Overview:
Peter, Mohinder and Matt capture Noah and force him to recollect his memories of the past month. Through flashbacks, we learn that Noah didn’t know what to do with himself until Nathan recruited him, that Noah and Željko really haven’t been getting along, and that Daphne was brought back to Building 26 alive. In the present, commandos converge on the SuperTrio, Mohinder gets himself captured so that Peter and Matt can escape, and Noah returns to his crafty scheming with Angela. While hiding out at the Apartment of Clairvoyance, Matt paints himself with explosives strapped to his chest and Capitol Hill going up in flames.
Review:
One can infer a lot about this episode based on the fact that it took three writers to script it. It could be a sign that this was a tough episode to write. Or that different writers were assigned to different parts of it. Or that the story went through several drafts. Or simply that the show was determined to make this one really, really good.
Does it work? For the most part, yes. Ultimately, in spite of numerous issues, this episode is one of the show’s finest.
It’s no “Company Man,” I’ll say that now. It lacks the poignancy, it lacks the emotional resonance, and it recycles story elements we’ve seen before, particularly the flashbacks and the apocalyptic painting. The fact that it took three writers to come up with that is a roundabout testament to the show’s first-season brilliance, but it’s also a worrying sign that the show has taken to rehashing old ideas and hoping that either no one will notice, or — worse — that no one will mind. A lot of viewers this week did notice, and a lot of them did mind.
There’s a “but” to counter all of that, and it involves everything this episode does right. There are myriad reasons why the episode shines, from exceptional performances to solid character work. But the real reason comes down to focused storytelling, and the episode’s success in taking rehashed ideas and making them relevant to the current volume. There’s also the fact that it’s an HRG episode, although that has as much to do with my bias as it does with the show’s merits.
We start out at the Fugitive Motel. A sweeping shot depicts where the SuperTrio are planning to bring Noah, and Matt and Mohinder swap expo-dialogue to remind us that they’re about to embark on A Highly Questionable Plan. It doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, but it immediately pulls us in by establishing where the drama’s taking place, who’s calling the shots, and why these three characters have banded together and resorted to abduction and interrogation.
Phenobarbital? I have a hard time believing that Matt would come up with it, and Mohinder seems uneasy about the whole plan from start to finish, so I’m guessing it’s Peter’s contribution. It’s suggested that the drug’s being used to ease Noah’s pain as much as it is to make him susceptible to mind-reading, but in either case, Peter’s abusing his medical expertise to help torture their captive. Everyone’s actions can be justified this week, but this is an early indication of Peter acting on his own instruction to the rest of the fugitives — to do whatever they have to. And when you think about it, Matt’s probably doing whatever he has to by Parkman-whammying a hotel manager into handing over a room without money or a credit card. Which makes this dialogue all the more amusing:
Matt: “I was a cop. You’re a scientist. You’re a nurse. We did nothing wrong and they turned us into fugitives … and winners of the HeroSite Dumb As Award.”
OK, so I added that last part, but it doesn’t change the fact that Matt stole diamonds from a crime scene, that Mohinder kidnapped and cocooned several victims in goo, and that Peter nearly blew up a city (inadvertently, but whatever) and turned into a guy who was willing to shoot his own brother. Not that any of this detracts from the drama — if anything, it adds to the complexity — but it definitely undermines Matt’s protestation that they “did nothing wrong.”
Beautiful focus, particularly when the glasses have been such an iconic part of the character. In an episode that explores who Noah is without The Company, removing his glasses is like removing a part of his identity. It’s a cool visual shot, but like the watch, it’s also subtly symbolic.
Matt climbs into Noah’s head, and we see Noah’s recollection of a day five weeks earlier.
If you really want to rip into this, you could ask why we’re getting all this artistic camera work when we should be seeing everything from Noah’s point of view. But when it’s so exquisitely shot — and when you hear that haunting choral undertone as Angela approaches the bench and sits down — it’s really hard to complain.
Noah: “Ten people died last night in Ohio when a house spontaneously caught on fire. I’m thinking we should investigate sooner rather than later.”
Superb dialogue. Not so much for the case he’s describing, but more for the way it reveals that Noah was ready to get back to business as usual. This in spite of the fact that he told Angela he wasn’t going to re-enlist, and in spite of his insistence — for the majority of the show — that all he wanted was to protect his family.
Angela: “It’s over, Noah. It’s all over.”
Superb delivery. Firm at the same time as sympathetic.
Noah: “Primatech may have burned to the ground, but that doesn’t change anything. We have a lot of work to do.”
In character, spoken like an archetypal Company Man, and a great way to set up the character focus this week by immediately establishing Noah’s inability to let go.
Angela delivers a line about The Company which has probably been branded onto Kring’s memory by NBC executives evaluating his show: it “had a good run, but its time is past.” Self-parody? If it is, this episode is the show’s way of flipping the bird at predictions that the show’s glory was behind it.
Noah: “No. We got the job done.”
Perfectly delivered. Emphatic, insistent, and heartbreaking, at least in retrospect, because you realize he needed to believe it.
Angela hands Noah an envelope rewarding him for his “years of service,” which seems like a rather hilarious euphemism for “years of near-death encounters, torture and conspiracy.” It’s trumped by the hilarity of Noah’s “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!” look as he takes the envelope, and this is where the episode starts to distinguish itself from “Company Man,” creating a situation where, instead of owning up about his role in The Company, Noah’s forced into giving up his role in The Company. The volume-opener covered how all of the other characters were trying to begin new lives, but since Noah’s been more entrenched in the superpowered universe than any of them, it stands to reason that he’d have the hardest time adjusting to life outside of it. From start to finish, this storyline rings true.
The watch was a subtle detail; a signal that he’ll never stop being the Company Man when he later gives it back, and a way to root the character in the real world when he’s offered a traditional gesture. What makes this scene so effective, though, is the nuance, particularly in Cristine Rose’s performance; the weak smile Angela forces when she hands the watch to Noah, as if it’s killing her to cut The Company’s golden boy loose and acknowledge that the organization she helped to create has shut down.
Angela: “I’m tired, Noah.”
Remarkable, if only because, at least for a moment, as with Sylar last week, you know it’s not an act; that she isn’t putting on a pretense, manipulating anyone or lying her way into getting what she wants. This is a glimpse into the weariness and exhaustion behind the façade.
Angela: “I have told so many lies. Maybe it’s not too late to cobble my family back together.”
Disarmingly honest, and surprising, because you wouldn’t imagine a scene in which Noah was ready to continue putting himself in danger while the Ice Queen threw in the towel to become a family woman.
Angela points out that Noah’s getting everything he ever wanted. Noah gives this incredulous little headshake, then delivers — almost word-for-word — Elle’s lines to Angela at the start of the season: “This is all I’ve ever known. What am I supposed to do now?” And although Noah’s blessed with everything Elle never had — a family, a home and a healthy severance package — the character’s uncertainty somehow comes across as even more saddening.
Angela telling Noah to take care of himself and Claire is nicely delivered, but what knocks me out is the way Angela then opens her mouth as if she’s about to say something, then thinks better of it. Did she think she was being too open? Is she so unused to expressing heartfelt sentiments that she didn’t know how to articulate them? Whichever it is, that pause speaks to the character’s complexity.
We cut back to the Fugitive Motel, where Matt exposits that, through this low-level mind-rape, the SuperTrio will glean “exactly how this whole thing happened,” and then use this knowledge to “stop hiding and start fighting back.” Which establishes the clear premise behind the storyline and demonstrates that the SuperTrio had a clear goal when they abducted Noah, but for whatever reason, the only character I can sympathize with here is Noah, who doesn’t look like he can even focus on the person in front of him, let alone recollect “how this whole thing happened.”
Brea Grant’s name appears in the credits. Whoops, spoiler! Oh, show. Well, that kind of ruins the “suspense” in this next scene when Mohinder’s all, “You want to hurt him because of DAPHNE’S DEATH,” and Matt’s like, “No, this has nothing to do with DAPHNE’S DEATH.” Still …
… the reason these scenes work is because the conflict feels believable and because everyone’s motives are clearly outlined. The raptor staging helps to make the whole thing look dramatic, but the perspectives — Matt’s need for vengeance, Mohinder’s ethical concerns, Peter’s whole do-what-needs-to-be-done approach — have all been set up. The upshot is that this never comes across as pointless bickering, but rather as valid disagreement over the right course of action.
