Scientist in Explosion
    • Director
      • Jeff Woolnough
    • Writers
      • Andrew Cosby
      • Jaime Paglia
      • Harry Victor
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews3

    8.1665
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    Featured reviews

    7skribs

    Can Fargo do anything right?

    I think the writers flip a coin when they start an episode. Was this episode's plot driven by a one-off scientist, or Fargo? In this case, it's how lazily he built SARAH that causes the chaos.

    Carter is depressed and thinking about moving out of Eureka. SARAH stages a surprise intervention, which turns out to be a surprise for everyone involved. A surprise that might be deadly.

    There's more episodes after this, so it's not really a spoiler to say that at least most of the characters make it out alive. What is surprising is that Carter continues to live there with his daughter after this episode.

    The episode has some fun moments, some genuine moments, and some forced moments. Overall, a decent episode.
    9GunnersMate

    Bad House Terrific Episode

    House Rules is a largely tense and every-morphing episode that is about relationships and resolution of conflict while the majority of our major players are being held hostage by SARAH. The crisis is taken on by everyone and the tensions change as the crisis escalates, but while the core of every episode has always been the people of Eureka, this episode isn't afraid to let that core be the driving element of the plot as well. Yes, we still have plenty of humor to enjoy along the way, but this is a people in crisis (emotionally and physically) episode, and a terrific one at that.
    8Tweekums

    Can the protagonists get along if their lives depend on it?

    After Stark interferes with his work once again Sheriff Carter starts to question whether he should stay in Eureka. He takes a couple of days off work and asks SARAH, his smart house AI, to show him places he might like to move to. As he sits around drinking beer and eating pizza he is rather surprised, and a little annoyed, when Stark turns up at his home claiming to have been paged... then Alison, Henry, Fargo and Beverly turn up; all claiming to have been paged. As they argue about things the door closes and SARAH tells them that their behaviour is threatening Eureka and they must resolve their differences. Their attempts to force their way out just make matters worse... potentially much worse. While this is going on, Jo and Taggart, who arrived late and realised something is wrong, are trying to find a way into the house through the sewer system.

    This was a solid episode that nicely built on the tensions that have been building in recent instalments. Having most of the main cast confined in a single location was affective; the sealed house was suitably claustrophobic... the sort of space that is pleasant when you can leave but becomes stressful when you realise you can't. Under the circumstances it is perfectly understandable that the characters start to bicker. Various things that happen during the episode cause tensions, and potential dangers to increase nicely. The events outside the house, involving Jo and Taggart provide some light relief without the humour feeling forced. The cast does a good job; making the characters believable as their irritability increases. Overall another impressive episode that shows you don't need numerous locations to be entertaining.

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      After Fargo explains that S.A.R.A.H. once used to be a war games simulation program, S.A.R.A.H. asks, "Shall we play a game?" This is the same thing W.O.P.R. says to David Lightman (mistakenly believing that he is Prof. Falken) in WarGames (1983).
    • Goofs
      The Morse code Carter sends to Jo and Taggart does not say "Crack Pipe".
    • Quotes

      Beverly Barlowe: Looks like the men are trying to save us. We may be in here for a while.

    • Alternate versions
      The closed captions for the last scene have significantly different lines for S.A.R.A.H..
    • Connections
      References Star Trek (1966)
    • Soundtracks
      Eureka On My Mind
      (uncredited)

      Composed by Mark Mothersbaugh

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 26, 2006 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Canada
    • Production company
      • NBC Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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