I don't have a lot of new stuff to pass along (thus the extended hiatus...but you're used to that, right?), but I'll take a moment to share what I know. If you have more and exciting info, let me know in the Comments or via Email!
If you noticed the widget at the top of my page, then you know that Heroes is returning to the air on September 24. Speaking of the widget, I got it at the Heroes official MySpace page (the only time I ever go to MySpace, BTW). You can get it for yourself by clicking the link below the widget on this page.
So...more about Volume Two. Tim Kring has made it official that there will only be one hiatus, instead of two. This means that the season will wrap up in early-to-mid April of 2008, and that Heroes: Origins will run for six weeks thereafter until the end of the season. You read it right here...fewer breaks, and a quicker payoff to the Season Finale (which will be even more awesome-er than Season One's...amiright?)!
Last thing: the web comic. Blech. Four episodes of Betty/Candice? Man, I thought I hated her before. Not only is she a nasty, shallow, bitter little person, but she's responsible for killing her best friend in the name of revenge. I know, I know...the whole "outsider" thing is very hot (just ask the X-Men), but come on. She's a crappy hero, and a worse Goth. Please, please, please, writers: I'm begging you. Kill Candice, or just don't bring her back for Volume Two. (though I'm betting she'll be there...why else devote a four-issue comic to a non-returning character?)
Stay tuned, Sidekicks! As soon as there's something to share, you'll read it right here at the hottest, happenin'est, cam stripper/superhero blog on the whole wide web!
Love, kisses, and tearing in half,
Niki
P.S. Jessica just popped up and said to tell you all hello before she kills you. :-)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
New Cast Members!
I'm very cautious about revealing anything that might be considered a spoiler. That being said, I don't think a Reuters article counts as a spoiler, nor do trailers. Therefore, I don't mind discussing new characters. However, I'll try not to mention anything about them in relation to existing characters who may or may not be coming back. Are we all set on that? Good.
So...no recurring role as Kensei for George Takei. That was kind of cute while it lasted, though. I'm going to predict (like everyone else hasn't already...) that Kensei is part of the Nakamura line. Speaking of Hiro, Tim Kring has picked him up a potential love interest in pop star Eriko Tamura, playing a princess.
Apparently, one cop isn't enough for Heroes, and NBC has decided that there just aren't enough cop shows on TV, so Heroes gets another cop (played by Barry Shabaka Henley). If there are cops, there must be bad guys: Holt McCallany will be playing the ringleader of a bunch of Irish thugs. Maybe this is the ultimate attempt to revive The Black Donnelys? Whatever it is, let's hope that these last two characters aren't an early sign that the writers are having to dip into the old cliche' well this early on.
Claire will be getting herself a set of Plastics (no not that, you perv...like in Mean Girls), with a couple of cheerleader "friends" in Lyndsy Fonseca and Dianna Agron. If you were trying to hide from a Company with as long a reach as OWI (even post-finale, there's got to be a lot of power and influence to be explored)--not to mention a super-powered serial killer--would you take up cheerleading again? Does the NBC store have an overstock of "Save the Cheerleader" t-shirts to sell off? Oh yeah...and Claire's getting a super-powered boyfriend too. Not at all conspicuous...
Sorry if this all sounds too negative, sidekicks, but my first impressions of these new characters isn't good. The thumbnail sketches we're getting just sound like very canned characters, and also seem to indicate a lack of growth in our established characters like Claire. Granted, we don't know much yet, and Heroes has done a great job so far (yes, even the finale, you little whiners...nyah nyah nyah), so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
What are you thinking? Sound off in the comments!
So...no recurring role as Kensei for George Takei. That was kind of cute while it lasted, though. I'm going to predict (like everyone else hasn't already...) that Kensei is part of the Nakamura line. Speaking of Hiro, Tim Kring has picked him up a potential love interest in pop star Eriko Tamura, playing a princess.
Apparently, one cop isn't enough for Heroes, and NBC has decided that there just aren't enough cop shows on TV, so Heroes gets another cop (played by Barry Shabaka Henley). If there are cops, there must be bad guys: Holt McCallany will be playing the ringleader of a bunch of Irish thugs. Maybe this is the ultimate attempt to revive The Black Donnelys? Whatever it is, let's hope that these last two characters aren't an early sign that the writers are having to dip into the old cliche' well this early on.
Claire will be getting herself a set of Plastics (no not that, you perv...like in Mean Girls), with a couple of cheerleader "friends" in Lyndsy Fonseca and Dianna Agron. If you were trying to hide from a Company with as long a reach as OWI (even post-finale, there's got to be a lot of power and influence to be explored)--not to mention a super-powered serial killer--would you take up cheerleading again? Does the NBC store have an overstock of "Save the Cheerleader" t-shirts to sell off? Oh yeah...and Claire's getting a super-powered boyfriend too. Not at all conspicuous...
Sorry if this all sounds too negative, sidekicks, but my first impressions of these new characters isn't good. The thumbnail sketches we're getting just sound like very canned characters, and also seem to indicate a lack of growth in our established characters like Claire. Granted, we don't know much yet, and Heroes has done a great job so far (yes, even the finale, you little whiners...nyah nyah nyah), so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
What are you thinking? Sound off in the comments!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Some Second Thoughts
As might be expected, the internets are abuzz with criticism of the Heroes finale, "How to Stop an Exploding Man." I say "as might be expected," since there is nothing more cranky and vocal than a fanboy who doesn't get what (s)he thinks (s)he ought to get out of his/her show.
Now, I'll grant you that some of the criticism are valid, but a lot of it is just sour grapes and hype. We've had 22 shows to figure out how to tie all these plot threads together and to anticipate The Bomb, so some letdown is to be expected. Still, the bulk of it sounds like a petulant kid not getting that one toy for his birthday, even though he got tons of other gifts.
That being said, there are a couple of things I wanted to vent about regarding the finale. Yes, I still liked it, and I'm still dying to see where Volume Two takes us, but here''s a couple of things about the finale:
P.S. I do have one last request of all you devoted readers. I've enabled comments on my posts, so if you agree, disagree, or just want to be heard...leave a comment or send me an email (link is in the right margin).
Now, I'll grant you that some of the criticism are valid, but a lot of it is just sour grapes and hype. We've had 22 shows to figure out how to tie all these plot threads together and to anticipate The Bomb, so some letdown is to be expected. Still, the bulk of it sounds like a petulant kid not getting that one toy for his birthday, even though he got tons of other gifts.
That being said, there are a couple of things I wanted to vent about regarding the finale. Yes, I still liked it, and I'm still dying to see where Volume Two takes us, but here''s a couple of things about the finale:
- One hour was just not enough. They really needed two hours to tie up the storylines, lead us into Volume Two's stories, and still not make the whole thing feel rushed.
- Most rushed of all was (obviously) the big Peter/Sylar showdown. Seriously...a couple of punches is all we get? The fight in Mohinder's apartment (to say nothing of "Five Years Gone") were more exciting. The parking meter was an apt weapon, though...insert your coin and wait for Season Two.
- Did anybody else feel like Niki was marginalized? One good swing, and Peter shoos the little missy off to tend to the young'uns. Sheesh...
P.S. I do have one last request of all you devoted readers. I've enabled comments on my posts, so if you agree, disagree, or just want to be heard...leave a comment or send me an email (link is in the right margin).
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
How to Stop an Exploding Man
Holy.
Crap.
Wow.
OK, seriously...how exactly am I supposed to wait until fall for more Heroes?!?
At this stage, I'm not sure how much speculation there is to engage in, so here's a quick list of high points, cool stuff, and maybe the occasional question:
Love, kisses, and dismemberment,
Las Vegas Niki
Crap.
Wow.
OK, seriously...how exactly am I supposed to wait until fall for more Heroes?!?
At this stage, I'm not sure how much speculation there is to engage in, so here's a quick list of high points, cool stuff, and maybe the occasional question:
- Noah, huh? I was betting on Phil...I like Phil. Then again, with Gabriel and Eden, I suppose we needed another Biblical reference. Is Mr. B going to shepherd the Specials now, sort of like in Five Years Gone?
