Sylar coerces Ghost-Matt into revealing how he separated Sylar’s consciousness from his body. Sylar’s on his way to find Nathan in New York when Ghost-Matt alerts the police by scribbling a death threat on a napkin. Which gets Sylar shot. Which is to say, it gets Matt shot. Goodbye, Matt! It’s been a wonderful three-and-a-half years! We hope to see you in many flashbacks and dream sequences!
So, when the show produces one outstanding episode, you figure it might be a brief moment of inspiration. When it produces two outstanding episodes in a row, it’s a hopeful sign that the show’s on a roll.
Looking at it objectively, this is a set-up episode. It’s essentially about positioning Claire so that she’s tempted to listen to Samuel, bringing Peter and Sylathan together and demonstrating how desperate Matt is to stop Sylar. The difference between this and any other transitional episode is that this one incorporates some of the best character-based material we’ve seen all season.
We start out at the slaughterhouse. Which, all things considered, doesn’t exactly promise an outstanding episode, but bear with me.
Claire deserves credit for coming up with a story about hallucinogens in the water so spontaneously. It’s disappointing that Miss OMG and The Other One buy this explanation so easily, especially after this reveal was portrayed as a Major Development to the story two weeks ago, but considering the trauma all four characters went through at the slaughterhouse, it’s hardly surprising they’d latch onto whatever explanation was offered to them and slip into denial.
Peter and Hesam bring a victim of a subway crash back to the hospital. The switch to handheld camera makes the scene appropriately vivid, and although the scene conveys Peter’s professionalism under pressure, it’s telling that although Peter’s visibly upset to discover that his patient has lost the use of his legs, he only uses his ability to heal the patient as a last resort.
We cut to the show’s version of LAX with a sprawling establishing shot over L.A. It’s so quick that it’s hard to appreciate the detail that went into it, but the detail is there, right down to the sunlight and reflections in the windows of the buildings.
We get the first of several scenes this week involving Sylar-as-Matt in a verbal sparring match with Ghost-Matt. And, writing that, I realize just how convoluted it’ll be to distinguish those two for an entire episode, so for the sake of simplcity, let’s just say this is a sparring match involving Sylar and Matt.
If we were going to make it more complicated, however, the main reason would be the remarkable editing in this episode.
From start to finish, this concept is realized flawlessly. How did they do it? Did they shoot every scene three times — first Grunberg, then Quinto, then both of them together? Did they redress the actors and set up every shot all over again to capture the same nuances from every perspective? I have no idea, but the way it flows and the way it’s shot, with Quinto and Grunberg playing off one another’s lines and body language, it’s seamless. You immediately buy that the actors are alternately playing different characters at the same time as playing two halves of the same character.
It’s established that neither Sylar nor Matt have access to their abilities, although, as we learn, Matt can apparently gain enough limited influence to control Sylar’s movements. He’s unable to read Sylar’s mind to learn where they’re flying to, however, and Sylar’s evidently unable to access his Lie Detector to determine whether Matt’s telling the truth about his conciousness being separated from his body.
Which raises the question of why, when Sylar finally coerces Matt into telling him where his body is, Matt doesn’t direct him to a remote location in the mountains of Tibet. Probably not something Sylar would have fallen for, but anything slightly less absurd would have distracted Sylar, at least long enough for Matt to figure out a way to outwit him.
What’s almost as satisfying as watching Sylar trek to the mountains in Tibet, however, is watching Matt outwit Sylar by stashing a gun in his hand luggage and watching security pin him to the ground.
It’s an enjoyable moment, partly because we get to cheer Matt on while he watches Sylar panic, partly because it’s so rare to see anyone get the better of Sylar. Looking back, it’s hard not to feel like Matt provoked Sylar into killing a guy in retaliation, but Grunberg plays Matt’s delight in upstaging Sylar with such gusto that it’s equally hard not to share the enjoyment.
Ghost-Matt relishes the moment for all it’s worth. I feel obligated to point out that Matt probably just sabotaged his career by making himself look like a terrorist, but even if he can’t Parkman-whammy his way back onto the police force, the opportunity to humiliate Sylar is so appealing that you can appreciate why Matt would be willing to face any consequences to savor this moment.
Equally appealing is the prospect of Sylar morphing back into Sylathan, if only because it affords us a momentary glimpse of Pasdar back on the show. Is this actually Sylathan? Is it Amnesiac Sylar with Nathan’s memories, or is it Sylathan with a recollection of what happened to him after he got shot? It could be that Sylathan’s personality reasserted itself and buried Amnesiac Sylar, but there are several shots of Sylar slicing Nathan’s throat in those flashes, so it could be that whatever version of Sylathan this is has a recollection of what happened to the real Nathan.
Sylathan looks like he’s aware of where he is, and who he’s trying to get away from when he retreats from Samuel’s trailer and flies away.
Wait a second…
?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
So Sylar did get a hold of Nathan’s ability in the midst of the scuffle in last season’s finale?
On the one hand it’s intriguing, because you have to ask HOW on earth Sylar found the opportunity to channel his empathy — something he had to work extremely hard to achieve on the one occasion we’ve seen him do it. I guess you could point to the time Sylar acquired the shapeshifting ability and say it’s implied that he now absorbs abilities with less difficulty. But in the middle of trading blows with the guy whose ability he wanted to absorb? I can’t decide if this represents a failure on the part of this episode, or if it makes that battle-behind-closed-doors last season even more disappointing. The implication is that, in the midst of the carnage in the hotel suite, there were two significant developments: firstly that Peter made contact with Sylar long enough to rifle through his myriad abilities and pluck out shapeshifting, and secondly that Sylar got past Peter and made contact with Nathan long enough to take the laborious route to acquiring an ability. Or it’s even more elaborate, and Nathan took the fight with Sylar above the city, then Sylar absorbed Nathan’s ability, and Sylar immediately mastered flight and brought them back to the hotel suite.
It’s a detail so peripheral that you’ll only pause to consider it if you’re an obsessive fan. But it just goes to show how significant that scene in the Season Three finale was, and how much of it has been left to speculation and conjecture.
Samuel resolves to salvage the Claire situation, reminds Lydia that he’s “the patron saint of lost causes” and elicits a sad smile from Lydia, which speaks volumes for everyone watching the webisodes and reading the graphic novels, but it doesn’t mean much on the basis of the on-screen story. It works within the larger context because you appreciate how much Lydia hates Samuel and how much she fears for her daughter’s safety, but without the context provided by the online media, it’s a sad smile that’s devoid of substance, and a regrettable reminder that, half a season in, very little about the carnival and its members has been explored.
But you never know, there might be something useful about one of the carnival’s members in the Arlington University database. Like, something along the lines of, “This is why Rebecca wants Gretchen dead.”
Who came up with that idea? Gretchen or Claire? If I knew, they’d win a Dumb As Hiro Award.
Baby powder to track an invisible killer? That’s a different story.
It’s hilarious for the “Are you kidding me?” look it gets from Gretchen, but it’s also heartbreaking for the enthusiasm Claire radiates, even when she knows she’s clamoring for a solution.
The emphasis throughout is on the comical side, though…
… and even when Madeline Zima plays Gretchen as anxious, it’s an anxiety that’s played with humor. Which I guess is appropriate for a character whose default reaction to everything was to smile, even when she talked about dead bodies and murder. Thing is, when Gretchen’s departure involves baby powder and a comical frown, I can’t help thinking it’s a departure that’s undermined by its own humor.
The irony is that Gretchen’s anxiety is one of the few light-hearted elements of the episode, and it precedes a scene depicting Emma stitching up a patient with blood pouring from her leg. And although Gretchen and Emma are characters with different temperaments and different backgrounds, putting these scenes side by side emphasizes (probably unintentionally) the enormous difference between the way the two character arcs have been realized. Gretchen escapes a crisis by running away, and Emma sucks it up, buries her insecurities…
… and finds the courage to climb out of her shell and treat the first person who needs her help. You could argue in Gretchen’s defense and point out that she’s hardly a trained doctor, that Claire’s in no apparent danger and that Gretchen isn’t exactly abandoning her to face the wolves alone. But the point is that, even if Gretchen is written back into the story, her implied departure is fraught with issues. Gretchen leaves Claire in the middle of a crisis, and immediately after Claire told Gretchen she needed her.
Sylar and Matt pull over on I-40 with a flat tire. It’s amusing to watch Sylar slamming the car door shut and rolling up his sleeves to replace the tire, but what makes the scene a delight is the way Grunberg plays the ghost who’s suddenly able to taunt the guy who spent half a season taunting him.
