Overview:
The eclipse ends. Peter and the Haitian rescue Nathan, the Haitian overpowers Samedi, and Nathan defects to Team Pinehearst. Claire dies from her gunshot wound and Sylar gets his throat slit by Noah, but both of them regenerate. Daphne gets her ability back and makes amends with Papa Millbrook. Hiro reads lots of 9th Wonders comics, decides heroism sucks, then gets a pep talk from Seth Green and teleports Claire to the day Noah adopted her. Hiro also interrupts Sylar’s rampage (and Noah’s revelation that Sylar is NOT a Petrelli) by teleporting Sylar to a beach and letting him scalp Elle.
Review:
When people look back on this episode, odds are there’s only one thing they’ll remember it for. And, depending on whether you loved or hated Elle, odds are there’s only one reason you’ll have to either love it or hate it.
Elle’s death will likely overshadow anything else that was good or bad about this one, which is a shame because parts of it worked surprisingly well. Nathan’s transition from helpless captive to altruistic do-gooder is abrupt but believable. Hiro’s storyline is for once less annoying than it is entertaining. And Jack Coleman, evidently relishing the chance to play a vengeful badass, owns every second he has in front of the camera. Even Maya showing up doesn’t bug, although that’s mostly because her dialogue’s limited to four words, none of which are prolonged projections of the words “Alejandro” or “No.”
We start out in the jungle outside Samedi’s village. The Haitian’s running like a madman and Peter’s desperately trying to keep up. It’s a well-paced opening and helps to bring a sense of urgency to the episode. Jimmy Jean-Louis gets to play the Haitian with agitation, which stands out for the same reason that Arthur’s frustrated swipe at his sketches stood out last week: it’s unusual for a character who’s usually so composed.
The dim tone from the eclipse means it’s as hard as ever to issue praise for visual elements, but one particular shot …
… showcases Holly Dale’s penchant for sweeping, cinematic angles. In this instance, the sprawling jungle helps to convey how isolated Peter and the Haitian are.
Peter and the Haitian pause for a theological debate about the eclipse and the silver lining now that Samedi lacks his impenetrable skin. The focus shifts onto Peter’s mission to topple Arthur’s empire, and his need to demonstrate he can be a hero without abilities. Peter all but admits that a sense of heroism matters more to him than stopping Arthur; and, sadly, the focus in this storyline remains almost completely on the Petrelli drama for the rest of the episode. There’s almost no attempt to flesh out the bond — or the conflict — between the Haitian and Samedi. It’s not like I wanted it to last all season, but it would have been nice to gain a little more insight into the Haitian’s life and background with his brother.
Sandra brings Claire to Costa Verde Hospital. We learn that Claire’s “whole system has been infected,” indicating that she’s never been sick before. In all fairness to Pokaski and Coleite, it’s possible Claire’s ability really does make it look like Claire’s never been sick. If you wanted to nitpick, there’s a touching scene early on in the first season in which Sandra recounts how Claire had a cough when she was a baby.
We cut to the Vortex Safe House, which needs to drop the “safe” part after gunshot wounds and coition occur on its premises. We learn that Noah squandered his opportunity to take a perfectly-aimed shot at Sylar and Elle, opting instead to spectate while Sylar and Elle … you know:
I guess you could argue that Noah waited too long and lost sight of both of them. Or that Noah wanted to lull Sylar and Elle into a sense of security before bursting into the house and scaring the heck out of them. But the thought of Noah watching Sylar and Elle strip down and go at it? It’s the immediate conclusion that jumps to mind, and it’s as disturbing as it is disappointing. Noah had a clear shot at the end of the previous episode, so how Sylar and Elle got a chance to have sex while Noah waited across the street with a sniper rifle trained on them boils down to either voyeuristic proclivities or sheer incompetence. Either way, it’s a *PING!* Dumb As Peter Award for Noah. Next time, Noah? Don’t watch them have sex. Just shoot them.
All of this aside, the scene sets up Sylar and Elle’s shared uncertainty over what they’re going to do now that they’re powerless. Perhaps more importantly, it also foreshadows the way Elle will end up a victim. You get a sense here that Elle cares about Sylar; not just because he helped her to channel her ability and accept the death of her father, but also because he was someone she could confide in. The dialogue does part of the work, but it’s mostly the actors who convey that trust.
Noah gets tired of watching the post-coital rambling and starts shooting. He bursts through the door …
… and I have to ask: is there really that much difference between that and this? Seriously, someone needs to start a petition: Jack Coleman for Bond. He totally gets my vote.
Beautifully shot. It’s grandiose and atmospheric, and it creates enormous tension when you realize how close the killer is to his victims. The amazing part — throughout this episode — is it’s hard to begrudge Noah for his bloodlust.
At the Helix Compound:
Is this some kind of bizarre psychological warfare? Are you trying to scare me, show?
Flint playing with the cigarette lighter was a nice detail. The flame’s probably a source of comfort after losing an ability he’d become so accustomed to.
Mohinder tells Arthur he’s “checked every imaginable connection” between the eclipse and the loss of everyone’s abilities. Every imaginable connection? Within a few hours? My BS Detector sounded, but when I tried to research the stuff Mohinder theorized about — eclipses, gravity and electron density — all I got was a little pop-up message that said, “YOU IDIOT! THIS IS HEROES SCIENCE! IT’S NONSENSICAL! LET IT GO, OK? JUST LET IT GO!” So, at the start of “The Eclipse, Part I,” we had no idea how or why the eclipse removed people’s abilities. At the end of “The Eclipse, Part II,” we still have no idea. It’s a little disappointing. I’m tempted to say that even if the explanation had come down to pseudo-scientific babble, it would’ve been something.
Flint: “You keep talking, but all I hear is ‘blah, blah, blah.’”
Line of the night. I love how Blake Shields snarls it out.
Backyard to the Vortex Unsafe House. Sandra calls Noah to tell him Claire’s in critical condition at the hospital, and that the cops were alerted to the gunshot wound. Noah seems genuinely surprised by this news, so I’m wondering if he really didn’t realize he was leaving Claire to die last week. If he did, he’s feigning surprise now.
Noah: “Tell them what I would tell them.”
Sandra: “You mean lie.”
It’s telling dialogue. Sandra’s generally the one who defends Noah when Claire throws accusations at him, but here, you start to sense Sandra’s misgivings about the way Noah deceives everyone around him.
The look Sandra gets when she realizes what Noah’s asking her to do only supports that. I hope there’s at least some fallout from this. Sandra has every right to blame Noah: for refusing to bring Claire to hospital sooner, for not being there when Claire died, and for hiding the reason why Team Pinehearst sent mercenaries after Claire in the first place.
Noah’s decision to finish the hunt was an interesting moment for the character. You wouldn’t think he’d put anything ahead of his family, but the implication is that he’s so hellbent on avenging Claire that his rage outweighs his love. You could argue that Noah’s goal-oriented Company streak overrides his compassion, and that he can’t let go of a mission until he’s completed it; but at the same time, it’s surprisingly cold-hearted of Noah to put the apprehension of his daughter’s shooters ahead of his daughter’s life.
Speedster Farm. Daphne reveals she’s wearing leg braces.
Matt: “What are those?”
Oh, Matt.
Brea Grant delivers another superb performance as Daphne recalls how she couldn’t walk …
… getting a fleeting smile of nostalgia as she remembers discovering her ability and leaving the leg braces behind.
Daphne describing herself as a “villain” and “nemesis” seemed carefully planted: it underscores how far the character has come since being introduced, and, perhaps alarmingly, it draws attention to the way Daphne’s becoming a more compelling character than the one who labeled her a “nemesis” in the first place.
As with so many shots of the eclipse, both this week and last week, it’s beautifully realized. Even if the science behind it falls flat, it’s a visual treat.
Helix Compound. Mohinder prepares a serum of unknown properties.