- Niki has won out, and gained control of her powers and personalities. DL appears to have barely survived being shot...again.
- Micah and Molly sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
- You do know we're nowhere near the end of the Petrelli storyline, right? We have yet to see Mama's motivations. Plus, we saw that DL could phase Niki with him; can Peter regenerate Nathan?
- Sylar is down in the sewers, with the rest of the rats and roaches. I think we're all ready (except for The 9th's Laura) to be done with this villain. Let's not have him do the Michael Myers bit, mmmkay?
- Candice is still alive. Damn.
- I think Matt's dead. Sorry.
Love, kisses, and dismemberment,
Las Vegas Niki
Friday, May 18, 2007
Season 1 DVD Details
How cool is this???
No sooner do we get word that the official release date for Season One is August 28, but we get a few more rumored details. Granted, it's still just rumored at this point, but even if it's only partly true, it's awesome to know what we're getting,
What we still don't know if we're getting is the online comics. I really hope they put them all into a booklet with the discs. I suppose I'd be satisfied with a digital version, though.
But what about all this HD-DVD stuff? HD appears to be losing the format war to Blu-Ray, and of course the hardware is still expensive. Fortunately, I own an XBox 360, so I can get a relatively inexpensive HD drive to go with my console. Heck, I'd probably buy the drive just for this set. But I'd like to know what the repetitively redundant "Interactive Activity" is supposed to mean.
Hang on to your remotes, sidekicks! The countdown continues...tick...tick...tick...boom.
No sooner do we get word that the official release date for Season One is August 28, but we get a few more rumored details. Granted, it's still just rumored at this point, but even if it's only partly true, it's awesome to know what we're getting,
What we still don't know if we're getting is the online comics. I really hope they put them all into a booklet with the discs. I suppose I'd be satisfied with a digital version, though.
But what about all this HD-DVD stuff? HD appears to be losing the format war to Blu-Ray, and of course the hardware is still expensive. Fortunately, I own an XBox 360, so I can get a relatively inexpensive HD drive to go with my console. Heck, I'd probably buy the drive just for this set. But I'd like to know what the repetitively redundant "Interactive Activity" is supposed to mean.
Hang on to your remotes, sidekicks! The countdown continues...tick...tick...tick...boom.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Landslide
Holy cow...I'm nearly speechless. Without a doubt, this is not only the most exciting episode so far of Heroes, it's one of the most relentlessly thrilling hours of television I've ever seen, period. But here's the trouble I'm having: we're so close to the finale, the storyline is focusing in quite narrowly, and they're answering questions at such a rapid clip that it's getting hard to write and speculate. But let's give it a shot...
I'll get my obligatory Candice rant out of the way first: thank goodness the writers made her a little less cartoony. It was good to see some backstory for her to put her ability and personality into perspective. Mind you, I still can't stand the character as a person or as a plot device, but I understand her a little better.
I loved seeing Mr. Nakamura teach Hiro to put his shields up. It was interesting to hear him talk about some people who have lost their way; it's the same thing Linderman said, but they're obviously on different sides now, if Mr. N is trying to stop the bomb. What happened in the sixteen or so years since he handed Claire to HRG? Was Linderman on the same side at the time, or has the Company become a tool of his using, whereas it was once allied with Nakamura-san? I'm especially confused, since Thompson spoke of Kaito Nakamura with near-reverence when reminding HRG who it was that handed him Claire. Thompson is clearly on the side of Linderman and the bomb, so why is Mr. Nakamura trying to stop it now?
Did anybody see this one coming? According to Linderman, it was Papa Petrelli who had powers. Granted, that doesn't mean that Mama can't have them, too, but it doesn't quite jibe with the online comic. In that, Mr. Petrelli was dumbfounded that anyone could have a power. I suppose he could have manifested later on, which prompted Linderman to contact him.
Is Mr. Linderman dead? I'd be amazed that his character would be killed off so quickly, before his plan came to fruition. Still, he did take a phased fist to the brain, and as we all know, it's all about the brain for these guys. Icky.
I've gotta give a nod to my girl...it looks like Niki has finally won the tug-of-war between her and Jessica. To see Jessica willingly cede to Niki's compassionate side--for the sake of Micah--has to be the turning point in reintegrating Niki's personalities. But what of DL? I'm sure I saw him in the trailer, so I'm guessing he's not quite dead. But with the bomb just around the corner and a possible future encounter with Sylar, his future doesn't look too rosy.
Maybe I've forgotten it, but did either Matt or Molly react to seeing each other during the standoff? She knew he was nearby, but I don't recall anything beyond that. I had my doubts that HRG could kill a kid, and it looks like I was right. Everything seems to be pointing towards Molly surviving both this siege and the bomb. Now that Thompson's dead (and how cool was Bennet's kill line, by the way?), I can imagine that Mohinder would join them in protecting and saving her.
Nice to see our other cop, Audrey Hanson, back. If only the poor gal knew that both of her big-headache cases (pardon the pun) were involved. That, of course, brings us to the biggie...Peter, Sylar, and the bomb. Let's run this down quickly:
So stay tuned sidekicks! In fact, just go ahead and bolt yourself to the sofa right now, so that you won't miss the two-hour finale. Whose side is Nathan really on, anyway (I say he'll help Peter)? Will Hiro kill Sylar? Will Peter? Will Sylar kill them all? Will we discover How to Stop an Exploding Man?
I'll get my obligatory Candice rant out of the way first: thank goodness the writers made her a little less cartoony. It was good to see some backstory for her to put her ability and personality into perspective. Mind you, I still can't stand the character as a person or as a plot device, but I understand her a little better.
I loved seeing Mr. Nakamura teach Hiro to put his shields up. It was interesting to hear him talk about some people who have lost their way; it's the same thing Linderman said, but they're obviously on different sides now, if Mr. N is trying to stop the bomb. What happened in the sixteen or so years since he handed Claire to HRG? Was Linderman on the same side at the time, or has the Company become a tool of his using, whereas it was once allied with Nakamura-san? I'm especially confused, since Thompson spoke of Kaito Nakamura with near-reverence when reminding HRG who it was that handed him Claire. Thompson is clearly on the side of Linderman and the bomb, so why is Mr. Nakamura trying to stop it now?
Did anybody see this one coming? According to Linderman, it was Papa Petrelli who had powers. Granted, that doesn't mean that Mama can't have them, too, but it doesn't quite jibe with the online comic. In that, Mr. Petrelli was dumbfounded that anyone could have a power. I suppose he could have manifested later on, which prompted Linderman to contact him.
Is Mr. Linderman dead? I'd be amazed that his character would be killed off so quickly, before his plan came to fruition. Still, he did take a phased fist to the brain, and as we all know, it's all about the brain for these guys. Icky.
I've gotta give a nod to my girl...it looks like Niki has finally won the tug-of-war between her and Jessica. To see Jessica willingly cede to Niki's compassionate side--for the sake of Micah--has to be the turning point in reintegrating Niki's personalities. But what of DL? I'm sure I saw him in the trailer, so I'm guessing he's not quite dead. But with the bomb just around the corner and a possible future encounter with Sylar, his future doesn't look too rosy.
Maybe I've forgotten it, but did either Matt or Molly react to seeing each other during the standoff? She knew he was nearby, but I don't recall anything beyond that. I had my doubts that HRG could kill a kid, and it looks like I was right. Everything seems to be pointing towards Molly surviving both this siege and the bomb. Now that Thompson's dead (and how cool was Bennet's kill line, by the way?), I can imagine that Mohinder would join them in protecting and saving her.
Nice to see our other cop, Audrey Hanson, back. If only the poor gal knew that both of her big-headache cases (pardon the pun) were involved. That, of course, brings us to the biggie...Peter, Sylar, and the bomb. Let's run this down quickly:
- Ted is now out of the picture, so there's only two choices for the explosion.
- Claire is with Peter, and had darn sure better stay safe.