Hank the Mechanic pulls up and offers to change Sylar’s tire, then gets his skull bashed in for the effort. I know it’s only a bit part and that we weren’t meant to care about this guy, but like the chauffeur who bled to death on a runway and the mom who watched her oddball son kill a guy, I can’t help feeling sorry for the character. I also can’t help wondering whether the show is intentionally reiterating the message that generosity begets suffering, because poor Hank seems to represent the everyman whose kindness is exploited by a villain.
You’ll note, however, that Sylar doesn’t wait until Hank replaces the tire before killing him. That would have been worse… I think.
Welcome back, Jimmy Jean-Louis! Welcome back, the Haitian! Welcome back… RENÉ!
Was the expo-dialogue in this scene too heavyhanded? It felt like the show was trying very hard to drive home the fact that BECKY IS EVIL and GRETCHEN IS CLAIRE’S REALLY GOOD FRIEND and THE HAITIAN CAN WIPE MEMORIES and THE HAITIAN CAN BLOCK ABILITIES.
But then, as expo-dialogue goes, it doesn’t get any more expositional than this:
Claire: “Come on, René.”
?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Would the show name a character for the hell of it? I’m not sure it would, which is why I’d like to think naming him is a sign that the Haitian’s about to gain a more prominent role in the story. If the Haitian’s role doesn’t become more prominent after this, it’s hard to see why, four seasons in, the show suddenly thought the detail was worth including. If it doesn’t serve a purpose, it comes across as fan gratification. If it’s purely for the sake of replacing a name that some found discriminatory, you’d think the show would have more conviction about ignoring certain criticism.
Me? I’m stuck trying to figure out if I now need to search-and-replace every mention of the Haitian Whammy with the René Whammy. But besides that, my feeling is the character had earned a name, and the show made the right call by casually throwing it in instead of overdramatizing it.
Peter heals another patient and ends up leaning against a supply stand to keep himself from collapsing.
Peter: “I can’t. Too many people need help. This power keeps draining out of me, then it comes back, and then it drains out of me again.”
Straightforward dialogue, and although what we see is a clear indication that the ability is draining the life out of him, it’s a remarkable moment for the way Milo delivers the dialogue; no self-pity, no resentment, just the observation that his ability is killing him. The biblical undertones emerge from the self-sacrifice, both in the way Peter risks himself to save others and in the way he does it without considering the repercussions.
Which is consistent with the guy who was willing to hide in Nevada when he thought he was going nuclear, and with the guy who was happy to stay in an underground cell when he thought he was a threat to the population. But when you realize that Peter’s slowly sacrificing himself to help strangers, it plays to Peter’s portrayal as the selfless hero; as the guy who, unlike Hiro, refuses to arbitrarily choose who he helps, and instead aims to help everyone he comes into contact with.
What’s also worth noting is the reaction from Peter when Emma suggests he stops using his ability.
Peter: “And be ordinary?”
It’s delivered with a good-natured chuckle, but you realize right away that Peter can’t imagine his life without an ability. Which, per the adjusted chronology, would be after several years of multiple abilities and a stint with both superstrength and superspeed.
The interesting question is whether Peter finds himself chuckling over this option because the prospect of being ordinary is too frustrating to consider, or whether the idea of working in a hospital and being surrounded by people desperate for his help is too unthinkable to contemplate. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this conversation takes place in a hospital filled with the people he’d be turning his back on if he decided to ignore his ability, but there’s something to be said for the way Peter pretty much dismisses the idea of a life without abilities. It might simply be Peter’s way of saying it’s a non-issue because his ability to absorb other abilities is something he can’t turn off. Another interpretation is that the prospect of a life without abilities is so dull to Peter that he can’t bear to imagine it.
When you consider Peter’s rant at God, it also seems fitting that his current ability is the one that allows him to be the most extraordinary. In light of that, it’s easy to appreciate why the prospect of Peter ignoring his ability is more unthinkable than ever, especially when he’s surrounded by people who need his help and when he feels like he has a moral obligation to help all of them.
Which is a lengthy way of saying that this one tiny moment is arguably one of the biggest moments for the character all season. It’s a moment that goes right to the heart of who Peter is and what he represents.
All of that said, it’s possible I’m overthinking it, so I’ll point out how adorable it is that when Peter stands up and walks away, he rests his hand on Emma’s shoulder and thanks her. Which, aw, but it’s a reminder of the way Emma’s been depicted as a pillar of support for Peter, and as a character in her own right instead of just a component in Peter’s character arc.
I wish we could say the same for Gretchen.
Gretchen: “I’m going home. Maybe forever.”
I can’t decide if that last part should be taken as a glimmer of hope or a thinly-veiled threat, but when you watch these two story threads alongside one another — Gretchen’s and Emma’s — you realize how stark the contrast is between the way these two character arcs have progressed. The two characters have had roughly the same amount of screen time, but somehow Emma has ended up as so much more of a three-dimensional character and made so much more of a memorable impression on the audience. Which is why, when Gretchen leaves, the only reason we have to feel upset…
… is because Claire is upset.
In all fairness, Hayden sells that distress very believably. I can’t say I was sufficiently invested in Gretchen’s story to find her departure in any way moving, but that’s not because of the way actress portrayed her character or her relationship with Claire; it’s because that relationship was founded on so little, and because I never got the impression that Gretchen had earned Claire’s trust. Their bond came down to Gretchen stalking Claire, discovering her ability, humiliating her in front of her dad and buzzing around her until Claire gave up and let the truth slip out. And although it’s disappointing to see the character go because of the chemistry between her and Claire, we knew so little about Gretchen that it’s hard to feel like anyone actually left.
The sad part is that if we’d been more invested in Gretchen — if there’d been something to feel invested in besides the kiss — her departure would have been much more affecting to watch.
For one thing, Madeline Zima acts the heck out of the scene. Between this and the kiss in “Hysterical Blindness,” it’s apparent that the actress was capable of running with great material when she got it.
For another thing, Gretchen’s life has now been turned upside down because of Claire. If Arlington is as good a college as Annie made it out to be, Gretchen’s giving up a place at a respectable college and jeopardizing her education because of Claire. You could argue that it’s Rebecca who wants Gretchen dead, and that Samuel basically sanctions the attempt on Gretchen’s life, but the fact that Gretchen feels compelled to get away from Claire comes back to the same concept the show has repeatedly made recently: if you’re a Bennet, you bring pain and suffering to everyone around you.
Which reveals how much of a story device Gretchen was in terms of servicing Claire’s character arc, but as a story device, she does her job well. If Noah’s predilection for secrets and lies ended up with him alone, and if Claire’s attempt to bring someone into her crazy world ended with them running away, Claire’s probably left wondering whether there’s any other approach to take.
Claire: “You’re too important… to me. I just don’t wanna lose you.”
It gets a weak smile out of Gretchen, but that only reinforces how perplexing Gretchen’s departure is. You immediately recall how the character was portrayed until now — as someone who was fixated on Claire to the point of being obsessed with her — and you wonder how the character can suddenly up and leave the moment she realizes she’s in danger. Given her macabre interest in solving Annie’s death and her determination to learn the truth about Claire, you’d think she’d be more interested in uncovering who Rebecca is and why she wants to hurt Claire. As understandable as her anxiety might be, Gretchen hasn’t been portrayed as a character who’d be scared for her life; she’s been portrayed as an obsessive, determined and intensely persistent character. Her backstory has been sparse, but it’s hard to argue that Gretchen’s key traits have been well established. That’s why her departure feels like a plot device instead of a logical move for the character.
Gretchen points out that this is everyday life for Claire and that she’s “just not like” Claire, and the expression Claire gets…
… drives home how betrayed she feels. If Claire’s storyline this season has been about social integration and acceptance from the people around her, Gretchen is pretty much the personification of everything Claire wanted. By losing Gretchen, Claire is effectively losing her hope for a lasting, emotional bond with anyone who knows the truth about her.
Samuel shows up and works his charm with the ernest eyes and compassionate voice…
… and it’s comforting enough to be a lifeline for Claire when she’s at her most vulnerable. The fact that Samuel still can’t manipulate her even under these circumstances speaks to Claire’s strength of character.
Samuel: “I know you’re special. Like [Rebecca]. Like me. I know you’re asking yourself right about now, ‘Who is this guy? What could he possibly know about me?’”
Claire: “Yeah, something like that.”
Superbly acted by both actors, and knowing the way the characters are playing one another, it seems even more carefully acted. You don’t doubt for a moment that Samuel understands what’s going through Claire’s mind, but looking back, you realize that even in the midst of her anguish and confusion, Claire was assessing him.
Claire moves to the door of her room, and Samuel moves into the center of the room. Superbly blocked out. You figure Claire wanted it that way so she’d have an easy escape route, but there’s a part of the way this is staged that makes you wonder whether Samuel was trying to put her at ease and wanted Claire to know she had an escape route.