Flint: “You really think I’m that kinda stupid, Doc?”
Outwitting Flint is hardly an achievement, but the deadpan raise of the eyebrows Mohinder gives when he says he really does think Flint’s that stupid is priceless.
We cut to Sam’s Comics, Kansas, which is where we meet the Robot Chicken guys. I know they’re supposed to be named Sam and Frack in the story, but they’re never named on screen, and, honestly, I have no idea which one is which. By their own admission, Seth Green and Breckin Meyer are essentially playing themselves in this episode, so I’m sticking with “Seth” and “Breckin.”
Both actors do a solid job with their cameos. Breckin Meyer …
… brings his innate charm and boyish goofiness to the role. Seth Green …
… brings exactly what he brought to every scene on Buffy: an ability to exude confidence, warmth and charisma.
The problem is neither of these guys needed to be here. There’s no function they serve in the plot that couldn’t be served without them. Ando spends most of this episode translating back and forth between these guys and Hiro, and most of what Seth and Breckin come up with — the theory on everyone’s abilities returning, the speech about being a hero, the comic with Hiro and Claire hiding in the greenhouse — could just as easily have come from Ando. It’s more entertaining this way, but somehow both characters come across as extraneous.
Hiro’s not thrilled about growing up and becoming a hero. We get a montage of 9th Wonders images depicting Hiro stabbing Sylar, Charlie at the Burnt Toast Diner, Hiro dueling with Kensei and Papa Sulu dying. It’s an effective selection of images, and evidence that at least someone on the show realizes the impact these experiences should have had on Hiro. If the 10-year-old equivalent is affected by it, you have to wonder why the adult Hiro seems to have forgotten it all.
In the Haitian jungle, Nathan rambles to one of the Haitian girls about how there’s no one to protect her. It feels slightly forced, like Pokaski and Coleite knew they needed to set up Nathan’s decision to join Pinehearst and worked their way backwards to this scene. But part of it also rings true. It makes sense that, after losing his family, his admiration for his parents and his role as a congressman, Nathan’s only pride would be his ability. It also stands to reason that Nathan’s sense of powerlessness would drive his ambition even harder, and that feeling like a victim would make him lash out at his captors even more fiercely. Nathan sounds deranged when he later talks about giving the “right” people abilities, but the rationale behind his decision is established in a way that helps to make Nathan’s eventual decision seem less out-of-character.
Peter and the Haitian show up to unchain Nathan and rescue the two captive girls. Peter resolves to “hold them off” while Nathan, the Haitian and one of the remaining girls escape into the jungle. My BS Detector was already ringing at this point because I couldn’t figure out how one guy was going to stop an army. How long did Peter think he could “hold them off”? A minute? Two minutes? Was that really going to help Nathan and the Haitian escape — on foot — through the jungle? Peter’s resolve is courageous, but it’s also extremely dumb. Dumb As Peter, you might say. It’s almost as hilarious as Peter’s next line:
“You’re a senator! You’re important!”
Alternative versions of this line:
“I’m not a senator! I’m not as important!”
“I’m a nurse! I’m nowhere near as important!”
“You’re a politician! You’re not supposed to actually fight for anything you believe in!”
Nathan gets a look that seems to say …
“Who are you and what have you done with my brother?” Or maybe it’s, “When did my brother become so brave?” It’s hard to tell.
Somewhere near Costa Verde, Sylar and Elle take cover …
… in a convenience store? It’s jarring for the most appealing reason: because it’s mundane. It makes sense that Sylar would seize the first chance to patch Elle up, staunch the wound and stop the blood trail, but the location jumps out at you because of its normality.
The way the next few scenes intercut between Claire’s death and Sylar’s is superbly done. The editing never disrupts the flow of the scenes; the way it turns out, Sandra’s lack of support and Noah’s ruthlessness play off one another and become even more vivid.
Should we wonder where Lyle was this week? I guess you could speculate his absence away with a dozen explanations, but it made me feel even worse for Sandra when she covered for Noah and accepted Claire’s rebuke. No one seemed to care that Claire’s brother was as guilty as their father for not being there.
Claire goes on a voyage of self-pity, calling herself a stupid teenager and lamenting how she used to wish her ability would go away. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, from the time she tearfully asked Noah why he let Sandra get Haitian-whammied to the time she thought he was dead. But after several episodes in which Hayden played Claire as abrasively smug, it’s oddly reassuring to see that Hayden …
… is as adept at emotionally fraught scenes as ever. The performance is visceral, the emotions are raw; and, even knowing there’s no way the character will die, it’s hard to watch a scene like this without finding it affecting.
Claire flatlines. You know it doesn’t mean a thing; you know Claire will pull through. But when Sandra lets out that hysterical shriek, it blunts our ability to think clearly. Ashley Crow carries the scene and evokes despair that’s intense enough to override the whole “Nah, Claire will pull through” supposition.
Noah tracks Sylar to the storage warehouse behind the convenience store, and the scene in which Noah beats the bejesus out of Sylar intercuts with — look away if you’re eating –
– Claire getting sliced open. Homage to the time she was on an autopsy table? It’s eerily reminiscent and equally grotesque, but three seasons later, after seeing Claire’s brain opened up on a coffee table, it lacks the same dramatic punch.
Noah beats Sylar into semi-consciousness, then discovers the box cutter. I have to praise Coleman for the way he plays this particular moment, because the expression Noah gets when he notices the box cutter …
… is so clearly a “Hey, that’s something I can use!” expression. It feels so spontaneous, you almost wonder whether Noah thought of it while the camera was rolling.
Noah brings the cutter to Sylar’s throat …
… and the context and performance are such that you feel invested in the character who’s about to slit a guy’s throat. You share Noah’s satisfaction in killing the guy, but you also share Elle’s horror while she watches it from the freight elevator. This is what I wish the entire volume could have focused on: conflicted characters, morally complex predicaments, and a storyline that divided the audience’s sympathy.
Welcome to BEHIND THE PSYCHOSIS, where the villains of the show answer YOUR questions about what it’s like to be a villain on Heroes.
This week’s villain: Sylar
It’s been 10 episodes since you last took part in one of our Q&A installments. What’s changed since then?
Well, I turned out to be a Petrelli. That was interesting, because now I might not be. I sliced a few heads open, then discovered I could control my hunger and tried to be a useful member of society. I helped Mom out at Primatech, then I helped Dad out at Pinehearst. I hooked up with the girl who made me crazy back when I first discovered my ability, then learned I could absorb abilities by getting in touch with my feelings. I also just got my throat slit, which was very interesting.
This volume has focused on moral ambiguity. How would you say our perception of you — as a character — has developed?
You’ve seen a few surprises, and that’s what I’ve loved about this volume. In the end, you’re kept guessing. You’re never quite sure if I’m going to slice your head open, let you electrocute me or work alongside you. It’s a sign of excellent writing.
Describe Noah Bennet in 10 words or less:
Resourceful, devious, treacherous, charming, multi-talented, and a wonderful role model.
Describe Elle Bishop in 10 words or less:
Attractive, quirky, complex, tortured, free-spirited, and a cooperative murder victim.
How would you compare working for Angela and working for Arthur?
Angela pretty much lets us do what we want and doesn’t lay a lot of ground rules. She encourages initiative and always responds to suggestions. Arthur’s a little more overbearing and much more specific about what he wants. You don’t feel like you have a lot of input into what goes on, but you trust him and you know he’ll get the job done.
Your victims so far this season include Bob and Elle Bishop, Trevor Zeitlan (via flashback), Jesse Murphy, several Company agents, a Hotspur employee, and, in one potential future, 200,000 Costa Verde residents. How do you think this factors into your depiction as a morally ambiguous character?
Some of those were victims of my hunger, so don’t blame me. Blame my hunger. The rest of them were because my son died, so don’t blame me. Blame the people who killed my son.