Matt heads back into Noah’s memories, and we see that four weeks ago, at Canine Central …
Noah was doing crosswords!
“Four-letter word, Thin Man dog.”
“Asta.”
Awesome. Whoever came up with that, and whoever came up with Sandra getting it before Noah does — awesome.
Even more awesome is the way Jack Coleman absolutely nails Noah’s state of mind …
… with a look that says, “Dear God, is this my life now?” It’s tragic because, as Angela pointed out, it’s everything he ever wanted — his family safe, The Company no longer pursuing Claire, the Level 5 threat gone — and it bores the hell out of him.
Sandra reminds Noah that they’re going to dinner with friends in the PTA at Lyle’s school. Noah gives this priceless “Oh, right” that says, “Have I met these people? Have I ever been to Lyle’s school? Do I actually care about any of this?” It’s self-parody at its best because the show’s pretty much acknowledging how Noah struggles to care about Lyle at all, but it also taps into the everyday element of the show. Noah’s acting like a typically aloof and disillusioned dad, only in this case it’s remarkable by dint of the fact that Noah’s comparing this life to a life where he was capturing superpowered criminals and averting apocalypses.
Noah hears a knock at the door, and I wish this storyline would have allowed Matt to hear Noah’s thoughts during these memories, because I’ll bet Noah was wishing his visitor would turn out to be Sylar, Arthur, or anyone dangerous enough to rescue him from this tedium.
Nathan asks Noah if he has a minute, and the solemn tone appeals to him. Scheming! Secrets! Lies! Noah loves those!
Brilliantly staged, the two of them starting at opposite ends of the room and ending in the middle once Nathan manages to recruit Noah. It’s also brilliantly filmed by Seith Mann, with the camera constantly swinging back and forth between the characters to emphasize the way events are surging forward.
Nathan: “Incarceration’s the only way to make sure everybody’s safe.”
Noah: “Everybody, yourself included?”
Nathan: “Certain exceptions need to be made.”
Noah: “Is Claire an exception?”
Nathan: “She could be … but I need your help.”
Let me get this straight: Nathan blackmailed Noah into joining his operation by threatening to lock up his own daughter in a concentration camp?
The worst part of it:
^ ^ Nathan delivers all of it with a straight face!
Does anyone still think this guy can be redeemed? I mean, as much of a monster as Sylar has been, he never organized and planned his monstrosity as methodically as this.
Nathan skips to a fantasy scenario in which a team of scientists discover “a way to eliminate these abilities forever,” and in which every member of the superpowered population is miraculously reintegrated into society. So, basically, he wants a treatment-based alternative to a psychotic power-sucker like Arthur. Nathan wants to do for the entire superpowered population what Arthur did for Maya.
It would be noble if it weren’t for the contemptible methods and the self-serving interests. I find it hard to believe that Nathan’s plan began with altruism; it’s more likely that Nathan’s goal is to use other supers as guinea pigs, develop a cure for his own ability and then run off to find Heidi and his sons and pretend that none of this ever happened.
Noah holding onto the munitions and files is prudent and very much in character. Noah probably expected to end up with a vengeful super at his doorstep sooner or later, and it’s in keeping with the reveal this week that Noah considers his career at The Company to be a part of his identity. Hilariously, one shot reveals that Noah kept a spare pair of horn-rimmed glasses stored with his files.
Nathan: “I thought you’d enjoy the extra time with your family.”
Noah: “There’s only so many crossword puzzles I can do.”
OK, that? … needs to be Coleman’s next T-shirt slogan at Comic-Con.
We cut from Noah’s little half-smile in the flashback to his look of drugged incoherence in the present day, and Matt tells us that Nathan and Noah “planned it all” and “did it together.” Which … didn’t they already know? And didn’t we already know? As beautifully written and performed as these flashbacks are, there’s a lot to be said for the criticism that some of these flashbacks retread ground the show already covered. I guess this scene emphasizes Matt’s anger at Noah, or Peter’s confirmation that his brother’s behind this whole project; but since the characters and the audience already knew that Nathan had masterminded the operation with Noah’s involvement, a scene that establishes everyone’s reaction to finding that out seems a little redundant.
Matt writes down the address of the storage unit, and Peter volunteers to go for supplies.
Peter: “Try not to kill one another.”
Too funny.
Was the percussion when Peter landed outside the storage unit overplayed? There’s a dramatic beat in the background as Peter opens the door, and I can’t help thinking it set us up for a revelation that never emerged. It would have been pretty funny if he’d found a storage unit containing stacks of Primatech paper, then discovered that Noah had a more recent memory in which he emptied all the original contents when Nathan installed the surveillance camera. And that’s assuming Nathan’s the one who installed it. It’s never made clear whether Nathan wanted the camera there because he expected Noah to go rogue, or whether this was an instance of Željko’s underhanded surveillance on his own team. Whichever it is, it’s a detail that serves the plot while seeming a little odd.
Conveniently, an analyst at Goon Squad Central immediately picks up on the break-in.
Željko looks like he’s just won the lottery. Curb that enthusiasm, buddy!
Noah becomes coherent enough to tell Matt and Mohinder that Peter’s probably been captured and that Matt’s only hope is to escape while he can. And although it’s obviously Noah’s way of helping himself by creating a sense of panic and discord between Matt and Mohinder, it’s also Noah’s bizarre way of helping Matt. With hindsight, if Matt and Mohinder had run now, they all would have escaped capture.
We flashback to three weeks earlier.
It’s a cool scene, but I can’t help feeling disappointed that we didn’t learn more about Željko’s backstory. Hopefully it’ll get its own episode, but here, it’s as if Željko showed up out of nowhere and immediately knew how to hunt supers.
Noah explains that he’d like to introduce a few “ground rules” in the new organization. It’s almost unbearably sad. You see how excited Noah was about helming his own version of The Company, and you can imagine how well he would have run it.
Željko: “I think we’d be better served with one of us and … one of us.”
Noah: “I’m sorry?”
Željko: “Or ten of us … twelve of us and … none of them.”
Clever dialogue, and the way it plays out, with Željko lingering on each word and relishing the chance to assert his authority, it’s a pleasure to watch.
Noah looks at Nathan with a “WTF?!” expression. “I thought I was running this operation!” Nathan channels his politician’s persona and drones on about how “complex” the situation is and how it’s important to look at everything “from as many angles as we can.”
The best part …
… is the way Pasdar brings this sleazy expression when he delivers the dialogue, like, “OK, let me give you the most meaningless answer a spineless politician will ever give you.”
We cut to a familiar sight …
It’s not as cheerful as it was when Peter got into the cab, but Noah’s smiling! He’s happy! Sort of.
Noah: “Glad to see you got your old job back.”
Mohinder: “How else would I randomly bump into old acquaintances?”
Self-parody at its best.
I still can’t figure out what Noah was planning to do with Mohinder. Was he really going to recruit Mohinder and use him as an example of a “reformed target” to convince Željko? Or was he going to apprehend Mohinder the first chance he got and bag an easy first target? Or was he subtly trying to warn Mohinder to get as far away as he could? Noah predicts that the whole thing’s about to “blow up in their face,” so the implication is Noah was already planning to double-cross them. He also appeals to Mohinder to “help people” and “save lives,” although it’s never made clear whether Noah actually planned to make good on this offer, or what it involved.
Looking back, the ambiguity goes a long way towards justifying Mohinder’s uncertainty over who to trust. He didn’t necessarily make the connection between Nathan and Noah, and it’s not as if warning Matt, Daphne or Peter about “a government program” would have helped them avoid the commandos when they showed up.
The flipside is that Mohinder, Dumb as he is, would have connected the dots and had a vague understanding of Nathan’s “precautionary measures” when Peter later climbed into his cab. And from what we saw in the volume-opener, Mohinder still supported Nathan’s objectives until he was captured himself.