Samuel: “We’re all like you. A family of sorts. People with extraordinary abilities. Rebecca came to us when she was still very young.”
Claire: “So she’s not really your niece?”
Samuel: “A family is more than blood. It’s about trust. About love. About those who embrace you — the real you — unconditionally.”
Great dialogue, and nicely delivered by Knepper. You know Samuel’s playing Claire, and you know he’s telling her exactly what she wants to hear, but you don’t doubt that this is one part of the spiel that Samuel genuinely believes in.
Does Rebecca become a sympathetic character after her flashback?
It’s hard not to feel sorry for her, particularly when we learn that Noah burst into her home and came after her father with guns blazing. Even if you hate her for killing Annie and trying to kill Gretchen and acting like a loony, you have to wonder how much of her psychosis is down to Noah. I’m not sure I sympathize with Rebecca in light of the elaborate lengths she’s gone to in order to avenge her father, but her vengeance is in response to a loss she suffered at a young age, and she’s been traumatized pretty much the same way Crazy Sister Alice was. Which is to say, she’s been left psychologically scarred by a childhood experience.
The parallel to “1961″ extends to Papa Taylor’s ability, which seems to be more along the lines of Papa Shaw’s deflective energy wave than Weevil’s sonic wave. We only get a brief glimpse of the character and it’s hard to say whether Noah’s reason for charging into his home and opening fire was justified, but given what we know about The Company and its policy of preempting superpower-related incidents, the most likely explanation is that Papa Taylor hadn’t done a thing wrong. Based on the house where he and Rebecca live, which seems fairly affluent based on the dolls Rebecca’s playing with and the way both she and Papa Taylor are dressed, the impression we’re given is that Rebecca was growing up in a stable environment. Which doesn’t necessarily mean Papa Taylor wasn’t using his deflective wave to bash the life out of people in alleys every night, but you don’t get that impression from this flashback, and you don’t get that vibe from the guy who hides his daughter under her bed and only starts sending energy waves when he’s held at gunpoint.
All of which has more to do with Papa Taylor than Rebecca, but when we cut back to the present and learn that Rebecca’s killing spree is about retribution rather than straightforward malice, I can’t help feeling bad for her.
Tessa Thompson channels a side of the character that’s worlds apart from the cheerful, frivolous character we saw at the sorority house. Which speaks to both the actress’s ability and the show’s writers’ for the way they crafted the character’s backstory. It also reinforces what a wasted opportunity Gretchen’s character arc was. One great part about this flashback is that it’s proof of how quickly and effectively a supporting character can be given layers and made identifiable to the audience.
The other great part about this flashback is the way it gives Samuel a legitimate reason to hate The Company. When Samuel points out that Noah shot Papa Taylor with “neither warrant nor probable cause,” it’s a reminder of how The Company took the law into its own hands. Which is a neat way to remind us of Noah’s disillusionment over whether he achieved any good during his stint as an agent, but also sets up Samuel’s sense of injury at The Company’s hands, and justifies his sense of obligation to shield everyone with an ability when people like Noah come along and arbitrarily decide who represents a threat to society.
Noah seems to acknowledge this, at least to the extent that he seems to realize he took one life and ruined another based on the policies of an organization that thought it had the right to police the superpowered population.
Samuel starts backstabbing Noah by deriding what he would do in this situation. Then Noah walks in, and I have to say:
“Tell me, what would Bennet do?”
This moment? Priceless. And it’s made all the more hilarious by the fact that poor Knepper has to raise his head so high to meet Noah’s stare that he’s almost looking at the ceiling. That’s got to make the guy feel small.
Not that he looks like he’s feeling small. He’s got the look that T-Bag used to get right before he went berserk and started howling like a wild animal.
There’s a moment of Obligatory Claire Adoration when Samuel realizes she was stalling until Noah got to the dorm, which elicits an impressed smile from Samuel, and which I have to admit is kind of admirable, because when Claire can outwit a master manipulator like Samuel, it’s a sign that she can judge and outmaneuver people as well as Noah.
Samuel: “Rebecca’s a very disturbed girl, but in all fairness, you had a hand in that. A responsibility.”
It’s enough to make Noah’s eyes soften and persuade him to lower his gun. Nicely played by Coleman, and a hint at the amazing drama to be gotten out of putting two great actors and two great characters together. Put them in a scene with Angela and it’ll be the ultimate meeting of morally gray characters playing on their collective guilt.
Howdy, folks! Nate P here! Can you believe this circus man? First he told that terrible impostor to stop being me, and then he told Claire that family is about more than blood. The man talks sense! Family is about getting shot by the future version of your idiot brother and BLEEDING OUT! It’s about getting rammed in the back of your car by the goons your dad sent to kill you and BLEEDING ALL OVER THE FREEWAY! It’s about your mom injecting you with all kinds of weird chemicals until it changes your DNA and REWRITES YOUR BLOOD! “Family’s about more than blood”? DAMN RIGHT IT IS!
What a wise man. I hope he dies so I can meet him and shake his hand.
You wouldn’t believe the coincidences down here recently, folks! Three guys came to see me this week. They said they wanted to work for me. The first one had a strong accent and was like, “Ja! Ich werde für dich ganz schwer arbeiten! Ich hab’ hier gar nichts besseres zu tun!” I have no idea what he was talking about, but he started pointing at my Head of PR — you know, the wonderful blonde who rips people’s arms out of their sockets? — and was raving about “Barbara” and “the formula” and how he hadn’t seen his sister in years. Then he started talking about a superpowered dog and I got pretty scared. He seemed like a well-intentioned guy, though, so I’ve put him to work handing out fliers and whatnot.
The other two looked very familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen them. Then I remembered that one of them worked for Dad until Tracy froze him. He says he was a badass but that the plan was to give him a complex story about being friends with Parkman when he was young. Then they cut that part out, so instead of being a badass with a complex story, he was just a badass. Poor guy. Frankly, I think they did him a favor by cutting that out. I mean, who’d want to be friends with an imbecile like Parkman? Do you remember how he made my killer think he was me? Would you really want to be friends with someone like that?
I felt bad for this guy, especially after I watched him shatter into tiny pieces. When he mentioned all the stuff that never happened to him, I started thinking about everything that never happened to me. Please check up on my wife and kids every now and then, Pete. I hope they’re OK. I don’t think they know I’m dead. Unless they think I died when you shot me. Maybe they know I came back to life and then died again. Could you check?
Anyway, the third guy was the biggest surprise. Big, stocky, bald guy with a Texas accent. I finally remembered where I met him: right before he blew himself up! He was in Dad’s lab when I was beating up Pete, and he set fire to the place, and then Pete and I flew away, and… I guess he died. Poor bastard! But get this, folks: turns out he was Meredith’s brother! Isn’t that just the craziest coincidence? Him working for Dad and nearly setting fire to me, and me and Pete leaving him to get crushed in a burning building? I don’t know, that’s like destiny or something! He’s almost like a brother to me!
I have a good feeling about these three. I’ve got Parkman’s friend intimidating the opposition (which, fortunately, has so far been scarce), and I’ve got my dear distant brother making balloons at Petrelli Headquarters. He’s really good at it. Great set of lungs, and seems happy enough to do that all day.
Well, that’s it from me for this week, folks. If that wise circus man offers you any pearls of wisdom, listen to him. Family really is about more than blood. And the next time your brother flies you out of a burning building, take a moment to find out whether the guy you leave behind is part of your family too. Stuff like that is important.
Have a great week!
Noah cuffs Samuel, puts him into a the back of an SUV and prepares to take him…
…?
…?
Maybe he wanted some company at his apartment. Or maybe he wanted to test how far he could get before Samuel caused an earthquake that swallowed up Noah and the car and lifted Samuel to safety. Noah earns a *PING!* Dumb As Hiro Award for not waiting for the Haitian to block Samuel’s terrakinesis — and, as quickly becomes obvious, to block Rebecca’s invisibility.
Let’s not think about that. Instead, let’s pause for a moment to appreciate the way this was shot:
Subtle way to show how Claire has two people pulling her in different directions. It’s not as if Claire would be tempted to join the carnival at this point, but the way Samuel reminds her that her father doesn’t understand them, and the way this scene plays out, you can see her resistance to Samuel eroding.
It falls to Samuel to taser Rebecca into submission, which probably saves Samuel a lot of trouble, because if Rebecca had killed Noah then they would have had to kidnap Claire to keep her from talking. But Samuel tasering Rebecca to save Noah probably also earns him Claire’s respect, because Claire will figure that if he’s principled enough to protect her dad and restrain one of his family, he can’t be all bad.
