Overview:
Nathan takes Claire to Mexico and gets wasted while trying to cheat a group of frat boys out of their money. Claire bails him out when it turns out her ability negates intoxication, and after a heartfelt speech about how amazing he could be, Nathan resolves to make amends. Meanwhile, Peter and Angela hide in a church, and Peter talks to God. Noah covers for them when his agents seal off the building, and Angela has a dream about a heretofore unknown sister. Finally, Sylar and Željko form an uneasy alliance after a shapeshifter infiltrates Goon Squad Central. Upon capturing the shapeshifter (who was busy impersonating both of his hunters), Željko decides to let Sylar acquire another ability, presumably figuring his new parter is the quickest way to wipe out the superpowered population.
Review:
If it’s possible for the show to come up with a polar opposite to “Cold Snap,” “Into Asylum” is it. There are no huge reveals, there are no elaborate CG sequences, and none of the mains are killed off. At the same time, everything that was great about last week’s episode — the focused storytelling, the attention to detail, the nuances in the characters — is retained, embellished and taken to a new level.
This week’s episode discards pyrotechnics and shock value in favor of detailed character exploration, providing what’s possibly the most character-driven episode of the show’s run. The advantage to this approach is that long-ignored issues are finally resolved, and characters who’d barely spoken to one other in three seasons finally share the screen time they should have gotten long before now. It also means that if the show is indeed heading towards an outcome that resembles the future we saw in “Five Years Gone,” the rationale behind it will make sense.
If there’s a disadvantage to this approach, it’s that the episode never matches the previous week’s raw, edge-of-the-seat energy. It’s not that the pace is sluggish, but like “The Hard Part” struggling to follow in the wake of “Five Years Gone,” it feels as if the show shifted down a gear.
We start out with Nathan and Claire landing in Patzcuaro, Mexico. Claire assumes this is a one-night mini-vacation, and Nathan — perhaps more realistically — tells the motel manager they’ll be staying for a few days.
The white subtitles alongside the yellow made for a nice touch, but what grabbed me about this opening scene was the motel manager’s assumption about why Nathan got a room with Claire.
Let it never be said that I went there before the show did. And let the inappropriateness begin!
If you can look past Pasdar’s shades, strategically disheveled hair and designer stubble, the hilarious part in a lot of these scenes is the unintentional and wholly inappropriate chemistry between the leads. You want to say “Ew!” when the manager wonders whether Nathan’s paying hourly, but the gorgeousness of the actors and the chemistry they share is such that it’s inescapable, and it’s not their fault for sustaining it any more than it’s ours for noticing it.
Given that the show has broached what I never would have dared to, I feel I can now comfortably point out that while Nathan is wearing the same suit he was wearing when he rescued Claire at the end of “Shades of Gray,” Claire’s outfit has changed. One would assume they made a pit stop on the way to Mexico and stole a few items from a back yard, but somehow it’s more amusing to imagine Claire insisting on spending what little money they had on a change of clothes and discarding her old outfit mid-flight.
Nathan explains that he was exposed, and that he brought Claire to Mexico because Željko’s influence “doesn’t extend south of the border, or to Albuquerque.” I might have added that last part, but you have to wonder why the Goon Squad commandos are unable to touch Nathan in Mexico when they had no issue with snatching Hiro from Tokyo.
Continuity notwithstanding, this opening scene sparkles because of its attention to detail. Nathan offers his trademark political bulls**t by assuring Claire he’ll “make some calls” and “put some things into motion”; the drab and depressing yellow of the motel room conveys enough seedy decadence to support the awkwardness of the scene, but not so much that it detracts from the scene’s humor; and Nathan’s sentences all begin with “All right, well…” or “Now, look…”, setting up how how uneasy Nathan is around his daughter. Superbly written, and superbly realized.
The fact that Nathan struggles to even make eye contact with Claire for most of this scene reinforces how awkward their relationship is, but perhaps more intriguingly, it emphasizes that Nathan doesn’t know what he’s doing, and that he probably hates himself for his lack of control over the situation as much as he hates himself for getting them into this situation to begin with.
Claire, apparently so appalled by both the motel room and Nathan’s lack of a clear plan, decides to take a walk, and while her disdain for Nathan comes across by the way she closes the door on him mid-sentence, Claire’s smile at Nathan before she leaves …
… is somewhere between “Boy, he really has no idea what he’s doing” and “Wow, he’s actually concerned about my safety?” For all the criticism Hayden has taken for wooden acting this season, her performance this week is outstanding.
Peter brings Angela to an alley outside a church, and Angela calls Peter her “very own guardian angel.” Aw … Sort of. There’s a sardonic undertone to the way Cristine Rose delivers the line, but whether that’s because she’s cynical after so many years with The Company or because she isn’t sure she deserves a guardian angel is open to debate.
Beautifully shot, and oddly symbolic in light of Peter’s anger at God and Angela’s need for forgiveness. It’s also a neat contrast to the previous scene, with the church reflecting Angela’s austerity and the motel room reflecting Nathan’s sleaze.
Incredible work by Nate Goodman and Jim Chory. I love how the location starts out as this menacing monstrosity and ends up becoming a haven.
Noah and Željko visit an apartment in Arlington, Virginia, and we meet Agent Jenkins, who recounts how his assignment went awry and vomits over the bodies of his team. Noah immediately realizes that a high-school geometry teacher like James Martin wouldn’t put bullets into his captors as precisely as this guy did. It’s unclear whether Željko had already realized that and simply didn’t care, but the interesting part is Željko had no idea what his target’s ability was and still sent four agents charging in. The cavalier approach fits with the villain who’s hellbent on exterminating anyone with an ability, but it’s not so consistent with the villain who helped to mastermind freeze-resistant leotards and ability-inhibiting shunts. You’d think Željko would have researched his targets more thoroughly before sending agents to their deaths.
The counter-argument is the way Željko is visibly coming undone this week, which suggests he’s getting sloppier as the operation goes on and the subsequent death toll wears him down.
Željko retreats to his car and looks more rattled than ever. I have to reiterate how extraordinary Ivanek’s portrayal of the character has been throughout this volume, because although we’re not especially inclined to sympathize with a genocidal maniac, the fact that the actor can bring any trace of humanity to a character who has none is a testament to the guy’s talent. The character’s hand trembles, his eyes close with weariness, and we’re left wondering why a b*****d like Danko — who up until now ran his operation with brutal efficiency — would suddenly be eaten up by it.
Željko contemplates mass murder while Del Shannon plays on his radio; Sylar shows up in the back of the car to casually whistle along; and with cheery music to accompany them, one killer points out to the other what a bloodbath they just found inside the apartment. I can’t decide which part of that is most appalling, but it’s appalling in the best possible way — so much so that you barely pause to wonder how Sylar gets into and out of the car without making a sound.
Sylar: “Did you get my gifts?”
Željko: “Taxidermied bunny and the near-dead puppeteer? You shouldn’t have.”
Sylar: “It’s an overture toward collaboration, since we both want the same thing.”
Željko: “And what’s that again?”
Sylar: “Killing people like me.”
Amazingly well done. It’s straightforward dialogue, but it sets up the rationale behind Sylar and Željko working together, and it underlines how similar the hunter and the target are in both their goals and their methods.
The other amazing part is the dynamic between the characters and between the actors. Željko’s looking at the embodiment of everything he despises, but it’s hard to ignore the twisted understanding between them, and it’s hard not to enjoy the dramatic undercurrent when one malicious b*****d tries to outmaneuver the other.
Sylar zipping from the car to the rooftop? It didn’t bother me, even though I know it should. He’s pulled the same trick repeatedly since Season One. In any case, the “Huh?” that it elicits is made up for by the coolness of the villain soaking up the rain on the rooftop. Nice parallel to Peter getting drenched outside the church, and every bit as brilliantly shot.
Željko and Noah return to Goon Squad Central. The Wall of Fugitives has been updated. I got a glimpse of a lot of the anonymous faces we’ve seen before, but Ando and Micah are now on there (with Micah looking more like his kid Season One self than his recent husky-voiced self), and so are Nathan, Daphne and Elle.
Željko replaces Sylar’s picture with Martin’s at the top of the At Large column, and Ivanek plays the character with near-hysteria as he tells his agents that “we don’t sleep until this sonofabitch is caught.” It’s a subtle way to tie in with his erratic behavior in the previous scenes, and it’s an underhanded way for Željko to remove Sylar’s picture and downsize the focus on hunting him.
Željko: “We need a win. You’ve got 20 years experience with these people, and I need a plan. And I don’t wanna hear ‘one of us, one of them.’”
Noah: “Then I won’t say it. But it got the job done — the very same tactics that you used on all those counter-insurgency programs you ran from Havana to Kabul.”
As intriguing as ever. My main complaint remains, because the villain’s backstory and core motive continue to be limited to cryptic references. I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll still be piecing together the character’s history after he’s killed off.
We cut to the Cantina of Improbable Character Development, where Nathan rediscovers he can hold his liquor and Claire discovers she’s resourceful and witty.
Claire: “I sold my kidney. Actually, both of them. Twice.”
Funny, if only because you can believe she really could. As with Eden whammying her way into a Ferrari and Tracy freezing security tags off clothes, you appreciate it because you know it’s what anyone with the same ability and a little less integrity would do.
Claire sells the necklace Noah gave her at a pawn shop, and looks so proud of her ingenuity that it’s endearing.
Nathan looks equally impressed, although you could argue his delight isn’t so much about her resourcefulness as it is her willingness to discard a gift her adoptive father gave her.
Nathan: “Would it kill you to show me just a little bit of gratitude?”
Claire: “For what?”