- Sylar is tracking them both, and he and Peter will face off in the finale (per the trailer)
So stay tuned sidekicks! In fact, just go ahead and bolt yourself to the sofa right now, so that you won't miss the two-hour finale. Whose side is Nathan really on, anyway (I say he'll help Peter)? Will Hiro kill Sylar? Will Peter? Will Sylar kill them all? Will we discover How to Stop an Exploding Man?
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
The Hard Part
Welcome to a very special Mother's Day episode of Heroes! That's right...this time, we learn that "mother" may only be half a word...
Sylar has gone all Norman Bates on us, apparently. Could it be that the brain-eating power sponge is simply a victim of a family life comprised of a doting yet pushing mother cloaking her son in conflicting expectations? I have to say, I'm thrilled that the writers gave us this human side of Gabriel that we can sink our teeth into. Who would have ever thought that Sylar would show regret (or pre-gret, as the case may be) for the bomb? It's a nice study in the morals of the psychopath that he can see the bomb as a horrible evil, while seeing the collecting of powers as natural selection.
Sylar seems ready to die; he knows what he's done, and deep down, knows it has to stop. He calls Hiro a coward for not killing him, yet he's too much of a coward himself to stop his own course. At least we got to see him use Mr. Walker's freezing power in a moment that was (for a few seconds, at least) genuinely touching. Sylar tried to show his mother the possibilities of what he could do; how he could perhaps find meaning in something as simple as being a watchmaker, or making his mother smile. Yet even in this, he causes pain. Congratulations, writers...you've made Sylar a genuinely tragic villain.
Compare this to the tragic hero, Nathan. They haven't said as much, but it looks as though Mama Petrelli is prepaing Nathan to sacrifice Peter for the good of humanity. We've seen that Nathan is a good man who buries his compassion under a detached pragmatism, often not very well. Of course, the entire Petrelli family dynamic could fill a post twice this size, so we'll try to keep focused on Mama and Nathan, since that's where the story has taken us.
Where Sylar's mother is simple and naive, Mrs. Petrelli is cunning and wise. Both want their sons to be special, but Mrs. Gray sees the world lying at her son's feet...he can be President, if he wants. Mrs. Petrelli sees the world lying at her son's feet, too. In ashes. He must be President, whether he wants to or not.
And that leaves us with our third/fourth/fifth mother: Niki/Jessica and Candice. First of all, the obligatory Candice rant. Ahem. If the writers are going to keep teasing us with Candice threatening to show someone something truly terrible and soul-melting, then goshdangit they'd better come through. At least they softened her up a tiny bit in dealing with Micah. She's still loathsome, of course, and I can't wait for her character to disappear from the show.
But I do think this is yet another interesting Mother dynamic. As children, we all believe (and need to believe) that our parents can be completely trusted, that they would never betray or hurt us. Candice masquerading as Niki is a very nice metaphor for that. The flip side of it is that Jessica has listened to the ever-toughening Niki, stopping DL from rushing into a certain death...all in the name of saving her son.
So what of the other family dynamics we saw? We saw a son (Mohinder) and a daughter (Molly) without parents, who still manage to find a blood bond. They seem united in their cause to stop the Bogeyman, but you can't help but wonder what else The Company has in store for her Professor X-like powers.
We saw HRG and Matt struggling with their own family issues. At least Mr. B was able to see Claire again, however briefly. In a nice ironic twist, to save his daughter (and the rest of the Specials), he has to wipe out the Walker System, which we assume means killing Molly.
So what exactly is "The Hard Part?" According to Hiro, it's killing. Hiro found it hard to kill Sylar (as he believes it should be). Claire finds it hard to shoot Peter (is that why she's saying "I'm sorry" in his dream?). Nathan finds it hard to kill .07% of the world's population. Sylar found it hard to kill (or to accept killing) that same percentage. Will the Middle Management Trio find it hard to kill Molly?
So much analysis, sidekicks...so much analysis. What comes next? The big question is still "who explodes?" I keep expecting us to get closer to an answer on this, as all three suspects are now in New York. Still, we're no closer to knowing. OK, we're a week closer to knowing, but you know what I meant. At this stage--and I'm sure I'm just being led down the path the writers are wanting me to take--I'm leaning towards it being Sylar. Now that his redemption has been lost, there's nothing for him but to accept his destiny as the Most Special One There Is...at any cost. I know that Tim Kring has said Sylar will be back next season, but it's the only thing I can imagine that doesn't wind up turning into what we saw in "Five Years Gone."
One last bit of speculation for you...what is Mama Petrelli's power? It's all but been shown on-screen at this point. Clearly, Mrs. P has got it going on, superpower-wise. The good folks at The Ninth Podcast have speculated that she is precognitive. I tend to believe that, based on the vague hints she dropped in this week's dialogue. Either that, or she has an ability to subtly weave the threads of fate together. Perhaps something along the lines of not being able to force people to do things, but she can motivate the forces of the universe to set things in motion...or some such nonsense.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! It looks like they've got us by the neck, and they're not letting up until the finale. To misappropriate Freddie Mercury, we're going to be caught in a Landslide; no escape from reality.
PS: Best moment of the show...
Claire: "You can fly?"
Nathan: *"meh" shrug*
Claire: "Cool!"
Sylar has gone all Norman Bates on us, apparently. Could it be that the brain-eating power sponge is simply a victim of a family life comprised of a doting yet pushing mother cloaking her son in conflicting expectations? I have to say, I'm thrilled that the writers gave us this human side of Gabriel that we can sink our teeth into. Who would have ever thought that Sylar would show regret (or pre-gret, as the case may be) for the bomb? It's a nice study in the morals of the psychopath that he can see the bomb as a horrible evil, while seeing the collecting of powers as natural selection.
Sylar seems ready to die; he knows what he's done, and deep down, knows it has to stop. He calls Hiro a coward for not killing him, yet he's too much of a coward himself to stop his own course. At least we got to see him use Mr. Walker's freezing power in a moment that was (for a few seconds, at least) genuinely touching. Sylar tried to show his mother the possibilities of what he could do; how he could perhaps find meaning in something as simple as being a watchmaker, or making his mother smile. Yet even in this, he causes pain. Congratulations, writers...you've made Sylar a genuinely tragic villain.
Compare this to the tragic hero, Nathan. They haven't said as much, but it looks as though Mama Petrelli is prepaing Nathan to sacrifice Peter for the good of humanity. We've seen that Nathan is a good man who buries his compassion under a detached pragmatism, often not very well. Of course, the entire Petrelli family dynamic could fill a post twice this size, so we'll try to keep focused on Mama and Nathan, since that's where the story has taken us.
Where Sylar's mother is simple and naive, Mrs. Petrelli is cunning and wise. Both want their sons to be special, but Mrs. Gray sees the world lying at her son's feet...he can be President, if he wants. Mrs. Petrelli sees the world lying at her son's feet, too. In ashes. He must be President, whether he wants to or not.
And that leaves us with our third/fourth/fifth mother: Niki/Jessica and Candice. First of all, the obligatory Candice rant. Ahem. If the writers are going to keep teasing us with Candice threatening to show someone something truly terrible and soul-melting, then goshdangit they'd better come through. At least they softened her up a tiny bit in dealing with Micah. She's still loathsome, of course, and I can't wait for her character to disappear from the show.
But I do think this is yet another interesting Mother dynamic. As children, we all believe (and need to believe) that our parents can be completely trusted, that they would never betray or hurt us. Candice masquerading as Niki is a very nice metaphor for that. The flip side of it is that Jessica has listened to the ever-toughening Niki, stopping DL from rushing into a certain death...all in the name of saving her son.
So what of the other family dynamics we saw? We saw a son (Mohinder) and a daughter (Molly) without parents, who still manage to find a blood bond. They seem united in their cause to stop the Bogeyman, but you can't help but wonder what else The Company has in store for her Professor X-like powers.
We saw HRG and Matt struggling with their own family issues. At least Mr. B was able to see Claire again, however briefly. In a nice ironic twist, to save his daughter (and the rest of the Specials), he has to wipe out the Walker System, which we assume means killing Molly.
