Overview:
Nathan phones Angela and describes how his plane of captive superheroes crashlanded. We learn that only Claire and Tracy were recaptured, and that Claire was later released and sent a cryptic message from someone named Rebel, urging her not to lose hope. We also learn that Matt painted several prophetic paintings near the crash site, that one of them — involving Daphne getting shot — came tragically true, and that the remaining fugitives have banded together to survive. Meanwhile, Sylar terrorizes a dysfunctional family, discovers a fledgling Sylarette who can emit microwave rays, and takes his new protégé on a roadtrip to find Papa Gray.
Review:
Another solid episode, albeit one that highlights several of the show’s innate weaknesses at the same time as exemplifying its strengths.
In parts, it’s outstanding. Nathan and Noah’s motives are established, the plot feels cohesive, and watching the main characters on the run makes for a frenetic hour. If there are weaker moments, they’re moments that’ll feel familiar: a character removed from the main plot and limited to a subplot that lacks a clear direction; the death of a character for shock tactics, and one that’s so devoid of feeling that it telegraphs its impermanence. The weaker moments don’t detract from a gripping episode, however, and in a way it’s the well-crafted nature of the main plot that makes Sylar’s subplot and Daphne’s death feel all the more incongruous.
We open on Nathan in Washington. The “43 HOURS LATER” chyron appears, and immediately you’re intrigued. Why is the phone call later? Why isn’t the phone call in the present and the story Nathan describes in the past? And if the crash is in the present and the phone call is in the future, are the phone call scenes effectively flashforwards?
Assuming Lindelof and Cuse don’t sue, it’s a smart move by the show, and an effective opening that goes on to reveal a disarmingly honest perspective from Nathan.
The first thing you notice — before the story at the crash site even begins — is the amazing color and texture to the scenes in Nathan’s office.
Dark, muted and harsh from the grainy image. The reason these scenes work is because they focus on the character who’s responsible for everything that’s happening, but the gritty sense of reality and the ominous percussive soundtrack throughout this opening also hint at the doubt and self-loathing Nathan’s carrying.
Nathan exposits that the plane made an emergency landing, that the plane broke apart, and that “all hell broke loose.” It’s expo-dialogue, but it doesn’t feel like exposition so much as an admission of failure, and it’s part of what builds the somber tone.
The chapter chyron appears on a plain background; because the show ran out of cool ways to present it, or because the lack of an elaborate presentation makes the opening even bleaker.
Incredibly well shot. The later shots of the plane going up in flames …
… are on the so-CG-that-they’re-blatantly-fake side, but the set work is feature-film phenomenal. The detail that must have gone into building the replicas of the plane, setting fire to the wreckage and blocking the scene out boggle the mind.
Hiro running for his life comes across as partly saddening, partly comical. You feel bad for him — not least because running instead of teleporting would be an unfamiliar experience for the guy — but there’s something amusing about his inelegance, and Hiro falling into a ditch because he didn’t watch where he was going is as apt a metaphor for the character as any.
Matt and Mohinder sticking together was a neat detail. If Mohinder wasn’t living at Chandra’s Crib over the past two months, you can assume he and Matt finally sorted out who sent Molly away. The pace of the scene is such that you don’t really find yourself wishing they’d get sidetracked talking about it on-screen.
Hiro’s dialogue establishes that he can’t save the day by teleporting everyone home. It’s deft exposition for viewers who missed Volume Three, but the line about “the hero’s path” clunks. I guess Hiro looks at every situation within a comic-book context, but it feels out of place in such a grim opening, and it sounds like Hiro thinks it’s all an adventure instead of a fight for survival.
Matt: “Don’t you get it? Powers are not gonna cut it with these guys. They were ready for us — all of us.”
Good dialogue. Helps to reiterate how well organized Nathan’s operation had been until Claire derailed it.
Matt gets the Glazed Eyes of Clairvoyance. It still feels like a slap in the face to Isaac’s memory, but it’s mitigated by the coolness factor when Matt’s first instinct is to go running for a blank sheet of paper and coloring pens.
Claire and Peter pairing off is a joy for Paire shippers, but it also earns Peter a retro *PING!* Dumb As Award, because this was an ideal opportunity to absorb Claire’s instaheal ability and ensure he’d never have to worry about getting shot again.
Noah shows up to apprehend Peter and protect his daughter.
Peter looks uncharacteristically afraid, which is either a sign that he’s turned into a total wuss, or that — like Hiro — the absence of his abilities means the prospect of being in danger now scares the heck out of him.
Nathan continues the phone call in his office and describes the scene at the crash site as “a nightmare” … Which probably isn’t the best choice of word when he’s talking to a mom who’s cursed with prophetic nightmares, but manages to draw our attention away from the Wall of Fugitives:
One can deduce the identity of five of them without too much effort, but the guy at the lower right? I can’t figure out if this is a clue to an upcoming storyline or an in-joke.
Nathan recounts how “Danko” was “in [his] face” from the start. While The Hunter’s name is a bland version of Željko that I want no part in, I have to credit the writers for the way Nathan describes his opponent as “in my face,” which strikes me as a euphemism for “undermining my authority,” “cutting off my balls” and “upstaging my bid for an Emmy.” To wit, at the crash scene, we have …
… Željko constantly getting in Nathan’s face until Nathan looks visibly rattled, and one especially hilarious moment when Nathan, shaken to the point of adopting reflex mannerisms …
… pauses to adjust his tie. Awesome acting from Adrian and Željko Ivanek throughout this episode, but the bickering between the characters — and the nuances the actors add to bring the animosity to life — is superb.
Nathan: “This is my operation!”
Željko: “Not out here. I’ve got civilians at risk.”
Sets Nathan up as the clueless official who lost charge of his operation, and gives an early indication to Željko’s mindset. His loathing of everyone with abilities is conveyed through the performance, but the dialogue suggests he’s out to protect the general population, above and beyond the thrill of hunting down supers and making Nathan look like a douche.
Željko: “The second that crash happened, your ‘prisoners’ were redesignated ‘terrorists.’”
Nathan: “You mean ‘targets?’”
Again, great dialogue. Brings out Željko’s rock-steady conviction and Nathan’s uncertainty.
Peter runs through the undergrowth and stumbles onto Tracy. It’s a remarkable scene for a number of reasons, the first being that — at least as far as I can recall — it’s the first time Peter’s shared a scene with any of Ali Larter’s characters since the Season One finale. It’s also worth noting that Ali plays Tracy’s hysteria with a lot more restraint than Niki’s — which is in character for someone who’s usually so composed and calculating — and that Peter comes across as surprisingly clued in. I would have expected Peter to need a few more hugs and tranquilizer darts before he realized his brother wasn’t feeling the love anymore. The way Peter immediately tells Tracy that Nathan needs to be stopped is evidence that he’s losing his naivete.
The RV in the middle of nowhere feels a little arbitrary, but OK. It’s overshadowed by the hilarity: Matt breaking and entering, disappearing inside the RV and then reappearing with … coloring pens and paper; Matt’s glazed-eyes “Yeah, I’m trying!” expression when Spirit-Usutu tells him to focus; Hiro’s mental note to send money to pay for the clothes he steals from the washing line. They all pale, however, in the face of this:
Priceless. The jokes are few and far between in such a grim episode, but almost all of them work without disrupting the mood or seeming out of place.