Nathan: “‘For what?’ For giving you a free pass? For risking my neck to save your life when it was over? Pick one. Either one. Just common courtesy, Claire.”
Claire: “Why did you give me a free pass?”
Nathan: “I had my reasons.”
Great dialogue, and in a scene that comes about as a close as the show has gotten to exploring the near-nonexistent father-daughter relationship between two of the show’s main characters. It’s telling that Nathan’s self-pity while sober leads him to believe he deserves gratitude, and it’s telling that he answers two sensible questions with first a glib reply and then an evasive one.
It’s also extremely telling that the moment Claire asks Nathan a question that requires him to confront his feelings, he shuts down the conversation and heads over to the frat boys and the tequila. Ostensibly, Nathan wants to make enough money for him and Claire to survive. If you want to read into it, you could argue that Nathan’s doing what comes naturally to him, and what most guys would do in a situation where they’ve been asked to consider their feelings: he runs away and does something that’ll make him feel like a man, which is to say he resorts to macho competition and a reason to get wasted.
Peter joins Angela in one of the pews at the back of the church and asks her if she thinks sanctuary will stop Željko’s agents. Given Peter’s issues with God in this episode, I’m inclined to take this as a line that’s dripping with skepticism.
Angela tells Peter she can’t sleep, and for the first time in three seasons, we get a glimpse of the way Angela depends on her ability for guidance. Which, looking back, seems even more tragic, because the ability that isolated Angela from her friends and family is now the survival skill she relies on to dictate her actions. It’s also what makes the character’s arc both profound and ironic; given the setting for this scene, I imagine God would have something to say about Angela’s faith in an ability passed down to her through evolution.
Angela: “There used to be love in this family once. Look at us now. It’s all my fault.”
Cristine Rose’s performance throughout this episode is exemplary, but this was the scene that sold me on Angela’s despair. On paper, this line reads as Angela’s attempt to guilt Peter into feeling sorry for her. The way it’s shot and performed, with Cristine looking right into the camera and Angela delivering the line with such sincerity …
… you’d be hard-pressed not to feel sorry for her. This in spite of the fact that Angela is fundamentally right. It is her fault, at least in part. You could argue that Arthur was Nathan’s idol, that Nathan would have become a jerk no matter who raised him, and that in the end it’s Nathan who created the situation everyone ended up in. But from the start, it was Angela fueling Nathan’s lust for power; it was Angela driving Nathan to bury his emotions and do whatever he needed to if it served his interests — and, indirectly, hers; and ultimately, it was Angela who created the b*****d responsible for driving her to this church for refuge.
And we now cut back to said b*****d in Mexico as he downs shots of tequila …
… and has a lot more fun doing it than he should. We laugh, partly out of amusement because Pasdar gracefully pulls this off with a group of frat boys half his age, partly out of relief because the golden tone of this storyline is a welcome respite from the somber tone of the previous one. But the irony remains, because the guy who’s largely responsible for this volume’s death toll is basking in golden sunshine and downing tequila shots while his mother and brother shiver in a church.
Nathan: “We used to do this scraping for shore leave money in the Philippines, all right? I’m good at it.”
Subtle throwback to Nathan’s military days, and a subtle way to hint at the way Nathan latches onto something to prove himself to Claire.
Claire gives this look that conveys how she’s halfheartedly trying to scold him for being such a cowboy, but she’s probably as charmed by Nathan’s roguish streak as we are.
Goon Squad Central. Jenkins visits Željko’s office and applauds Željko for his “inspirational” speech. I find it telling, and somewhat sad, that the only people who praise Željko for his display of emotion are Noah — who’s blatantly playing Željko — and Jenkins — who’s only interested in a handshake that’ll help him imitate his boss.
Željko finds the cell phone and cardboard box, and we learn that Sylar walked right into Željko’s office to drop them off.
Sylar: “You’d be amazed what you can do with a lifted ID badge, a four-dollar tie and a West Baltimore accent.”
I’d be curious to see this scene on the DVD, but not as curious as I’d be to learn how one of the key targets at the top of the Wall of Fugitives breezed into Goon Squad Central, deposited a suspect package and breezed back out again without anyone stopping him. Željko’s entire team wins a collective Dumb As Award for inexcusable lack of attention.
The shapeshifting itself was a suitably elaborate and unnerving effect. You can make out Martin’s bones rearranging and his skin reshaping, and I like the way it’s distinct enough to set it apart from Candice’s illusionism. That said, this is where it becomes apparent that we could still see the future we saw in “Five Years Gone,” the only difference being the circumstances along the way.
Church of Petrelli Sanctuary. We learn that Angela donated clothes to the church. While I can’t see Angela donating anything from her sock drawers, this detail conveyed something about Angela’s attempt to atone for her actions over the years.
Peter: “Didn’t know you were still so active.”
Angela: “I give them things. Not devotion, not myself — not the same. It’s like with you and your brother; your father and I supported you but we didn’t give you support.”
My response to this would have been something along the lines of, “Yeah, no kidding! You and Dad acted like lunatics and let me blow up!” Peter’s kinder than I am and reassures Angela that she did support him, and Cristine Rose again owns this scene by clasping Peter’s hands. We start to realize that Peter was right: she is here for forgiveness, but from her son rather than from God.
Angela: “There were times when you were growing up, you were so confused, you were so desperate for answers, and I could have told you the truth. I could have given you comfort, and I didn’t.”
Great dialogue, partly because you want to scream “Yeah, no $%@#!” when you recall how Peter was throwing himself off rooftops and unwittingly absorbing abilities until his system overloaded; but it’s also great dialogue because it underlines how Angela’s resolve has fallen apart.
Angela wonders whether Peter hates her. I’m not sure which is more amusing — the fact that Peter takes so long to decide how he wants to respond, or the fact that his expression during that long pause …
… suggests he’s seriously considering whether she’s right.
Peter: “I don’t hate you. Look, whatever’s happened, you’re still my mother.”
Angela: “I’m afraid that unconditional love isn’t really love at all.”
Again, great dialogue. Ties in very elegantly with Papa Deveaux’s astral speech to Peter about unconditional love, and it speaks to Angela’s cynicism after years of harsh experience. It’s also a testament to the complexity of Angela’s character when she can visit a church, scoff at the notion of unconditional love and then settle down to pray.
We cut back to Nathan plowing through one tequila shot after another. Which I guess is amusing enough in itself, not least because it precedes Nathan insisting that Noah’s not the only one who can “do stuff,” collapsing onto the table and leaving Claire to pick up where he left off. But the whole thing becomes hilarious thanks to numerous wide angles designed to capture as many of Nathan’s drunken expressions as possible.
We probably shouldn’t ask, but I can’t help wondering whether Pasdar lobbied for actual tequila during these scenes.
Sylar visits James Martin’s apartment and finds Željko waiting for him. Željko notes that Sylar has a penchant for accents, affectations and guises, and between playing Zane Taylor, Isaac Mendez, Andrew Hanson, Sylar Petrelli and a Primatech delivery boy, Željko’s absolutely right. What’s interesting — and what this scene brings out — is that Sylar and Željko are essentially the same: hollow voids which occupy themselves with hellbent obsessions. The difference is that where Sylar furnishes his identity by indulging an obsession, Željko purges his identity by devoting himself to an obsession.
Sylar: “You’ve clearly thought all of this through, except for the part where you can’t catch your guy without my help.”
Željko: “You’re all the win I need, white whale.”
Sylar: “Maybe I’m the goose who lays the golden egg.”
Putting aside the hilarious visuals this evokes, it’s an effective way to set up why Željko agrees to work with Sylar. We know that Željko won’t pull the trigger on the gun he’s pointing at Sylar, but the impact of this scene is sustained by its implications. Željko clearly realizes that Sylar will inevitably try to kill him once the collaboration serves its purpose, but since Sylar’s the most efficient way to decrease the superpowered population, Željko seems to figure that a twisted take on Noah’s “one of us, one of them” is the fastest way to achieve his own objective.
Church of Petrelli Sanctuary. Peter rants at God.
Peter: “I asked to be extraordinary, and I promised I’d make the world a better place. So when I got my chance, I lived up to my end of the bargain.”
Props to Milo for this scene, because he takes some hokey dialogue and turns it into gold. But I’m sorry, I have to say, what? WHAT?
What did I miss? When did Peter make the world a better place? Is he talking about the time he exploded, or the time he nearly helped a madman unleash a deadly virus, or the time he forgot his girlfriend in an obsolete future, or the time his future self shot his brother and accidentally rewrote history so that Sylar became invulnerable, or the time he absorbed an unstable ability that nearly drove him mad? I’ve reviewed every episode of this show, but I must have missed the one where Peter made the world a better place.
I guess Peter looked after people while he was working as a hospice nurse, and later as a paramedic. But the way this was worded, it seems like Peter’s genuinely under the impression that being extraordinary helped him to make the world a better place. Newsflash to Peter: it’s what’s messing the world up. Most of the good Peter’s done within this show’s timeframe involved repairing damage that HE AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY ACQUAINTANCES CAUSED. Regardless of whether or not they intended to cause any of the numerous crises they’ve faced, Peter’s as much to blame for those crises as anyone. It’s why there’s a shred of sanity in Nathan’s deranged plan this volume. The tragedy is that being unextraordinary would have made the world a better place.
Peter: “I’m running for my life. A lot of people are running for their lives. They’re hurt, and they’re dying, and I can’t help them.”
Well-delivered dialogue, and in character for a guy who genuinely does want to help people.
Peter: “Do You even care what You put people through? When they kneel here before You and ask for help, do You even listen?”
Again, credit where it’s due, because you can sense Peter’s frustration. The reason why it never comes across as self-pitying or self-indulgent is because it’s borne of selflessness.