If the show ever kills you off, which song would you want playing at your funeral?
The Ramones, “We’re a Happy Family.” Mom says she was in London when they played. That was right before she met those other old folks with abilities. I can’t see her in the audience, but I can’t believe she’d lie about something like that.
Looking back on the season so far, do you have any regrets?
I wish I could have spent more time with Mohinder. I worry that we created the wrong impression for all the viewers who only tuned into the show this season. I wasn’t sure the scene where he bashed my head against the floor conveyed our relationship accurately.
The eclipse that seemed to last forever finally ends; the sun comes out; Claire regenerates; Sandra looks like she’s seen a miracle. And, as well executed as all of it is, all I can wonder is how Sandra will get Claire out of the hospital unnoticed.
Speedster Farm. Matt tuning in to Daphne and Papa Millbrook’s thoughts at the same time was a cool touch. You get the impression that he’s able to overlay thoughts and listen to them at the same time. It’s not clear whether that’s an indication of Matt’s ability being amped up, or Matt being more tuned in to his ability than ever after getting it back, but it was cool either way.
Daphne tells Matt she’s talking to the scarecrow in the field. Matt asks whether the scarecrow ever talks back.
Oh, Matt.
Daphne’s expression says it all.
The story about the scarecrow saving the field was nicely delivered. It gives an insight into the character’s background and roots her in the real world (as opposed to a world of superpowered criminal activity), and it’s heartwarming without becoming overtly nostalgic or sentimental.
Daphne jumping into Papa Millbrook’s arms is equally heartwarming, but I wonder how much sense it would make without the context from the graphic novels. If you didn’t know about Daphne saying she wished her dad had died instead of her mom, and if you didn’t know about Daphne up and leaving as soon as she got her ability, would Daphne’s need for forgiveness make any sense? I guess Papa Millbrook worrying that he drove Daphne away achieves something, but this reconciliation was the emotional resolution to the storyline at the farm. Without the backstory established in the graphic novels, you’re left to speculate about what exactly Daphne needs forgiveness for.
In the Haitian jungle, Samedi’s soldiers mobilize. Milo Ventimiglia fans have reason to squee with delight when Peter aims his rifle and does his best to resemble Rambo. Then he runs out of ammo and surrenders. As near as I can tell, this attempt to “hold them off” buys Nathan and the Haitian approximately 45 seconds. If they hadn’t come back to rescue Peter, I’m struggling to understand how Peter thought this display of bravery would make a difference.
^ ^ The Haitian Death Grip!
I get that he can wipe memories and turn people into zombies, but what was that?
Nathan levitation-slams Samedi into the hood of a car. Nice effect, and nice way to demonstrate Samedi’s invulnerability. Is this really how impenetrable skin works, though? Does impenetrable skin add up to impenetrable bones and internal organs? Because if it doesn’t, you have to wonder why this …
… doesn’t cause massive internal injuries and kill Samedi before the Haitian gets anywhere near him.
Does the Haitian actually kill Samedi? It looks like it. Based on Nathan’s mention of this as a “sacrifice,” the implication is that, even if Samedi only got his memories wiped, he’ll still be left a vegetable. I can’t see the fraternal parallels extending this far, but the way Samedi appeals to the Haitian’s brotherly love — and the way the Haitian ignores his bond with Samedi in order to stop him — seems to point the way to a storyline between Peter and Nathan in Volume Four.
Folks, I’m peering between my fingers, so forgive me if I miss anything here.
“Maya? It’s me, Mohinder … [Edited for time?] The guy who trapped you in a cocoon. So, uh … wanna grab some coffee?”
I wonder why Maya needs “just a minute” before she answers the door. Was she checking her hair and make-up? Hiding some stud in the closet? Grabbing a cricket bat? Whichever it is, they’re all in character.
Mohinder sees the scales on his wrist … and, what, realizes that the absence of those scales wouldn’t be enough to win her back?
Maya finally answers the door, calls Mohinder’s name in an empty hall, and finds the note with her address. I’m trying to figure out the worst case scenario here: they’re not really going to bring her back, are they? This was a one-off scene to highlight the life Mohinder forfeited because of the serum. Truth be told, I liked it that way. And I choose to believe there’s no possible way that Maya will forgive Mohinder, decide he deserves another chance and come back to him. Let’s not even go there.
Moving hastily on!
Sam’s Comics. Seth delivers a speech about heroism, reciting every superhero maxim ever delivered by someone and somewhere else. You know Seth doesn’t believe it for a second, and he barely finishes the speech before Breckin points out that Seth doesn’t believe it. But apparently Hiro believes it, because he’s either a gullible 10 year old or a true hero. The way this scene undercuts Seth’s conviction, I’m leaning towards the first of those.
Breckin pulls out a magnifying glass and studies the first issue of 9th Wonders, then he and Seth debate whether two characters sharing a scene counts as meeting one another. Is this how the show sees us? I’d feign indignance, but it’s an alarmingly accurate portrayal, so I can’t really berate the writers for misrepresentation of their fanbase.
Cute. I can’t help thinking it’s already been done after Peter found himself in the same greenhouse at the end of Season One, but the thought of going back to that storyline is so appealing, and provided the twist doesn’t wreck the storyline in the process, it’s something to look forward to.
Sandra, presumably too furious to ask Noah whether the people who shot Claire will look for her at their home, brings Claire back to Canine Central. Noah, presumably assuming Elle bled to death and Sylar won’t retroactively regenerate once his abilities return, doesn’t think to take Claire to Primatech to protect her. And Claire, presumably traumatized by dying, contents herself with the latest Love-Noah/Hate-Noah/Forgive-Noah cycle. There’s a lot of presuming going on here, but this scene establishes that Claire’s …
… definitely up to the Hating-Noah part, so forgiving him’s probably right around the corner.
I can buy Claire hating her father for not being there to hold her hand and tell her it’ll all be OK, but did we really need another scene where Claire accuses Noah of putting his work before her? Claire was there when Noah took a bullet and had his memory erased for her. She was there when he died trying to protect her. She was there when he gave up his freedom in exchange for his family’s safety. And even if Claire’s suffering from selective amnesia after flatlining, she admitted on several occasions that her father does what she wishes she could be doing: stopping superpowered villains and averting global disaster. So, all in all, I think I’m justified when I say, SHUT UP, CLAIRE!
Noah twigs that Claire regenerating after dying without her ability means Sylar’s live and kicking, races down the stairs and demands to know where Sandra is. Again, poor Lyle.
Sylar and Elle show up, and Noah gets TK’d to a wall.
Noah: “You’re following Daddy’s orders, now? Trying to be a good boy?”
Sylar: “Not a good boy, not exactly. Something else, something like … like you. Home, family, but not afraid to do the job I have to do.”
Great dialogue. It’s funny for the mildly insulted look Noah gets when he realizes Sylar wants to emulate him, but it also dovetails quite elegantly with Sylar naming his son after the man he admires.
Sylar TK-chokes Noah. Claire agrees to leave with Sylar and Elle if they’ll leave her parents alone. Sylar looks like he’s going to kill Noah anyway. And Noah comes out with the revelation that Angela and Arthur aren’t Sylar’s parents.
Just writing it sends a shudder down my spine. The expression “WTF?!” doesn’t begin to adequately capture my reaction to this.
I want to believe that Noah was desperate; that he was thinking on his feet and messing with Sylar to buy some time. But then, Elle’s expression when he comes out with this line …
… isn’t so much “Oh, please!” as it is “OH, S**T! HE’S REALLY GOING TO TELL HIM?!”
Noah: “They’re manipulating you; Arthur, Angela. I’ve read your files, Gabriel. You’re not their son. They’re just leveraging your mommy issues to turn you into their weapon.”
So, to recap:
We’ve spent half of Season Three adjusting to the appalling idea that the villain and the hero are brothers, and now it turns out it was all a hoax?