Matt snaps out of the mindmeld and tells Mohinder what he saw. Noah immediately zeroes in on Mohinder’s secrecy, which goes to show how carefully Noah engineered the confrontation between them. Mohinder’s defense that he “wasn’t talking to anybody” again raises the question of where he’s living if it isn’t at Chandra’s Crib. If Matt and Daphne kicked him out of his own dad’s apartment, that’s harsh.
Matt slamming Mohinder against the mirror and getting thrown across the room is shocking, appalling and saddening all at once; but again, it’s true to the characters’ despair and frustration, and it’s part of what makes this story unfold believably. Mohinder’s fear of being misunderstood after he kept quiet rings true, and Matt’s sense of betrayal rings true.
Matt and Mohinder discover that Noah managed to slice his way out of restraints using a broken shard of glass. I can’t help wishing we could have seen the “Oh, $%*@!” look on their faces when they saw the empty chair and open door. That’s a double *PING!* Dumb As Award for Matt and Mohinder for getting into a brawl and giving their captive a clear shot at escaping.
Noah breaking into a car is beyond awesome, although again, I can’t help feeling we’ve been deprived of viewing pleasure when Noah doesn’t get a chance to finish hotwiring his car and confirm what many of us have long suspected — that Noah was a badass rebel in his youth.
We get something nearly as awesome …
I can’t decide which is more hilarious: Peter’s casual “Hi!” after crashing onto the windshield, or Noah’s “Oh, %*@#! Well, it could’ve worked…” expression.
HEROSITE RECONSTRUCTION
INT. COSTA VERDE MOTEL — DAY
HRG
Since I’m stuck here with all of you again, I think I should take this opportunity to tell you that I’ve had it with you harping on about how manipulative and rotten I am. Especially you, Mohinder. I’ve never been anything but nice to you.
MOHINDER
Oh yeah? What about that first time you got into my cab and scared me out of it?
HRG
You ran before I had a chance to explain myself.
MOHINDER
And the time you came to my apartment with a gun and tried to recruit me?
HRG
I was the only one who took your crackpot theories seriously. You should thank me.
MOHINDER
And the time you nearly shot Molly?
HRG
It was for the greater good!
MOHINDER
And the time you fooled me into working for you to take down The Company?
HRG
They were corrupt! They were after my daughter! They had to be stopped!
MOHINDER
And the time you told me not to take Molly to The Company and just let her die?
HRG
I was thinking about what would be best for the child!
MOHINDER
And the time you pointed a gun at me, punched me in the nose and kicked me unconscious?
HRG
Well, yeah, OK. That was wrong of me. But you were trying to kidnap Claire, and you shot me later, so we’re even.
MOHINDER
I’m still not convinced there’s a shred of decency in you.
HRG
Who said there was? Just stop with all this nonsense about me “manipulating” you all the time. I’m trying to help you, you idiots!
Noah talking in Russian? Awesome. Nice throwback to the time he tried to stave off Matt’s mind-reading by thinking in Japanese, and a nice way to show Noah using every last-ditch attempt to keep Matt out of his head. And looking back, it’s still not clear whether Noah’s motive was protecting Željko from the SuperTrio or keeping the SuperTrio from vilifying themselves by killing a government agent.
Matt plows back into Noah’s head, and we get a flashback set one week earlier. Noah visits Željko’s apartment with a bottle, glasses and a paper bag. Classy.
Amazing set, the main virtue being that it’s almost completely bare: empty bookshelves, minimal furniture, no decorations and no possessions beyond the work-related monitors. The soulless setting provides a window into the inhabitant. Nicely done, show.
Given Noah’s penchant for crafty scheming, I’m inclined to suspect that Noah made this visit to get a better sense of his enemy, and to give his enemy the impression that there was no animosity on his part. Alternatively …
… Noah’s genuinely interested in being a nice guy and getting to know his new colleague. Which, if it’s true, aw, (a) because it’s so rare to see Noah trying to get along with anyone, and (b) because it’s even more heartbreaking to think Noah’s actually trying …
… after we get a glimpse of Željko’s sobering unwillingness to go along with it.
Željko: “You’re a dime a dozen, and eleven of the twelve are unreliable.”
Great dialogue. Great delivery by Ivanek. So scathing, so disdainful, so contemptuous.
Željko: “All that time you danced the fine line between company man and family man? I’m not much for dancing.”
Noah: “You’re oversimplifying it.”
Željko: “I think you’re overcomplicating it.”
Whichever of the three writers came up with this — if it’s wasn’t all of them together — deserves a bouquet for an exquisite script. It’s so straightforward, but it goes right to the heart of the characters and defines who they are. It establishes such a clear sense of the dynamic between the two Company Men, and it sets them up as polar opposites. It’s easier to identify with Noah because we’ve seen him excel at his job by anticipating his opponent’s actions; but as much as Željko comes across as a stone-cold analytical machine, he’s not wrong when he says that a lack of focus is undermining their operation.
Noah’s description of Željko pretty much matches what we see on the screen: a guy with no life outside of work and no hobbies or interests. To Ivanek’s credit, I think this actually gives the character more dimension, because we realize his only real passion is his work. Which, in a roundabout way, draws a parallel to Noah’s storyline, and emphasizes how similar the two Company Men are when it comes to their identity being defined by their work. The implication is that Noah’s family saved him from becoming Željko.
We cut back to the Fugitive Motel, and it’s worth noting that before the camera moves up to capture Noah’s trembling frame, gritted teeth and bleeding nose, it lingers on his wedding ring. Which is a neat thematic tie to the flashback, but also very sad when you realize Noah gave up on a quiet family life so he could end up here. It’s also a great instance of the show playing around with our sympathies, because Noah’s at least partially responsible for the series of events that led to him being tortured.
Matt gives Peter the address to Željko’s apartment, and Peter apparently goes from Costa Verde to Washington within minutes. I choose to believe that this is not a continuity screw-up, but rather evidence of the incredible speed Peter can reach when he’s flying.
Peter: “You really should lock your windows.”
Nice delivery. Funny, menacing, but in no way smug or pithy.
I love how the analysts at Goon Squad Central come up with all these euphemisms for intense situations. When they want to say, “Oh, crap — our commandos are getting their limbs ripped off by a superpowered serial killer!”, they say, “Something’s wrong.” When they want to say, “ZOMG! The boss is about to get his head blown off!”, they say, “We have a situation.”
Nathan sees his brother holding Željko at gunpoint and doesn’t even flinch. This is either because he’s an unfeeling b*****d or because he really won’t mind if Peter shoots the guy. Either way, I’m more interested in the way Nathan telegraphs the fact that he has an ability by zipping from Goon Squad Central to Željko’s apartment. He might be able to fool Željko for a little longer, but what’s he going to tell the Goon Squad analyst sitting in front of surveillance footage? Favorable traffic?
This scene manages to sustain its tension in spite of the fact that Peter’s the one with the gun. Besides the very real possibility that the show would kill Željko off, it’s a predicament that carries real weight after Peter acknowledged that they’d all have to do things they never imagined to stay alive. The fact that he ends up shooting Željko is also a sign of significant character progression, because after hesitating over whether to shoot Arthur, we see that Peter finally has the balls to pull the trigger when he needs to.
If anything weakens this scene, it’s ambiguity over Željko’s intentions. You could argue that not knowing whether Željko wants to live or die makes the scene more intense, but I think the impact of Željko urging Peter to shoot him would have been greater if we’d known more about the character: does he really have a death wish? Does he really see himself as a martyr who’ll complete his objectives by getting himself killed? Is he just screwing around with Peter’s head to throw him off? It’s never made clear.
Peter: “You’re the one who’s hunting us.”
Željko: “With good reason. And it’s not ever gonna stop, ’cause if you kill me, I’ll get exactly what I want.”
Great dialogue. Drives home the lose-lose scenario the fugitives are facing no matter what they do.
Nathan breezes into the apartment and elicits a “WTF?!” expression from Željko. At this point, you really have to wonder why Peter doesn’t take the opportunity to fracture the whole operation with one line.
Željko: “How the hell did you get here so fast?”
Peter: “What, you really don’t know?”
Nathan: “No, don’t tell him, Pete!”
Željko: “Tell me what?”
Peter: “WENDY, HE CAN FLY!”