Peter: “I’m tired of fighting. And I’m angry. At my father, Nathan, at my mother … at You. We had a deal. I think it’s about time You lived up to Your end. Please, just … show up.”
Heartbreaking, not only because with hindsight you realize God’s about to say, “Hey, kid, who do you think you’re talking to?“, but also because you grasp the toll Peter’s experiences have taken, to a point where despair overcomes piety and Peter can’t even pray alongside his mother without venting.
Beautifully shot, and tragic, because it suggests that no matter how hard Angela tries to atone, Fate will eventually find her.
Agents seal off the building, Peter and Angela take cover in a confessional, and Angela confesses to Peter. And while it’s sad that Angela left this moment of honesty until she thought she might never see Peter again, it’s astonishing to witness, and it’s about as far a departure from the character’s usual subterfuge as it’s possible to get. Within three episodes, Angela has gone from petting socks and pwning Željko to praying for salvation and recounting her tragic life. The fact that Cristine Rose pulls that transition off so convincingly is a testament to the actress’s ability, and to how completely she understands her character.
Angela: “I was just like you, my head in the clouds, full of hope. I was gonna be a teacher.”
Heartbreaking, if a little disappointing. I was sure Angela wanted to be a musician. Or at least a punk-rock groupie.
“And then my power manifested, and the dreams came — visions of a bloody future, of deceit and death; the Apocalypse.”
While this will likely be depicted over the next few episodes, it’s revealing to hear it from Angela’s perspective, if only because it paints her as an increasingly tragic figure whose ability brought her terror while others’ abilities brought them joy. Imagine how cheated Angela must have felt after discovering that her fellow ElderSupers were turning spoons into gold and healing flowers while she was saddled with visions of doom.
“And when I awoke, I tried to warn everyone, but no one would listen. Why would they? Why should they? I was Cassandra screaming that the sky was falling, but when they looked up there wasn’t a cloud in sight.”
Again, tragic, because you realize that Angela only resorted to lies after no one put stock in her honesty. At the same time, it makes Angela’s secrecy when Peter’s ability manifested all the more reprehensible, because Peter faced a similar situation, trying to convince everyone that he wasn’t insane.
“And I did it with lies, and with manipulation and betrayal. And it cost me everything. My friends, my husband, my boys.”
Staggering delivery from Cristine, so much so that you find yourself feeling sorry for Angela in spite of all the scheming and plotting we’ve seen over the seasons. It also speaks enormously to the character, because it suggests that Angela despises her own dishonesty, and that she’s plagued with self-loathing for her actions.
“But Peter, it’s the price I chose to pay to save the world.”
This entire scene blew me away, but particularly this final line, because as clear as it is that Angela regrets her actions, it doesn’t sound like she regrets her motive. The way this last line was delivered, you get the impression that Angela would do the same again if she had to, even knowing the suffering and loss it would bring her.
The door behind Angela opens, Angela looks up with abject terror, and the guy who discovered her in the confessional turns out to be …
… Glasses Himself.
Nicely done, show. My only complaint is that, as awesome as Noah was for turning a blind eye and covering for Angela, he really should have taken the opportunity to say, “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
Garden of Eden. Or perhaps Garden of Heavyhanded Biblical Overtones. Sylar and Željko move through the crowd, but refrain from getting down to the awesome beat.
My disappointment over this is almost made up for when Sylar starts laughing his ass off. And this, admittedly, is even more bizarre than the sight of Željko dancing would have been.
Željko as a ladies’ man? Who would have thought! Sylar rationalizes it with the allure of Željko’s power and authority, but really? I mean, looking at this from an objective point of view, if you wanted to snag a hot brunette, would you impersonate a short bald guy when you could be Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome?
Whoops. Spoiler.
Željko is as mystified as we are. Or maybe it’s just that it never occurred to him that sexual magnetism might be one of his gifts.
Željko: “What’s he up to?”
^ ^ Actual dialogue! I’m going to take a wild stab and say he’s trying to get laid.
Claire brings Nathan back to their motel room and tells him he should “never, ever fly in that condition.” While this would make for another amusing DVD extra, it’s less amusing than the scene that was criminally cut from the episode, which depicts Nathan drunkenly scuffling with the frat boys and not even realizing he’s hovering when one of them lunges at him.
It’s established in dialogue that Claire can’t get drunk. I’m willing to buy into this, but you have to wonder why Claire’s regeneration would flush the alcohol out of her system and not the drug being pumped into her through a shunt in the volume-opener.
Nathan: “I’m so sorry, Claire. I really messed up.”
It’s delivered with enough feeling that you’re tempted to believe he means it, but in a neat contrast to Angela’s plea for forgiveness, you know you shouldn’t be fooled by it.
Claire: “It’s all right. It’s fine.”
Nathan voices our own reaction and insists it’s not fine, and for once in this volume, we’re not inclined to disagree with him. As beautiful as these final few scenes between Nathan and Claire are, they don’t absolve Nathan, and they don’t efface the fear, suffering and death he inflicted on a whim.
Nathan reveals that he gave Claire a free pass because he thought it would “win [her] over.” And although Claire probably realizes as much as we do how pathetic that is …
… she’s sufficiently bowled over for her eyes to well up. And, sure, it’s moving to see Nathan drunkenly aspiring to make everything right. Even in retrospect, knowing he’s going to take it all back in the morning, it’s moving to think that Claire awoke a latent sense of courage and idealism in her father.
But then, you could equally argue that it wasn’t Claire who convinced Nathan to act so much as excessive amounts of guilt, self-loathing and tequila. As moving as it is to watch Claire drape a blanket over her sleeping father, Nathan’s bout of courage was fueled by alcohol, and even if it succeeded, the best he could aspire to was fixing a crisis which he was directly responsible for in the first place.
Garden of Heavyhanded Biblical Overtones. Željko eyes Sylar and nervously and tells him he “lost him.”
FAKE!
Sylar eyes Željko suspiciously and replies that he also lost him.
FAKE!
Nicely done, show. The way both actors played this sequence, it was impossible to tell who was playing who. Željko seemed a little more on edge, so I was sure he’d turn out to be the shapeshifter. Part of my reasoning, however, involved the shapeshifter’s need to make contact with the individuals he impersonates, and from what we saw, Martin never had a chance to make contact with Sylar.
Željko puts a bullet in Not!Sylar, Real!Sylar appears behind him, Željko practically offers the shapeshifter to the psycho serial killer, and damn, how sick is this scene?
Sylar couldn’t be more delighted, but the sight of the show’s central villain kneeling over a whimpering impersonation of himself and slicing him open is awful in the most morbidly compelling way.
Željko asks Sylar not to slice the scalp open. The implication is that Sylar either removes the part of the brain he needs very neatly, or that he sucks it out of the guy’s nose. Alternatively, I don’t think it’s too ridiculous to speculate that Sylar took the empathic route. Given how amply Sylar shares Martin’s penchant for adopting personalities, you’d think it’d be easier than usual to empathize with his victim.
Claire wakes up in her motel room with the blanket she gave to Nathan wrapped around her. Aw. You could take that as a sign that Nathan plans to do his best to take care of Claire, but the counterpoint is in the visuals …
… which convey everything this episode demonstrates about Nathan; that there will always be two halves to him — the guy in the mirror who he wants to be, and the snake that he really is.
Nathan: “I didn’t make any calls to anybody. I don’t really have any friends on the Hill at the moment.”
Claire: “But last night, you said you would fix everything.”
Nathan: “I was drunk. I’m sorry if I got your hopes up.”
On paper, there’s nothing especially remarkable about the conversation. What makes the scene so poignant comes down to Claire’s reaction.
While I’m as guilty as anyone of bashing Hayden’s acting, she knocks this scene out of the park. The obligatory cry-on-demand tears make an appearance, but what sells Claire’s reaction is her look of stomach-churning dismay when Nathan tells her he’s not the hero she thought he was.
Nathan: “Some things are bigger than one man.”
Tell that to Micah — an orphan who had no idea how the world worked, but who managed to derail a covert government operation because he was determined to make a difference. The difference in Nathan’s case is apparently that without political influence, Nathan doesn’t believe he can achieve anything. You could argue that that’s not so much cynical as realistic, because without connections in Washington there’s no way Nathan could build a case against Željko and persuade President Worf to shut Building 26 down. What makes Nathan reprehensible here is that he doesn’t even consider the options. He throws the predicament back at Claire and asks her what she thinks he should do, knowing full well that she wouldn’t have any idea how to take down an operation that he masterminded.
Claire: “You know what? Over the years, I couldn’t help but think about my real dad: who you were, what you looked like, your job. And then I met you, and you were more amazing than anything I could have ever imagined.”
Great dialogue, particularly when you realize Claire isn’t talking about Nathan’s ability or wealth or political might, but rather the person he was when she met him; the authoritative, take-charge guy who wouldn’t let anything stand in his way when he set his mind on something.
Ironically, Nathan probably has Angela to thank for that.
Nathan looks like the message is hitting home, to the extent that he’s at least confronting his failure instead of running back to the cantina to drown his problems in tequila.
Nathan: “That’s just a fantasy.”
Claire: “No. No. It doesn’t have to be. You could do anything you want. You can fly. You’re supposed to be Superman.”
Gut-wrenching, for the strength of Hayden’s performance as much as for the emotional resonance behind the scene. This scene made the episode for me. This was a testament to how far the show has come in seven episodes. How we went from Claire telling Nathan she hates him to this is beyond me, but it demonstrates how completely Claire’s optimism and ideals have been crushed by Nathan’s actions, and it’s evidence of how carefully the character arcs in this volume have been crafted.