Angela and Arthur, who have barely communicated over the past year, both decided to spin what’s more or less the same story (give or take the circumstances surrounding Sylar’s birth and adoption), and now it turns out it was all a ploy?
The show went to exorbitant lengths to establish visual, thematic and conceptual ties between the family members — from physical attributes to key traits and abilities — and now it turns out it was all one giant coincidence?
Seriously, Heroes, ARE YOU KIDDING US?!
I hated Sylar turning out to be a Petrelli, but this? This is worse. This is taking a storyline that turned everything on its head and AGAIN turning it on its head. It’s essentially telling us that Sylar’s heritage, the central storyline of the season — above and beyond The Formula or Arthur’s plan to build a superpowered army — was just an elaborate fake-out. At this point, I’ll take Sylar being a Petrelli. However questionable it may be, it’s preferable to the whole storyline turning out to be a ploy.
Noah points out that Sylar killed Elle’s father, and Sylar gives Elle a look …
… that seems to foreshadow his decision to give up on his humanity. It’s not so much regret as realization; as if he realizes he doesn’t deserve Elle’s forgiveness and he doesn’t deserve to be loved. It doesn’t make Sylar’s transition over the course of the season any more consistent, but it serves as the moment he realized that his dream of a happy life with Elle wasn’t going to happen.
Hiro teleports in, teleports Sylar and Elle out, then returns to teleport Claire to the Rooftop of Pigeonly Delight 16 years earlier. It’s probably the single most awesome display of abilities we’ve seen Hiro demonstrate. Between this and his distress over what’s happened to Adult-Hiro over the past year, I’m inclined to hope Hiro keeps his 10-year-old mentality. He’s more self-aware, he’s more heroic, and he’s infinitely more competent.
Sam’s Comics. Seth tells Ando, Matt and Daphne that “the well is dry.” No more 9th Wonders. No more prophetic comics. “This is it,” you think. “Goodbye, Meester Eeezuk. This plot device has finally come to an end.”
Except …
Oh, come on. YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING US!
In the Haitian jungle, Nathan praises the way Peter’s decisions “always came from [his] heart.” It seems like Nathan’s underhanded way of telling Peter he makes dumb decisions, but I love how Peter’s all, “Aww, bro, you’re too kind,” and how Nathan’s like, “Oh, yeah, by the way? I’m totally ditching Mom’s team and heading over to Dad’s. Good luck stopping us!”
And Peter’s reaction is just …
“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?”
But the best part?
The Petrelli Hands of Manipulation!
Nathan decries Samedi’s tyranny, extols the Haitian’s ability to stop him, and decides the prospect of superpowered megalomania, corruption and greed isn’t enough of a reason to ignore Team Pinehearst’s ideology. Because if the ~*idea*~ is sound, the risks are worth taking. Nathan gets the crazy eyes, so the show pretty much guides you to the conclusion it wants you to draw when Nathan talks about the “right” people being granted abilities. It’s largely to the show’s credit, however, that it decided to move past soap-opera drama and address the global ramifications of people having abilities. It brings the story full circle. It takes us back to Mohinder and Peter’s conversation in “Collision” about abilities representing a natural response to environmental factors; it takes us back to Nathan and Peter’s conversation about the potential for people to do good with their abilities in “Nothing to Hide.” And, sure, it’s a sign of a show’s delusional self-importance when characters in a fictional world talk about resolving crises in the real world; but provided the show avoids taking a political stance, this development has the potential to bring contemporary relevance to the story. If nothing else, it’s an opportunity to get away from waffles, spitballs and prophetic comics.
We reach the scene this episode will be remembered for. Sylar and Elle pop up on a deserted beach, Elle unconvincingly tries to placate Sylar after the scene at Canine Central, and Sylar decides that slicing Elle’s head open is the surest way to find out whether she’s telling the truth. Or maybe he slices Elle open for the hell of it. I’m not sure.
Elle flinching when Sylar tries to brush away a strand of her hair was a nice touch. I’d love to know if it was in the script — “Elle acts jumpy before Sylar kills her” — or whether someone came up with that on the spot. It says a lot about the broken trust between the characters, so I choose to believe it was planned.
Sylar: “I’ve been thinking …”
Elle: “About what?”
Sylar: “About what you said; about us finding ourselves free of parents or powers.”
Come on, writers: I appreciate that you might not have the time to check when Nathan first flew or when the invisible man stopped tackling people in alleys for The Company, but this dialogue was in this episode — and it was Sylar’s dialogue, not Elle’s.
Sylar: “Nobody ever really changes.”
Elle: “You did. I saw you … [Edited for time?] Even after I goaded you into killing a car rental employee.”
Sylar gets in a line about him and Elle being “damaged goods,” and at this point, you can just about buy why Elle wouldn’t struggle as Sylar slices her head open. Between hooking up with the guy who killed her father, losing all sense of purpose and realizing that she created a mass murderer, the implication seems to be that Elle had given up.
The editing could have been better; you can see what the show was trying to achieve by cutting away and leaving the horror unseen, but an obsessive portion of the fanbase is now living in denial because we didn’t see Sylar finish slicing Elle’s head open.
Goodbye, Elle. You were inconsistently written, but a lot of us loved you. We hope to see you in many flashbacks and dream sequences. We also hope that somehow L’il Noah turns out to be yours, even though we can’t fathom the grotesque depths the show will plunge to in order to make it happen.
Was I sorry to see Elle written out? Yes. And that’s proof that the character thrived and developed, because when she was introduced, I really couldn’t stand her. Perhaps that’s a good sign, and perhaps that’s the way it should be when any character is written out. An outcry from fans who vow never to watch the show again is oddly preferable to viewers celebrating the departure of a character who no one could stand. The fact that the show killed off a popular character with an abundance of story potential restores a sense of peril to the show. It underscores the fact that almost no one is safe — regardless of their popularity — and that, no matter how convoluted this volume might become, the central villain’s capacity for evil has in no way been undermined.
Could it have been executed better? Probably. Elle’s despondent resignation on the beach made sense, but a character defined by her spark and energy deserved a dramatic send-off, and Elle’s final scene felt as damp as the sand on the beach where it happened. But then, the fact that the show was willing to kill her off at all speaks in its favor, and suggests that perhaps the show is willing to strap on a set of balls, take risks and challenge our expectations every now and then.
This episode was a mixed bag, but it restored the sense of peril which previous episodes lacked. It resolved the eclipse storyline with only moderate success, but it also set up several storylines that are likely to resonate throughout Volume Four. We had several entertaining scenes at Sam’s Comics, Hiro demonstrating surprising resourcefulness, Ashley Crow perfectly capturing her performance as the distraught mother, Nathan emerging as a potential new villain, and a charmingly written and performed scene between Matt and Daphne.
Despite several minor issues, it’s a vast improvement on last week.
3.5 out of 5
Otto,I told you that Arthur might have been lying about Angela trying to drown Sylar. It looks like that wasn’t the only thing he was lying about. There’s a very simple way Arthur could have found out the information he needed to create the story about Sylar. He could have read Peter’s and Sylar’s minds. I don’t think it’s as simple as Sylar not being adopted and his real parents being the Grays though.
Good review. I’m waiting for HRG/Claire reconciliation 3,008. Her “You left me” abandonment issues would have more resonance with me, if they were tied into her newly discovered immortality…
“It’s bad enough I’m going to lose you sooner rather than later. But, you’re choosing to leave me behind.”
The writing wouldn’t be subpar, if the writers actually thought about implications more often.
Angela and Arthur, who have barely communicated over the past year, both decided to spin what’s more or less the same story (give or take the circumstances surrounding Sylar’s birth and adoption), and now it turns out it was all a ploy?
That’s what bothers me, that they could come up with the ploy separately. As for the issue itself, I don’t care. I’ve wanted Sylar gone since S1. Some of the shows problems stem from the narrative choices the writers made over the last two years to justify Sylar’s continued presence.