So what exactly is "The Hard Part?" According to Hiro, it's killing. Hiro found it hard to kill Sylar (as he believes it should be). Claire finds it hard to shoot Peter (is that why she's saying "I'm sorry" in his dream?). Nathan finds it hard to kill .07% of the world's population. Sylar found it hard to kill (or to accept killing) that same percentage. Will the Middle Management Trio find it hard to kill Molly?
So much analysis, sidekicks...so much analysis. What comes next? The big question is still "who explodes?" I keep expecting us to get closer to an answer on this, as all three suspects are now in New York. Still, we're no closer to knowing. OK, we're a week closer to knowing, but you know what I meant. At this stage--and I'm sure I'm just being led down the path the writers are wanting me to take--I'm leaning towards it being Sylar. Now that his redemption has been lost, there's nothing for him but to accept his destiny as the Most Special One There Is...at any cost. I know that Tim Kring has said Sylar will be back next season, but it's the only thing I can imagine that doesn't wind up turning into what we saw in "Five Years Gone."
One last bit of speculation for you...what is Mama Petrelli's power? It's all but been shown on-screen at this point. Clearly, Mrs. P has got it going on, superpower-wise. The good folks at The Ninth Podcast have speculated that she is precognitive. I tend to believe that, based on the vague hints she dropped in this week's dialogue. Either that, or she has an ability to subtly weave the threads of fate together. Perhaps something along the lines of not being able to force people to do things, but she can motivate the forces of the universe to set things in motion...or some such nonsense.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! It looks like they've got us by the neck, and they're not letting up until the finale. To misappropriate Freddie Mercury, we're going to be caught in a Landslide; no escape from reality.
PS: Best moment of the show...
Claire: "You can fly?"
Nathan: *"meh" shrug*
Claire: "Cool!"
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Five Years Gone
I'm wiping the tears off my keyboard as I write this...I hated this episode. There, I said it.
I can deal with a "what if" future, seeing as Marvel has a whole series of comics about it. Fine. What really bugs me about it is that the speculation is going to run wild, and almost completely wrong. How do I know? I don't, but I seriously doubt that Kring's Krew would lay out the next couple seasons' plot for us right now; this was meant to be a worst-case scenario. I'm also worried that the writers might use this as an excuse for all sorts of plotline "gotchas."
Not only that, but we really didn't get much storyline resolution here. I'm sorry, but I feel like this was the equivalent of the "two characters stuck in a meat locker" clip show that every sitcom uses to pad out its schedule when the principals aren't available to shoot. They had a 23-episode contract, and they had 22 episodes worth of story, so they wrote this to fill in the blanks. I'd have much rather seen this as an online comic.
Can you believe it? Candice is dead, and still the writers are beating that dead horse of a special ability. Seriously, guys...kill her off now and get the story back on track. Speaking of President Sylar (kind of a lateral move, if you ask me...at least there are brains involved), why is he suddenly able to hurt Claire now? Can she not still heal? A lousy thread.
I could pick apart this episode piece by piece, but doing so is just going to make me angry and depressed. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Instead, I want to wrap this up with the one thing I truly appreciated from this episode. In the words of Randy Jackson, "You da bomb, dawg!" In this case, the dawg in question is Peter. Or Sylar. Or Ted. I like how they addressed the situation, that Peter exploded but Sylar was blamed. Unfortunately, that led us to another Lazy Candice Moment. At least that one little nugget of information provides some grist to the explosion mill.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! Next week, we're back to the present, back to the story, and with backs to the wall. Keep your eyes open, your sword handy, and your hair neatly trimmed. Next one will be better...I promise.
I can deal with a "what if" future, seeing as Marvel has a whole series of comics about it. Fine. What really bugs me about it is that the speculation is going to run wild, and almost completely wrong. How do I know? I don't, but I seriously doubt that Kring's Krew would lay out the next couple seasons' plot for us right now; this was meant to be a worst-case scenario. I'm also worried that the writers might use this as an excuse for all sorts of plotline "gotchas."
Not only that, but we really didn't get much storyline resolution here. I'm sorry, but I feel like this was the equivalent of the "two characters stuck in a meat locker" clip show that every sitcom uses to pad out its schedule when the principals aren't available to shoot. They had a 23-episode contract, and they had 22 episodes worth of story, so they wrote this to fill in the blanks. I'd have much rather seen this as an online comic.
Can you believe it? Candice is dead, and still the writers are beating that dead horse of a special ability. Seriously, guys...kill her off now and get the story back on track. Speaking of President Sylar (kind of a lateral move, if you ask me...at least there are brains involved), why is he suddenly able to hurt Claire now? Can she not still heal? A lousy thread.
I could pick apart this episode piece by piece, but doing so is just going to make me angry and depressed. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Instead, I want to wrap this up with the one thing I truly appreciated from this episode. In the words of Randy Jackson, "You da bomb, dawg!" In this case, the dawg in question is Peter. Or Sylar. Or Ted. I like how they addressed the situation, that Peter exploded but Sylar was blamed. Unfortunately, that led us to another Lazy Candice Moment. At least that one little nugget of information provides some grist to the explosion mill.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! Next week, we're back to the present, back to the story, and with backs to the wall. Keep your eyes open, your sword handy, and your hair neatly trimmed. Next one will be better...I promise.
.07%
Well, if Hiro can go five years into the future, then I can blog from one week in the past. Sorry, gang, but real-world obligations and a reformatted TiVO are to blame for the delay. I mean, aren't I a victim, too? Do you think I wanted this? Don't worry...your scalp is safe. For now...
I admit it, I was completely wrong. I truly thought that Linderman and The Company were on opposite sides. I thought that The Company wanted to track and (perhaps) eradicate Specials, while Linderman wanted to unite and protect them from The Company and other threats. Sure, at first I thought Linderman was in charge, but the last few episodes made me change my mind about that. I guess it wasn't a red herring after all. Give them hope by giving them fear...sound familiar (and evil)? The only question is whether Linderman got his inspiration from Bush or The Watchmen?
More's the pity, since it meant we got to see Candice being loathsome again. Sure, we all knew it was her visiting HRG in his cell, but the whole Niki thing...stop it, guys. I'm sorry, but with Candice's character, it's making it impossible for us to trust the writers or the story. It's bad enough that she's such a badly-written, cartoony character; now we get to see her used as Deus ex Machina...the way out when the story can't figure out how to resolve a conflict. Enough is enough, guys. Get rid of her character before it damages the show any more.
Enough negativity for the moment, let's talk plausible deniability. Linderman did not actually say that Peter exploded; only that his "curtain call" comes the day after Nathan is elected. Could this be him dying while trying to stop Ted or Sylar from exploding? And what of Mama Petrelli? When Claire asked her if she had a power, Grandmama stood upright, clasped her hands, and seemed to get ready to demonstrate. Then she evades the question. I'm pretty much convinced at this point that she does have some power, seeing as both of her sons do. Off to Paris with Claire and Grandma, I guess. Though if Peter's vision is any indication, that trip won't be happening.
To go back to Niki/Jessica and Micah, I do think it's interesting that Jessica wanted Micah to be off limits to Linderman. Is Niki asserting herself more in the schism? Is Jessica coming to terms with her other side (the side that, as the introductory voice-over informs us, was created to protect Micah)? How will Micah save the world? Based on the happenings in the ARG (Alternate Reality Game), Hana un-rigged the Petrelli election. I think that's the unravelling that Linderman mentioned to Jessica. Micah Diebold Sanders will be using his vote-fixing techmojo to ensure Nathan's victory.
Nice to see HRG, Matt, and Ted on the loose again. How much do you wanna bet that the tracking system in New York is in the Deveaux building?
No scar on post-Sylar Peter, huh? That makes sense, but I do feel a bit cheated, or at least duped on that one. The thing that bothered me most was that a telekinetic with Super Hearing couldn't hear a chalkboard being rolled at him, much less stop it from knocking him out. That was a little cheap. I will give Sylar credit for the "I can't to try that one out" line, regarding Peter's invisibility.