Church of Petrelli Sanctuary. Angela sleeps on Peter’s shoulder, then wakes to tell him she had a dream. Peter seems to be looking at her with new-found respect, possibly because he realizes God isn’t going to help him and that his mom’s all he’s got, but more likely because hearing what she endured after her ability manifested has shed light on why she ended up so twisted and secretive.
Then … Aunt Petrelli?
AUNT PETRELLI?!
Peter’s astonishment mirrors our own, and while I’m confident that the show can do no wrong for the remainder of this volume, I have to ask, where on earth did this come from? How did the show pull this out of its butt at the eleventh hour? WHAT THE %@#*, SHOW?! What’s next, Noah’s brother? Mohinder’s son? Claire’s long-lost twin?
Whatever. As long as it doesn’t turn out to be another Sylar Petrelli red herring, I’m cool with it.
Also, that affectionate slap Angela gives Peter? Awesome.
We cut back to Mexico.
That? … is made of aw. It doesn’t make Nathan any more forgivable after everything he’s responsible for …
… And neither does this. But there’s at least something endearing about an estranged father and daughter’s identical mannerism, and there’s at least a thinly veiled symbolism in Nathan retrieving the necklace that Noah gave Claire, essentially admitting that he can’t compete for a role as her father, but that he can do his damndest to earn back Claire’s admiration and be the role model she dreamed he’d be.
I’d love to know who came up with the Animals for the final scene. Are Wendy and Lisa coming up with this stuff, or are Arkush and Hammer just pulling this stuff out of their iPods, throwing it onto the show’s soundtrack and seeing what works? However they’re coming up with these tracks, it rocks.
Noah gets a glimpse of Not!Sylar’s corpse, and his expression isn’t so much satiated vengeance as lingering suspicion and disbelief. The words “five,” “years” and “gone” reverberate with renewed significance, particularly now that Sylar has an ability which closely resembles Candice’s illusionism, and particularly now that he’s in a position to realize the future we saw back in the first season. With that episode in mind, I can’t help wondering — with grudging horror — whether we should be worried about Noah ending up in his own body bag before long.
This episode’s defining trait is its close character focus, digging deep into Angela’s regret, Peter’s despair, Claire’s shattered hopes and Nathan’s self-loathing. The price this episode pays for close focus is the pace the volume gathered last week. While the momentum this week never stagnates and the drama never descends into pointlessness, this episode feels a lot like Episode #21 two seasons ago. Like its Season One counterpart, it feels like a set-up for events leading up to the finale. Angela’s backstory has been hinted at and is waiting to be developed; Nathan’s attempt at redemption, whether it succeeds or fails, is waiting to be explored; and the collaboration between this volume’s villain and the show’s long-standing villain is taking shape and inevitably about to have disastrous repercussions.
Put simply, like the chess board Sylar toyed with at Martin’s apartment, the pieces are being moved around the board in anticipation of a dramatic finish. Which is promising, because it means the rationale behind everything in the final few episodes will be solid. The downside is that this episode felt like a strategic multi-arc set-up, and while it ultimately succeeds, the combination of close character focus and set-up for upcoming stories slows the frenetic pace that the show achieved last week.
But then, given that the show went nearly two seasons with little to no close character focus and with story developments that seemed to come out of nowhere, this episode makes for a surprising and welcome change of pace.
4 out of 5
“Tell that to Micah — an orphan who had no idea how the world worked, but who managed to derail a covert government operation because he was determined to make a difference.”
Word!
“What’s next, Noah’s brother?”
If they do go there, internal logic dictates that he be played by Cary Elwes, that he work for an agency with initials, and that Noah bickers with him about properly listing their assets while he carries temporarily dead Claire around.
Great review, Otto.
Otto, maybe what Nathan meant was that it would Zeljko couldn’t track them south of the border. Hiro was running a major corporation, so he couldn’t have been that difficult to track down.
Nathan really is a jerk. “You should feel grateful to me for not throwing you in a concentration camp.”
If the show uses an established character for Aunt Petrelli (just like they did for Rebel), I’m voting that it’s Leona Mills. Angela seemed to know an awful lot about her in The Recruit. Either that or the show’s going to bring in a new character to play the role.
Heh, you forgot to mention the episode’s crowning line.
“He’s a better you than you!”
Sylar and Danko is going to be epic. Possibly even better than Sylar and HRG. Classic rock, horribly contemptible murdering, and all around awesomeness go so well together. Also, show, more psychotic, delighted Sylar grins, please.
Also, this was the first episode where I actually liked Peter. Milo did an absolutely fantastic job in my book. His rant at God was just so compelling, and something I think all of us can relate to really. The “where were you when I needed you” mentality.
And finally… While I highly disagree with her methods (Being straight-edge and neo-prohibitionist), kudos to Claire for FINALLY stopping her whining, and doing something to help.
To say the show has been on one massive hotstreak as of late is an understatement. I hate to sound like a generic fan, but these really have been the best episodes since season one. I dunno if it’s Fuller coming back, or the staff listening to the fans, or what, but I sure am loving it.
If only they’d bring John Simm in as a descendant of Adam, and put him into an arc with Christopher Ecclestone… (Looks like somebody needs a Doctor.)
I really like your reviews,Otto.They are detailed, well-written, funny, and properly addresses the show’s strengths and weaknesses.Although I think the episode deserves at least a 4.5/5.0
Anyway, I really like this few-characters-per-episode style that the show implements because it lets us get to know more about them and explore their motives. This is probably why Tracy, and in the same case, Niki and Matt from Season 1 had problems with their storyline. Tracy got about what, 10 seconds of screen time and got baked in the oven for 19281310938 episodes until Cold Snap came, where many fans finally appreciated her. Niki’s imprisonment was shown like 15 seconds per episodes that we felt like it didn’t matter at all.
I think this is one of the factors I consider when determining which episodes I looove, like, or hate. For instance, “Company Man”, “5 Years Gone”, and “Cautionary Tales” covered a storyline in which all the characters in that episode are involved, plus the existence of a main objective that the episode wants to achieve at the end. Company Man focused on how Noah will rescue his family from Ted and Matt, 5 Years gone focused on how the bomb changed the characters and whether hiro and Ando will be able to return, and Cautionary Tales focused on Noah vs Company. This is probably what I was looking for in “Cold Snap”,because while it was an impressive episode overall, it felt a little scattered (Tracy escaping, Angela running away, Hiro & Matt’s kid, etc.).
It was nice to see an episode that explored the characters, and like you said, if there was any weakness, it’s the sudden change of pace and momentum. After this episode, I’m totally convinced that Cristine Rose should get an Emmy nomination. The way she plays her character, it’s very impressive.She’s probably one of the best, if not the best, actor on the show. They also fixed Claire in this episode.She wasn’t whiny and annoying, and Hayden’s performance is also another A+ (the part where she pretended to be drunk was funny).
The addition of the shapeshifter was good, although I’m quite sad because this could be an excuse for anyone to replace Zach Quinto as Sylar
I’m 90% sure that Sylar’s gonna kill Nathan at the end of the season, which is bad news because I like both of them. Although it’s fine because I’d rather see Nathan die than Maya. JUST JOKING,OTTO 
The sight of Danko kissing the girl at the club was the creepies thing I’ve ever seen,even more than Sylar kissing Mr. Muggles.
4 out of 5. Word. That’s exactly what I would’ve given it.
Knock on wood…I can’t believe how consistently good Volume 4 has been. I don’t want to call it too early - TPTB still have plenty of time to ruin it - but this is shaping up to be pretty awesome. I just wish more people would realize this and actually watch the show (legally).
Thanks for another great review.
dude right on about the music I wondered if anyone else thought that was as awesome as I did I’m really hoping there is going to be more of that
No reference to Claire-bear’s new hairstyle?
I’m thinking it’s to keep the Elle-mourners at bay. “Look! She’s kind of like Elle! She’s got bangs!”
But it works. Looks good on her.
Loved this episode. IMO, Nathan and Claire stole the show. But I have trouble picking a favorite storyline from the episode… all well written.
I agree about the music. I was thinking that when the episode ended. Someone on set has good taste.
Otto, I was going to disagree with you on the theory that Peter has never done any good for the world with his powers by pointing out saving Claire and shooting Arthur. Then I realized he didn’t have his powers at either of those times. Touche, sir.
Would it really be so immoral for Claire to sell her kidney? If you were dying and needed a kidney, would you care if it came from a regerator? In some ways, Claire is actually abusing her ability by NOT using it to generate organs for people. Seeing as she has magic blood and all, maybe they wouldn’t even need an organ.
And Danko, you’re a great villian, but sexual magnetism just isn’t your specialty.
I have a feeling from the 1961 photos that Angela’s sister is the weather controlling special Bob alluded to with that Hurricane on the Eastern seaboard headline.
As always, Otto, your review was a pleasure to read. Just as the episode was a pleasure to re-watch.
I was so looking forward to the Peter and Angela scenes that I kind of ignored the Sylar plot. Then I re-watched the episode and enjoyed pretty much the whole thing. The highlights being the Petrelli parent-child bonding moments. Those were my favorite parts.
… the coolness of the villain soaking up the rain on the rooftop. Nice parallel to Peter getting drenched outside the church, and every bit as brilliantly shot.
Comments like this are one of the reasons I enjoy your reviews so much. It’s there and you picked up on it and now I can appreciate it the next time I watch this episode.
As much as I was hating the idea of Danko being willing to work with Sylar, I must say they pulled it off in a pretty believable way. I still don’t like it much, but at least it’s somewhat easy to watch.