Daphne speedyzips to Tokyo to ask Hiro and Ando for help finding Matt. I can believe she’d find Ando at the Lair of the Nerds, but would she really find him at a restaurant? It’s possible she either knew (or cracked) the password on the computer tracking their GPS, but it’s not a huge plothole and doesn’t grate. It’s also more than made up for by Ando identifying their “nemesis” before he turns around, and by Daphne’s air-quotes when she mentions Hiro’s “super-secret hideout.” I’d love to know if that last one was in the script or if it was Brea Grant’s improvisation.
Ando hitches a ride to Arkansas, which services the plot conveniently, but also makes me wonder why no one ever thinks to fall back on that old trick of Ando-charged abilities. Why wouldn’t Daphne and Ando time-travel to prevent Hiro and Matt from ever being captured? For that matter, why wouldn’t Matt and Ando apply a “BURY YOUR AMMUNITION!” Parkman Whammy to everyone within a fifty-mile radius?
For the sake of maintaining the integrity of the space-time continuum? Because brainwashing a community was too much of a risk? Whatever, show!
Also, while I can’t condone the way Matt effectively forbade Daphne from using her ability, speedyzipping out of the restaurant like this …
… is shamefully indiscreet. It’s not like any of those folks will ever see Daphne again (at least, probably not), but if that’s how brazenly she flaunts her ability, I can understand why Matt might be worried about her attracting attention.
We cut back to the RV in the middle of nowhere, where Mohinder asks Hiro how he lost his ability.
Hiro: “It is complicated … but the short version is that the madman you used to work for sucked it out of me.
OK, I added that last part. But is it really so complicated?
Mohinder: “From what I’ve heard, it would have been quite useful today.”
Subtle in-joke? “Look how we removed that plot device from the table and crafted our story without it.”
Hiro: “Now even Ando has a power. But he has no idea how to be a hero.”
What? Wait, WHAT? Thanks a lot, Hiro! It’s not like the guy drove you back and forth across the country and translated for you FOR AN ENTIRE SEASON. Or that he risked his life trying to save you after you got captured in a shady alternate future. Or that he took care of you that time you turned into a 10 year old. Or that he recently risked his ass to go back in time to rescue you after Arthur trapped you 16 years in the past. “No idea how to be a hero”? Next time, I hope Ando leaves you to get recaptured.
Mohinder telling Hiro to turn himself in was an interesting moment for the character. Mohinder’s assumption that they “may” let him go if he went to the police seems oddly naïve, but then Mohinder doesn’t know that Željko hates anyone connected to these abilities, and he probably expects Nathan to think rationally.
It’s also worth noting that Mohinder never expresses any real resentment or anger towards Nathan’s operation. Given the way Mohinder more or less agreed with Nathan’s perspective in last week’s episode, I’ll be curious to see if he still agrees with it now.
Matt comes out of his trance, and we get a glimpse of …
… the whole thing …
… then Hiro in India …
… then Daphne getting shot.
Mohinder: “Where did you learn to draw?”
Matt: “I didn’t. It just happened.”
Self-parody? I’d like to think so, but I’m guessing the unspoken extension to that sentence is, “It just happened … because the plot required it. And because Tim Sale’s cool artwork is a quick and cheap alternative to shooting this stuff in the form of one of Angela’s dreams.”
After puzzling over a sketch of himself getting shot by a dart last week, Matt figuring out that Daphne’s in danger at the crash site is a minor vindication for the character. The way he immediately heads back the way he came speaks to how much he cares for Daphne. I can’t say I ever saw a particularly strong chemistry between the characters, and I can’t say I ever bought the romance between them, but the way Matt dives into the face of danger for Daphne says a lot.
We cut to Papa Gray’s neighborhood and meet Luke and Mary Campbell. I have to say right now, I struggled to get into this storyline. The characters and the story are interesting, and there are some nice touches to the way the scenes are done, but it seems like the show isn’t always sure what it wants to say.
The parallels between Sylar and “Nuke” Luke are overt, but the basis for those parallels feels tenuous. The gist of the storyline is that Nuke is a weird kid whose mom doesn’t understand him, that Nuke is an outcast, and that Nuke wants answers no one can give him. So, basically, he’s a younger version of Gabriel.
My problems with this premise start with the way the show lays a lot of Nuke’s issues at Mama Campbell’s feet. Nuke’s mom is portrayed as an aloof parent who doesn’t “get” her son, and — more importantly to the story — as a mom who doesn’t want to get her son. Which is fine in itself, but has absolutely no bearing on Sylar’s story. The way Ellen Greene played Mama Gray, you could appreciate why — as much as he might have loved her — Gabriel felt smothered by his mom’s expectations. But where Mama Gray came across as an eccentric mom who drove her son to meet her ideals and was always disappointed in him, Mama Campbell’s really only trying to keep her son from ending up in jail. The disturbing part of Sylar’s backstory was discovering where his psychosis started. Nuke has no reason to resent his mom or keep secrets from her. He hates her because she doesn’t understand him, but in the end, it seems like that’s more his fault than hers.
The other hokey aspect of the whole Sylar/Nuke comparison is that they’re apparently both victims of circumstance. In the case of both characters, that strikes me as an oversimplification. Gabriel’s murderous streak was provoked — in part by Chandra, and to a large extent by The Company — but it was also established (ad nauseam) throughout Volume Three that Sylar craves evolutionary supremacy because of a genetic hunger. He might have lived the rest of his life without becoming a danger to anyone, but the message after a meandering third volume was surely that Sylar was rotten at the core and incapable of suppressing his darker instincts.
By contrast, Nuke is immediately portrayed as a bad seed who suffers from violent tendencies and a dangerously loose sense of morality. This storyline sets Nuke up as a Mini-Sylar, but it lacks any of the depth or complexity that made Sylar a charismatic character from the start. The situations are played up as comparable, but they’re fundamentally different. Sylar is complex. Nuke is just a creep.
Anyway, to get back to the scene:
Mama Campbell warns her son that cop cars will be a staple part of his life if he keeps getting into fights. The way Julia Campbell plays the character, you can see she’s amping up the “irritating” side of the character. It’s a solid performance in every way — as is Dan Byrd’s — but Mama Campbell’s right. She’s a concerned mom who’s trying to keep her son out of trouble, and she’s trying to understand where she’s going wrong.
Nuke makes a deadpan remark about juvie food and lies (as we later find out) about a kid at school calling Mama Campbell a whore. Why? Who knows. Maybe because Nuke’s weird, or maybe because he wants to placate his nagging mom. But which is it? It’s never made clear, and the character’s arc feels confused because of it.
Nuke and Mama Campbell find Agent Simmons bloodied, bruised, pinned, bound, gagged and semi-conscious in front of the TV. Sylar strolls in with the mail.
Sylar: “You’re either ‘Mary Campbell’ or ‘Current Occupant.’”
You know you shouldn’t laugh, but in a scene as gross and disturbing as this, part of you wants to chuckle. Morbid humor, and Zach Quinto excels at it.
Daphne speedyzips Ando from Tokyo to Arkansas and hides behind the wreckage on the hillside. She reassures Ando that if he’s seen a future where he kills Hiro, odds are Hiro’s still alive.
The cool part about this is the way it starts everyone guessing: does one possible timeline automatically mean the characters are safe in the present? Is everything already carved in stone, or can certain events still turn out differently?