Random Question, a la Dwight Schrute...will Sylar get a contact buzz from eating Isaac's smack-riddled brain? And who was in that picture? Was it Sylar or Nathan in the Oval Office? I think it was Sylar. We know that he can't control a recently-eaten power very well (remember his hearing issues), and we also know that he's sociopathic, like any serial killer. I think that he sees the visions that Isaac did, but his homicidal madness makes him see himself as the center of everything; after all, he believes he's the next evolutionary step. So how did Isaac give "them" the way to stop Sylar? Did he somehow use himself as bait, with something in his brain chemistry that would be a poison-pill-style time bomb? With the Company on his side, Isaac should have access to most anything he'd need to ensure Sylar's neutralization.
By the time this is up, it'll be Tuesday May 1...one day after Five Years Gone aired. I have intentionally not watched that episode yet, since I want my speculation to be untainted. Shoot, I haven't even checked out any spoilers or podcasts yet. Now that we have new things to watch, I want to reel in the spoiling a bit.
That being said, I just finished reading the online comic. In the future, Sylar is the bomb, but survives because he kills Claire. Does this mean that someone else explodes in our timeline, or does Sylar in fact die? I'm really leaning towards it being Peter, since you know he has absorbed Sylar's whole ability salad. That, and we know that Ted is heading to New York.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! More really horrible things happening to your favorite people coming right up...and you know you can't wait to watch!
I admit it, I was completely wrong. I truly thought that Linderman and The Company were on opposite sides. I thought that The Company wanted to track and (perhaps) eradicate Specials, while Linderman wanted to unite and protect them from The Company and other threats. Sure, at first I thought Linderman was in charge, but the last few episodes made me change my mind about that. I guess it wasn't a red herring after all. Give them hope by giving them fear...sound familiar (and evil)? The only question is whether Linderman got his inspiration from Bush or The Watchmen?
More's the pity, since it meant we got to see Candice being loathsome again. Sure, we all knew it was her visiting HRG in his cell, but the whole Niki thing...stop it, guys. I'm sorry, but with Candice's character, it's making it impossible for us to trust the writers or the story. It's bad enough that she's such a badly-written, cartoony character; now we get to see her used as Deus ex Machina...the way out when the story can't figure out how to resolve a conflict. Enough is enough, guys. Get rid of her character before it damages the show any more.
Enough negativity for the moment, let's talk plausible deniability. Linderman did not actually say that Peter exploded; only that his "curtain call" comes the day after Nathan is elected. Could this be him dying while trying to stop Ted or Sylar from exploding? And what of Mama Petrelli? When Claire asked her if she had a power, Grandmama stood upright, clasped her hands, and seemed to get ready to demonstrate. Then she evades the question. I'm pretty much convinced at this point that she does have some power, seeing as both of her sons do. Off to Paris with Claire and Grandma, I guess. Though if Peter's vision is any indication, that trip won't be happening.
To go back to Niki/Jessica and Micah, I do think it's interesting that Jessica wanted Micah to be off limits to Linderman. Is Niki asserting herself more in the schism? Is Jessica coming to terms with her other side (the side that, as the introductory voice-over informs us, was created to protect Micah)? How will Micah save the world? Based on the happenings in the ARG (Alternate Reality Game), Hana un-rigged the Petrelli election. I think that's the unravelling that Linderman mentioned to Jessica. Micah Diebold Sanders will be using his vote-fixing techmojo to ensure Nathan's victory.
Nice to see HRG, Matt, and Ted on the loose again. How much do you wanna bet that the tracking system in New York is in the Deveaux building?
No scar on post-Sylar Peter, huh? That makes sense, but I do feel a bit cheated, or at least duped on that one. The thing that bothered me most was that a telekinetic with Super Hearing couldn't hear a chalkboard being rolled at him, much less stop it from knocking him out. That was a little cheap. I will give Sylar credit for the "I can't to try that one out" line, regarding Peter's invisibility.
Random Question, a la Dwight Schrute...will Sylar get a contact buzz from eating Isaac's smack-riddled brain? And who was in that picture? Was it Sylar or Nathan in the Oval Office? I think it was Sylar. We know that he can't control a recently-eaten power very well (remember his hearing issues), and we also know that he's sociopathic, like any serial killer. I think that he sees the visions that Isaac did, but his homicidal madness makes him see himself as the center of everything; after all, he believes he's the next evolutionary step. So how did Isaac give "them" the way to stop Sylar? Did he somehow use himself as bait, with something in his brain chemistry that would be a poison-pill-style time bomb? With the Company on his side, Isaac should have access to most anything he'd need to ensure Sylar's neutralization.
By the time this is up, it'll be Tuesday May 1...one day after Five Years Gone aired. I have intentionally not watched that episode yet, since I want my speculation to be untainted. Shoot, I haven't even checked out any spoilers or podcasts yet. Now that we have new things to watch, I want to reel in the spoiling a bit.
That being said, I just finished reading the online comic. In the future, Sylar is the bomb, but survives because he kills Claire. Does this mean that someone else explodes in our timeline, or does Sylar in fact die? I'm really leaning towards it being Peter, since you know he has absorbed Sylar's whole ability salad. That, and we know that Ted is heading to New York.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! More really horrible things happening to your favorite people coming right up...and you know you can't wait to watch!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Hiatus Speculation: The Linderman Group
Sorry it took me so long to finish this up. Before we begin, I should tell you (though I'm not sure why) that I've been listening to podcasts during the hiatus...including spoilers. I'll do my absolute best to keep this piece spoiler-free. Thing is, my speculation might be colored by some things I've heard. Then again, it might not. I'll try to keep my reasons vague, so as not to give anything away. Enough preface...on to the good stuff.
The "Linderman Group," as I'm calling them here is a pretty broad group indeed. I'm including not just Linderman, but Niki/Jessica (whee!), DL, Micah, Nathan, Mama Petrelli, The Hatian, and now Claire. Let's look at them a few at a time...
Mr. Linderman
Once again...read the online comics! You're missing a ton of story if you don't. As this has been available online for six weeks, I don't consider this a spoiler. Linderman and Papa Petrelli were on a secret mission together in Vietnam. Linderman is a healer. As far as we know, Mr. P has no powers.
We're going to learn a lot about Linderman and his machinations this week, so obviously, stay tuned. Like you needed me to tell you that... I've intentionally kept myself spoiler-blind as to exactly what he's been up to. I've avoided the video that was screened for whoever-it-was. I want to be surprised on this one. But I strongly suspect that he's arranging for The Bomb. He's making sure it happens, but maybe for a Magneto-like noble reason?
Nathan Petrelli
Frying Man is set to be a heartbeat away in two years' time. Then again, the ARG (Alternate Reality Game -- the online additional stuff, for you non-geeks) has had Hana and her crew working on stopping Linderman's election rigging. Are we going to be taken on a red-herring ride, a la Lost? Please don't tank the storyline just to satisfy the online game. Please. You hear me, writers?
Once again, we get to see Nathan's struggle between harsh practicality and his innate compassion and nobility. I really enjoy watching that particular character arc, and I hope these next few episodes keep it up.
Niki/Jessica, DL, and Micah
Could it be? Are we going to see Niki take control of her alternate personality, and thus her powers? I think that before the season ends, there will be at least a temporary resolution, and that Niki will come out the dominant personality. Now all that remains is to find something to do with Super Family. Especially DL. If you listen to The 9th (a podcast I've recommended previously), then you'll know that in their recent roundtable discussion they said that DL needs to phase himself a pair and man up. Sadly, I have to agree. Nothing has been done with his character, making him a prime candidate for second-tier character death (Don't worry, Micah...he's in heaven with Eden and Simone).
Now, in one of the trailers, we see Linderman talking to Micah, so there would appear to be some big plans afoot for him. Maybe he can tighten up the slots a bit. You know, boost the house take a percent or two. But Micah has been seriously under-used so far.