It probably would have brought this volume to an abrupt conclusion, so I guess I’m thankful it didn’t happen. Still, it would have made more sense than prolonging this secret for the sake of dramatic necessity.
Željko’s commandos begin raiding rooms at the motel, and Noah again toes the line between self-serving interests and split focus by offering to show Matt that Daphne’s still alive. It’s more likely he wanted to distract Matt long enough for the commandos to find them; in the end, Matt’s higher up on the Wall of Fugitives and a more valuable captive than Mohinder. But then, you could equally argue that Noah wanted to give Matt the one thing that would bring him peace of mind.
Mohinder volunteers to hold the commandos off, which speaks to his integrity and strength of character, but also unwittingly makes Matt look like a douche. I guess Matt might really have believed Mohinder could fend the commandos off and escape, but by agreeing to let Mohinder charge into the face of danger, he’s essentially saying, “Yeah, I know you’ll probably end up getting caught, but if you could put yourself in danger long enough for me to make sure my girlfriend’s OK, that’d be great.”
Matt climbs back into Noah’s head, and we flashback to two days earlier.
Aww. Not that most of us ever doubted it, but it’s delightful to see it confirmed on screen. Given that Daphne is one survivor in a hall lined with body bags, I think it’s to Wendy and Lisa’s credit that they opted for a plaintive piano instead of euphoric strings. It reflects the underplayed way the character’s “death” was portrayed, but it also underlines the fact that, as much of a relief as Daphne’s survival might be, it’s only one bright spot in a situation mired in tragedy.
Again, subtly played. No tears of joy, no profuse outpour of emotion, just a glimmer of hope for the guy before he gets captured.
Mohinder manages to redeem himself by waltzing into the middle of the motel parking lot, diverting all attention from Matt and Noah, and letting the commandos plow eight tasers into him before he finally collapses.
Heartbreaking, especially when Mohinder only let it happen because he wanted his friend’s forgiveness. Matthinder fans, rejoice.
Matt twigs that he’s about to be surrounded by commandos and prepares to go out with guns blazing. It’s characteristically reckless of him, but it also raises the question of why he never considered Parkman-whammying the lot of them into thinking the room was empty. The most likely explanation is that his ability was spent after mind-raping Noah, waved its little white flag and said, “Dude, how much more do you want from me? I’m done for today.” I don’t think it could have hurt to establish this detail in dialogue — if only by Matt telling himself that there’s no way he’ll fool so many commandos at once — but OK.
The alternative explanation is that Matt wanted to get himself caught so that he could rescue Daphne from the inside. I’m less convinced by this theory, mostly because Matt’s expression when the commandos charge into the room …
… is that of a guy who’s freaked out rather than that of a guy who knows what he’s doing.
The commandos pin Matt to the ground, and Noah — rather touchingly — tells them not to hurt him. This in spite of the physical and mental torture Matt put him through over the past hour.
Peter using Noah’s own grenades against him is a vindication for the character. You have to wonder why Peter doesn’t immediately absorb Matt’s ability once he picks him up, but if you assume that Peter can now control whether or not he absorbs abilities on contact, he stages this rescue remarkably well.
Extra plus points for the visual effects department, because you can actually see a reflection of Peter carrying Matt into the sky in Noah’s glasses. Such a minute detail, but it helps to make the scene all the more impressive.
Amazingly theatrical lighting, and there’s something cold and hollow about this cell to distinguish it from Tracy’s. There’s also something deeply deceptive about the way Nathan kneels next to Mohinder and pretends to level with him. It’s a convincing attempt to convey that he really has everyone’s best interests at heart, but it echoes his politician’s persona with Noah, and it’s obvious that Mohinder — who’s apparently been blessed with a brain as well as a heart for this volume — isn’t falling for it. It’s worth noting, though, that Nathan’s dialogue about helping everyone to “go back to living what’s left of [their] lives” is very similar to Angela’s; the obvious difference being that Angela felt bad about walking away, while Nathan’s determined to go to the source of the problem and eliminate it.
Mohinder being coerced into unethical research? Why, show, why? I can understand riffing on the flashbacks and the apocalyptic painting because they’re cool, but showing how much of a tool Mohinder can be was one of the lamest parts of the previous volume. I can’t believe anyone would think it was an element worth recycling, so I’m going to naively hope that this isn’t a repetition of Mohinder joining Pinehearst.
Željko and Noah exit Goon Squad Central and discuss whether Noah’s taking any time off after getting the heck tortured out of him.
Noah: “My wife kicked me outta the house, my daughter’s scared to death of me. What am I gonna do with time off?”
If you’re stumped, Noah, there’s always this.
Noah assures Željko that his split focus is a thing of the past and that Željko has his “complete dedication.” Looking back, it’s obvious he’s telling Željko exactly what he wants to hear …
… but he does it so convincingly that it’s hard not to buy it.
And Danko does look like he’s buying it.
Željko: “Kid gloves are standard issue in this outfit. You and I have to change that.”
It might just be me, but I actually felt bad for Željko for thinking that he’d found a loyal co-conspirator. If he honestly believes he can depend on Noah to stand by him when he turns against Nathan, it’s going to be kind of pitiful when Noah ends up double-crossing him. Not as pitiful as it’ll be when Nathan ends up being double-crossed by everyone, but still enough to make me feel sympathetic to the misanthropic guy who thought he’d finally found an ally.
Noah meets Angela on the park bench where he met her in the flashback. Angela tells Noah that he’ll have to “make tough choices” to prove himself, meaning, presumably, that he’ll have to slaughter a few supers to impress Željko and demonstrate the absence of a conscience. Which would be implausible if it were anyone but Noah, but when he delivers his next line …
“You know me, I’ve always been comfortable with ‘morally gray.’”
… and when it’s accompanied by a shot as iconic as this …
… I’m blown away. It’s not just the glasses and the clasped hands and the wry smiles. It’s two characters who are willing to sink to new levels for the greater good. It’s the show’s two most “morally gray” characters conspiring for the sake of the superpowered population. It’s two characters who understand each other better than anyone, which in itself is unbearably sad when you consider how unhappy Sandra must be right now.
Not that the last of those means anything, although it’s a delight for Noah and Angela shippers. But when you recall that these two characters began as short-term peripheral players, seeing them become central figures in a plot to overthrow the volume’s principal villains is a vindication for the actors and a testament to the show’s ability to recognize its strengths.
Noah leaves behind the watch. Probably because he wanted Angela to know he’ll be the Company Man for a while longer, although perhaps it’s also Noah’s way of telling Angela that if she wants to give him a gift, he’d prefer one of these.
Matt and Peter hide out in a gutted Apartment of Clairvoyance. I wonder who owns this place now that Isaac’s gone and The Company’s shut down. It’d make sense if Mohinder owned it now, but if he does live here, you have to wonder why the Goon Squad isn’t immediately looking for the rest of the SuperTrio here.
Matt paints himself with explosives …
… and D.C. going up in flames.
Which would probably feel like a more dramatic prophecy if an eerily similar event hadn’t happened on the show before. And if someone with an eerily similar ability hadn’t painted it before. And if that eerily similar painting hadn’t been painted in that exact same spot.
Elegant homage or shameless rip-off? They’d be ripping off themselves, so at least there are no legal implications, but I really hope there’s something that distinguishes this development from its first-season counterpart. Even then, it was a concept borrowing heavily from comic-book lore, and it was only effective because it was well executed.
I choose to be optimistic about the potential here, mostly because this episode demonstrates how phenomenal the show can be when it wants to be. Seith Mann deserves praise for getting some exceptional performances out of the cast, and the episode’s writers — all three of them — deserve enormous praise for crafting a witty, well-written, well-structured and thought-provoking story.
It’s not a carbon copy of “Company Man,” but that doesn’t make it less than perfect. What this episode lacks in poignancy, it makes up for in the depth of its story and the dilemmas its characters face. This episode explored its characters at the same time as advancing the broader story arc. It effortlessly positions its characters for upcoming storylines, and at the same time gets behind the characters’ motives and delves into what drives them.
Formulaic, but with enough variation on the formula to make it feel new, and enacted with a level of complexity that makes the characters compelling and the drama intensely gripping.