Of course Angela, actually Cristine Rose, was awesome. But I really appreciated the way Milo played Peter in this one. When he started his rant to God, I was kind of dreading it. Shows rarely pull that off well, but I liked it. Especially the way he looked when he talked about the others fighting for their lives and he can’t help them.
His expression when he said that was heart-breaking. I also appreciated how Milo played it and how it was shot when he talked about having so much anger at his father, at Nathan, at his mother and at God.
Claire got to me with her speech about how Nathan is supposed to be Superman. Awwww. I’m kind of glad they cut that scene, it was just kind of off to me. It was either the editing or I don’t know, but there was something kind of clunky about it.
Must mention again the scene in the confessional. I loved how Peter kept trying to keep her quiet, but she persisted. Cristine again was amazing and, even though it was very difficult to see most of the time I liked Peter’s reactions too. Then, of course to be found by HRG, his reaction was very interesting and well played too.
As for Angela’s sister, I think it’s safe to say they have been estranged. I’d sort of like to see that Angela’s sister knew about Nathan but not Peter and to see her react to them.
Lastly, I want to praise the visuals again. They are just so beautiful and amazing.
Thanks for posting and I’m looking forward to April 13! Oh wait, there is an episode next week, okay can’t wait to see the scenes for next week.
lol
Great review as usual.
I reeeallly think its time to give Cristine Rose an Emmy Nomination. Now I know “Heroes” is not in the running as those pretentious bulls**t shows like “Mad Men”, but a great performance is a great performance. And Miss Rose has not faltered once this season. Even in the episode’s worst episodes she shines. We got her at her most villainous and her most vulnerable. Powerhouse performances like these are not so easy to find anymore.
Cristine Rose for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role-TV Drama… DO IT A**HOLES! lol
I really didn’t see Nathan coming back from all he’s done, but Adrian Pasdar is such a brilliant actor that he is slowly gaining my trust back. This Volume opened with him as the primary nemesis, and not once has he been shown twirling his mustache… that’s a lightswitch effect, and Im glad Pasdar did not lower himself to go from conflicted to Dr. Evil between Volumes.
Im really pumped for Danko and Sylar teaming up. This series has actually avoided the “”New Villain/Old Villain team up” at all costs, so it is actual fresh.
Btw Otto I was hoping you would credit the writers for Claire’s “Superman” line, which was, I would assume, harkenning back to Zach suggesting Claire’s real father could be Superman back in Season 1. Great, great stuff. Hayden, not only looked gorgeous this week, but really gave her best performance since Season 1. Bryan Fuller (I know he didn’t write this) really gets her character… While he is around, Claire isn’t a brat, she’s a confused young woman.
Overall, this episode nearly had me in tears a few times. This Volume has been brilliant, and an excellent come back for the series.
Great review as always
Nice to have an episode almost only with character development. Since Heroes is a Sci-Fi Drama, it’s nice to have some drama after the Sci-Fi (and pyrotechnic) madness the second half of volume 3 was.
It’s kinda fun that Cristine Rose’s performances always shine, since she has little screentime compared to other actors. I’m liking more and more Angela as a character, and I’m looking Forward to 1961. I share the “wtf” with you on Angela’s sister. It could have been just anybody, so why pull another Petrelli…
Am I the only one who finds it funny that everytime we see their board, it seems like photos have been added/removed/moved? Are we supposed to think they actually succeed in catching a lot of superpowered people? Couldn’t get a count on it during Cold Snap, but they don’t seem to be very efficient.
One thing that worries me is Sylar, and not the fact that he seems to teleport (like you said he did it all the time in S1). Is it me or is he exactly like S1’s Sylar (except the hair, which I think was better in S1)?.
In S1, we had a psycho that just killed people for powers, until we learnt he had mommy issues.
S2 proved that he was evil even with his power neutralized (Which kinda makes the “Hunger” factor ridiculous).
V3 had a pseudo-redemption arc nobody beleived in (Actually at this point I think he used the “Hunger” as an excuse for killing people).
And now he has mommy AND daddy issues, that led to a 5 episode long roadtrip before a brief encounter with PapaLuthor (which was good, but I wish we had more after enduring Luke during the roadtrip). Now he is back to killing people for their power, with Zeljko giving him another list of shopping (actually did he finish Elle’s phone’s list? ^^). Highlander Syndrome may be the only difference with S1 I can see.
If the end of the season doesn’t do something with him (why not “I am Sylar”, the title seems appropriate), I’m really gonna think he should have died at the end of S1. He was great as a villain in S1, but after 2 years, it’s getting a bit repetitive.
That was my first useless post for the week
cheers!
We mostly agree, Otto. Except I’d go for 5/5.
I did see a fair few flaws, but the acting… ye Gods. Goes to show that great acting can raise a great script. And the Claire-Nathan stuff was fantastic acting. Sure, it doesn’t really add up in terms of all of their issues… but it does succintly (to a degree) retcon their relationship so that they can become allies again.
I agree with everything in this review…but I would’ve given it a 5 out of 5. I, personally, thought it was a perfect episode and that it was an excellent follow-up to “Cold Snap” in that it was all about the characters. Yeah, there wasn’t actionactionaction, but it was powerful, emotional drama and the writers, the director, and the actors all sold it perfectly.
I don’t see the big hooplah over them introducing Angela’s sister, though. I read your reaction and was kinda surprised. Personally, I think it’s weak to have every character be an only child and, yeah, they may not have mentioned Angela’s sister before but they’ve never talked about her family in general, either. I just want to know what the significance of Angela’s sister is in terms of the overall plot. Why is she associated with the angel?
I thought that this episode was incredible. It was EXACTLY what the premise of the show is supposed to be - ORDINARY people living (relatively) ORDINARY lives doing (relatively) ORDINARY things. I think that “Into Asylum” actually surpasses a lot of the season 1 character-centric episodes in that it fully fleshed out the dynamics between characters and the characters, themselves. I loved it!
I have been reading this review for a while and I look forward to it every week. I agree with you for pretty much all of it, but in watching it again I realized that even though the writing was amazing and the delivery was brilliant it needed Sylar’s psycho energy to keep it running along. For me it lightened up the heavy dialogue like Claire pretending to be drunk but still managed to fit into the episode. The conversation about identity was one of my favorite scenes because it confirmed what I’ve been telling people about Sylar since season 1. I just hope that with shapeshifting they don’t get rid of that character acting because its one of my favorite things about the character. (It also shows how good of and actor Zach is…)
That said, the visuals were amazing (the lightning flashes was a great touch) and Peter’s rant to God almost had me in tears. Its heart breaking to see the character who used to be the most optimistic reduced to questioning everything. Its a testament to what he’s been through. Milo did a brilliant job with it. He gets props!
I agree, Christine Rose for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama.
4/5. As usual, great review, Otto.
While this was slower in pace, it was still a great episode. Performances all around were outstanding. I laughed, I cheered, I got weepy (almost). There’s a lot of character growth going on and I like it.
Positives:
The facial expressions in this episode. Did anyone else notice those? A few faves: Claire’s grimace after drinking the first tequila shot (too funny, bc I know I had the same one!) Angela’s blank face at the church (heartbreaking) Sylar’s mocking face after telling Danko that “you don’t chase a shapeshifter” (also hilarious) and the ultimate: Danko after seeing “himself” mack a girl at the bar!
Peter’s speech at the church altar surprisingly moved me. I’m glad because it was the type of thing that could have easily gone wrong, but it was heartfelt, truthful, and a very Peter-esque thing to do.
Sylar tends to work well with authority figures. Remember his brief stint at the Company with Noah? What cracked me up was that his spiel to Danko about working together was like watching a used car salesman do a pitch. And it worked, because, well, Sylar’s just that good.
I loved the exchange between them at Martin’s apartment. It reminded me of something out of CSI.
I don’t think Adrian was chugging real tequila. LOL. But he was convincing and you want to cheer for him, even after all the douchey things he’s done. I have a bad feeling that the father/daughter relationship he’s trying to build with Claire will crash and burn sooner as opposed to later.
The church scenes were great, but they dragged on just a bit. But I’ll take it because Angela & Peter were so wonderful there. You can tell how much they’ve grown over the last 3 seasons.
The club scene was shorter than I thought, but still amusing. I honestly thought Danko was the impostor. People are saying that Martin had no contact with Sylar, but it was a crowded nightclub. He could have easily shifted into someone else and “bumped” into Sylar.
Something I’m really glad to see is that the shape-shifting ability takes real work to pull off. I don’t think Sylar will be doing that left and right because it’s so painful. It’s about time that he stole an ability that really challenges him.
great review as always Otto!
This episode wasn’t full of action like Cold Snap, but it was important because we saw the Petrellis getting together for what’s to come… Since season 1 I was waiting for Claire and Nathan to share some time, and now I can say I’m happy!
And the scene when Claire pretends to be drunk was hilarious! In this ep. Claire was waaaay better than in the whole season.
And why is it so painful to Sylar to shape-shift?? Is he ever gonna make it hurt less? Cause I found really annoying all the screaming and the It-hurts-so-much face!
And even though Mohinder didn’t appear in this episode, I think is time to get him in a bus and blow it up!!!
Remember how he suffered with Dale’s ability in S1? Sylar will probably master it by his next episode. It’s just there to show us that he’s prepared to suffer pain for a useful ability.
If Sylar doesn’t master the ability, though, it’s the show’s caveat to introducing the ability. Sylar wouldn’t want to put himself through that kind of agony every week, hence his reluctance to switch identities whenever it suits him. I’d almost prefer that; it’d be like curbing the ability the same way the show curbed Hiro’s and Peter’s.