Mama Petrelli, The Hatian, and Claire
Based on the extensive connections between the Petrellis and Linderman, it's no surprise that Mama knew all along about Claire. What I'm most curious about is how The Hatian got involved. Did The Company get to him first, or did Linderman? I think Linderman knew first, and here's why: the necklace. The symbol is obviously a recurring theme, especially in light of Hiro's/Kensei's sword. I get the impression it's more aligned with non-Company "specials," though I'd be hard-pressed to give more of a reason than "general gut feeling." Take into consideration also that The Company (save for HRG) believes him to be mute, whereas he only appears to speak to those he trusts.
One huge topic of speculation has been whether or not Mama has powers of her own. I've even heard people go so far as to theorize about dominant and recessive genes, vis a vis the Petrelli boys having powers and the age those powers manifested themselves. None of that for me, no sir. I just haven't seen them do enough with her to really guess. Based on nothing other than pulling a guess out of my hiney, I'd say she does...but I have no idea what.
One last thing, then, about Claire. She dies. Sorry, but she does. How do I know? How, indeed, you shout at your monitor, can you say that? How do you know? Well...I don't. I just have another one of those vague gut feelings that Claire dies in the bomb (seeing as she'd be vaporized and thus unable to regenerate). I also think that Hayden P. will be getting ready to do other things, as well (she's got a thriving Disney thing going).
So stay tuned, sidekicks...we'll soon find out what happens to .07% five years gone, and why the hard part of a landslide might just be how to stop an exploding man.
The "Linderman Group," as I'm calling them here is a pretty broad group indeed. I'm including not just Linderman, but Niki/Jessica (whee!), DL, Micah, Nathan, Mama Petrelli, The Hatian, and now Claire. Let's look at them a few at a time...
Mr. Linderman
Once again...read the online comics! You're missing a ton of story if you don't. As this has been available online for six weeks, I don't consider this a spoiler. Linderman and Papa Petrelli were on a secret mission together in Vietnam. Linderman is a healer. As far as we know, Mr. P has no powers.
We're going to learn a lot about Linderman and his machinations this week, so obviously, stay tuned. Like you needed me to tell you that... I've intentionally kept myself spoiler-blind as to exactly what he's been up to. I've avoided the video that was screened for whoever-it-was. I want to be surprised on this one. But I strongly suspect that he's arranging for The Bomb. He's making sure it happens, but maybe for a Magneto-like noble reason?
Nathan Petrelli
Frying Man is set to be a heartbeat away in two years' time. Then again, the ARG (Alternate Reality Game -- the online additional stuff, for you non-geeks) has had Hana and her crew working on stopping Linderman's election rigging. Are we going to be taken on a red-herring ride, a la Lost? Please don't tank the storyline just to satisfy the online game. Please. You hear me, writers?
Once again, we get to see Nathan's struggle between harsh practicality and his innate compassion and nobility. I really enjoy watching that particular character arc, and I hope these next few episodes keep it up.
Niki/Jessica, DL, and Micah
Could it be? Are we going to see Niki take control of her alternate personality, and thus her powers? I think that before the season ends, there will be at least a temporary resolution, and that Niki will come out the dominant personality. Now all that remains is to find something to do with Super Family. Especially DL. If you listen to The 9th (a podcast I've recommended previously), then you'll know that in their recent roundtable discussion they said that DL needs to phase himself a pair and man up. Sadly, I have to agree. Nothing has been done with his character, making him a prime candidate for second-tier character death (Don't worry, Micah...he's in heaven with Eden and Simone).
Now, in one of the trailers, we see Linderman talking to Micah, so there would appear to be some big plans afoot for him. Maybe he can tighten up the slots a bit. You know, boost the house take a percent or two. But Micah has been seriously under-used so far.
Mama Petrelli, The Hatian, and Claire
Based on the extensive connections between the Petrellis and Linderman, it's no surprise that Mama knew all along about Claire. What I'm most curious about is how The Hatian got involved. Did The Company get to him first, or did Linderman? I think Linderman knew first, and here's why: the necklace. The symbol is obviously a recurring theme, especially in light of Hiro's/Kensei's sword. I get the impression it's more aligned with non-Company "specials," though I'd be hard-pressed to give more of a reason than "general gut feeling." Take into consideration also that The Company (save for HRG) believes him to be mute, whereas he only appears to speak to those he trusts.
One huge topic of speculation has been whether or not Mama has powers of her own. I've even heard people go so far as to theorize about dominant and recessive genes, vis a vis the Petrelli boys having powers and the age those powers manifested themselves. None of that for me, no sir. I just haven't seen them do enough with her to really guess. Based on nothing other than pulling a guess out of my hiney, I'd say she does...but I have no idea what.
One last thing, then, about Claire. She dies. Sorry, but she does. How do I know? How, indeed, you shout at your monitor, can you say that? How do you know? Well...I don't. I just have another one of those vague gut feelings that Claire dies in the bomb (seeing as she'd be vaporized and thus unable to regenerate). I also think that Hayden P. will be getting ready to do other things, as well (she's got a thriving Disney thing going).
So stay tuned, sidekicks...we'll soon find out what happens to .07% five years gone, and why the hard part of a landslide might just be how to stop an exploding man.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Post-Parasite Speculation: Peter, Mohinder, and Sylar
When last we left out intrepid Heroes, we discovered that Mohinder is not, in fact, the Hindi word for "chump." After traipsing around the country on the Superhero Buffet, Sylar and Mohinder return to New York, plotting their next move. As proof that even telekinetics can fall for the oldest trick in the book, Mohinder slips Sylar a Mickey.
After all of the obligatory torture, soul-searching, and revelation of big plans (on both parts...you'd think these guys might have seen a Bond movie or two), we find an ongoing game of cat and mouse. Who really is in control of the situation?
Just as an aside, Tim Kring has said that Sylar will be returning for Season 2 of Heroes. If we're going to have a recurring villain, I'd like to see the writers try to give him dialog that doesn't make him sound like he was pulled from the "Create-a-Lecter" handbook.
So anyway, along comes Peter, the Exploding/Absorbing/Emo Man, searching for Mohinder's help in controlling what he beleieves is his impending fate. Unfortunately, Mohinder was a bit held up when Pete stopped in.
So on to the questions and speculation...is this how Peter gets the scar that Future Hiro mentioned? What happened that caused Peter to not be able to heal a scar if he was able to recover from a swan dive into a taxi? In listening to some podcasts, forums, and other speculation, I like the idea that this ties back to "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World." If the world of the future had not known of either Claire (or Peter with Claire's power), then it must have been such a horrible place that Future Hiro would risk a rift to come back and tell Peter to "STC, STW." Maybe in Hiro's future, Peter never met Claire and couldn't be the one they needed.
There's not too much speculation about Sylar, seeing as it's all but certain that he'll be back next season. Once again, the "clever" villain will get away. You'd think all you'd need is a brain on a plate, with a box and a stick, and we'd finally catch this guy, a la the Roadrunner.
So, does Mohinder die? I hope not, as I think the show is filling up with Heroes, and not enough Normals to show that this is, inded an unusual gift. The Suresh family has been set up early on as a big part of the puzzle. To kill him now, clearing the way for a new season and more "gifted" characters kinda bothers me. Let's not see a housecleaning for its own sake.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! Only a couple more we to go until .07%! Next up...The Linderman Group!
After all of the obligatory torture, soul-searching, and revelation of big plans (on both parts...you'd think these guys might have seen a Bond movie or two), we find an ongoing game of cat and mouse. Who really is in control of the situation?
Just as an aside, Tim Kring has said that Sylar will be returning for Season 2 of Heroes. If we're going to have a recurring villain, I'd like to see the writers try to give him dialog that doesn't make him sound like he was pulled from the "Create-a-Lecter" handbook.
So anyway, along comes Peter, the Exploding/Absorbing/Emo Man, searching for Mohinder's help in controlling what he beleieves is his impending fate. Unfortunately, Mohinder was a bit held up when Pete stopped in.
So on to the questions and speculation...is this how Peter gets the scar that Future Hiro mentioned? What happened that caused Peter to not be able to heal a scar if he was able to recover from a swan dive into a taxi? In listening to some podcasts, forums, and other speculation, I like the idea that this ties back to "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World." If the world of the future had not known of either Claire (or Peter with Claire's power), then it must have been such a horrible place that Future Hiro would risk a rift to come back and tell Peter to "STC, STW." Maybe in Hiro's future, Peter never met Claire and couldn't be the one they needed.