Noah pushing Claire to the ground to get a clear shot at Samuel? It’s not as if he meant to hurt her, and he does apologize for it several times. And it affords us an intense eye-to-eye moment between Noah and Samuel that’s begging to be revisited. But it also unintentionally proves Samuel’s point — that Noah will hurt anyone or anything in his way when he’s trying to apprehend supers.
Thing is, Claire doesn’t look all that upset with Noah when he helps her up and asks her if she’s all right. It’s more a look of understanding and sadness than resentment. Which is a hopeful sign that the character has moved past the Love-Hate-and-Forgive-Noah cycle, and which seems to indicate that while Claire knows and understands her father’s intentions, she fundamentally disagrees with them.
Meanwhile… We return to the Burnt Toast Diner, and Oh. My. God.
If only Janice could see this. Matt flirting with Lynette would be bad enough, but a psycho-killer controlling Matt’s body and using it to hit on a waitress? That’s just… awful. And hilarious.
Matt finally recaps the awful Sylathan Debacle and admits he had no idea what he was doing.
Sylar’s response: “Well, that’s just crazy.”
*APPLAUSE ERUPTS ACROSS THE NATION*
I don’t care if you loathe Sylar with a fiery passion — there is NO WAY you can hear that without cheering. Well done, Sylar! Someone had to say it!
Sylar then decides he’s “gotta go find Nathan.” And when he finds Nathan…
…?
…?
It’s kind of like Noah driving off into the sunset with Samuel. What is Sylar hoping will happen next? That he’ll dance around Nathan in a tutu and that somehow, magically, his consciousness will jump back into his body?
Matt: “And then what are you gonna do?”
Sylar: “Then I’m gonna kill every single person even remotely involved.”
Ooh, that’s a novel idea for a storyline! Sylar kills people! Let’s hope it consists of more than that. If that’s as far as Sylar’s character arc extends for the rest of this season, it’s going to be very tedious.
Sylar walks out of the diner and leaves Matt standing there, which makes me wonder what the range on this consciousness/stuck-inside-someone-else’s-body situation is. I mean, could Sylar drive from Midland to New York and leave Ghost-Matt sitting at the diner? Or would Sylar reach a certain distance when Ghost-Matt found himself sitting next to him again? Probably not something we’re supposed to think about. But then, neither is Ghost-Matt using Sylar to scribble “PHILLIP” twice alongside “I HAVE A GUN AND I AM GOING TO KILL EVERYONE IN HERE.” Make of that what you will. I just feel bad for Lynette, because it seemed like she really liked Sylar-as-Matt.
Matt: “You told me that I’m not man enough to take a life? Well, you know what? You’re wrong. ‘Cause I’m gonna take yours.”
Nicely delivered by Grunberg. No vindictiveness, no arrogance, just a sense of resolve to do the right thing and sadness that this is what it came to.
You can see that Matt’s tearing up, but you could argue that that’s either out of resignation over killing himself or satisfaction that he’s finally figured out a way to beat Sylar. Either way, there’s a lot to be said for the fact that, unlike the last time Matt was ready to take his own life, it’s not so much about us feeling sorry for him as it is commending him for his nobility. As far as redemption goes, this is about the biggest gesture Matt could have made. It’s evidence of Matt accepting that he’s the one who created this mess in the first place, that his actions last season culminated in him screwing up his one shot at getting back his career and fixing his marriage, that he’s responsible for at least one death, and that if he hadn’t done something now, Sylar would have ended up getting his body back — with or without a tutu — and reclaimed Heroes as The Sylar Show before going on another ponderous, predictable killing spree.
So, in effect, by killing himself, Matt’s trying to save us.
Matt whammies Sylar into reaching into his jacket and pulling out nothing, but it’s enough to give the cops reason to open fire.
You have to wonder what that must be like. An out-of-body experience that’s literally an out-of-body experience involving yourself getting shot.
If you’re not a Sylar fan, here’s the winning screensaver:
Aaaand if you’re not a Matt fan, here’s the runner-up:
It’s an intensely gripping moment, but one that also largely redeems Matt for his complicity in the Sylathan Debacle. It’s not as if he ever wanted to be a part of the plot, but like Sylar killing Hank the Mechanic, he’s indirectly responsible, and by taking his own life to stop Sylar, he essentially atones for it. And as brilliantly as Grunberg has played Matt over the years…
… this is about as perfect an end to his character arc as any. Heartbreaking, and deeply profound, and a moment that conveys Matt’s nobility and self-sacrifice in an effort to prevent an impending disaster. That is a moment of inspired writing, and that is a moment of true heroism.
Ohhh-kay. So, let’s pause for a moment to consider the strategy behind the promo which reveals that Matt survives. Did the writers think the suspense would kill us? Because, really, it’s only one week. Was someone at NBC afraid that Matt’s death would drive fans away? Because, really, strap on a pair. Did someone in the marketing department misread the memo or get a crease line in the key sentence? Like, instead of “DO NOT REVEAL THAT MATT SURVIVES,” they thought it said “DO NOT REVEAL THAT MATT SURVIVES.”
Because in case the relevant people haven’t made it clear enough, I feel obliged to make this as succinct as possible: YOU *#%@ING MORONS!
The promo is meant to ENTICE viewers!
It is meant to make viewers want to tune in the following week to find out what happens!
It is NOT meant to give away a crucial twist in the plot!
It is NOT meant to reveal that a character who was dying survives so that no one needs to tune in!
Seriously, show. What were you thinking? There’ve been plenty of missteps when it comes to the way you’ve been marketed — or not marketed, as the case may be — but this has to be the single dumbest advertising tactic you’ve ever attempted.
Let’s move on.
Noah walks Claire back to her dorm and watches her open the door and stare at the empty, made-up bed opposite her own. Nicely shot, nicely acted, and with just enough feeling to convey the poignancy in the scene; not so much that you’re bowled over by how heartbreaking the situation is, but subtly enough that you grasp what Claire has lost and how despondent she’s feeling because of it.
Noah: “You’re amazing. You know that?”
Claire: “I think you mean extraordinary.”
It’s telling that the word Claire chooses is the one the show always attributed to its characters’ abilities. Subtle way to convey that the reason Claire’s unhappy is because her life now seems as if it’s defined by her ability.
Noah: “I want you to have everything. You deserve it. The social life, the education, the white picket fence. All of it.”
Now that’s heartbreaking, because as undeveloped a character as Gretchen was, you realize that those are the things Claire inadvertently robbed her of, and the things Claire’s now left wondering if she’ll ever have herself.
Claire: “Well, as you said, sometimes life just isn’t that simple.”
Again, perfectly delivered, and deftly avoiding any self-pity or resentment.
Claire forces a weak smile and tries to conceal how crushed she is, closes the door, and somehow it comes across as a figurative action as well as a literal one. It’s as if she’s closing the door on her hope for a normal life, and on her admiration for the man who, in her eyes, and even when he hurt the people around him, always seemed like he was doing the right thing.
Beautifully shot. No dialogue, no heavy-handed message about what we’re supposed to think or feel; just a sense of unspoken loss and desolation.
Having rescued a kid suffering from a pneumothorax in a supply room, Emma returns to playing the piano. It’s as elegant as ever, but after a similar scene on what feels like at least a dozen occasions, this one is mercifully brief. Peter sits with her, asks her about the photo on the piano, and learns that Emma wasn’t able to revive her nephew when he drowned. It’s a scene that manages to be affecting without being overly sentimental. There are little details that help to make it memorable: the way Emma seems to take comfort from each piano key she hits, and the way Peter looks to Emma for permission before picking up the photo of her nephew. But what makes this scene effective — and indeed what makes every scene between Peter and Emma effective — is the enormous chemistry between the actors.
As romances on the show go, this one comes closest to replicating what Hiro and Charlie achieved. It’s charming and heartfelt and believable, and each week it feels like it progresses at a pace that feels right for the story and the characters.
Aw. For the smile it gets out of Emma, and for the significance behind the gesture. If it isn’t Fuller’s touch, it’s evidence of the lasting mark he’s made on the show.
The episode draws to a close with a scene that only mildly detracts from the episode’s excellence. Samuel and Rebecca evaluate whether “the plan” was a success, Samuel prognosticates that Claire is “right where [they] want her to be,” and then both of them start talking about revenge.
It’s such an incredibly hammed-up, clichéd moment that you wonder if it’s an intentional effort to turn the villains into caricatures, right down to the villains smiling villainously and delighting in their villainous plan because their villainy is so villainous. What happened to complex villainy? Has it come down to cackling maniacally to convey that the villains are evil? I hope not.
Noah gets back to assembling his Wall of the Carnival. One of the key articles involves the house that Samuel leveled, although regrettably, the article tells that old story about “questions regarding result determination” and how “great care has been of paramount importance.” Oh, show. You can write better articles than that! And you have!