It’s effective, because a lot of viewers already find themselves applying that same uncertainty to Daphne’s fate: is it certain she’ll survive if we’ve seen her alive and well in the future? Or have events in the present changed so drastically that the future Matt saw no longer exists?
Daphne leaves Ando on the hillside, and Ando talks to himself in English. Really, show? Really?
Also in the middle of nowhere, Tracy diverts a commando long enough for Peter to pwn him with a rock. It’s established in dialogue that Peter can only absorb one ability at a time, and that he doesn’t know why. Good. It’s not explained, but at least it’s clearly established.
Tracy: “I know Nathan too — and not like a brother. I know the way he thinks.”
Peter: “That’s ’cause you slept with him.”
Was that … Was that a broyay shout-out?
^ ^ Jealous?
Come on, show. Leave something to the imagination for the fanfic writers.
At the crash site, Claire recounts to Noah how “the Goon Squad” apprehended her and how “Dad No. 2″ offered her a way out. Hilariously, she doesn’t seem to realize that refusing to “walk out on [her] friends” more or less makes her responsible for the plane crash and the current crisis. Not that we’re expected to see it that way. The show loves Claire far too much to suggest it.
Claire refuses to be Noah’s “excuse” for his actions. Hayden’s performance seems a little overplayed — the way Claire snickers when Noah and “Senator Skyboy” try to justify their actions is a little too sarcastic — but the dialogue is excellent. Claire realizes that Noah’s using his family to rationalize everything. Paradoxically, after last week, Noah’s actions are plausibly explained by way of an assertion that “these abilities have got to be controlled.” You realize that in the absence of The Company, Noah apparently latched onto the closest approximation.
Noah takes Nathan aside and cryptically refers to what they “talked about” when he joined the operation. Nathan cryptically replies that he hasn’t forgotten what they “discussed.” This all sounds very murky, but in quite a delightful way, and it makes me look forward to the imminent flashbacks even more. Between this, an upcoming ElderSuper flashback and the potential Željko flashback, I can’t help wondering if so many flashbacks will overshadow the present-day story they’re intended to support. Who cares — they’re going to be great.
Noah implores Nathan to “put a leash” on Željko. Preferably one that doesn’t chafe and looks stylish. The dog analogies have gotten so mixed up that they’re hard to follow, but I’m guessing Noah wants Željko to wear something like this.
Nathan: “Don’t worry about him. He’s useful … until he’s not.”
That sounds ominous. I hope they don’t kill him off too quickly.
Noah: “What would your hunter do if he knew you were one of them too?”
Wait, WHAT? So the hereditary pattern linking individuals with abilities isn’t something Željko caught onto? Or the throwaway lines from captives about Nathan being ONE OF US? Or the file he read about the cheerleader who just happens to be Nathan’s daughter? None of that clues Željko in? Surprising. Dumb As, you might say.
That said, it’s probably to Željko’s credit that he gets to the hillside almost as quickly as Daphne does. That’s one speedy hunter.
The Heroes reunion was nicely done. Even looking back, knowing how it all goes horribly wrong, it’s heartwarming to see so many of the main characters together. And even if you never bought the Matt/Daphne romance, the fact that Daphne takes it upon herself to rescue all of the heroes at the site speaks to the way the character has grown over the season.
Not that I’m trying to eulogize Daphne. Not at all. Not. At. All.
It looks like Daphne takes one bullet to the arm, one to the shoulder and one to the abdomen. Fatal? Not on this show, and even if it is, you can easily see a transfusion of regenerative blood bringing her back from the dead.
In some ways, the scene works incredibly well:
Claire using herself as a human shield is surprisingly brave, and Matt’s panic and despair — even if they turn out to be unfounded — are convincingly sold by Grunberg. Parkman-whammying a commando into shooting his own men essentially makes Matt a killer, but it’s in self-defense, and it probably saved his life.
The odd thing about the scene is the way it’s underplayed, and it’s the main reason why I’m convinced Daphne isn’t dead. If the show was going to kill the character off, you can bet it would be a bigger deal. For a big portion of the audience, she’s one of the few parts of the show that made Volume Three endurable. Even if most of us never felt fully invested in the romance between Daphne and Matt, the show clearly was, and it’s hard to imagine a death like this occurring without some absurdly emotive strings and, in all likelihood, a Shenkar wail loud enough to shatter windows. There would probably also be much more focus on the wounds, the blood and the body.
Toning down all of those options removes a chunk of emotional impact. We know we’re meant to be devastated, but the scene is so fleeting that it’s hard to take it seriously. In a way, that’s evidence that the show’s learning. We’re spared a lot of pointless grief, and the situation we faced back when Noah didn’t die — when we were expected to feel invested in everyone’s grief over a death that hadn’t really happened — is avoided.
I’d say I hope to see her in many flashbacks and dream sequences, but I don’t think I need to.
House of the Sylarette. Sylar sips on a beverage and pulls up a chair to begin torturing Nuke and Mama Campbell. As with the previous scene, the comic details (particularly Sylar’s fruit mug) make the scene all the more disturbing.
Mary: “Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?”
Sylar: “Nothing. Wrong place, wrong time. I could’ve been a flood or a tornado. There’s really no difference, actually.”
Great dialogue. Drives home how wantonly cruel Sylar can be, and a subtle play on the fatalistic storyline that involves us saying, “Hiro and Daphne can’t be dead! We’ve seen them get killed in the future! We’ve seen them alive in the future!”
Sylar picks up on the “dysfunction in the Campbell household.” You can believe he’d zero in on it, mostly because you know he’d take sadistic pleasure in uprooting family issues, but also because — per the parallels the show wants to draw — he’s attuned to anyone stuck in a family dynamic as screwed up as his.
Does Sylar TK Mama Campbell’s mouth shut? The way it’s shot, it’s eerily reminiscent of Doyle’s ability. Either way, it’s a moment that underlines Sylar’s psychosis.
Nuke: “Let her go.”
Sylar: “You saying that ’cause you care, kid? Or is it just a preconditioned response ’cause Mommy drew the short straw?”
Again, great dialogue. I won’t belabor the way the set-up fails for me, but parts of these scenes are enormously to Mark Verheiden’s credit. Sylar identifying a weak familial bond and relishing the chance to destabilize it; Sylar taking comfort from the unhappiness of others. That’s Sylar, through and through.
Nuke fires his microwave ray.
Cool effect, as is Nuke melting the action figure. The part worth noting, though, is the way everyone reacts. Nuke flits between distress and twisted fascination, then makes a crack about pacemakers, which he apparently finds so amusing that …
… he gives the slimiest smirk you’ll ever see. Even Sylar seems disturbed by this. The kid’s making jokes in front of his traumatized mom and a barely-conscious torture victim. It’s so warped that even Sylar barely musters an unamused chuckle.
Mama Campbell’s reaction moves between horror, disgust and disbelief.
Nuke: “She hates me, you know.”
Mary: “No, I don’t!”
Sylar: “Well, I don’t even need an ability to know that that’s a lie.”
Crucial dialogue because it captures a big part of what makes this family dynamic so dysfunctional. For a moment, you wonder whether there’s any truth to the words; whether Mama Campbell is so scared of her son that her fear outweighs her maternal instinct.