Again, tragic, because you realize that Angela only resorted to lies after no one put stock in her honesty. At the same time, it makes Angela’s secrecy when Peter’s ability manifested all the more reprehensible, because Peter faced a similar situation, trying to convince everyone that he wasn’t insane.
The astonishment at the Angela sister reveal was there but then I thought if people thought Angela was insane then perhaps they thought her sister was insane as well. That could tie into Angela trying to convince Pete he was insane in season one.
I really liked Peter’s rant/talk at God. Peter never stuck me as someone overtly religious yet it doesn’t stretch plausibilty to the point that I didn’t find what he said very moving.
John, just my opinion, but I wonder if Cristine hasn’t been nominated because of the flagging ratings. I think when the show is doing better as a whole (eg Mad Men, Lost, etc.) then they’re more likely to nominate someone from the cast. Usually, when the show isn’t doing well, they tend to ignore all the aspects of it: good and bad.
What bothers me is that Heroes ratings are dropping due to reality television, at least partly. That makes no sense to me at all.
Personally, I kind of find the FYG foreshadowing somewhat dismaying, first because I’m one of the few who don’t think it was one of the greatest episodes of the show’s run. In fact, I’ve always had major issues with it. Second, because if things do go that way, the ol’ hopelessness and fatalism that plagued the show around the time of Isaac’s death will rear their ugly heads again in a most depressing way, and you know that I’ve never been fond of the show going in that direction.
That said, I adored the episode. Peter’s speech to God could have gone very wrong, a la President Bartlet mourning Mrs. Landingham’s death, but it worked well. Christine and Željko should both be on Emmy shortlists. The Nathan/Claire scenes were exactly what I wanted them to be. I loved your list of things Peter has done that had not helped save the world, and it is truly striking that he had no powers during his most heroic acts. That’s a much better way of getting that message across than the trinlingual escapades in Delhi ever could have been.
Where are we picking up next week? Back to Hiro, Ando, and Baby Matt?
KellyH - I don’t think they’ll do an exact rip-off, or get that depressing. But I think it’s course-correction. Certain things do happen. I strongly doubt we’ll see Sylar as President on the show, but I think he’ll start impersonating people (so they don’t have to rely on Quinto being around full-time). And Nathan wise… well, he DID betray his own kind. So if this is leading to a pseudo-FYG, then it ties in somewhat nicely.
However… I can’t see Fuller wanting it to be that depressing. The show is meant to have a hope to it, exemplified by Charles’s comments to Peter.
Could it be that the goal isn’t to produce an exact rip-off, but to make us wonder if they’re going to? If that was the idea then I’d say they’ve succeeded…
I think Ian has good point. Doing an exact rip-off of 5YG would make the show way too dark. I hope Otto is right too. Actually, you’re not being very good about keeping things a surprise when most of the fanbase already has a good idea of what happens in the finale.
Slightly unrelated, but it bothers me that the writers of the show seem to have completely forgotten about Charles and I really liked him.
Besides Sylar-as-Nathan becoming president, is there really even that much for them to rip off? It’s doubtful that Mohinder would agree to work for a guy wearing Nathan’s face; Peter won’t be hooking up with Niki in any viable way; the HRG/Candice underground railroad can’t happen, at least not the way we saw it in “FYG”; and Hiro doesn’t look like he’ll turn into the Future-Hiro we saw in “FYG” anytime soon. If Ando or Micah do end up dead, it’ll be under radically different circumstances.
The only part that can still happen is Sylar masquerading as Nathan; and, possibly, taking Nathan’s place as president. And I can’t even see that last part happening without several big plot twists. I can just about see Nathan’s PR advisor marketing him as the guy who talked a suicide bomber out of blowing up Capitol Hill, but given Nathan’s association with a project that’ll likely be considered a crackpot waste of money by the president’s inner circle, I can’t see Nathan’s political credibility recovering to a point where he could run for president. Too much has changed since Linderman’s prediction about Nathan’s presidency.
Otto, I believe that was HRG and Hana, not Candice, running the underground.
My bad, thanks for pointing it out Susan. The point remains the same, though: it’d now be pretty tough for HRG and Hana to get that operation running.
True, unless the show wants to contradict the online comic.
Yes! Yes! And another Yes! Loved this epidsode. Especially since I finally got my Claire/Nathan fix, but also because Angela and Peter rocked.
I think Claire and Nathan was the best part of the episode, even though that may be my bias kicking in
Claire wasn’t whiny and bratty and Nathan’s little streak as drinking contest crusader was hilarious. The whole thing started out so awkward, but in the end mended their relationship to a point where they could possibly be allies in the future. Claire’s line “You were supposed to be Superman.” was so emotional and heartfelt. It got me when Nathan bought back the necklace — I know I shouldn’t forgive him yet, but after this episode I’m definantly on my way there. The only real problem I had while watching this was that it felt like this may be the first and last time we get to see something like this between them. If (or when is probably more accurate at this point, who am I kidding hoping 5YG doesn’t happen?) Nathan dies I’ll be genuinely heartbroken.
Peter/Angela time. I just have to start off by saying that Angela’s dialogue was superb. “For the dreams to come, sleep has to be natural, it has to be earned.” I loved this because it gave some real insight to Angela’s power. It shows that she can’t just get the dreams by “cheap” methods. She actually has to work for something in order for her dreams to come properly. Peter was even great this episode. The rant to God was quite a nice touch for the character. I can’t really blame him for being mad at all those people (well he isn’t entirely a saint himself, but I’ll put that aside for now).
Slyar and Danko was actually the weakest part of the episode in my humble opinion. First off, I don’t really like the idea of them working together in the first place. It kind of contradicts Danko’s “One of us and…one of us. Twenty of us.” attitude in Cold Wars and that’s part of the reason I liked him. I liked him as a super hater, no exceptions.
“Sylar zipping from the car to the rooftop? It didn’t bother me, even though I know it should.”
^^ Well it bothered me. It’s one of those annoying plot holes that always seems to come back somehow. It’s so easy to explain. Just establish in dialogue that he killed a teleporter sometime in season 1, but they never do.
And we get to the shapeshifter. Why show? Why? I know a lot of people like the 5YG scenario, but I don’t. A big quetion I have is this: Why would Sylar even WANT to be president? All he truly wants is powers and presidetns have to do more than pass prejudiced laws regarding super round-up. I can hardly see Sylar dealing with economy problems, handling with foreign wars, or meeting with the prime minister of Canada for trade negotiations. It seems like way more effort than it’s worth for powers you can get the way you always have. Then there’s the fact that Nathan would have to die right after him and Claire actually made progress and before him and Peter can ever truly reconcile. The whole idea also seems uncreative in a way, like they couldn’t think up a good scenario for volume 5 and just decided to take one of their cool “What if?” episodes and make it reality.
Oh! I almost forgot Angela’s sister! Well it wasn’t really a surprise for me (stupid spoiler obsession) but I think it’s an intriguing concept. I tend to think they’ve been estranged for quite some time now, because Angela obviously hasn’t told Peter about his auntie. I’d like Nathan to have a memory or something Peter doesn’t. Like Anglea says “We’re going to see my sister!” and Nathan’s like “Wait…that freak that babysat me when I was seven?! She was on drugs man!”
Great review as always.
Raissa, re: HRG’s brother: you’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?
“… internal logic dictates that he be played by Cary Elwes, that he work for an agency with initials, and that Noah bickers with him about properly listing their assets while he carries temporarily dead Claire around.”
Too funny. Love it.
Michael, point taken re: Danko’s ability to track Nathan. I’d still say the show seems to be operating within the realm of “wherever you are, they’ll find you,” especially after all the times there’s been a mention of cell-phone tracking, voice and face recognition, satellite observation, etc. But, yes, Nathan would probably be the one who’d know best how his operation works.
“Nathan really is a jerk. ‘You should feel grateful to me for not throwing you in a concentration camp.’”
Absolutely. BUT, if I was going to be an apologist for Nathan, I’d say that from his perspective, sticking his neck out for Claire is what got him exposed. It’s where Danko’s vendetta against Nathan began. The free pass is what sparked off Danko’s suspicion about Nathan, and it’s what got Danko thinking that Nathan wasn’t as committed to the operation as he was.
Saiyavenger, I hope you’re right about Sylar and Danko being epic. I’ll be curious to see how heavily the show plugs the humor in that team-up. Given the context — the whole focus on persecution, incarceration and torture — I hope it isn’t played for laughs until it becomes insensitive. I agree, though, it has the potential to be very funny.
The way you felt about the Peter scenes — that this was the first time you liked the character — was pretty much how I felt about Claire’s scenes. I can’t remember the last time I found myself admiring the character.
“To say the show has been on one massive hotstreak as of late is an understatement. I hate to sound like a generic fan, but these really have been the best episodes since season one.”
We can both be generic fans.
“I dunno if it’s Fuller coming back, or the staff listening to the fans, or what, but I sure am loving it.”
I’d say it’s both of those things, and the point that abcde makes upthread about fewer story threads per episode. I think the reduced focus on explosive superpowers is also helping. For me, reviewing this episode was like reviewing a different show; it was all about the characters and their emotions. Perhaps that’s one reason to be optimistic if the show gets a budget cut next season; it’s evident that the show can survive just fine without dazzling visual effects.
abcde,
“I think the episode deserves at least a 4.5/5.0″
Respect to that. You’re not alone in thinking this.
Interesting point about “Cold Snap” feeling scattered. It didn’t bother me, but I know what you mean. That was definitely one thing this episode improved on. All three threads explored similar ideas about identity, solidarity and teamwork, and the whole thing gelled together more effectively because of it.