Peter’s Wall of Redemption comes down, but not before we get a glimpse of an article about the “hero paramedic” who saved a family of four. This one’s written with a little more wit, describing a band who’ve “produced half an album of songs so simple that they immediately get stuck in the head and will get you to play the album back again.” Well played, show. More of those, please.
Petrelli lovers, rejoice! The brothers have been reunited. Except it’s not really Nathan. But he seems to think he’s Nathan, so perhaps it’s a close enough approximation.
That’s what the show’s probably hoping you’ll think, anyway.
This episode lacks the immediate critical brilliance that “Once Upon a Time in Texas” exhibited. Besides Matt getting himself shot and the Haitian becoming René, the brilliance here is more subtle. We see Claire beginning to grasp how extensively her ability isolates her; we see Peter pushing himself to help people until it puts himself at risk; and we see Matt willing to sacrifice himself in order to redeem himself. All of which advance the character arcs and explore what the individuals’ abilities mean to them, but the creative strides the episode takes are supported by several outstanding performances, particularly from Hayden, Grunberg and Quinto.
Despite Gretchen’s departure coming out of leftfield and a promo that severely undermines what should have been a great cliffhanger, the episode remains one of the strongest of the season. It’s one of the show’s ironies that the reason this episode succeeds is because it focuses on abilities, a focus that was one of the main reasons why episodes throughout Volume Three stumbled. The difference is that while Volume Three’s predominant focus was on abilities as a means to serve the story, this episode’s merit lies in its focus on the ramifications to having an ability — physically, socially and psychologically. We see all three of the episode’s central characters discovering what they’re capable of with and without their abilties, considering what their lives would be like without their abilities, and, above all, doing everything they can to be heroes regardless of the circumstances. Which goes to the heart of what the show is about, and maintains the standard the show has set this season for exceptional drama.
4.5 out of 5
Yes, people, I’m afraid so. For the first time since way back in Season Two, this week’s review will be — *GASP!* — late.
My deepest apologies to everyone who was looking forward to it, especially to anyone who cares enough to visit the site on Thursday night to read the review as soon as it’s posted. Believe me, no one feels worse about the delay than I do, but due to circumstances beyond my control, this week’s review has had to be delayed until Sunday.
Hopefully I can make up for the delay with a review that’s worth the time you take to read it. “Shadowboxing” was an outstanding episode, and I wanted to produce a review that would be worthy of the episode, and, equally, a review that’s worth your time to read it. Or, if not worthy, at least written with the intent to be worthy.
The discussion thread is open for comments immediately, so please feel free to start the debate without me. In my absence, here are the main points I’d like to submit for consideration:
– René.
– Željko killed Joseph.
– Claire’s dad lurking in a sorority sister’s bedroom: concerned father or creepy old guy?
– A flashback involving HRG without a partner, and with bullets instead of a taser: revised Company policy or HRG rushing in without a plan?
– A cool promo’s ability to completely undermine a great cliffhanger.
– Gretchen: “Corpses! Yay! Cadavers! Woohoo! Murder! Hurrah! Oh, crap, someone’s trying to kill me? See ya!”
– Becky: sympathetic victim or contemptible psycho?
– Heroes writers: “That’s right, folks, Sylar can fly now. Didn’t we make that clear when he killed Nathan? Whoops!”
A flashback involving HRG without a partner, and with bullets instead of a taser: revised Company policy or HRG rushing in without a plan?
I figure it’s part continuity error for effect and part “We just can’t CE back, and we’re screwed.”
Well, Claude COULD have been there.
Yeah, really inconsistent writing…
But this guy was clearly dangerous, like Weevil/Echo type dangerous. Maybe they tried the taser the last time they tried to capture him and it was so epic slow that it got batted away by the sonic waves? And Claude was there. Blatantly, It was the right time.
Noah’s lack of regard for the sorority sister’s bedroom thing was a little out-of-character considering he has always been able to blend in with “normal” people really well; the issue in the dressing room of Cold Snap is just one example that jumps to mind.
Becky’s a psycho. I don’t know whether the show MAKES me hate her or whether I just hate her because she is quite disgusting, but I do indeed hate her, as I am sure I am am meant to.
And NOOOOOOOOO! He’s no longer the Haitian, and I’m crying
Goodbye Haitian.
Fantastic episode, but I don’t think Sylar ever learned flight, but used TK to levitate himself, and in thinking he was Nathan, just figured the ability he was using was flight, tapping it from the same “dreamtime” source. (He also flew away in One Giant Leap, if I’m not mistaken)
Hi Otto,
I hope the circumstances aren’t serious, and am looking forward to the review when it pops up on the RSS feed! Thursday night sure will be more boring than usual though…
My cliffnotes:
- What? Sylar/Parkman makes for the most exciting/entertaining storyline?!?!
- What was with that lunatic smile between Becky and Samuel at the end?
- Yet another soul-touching moment between tired but healing Peter and Emma at the piano. This is the scene I keep rewatching.
- … but the editing hack-job on Peter/Emma’s princess-saving-scene left a bad taste in my mouth (60% cut according to @JamesProps). Can we petition NBC to post outtakes online? I’d sure love to “See the full scene on nbc.com”
- Does René (!) have a mutant-radar? How did HRG know Becky wasn’t in her room? I kept waiting for her to materialize and stab him in the back.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, but was as peeved with next week’s preview as everybody else. Why NBC? Why?!
I absolutely never ever watch promos & trailers; for the reason you specified. So I actually don’t even know what you’re talking about. Be gentle in your review please.
Otto,
We’ve discussed the ep. via email already, so I’ll just add that Samuel deserves the Sylar confusion at the end of the ep. He’s earned it. While I loathe the Sylathan story line on principle. It proved some value for nonplussing Samuel in 4.9 and throughout this arc. Sylathan really has been a variable the villain could not have foreseen.
:)
Take all the time you nead
No hurry there. I just hope nothing bad happened.
I’m looking forward to your review like I always did for about a year :).
Don’t know if you’re ironic about the outstanding part but I did find the episode outstanding. Pretty much thought I would be alone in the middle of people saying “Nothing happened”, or crap like this overlooking what indeed happened.
Very few cons for me. Probably Claire.
- Was she really that close to Gretchen ? They “just” met, and I don’t even get how she became friend with the creepy stalker.
- Claire *staring* at HRG because he was happily gonna blow Samuel’s head off just feel reused material. I’m thinking “Mad because West was one of his 777 experiment subjects”, or even closer, “Mad at him because he basicly caused Canfield to kill himself” (That’s S2 and S3 so maybe it never happened for the writers). I’m hoping something finally happens this time.
- The “René” revelation wasn’t as awesome as I was waiting it to be. Nothing like “Just call me Noah”. Too bad
- HRG is a creepy old guy. He already proved it.
- Zeljko killing Joseph was foreseeable. Hoping for a flashback at some point.
- Goodbye Gretchen ! I hope we never see you again, in flashback or in dreams, NEVER.
- I think writers said Sylar learned flight by empatheeeee but I kinda could ignored it before we actually saw him fly.
- Becky ? Sympathic Psycho would feel like Elle 2.0. And I’m still mourning because of how she was written off. (Although if everybody that could be mad at HRG or the Company went after them, the Carnivale would end up with LOTS of potential new members).
I didn’t think Danko killing Joeseph was news. It seemed obvious from the point Samuel sent Edgar to retrieve the compass.
Yeah I pretty much meant that it Danko killing Joseph was obvious from the start (compass). I don’t even know why I wrote foreseeable (or even if it’s a word ^^).
We don’t know that Danko killed Joseph. Samuel claimed that Danko killed Joseph but Samuel could have been lying.
For all we know, Samuel killed Joseph.
We don’t know that Danko killed Joseph. Samuel claimed that Danko killed Joseph but Samuel could have been lying.
For all we know, Samuel killed Joseph.
You could be right. But, then, they have to explain where Danko got the compass. Structurally, it’s easier to have Danko kill Joseph and take the compass than for Samuel to kill Joseph and Danko’s compass to come from someone else. Plus, if Samuel is righteously angry over Danko killing Joseph, it adds a layer to his villainy that isn’t there if he killed Joseph himself.
René! That is all. Looking forward to Sunday, Otto. Yeah, ridiculous reveal in the promo. Unforgivable.
Loyal heroes fan and reader here tho i dont post often.. Raissa i always like ur posts but have to say i initially hated the slynathan story line as well, but it has developed into the most intriguing and padsar has played it to perfection.. i just love the actors padsar and quinto showing the range in playing their character playing someone else playing someoneelse and not knowing it..