But then, I can’t figure out if that makes this storyline more effective or more confused. It seems like we’re expected to judge Mama Campbell and understand why Nuke is eager to leave his life behind. But Mama Campbell’s in such a surreal situation that I honestly couldn’t blame her if her feelings and instincts were mangled. She stumbled onto a guy who’d been beaten within an inch of his life; she discovered that her son had an abnormal destructive ability and that he’d hidden it from her; and she heard her son assert that she hates him.
And given the near-total lack of guilt Nuke shows when he melts Agent Simmons, you’d be hard-pressed to begrudge Mama Campbell for feeling confused about how she feels. When she asks Nuke, “What are you?”, it doesn’t strike me as “hate” so much as severe shock and incomprehension. She’s trying to figure out what planet she’s on when she’s taken hostage and her son kills the guy who’s trying to free them.
Nuke: “I can’t stay here … With her, with this. You’re the only one who understands what it’s like.”
Again, I can’t figure out what the show’s trying to say. Are we supposed to sympathize with Nuke because he found someone he identifies with? Are we supposed to understand why he abandons the mom who “hates” him? Or should we feel bad for the single mom who was doing her best to communicate with an anti-social son, who watched her son kill a guy with perverse fascination, and who left her, traumatized and alone in a house with a dead stranger?
You could argue that all of this makes the storyline effective, and that the only clear statement the show wanted to make was that Nuke was a creep and the perfect companion for Sylar. To my mind, the set-up and execution were unclear, and Nuke’s character arc wasn’t ambiguous so much as confused.
At Goon Squad Central, Željko runs out of patience and decides to put a bullet in the back of Claire’s head.
Woefully underacted or subtly underplayed? You decide. It’s possible that Claire’s so distraught that she’s emotionally numb, but even then, there’s something about her expression that’s bizarrely vacant.
Nathan saves Claire, and Noah escorts her to a car that’ll take her home. You’ll note that the windows are down.
Noah: “They’ll go after you, me, your mom, Lyle — whatever it takes to bring you down.”
Subtle precursor to Claire hiding what happened from Sandra. She’s essentially taking the same position that Noah does: sparing loved ones the anxiety of knowing the truth.
Nicely shot, and a subtle way to convey that Noah will always be the one who reaches out to Claire and that Nathan will always be the guy who’s looking at her from a distance.
Tracy phones Nathan and berates him for allying himself with a “killer.” This seems a bit rich when she’s killed at least two guys herself and had no problem allying herself with Papa “I-snap-necks-and-crack-skulls-without-any-compunction” Petrelli. But it’s also remarkable to watch the nuance in Ali Larter’s performance when Nathan agrees to listen to Tracy’s offer to hand Peter over. Tracy’s demeanor changes when she realizes the value of her bargaining chip, and you see her go from panicky and desperate to calculating and assertive. Well performed, and in character.
Peter’s plan to “get” Nathan and “use him as leverage against the government” seems dumb. Not Dumb As, but definitely dumb. For one thing, it’s clear that Nathan’s really just a figurehead for an operation that Željko, Noah or anyone else could run. For another, kidnapping a senator is hardly the best way to disprove the notion that people with abilities are dangerous and unstable.
Nathan arrives at the exchange point and warns Tracy that Peter’s unpredictable and going to get everyone killed.
On the basis of this encounter, who can argue with him? It’s a neat reversal on our sympathy, because for a moment it’s easy to appreciate why Nathan’s right to want Peter locked up.
Nathan: “It’s over, Pete. Give up.”
Peter: “No, this is the beginning.”
There’s a vaguely villainous undertone to Peter’s reply, and again, it makes for a great role reversal. You realize Nathan’s trying to end the violence and Peter’s perpetuating it.
Noah refusing to shoot Peter was nicely played. Consistent with the guy who couldn’t shoot Peter at the crash site, although you half-wonder if Noah will get past his conscience and take the shot, and, perhaps more importantly, if he’s right to take the shot. It underlines how impossible this conflict is when both sides sympathize with the other and no one can seem to overcome their conscience.
We cut to Nathan on the phone, telling Angela that his “goal” was always “containment, protecting them from themselves.” With hindsight, when you know Nathan’s words are falling on deaf ears and that Angela’s going to hang up on him, it becomes even more tragic. You realize that as extreme as his actions are and as much of a b*****d as he might seem, Nathan means well, and his intentions are ultimately in the right place.
Back in the middle of nowhere …
It’s a Superhero Gathering! Peter’s cheesy call to arms notwithstanding, this scene was a delight. It’s rare to see so many main characters together, and it’s even rarer to see them working together. You have to fear for their fate when three of the show’s Dumbest characters pool their resources, but this scene captures what was great about this episode: that the focus is on one place and on one shared crisis.
We get a glimpse of the rest of Matt’s artwork, including …
… a guy who could pretty much be any of the dark-haired main characters …
… along with Matt and Mohinder? Probably, although again it’s open to speculation.
Hiro recognizes the painting of himself and resolves to go to India. Because “the warrior must have a sword.” Oh, no. Please, show, no. I don’t like the sound of that at all. It brings back repressed memories.
Subtly played. We get a sense of the rage that’s boiling inside him, but Grunberg delivers the lines and plays the nuances with quiet sadness. It might have carried more weight if we believed Daphne was actually dead, or if we’d felt a little more invested in the romance between them to begin with, but Matt comes across as a guy who’s lost the only thing that mattered to him, and it’s hard not to feel invested in the character’s devastation when it’s played that way.
Peter tells his fellow fugitives that their normal lives are over, and that they can’t go back to anything they knew. Which seems kind of obvious, but reinforces one of the most promising aspects of this volume: that the story is changing, the character arcs are evolving and the format of the show is developing. No matter how this storyline ends, it’s hard to imagine its ramifications being buried or undone, and it’s hard to imagine anyone going back to what they knew.
Except Claire, because the show will always let her scenes be mopey and angst-ridden.
The remarkable part of this scene is the way Sandra’s oblivious enthusiasm makes Claire feel even worse for lying, and the way the camera stays focused on Claire the whole time. Claire’s expression seems to move between “How can I deceive her like this?” and “How long can I keep this charade up?” As mopey, angst-ridden Claire scenes go, it’s one of the more affecting ones.
Claire considers staying “close to home” and getting a part-time job. Ooh, is there a Doublemeat Palace in Costa Verde? I foresee a scene involving Claire, a meat grinder and burgers made from regenerative human innards.
Claire gets three text messages from an unknown sender.
And “Rebel” would be? …
But Claire doesn’t “hate” them! Well, OK, she does. Sometimes. But she also forgives and loves them! That’s her routine!
“I’m scared.”
Come on, do you really think Claire would have bothered to capitalize or use apostrophes and periods?
This week’s graphic novel doesn’t give much away, but let the speculation begin. My money’s on “Rebel” turning out to be Angela.
The final scene caps off the episode perfectly …
… not least because it features a cameo from Rachel Mills. If she can graduate from the webisodes to the show and actually get some dialogue before she’s killed off, I’ll be happy.
Nathan again gets a chance to justify his actions — both to Tracy and to the audience.
“What I’ve come to realize is that these powers just lead to chaos, and good people — through no fault of their own — cannot control it. It just leads to disaster.”