5 out of 5
Otto, there’s another possible reason why Peter didn’t absorb Matt’s abilities. Peter apparently needs to make skin-to-skin contact to do so. It’s possible Peter managed to avoid doing that when he lifted Matt up.
Interesting that Rebel says “Save Matt Parkman” and later we see the painting of Matt blowing up Washington. Is Rebel precognitive?
At this point, I’m seriously worried about the speculation about cancellation. The show barely broke 7 million.
Great review, as always :).
Well, I loved the episode (not everybody did unfortunately). Even having no real surprise didn’t bother me. Seeing character development is enough to keep me in, even if it’s been partly explored before.
Your review covers nearly all the strenghs of the scenes, so I won’t add much since it’s exactly what I think
Maybe it would have been too much to ask , but when Angela handed the box to HRG, I was just thinking for a few seconds “Sylar Watch” ^^ and I wonder how awesome it could have been :).
I loved this episode. It was so character driven. Set up alot of backstory, but kept it interesting. Good job, and much better than last week’s offering.
I guess I’m more pissed off at Nathan and the Goons than you, Otto, because I’m totally with Peter on the “do what we need to do” riff, though it would have been disastrous if he actually killed the Hunter. But you absolutely do see Peter’s progression to a person willing to do just about whatever it takes. Just about…I still don’t think he’d kill Nathan. Yet. I wonder if they are heading in that direction, though. Filial piety and fraternity seem to be iffy qualities in the Petrelli clan at best.
I know Mohinder is tortured and all, but he is just such a weasel at times. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him working for Nathan, as hackneyed plot as that might be. Mohinder has always had a habit of allowing himself to be manipulated or coerced into doing what he would anyway. He is not entirely unsympathetic to Nathan’s cause, and his failure to tell Matt, the TELEPATH, about being approached by HRG is really hard to understand. Maybe he didn’t know what to think initially, but come ON. That Gitmo drag they were all wearing on the plane should’ve been a clue.
I’ve become reconciled to Matt being the show’s resident precog, but he seems to be progressing in his facility with that power by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, of all the original characters with “natural” powers, Matt seems to have progressed the least with his native telepathy. Maybe it’s just me, but the character’s use of his original power has been less consistent than any of the others. Seriously, he’s a telepath looking for a drugged, exhausted HRG in a motel parking lot. That really shouldn’t have been that hard. And there have been no attempts at illusion-casting since Knox, a skill that might be really useful right about now. I’d like to see him exploring and utilizing this power more, as Papa Maury could be seriously bad-ass with it, and our heroes could use a little of that right now.
I’m loving Angela. It really seems as if she is the leading candidate for Rebel right now. I wouldn’t put it past her and HRG to manufacture that whole Alex scenario. The only problem with that is that I can’t see Noah risking Claire that way, but still… I’m really looking forward to finding out who it is.
Nathan is barely holding onto this situation. I think his underlings are being kind of obtuse; not only did he zip across town in the blink of an eye, but he has at least 2 known blood relatives who are supes. 2+2=…Anyone? Anyone? Bueler? How long can this blind spot last? Anyway, can’t wait to see that tiger catch Nathan by the tail.
Thanks for another great review, Otto.
K
Now, this is my theory about the Washington explosion.
I know it appears to be Matt, but I don’t see that little suicide-bomber vest of his setting the entire city aflame. It could be Luke, since he seems to have a “level one” version of Ted Sprague’s power.
But I think it’s someone else. Who, you ask?
Zeljko.
I have this feeling that they’ll give him a power, so they can run with a “How ironic. You’ve become what you hate so much.” story.
Now, what if that power is radioactivity, and upon finding out about becoming his worst enemy, he loses control?
I think you know where I’m going with this…
Awesome Review, Otto, as always.
I’ve become reconciled to Matt being the show’s resident precog, but he seems to be progressing in his facility with that power by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, of all the original characters with “natural” powers, Matt seems to have progressed the least with his native telepathy. Maybe it’s just me, but the character’s use of his original power has been less consistent than any of the others. Seriously, he’s a telepath looking for a drugged, exhausted HRG in a motel parking lot. That really shouldn’t have been that hard. And there have been no attempts at illusion-casting since Knox, a skill that might be really useful right about now. I’d like to see him exploring and utilizing this power more, as Papa Maury could be seriously bad-ass with it, and our heroes could use a little of that right now.
I agree with you, Matt is one of my favorite characters, I Love his power and i´m a huge fan of Grunberg, i´m also accepted it his new power, and i think they should also use his other power more too, Matt was awesome in this episode, and i hope he gets more opportunities to use the other parts of it, right now, should be really awesome.
I´m also accepting the Apocalyptic Painting, while others are whining about it, i see a lot of potencial in it.It may be just me, but it seems like the writes decided bring back the “Explosion Future” storyline, it looks like everyone involved (except Hiro, Ando, Tracy, etc.) are going right to it, it also would carry more weight about it, if the White House is destroyed and The President and his commitee would be killed. It would be seen as a terrorist attack, exposing the superpowered society and end up in masive, supers round-up. Like “Five Years Gone”, and, apparently, the opening scene of “The Second Coming”.
I´m seriously worried about the ratings dropping, so far, its nothing like Season 1. As if the eternal fight about Heroes quality and constant critisism wasn´t enough, i´m starting to think in a possible cancellation. That would be sad and horrible.
Well, Here I Am, Hoping this change and this drive us to 8 mind-blowing episodes, although at this point, i´m fearing the worse. See you later.
Great review, Otto. You summed it up. It’s interesting to note the Coleman and Pasdar shared a certain criticism with the fans, according to Coleman’s blog…
“Adrian and I had a long scene when Nathan comes to recruit HRG. I was so happy to finally get a substantial scene with him. But it was challenging because we were discussing plot the audience already knew. The two of us spent several hours the day before working through the scene to try to give us both a clear purpose. I needed to know exactly what his intentions were and to make sure Claire was off the table and he needed to know that I was totally on board. So, we got together at a rib joint on a Sunday afternoon and worked through it.”
http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/blogs/guest/the-hrg-files/cold-wars-warm-dinners-and-a-s.php
I’ve enjoyed our emailing very much as well. Thanks.
About the ratings, they’ve lead to budget cuts and downsizing…
http://boards.9thwonders.com/index.php?showtopic=67761
and
“Seith came in facing another big challenge. Back in June we were shooting as many days as needed to complete episodes. But by December a much stricter budget mandate had come down from NBC/Universal. Ever since episode #15 we had to do our episodes in ten days and hit a specific budget number – no “if “ “ands” or “buts.””
http://gregbeeman.blogspot.com/2009/02/beemans-blog-season-3-episode-17.html
Assuming we get S4, and we likely will otherwise why worry about money spent, it’ll probably be very stripped down with the equivalent of Classic Doctor Who’s VFX budget, which is fine by me. But, I’m a fan of Classic Doctor Who.
Personally, I liked the picture of D.C. blowing up. In Season 2, Murray Parkman got in Nathan’s head and showed him a version of New York that got nuked and Nathan really freaked out about that. I saw the same thing here, they were freaked out because they’d spent Season 1 trying to stop New York from getting blown up and now all of a sudden they see D.C. getting blown up. I thought it was a great twist and I’m interested to see what happens.
Did anybody notice that Mohinder seems to have lost his strength? Either that’s one tough bar he’s chained to or they’re drugging him. In the episode commentary, Sendhil jokes that what happened was that they gave him a few Malt 40s.
And Daphne and Danko join the list of survived shootings (http://heroeswiki.com/List_of_survived_shootings). That makes 33 in the show.
“Does anyone still think this guy can be redeemed? I mean, as much of a monster as Sylar has been, he never organized and planned his monstrosity as methodically as this.”
- As much as I dearly hope so…probably not. A good redemption story would be pretty cool though. They kind of failed as far as Sylar’s “redemption” went *cough*Killing Elle*cough*.
