Heroes rebounds with some down and dirty action
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- October
- 30
It was good to see Sylar take a much deserved beating from Alejandro on Heroes last night. It was also good—if a bit upsetting—to see HRG take a turn back down that dark road he was so good at treading last season.
I’m still of a mixed mind about this season. It feels like its stuck in a sophomore slump from which it only needs a bit more traction to emerge. That just might have come in the form of a bullet to a Ukrainian grandfather’s brain last night. Now that’s a little more like it.
HRG and the Haitian are on the trail of Isaac Mendez’s paintings, which they find by the end of the episode. The story they tell is a story for another day, though. There was something about the contrast between the witness torturing (political commentary under the guise of fiction, anyone?) and HRG’s cell phone conversation with Claire back home. He’s a loving father and an unrepentant rogue agent. The way he ordered Suresh to sacrifice Monica to preserve his cover was so callous, it was chilling.
Speaking of Monica, while I’d like to see more action and less angst from the muscle mimic, it was a relief to see Suresh put down the syringe and spare her abilities. Now the question is, can Bob be trusted? He certainly seemed conflicted and intent on giving Monica every chance to survive with The Company’s assistance at the end, right down to the fully stocked iPod. But the scene at the end where Nikki tells Suresh that she’s his new partner left me thinking Bob’s got some tricks up his sleeve.
I still theorize that Elle is his daughter, and he’s bent on rounding up and neutralizing every potentially dangerous hero, from Peter Petrelli to Big Bad Daddy Parkman.
The Wonder Twins, Alejandro and Maya, finally made it to los Estados Unidos, apparently having started from Antarctica judging by how long it took them. But confronted with cowboy border guards with shotguns, Sylar brings out the worst in Maya and she kills the yahoos with the shotguns (more political commentary, anyone?). Sylar takes an innocent and makes her a killer. If you can’t kill them and steal their powers, corrupt them, I guess. Alejandro vows to let Maya’s angel Gabriel die the next time she gets all weepy, but of course he lets him continue to tag along.
Claire and West, furthering the unnecessary, cliched romance, team up to bring the head cheearleader down a notch and to bring the 18-24 female demographic up a few notches at the same time, apparently. I have to admit, it was pretty cool how they did it. West mangles Claire, while drunken, sadistic cheearleader girl watches in horror. And of course no one believes her. Claire makes the squad, and America’s youth gets a poignant lesson in the perils of underage drinking.
Next, on a very special Blossom. Bleah.
Meanwhile, in feudal Japan, things are finally picking up. Ando follows Hiro’s scrolls to learn that Kensei has found Yaeko’s father and sets about to rescue him. White Beard’s manufacture of guns will end the age of the Samurai if they fail. Of course, in their escape, Hiro reveals his mastery of time and space to Yaeko, and they kiss. In true soap opera fashion, Kensei sees this and betrays them all. At least this sets up Hiro to assume the identity of Kensei, as soon as he comes to from that wack on the back of the head.
Assuming he defeats the real Kensei, I guess we’ll learn if healing power equals immortality. My guess is no.
All in all, a slightly uneven episode that failed to pick up the Parkman storyline, which was the best part of the previous installment. We also see nothing of Elle, though Peter and Caitlin head for Montreal, where he finds a note waiting for him. I’m sure if the actress portraying Caitilin wasn’t so wooden, she’d appear distraught at the death of her brother. Instead she seems unfazed and unconvincing. Hey, she’s the new Nikki!!
And while Ando can’t write back to Hiro, he did talk to TVGuide.com. Check it out.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 at 4:16 pm by Brian Howard.
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Did you notice that the location of the evil Corporation, where Suresh and that bald guy have a tif over the vaccine, is Hartsdale?! When the mimic girls asks Suresh where they are, he says something like, “we’re in a facility in Hartsdale, New York.”
Is it just me, or do the Westchester burbs always get painted as Evil HQ on television?