And for about the millionth time inside of an hour, it’s hard to dismiss Nathan’s outlook as wrong. Given the emerging pattern on the show — that superpowered individuals can be corrupted, scared or manipulated into rampant destruction — Nathan’s approach comes across as the safest option. He’s power-hungry and obsessive and cold-hearted, but he’s not wrong.
All in all, this wasn’t a perfect episode, but one that delivered in terms of gripping drama and identifiable predicaments for the characters. The Sylar storyline is beginning to resemble both Hiro’s escapade in feudal Japan and Peter’s amnesiac visit to Ireland, and Daphne’s death feels less like a logical move for the character and more like a plot device to enable Matt’s descent into darkness.
That said, it’s a pleasure to watch Nathan’s character arc evolve with such care and complexity, and the introduction of the “Rebel” storyline recalls the mystery behind the exploding man in Season One and Superhoodie in Season Two. There’s a renewed sense of intrigue and momentum driving the story, and a thought-provoking variation on the original premise: if ordinary people discovered extraordinary abilities, how long would it be before those abilities became extraordinarily dangerous?
4 out of 5
first comment!! yeahhh! LOL
as always, I agree with you Otto…
Loved the scenes between Zach Quinto y Dan Byrd (I hope they don’t kill him too soon)
Totally loved the “Dark Parkman” and the scene when he make the “ninja guys” kill each other! coooool…
And I believe that Daphne is alive and she’s now a prisoner…
Great review as always Otto.
BTW, I’m starting to promote the reviews now on the KryptonSite Twitter feed as well: https://twitter.com/kryptonsite
As always, awesome review, Otto! I pretty much agree with everything you said in your review. I esp. love your comments about Tracy and her scenes with Peter. I couldn’t agree with you more, lol. Also, I love reading your comments about Ali Larter’s awesome performances on her characters (ie. Niki/Jessica and now Tracy). You are always on spot when it comes to describing her acting and performances on her episode appearances whether she’s playing Tracy (now) or her old characters (Niki/Jessica) as other Critics/Heroes episode reviewers often failed to noticed Ali’s wonderful acting, but not you…so, it’s always great and refreshing to come in your blog weekly to read that about her here in your reviews. Of course, I also enjoyed your thoughts and funny comments (lol @ the t-shirt that Hiro was holding: “Rednecks make better lovers”
)about other characters (not just Tracy) in Heroes….because you are often right and I mostly agree with you. I also enjoyed this and the last episode. Looking forward to next week’s episode and of course, to read your next review. 
Btw, love the new look to this blog. Great job! Keep up the great work!
No way that Daphne’s dead for good. Heroes really needs to quit shooting characters and bringing them back. There’s even an article at HeroesWiki listing all the times people have gotten shot and lived.
A good review. Personally, I think that Rebel is Micah because:
-The show reintroduced him after a volume hiatus. If he was long gone, why show his picture?
-The instant text messages from an unknown caller (along with the street light changes in the graphic novel) may suggest someone with technopathy is involved
-Micah’s technopathy ability would not only enable him to get Claire’s phone number, but also know about a top secret operation (provided there’s a digital report)
I think you’re right - Sylar’s storyline will become the “Peter-in-Ireland” plot of volume 4. I find it a bit difficult to even care who his real parents are. What does it have to do with anything?
Still not that impressed with the Matt-is-a-precog plot. The whole thing really cheapens Isaac, which is a shame because Isaac was an awesome character. Funny because I just saw the movie “Push” and Dakota Fanning’s character is a “Watcher” who sees the future and guess what? Draws it! I couldn’t help thinking of Heroes.
I’m with you on Daphne, she’s not really dead…yet.
This episode was actually pretty light on Claire-praise. I must say that ever since I saw the episode where I found out Nathan is Claire’s father I’ve hoped for some kind of story between them, but alas nothing yet. To me it just seems like a character reationship they introduced and never did much with.
Hiro’s dialogue has pushed me to the limit. It’s to the point I want to slap him everytime he says something’s his “destiny” or “heroic duty”.
Random question time: What ever happened to Heidi and Nathan’s two sons? Nathan just seems to have completely forgotten about them. They don’t even know about Claire for all we know. I wonder if either of those kids has powers. Nathan’s synthetic and Heidi’s a normal so does that mean they got the short end of the stick and won’t have totally sweet abilities?
Nice job Otto. You did especially well in articulating my uneasiness with the Sylar/Luke scene. The acting was good, the dialogue was great, but the motivations were just unclear; not just disturbing, but confusing.
I’m coming to accept Matt’s precognition, especially since he’s still got the telepathy going, but Usutu is starting to get on my nerves. There’s just a shade too much Yodah happening there. “Focus, you must, Parkman…”
It was obvious that Daphne wasn’t dead; the scene just didn’t have the impact that a really most sincerely dead death would have. Claire as a living shield was a great moment for her though. (I’ve never been as irritated by her as you; though I’m not so enamored of as “Show.”) It was nice to see Ashley, also…
Poor, stupid Tracy…At least it looks like Peter is FINALLY getting a clue, though. I’m not so sure Nathan’s motivations are in the right place, mainly because I thing he’s cracked. I’m never exactly sure how low he’ll stoop, or who he’ll throw a bone to. Regardless, Adrian Pasdar is doing a terrific job of it.
Told ya Angela had her own agenda! Not sure about her being “Rebel” though. Something about the text messages struck me as a skotch unsophisticated for her. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part; I’d love Rebel to be Micah, implausible as that might be. I still think he has a place in this storyline: his technopathy should scare the bejeebus outta TPTB and Nathan did give his file to the Prez. I don’t think Nathan or the Hunter would scruple to leave him alone just ’cause he’s a kid, though Noah might. Also, the end interrogation scene with Tracy was viewed at one point from the POV of one of the cameras. Why? To set up suspicion of Nathan, because he’s “one of them?” Or because they are being peeped upon by a precocious technopathic prodigy? Ok, I’ll let it go…
Two good episodes in a row. I am much relieved.
Take care,
K
…. Hi, Otto
…as Craig’s doing, I’m also ‘tweeting’ because your reviews are, and have always been, my favorites 
..totally enjoyed your comments, observations, humor and insight - Thank You! by the way, you can follow me on twitter at http://@Sheindie
Great review, Otto.
More from me later–but Micah as “rebel” is actually an excellent idea. But probably one that was never even considered. There’s chatter on the internet that it’s–get this–WEST! But I consider that phenomenally unlikely in the extreme.
Good review otto,
I dont think it the txt msgs are coming from Micah, the reason i say this is because the txts sound to grown up to come from a 10/11 yr old. However there could be a possibility that someone is with Micah using his ability, also has Micah really got any idea of whats going on last time we saw him he was leading a normal life and why would he hate them so much he hasnt had that much interaction with them, that is why i believe it is someone more clued up and maybe has told Micah what to say what do you guys think just throwing it out there
Another great review. I’ll agree with you, specially the points you raised with the show’s strenghts and weekness.
Keep it up!
Like Leigh, I’m kinda getting tired of Hiro’s hero dialogue (duty ? like when your duty was NOT to open the safe ? ^^). Redneck … was just awesome but I hope Hiro will serve another purpose than comedy.
Precog Parkman - okay (poor Isaac and Usutu…). Not worrying too much about Daphne - for now at least. When Daphne says “Hiro’s not dead, you’re supposed to kill him” (more or less), to Ando : None of the future we were shown actually happened, so how relevent can that be? Maybe Peter should tell Parkman “Daphne can’t be dead, she’s supposed to be nuked after being involved in killing Sylar’s 4 years-old kid who is maybe never gonna be born” (Long story short ^^).