I loved the Noah/Angela scenes in this episode. Fantastic, since they’re probably the two best actors on the show (with Pasdar and Quinto as honorable mentions). This line in particular: “I have told so many lies. Maybe it’s not too late to cobble my family back together.” was amazing. It makes you realize just how little Angela has left. Arthur’s dead, Nathan’s gone coo-koo for Cocoa Puffs, Peter’s well…Peter, and she was never really close to Claire in the first place. If anything ever does get back to normal will it all be for nothing? Also, whoever put in the morally gray line for HRG…priceless.
The absense of Hiro vastly improved this episode I must say. Claire being gone doesn’t hurt either.
The DC painting was just…I don’t even know what to say. I was hoping the show would get out of this rut of recycling storylines. Hopefully this turns out to be okay.
I’m back! I’ve been so busy, but I’ve missed us talks so much!
First, everything you said about the first Angela and Noah scene, so agree! Did you also notice that when Noah said “This is all I’ve ever known,” Angela nodded her head. Understanding what he was saying, or that she too has known nothing but this life. I think the second. It fits into her need to spare Claire the pain of such a life. I am however not shocked by Angela’s vulnerability in this scene, it’s perfect and is the kind of growth I saw for her character - the hell she’s been through - you just feel that weight, that of course she’s tried.
Angela telling Noah to take care of himself and Claire is nicely delivered, but what knocks me out is the way Angela then opens her mouth as if she’s about to say something, then thinks better of it. Did she think she was being too open? Is she so unused to expressing heartfelt sentiments that she didn’t know how to articulate them? Whichever it is, that pause speaks to the character’s complexity.
I ADORED THIS MOMENT! I was like “Oh, no say it.” It was so in character - the guarded woman. But as much as I want to think it was written in I think the credit is all to Miss Rose and we may never know what she was going to say. What always struck me about Cris in the pilot we’re moments I found later we’ll all non verbal moments SHE created. She is the queen of those moments. And actor really is what you do in the pauses, to an extent.
Noah was doing crosswords!
“Four-letter word, Thin Man dog.”
“Asta.”
Awesome. Whoever came up with that, and whoever came up with Sandra getting it before Noah does — awesome.
I agree. They have great taste!!
It would be noble if it weren’t for the contemptible methods and the self-serving interests. I find it hard to believe that Nathan’s plan began with altruism; it’s more likely that Nathan’s goal is to use other supers as guinea pigs, develop a cure for his own ability and then run off to find Heidi and his sons and pretend that none of this ever happened.
Or maybe self hatred. I do think Nathan thinks what he’s doing is right, but I totally see this now that you have brought it up, but more from the idea that Powers have brought Nathan nothing by heartache and his brother in harms way for himself and the world - twice! I see it as a man who has to put his family member away in an institution - they love them , but they Think they are too much of a danger to themselves and others. It is hard to believe Nathan would REALLY put Claire away, or maybe he’s just using that to have Bennett. But I guess for the greater good, right. Still, it’s the Hunter that leaves Nathan open for crawling back to gray - for next to him he’s a pussy cat. But this thing is gonna go so far off the rails soon Nathan will see the mistake he has made and then we have the emotional consequences of his actions and that sir is drama.
I can’t decide which is more hilarious: Peter’s casual “Hi!” after crashing onto the windshield, or Noah’s “Oh, %*@#! Well, it could’ve worked…” expression.
Oh, the “HI” for sure!
Oh, about the writer and being three of them, many times more than one writer of record is given, but sorry to burst your bubble, but Heroes is completely team written. Different people or teams write scenes and then its all put together and the writer of record fine tunes it all.
and when it’s accompanied by a shot as iconic as this …
I know, it’s like they’re in some 40’s movie, the book they give each other. It makes you think that she’s the only person in the Company Noah has ever respected and that she respects him and thanks him so much for what he’s done for her grandaughter. Not to mention two actors who love to work together. They are the one of best new pairings of season 3 and I hope it continues. Her great clothes help. How many coats does this woman have?
I’m blown away. It’s not just the glasses and the clasped hands and the wry smiles. It’s two characters who are willing to sink to new levels for the greater good. It’s the show’s two most “morally gray” characters conspiring for the sake of the superpowered population. It’s two characters who understand each other better than anyone, which in itself is unbearably sad when you consider how unhappy Sandra must be right now.
Wow, otto, seriously wow! Nice!
Not that the last of those means anything, although it’s a delight for Noah and Angela shippers. But when you recall that these two characters began as short-term peripheral players, seeing them become central figures in a plot to overthrow the volume’s principal villains is a vindication for the actors and a testament to the show’s ability to recognize its strengths.
Heroes was smart to learn the Best Guest Star Catogory at the emmy’s is aways the most interesting, well not since its now only filled with stars and not great actors like these two, but one of the show’s strong suits is seeing who works and going with it - but these two are my fav characters.
Which would probably feel like a more dramatic prophecy if an eerily similar event hadn’t happened on the show before. And if someone with an eerily similar ability hadn’t painted it before. And if that eerily similar painting hadn’t been painted in that exact same spot.
This got me so pissed! It really ruined the episode and I can’t wait until this plot is done and over, but like you I am being optomistc. And on the other side here, there is no way Matt painted that while Peter was standing there - Peter was surprised and there we’re paintings ON the site. After my pissyness weared off it dawned on me. History changed, so the painting on the floor changed from NYC to DC.
Great review!
Damn that posted wrong, can U read it? I will repost if its hard to figure out me and what you said.
No worries, fixed for you.
Great review as always Otto!
My theory is that Danko is setting up an uber-frame job… that Matt and Co. will be seen as responsible for the DC explosion (i.e. Sylar being the scapegoat for the NYC explosion in 5 Years Gone), and thus will give him 100% approval to be as thorough and destructive in his hunting of the supers. And this new rebellious Noah seems to set up the Noah we saw as the head of an underground super movement in 5 Years Gone. Ya see, even though NYC wasn’t destroyed, that same dark future looms in some capacity.
I enjoy the fact that Angela and Noah are heading sort of a rebel alliance against Danko and Nathan. THESE two are definitely the ones I wouldn want leading the resistance. They will do whatever is necessary for the greater good, and they are willing to look like villains to do it. I can definitely see the survival of either side depending on Sylar’s alligience. But Sylar’s alliegience will always be to one man… himself.
I really like where this story is going… and, if anything, the tagline of Volume 3 “Choose a Side” actually is actually more appropriate for THIS Volume, b/c there is actually a defining black line separating the two points of view… where as Volume 3 was all over the place, and alliegiences weren’t cleary defined even in the final episode.
Enjoyed the review, as usual. You have a way of making me appreciate the show even more than I already do.
I need to start watching the show more closely. Otto, you’ve pointed out two things I completely missed - the extra HRGs and the reflection in the HRGs he was wearing.
I was kind of disappointed in the episode. Mainly, it didn’t have the emotional punch that “Company Man” had. Other than that, it did have some pretty good character interactions. Most notably, Angela and HRG (of course), Nathan and HRG and somewhat of a surprise confrontation with Peter and Nathan. I’ll be happy if they keep coming up with these ways for them to interact. All that’s missing now is Peter getting a good scene with Angela.
Thank you.
Great review, Otto. I wish I could share your enthusiasm for Cold Wars, but I can’t. I was disappointed.
On the plus side, Coleman turned in a great performance, as did everyone else, actually. Wasn’t let down by anyone. Peter being a bad ass and making sense is a good thing. Noah’s scenes with Angela were gold. And finally, the Hunter showed a bit of personality. Thank God, because I was muting the sound whenever he showed up.
But that wasn’t enough. What failed for me was the lack of… anything. I tried to ignore the hype, and I wasn’t expecting Company Man 2, but the truth is, there was nothing revealed or said that the viewers didn’t already know. Noah teamed up with Nathan because Claire was in danger. Nathan is playing two sides of the coin, trying to be a good guy doing bad things. So…how are their actions any different from the first season? Kills me to say this, but this entire episode could have been summarized on an NBC 2 minute recap and I wouldn’t have noticed any difference.
To cut to the chase, the episode was filler. Nothing more, nothing less. As for the subplots (if that’s what they were), Daphne is shown to be alive. Ok, we knew she wasn’t dead. Matt is painting the future. Again, we knew that. The explosion future he painted was the least of my concerns. Even if it is plot recycling, it shows a concrete event happening, something for the season to strive towards (if that makes any sense).