As far as the GNs in relation to the show, there’s an issue there. See this post:
http://boards.9thwonders.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=66506&view=findpost&p=773515
I really really hate it to see Elle dead, but I really really like it at the same time. Somehow again they’re killing off a character that is beloved, but I can forgive that. The show was missing that, a character death to turn events around, and Sylar again on his own is way better.
They’ll have to explain better the ‘he-is-a-Petrelli-NOT-JUST-KIDDING’ thing, because they say that in one episode and made everybody so believable about it, even Peter — ok, he’s naive, and he trusts everyone, even Sylar — just for later say it isn’t true? It will be another thing in this season that would be wrong, and meant for nothing.
The same is Peter going in the Future to get Sylar power for just a few episodes later lose his abillities. And Hiro seeing what happened in episode 8, just to minutes later loose his memory. It doens’t make sense, it just doesn’t add anything to the history, just confuses us even more.
How I miss the way season one was driven, everything had a reason and a place to be, nothing was left out. And this is season is just all over the place, you don’t know the truth about anything.
I love your reviews… and Heroes episodes… except for 3.11 and your review for 3.11. Elle dying was a strong point into my dislike for the episode, but… It seemed like Heroes fell flat on it’s face this week. It was horrible and I had been hoping you’d tear it apart…
Seriously, first time I’ve ever disagreed with your reviews… Episode sucked… big time.
Just writing it sends a shudder down my spine. The expression “WTF?!” doesn’t begin to adequately capture my reaction to this.
Noah: “They’re manipulating you; Arthur, Angela. I’ve read your files, Gabriel. You’re not their son. They’re just leveraging your mommy issues to turn you into their weapon.”
So, to recap:
We’ve spent half of Season Three adjusting to the appalling idea that the villain and the hero are brothers, and now it turns out it was all a hoax?
Angela and Arthur, who have barely communicated over the past year, both decided to spin what’s more or less the same story (give or take the circumstances surrounding Sylar’s birth and adoption), and now it turns out it was all a ploy?
The show went to exorbitant lengths to establish visual, thematic and conceptual ties between the family members — from physical attributes to key traits and abilities — and now it turns out it was all one giant coincidence?
Seriously, Heroes, ARE YOU KIDDING US?!
I hated Sylar turning out to be a Petrelli, but this? This is worse. This is taking a storyline that turned everything on its head and AGAIN turning it on its head. It’s essentially telling us that Sylar’s heritage, the central storyline of the season — above and beyond The Formula or Arthur’s plan to build a superpowered army — was just an elaborate fake-out. At this point, I’ll take Sylar being a Petrelli. However questionable it may be, it’s preferable to the whole storyline turning out to be a ploy.
All my words and thoughts here and the idea its’ really true makes my stomach hurt. As it was being said I had your review run through my head from ep 3 “and Cristine is so convincing is if this was a ploy it…” I can’t remmeber the rest, but the writers pulling one over us and not being clever at all!!
Your thoughts like the “A and A haven’t been talking” are word for word mine ( I don’t care he’s a telepath, that can’t just hang there) and lines like “I’ve been waiting for him for a long time.” - it makes it sloppy writing and more manipulation by the writers and not “it wasn’t what you thought” I suspect some part of this is true, for it why bring it up, sure Noah could be playing with him, but still - if it’s true it feels cheep and I pray it’s not going to make me hate this show. And I didn’t want him to be a Petrelli, but don’t take it away. I wonder if they changed it, as the went.
This entire episode burned me.
An outcry from fans who vow never to watch the show again is oddly preferable to viewers celebrating the departure of a character who no one could stand. The fact that the show killed off a popular character with an abundance of story potential restores a sense of peril to the show. It underscores the fact that almost no one is safe — regardless of their popularity — and that, no matter how convoluted this volume might become, the central villain’s capacity for evil has in no way been undermined.
Well said. The outcry is driving me crazy. People always complain no one dies, until they kill the character you like. That’s why I never call for anyone’s head - be careful what you wish for is not just a saying.
And as sad as Nathan picking the wrong side is, it’s good drama and that’s not why I’m upset with the show.
The eclipse going unexplained when the writers explained it in Behind the eclipse - I shouldn’t need cliff notes to watch Heroes. I digress.
Perhaps some Angela next week will cheer me up.
And HRG was great!
Enjoyed the review, yet again. Loved the appreciation of the visuals and Jack’s acting and the humor you sprinkle throughout.
The only thing I really disagree with is what you were saying about Peter. When all this is happening, the militia had just found Samedi. They weren’t right on top of them, so there was some time … any additional time would give them a chance. Also, in regard to Peter being expendable, Nathan is the one in a position of power and he needed the Haitian to follow through on their original plan. In this instance, Peter was expendable. Nathan had a better chance of getting the Haitian out of there either by flying once the eclipse ended or with his political connections if his ability didn’t return. Not to mention, Peter has done this kind of thing before in Homecoming.
You asked “What about Lyle?” What about the other member of the Bennet household? Mr. Muggles!!!
Nice review, Otto. I read your reviews every week and admire them because you’re bringing the right amount of critizism into them. Above of that they are pretty humourous. So, thanks.
I agree with you on almost all points this week (like I do most of the time). The steps the show has taken in killing off Elle and turning Nathan to Team Pinhearst are good signs to get back to the dramatic and unpredictable show it was in Season one and in some parts in Season two.
What bugs me isn’t the death of Elle (although I loved her and found her to be one of the most compelling characters this season) or that the Petrelli brothers are again on opposite sides, it’s the execution that wasn’t convincing to me at all. I understand the motivation of Nathan to help making the world a better place and being back in a powerful position so he can make a difference. But that doesn’t explain for me why he must join his father. He knows that Arthur won’t give powers only to the good guys and he knows his daddy has a criminal nature and the kind of thinking Linderman had. So I honestly can’t understand why he joins his father after what happened in Season one. It was too sudden and contradicted his behaviour in 3×09 It’s Coming.
Now on to Sylar and Elle: I agree with you that the possible ploy of Sylar being a Petrelli would negate the whole point of his storyline. And that’s the same with his sudden shift back to his psychokiller ways. I don’t mind this shift in general, because I loved Sylar in the first two seasons and can’t stand all these devices the writers are/were using to get him to the good side (the Hunger…oh,man) and his flip-flopping in recent episodes. But him killing off Elle to go back to his roots got me totally confused. It doesn’t make sense to me why he scalped her although he saved her in this episode and somewhat in 3×09 by emphasizing with her, he seemed to care alot about her. His old nature breaking through just because Noah told him his heritage was a lie and than killing one of the few people he had ever feelings for isn’t believable for me (even with his hunger to know things, which he was able to control in previous episodes)- not with the development his character got in this season. I would’ve found it way more beliveable if Noah killed Elle and Sylar went on a rampage because of it. Well, that’s the way I’m feeling. Anyway, it seems that Sylar’s redemtion arc is now canned and in this respect pointless. All I hope for is that Elle’s death, how unbelievable and flat it was, brings Sylar back in a steady characterization and back to his evil ways I enjoyed in the previous seasons.
Because of this two points I wasn’t very impressed with this episode and liked 3×10 better. But at the same time it wasn’t as bad as some other episodes this season. Let’s see what the next week brings.