Nathan/HRG/ZI scenes were great, It’s not really them who I’m worried about. It’s actually nice to know their motivations (top of my head is Arthur who died before we even knew something about his plan).
Claire, hum, well it’s Claire … I think she beggan to annoy me at the end of S2 and it just can’t get worse (like her makeup and wigs?). Hopefully that will get better soon. The only thing I was worried about was the driver. Shouldn’t be wearing a helmet or something after what Claire did to the previous one ? ^^
Like you said, Sylar/Nuke Luke (nice one) felt a bit hum disturbing to me. I hope the writers know where they’re going, and I’m wondering how this storyline will end up tying up with the main one. If the morbid humor and the acting weren’t there, I would really have been disapointed.
I’ll agree with you that by the end of volume 3, it’s been shown that, Hunger or no hunger, Sylar is rotten. Elle (who was, the only one who really beleived him) and Arthur (who, you know, tried to tell him he didn’t need to slice heads open to get new powers) both died while HRG and Angela (I know … main cast ^^) who are as much involved as the 2 dead people in what happened to Sylar, both survived while he could easily have killed them too. At least, his storyline isn’t just power farming anymore and I’m waitin to see what happens when he meets Papa Grey.
Well, until next week
Regarding precogs: Isaac and Usutu seem to have no other abilities beyond precognition. But elements of volume 3 (that is, Matt and Hiro’s visions), and Matt’s storyline here suggest that precognition isn’t a power like any other - it’s not something carried around in individual genetics, but a nebulous *something else*.
Rebel: I’ve got a distinct feeling that this’ll be a new character, but there’s still room for it to be plenty of others. It could, for example, be Hana Gitelman/”Wireless” - communicating electronically is pretty much all she can do now and the first volume of the graphic novel already had her in contact with Micah - but her disembodied state and lack of interaction with the rest of the cast since Volume 1 kind of rules this out. It could equally be Claude - though his preference for staying below the radar would seem to go against this. West has the right personality, but I doubt his aptitude to do this, or the writers’ willingness to bring him back.
Personally, I’m willing to imagine that it could be Barbara - Niki and Tracy’s other sister, who is so far unrevealed. Given Tracy’s fate at the end of 3.15, it seems like an easy way to keep Ali Larter in the show without having to break Tracy out again… and allows them to introduce a ‘new’ character without just pulling one out of thin air, as they’ve already established her existence.
I disagree with your assessment of the Peter/Nathan/Tracy scene. If Nathan pummeled Peter with a pipe, basically told him he didn’t care about him anymore, then rounded up him and his friends (brutally might I add) doesn’t Peter have every right to want to wring Nathan’s neck or rip him a new one. How in your assessment does Peter fighting back make him the bad guy now? However you want to spin it, feeling guilt or not, Nathan’s a ****wad! Not the actor ( I can separate the two) but the character. You seem a little bit in love with Nathan. Your review was totally kissing his ass. Can you be just the littlest bit impartial? Huh? I loved your ep 14 review because you didn’t get so personal about stuff. Can you do that again for ep 16?
4 out of 5 is SO generous! haha.
Yea, I thought the coolest moment was with Peter and Nathan just before Peter flew…
I found myself wondering if Sandra was actually going to be in the episode or in this volume at all…and they waited so long to show her face; I thought it was over.
I need Hiro to get his power back.
I must admit, as much as I love HRG, his motives are getting a little tired. It would be nice if for once, just once, he had a motive OTHER than protecting his family. I think Claire actually brought up a good point (rare, I know) about her “being his excuse for doing bad things”.
I’ve read all kinds of theories on “Rebel”. Everything from being Hana, Angela, and even Meredith (I wouldn’t put it past the writers to keep her alive, but I think she’s dead). I, really, really, really hope it’s not West though. That would be so lame.
I think Nathan’s going to get ratted out sooner or later. I hope Tracy’s comment at least makes the Hunter a little suspicious.
Random question time: Where’s the Haitian?
Hayley, thanks so much for reading.
Craig, thanks as always.
Jeane, thanks, and I’m glad you liked the focus on Tracy’s scenes. Ali Larter does a lot with very little material.
Will, I like the Rebel = Micah theory and your reasons to support it. I’m tempted to go with Dean Gibb’s point: does Micah have enough of a reason to hate Nathan or Noah? I guess, in a roundabout way, he might blame The Company for Niki’s death; or he might just be really, really angry that people with abilities are being rounded up. But I don’t see enough of a motive there to justify reaching out to the people we’ve seen Rebel help in the GN.
The other reason why I’m not sure it’s Micah — and why I’m still leaning towards Rebel turning out to be Angela — is what Rebel represents. The way this week’s GN was written, I got the impression that Rebel was very familiar with hardship and adversity, and that he/she knew how important it is to create a sense of hope. Micah’s pretty intuitive, but I don’t see him grasping those kinds of concepts — the importance of trust and solidarity, the importance of overcoming disillusionment, and so on. Micah’s a smart kid, but he’s still a kid, and Rebel strikes me as someone with more direct experience when it comes to the people running this operation.
Leigh,
“I think you’re right - Sylar’s storyline will become the “Peter-in-Ireland” plot of volume 4.”
I hope I’m not right!
“I find it a bit difficult to even care who his real parents are. What does it have to do with anything?”
I care because it’s Lionel Luthor, but I agree, it’s hard to see how it’ll tie in with the rest of the story. Once Sylar finds his father, where does the story go? Will that change Sylar’s character arc completely? Will Sylar go back to his killing spree? Will his perspective change again? I hope there’s a solid plan to where the storyline’s headed, but right now it’s hard to imagine what it is.
Re: Claire and Nathan: “To me it just seems like a character reationship they introduced and never did much with.”
Good point. I wonder if that’s something the show’s planning to develop further down the road; it looked like Claire was working for Nathan at Pinehearst in the 3.04 future, so maybe something along those lines is still set to happen?
With Heidi, Simon and Monty, I agree, it’s a part of the backstory that seemed to fade into oblivion. I’d guess Nathan’s sons stand a good chance of developing abilities; we saw that Niki’s synthetic ability led to Micah inheriting an ability (although we never found out whether D.L.’s ability was also synthetic), so why not? I’m guessing we’ll never find out either way, which is a shame. Still, that’s what fanfic is for.
“It would be nice if for once, just once, [Noah] had a motive OTHER than protecting his family.”
I agree, although his line to Claire about dangerous abilities needing to be “controlled” seemed like a broader motive. That made it sound like HRG’s reason for joining the operation was to help the general population.
Kevin,
“I’m not so sure Nathan’s motivations are in the right place, mainly because I thing he’s cracked.”
His motivations can’t be in the right place even if he’s cracked? He might be insane, his plan might be insane, but is his reasoning insane? That’s what I found interesting about the way this episode was written.
Did you think Rebel’s messages were “unsophisticated”? I guess, if he/she’s communicating with lots of people, a “plain” style might be the best way to go. Or maybe Rebel just thinks Claire’s stupid.
I like the Micah/surveillance theory. Very clever. My guess is the footage will serve as hard evidence when someone tries to cover the whole project up. That, or it’s the Hunter’s clue that Nathan might be ONE OF THEM.