There's not too much speculation about Sylar, seeing as it's all but certain that he'll be back next season. Once again, the "clever" villain will get away. You'd think all you'd need is a brain on a plate, with a box and a stick, and we'd finally catch this guy, a la the Roadrunner.
So, does Mohinder die? I hope not, as I think the show is filling up with Heroes, and not enough Normals to show that this is, inded an unusual gift. The Suresh family has been set up early on as a big part of the puzzle. To kill him now, clearing the way for a new season and more "gifted" characters kinda bothers me. Let's not see a housecleaning for its own sake.
Stay tuned, sidekicks! Only a couple more we to go until .07%! Next up...The Linderman Group!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Post-Parasite Speculation: HRG and The Company
Out of the frying pan and into the fire...
The question I asked my friend, right after watching Parasite, was "Which Hero in mortal danger will survive the hiatus? From the looks of things, HRG is not in good shape. Now, from a viewer standpoint, I know that Jack Coleman has signed on as a series regular, and the HRG character is shaping up to be an important foil to the company. So the question is...how do they write him out of this?
If you've been following the online comics (and once again, you'd better...there's a huge storyline going on during the hiatus), you know that Mr. B contacted Wireless on his way to "turn in" Claire. We're starting to learn more about the Lonestar File and The Company's motivations. According to things I've read elsewhere (the Entertainment Weekly piece with Maclolm McDowell, if I recall), we won't really find out The Company's agenda until Season Two. Until then, it seems like OWI are the bad guys, with HRG the man who has turned from the dark side.
So what's up with The Company (OWI - the Organization Without Initials)? Well, they've recently collected themselves a mind-reading cop, who may or may not join up with them, depending on Thompson's whim, apparently. Matt certainly would be an asset to OWI, but I think their recruitment program has slipped lately.
We used to have a creepy-cool Haitian and the cutest Siren ever to grace the TV screen. Now we get a dyslexic cop and the worst-written character to yet be on the show. Seriously now, writers; what's up with Candice? Could you possibly give her any worse lines? Did we really need the wisecracking, uber-evil punk chick? I think that the behind-the-scenes crew needs to remember that this show is about people and not powers. Candice is not a person; she's a cartoon, more suited to facing off against Batman or Spiderman than the Heroes we love so much. Plus, is there anyone who didn't see the little trap coming a mile away? Soooooo disappointing.
Well, that leaves us with the question of how we get Mr. Bennet/HRG (I call him Phil) out of that hotel room? The only way I can see it happening is if Wireless is already on her way to help him, or if (pleasepleaseplease don't do this) HRG suddenly manifests a power of some kind that lets him get away. So we either have the cavalry or the "you had it in you all along" bit. Either way, I'm afraid that the writers have typed themselves into a corner that they can't get out of without some particularly cheesy Deus Ex Machina. I'm counting on them to prove me wrong.
Stay tuned, Sidekicks! Next up, we'll talk about Peter, Mohinder, and Sylar. Hold on to your skater-dos!
The question I asked my friend, right after watching Parasite, was "Which Hero in mortal danger will survive the hiatus? From the looks of things, HRG is not in good shape. Now, from a viewer standpoint, I know that Jack Coleman has signed on as a series regular, and the HRG character is shaping up to be an important foil to the company. So the question is...how do they write him out of this?
If you've been following the online comics (and once again, you'd better...there's a huge storyline going on during the hiatus), you know that Mr. B contacted Wireless on his way to "turn in" Claire. We're starting to learn more about the Lonestar File and The Company's motivations. According to things I've read elsewhere (the Entertainment Weekly piece with Maclolm McDowell, if I recall), we won't really find out The Company's agenda until Season Two. Until then, it seems like OWI are the bad guys, with HRG the man who has turned from the dark side.
So what's up with The Company (OWI - the Organization Without Initials)? Well, they've recently collected themselves a mind-reading cop, who may or may not join up with them, depending on Thompson's whim, apparently. Matt certainly would be an asset to OWI, but I think their recruitment program has slipped lately.
We used to have a creepy-cool Haitian and the cutest Siren ever to grace the TV screen. Now we get a dyslexic cop and the worst-written character to yet be on the show. Seriously now, writers; what's up with Candice? Could you possibly give her any worse lines? Did we really need the wisecracking, uber-evil punk chick? I think that the behind-the-scenes crew needs to remember that this show is about people and not powers. Candice is not a person; she's a cartoon, more suited to facing off against Batman or Spiderman than the Heroes we love so much. Plus, is there anyone who didn't see the little trap coming a mile away? Soooooo disappointing.
Well, that leaves us with the question of how we get Mr. Bennet/HRG (I call him Phil) out of that hotel room? The only way I can see it happening is if Wireless is already on her way to help him, or if (pleasepleaseplease don't do this) HRG suddenly manifests a power of some kind that lets him get away. So we either have the cavalry or the "you had it in you all along" bit. Either way, I'm afraid that the writers have typed themselves into a corner that they can't get out of without some particularly cheesy Deus Ex Machina. I'm counting on them to prove me wrong.
Stay tuned, Sidekicks! Next up, we'll talk about Peter, Mohinder, and Sylar. Hold on to your skater-dos!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Parasite Speculation: Hiro and Ando
Yatta!
Thanks to a little help from Frying Mon, Hiro has the sword. And lo and behold, Ando knew his time-bending buddy well enough to know that he'd cause an alarm to trip sooner or later! We're all very glad you stayed in the States, Ando.
Now, I think we can all agree that Hiro doesn't really need the sword to use his powers, since he didn't have it when he reversed The Abominable Showgirl's bullet. Plus, having the sword certainly didn't fine-tune Hiro's teleportation any, since they're now five years into the future and New York has seen better days.
So the obvious questions posed are...
Thanks to a little help from Frying Mon, Hiro has the sword. And lo and behold, Ando knew his time-bending buddy well enough to know that he'd cause an alarm to trip sooner or later! We're all very glad you stayed in the States, Ando.
Now, I think we can all agree that Hiro doesn't really need the sword to use his powers, since he didn't have it when he reversed The Abominable Showgirl's bullet. Plus, having the sword certainly didn't fine-tune Hiro's teleportation any, since they're now five years into the future and New York has seen better days.
So the obvious questions posed are...
- How do they get back to present-day NYC? Will it take as long as it did for Hiro to figure out that he couldn't save Charlie?
- Did they really fail, or is this just one more alternate reality? After all, Hiro believes he failed in Saving the Cheerleader, even though Claire is alive. Maybe we just don't have the whole story, yet again.
- In all the time-hopping that's sure to ensue with Hiro trying to get back to today, how long until we really see the T-Rex? You know you want to see it. C'mon, admit it. See? Don't you feel better now?
Monday, March 12, 2007
Parasite: Hiatus and Speculation
I know you're all desperate to know where my episode review is for Parasite, amiright? Of course you are, and of course I am. So here's the thing...this episode was so good, so exciting, and just sooooooo jam-packed full of stuff that I'm going to spend the next few articles picking apart Parasite, one storyline at a time, examining the possibilities and speculating on the future. This will let me get my thoughts on Heroes online and organized, and more importantly, gives me plenty to talk about until the end of the Spring Hiatus on April 23.
Stay tuned, Sidekicks! All your favorite "special" people (and the people who love and eat them) will be right here!
Stay tuned, Sidekicks! All your favorite "special" people (and the people who love and eat them) will be right here!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Company Man
My oh my oh my. I'm going to have to keep this one woefully (for me, anyway) brief. Otherwise, I might just never stop talking about and speculating on this episode.
This is the best episode of Heroes to date. There, I said it. Just amazing work all around on the writing, directing, editing and acting (yes, even Matt!). I loved the jump cuts and flash wipes they used for Matt's mindreading scenes, but I especially loved the smooth transitions between present day and the black-and-white flashbacks.