Ya know, I’m really going back and forth and my head can’t stop spinning, and I really can’t decide what I thought of the episode. So many things were kind of good, but issues with SO many things. Let’s start with the big one:
1. Hey, Raissa!! WORD several times over for what you said about Sylar. I now feel justified in my assessments about the character since the end of season one. No matter how good an actor Quinto is, Sylar’s presence is a drag on the show. I get that they need to make him a villain again. But the Petrelli thing–I have to ask why? And I have to ask WHAT REASON ELLE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE TO LIE???? I had issues with the way Elle’s death was handled at first, but now I kind of get it. But the show has saddled itself with something that may just kill it. They’ve now given themselves a villain that is BOTH irredeemable AND invincible. You know what that destroys in the audience?… Hope. In an episode where Seth gave that speech to Hiro, something about that is just damn depressing, and it is time for the show to cut Sylar loose in any believable way it can. TV shows can’t have
Good riddence Elle. I’m not sure whether it was the writing or KB, but Elle’s ‘final’ episode was just awful. Someone really dropped the ball there.
The rest of it I liked, but I’m glad Elle and Sylar’s ‘ret-con’ show is done.
As for Sylar not being a Petrelli, please. Noah has never had access to the key company players. He didn’t know about Linderman, you really think him and Elle are going to know who Sylar’s parents are?
Kelly - no, it doesn’t undermine Nathan’s actions at the end of S1. He wants to save the world on his own terms. Throughout S2 he’s trying to find himself and shrug off the Elder Generation… and then he gets shot. S3 has been about Nathan trying to find out who he is (a continuation of S2), and now he knows - he’s a guy who won’t be manipulated anymore, won’t be pushed around. He isn’t doing this for his Mom, or his Dad, or for Peter… but for himself. I’d wager he’s not even going to work with Arthur, but take control himself (as Tracy said, Nathan has to be the public face.)
Hey, Otto!
Great review, although I’ve decided to give the show a chance to explain itself with the next episode before I comment on “The Eclipse, Part Two”. It’s not only because of Elle’s death…the episode just needs some sorting out for me, which I’m hoping will be delivered by the end of the volume.
Although, I’ve gotta say that the Sylar/Petrelli reveal made me ecstatic despite the anti-climactic conclusion to what could’ve been a gripping scene.
–Matt
Ian:
The scene was troubling on many levels, but definitely not because of KB. If that’s where the writers decided to go, she played it perfectly–with resignation. “Gabriel” was the last thing Elle had to hold onto. There was nothing for her to live for.
At this point, the only person who can defeat Sylar is Arthur. But the goal of the next episode is to defeat Arthur. Big problem. If Arthur is to be used to defeat Sylar before his own defeat, Angela would have to be in on the “defeating Sylar” business, wouldn’t she? And she wouldn’t be.
But we know that Sylar continues to be the focus of the next volume, so depression continues…I’m just pinning a lot of hope to Claire seeing her own “adoption.” A lot of potential there.
Michael, cool theory about Arthur mind-reading Peter and Sylar. I like it. One other theory that came to mind — and one that’s along the same lines as yours — is that Arthur was able to access Angela’s thoughts and memories when he trapped her in her nightmare.
Random speculation: what if Angela and Arthur adopted Gabriel? What if they identified him as a potential super when he was born, and what if Sylar became the Petrellis’ assignment the way Claire became HRG’s? Angela then had her dream of Gabriel turning into a monster, tried to drown him, and so on … It would explain how Angela and Arthur’s versions of the backstory just about jive, and HRG telling Sylar he wasn’t a Petrelli by birth.
Raissa, I agree, there’s so much great material to mine when it comes to Claire outliving everyone she cares about. In a way, I’m glad that arc wasn’t shoehorned into this volume. It deserves to be thought through and handled with finesse, and if the show had attempted it in this jumbled-up volume, it probably would have crashed and burned.
Nina, I think you sum it up perfectly when you describe Elle’s death as “a character death to turn events around.” I really hope it turns out that way; if it’s never mentioned again after this volume, I’ll be disappointed. There needs to be a sufficient follow-through for the show to justify killing her off.
I have to agree with you about certain parts of this volume being an exercise in futility. That said, I’ve enjoyed seeing where Peter’s storyline went after he lost his abilities. That seemed like a creative way to explore different aspects of the character.
Shaun, sorry I couldn’t rip this one apart like you wanted me to, buddy. I get why people hated it, but I didn’t think it deserved to be shredded. There’ll be other episodes for that, I promise.
ThePandoraRose, “sloppy” says it best. I’m wondering too how much of this volume has been rewritten at the last minute. It’s definitely starting to feel like the writers are winging it. The twists and reveals should have filled in the gaps, but lately they’re making them larger. Here’s hoping it changes in the next couple of episodes and throughout Volume Four.
Susan — I know, I know, Peter was trying to buy Nathan and the Haitian a little more time; and, yes, Nathan stood a better chance of getting the Haitian back to Primatech than Peter did. But how long do you think Samedi would have let his soldiers stand around pointing rifles at Peter? Samedi would have caught on to the diversion right away, and it wouldn’t have bought Nathan and the Haitian more than a few minutes. I guess those minutes might have made a difference, but was that difference worth “expendable” Peter’s life?
HRG knows Mr. Muggles can take care of himself. He didn’t say anything because he knew he didn’t need to worry.
Timm, thanks for reading. I agree, the execution this week let down the concepts.
With Nathan heading to Pinehearst, it seems like he’s joining Pinehearst regardless of whether or not Arthur’s there. If Primatech was looking to bring superpowers to the masses, I’m guessing Nathan would have stayed with Primatech. I think Nathan’s banking on being able to harness Pinehearst’s research without getting played by Arthur. As Ian mentions upthread, Nathan probably thinks he can steer Pinehearst without letting himself be manipulated.
On Sylar scalping the woman he seemed to care about, your guess is as good as mine. I took it as an indication of Sylar being so screwed up that he wanted to kill anything connected to his humanity. That’s also why he wanted to kill Noah: it wasn’t about revenge for the throat-slitting so much as severing himself from his admiration for Noah. But that’s grasping at straws. I agree, it didn’t make much sense without more dialogue and a better-established set-up.
KellyH,
“”No matter how good an actor Quinto is, Sylar’s presence is a drag on the show.
So sad, because it’s so true.
Do you think Elle lied because she believed she could bring Sylar back to being the guy she met at the watch repair shop? Perhaps she thought that letting him believe he was a Petrelli — and then being liberated from his obligation to be “special” — was the way to guiding him back to normality? Who am I kidding: you’re right, it makes no sense at all. If she had a secret and wanted to taunt him with it, it would’ve come out when she was frying his ass two episodes ago.
With Nathan and the “been there, done that” syndrome: I dunno, you and I have talked about Buffy and Angel on a bunch of occasions, and this reminded me a lot (albeit in a vastly inferior capacity) of Team Angel joining W&H because they believed they could toe the line without being corrupted. It seems like the difference between this and Season One is that Nathan’s shrewd enough to realize people are trying to manipulate him. He’s acting out of his own principles rather than following anyone else’s.
I’m not sure I agree about Mohinder’s brutality against Flint being “priceless.” The show’s trying pretty hard to turn Flint into a villain who’s so dumb he’s endearing, and the way Mohinder played on that idiocy kind of made me feel sorry for him. Certainly more so than for Mohinder when he’s unable to run to Maya’s door.
Matt and Daphne: yes. I think the really cool part about this romance is that neither of the characters need the romance in order to be relevant on the show. With West, Yaeko or (sorry, buddy) Caitlin, their role was basically “Character X’s love interest.” With Daphne, you can see her storyline breaking off from the Matt/Hiro storylines and taking on a life of its own. That’s a really good sign for the character.
“…a return to first-season form might be signaled by a flash to the single greatest moment from that season…”
I’m definitely with you on this, but at the same time I’m wary. I’m worried that the show — in its current state — won’t manage to pull it off without screwing the whole thing up. If it works, it could be the strongest episode of the season. If it sucks, it’s going to drag “Company Man” down with it. Here’s hoping it works.
Elle knowing Gabriel’s lineage, nope. Don’t buy it. She’s a low-level Agent at best - told enough to get by, and no more. HRG is middle-management, whose quite far down the pecking order.