Sheindie, thanks as always for reading.
KellyH, yeah, I’m with you, I think West is long gone.
Pascal, I very much agree about the way everyone’s motivation was defined from the start (except when it’s purposefully ambiguous). That’s one of the things this volume has done really well so far.
“Claire, hum, well it’s Claire … I think she beggan to annoy me at the end of S2 and it just can’t get worse (like her makeup and wigs?). Hopefully that will get better soon.”
I find it varies from week to week, but I think Fuller will be a big part of fixing that.
Nathan Dowdell, I really like your Barbara theory. She’s probably got enough of a reason to hate the people who experimented on her, and she’s probably got enough perspective on Nathan and HRG to want to bring them down.
“I disagree” (hah!), great post.
“If Nathan pummeled Peter with a pipe, basically told him he didn’t care about him anymore, then rounded up him and his friends (brutally might I add) doesn’t Peter have every right to want to wring Nathan’s neck or rip him a new one.”
He does, and I agree with that, but that’s not really the point I was making. My point relates to the context. Nathan is spearheading the operation, but one thing this episode established is that he’s against brutality (unlike The Hunter), and that he’s against treating captives like animals (”Not animals — people,” etc.) My point relates to the reasoning behind Nathan rounding up his friends and family. That’s a complex storyline, and I was glad the show explored it. I was also glad that it added up to more than, “Nathan beat up Peter, so Peter had a right to beat up Nathan,” which seems to be more or less your point.
“How in your assessment does Peter fighting back make him the bad guy now?”
I don’t think it makes Peter “the bad guy,” but like I said in the review, there’s a shade of villainy in the way it’s presented. Peter telling Nathan that this (meaning tragedy and conflict) is “the beginning,” then telling the rest of his group that they’ll have to do things they never imagined themselves capable of — that, to me, sounds like Peter’s urging his comrades to compromise their ethics in order to survive. That, in turn, opens up an ethical debate. I brought that up because it’s not about me being “in love with Nathan” or “kissing his ass,” it’s about acknowledging that the show added complexity to its characters and their motives.
“However you want to spin it, feeling guilt or not, Nathan’s a ****wad!”
I’ve described him as a cold-hearted and unfeeling b*****d a few times in the past two reviews, so I wonder if you might have misunderstood the point I was making. My point is less about Nathan’s actions and more about his motives.
“Can you be just the littlest bit impartial? Huh?”
I’m not sure that would serve a review that’s subjective by design, but I appreciate the point you’re trying to make, so thank you.
“I loved your ep 14 review because you didn’t get so personal about stuff.”
Thank you again. Most of my reviews dig into the characters and the story, and there really wasn’t much difference in the approach to either review, just in the subject matter. Hopefully that won’t put you off visiting this site or reading its reviews (or, for that matter, watching the show).
Greg,
“I need Hiro to get his power back.”
Hah! I hear you, but I’m kind of digging the new dynamic between Hiro and Ando. I’d like to see that develop.
Oh Otto. It is such a joy to read these reviews (especially when the show is good).
As usual, I love it when you point out little nuances that I miss. For example that shot of Claire, Nathan and Noah. Noah reaching out to Claire and Nathan in the distance. Very cool.
This has got to be one of the best produced shows. The details that go into the sets and the shots are just amazing.
As for Peter and his plan to “take Nathan hostage”, part of me is hoping maybe it was all just a ploy to re-absorb Nathan’s power. Flying sure would be a lot handier when on the run, than being able to freeze things.
The fruit on Sylar’s cup … a nod to certain shippers? It looks like a pear to me … Paire?
As for pre-cog Matt, I couldn’t help but think all of this could have been done without that aspect. Let them figure out where to go or what to do without the future paintings, for once.
Loved the Poll and especially appreciated the fact that we can now view the stats! Thank you.
Way to narrow down who the one guy in the painting is “any of the dark-haired main characters”. And that doesn’t include …?
As for HRG not shooting Peter, well I’m kind of hoping that if he is working with Angela that is the reason he didn’t shoot him.
Thanks again for the awesome review.
I look forward to them almost as much, sometimes more than the show. lol
One thing I forgot, Tracy met Peter when Nathan brought her along to check on Peter after Sylar threw him out the window at Pinehearst. Or doesn’t that count?
You’re not the only one to forget that. On the commentary, they didn’t think they had met before either.
Well done!
Hey, Otto! Great to see your reviews are back along with the show, and I’m liking the blog’s new look.
I agree with most of your points, and I’m excited that after a disappointing third volume, “Fugitives” has had an extremely promising start. While Heroes hasn’t been perfect for a while, I don’t think it’s deserved a lot of the criticism it’s received; in fact, I think it’s a testament to the strength of Season One that people are outraged when the quality drops even a little.
Despite that, however, I still think the show has one or two fundamental flaws that are undermining its potential:
*A Heroes story arc, apparently, cannot be written without precognitive paintings. Seriously, this is such an overused plot device that it is now devoid of meaning. They finally clean the cast out of those who possess this ability (with the exception of Sylar, who never uses it), and then they actually write around their own actions to reintroduce it? It’s a shame, too, because the rest of Matt’s arc is so good - I’m actually excited about his character for the first time in ages, and can’t wait to see his descent into darkness. I actually grinned when he turned the guards against each other.
*The show doesn’t recognise its strongest players, and I find myself with a haunting feeling that Tracy may soon be following Daphne in the list of deaths or “deaths”. Shock tactics aren’t working anymore; they leave me feeling either angry that they’ve taken away an awesome character (such as Daphne), fearful for the fate of my other favourite characters (such as Tracy), or expecting a miraculous revival. I’m glad this season is moving back towards gritty realism, but that realism needs death to be a constant…and that constant needs to be applied to the weakest characters if any.
*I just cannot stand Hiro. He adds nothing to the show. When he has his ability, he’s too powerful and yet a joke at the same time. When he doesn’t, he’s just irritating and either putting Ando down or whining about his destiny. If anyone should’ve taken a bullet or two, why oh why wasn’t it him?! I find myself wondering at which point the supporting character, Ando, became a better character than the main.
However, there are some great features that are appearing already: Peter’s new attitude and the adjustment to his powers, Matt’s dark edge, Tracy just being Tracy, Claire’s story arc, and too much else to list.
Let’s hope they follow through on the awesomeness…and that this isn’t too much of an essay
–Matt
Hi, Otto, long time reader, first time poster, i LOVE your reviews, are the smartest reviews i ever read in my entire life, i also watch other Heroes reviews from other websites and ALL fail when it´s about to acting, shots, and neat touches from the crew.
I LOVE the fact that your reviews are really long, this is a monstrously detailed show, so, it needs a monstrously deteiled review.
I Lot of people hated this episode, and that´s sad, bacause usually it´s not the show who dissapoints me, the “fans” does, not all of course, but some people are always complaining and whining, looking an excuse for critique the show.
I think the way people is too severe on Heroes is because of his success and its impact on pop culture, i think this is a real testament of how people love more about buliding up heroes, is to make them fall.
Anyway, Awesome review, as always
Hi Otto.
I’ve always enjoyed reading your reviews; this is my first time posting.
I give the ep a 3.5 out of 5. Daphne didn’t die; as you said, there was no build up to the scene, or any real concern after. I admit, I’m not invested in her character (especially not with Matt) so if she’s gone for a while, that’s OK by me. But she definitely isn’t dead.