Matt, Peter & Mohinder make a good team, brief as they were. I know I’m in the minority here, but I like Mohinder and genuinely feel bad for him. He’s definitely screwed up, but he hasn’t done the monstrous things the Company has, and he’s dealing with his lack of powers (or whatever he has left) and always seems caught in the middle.
I think the most I learned was that Mohinder had spoken to Noah beforehand (didn’t see that coming) and something else. I interpreted Noah’s final conversation with the Hunter as his way of saying that secretly, he likes what he does. It’s not just because of his family, or that it’s all he’s ever known, but he knows he’s good at capturing these people, and deep down, he doesn’t want to do anything else. That pushed him a little over to the evil side for me, although we know he’s still “morally gray”.
Otto
Yet another great review
Still missing the V.O lol’s
It was great to see Daphne back although this might be just me but i found it annoying listening to that awful wailing i thought it was a bit over the top i would have rather listened to screaming but that noise i felt wasn’t played then best i remember watching it with my mate and we just looked at each and thought WTF was that.
I agree with John i am starting to wonder if the original concept of about the future will indeed come true and that how ever hard you try and change the course of destiny it can never be change, for example sylar has claires ability in the future which he now has, you can see nathan or nathan/sylar becoming president as the explosion could wipe out the president. Mohinder will be trying to take the abilities away which is beginning to formulate, i concrete this furter more by what daphne said in episode 2 about ando suppose to be killing hiro in the future so he cant die now i beleive this is the direction the show is going to take. it might also make sense of the whole future peter having a scare. if you look at the bigger picture i believe that the main future concept will come true from season one. any thoughts?
I hope the show doesnt cancel it will be a shame because it has a huge following all over the world and that they only just dont take into the ratings overthere in the U.S
plus there are so setting up the shades of grey to be the next big episode with the whole watch and the morally grey comment so i cant wait for that episode
5 out of 5? LOL
The episode was a recycling of another chapter, did not present anything new and I was bored.
Let me start by saying how much I love your reviews. I like that you give the show and those involved credit where it’s due and point out the negatives where they are as well.
That said I thought the episode was as close to prefection as one can get. Even with the sort of tacted-on feel if the D.C. explosion painting I still really give this episode top marks. I, like you, am witholding judgement about how that plotline will play out. I also agree with what you said, though some of what was in this episode was aretread of what we have seen before it’s relevant to what is happening to the characters now and therefore works.
Michael, good point about Peter needing skin-to-skin contact to absorb an ability. Sounds reasonable.
If Rebel is precognitive, it’s one more reason for Rebel to be Angela.
“At this point, I’m seriously worried about the speculation about cancellation. The show barely broke 7 million.”
I share your concern. If the show gets a fourth season, it sounds like it’ll be with a smaller budget, a tighter schedule and a reduced cast and crew.
Pas, thank you. Sylar’s watch would indeed have been a cool gift from Angela. I guess it could still happen — there must have been something that persuaded Sylar to name his kid after HRG in 3.04, so maybe Sylar will end up giving HRG his watch in person.
Kevin, great post. This made me think:
“… it would have been disastrous if [Peter] actually killed the Hunter.”
I know what you mean — that it would have given Nathan’s anonymous superior(s) a justification to exterminate everyone with an ability — but in a way, killing Danko would have improved everyone’s chances of survival. Nathan and HRG would have been left to run the operation, and without Danko you can bet they’d second-guess every decision because of conflicted loyalties.
Re: Peter: “I still don’t think he’d kill Nathan. Yet. I wonder if they are heading in that direction, though.”
It would give the season a morbid symmetry if it started with Future-Peter shooting Nathan and ended with Present-Peter shooting him (and this time actually killing him).
With Mohinder choosing not to tell Matt about the cab ride with HRG, I saw it as Mohinder’s fear of driving Matt even further away. Mohinder said he wasn’t talking to anyone, but he was probably hoping he could mend his friendship with Matt. Telling Matt about a visit from the most treacherous person they know wouldn’t do anything to fix the broken bridges from the previous volume, and since Mohinder apparently decided HRG was lying anyway, he must have thought it was best to not mention it at all.
Great point about Matt’s telepathy. You’d think he could have used it as a homing beacon in the parking lot.
Brett Hatfield, cool theory about Danko being the one to level D.C. If he does turn out to have an ability, he’ll hate himself for it, hence the dark and explosive irony. I like it.
Sergio, thanks. I’m still on the fence about the latest exploding city plot; mostly, I think it’ll depend on the way it’s executed. But I like your point, and Will H’s and John’s; it could be a neat way to tie everything back to “FYG” and to show that although the location and circumstances have changed, the bomb is still set to go off.
Leigh, I really like this point you made:
“Arthur’s dead, Nathan’s gone coo-koo for Cocoa Puffs, Peter’s well…Peter, and she was never really close to Claire in the first place.”
It’s interesting that from what we saw in 3.14, Angela’s effort to cobble her family back together started with Claire. Maybe she figured Claire was the one who had the least reason to hate her, or maybe she thought Claire was the one who needed her support the most.
ThePandoraRose,
“I’m back!”
Always a pleasure to have you back.
“I see it as a man who has to put his family member away in an institution - they love them , but they Think they are too much of a danger to themselves and others. It is hard to believe Nathan would REALLY put Claire away…”
I think Nathan’s resolve wavers a lot. There’s that moment at the hangar in 3.14 when he sees Claire and barely blinks, and it’s as if his heart’s made of stone. Then there’s a scene like the one at the Bennet house this week, and it sounds like he really does want to help the people he cares about by doing something right. And then you get a scene like the one with Mohinder at Building 26, when Nathan says everyone they know will die if Mohinder doesn’t help him, and again it’s as if he’s back to not giving a crap. We know he does give a crap, but it seems like he’s trying really hard to bury his feelings and sustain his steely resolve. And that’s compounded with the fact that he’s power-hungry and very, very self-serving. I think it’s very possible he will have Claire locked away, because the only real “exception” in his eyes is himself.
“Oh, about the writer and being three of them, many times more than one writer of record is given, but sorry to burst your bubble, but Heroes is completely team written.”
My bubble remains intact, but I found it curious that three writers were credited. I can’t remember that ever being the case on this show, and I wonder what made this episode different. Given the current report circulating about Zatta’s forced departure, I’d like to think he had a larger part in crafting this episode than the rest of the show’s writers.
John, I love the scapegoat theory. Very clever, and very Danko-esque. I agree, “choose a side” seems even more apt for this volume than it did for Volume Three, especially if it turns out that Matt became a suicide bomber of his own free will.
Susan, thanks so much. For me, the little details are a big part of what make the show; they’re what give the episodes their depth and the characters their dimension.
“I was kind of disappointed in the episode. Mainly, it didn’t have the emotional punch that “Company Man” had.”
I hear you. There was no “HRG takes a bullet and loses his memories for Claire” scene. To me, there’s so much other stuff that rocks in other ways, some of which you mention, but I do get why fans thought the episode was slower-paced or unengaging.
B., this:
“What failed for me was the lack of… anything. I tried to ignore the hype, and I wasn’t expecting Company Man 2, but the truth is, there was nothing revealed or said that the viewers didn’t already know.”
… is such a valid point, and I think you’re voicing what a lot of people thought was the problem with this one. For me, it wasn’t so much about the reveals or the plot as it was about the characters. There was no big twist like HRG turning on Claude or Kaito working for The Company, but there was so much exploration of the characters and their predicaments: HRG wondering what he was living for, Angela trying to walk away from the organization she’d been involved with for 30 years, Mohinder sacrificing himself to assuage his guilt, Danko basically telling HRG to stuff his human values up his butt. Everyone’s mileage will vary, but to me, that was character-driven material that absolutely made the episode. I agree that it didn’t propel the plot forward or involve any huge dramatic reveals (besides the apocalyptic painting, which loses impact because it’s been done before), but when it came to its characters, I thought the show achieved a lot during this hour.
Re: Noah: “he likes what he does. It’s not just because of his family, or that it’s all he’s ever known, but he knows he’s good at capturing these people, and deep down, he doesn’t want to do anything else.” < < That’s exactly how I saw it. Nicely put.