AP & ZQ do a great job. All the actors do. NBC needs to thank heaven for the cast, because they’ve pulled a lot of mediocre or just plain weird plot elements out of the fire.
Otto - this puts to rest the ‘Sylar used TK in 325′ theory.
He flew then. And he flew now. He gained it through Empathy when he took on Nathan’s memories by touching his items.
As for Rene, AWESOME! Such a great, subtle reveal.
I just finished watching season 1 again, and from several episodes it is pretty clear that Sylar can TK-fly… also, I didn’t do an exact count, but everyone else seemed to be talking “magic special destiny heroism” _more_ than Hiro.
I also managed to get season 3 at less than half the ticketed price, by… umm… channelling Sylar, okay?
Anyway, 7TWO is running double episodes, so I might catch up to you folks in a few weeks. Some quick thoughts:
* I like Emma! If Heroes gets a fifth season, can she join the main cast?
* Gretchen/Claire is only going to work for me if Gretchen sticks around… as in, comes back next season; if only because, well, “one of us, one of them” - powered heroes need their non-powered sidekicks.
* now it makes sense… Danko killed Joseph, and took his compass.
* Not to get all philosophical, but… the whole ghost-sylar-matt-slitheen mind-switch = mind/body dualism?
* When the slitheen showed Peter he could TK objects into his hand, I thought a response from Peter that made more sense would have been something like “well, you can fly yourself through the air, making other things fly through the air is kind of a development of your power…”
* Eric Doyle the Nowhere Man - wouldn’t you like to see him at the Carnival, telling Samuel “I’m a changed person now” and siding with Claire? If there is hope for Redemption, it ought to be for more than just the main cast, methinks.
Looking forward to a review full of Ottoisms!
Gretchen/Claire — That’s what I thought, too. That they would aim for a civilian equivalent of the partnership protocol.
Good point about Doyle.
Frankly, for the promo, I’m not even surprised (It’s on par with 3×12 promo pics with Arthur with a bullet in the head). It’s also coming from people who promoted lesbian-Claire for several months while it’s just some minor and sucky point (at least to me) of her storyline. Unforgiveable, I agree. I don’t even get what those people are paid for…
“A flashback involving HRG without a partner”. Not only HRG, but a HRG-less HRG. Small detail but which follows the timeline (I think we learn when he got the glasses in a GN).
Always beleived in the Self-TK-Propelled-Flight. After all, Sylar already flew (or at least levitated/made enormous jumps) in the few first episodes of the series. But yeah for Eempatheeee…
Conversation is more quiet when Otto’s not around ^^
Hi evereyone
James in the UK
Long time since I’ve posted a comment (season 3 I think) and I always love your reviews Otto and I hope whatever’s causing you a hinderance isn’t serious or takes to long. These reviews often get rid of unwanted boredom.
I just wanted to say one thing about the Sylar flying thing. Hasn’t it already been slightly (I’d say subtly, but I just think the writers were making it up as they went along) established that Sylar has some sort of ability that he stle that allowed him to leave the ground in such away. Sylar did super jump away in “One giant Leap” and appeared on top of a building in “Into Asylum”. Mabye Sylar stole flying of someone else, I mean it’s a common power (Nathan, West etc).
Also naming the Hatian was probably the most under-played moments the show has ever done. The first time Claire said Rene, I barely heard it. When she said it to Gretchen, I fell off my chair.
SPOILER IF YOU HAVENT SEE THE PROMO: Promo dude, yeah I didn’t expect Matt to die, but way to go in taking out all the dramtic effect anyway.
The Gretchen thing was odd and the flashback with HRG was good, but not believable.
Love ya reviews, keep it up and the anticipatin for this review is killing me.
Well, Otto, yes, I love to read your reviews. Maybe I agree or not, but we usually have good times with them!
– René -> Well, if Hayden had shut her mouth in an interview, it would have been a surprise…anyway, Noah, Rene? Why do they sound me like female names too? XD
– Željko killed Joseph. -> Well, we all supposed this…
– Claire’s dad lurking in a sorority sister’s bedroom: concerned father or creepy old guy?-> Show, weird thing! anyway, as I don’t understand sororities and HRG is usually a concerned father, I don’t want to think what the girls thought when they found him in the bedroom…
– A flashback involving HRG without a partner, and with bullets instead of a taser: revised Company policy or HRG rushing in without a plan? -> partial point of view of the matter, we lack HRG’s motives…that flashback is not going to change my point of view about HRG after so much time…
– A cool promo’s ability to completely undermine a great cliffhanger.-> yeah! promos suck, but we all need to see them!
– Gretchen: “Corpses! Yay! Cadavers! Woohoo! Murder! Hurrah! Oh, crap, someone’s trying to kill me? See ya!” Hahaha! Really, it was so weird,…I mean, I know she runs for her life, but wasn’t she the weird girl who loved all that things of aliens, vampires and so? Maybe when she’s the one who can loose her life, things change. About this, I don’t see any romance between them…at least Gretchen’s crush is not stronger than the risk of loosing her life! very human and real, indeed!
– Becky: sympathetic victim or contemptible psycho? I guess that the second one, I mean, she has her reasons, but trying to kill Gretchen and killing Annie and anyone, err…just to put problems to Claire and organize a vendetta…no she doesn’t work as victim for me.
– Heroes writers: “That’s right, folks, Sylar can fly now. Didn’t we make that clear when he killed Nathan? Whoops!”-> Well, maybe through that bad plot device of ‘empathy’ that worked with Elle, Sylar learned to fly too…
Waiting for your review!!!
-I see Becky as both. On the one hand, her father was murdered sorta in front of her, but on the other, she should just kill Noah and get on with her life..
-Also, I thought that the way they had Matt die heroically to stop sylar (yadayada) was a great idea, cause then you’d still have sylar, but it wouldn’t be quit so psycho-killery, but sylar would still be dead………? Also, it would most definitely have redeemed Matt after getting himself drunk and stealing diamonds. Anyways, I wish that it had been a legitimate death.
-lastly, Matt’s line about “I’ll never let you control my powers”, or something like that, - I thought that Sylar already had when he was ghost sylar…
Regarding Becky, it’s an interesting question whether Bennet or Samuel was more responsible for making her what she is. Regardless, she is what she is. And she bears a lot of the responsibility for that herself. Sorry, my sympathies are with Annie, not Becky.
Sorry, my sympathies are with Annie, not Becky.
Agreed.
Agree! Your personal story may influence you, but it has been said that you can take your own decisions…and that’s something Heroes has been showing since the beginning (but silly story of the ‘creation’ of Sylar in Vol 3). Becky killed an innocent girl and almost kills another one…and that’s from what we know.
Latest review’s now posted, folks. My apologies once again for the delay, but thank you for your patience, and thank you to those who expressed concern over the delay. Rest assured that it wasn’t caused by anything except a very hectic schedule and some mild fatigue.
We’ll be back to the regular schedule (and the usual madness) next week!
Ops, sorry about the error-post above. [No worries, already taken care of -- Otto]
Otto, I’m going to defend Noah. The Haitian was making sure Gretchen got on the plane safely. If Noah had ordered the Haitian away from Gretchen, and Becky took Gretchen hostage, everyone would be saying how stupid Noah was for not having the Haitian watch Gretchen.
You didn’t mention Samuel’s claim about Danko killing his brother. Do you think he was lying or telling the truth.
I saw it the same way you did, Michael. I was sure that Samuel killed Joseph.
You never know, it could still happen. I’m not sure Samuel would have any reason to lie to HRG about Joseph’s death, but it’ll be interesting to find out how it happened. It depends on his ability, but I’ll be curious to see how Danko could have killed him.
Great review, Otto.
Thing is, Claire doesn’t look all that upset with Noah when he helps her up and asks her if she’s all right. It’s more a look of understanding and sadness than resentment. Which is a hopeful sign that the character has moved past the Love-Hate-and-Forgive-Noah cycle, and which seems to indicate that while Claire knows and understands her father’s intentions, she fundamentally disagrees with them.
Thank you, God! I just hope they can maintain, because we’ve had moments like this before that somehow got undermined.
Loved the Nathan segment as usual. One thing, though — typo…
But get this, folks: turns out he was Meredith’s sister! [Fixed -- thanks! Poor Flint... -- Otto]
Thanks.
Great review as always, even if a little late!
Since Joseph (Andrew Connolly) is meant to appear next week, and the week after, I’m holding out hope that we may get a flashback to Danko killing him. It sure would be awesome to see him again!
Apart from the horrible Matt reveal blunder, the promo for next week makes it look very interesting… Woo, Mohinder is back! Again! But this time with actual dialogue! Woo!