Re: Sylar’s shapeshifting leading to Quinto leaving the show: I don’t know, I can’t see them pulling a Candice and having a different set of actors take Quinto’s place. If they go ahead with this storyline, I imagine we’d still see Sylar morph back into Quinto-Sylar every few episodes to mwa-ha-ha a little.
Pete, thank you. Yeah, Volume Four’s been phenomenal so far. Like you, I don’t want to speak too soon. I’m afraid I’ll jinx it by saying anything, but I think this volume is on the same level as Volume One, at least in terms of consistency, character development and thematic work.
Melanie, I liked Claire’s new hair too! Not too elaborate, not too obviously fake, just right. And I hadn’t noticed it, but yes, it’s very Elle.
I’m guessing the music is a group effort. I think everyone’s pitching ideas for songs that have a shade of irony when it comes to the scenes they accompany.
Anonymous 1, welcome!
“Otto, I was going to disagree with you on the theory that Peter has never done any good for the world with his powers by pointing out saving Claire and shooting Arthur. Then I realized he didn’t have his powers at either of those times. Touche, sir. “
I think it’s an intentional effort on the show’s part. We’ve seen Hiro freezing time and saving a couple from an exploding car in 1.07, and we’ve seen D.L. diving into a burning building to save a child in 2.08. But the idea seems to be that most of these characters aren’t heroes in the traditional sense; that they’re human, and that they screw up a lot. I think that adds a lot of complexity to the character arcs, but more of super-heroic Peter would be nice.
With Claire selling her kidney, I definitely agree that there’s nothing immoral about it. The point I was trying to make was that when someone can regrow and re-sell their kidneys over and over again, there’s something exploitative about it. It’s as if you’re using your ability to turn a grand gesture into a way to make a quick and easy buck. That’s why I thought it was funny/objectionable, because although Claire wouldn’t abuse her ability that way, you know a lot of people in the real world would. But your point about Claire’s potential to be a heroine by donating organs and blood is very, very valid.
Susan, thank you.
Re: the clunky scene that was cut: I know what you mean. I laughed, and I wish it could have stayed in the episode, but I also think it would have disrupted the way the emotion in the storyline flowed. We went from Claire talking about how she wished Nathan could act like a human being to that scene at the motel where he opened up to her. Putting that slapstick comedy in the alleyway inbetween might have broken the whole thing up.
Re: the confessional scene making it difficult to see the characters: I took that to be intentional; that Angela was telling Peter things she wouldn’t have told him to his face. I thought that was another instance of the paradox throughout the story thread, because although Peter and Angela were separated physically, emotionally they became closer than ever.
Re: the “missing” next episode — yeah, I’m right there with you. Either they’re keeping a tight lid on it because it’s going to be a game-changer, or it’s so abysmal that they’re all too ashamed to acknowledge it. Let’s hope it’s the first of those.
John, thank you.
“I know “Heroes” is not in the running as those pretentious bulls**t shows like “Mad Men”, but a great performance is a great performance.”
I don’t think we’d be having this discussion if Heroes was an HBO show or if it was a show without any sci-fi elements, but sadly I think those factors now preclude an Emmy for Cristine Rose. It might have happened back in Season One, but I’d be very surprised if it happened now. Which really, really sucks.
“Btw Otto I was hoping you would credit the writers for Claire’s “Superman” line, which was, I would assume, harkenning back to Zach suggesting Claire’s real father could be Superman back in Season 1.”
Great point. I hadn’t thought of that. I took it as a play on Nathan’s ability and a reference to the broader idea that he can do anything, but your interpretation also works, and it’d be a very cool bit of continuity.
Pas, thanks.
“It’s kinda fun that Cristine Rose’s performances always shine, since she has little screentime compared to other actors.”
It’s like the less screen time she gets, the more she makes of it. That’s her other special ability.
“I share the ‘wtf’ with you on Angela’s sister. It could have been just anybody, so why pull another Petrelli…”
I think the show was shooting for another dramatic family reveal, but I think it’s a device that’s been overused at this point, which is why it bugged me.
Re: the Wall of Fugitives: I think it’s an in-joke. I think the production crew randomly added and removed pictures every week and are now laughing their asses off when we try to analyze the significance. Damn them.
Great paragraph about Sylar’s character arc having come full circle since Season One and effectively having gone nowhere. I’m not especially opposed to the character sticking around, but your post illustrates perfectly why people want him gone.
Ryan, I agree, everything about this episode came together very cohesively and made for a really satisfying and emotional character piece. I’m kind of glad so many fans like Ian and yourself thought I scored it harshly.
With the Angela-having-a-sister reveal, my beef is mostly that it seemed to come out of leftfield. This episode focused so beautifully on the bond between Peter and Angela, and we got to that moment when they were heading back to the world outside to face their predicaments together, and suddenly our reaction is less about the connection between them and more, “OMG WHAT? Angela has a sister?!” Somehow, for me, that cheapened the emotional resonance. It felt like the reveal impeded on the mother/son relationship and took the storyline back to the old “dramatic cliffhanger = good drama” plot device. I think there might have been a more effective conclusion to their storyline without that. But it’s just my opinion, as always, and I respect yours.
LeeAnna, welcome, and thanks so much for reading. Amazingly, I was discussing the *exact* point you make in your post with a friend earlier this week: that the Sylar storyline brought energy and momentum to the episode. As great as the Claire/Nathan and Peter/Angela threads were, the Sylar/Danko storyline moved the plot along and lightened the whole thing up.
B., thank you. Great selection of classic facial expressions. I’m going to go with one that Nathan gave at the motel room; Claire’s undressing him, and the closet door slides away from Nathan the moment he rests his arm against it. Nathan’s drunken expression is like, “Oh, that’s just GREAT!” Cracks me up everytime I watch it.
I know what you mean about the club scene feeling too short. The way it came across in spoilers, I expected it to be a lot bigger; more extras, and much more tension while Sylar and Danko were searching for Martin.
Hayley, I agree, we waited a LONG time for some of these scenes, and they were worth the wait.
Mohinder getting blown up in a bus? Whoa! Where did that come from?
I guess it could be that Angela wants to bring the whole family back together. Since 101, they’ve been scattered by percieved death (Arthur); illegitimacy (Claire); morality (Peter vs. Nathan) and estrangment (Angela’s sister.) Maybe Angela now realises that she has to be the one to bring them all back together. I took her reveal of a sister as less of a cliffhanger (even if it was partially one), and more her accepting that she has to return to the woman she was. That she’s got to stop lying and face each other.
And the prospect of a giant Petrelli family reunion? So awesome.
“Raissa, re: HRG’s brother: you’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?”
Yup.
Dear Otto,
Of all the episodic reviews of U.S. dramas that I frequently read, I find yours on Heroes to be the most well thought-out, comprehensive and humorous. While I have read your reviews with an almost-religious fervor and support, I found it a tad disappointing that you would dock a full point off this episode, for slowing down the pace that had been built from the past couple of episodes. You were right in pointing out that character-driven stories were what made Heroes tick in the first season and this episode was so chocked full of character development, I find it to be one of the most compelling in the series. And “The Hard Part” definitely didn’t come close to the level of emotion this episode evoked.
I agree that in a way, “Into Asylum” was an ‘opposite’ of “Cold Snap” but just as apples and oranges are intrinsically different with neither being better than the other, “Into Asylum” must be recognized as being just as brilliant as the preceding episode; for the acting, the long-overdue exploration of the dynamics of the 2 relationships, amazing dialogue and character development.
Volume 4 has been so incredibly amazing, it’s brought back the magical feeling I got from watching Volume 1. Long may it continue and keep up the quality reviews, Otto.
lol @ HRG’s brother. Well, more seriously, as much as it’s already been used, they did a good job at defusing the “Angela’s sister reveal”. It’s a good thing we got Peter’s hilarious reaction and that it wasn’t the episode’s final cliffhanger.
lol too @ Claire’s Elle-ish hair, but they can’t stop me from mourning Elle ^^. That may be a stupid question, but since they make Hayden wear wigs (at least from what I’ve heard), do you think Claire’s hair would instantly grow back if she cut it?
About Nathan, there are reason not to like him, but I like “not liking” him (if you see what I mean). It’s not like Claire, Matt and Flying-Dumbhinder that I’ve been hating for the whole volume 3 (still running for Moh) because of where their characterisation went.
For Sylar, I’m not either against him sticking around, but I wouldn’t be against seeing him less either (and Sylar, not just Quinto). One of the things that made him great in S1 was that he was a recurring : We didn’t see everything he was doing and the build up to make him creepy was nearly perfect. Now if they want Sylar on screen all the time (I still think he was too much present in V3 for an arc that went nowhere), they could just give him a spin-off where he shapeshifts into someone different every week - eww… For the “teleport” thing, I don’t see it much as a plothole, since it takes 10 sec to explain if you think about it. Since they have to delete interesting storylines to make 40-ish minutes episodes, I’m okay that if they skip some easily explainable details.
I think that Heroes’ chances for Emmy were in season 1. Unfortunately there were obvious case of shows being ignored either for no reason, either because of critics or viewers. Since the show wasn’t as good as expected during a year and half, they are probably gonna ignore the great performances that came out of it.
First comment on the blog guys! I’ve benn reading your reviews Otto for a long time and I find them exceptional! Volume 4 so far seems excellent, while volume 3 in my opinion was totally meaningless. I want to express my concerns about Sylar, I mean he has become far too powerfull and with Peter’s whole “one ability at a time” thing, he seems flawless. BTw i noticed something that you didn’t. When Danko was pointing at Sylar’s head, Sylar said that it’s too difficult to shoot at the exact point where he must be shot in order to die, whitch is in my opinion the reason that sylar survived last volume’s finale thing (the glass on the back of the head etc)..just my opinion..just one more notice, I didn’t like the whole “down-graded ability” thing that happened to Hero and Peter, allthough in Hero’s case it’s good because the time-travelling ability totally messed the show up last season. That’s all guys and girls, see ya!