Dean Gibb, word on Daphne’s caterwauling. It was kinda torturous. She was in a lot of pain, though, so I give her a pass.
Avaserenity, welcome, and thanks so much for reading. I agree, this was an example of a really strong character-driven episode.
THANK YOU!
Everyone online has been saying how horrible this episode was, and I felt like the only one in the world not taking crazy pills. DON’T DRINK THE PUNCH YOU MORONS! I thought this was a brilliantly written and acted episode, and part of it may be because I’m a huge Matt fan, but I thought Grunberg did some great stuff here. Ventimiglia and Sendhil were awesome too, but again, Matt-focused.
The big thing, about the explosion, is that I feel it’s only the same in a thematic sense. We’ve obviously seen that Matt is going to make himself a martyr bomb, and the one to blow up DC, which is totally different from the original explosion. That was an evil plot by Linderman to “heal the world,” whereas this bomb is just going to be an example of both how dangerous people with abilities are, and also how over the edge this program has driven Matt, a guy who despite his faults, could never be accused of killing humdreds if not thousands of people.
Overall, I feel like if people didn’t like this episode, then they don’t know what they want. Now it’s just gotten to the point where people are having more fun complaining about the show than watching it, and actually WANT it to fail. Good review, because you were actually fair about it. Bravo. I’m now ten times more inclined to read these reviews.
I know what I want. The plot elements, in themselves, aren’t the problem. For me, it’s the arrangement of the plot elements that’s the issue. But, that’s what fanfic is for, and I have fun with that, even when the official story lines aren’t to my tastes. One way or another, the show is giving me the entertainment I’m looking for.
I think it’s very possible he will have Claire locked away, because the only real “exception” in his eyes is himself.
I think Claire is pretty safe from being locked away, especially if she stops interfering (which, admittedly, is not likely to happen). Powers-wise, Claire’s ability is pretty harmless to others. In fact, it could be very useful.
It seems to me that a lot of what Nathan has said about people with abilities, he learned, unfortunately, because of Peter. As a result, I very much believe that Nathan believes Peter is the most dangerous.
As for Peter’s new twist on his power, I think he can control it. Having said that, I believe taking Tracy’s power was an accident. He was in a fight and had let his guard down, so to speak. Otherwise, it does seem like he can decide which power to take. I’d go along with the skin-to-skin contact theory, except for when he took Nathan’s power this last time. We didn’t see the effect until just before he took off and he wasn’t touching Nathan’s skin at that point. Of course, that could have been a mistake with the special effects (Peter initially touched Nathan’s neck) or done deliberately for dramatic effect, probably the latter.
Always a pleasure to have you back.
Ahh…
I think Nathan’s resolve wavers a lot. There’s that moment at the hangar in 3.14 when he sees Claire and barely blinks, and it’s as if his heart’s made of stone. Then there’s a scene like the one at the Bennet house this week, and it sounds like he really does want to help the people he cares about by doing something right. And then you get a scene like the one with Mohinder at Building 26, when Nathan says everyone they know will die if Mohinder doesn’t help him, and again it’s as if he’s back to not giving a crap. We know he does give a crap, but it seems like he’s trying really hard to bury his feelings and sustain his steely resolve. And that’s compounded with the fact that he’s power-hungry and very, very self-serving. I think it’s very possible he will have Claire locked away, because the only real “exception” in his eyes is himself.
Very well said and scary to a point, about Nathan I mean. I do think Nathan’s Achilles heal is his ambition and it will be something he fights with most of his life - it’s in his DNA. And I just want to say - what he’s doing runs in the family - and maybe Nathan has to push in his feelings, something his mother does. What makes Nathan so complex and sad to me is he is like his father so much, but that part of his mother inside of him that fights with the other half that does care - but just like his mother he pushes it down. Of course I like to think she learned that from Arthur. & I’m really just writing as I free think here, but I need to see more, but I can’t see Nathan as fully cold, nor do I see him as a saint. BUT there is also the fact that he can make himself feel removed from Claire - while he was there for his sons all their life.
“Oh, about the writer and being three of them, many times more than one writer of record is given, but sorry to burst your bubble, but Heroes is completely team written.”
My bubble remains intact, but I found it curious that three writers were credited. I can’t remember that ever being the case on this show, and I wonder what made this episode different. Given the current report circulating about Zatta’s forced departure, I’d like to think he had a larger part in crafting this episode than the rest of the show’s writers.
I’m pretty sure we have a few, not a lot, but a few -especially with a lower level writer like Chris.
Great review Otto. I wasn’t particularly amazed by this episode, but after reading this, and thinking about it, this was all about the characters, and not the plot. Claire’s criticisms of her father are much more meaningful now–because we realize that Noah isn’t just doing it for his daughter–he’s also doing it because he can’t live a normal life. And Angela just wants to move away from it all. It’s a wonderful, dramatic situation that I’m sorry I missed the first time through. Etc. However, I do agree that in terms of just expanding upon the plot, this episode failed. But I’d rather take character development than plot development, after the whole Villains debacle.
And here’s hoping they’ll have a different spin on this whole explosion thing.
Susan, I agree that Nathan would want to keep Claire away from Building 26 if he could. But like you say, the chances of Claire backing off are slim, and if he’s in a position to put her in a cell again, I think he pretty much has to. There’s only so many times he can overrule Danko and put his own team in danger. From where Danko’s standing, Nathan’s a wild card, and one way Nathan could prove he’s able to put his objectives ahead of his feelings is to lock his daughter up. Since Nathan’s organization apparently doesn’t discriminate between harmful and harmless abilities, I don’t think the nature of Claire’s ability would matter. It would also be the most effective way to vilify Nathan, if that’s what the show wanted to do.
When you consider the medical properties Claire’s ability could provide, though, I’m almost surprised Nathan doesn’t betray HRG and make Claire the first target. A supply of regenerative blood bags would certainly help to minimize the number of analysts and commandos Nathan’s losing.
Great point about Nathan’s actions being motivated by Peter. I’d say Peter demonstrated how destructive people with abilities can be — even when they don’t intend to be destructive — but perhaps Nathan’s also partly motivated by what he’s seen of Angela and the rest of the ElderSupers. He’s seen a cult group of people with abilities taking the law into their hands, and he’s seen the effects of a society that independently makes decisions about nuking cities and developing lethal viruses. The counterargument is that a cult group like the ElderSupers would inevitably come up with crazy ideas like that even if they didn’t have abilities, but from Nathan’s perspective, removing those abilities limits their capacity to realize their plans.
Here’s a question which came to mind after this episode: where is the government’s intel coming from? Does the Wall of Fugitives really just consist of Nathan’s circle of acquaintances and HRG’s files from the storage unit, or are they using The Company’s approach and following media reports of bizarre occurrences? It struck me as relevant, because we don’t know the extent of Danko’s knowledge: does he know, for example, that Angela has an ability? If not, is that because Nathan’s controlling the amount of information Danko has access to?
“When you consider the medical properties Claire’s ability could provide, though, I’m almost surprised Nathan doesn’t betray HRG and make Claire the first target. A supply of regenerative blood bags would certainly help to minimize the number of analysts and commandos Nathan’s losing.”
- It makes a lot of sense, but I think the writers of the show are trying to forget that they introduced that plot device after all the complaints about it. If hasn’t even been mentioned since the ‘The Second Coming’. To be frank I didn’t really like it as a plot device either, but it brought HRG back so…fine.
Since Nathan’s organization apparently doesn’t discriminate between harmful and harmless abilities, I don’t think the nature of Claire’s ability would matter.
Definitely, I only meant it mattered to Nathan.
Just re-watched the episode and noticed something in HRG’s storage locker, one of the boxes has “1984″ on it. Big Brother is watching, right?
Also, when Nathan and HRG show up at Building 26, Danko pretty much ignores Nathan and goes right to HRG.
I still can’t make out the reflection in HRG’s HRGs.
This is a fantastic review executed with style and written fluently and maturely…before I sound like I’m marking a school essay I’d like to say thanks for the indepth review above which really cuts to what we want to know in a skillful and satisfying way. I enjoyed reading this as much as watching the program itself!