And I think we will see Gretchen again sometime. I don’t think they would just leave it like that…
Great review Otto, and I’m glad the reason for the delay wasn’t anything serious. I do agree that it was best to make the reveal of Rene’s name very casual, as leaving it a mystery for four seasons really would’ve felt disappointing (or annoying) if it had been revealed dramatically.
I’d say Claire’s storyline has gotten better and better this season. This is the kind of bond between Noah and Claire that should’ve been present since season 2. But better late than never.
While the promo did ruin the suspense, the situation that Matt is now in still looks immensely interesting.
I actually saw sense in why Gretchen left. I mean, it’s all well and good to be cheerful when others are dying and when you get to slice a girl’s hand open and see it heal. But I think it was a sobering experience for Gretchen when she got semi-strangled; and from Gretchen’s point of view, I’m pretty sure that she wouldn’t have second thoughts about leaving an indestructible girl (whom she’s only known for a few weeks) to save her own life.
But great review
Just passing for the hebdomadary “Great review Otto”.
“Great review Otto” :).
You also perfectly channeled why the episode wasn’t perfect to me, but was close to.
As happy I am to see Gretchen (hopefully definitively - nothing against the actress though), I didn’t care that much since I don’t even get in the first place how she got “close” to Claire after stalking/humiliating (etc…) her.
Another thing would be that I’m still waiting to see if Claire goes somewhere else than the love/hate daddy circle because we, at some degree, already had similar scenes (I’m thinking “Angel and Monsters” among others).
One thing I absolutely love is the way Samuel is written and how Knepper is portraying him.
“You know Samuel’s playing Claire, and you know he’s telling her exactly what she wants to hear, but you don’t doubt that this is one part of the spiel that Samuel genuinely believes in.”
Exactly. While you know he’s trying to hover her in the carnivale, you know he’s sincere. He doesn’t lie, but worst/better than it, he doesn’t even need to. When he’s talking about HRG, we all know he’s right, and that HRG prooved his point several times and will do it again a few minute after.
For the handcuff scene, I cdon’t know if that was intentional, but there were too many similarities with the “Cautionary Tales” sunset scene for me not to draw
For the handcuff scene, I don’t know if that was intentional, but there were too many similarities with the “Cautionary Tales” sunset scene for me not to draw a parallel. A bit like HRG did all he could to protect Claire back then, and now is somehow going back to being the Anonymious Trenchcoat Guy, by choice and because he thinks he has to. I’m hoping that somehow, Claire will stop at some point thinking her dad has the right to kill dozens of people just to protect her… btw : When the hell will we get to see this new Company?
ps : You say that Matt sabotaged his career by making himself look like a terrorist but shouldn’t he be already be flagged as one? I can remembeer him behind on national TV with dynamite strapped all around his body lol.
ps2 : my bad, I think I had some problem while posting…
– Claire’s dad lurking in a sorority sister’s bedroom: concerned father or creepy old guy?
He’s been creepy old guy since season one. (That doesn’t mean he isn’t sexy as hell) Besides, didn’t he watch Sylalle having sex?
– Becky: sympathetic victim or contemptible psycho?
Psycho. She earned that name when she killed Clairebear’s roommate.
I am worried for HRG and Claire’s relationship but at the same time enjoying their storyline lot.
I will say regarding the preview, although I do think it sucks they did that, I dont think it took away from the meaning of the inital moment for me, meaning what i felt at the moment he was shot. It would have been abetter move to delay the surprise that he is alive until nextweek however, that was the most excited ive been about an episode of heroes from the preview since season 1. I think it looks good enough that i am now excited to watch that storyline unfold next week.. it just looks that good. which is exciting.
Another great review, Otto
Sincerely, I wasn’t really watching this episode when it aired. I was preparing for the midnight Modern Warfare 2 launch and I was getting ready. But What I saw was all a highlight and a real reason why I’m equaling this season to Season 1. The only thing that was “bad” was how the Gretchen thing was handled. Now it felt like a ratings ploy, thanks to the fact that it was horribly/abruptly shut. It may pave a better storyline in the future for Claire, but why did they left it like a ploy? Typical from NBC shows.
I also agreed about the f%$&ing commercials. This was the worst commercial ever. It really robbed the impact. “Nuff said.
I’m curious about what next weak will mean to “Sathan”. Since I heard that Adrian Pasdar getting written out was during somewhere from 4.10 to 4.11, I wonder if it may end next week. The promo suggested that the whole debacle will be FINALLY revealed. I wonder how bad Nathan’s body looks 8 weeks later after the slit throat. And I hope that Peter gets to see it to finally grieve. I’m still waiting for anyone to finally now. And hopefully that means the return of Angela since she has been criminally absent all this time.
Well I think that’s enough for this week. I hope that the season continues with this kill streak next week, and the next, and the next… And for it to stay that way and not get disrupted with another solid yet disappointing “1961″ like episode. But as a mini side note, I would like just a little more action. Nothing better than getting invested with something exciting now with all this character development. That is what will parallel this to Season 1.
Did anyone share my feeling of pure joy when Sylathan shape-shifted into Nathan? Seeing Pasdar back on the canvas reminded me of how much I have been missing him this season. When he flew away I got such a rush. In that moment, to me, he wasn’t Sylathan but just Nathan. Granted, the character of Nathan has had some ups and downs in his moral development but I’ve always felt like the heart of the show is the Petrelli brothers.
But you never know, there might be something useful about one of the carnival’s members in the Arlington University database. Like, something along the lines of, “This is why Rebecca wants Gretchen dead.”
Who came up with that idea? Gretchen or Claire? If I knew, they’d win a Dumb As Hiro Award.
Samuel wants Claire to feel isolated and alone, so kill everyone close to her at school and he promised Rebecca her vengeance.
Would the show name a character for the hell of it? I’m not sure it would, which is why I’d like to think naming him is a sign that the Haitian’s about to gain a more prominent role in the story. If the Haitian’s role doesn’t become more prominent after this, it’s hard to see why, four seasons in, the show suddenly thought the detail was worth including. If it doesn’t serve a purpose, it comes across as fan gratification. If it’s purely for the sake of replacing a name that some found discriminatory, you’d think the show would have more conviction about ignoring certain criticism.
I’d hope so, like what Angela did for him that makes him so loyal to her, well to a point, but it seems, God, Angela, Bennet… and coming in second to God is still pretty damn good, even for Angela.
Alas I fear they won’t have time - but maybe sometime after the winter break when we get the back “7″.
and the show made the right call by casually throwing it in instead of overdramatizing it.
Agreed
Okay, LOVE your thoughs on Peter, very well said!
Maybe he wanted some company at his apartment.
Yeah, makes me wonder if we will ever find out what happened to this “government” involved company - is Noah back? Can he bring people in to it? How much is Angie involved, not that she isn’t preoccupied at the moment, I really wonder, but hope not, this “new” company may fade into the background like so many girlfriends of regular’s past. (Cough, Catlin)
So, in effect, by killing himself, Matt’s trying to save us.
If only it we’re true. What’s sad is Zach is great, he is, but when its only about him, my mind wonders - when the episodes are even I am invested in his storyline.
Now that’s heartbreaking, because as undeveloped a character as Gretchen was, you realize that those are the things Claire inadvertently robbed her of, and the things Claire’s now left wondering if she’ll ever have herself.
And the fact that she really won’t get that, just like college - how Noah and Angela are only thinking about Claire in their OWN lifetime, or maybe don’t want to deal with it. Claire is getting what Angela never had - a family, a normal life, and college (I just can’t imagine that being married at 19/20 in the 60’s Arthur would have let her go to or finish a college degree - it would be expected of her to play house.) But it won’t be for long. When she doesn’t age and her family dies and she has to stop going to her reunions - what ran through my mind was she can never have that and that’s the sad part.
Yeah, makes me wonder if we will ever find out what happened to this “government” involved company - is Noah back? Can he bring people in to it? How much is Angie involved, not that she isn’t preoccupied at the moment, I really wonder, but hope not, this “new” company may fade into the background like so many girlfriends of regular’s past. (Cough, Catlin)
Thank you! I’ve been wondering about that for a while now. Noah’s post-divorce angst is all well and good, but at a certain point his personal life should tie back into his work. Logically, Company 2.0 should be a logistical manifestation of the lessons he’s learning, but I don’t see his development progressing that way. It’s more than a little odd.
But it won’t be for long. When she doesn’t age and her family dies and she has to stop going to her reunions - what ran through my mind was she can never have that and that’s the sad part.
Again, thank you. You’ve summed it up.
Raissa , you are welcome.
I think it’s all there and it’s okay for the audience to get things that characters don’t yet and I look forward to the day it will all come out - I think Claire will bring it up before Angela or Noah would - Angela herself plays a good game of denial at the moment - to the point of believing her own lies.