Leigh, I’m with you on Sylar/Danko being the less amazing story thread of the episode. Danko resorting to the “OoU, OuT” approach made a lot of sense to me, though. I saw it as Danko accepting that he needed to defer to HRG’s wisdom because his initial approach — “Don’t work with them, just exterminate them” — wasn’t getting the job done. I don’t see it as Danko doing a 180 so much as adapting his approach; he’s manipulating Sylar (or at least he thinks he’s manipulating Sylar), but since it means he can keep an eye on the most dangerous special of them all, and since he knows Sylar will kill everyone with an appealing ability, it probably seems like a win-win scenario to Danko.
With Sylar wanting to be president, I see it as the ultimate ego trip for him. It’s a chance for him to belong, to have a sense of purpose, and to feel like he has enough power and influence to control everyone and everything. I think it’s also a very subtle throwback to Sylar’s mommy issues after Virginia told him he could be president if he wanted. But, yeah, I agree, I can’t see Sylar giving much thought to climate change, foreign policy or the global economy.
Ian,
“I guess it could be that Angela wants to bring the whole family back together … Maybe Angela now realises that she has to be the one to bring them all back together.”
Yes, absolutely. And that, at least for me, was the crux of the storyline; that Angela would do whatever she had to in order to make things right again. My issue with the Aunt Petrelli reveal is the way it overshadowed and undermined that. To me, the conclusion seemed less like, “We’re going to bring this family back together, but first we need to find my sister,” and more “We need to find MY SISTER WHO YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED … [much quieter voice] because it’ll bring this family back together.” Probably just me, but something about it didn’t quite work.
Esylum, welcome! Thanks so much for reading, and for your kind words.
“I found it a tad disappointing that you would dock a full point off this episode…”
You’re not the only one!
Truthfully, guys, I was worried everyone would think I was scoring this one too generously. I’m very relieved that the opposite turned out to be true. I agree, this was better than “The Hard Part,” but it never struck me as a milestone or as one of the show’s highlights. It was good, but if you guys think it was that good, that’s awesome. That’s where the debate and discussion starts.
Pas,
“About Nathan, there are reason not to like him, but I like “not liking” him (if you see what I mean).”
I know exactly what you mean, and I think Nathan makes a much more compelling antagonist/villain than he does a hero. My money’s still on Nathan being the end-of-volume death that sticks, but if he does survive for the next volume, I wonder how many times the show will continue to put him in situations where he screws up, hurts everyone who cares about him and then succeeds in earning their forgiveness. I think there are only so many times the show can play that he’s-a-tool-no-he’s-a-hero card. Nathan has turned flipflopping into an art form.
One thing with regards to Danko - he knows Sylar and his file. Sylar has killed innocents, but usually it has a connection to him hunting those with abilities. If he’s the only one left, I could see Danko being prepared to die. He’s already said he’d be prepared to die to prove that these people were the slime he believed them to be, so a chance at eliminating all but one would probably suit his end.
“I saw it as Danko accepting that he needed to defer to HRG’s wisdom because his initial approach — “Don’t work with them, just exterminate them” — wasn’t getting the job done. I don’t see it as Danko doing a 180 so much as adapting his approach”
^^ True. I still don’t care for it much, but I can see your rationale.
As for the Sylar-as-presdent scenario, I find it highly unlikely Sylar could stay in office for a second term. Actually I’ll find it hard to believe if he doesn’t get impeached. I’ll have some faith in the American people and say that they might not be so hot on a president who rounds people up to put them in internment camps. And when presidents don’t do well in areas such as the economy or foreign policy (which I can’t see Sylar as being remotely good at) poeple generally don’t vote for that person again. I guess he could try doing the super hunts in secret, but if he ever got caught doing someting of that magnitude, without any Congress approval to boot, I can’t see it ending well for him.
After I wrote all this however, I remembered that people still supported Franklin D. Roosevelt after Japanese internment during WWII, thanks in part to propaganda, and still voted George W. Bush back into office after all his mess. I know judging FDR on that one bad move isn’t fair, in fact he was a great president, but you know what I’m trying to get across. (Please don’t attack me ok?)
Lol! I just managed to compare Sylar, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George W. Bush…..oh Heroes
I find it highly unlikely Sylar could stay in office for a second term.
He can stay in power for as many terms as he likes - he is afterall, an immortal shapeshifter, and thus he can just usurp the identity of each new president as they come along until he gets bored of the routine after a few decades…
Well, I meant if he stayed president as “Nathan Petrelli”. Besides, Nathan is technically a fugitive now, not exactly what I look for in a president. Also, it’s not like the public doesn’t know who Nathan is. There was the whole asassination caught on camera and he did that news interview in “A Clear And Present Danger”. If I were an American citizen in the Heroes-verse I’d think Nathan was a looney toon and sure as heck wouldn’t vote for him. You’d think all kinds of conspiracy theories would have popped up about Nathan. What would you think if someone made a speech about “Something important that the world needs to know” and that he himself exhibits this “extraordinary thing” and he was “scared of it at first” and BAM! gets made made into Swiss cheese over it? There’s something strange about it no matter how you look at it. You’d think America would get a clue that something is off about this guy.
“He can stay in power for as many terms as he likes - he is afterall, an immortal shapeshifter, and thus he can just usurp the identity of each new president as they come along until he gets bored of the routine after a few decades…”
^^ This is just proof that the show has let Sylar get WAY too powerful. Seriously, there’s no suspense to Sylar anymore becuse you know he’s capable of getting whatever he wants with next to no struggle.
Great review, Otto, as always. Your ability to really analyze the show never ceases to impress me.
I agree: this episode was a great character study, which we’ve been sorely missing. Heck, I kind of agree that you were scoring it a little too harshly too.
Additionally, I get where Peter is going. He did save the cheerleader (thanks to tapping into precognitive painting and a little bit of telekinesis), which was vitally important. And he sort of saved New York from the bomb. And he did stop the virus, even though he nearly caused the pandemic in the first place…General thing is, he did, in the end, have a part in making sure the world didn’t go crazy.
But something that did bother me was Claire’s whole line about Nathan being “amazing”. I get how you interpreted that, but Claire throwing a rock at Nathan’s limo window is clear in my mind, and I have trouble getting past that.
Last one for me this week…
Nathan “died” during both season finale so I don’t know what to think about the one coming. I agree with you that unvonlontary-vilain/hero has been explored maybe too much for him. Unfortunately, I too think he’s the most probable death of this end’s season, but the only thing I wish for the finale, is that it end with something unexpected. If we get for a third time a disaster barely avoided, it will be somehow a bit disapointing. Actually now it’s more about fixing it so it’s not really the same, but that’s where I kinda wish we knew where the show was headed with Exodus if the virus was released. Come on … Do something unexpected! ^^
Talking about apocalypse, I wonder what Angela could have seen that could more or less justify that she was okay with killing/sacrifying people and eventually realising a deadly virus (before realizing she was wrong ) and blowing up New York. Those apocalypses she saw gotta be really horrifying (Shouldn’t she be as scarred for life as Micah should? ^^).
I agree with you Daneil P. When she first saw (not really met) Nathan, he basicly didn’t want to know about her, and was saying Peter was crazy, and wanted to let him badaboom. That’s why I had a hard time buying her speech about him being “more amazing that she could have ever imagined” (or something like that). It didn’t ring false, but personally, the “Superman” line kinda killed it for me. Just didn’t know how to understand it.
I have a standing bet with myself that:
1 - Everyone on the show will end up being related to the Cheerleader
2 - Adam secretly is/was Noah’s father
Bringing in a ’soap opera surprise’ plot-device character and automatically making them a Petrelli - instead of, say, a Nakamura, Masahashi, Sanders/Dawson, Parkman, Suresh, Gray, Davis, Taylor, Monroe, Linderman, Deveaux, or even a Hanson (remember her?) - brings us yet another step closer to fulfilling condition 1 of my bet.
Still, looking forward to seeing this episode. Whenever Channel 7 Australia deems to air it.
Ian, just a thought on the Sylar/Danko issue you brought up: I think this is an example of why we really needed to learn more about Danko’s motives sooner. The way Danko’s been portrayed — as a guy whose whole life is devoted to his obsession — it seems like there’d be very little for him to live for once this operation is over. So, I agree, Danko would probably go to his grave a happy man if he knew that all but one of his targets had been wiped out.
That said, my issue is we don’t know whether Danko would care if Sylar moved onto targeting non-superpowered civilians instead of just getting a few of them killed in the crossfire. We don’t know if Danko’s motives really extend to protecting the general population, or whether that’s just his pretext for wanting everyone with an ability dead. That’s where I think Danko’s backstory perhaps needed to be clearer. Judging from the way Danko reacted to Angela’s mention of the Angola incident, it could be that at one time he was more of an ends-justify-the-means humanitarian than a monster.
Pas, you brought up a point in your post that I really wanted to make in the review: that Peter clearly wasn’t having the same apocalyptic dreams that Angela was. It could be that the ability is “sentient,” in the sense that it warns the dreamer about something that directly affects them (”Your brother has been in an accident, go to the hospital NOW,” “You’re about to be apprehended by government agents — get out of the car NOW!”), or it could be that Angela and The Company did enough over the years that Angela’s initial dreams of the Apocalypse have been averted, which is why Peter never dreamed anything like it after he absorbed her ability.
you guys are too negative it’s just a t.v. show quit overanalyzing it…..except you otto