His boss was Thompson… who was beneath Bob… who was beneath Linderman - who HRG didn’t know was involved in The Company until the end of S1.
He was only ever told just enough for the missions, and nothing more.
Interesting theory - do Hiro and Claire subtly change the past?
I know people wonder why Hiro doesn’t do something like save his Dad’s life… but that’d create a huge change. Perhaps Claire can do a small change by appealing to Noah earlier. He still does (mostly) the same things, but what it does is allow Claire to understand Noah and Noah to become more of a Family Man.
It was, indeed, a vast improvement over last week. I actually enjoyed this episode.
Otto, I’m formally requesting you rename the “Ping! Dumb As Peter Award” to the “Ping! Dumb As Nathan Award.” Seriously, how many times does he have to almost destroy the world before he figures out that maybe politics is not the best career choice for him? I loved Peter’s expression: “Don’t you remember me telling you about how you almost destroyed the future? Again?” DumbASS.
I really enjoyed Hiro this episode, and it’s been a while. The only thing that bothers me is this lingering impression that Hiro is a more effective Hero as a child than an adult.
Sandra Bennet is the best mom ever! But how much longer will she put up with Noah, especially since they’ll probably have to move again, if only because of Claire’s death from an unreported GSW? We need more of Ashley.
I was getting pretty tired of Mohinderstein, but I really enjoyed his realization that he can’t blame all his murderous dysfuntion on the spidey mutation. Oh, the irony, that Arthur was the one who pointed it out.
Great to see the Haitian in action. I did enjoy seeing Nathan use his powers offensively. And the foreshadowing of brother versus brother was ominous, if a little heavy-handed.
There were flaws in the episode (”heard from a dude…” Elle’s death, Matt’s dumb dialogue) but I’m finally feeling better about the show again.
I do have one question though. Not only did the eclipse last FOREVER, but is it even astronomically possible for a total eclipse of the sun to occur simultaneously in Haiti, New York, Kansas and California? I guess I’m just picking nits, but still…
The Eclipse occured in America and Japan at the same time in 101. It lasted a long time in that episode, too.
It’s not astronomically possible, but the show set a precedent for not utilising logical science or astronomy.
Ian and Kevin, about the eclipse, we have to forgive many things that happens towards that. Your example, happening at America and Japan at the same time, you forget that in Japan is about what? 12 hours of diferrence from America, and in the show they make it seems like it is in the same fuse time. And the same goes with the others countries. So if we think logical science it couldn’t be possible, as the same thing for people having an abillity.
Honestly, I’m still shocked that little things like this annoys people when this is a sci-fi show.
And Otto, I was just reading the comments and I just realise it. What about the look in Elle’s face when Noah told Gabriel that he wasn’t a Petrelli was with the same sock as Sylar’s was? She didn’t know nothing about this, she was, the same way as Sylar, shocked that this could be true and she didn’t know that, and plus she sunddely realised that Good-Gabriel will be soon gone if that was in fact true.
Cause her reaction in the beach when he touchs her hair is unexplicable (is that a word?) because this entire episode she trusts him completly, why the sudden change of heart if she didn’t know how bad knowing that he wasn’t a Petrelli was for Good-Sylar?
If it turns out that he isn’t in fact a Petrelli I’ll be disappointed ’cause it just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. Why would they — Angela and Arthur — lie about that? If so many people could know that it wasn’t true it won’t make any sense to lie about something like this for a serial-killer. Because onde he discoer the truth he would be even more full of rage and revenge.
I’m very excited with returning to ‘Company Man’ idea, that was the best episode EVER, I hope they don’t screw up.
Otto, I also enjoyed powerless Peter, it is nice to see that, but is how I said before, if the writers were about to take away all his abillities why give the Sylar’s one in the first place? I know that was to make a point that Sylar wasn’t bad because of him, but because of his power, but now again they are turning that around. ‘Cause I don’t know if I read the wrong one, but with the whole Sylar killing Elle and Mohinder still being bad without the abillity was to make the point that people are bad inside despite of their abillities. Or am I wrong?
Like I said is all over the place, and seems like — someone said it before — they are just making it up as they wish. But I just don’t understand how possibly the first season was so amazing — with this same writers — and this last too not so much. It makes me hope for Bryan Fuller’s comeback.
Nina - the Eclipse doesn’t bother me because I subscribe to the theory that if a show introduces an element like that in 101, then so long as it keeps continuity with the previous example I have no issue with it.
And powerless Peter rocks.
Yeah, I don’t care if the show is consistent with the real world as long as it’s consistent with itself. Nathan’s mentioning of real-world things like Darfur and the Middle East was jarring for that very reason.
You know, the show should hit the timeline pretty soon where Peter left Caitlin. I know she was just a device, but I still want to know what became of her. Elle being dead might actually resonate with some sort of return given her vow to “kill the bitch.”
Sandra’s patience with Noah is going to expire soon. Remember that “Mom left” in FYG. I subscribe to the theory that there are some future things that just can’t be changed. Nathan always ends up president, future-Claire always has dark hair, etc., etc. I’d like to see them tap into some marital strain here.
Kelly - Caitlin is a year off reappearing if we take that Future into consideration. Personally, I kinda hope that they end an episode with FutureHiro teleporting Caitlin into the Present… then the following happens.
EXT. KIRBY PLAZA - DAY
Peter takes Caitlin in, and suddenly all the memories of what happen come flooding back to him, face contorting into a mixture of sorrow and regret.
PETER
Caitlin, I…
She SLAPS him HARD across the face.
PETER
I deserved that.
CAITLIN
Oh, you deserve a lot more. I’ve seen what you and your brother do.
PETER
What do we do?
CAITLIN
You kill Claude.
(Kills two stones at once, hee.)
A V3 rant (from someone whose mostly enjoying it.)
he main problem is that they listened to the fans and gave them what they wanted. So this Volume is like a ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation. We’ve got the plot to save the world… Linderman… we’ve got a Niki like woman manipulating Nathan… we have Peter trying to figure out who he is… we have Hiro and Ando as comic-relief… time-travel, a pre-cog, 9th Wonders…
And some of it works. It really does.
But the problem is that this Volume isn’t working completely for anyone. The writers are torn between what they want to write, and what they think people want… and the audience is annoyed because this is, for all intents and purposes, the opposite of S2. The reason S1 worked was because it was their story - they didn’t do what we wanted them to do. They killed Charlie, ya know? An amazing character. She died, and it hurt… but they did it. And it tore Hiro apart. And they went on to tell an excellent story that built and built and ended on their terms.
Now, sadly, everyone is trying to tell the writers what to do. Fans, the Network, critics. Well honestly, screw that. The writers should be telling the story they want to tell. And frankly, that isn’t Volume III. Hopefully it’ll be Volume IV, and people will be patient enough to see where it goes.
But not to be totally ranty:
Did anyone notice Sandra’s awesome reactions to Hiro teleporting?
With Sylar she stares blankly forward, afraid to move for fear that Elle will zap her; with Elle she looks at Hiro with this ‘what is this strange Japanese man doing in our house? look; and then with Claire she just crosses her arms, completely and utterly exasperated with how ridiculous the entire thing is.
And the kicker. Her ‘oh, you have some EXPLAINING to do’ glare at HRG. Best part of the episode, by far.
But how long do you think Samedi would have let his soldiers stand around pointing rifles at Peter? Samedi would have caught on to the diversion right away, and it wouldn’t have bought Nathan and the Haitian more than a few minutes. I guess those minutes might have made a difference, but was that difference worth “expendable” Peter’s life?
True Samedi would have figured that out, but apparently he was still out cold, so I believe that’s a moot point.
As a Peter fan, no, I don’t believe it would have been worth Peter’s life, but he did believe it. As long as Nathan and The Haitian could have escaped, Peter believed it would be worth it. If they would not have made it, the loss would have been in vain, but Peter was willing to risk it.