It’s difficult to watch Sylar’s scenes because while he’s my favorite, his scenes ARE distracting. Mainly because they have nothing to do with the main plot. The writers need to find a way to segue them in because I feel like I’m watching a completely different show, with him and Luke. Luke is an OK kid. I kinda like him, only because it proves that even though Sylar is still a murderer, he’ll never be the same solitary killer he once was. His experiences with the Petrelli’s and Elle proved that even he wants some human connection, not just the kind he can steal. That’s a character growth that makes sense to me.
Thumbs down on Matt-the-Precog. I’m just sick of seeing this ability show up in half the characters. It feels like the writers are saying “Damn, why DID we kill off Isaac?”
The trailer park scene was excellent. I keep forgetting that the Heroes live in the real world, instead of the fantasyland you find at Primatech or Pinehearst or whatever. And the Sylar’s special mug goes right up there w/Mohinder’s “World’s Greatest Dad” apron.
I think Micah is the Rebel. Besides his techno-savvy, he was one of the few people shown to the President when Nathan betrayed them. Angela feels like an obvious choice.
I don’t think it makes Peter “the bad guy,” but like I said in the review, there’s a shade of villainy in the way it’s presented. Peter telling Nathan that this (meaning tragedy and conflict) is “the beginning,” then telling the rest of his group that they’ll have to do things they never imagined themselves capable of — that, to me, sounds like Peter’s urging his comrades to compromise their ethics in order to survive. That, in turn, opens up an ethical debate. I brought that up because it’s not about me being “in love with Nathan” or “kissing his ass,” it’s about acknowledging that the show added complexity to its characters and their motives.
I agree. Once upon a time the show would only have had a glimmer of Peter apporaching a darker, less naive self yet in this episode it was clearly illustrated. Peter was always the one looking for an out where no on would get hurt but he’s quickly come to realize that this situation is not going to play out that way. And now it presents that ethical dilemma as you said. How far doesn one go to protect themself? Should he or the specials restrain their defenses because they are essentially more powerful?
Matt, awesome post. Couple of thoughts:
“A Heroes story arc, apparently, cannot be written without precognitive paintings. Seriously, this is such an overused plot device that it is now devoid of meaning.”
Yeah, sad but true, although it’s actually not bugging me that much. I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because I can’t believe it was only introduced for the “Ooh, a picture of Daphne getting shot! Ooh, the picture came true!” gimmick. The show must have a better reason for bringing the device back after they killed off Usutu and sucked the ability out of Peter.
“Shock tactics aren’t working anymore; they leave me feeling either angry that they’ve taken away an awesome character (such as Daphne), fearful for the fate of my other favourite characters (such as Tracy), or expecting a miraculous revival.”
I tend to sympathize with TPTBs when it comes to this, because to me it seems like an impossible dilemma. Everyone has a different favorite character. There are fans who loved Maya and Simone and were sad when they were written out. I don’t know if the show should be killing off characters just because a few vocal fans don’t like them. Sometimes there’s a less vocal portion of the fanbase that responds to those characters, and sometimes there’s a plan for that character further down the road that justifies keeping them around. Lots of us were bored to death by Matt reading his wife’s mind and fixing leaky pipes in Season One, but I think the storyline now would be weaker if the show had listened to us and either changed Matt’s storyline or written him out.
Mostly, when it comes to this, I’m content to trust TPTBs, provided they write out characters in a way that’s fitting and respectful. If they want to write out a character because they feel the character’s storyline has run its course, I think that’s the way to go, even if it’s a beloved character. Sometimes I kind of want to say “Huh? Why?!”, and Isaac’s one of those instances (as are Charlie and Adam), but I think the alternative would be worse. If the show held onto characters it had nothing to write about, it would hurt the show more; and if it wrote out characters based solely on the perception that fans didn’t “like” them, it’d turn into a bizarre reality-show scenario where the writers catered to fan response instead of writing the story they actually wanted to write.
“I just cannot stand Hiro. He adds nothing to the show.”
That statement, all on its own?… says so much.
Sergio, welcome, and thanks so much for reading.
“I LOVE the fact that your reviews are really long, this is a monstrously detailed show, so, it needs a monstrously deteiled review.”
Thanks. That’s pretty much my reasoning too. As long as you guys want to read it, I’ll write it.
“I Lot of people hated this episode, and that´s sad, bacause usually it´s not the show who dissapoints me, the “fans” does, not all of course, but some people are always complaining and whining, looking an excuse for critique the show.”
I know what you mean. I’m glad the show’s been getting more favorable (although less widespread) press lately, and I think that’s helped. I know people who gave up on Volume Three and came back for Volume Four because of what they’d heard about it, and that’s got to be a good sign.
B., welcome!
“I give the ep a 3.5 out of 5.”
That’s fair.
“It’s difficult to watch Sylar’s scenes because while he’s my favorite, his scenes ARE distracting. Mainly because they have nothing to do with the main plot.”
Yeah, I feel the same way. Based on the episode descriptions and images from the next few weeks, it looks like his storyline will rejoin the main arc, so here’s hoping.
“Luke is an OK kid.”
I dunno …
“I kinda like him, only because it proves that even though Sylar is still a murderer, he’ll never be the same solitary killer he once was.”
Oh, I agree with you there. Luke’s role will probably help to develop Sylar’s character arc. He still creeps me out, though, and I think the similarities between him and Sylar have been overemphasized a little.
“I think Micah is the Rebel … Angela feels like an obvious choice.”
This seems to be the popular theory. I think, if Angela’s an obvious choice, it’s because there’d be an obvious symmetry to the story if she did turn out to be Rebel. There’d be something full-circle about a character becoming a symbol of hope for the people her organization used to hunt and experiment on.
Adrienne, thank you. I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who saw Peter’s storyline that way.
Otto, after more consideration, I’m actually starting to lean towards Angela as Rebel, even though I would much prefer Micah. Although Micah’s powers would be perfect for this storyline, and he was included in the files of post-humans given to the president, I agree with you that he probably just couldn’t muster the resources to pull off such a large operation. He’s a smart, talented kid but, as shown when he robbed the ATM in S1, he’s still a kid. Plus, I doubt TPTB would want to deal with his cousin Monca and his New Orleans family. Angela as Rebel, however, would fit in nicely with the current storyline, the reveal of her own agenda, her dubious yet consistent concern for Peter and Claire, and her S1 fear of being revealed to the authorites. The other favorite contenders have many problems as well: West, no way. He was just to unpopular a character, and he doesn’t have the chops to pull this off. Wirelss is dead. A totally new character would be disingenuous as well as irritating, though not completely impossible. HRG wouldn’t encourage Claire to become more involved in this mess. Plus the scene shift from the Angela looking at the Hunter’s file to Claire agonizing with Sandra is close enough to hint at a connection.
Too bad, though. I really liked the kid’s character and his power. And to bring him in to a “Days of Future Past” style interment camp story would have some real emotional punch.
Look at this another way. If Angela isn’t Rebel, what else will she do in this story line? Be ambiguous and righteously snippy with Nathan and whomever else? Been done. What’s left?
LOL. But she’s so GOOD at being righteously snippy!! But you’re right; that’s another good reason that she’s probably Rebel.