As for Noah, I do think he is working - just on his own - his wall of info on Samuel - I would just like to see a mention of this company and perhaps Noah’s return to it in the next half of the season. I think they are a little distracted, Angie for sure.
Hey Otto. Glad to hear that everything is ok, and it was sweet of you to put the ‘late notice’ up there.
While I’m glad you liked it, this episode didn’t impress me, unfortunately. It felt middling.
I don’t understand why everyone was flipping out about the promo for tomorrow’s episode. Had I not known the news about Adrian Pasdar, I could see the shock. But only one character/person was leaving, and we knew who it was, so the promo didn’t bother me. It was a poor choice in marketing, I’ll give you that.
I do think that Matt’s sacrifice was probably one of the best (and truly heroic) moments in the series, and a real turning point for his character. I really enjoyed Grunberg in this episode; he’s really spread his wings this season.
I laughed long and hard at Sylar’s frantic efforts to escape the police. “I’m a cop! I’m a cop!” Ha, ha. No, you aren’t.
I thought Gretchen’s departure was quite sad. Well played by Madeline Zima. Even if she doesn’t return (but I hope she does) she really did a 180 for me; she went from being a bizarro girl that I despised to a sympathetic character who interacted very well with Claire. Whether Claire has romantic feelings for her isn’t the point IMO, but that Claire finally met someone she had a real connection with and has now been robbed of an opportunity to embark on any kind of relationship with her, friendship or otherwise.
I think Gretchen’s leaving made sense. Did she come across as bonkers when we met her? Absolutely. In the beginning, learning about Claire’s ability seemed new and exciting, no surprise there. What Gretchen didn’t take into account was the danger that Claire’s life entails. It’s easy to go along for the ride and the fun of it, but when things get scary, you have a choice: fight or flight. Gretchen chose to flee. Claire is used to dealing with danger and the unthinkable, but Gretchen wasn’t, and now her life was in danger, too. She’s not perfect, but I can understand why she left.
What really surprised me was the utter blah-ness (I can’t think of a better word) of Emma’s story. It was just so predictable and hammy. What a waste on a great character like her. I also think that the writers missed out on a huge opportunity to display her ability in the ER. It was nothing but chaos and panic; she should have been seeing a rainbow of colors. Instead, we get another “touching” piano scene with Peter. At this point, it’s just maudlin.
I’m glad that Rene finally has a name, but does this mean that they’ll actually give him something to do besides follow the Petrelli’s around? That “Come on, Rene” line just bothered me so much.
Anyway, beside what happened with Matt & Sylar, this episode was OK. I really don’t think anything happened to push things along. I give it a 3/5.
Enjoyable review (what I’ve read of it), Otto!
My favorite parts (and at the moment pretty much the only ones I’ve read) are the ones about Peter. I love what you saw in those scenes and am saddened that I didn’t. Hopefully when re-watching it, I’ll see it too.
If they had to give the Haitian a name, I wish it would have been revealed better. The reveal was too flippant and off-hand for me. Then again, I guess it’s hard to top “Call me Noah” from Season 1.
I hope to read the rest of the review tomorrow.
Thanks for getting it posted.
Until next time!
Hi Otto, glad you’ve re-surfaced. Fantastic review!
I don’t have much to add really, except that I don’t get why you’re upset with Sylathan flying. Sylar has been shown to fly on multiple occasions, one among them being when he flew/glided into the hotel-room right before killing Nathan (or at least that’s what my memory tells me happened).
I also liked how you compared the character arcs of Emma vs. Gretchen, I hadn’t really gone down that line of thinking. I agree, Emma seems like she has been carefully conceived of (melodramatic backstory and all) and she’s been consistently written, whereas Gretchen has been all over the place, never got a backstory, so we’ve never really gotten a good handle on her. And now Gretchen is gone (temporarily? who knows?) and I don’t really care. If on the other hand Emma were to go, I’d feel like I’ve missed out on a potentially good story. It’s still too soon to tell if I’ll ever care about the Villainous Becky and her Villainous Smile.
One other thing. I can’t help but wonder (albeit tongue-in-cheek) what will happen to the color scheme when blue-Peter meets normal-to-yellow colored-Matt. Will one dominate… or will they just turn green?
Yes, I get that the color-filters are visual cues, but for this episode in particular it felt a little jarring cutting from mostly “normal colors” to the “bluest-hospital-of-all”. Who knows, maybe with the Wall of Redemption down, and Emma’s backstory out in the open, they’ll dial back on the blueness a bit?
And since I’m on the subject of Peter’s story… How long will he keep Hessam in the dark? I mean, the poor dude must start to really seriously doubt his professional ability, loading all these critically ill patients into his ambulance, and then they’re just fine! I know he’s not a big player, but surely there will have to come a time when he sees something _extraordinary_!
My “Gretchen is working for Angela” theory is still alive!
For the episode Thanksgiving, “the Petrelli family gets a surprise guest at their table” and Madeline Zima is listed among the guest stars.
The Haitian is taking Gretchen to report to Angela, you’ll see
So, Otto, what do we call this - Gretchela?
You could be right. But, if she is an agent for Angela, she’s a piss poor one, who has alienated her charge with the method of her departure. Plus, the whole cueing Claire to something weird with the previous stalker behavior can’t be good even if she can justify the mixed signals with maintaining her cover. Claire will feel betrayed and bothered all over again. Plus, Angela is sending a mixed message. You’ll only have a passing normal situation if I send someone to watch your back. Angela would have been better off being honest with Claire from the get go.
True, but since when has Angela been honest from the get go? And it is the kind of mishandling of company personell we’ve seen in previous seasons… okay, you got me, Gretchela is my way of trying to make sense of Gretchen’s role in the show - because what we’ve seen so far is, as Otto pointed out, more of a plot device than anything else. Maybe with Noah dragging his feet over forming Company 2.0, Angela took matters into her own hands…
I’m still in “wait and see” mode over some aspects of the storyline, as whenever we get our hopes up the show tends to dash them.
I’m still in “wait and see” mode over some aspects of the storyline, as whenever we get our hopes up the show tends to dash them.
I agree with you there.
“Angela is sending a mixed message. You’ll only have a passing normal situation if I send someone to watch your back.”
There’d be a certain irony to the whole thing if it turned out Gretchen was a plant. If the plan was to support Claire’s ambition for a normal life, it’s backfired quite horribly. With Gretchen gone and Claire left feeling like she’s lost all chance for a happy college life, it’s another case of an elaborate Angela plan going disastrously wrong.
Sylar’s empathy with Nathan pretty obviously came as a result of his psychometry mixed with living AS Nathan. Not sure why that seems so hard for some people to get….
To be fair to them, the show DOESN’T say this.
It implies it with a nudge, but that doesn’t outright convince people. Some people want it to be actual, rather than implied. It’s the same with Maury being the one to haunt Angela in Heroes S2 - they imply it, but we still (to this day) haven’t had it confirmed on screen.
Lets get one thing straight SYLAR HAS EMPATHY FOR NO ONE Sylar was locked way inside of Matt’s mind the personality that resulted from the absence of Sylar IS NOT SYLAR. It’s Gabriel Grey the meek watch maker who to quote Gandolf “I would use the ring to do good” “but through me it would wield a power to great and terrible to imagine”. I’ve often thought Sylar has the most dangerous power because it allows him to know how the universe works think about what one could do with that kind of power.
I’m probably Sylar’s biggest fan I love how Zachary can just take over an episode with one scene also I don’t know how many people have drawn the connection between Gabriel’s current crisis and a certain Marvel charactor named X-Man. X-Man is supposed to be the most powerful psychic ever he can do all kind of crazy stuff read like read minds, move obects, and pretty much everything else Matt can do but on a global level. X-Man’s real name is Nathaniel Grey which when shorted become NATHAN GREY the first and last name of Pasdar/Quinto’s charactor’s on Hereos.
“Lets get one thing straight SYLAR HAS EMPATHY FOR NO ONE Sylar was locked way inside of Matt’s mind the personality that resulted from the absence of Sylar IS NOT SYLAR.”
You could argue that. but it’s pretty clear that Sylar’s BODY retained all of Sylar’s abilities, while his consciousness retained NONE. since “Nathan” has TK’ed but Matt/Sylar has not. But, Sylar’s body DEFINITELY has “empathy” for Nathan. I don’t think it’s possible to empathize with somebody more than BELIEVING YOU ARE THEM.
Also- I have said this before, and I will say it again. Expect Matt Parkman jr to be renamed “Noah” at some point and be adopted by the Nathan living in Sylar’s body (who will somehow become “Gabriel” and who Peter will think of as a “brother”)