Ian, HRG definitely wouldn’t have known anything about Sylar back in Season One, I agree. But with The Company currently in shambles, I can easily buy that either (a) Angela granted HRG greater access to classified files, or (b) HRG gained access to classified files without Angela knowing.
There’s no way Elle could have known about Sylar’s origins, but I’m not sure the scene at the Bennet house was trying to suggest that. HRG’s line to Elle was, “You know exactly who he is because you helped create him.” It’s possible “You know exactly who he is” was intended to mean, “You know he’s an evil SOB,” as opposed to, “You know he’s not a Petrelli because you’ve seen his files and you know they list his parents as Characters X and Y.” But, yeah, it wasn’t clear, and that’s an example of where better dialogue and editing would have helped the episode.
Interesting point about Hiro and Claire altering the timeline. I guess Hiro — in his 10-year-old state — won’t have the same reservations about rewriting history as Adult-Hiro. And Claire — if she’s in the same bratty, reckless mood she’s been in for most of the volume — probably won’t stop to think about the ramifications of messing up the timeline. Between them, I can see them making some major changes without even realizing it.
Loved the Peter/Caitlin reunion. Very inventive.
Word on the writers pandering to fan demands throughout this volume. Sometimes, I wish they’d ignore us. If they’d written the show the way they wanted to from the start, it might have turned out better. The flipside to that is stuff like Coleman and Cristine Rose becoming regulars, because that probably had as much to do with fan adoration as it did with producers responding to the characters’ storylines. Fan input is kind of a mixed blessing for this show.
Kevin,
“I’m formally requesting you rename the “Ping! Dumb As Peter Award” to the “Ping! Dumb As Nathan Award.”"
Heh. Noted. I can’t recall Angela earning too many Dumb As nominations, but the rest of the family have all earned their share. Maybe it should be a generic Dumb As Petrelli Award?
I agree, Hiro’s a much more effective hero with the 10-year-old mentality. I liked how he seemed more thoughtful as well; the way he drove Matt to go after Daphne, the way he reacted to the stuff that happened to him over the past two seasons … I don’t know if that’s directly connected to the memory loss, of if it’s a sign that Hiro’s generally being better written. It’ll be interesting to see how that changes when Hiro gets his memories back.
I’m not sure about the brother-versus-brother storyline being heavy-handed. I thought the Peter-Nathan/Haitian-Samedi comparisons complemented one another quite subtly, but I also wonder how much they tie in with KellyH’s point upthread about the lack of hope on the show. Samedi obviously needed to be stopped, but the message in this storyline seemed to be, “In the end, family ties don’t mean jack.” The Haitian kills Samedi (or at least turns him into a vegetable) regardless of whether they’re brothers; Nathan joins Pinehearst regardless of whether its CEO robbed Peter of his abilities and trapped their mom in a nightmare … You’ve got stuff like that, you’ve got Seth’s heroism speech being undercut with the admission that he didn’t actually believe it, and you’ve got Sylar turning on the one person who seemed to care about him for who he was rather than because of what he could do. I have to agree with KellyH: the message behind these story threads seems pretty grim. I hope the volume wraps with at least some kind of positive spin.
Nina, great point about the restoration of Sylar’s abilities coinciding with his return to villainy. Do you think Sylar would have killed Elle even if he hadn’t gotten his abilities back? Maybe being forced to run from HRG, then dying and getting the Not-A-Petrelli reveal all played a part in him turning back into a vicious b*****d. It’s interesting that slicing open HRG’s throat and killing Elle didn’t seem to have anything to do with The Hunger. I think the point (however convoluted and obscure it might have ended up) was that Sylar really is rotten at the core, hunger or no hunger.
Isn’t that what you guys wanted? Sylar to not have all of his actions redeemed by ‘Teh Hunger?’ Granted it’s convoluted (I thought every single thing between Sylar and Elle was in the ep), but it’s got us to a point where the character is back to what he should be… ambiguous and uneasy.
Incidentally, I hope Sylar finds out Angela IS his Mother soon. While it felt like a retcon at the time, I think he HAS to be a Petrelli in some way to continue to exist on the show.
Word on the writers pandering to fan demands throughout this volume. Sometimes, I wish they’d ignore us. If they’d written the show the way they wanted to from the start, it might have turned out better. The flipside to that is stuff like Coleman and Cristine Rose becoming regulars, because that probably had as much to do with fan adoration as it did with producers responding to the characters’ storylines. Fan input is kind of a mixed blessing for this show.
Granted. But, I feel like they’re using fan input/network input/advertiser input as a crutch and excuse. You’ve seen my fanfic. I haven’t negated S2 or S3. I’ve just rearranged the puzzle pieces to form a new picture. West, Maya, Monica, Elle, etc were just that — puzzle pieces. It was up to the writers to arrange them and sell the picture they made to the suits and the viewers. To a significant extent, they’ve failed, and they’re having trouble facing the fact that they couldn’t wield the tools of their trade the way they thought they could.
Granted. But, I feel like they’re using fan input/network input/advertiser input as a crutch and excuse. You’ve seen my fanfic. I haven’t negated S2 or S3. I’ve just rearranged the puzzle pieces to form a new picture. West, Maya, Monica, Elle, etc were just that — puzzle pieces. It was up to the writers to arrange them and sell the picture they made to the suits and the viewers. To a significant extent, they’ve failed, and they’re having trouble facing the fact that they couldn’t wield the tools of their trade the way they thought they could.
Sort of true, but look at the how the audience reacted to Maya:
They hated her from the start. Despite the fact that her ability was clearly designed as a parallel to the Shanti Virus. Now I know she struggled as a character, but the whole point of introducing her was so that when they had her be heroic in the second half of S2 it wouldn’t come out of the blue.
What we sometimes forget is that Heroes does have a plan for the characters. So we judge them based on what we see, rather than where the story is going. It’s like how many people criticised S2 for being slow, but then loved it from 205 onwards. While 201 - 204 could have been more interesting as standalone episodes, they built steadily so that 205 onwards would work. Without Noah’s prophecy storylines, 209 doesn’t work… without seeing Peter struggle in Ireland, 207 doesn’t work… without Nathan’s alcoholism, seeing him be heroic in 205 doesn’t work.
Ian, I agree with you, that was why I was so upset with the EW interview about Heroes, where they called ‘Fallen Heroes’. Was too early to make some judgement about the season, but as far as we gotten is about time to.
Because in season one in they already saved the cheerleader and were about to show us who was the exploding man. And season two — altought it had some problems — right about episode 07 you could see where everything was heading to, but now I don’t have a clue. I know they problem gonna kill Arthur and them for some reason became fugitives, but if this epi 11 is close to the volume finally it doesn’t have the feeling that something is wraping up.
But I agree with you, that pu aside the fact that Elle’s death was so lame, it drove Sylar to the place that I like. Maybe those two episodes were to show us that everybody was so wrong about Sylar being bad because of the hunger. It’s in the character.
Ian,
Good points. However, they suspected the strike was coming long before it did. They knew it was very likely they weren’t going to get through their planned arc as planned. They could’ve tweaked the Twins storyline to get her in place sooner or changed her storyline altogether until after the strike played out.
The fact is, what every fan sees in the show is correct — good and bad. The trouble is that third parties insist on shaping the narrative, which creates friction. Until someone invents the holodeck, where the writers and actors are paid for creating templates and users are otherwise left alone to do what they want, we’re going to have these issues. We have to live with each other. I just wish the writers we have to live with didn’t drop the ball.
Good points. However, they suspected the strike was coming long before it did. They knew it was very likely they weren’t going to get through their planned arc as planned. They could’ve tweaked the Twins storyline to get her in place sooner or changed her storyline altogether until after the strike played out.
They didn’t know it was definitely happening till the very last moment. That’s why they edited 211 so sharply.
If they knew it was definitely coming, I imagine a LOT more would have been changed.