So let's start with the past. Our Mr. Bennet is "comfortable with morally gray"...or so he says. Did anyone see it coming (sorry...) that Claude was Mr. B's old partner? I'm curious about The Company, though...the show is making it very vague as to whether this is a private or government group keeping track of the "different." Did it all seem vaguely X-Men/Henry Gyrich to anyone else...the agency hunting down mutants?
So here are my questions posed by the past:
Matt's dark side didn't last too long, apparently. He had a sudden change of heart when things threatened to get violent and involve the family. Ted just went nuts; like they said, he's a man who wants his wife back. I wonder if we get Ted back, though, or is he slab-bound indefinitely?
Well, I was completely wrong about HRG being powered, since Matt could read his mind (right hook coming...). I loved the "shoot Claire" gambit to defuse the standoff.
Mr. Bennet is not ultimately a Company Man; he's a family man, trying to do all the right things, even if they are perhaps "morally gray." The fact that he would essentially blow Primatech wide open to save his family speaks volumes.
Do you think that the Hatian/Claire escape plan had been planned all along? I think that HRG knew he'd have to give up Claire someday, so he set up a contingency plan. It's interesting that not even Thompson (did they actually mention Eric Roberts' name in the show, or did I hear it on some podcast?) knew that the Hatian can talk. There must be one darn good reason for them to keep that secret.
From here, it just remains to be seen how malevolent the OWI really is. Are they tied in to Linderman? How many factions are using these Heroes? Can HRG be wiped enough to ensure Claire's safety? Will the Bennets be reunited? Will Matt really be HRG's new partner, marking the quickest change of heart in recent history? And what of our new "one of them," working with Thompson to clean up Mr. B's mess?
Don't touch that dial...Heroes will be right back.
This is the best episode of Heroes to date. There, I said it. Just amazing work all around on the writing, directing, editing and acting (yes, even Matt!). I loved the jump cuts and flash wipes they used for Matt's mindreading scenes, but I especially loved the smooth transitions between present day and the black-and-white flashbacks.
So let's start with the past. Our Mr. Bennet is "comfortable with morally gray"...or so he says. Did anyone see it coming (sorry...) that Claude was Mr. B's old partner? I'm curious about The Company, though...the show is making it very vague as to whether this is a private or government group keeping track of the "different." Did it all seem vaguely X-Men/Henry Gyrich to anyone else...the agency hunting down mutants?
So here are my questions posed by the past:
- It looked to me like Mr. Bennet's gun went off accidentally when he was on the bridge with Claude. He looked surprised, then anguished that Claude "[wouldn't] just..." Just what? Die? Turn invisible so that he can claim Claude died?
- Is Hiro really Mr. Nakamura's son, or just property of OWI? Does Mr. N know that Hiro has powers? Is he hiding Hiro, like HRG hid Claire?
- Who was Claude harboring so long ago? Someone we know now?
Matt's dark side didn't last too long, apparently. He had a sudden change of heart when things threatened to get violent and involve the family. Ted just went nuts; like they said, he's a man who wants his wife back. I wonder if we get Ted back, though, or is he slab-bound indefinitely?
Well, I was completely wrong about HRG being powered, since Matt could read his mind (right hook coming...). I loved the "shoot Claire" gambit to defuse the standoff.
Mr. Bennet is not ultimately a Company Man; he's a family man, trying to do all the right things, even if they are perhaps "morally gray." The fact that he would essentially blow Primatech wide open to save his family speaks volumes.
Do you think that the Hatian/Claire escape plan had been planned all along? I think that HRG knew he'd have to give up Claire someday, so he set up a contingency plan. It's interesting that not even Thompson (did they actually mention Eric Roberts' name in the show, or did I hear it on some podcast?) knew that the Hatian can talk. There must be one darn good reason for them to keep that secret.
From here, it just remains to be seen how malevolent the OWI really is. Are they tied in to Linderman? How many factions are using these Heroes? Can HRG be wiped enough to ensure Claire's safety? Will the Bennets be reunited? Will Matt really be HRG's new partner, marking the quickest change of heart in recent history? And what of our new "one of them," working with Thompson to clean up Mr. B's mess?
Don't touch that dial...Heroes will be right back.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
HRG Discusses the Heroes
During a recent conference call with H.R.G. (Jack Coleman) from Heroes, he discussed some possible bonus features that could see the light of day on the highly anticipated Heroes Season 1 DVD. Here is what the mysterious man in glasses had to say:Have you been doing anything for the eventual Heroes: Season 1 DVD?Jack Coleman: Yes, there's been all sorts of EPK stuff that we've been doing behind the scenes. It'll be fascinating to see how it's put together for the First Season, because there's been plenty of stuff, interviews and behind the scenes stuff. And also probably some scenes that didn't make it, and just sort of an exploration of the First Season. It'll be fascinating. There'll be quite a bit of that.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Unexpected
Wow...sorry this week's recap is so late. It's been a busy week, and all I can say is that TiVO may have more powerful time-bending abilities than Hiro. So on to the episode...
Somebody flies, somebody dies.
I think we knew who would fly. I mean, really: would it be tagline-worthy if Nathan took flight? Who else would fly? Granted, if Sylar killed Nathan, we could get both in one fell swoop.
Speaking of the Flying Petrelli Brothers, I have to say that I sorta like Darth Peter. I'm curious to see how they mesh the explosion with his newfound mastery of powers. Give in to your hatred, let it feed you. Feel the power of the Dark Side. Peter's still an emo kid (then again, so was Luke), but at least he's not just listening to Linkin Park now; he's kicking some butt. And getting his girlfriend killed. And maybe driving off one of the more interesting characters in the show. Will we have any more of Claude? Clearly, there's some history between HRG and Claude, with all the unexplored storyline that goes with that.
Off to Nevada now with Hiro and Ando. A quick trivia bit for those of you who might not know: Gunderson, the Gaming Commission heavy, is the same actor who played Dobler on Coach, and also provides the voice of Patrick on Spongebob Squarepants. Maybe next time they can get Scarlett Johanssen too.
So Hiro has decided to ditch the sidekick and go solo, after regaining his powers (not that he knows that yet). I'm in favor of this move, as there seems to be a very gradual shift in storyline going on. It seems as though our heroes are developing their powers and leaving their innocence behind. I like this move, as it allows the story to grow into more traditional superhero stories, while still remaining flexible enough to allow for new heroes, new powers, and new development arcs.
Did I mention something about "lost innocence?" How about poor Claire? She's seen her already-ditzy mom fall victim to the oldest trick in the book, the Hatian Mind Wipe. So we've learned that the Hatian's powers don't come without drawbacks. There's obviously no more hiding Claire's state of memory from her dad anymore, as she's come clean on what she knows. I do find it interesting how Claire has learned how alone she really is, since her biological mother is a conniving piece of trailer trash keeping Nathan away from his daughter to wring more money from him, and her adoptive father is obviously not what he appears to be.
So where now? Do we discover that HRG and Primatech Paper are on the side of the good guys, helping those who are powered to gain control over themselves, or are they more of the sort of group that X-Men fans have grown to know and hate (yet another government/secret group out to suppress the heroes). Certainly, Ted and Matt (wondering where Hana went? Read the online comic) would like to know.
I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We all do...
Somebody flies, somebody dies.
I think we knew who would fly. I mean, really: would it be tagline-worthy if Nathan took flight? Who else would fly? Granted, if Sylar killed Nathan, we could get both in one fell swoop.
Speaking of the Flying Petrelli Brothers, I have to say that I sorta like Darth Peter. I'm curious to see how they mesh the explosion with his newfound mastery of powers. Give in to your hatred, let it feed you. Feel the power of the Dark Side. Peter's still an emo kid (then again, so was Luke), but at least he's not just listening to Linkin Park now; he's kicking some butt. And getting his girlfriend killed. And maybe driving off one of the more interesting characters in the show. Will we have any more of Claude? Clearly, there's some history between HRG and Claude, with all the unexplored storyline that goes with that.
Off to Nevada now with Hiro and Ando. A quick trivia bit for those of you who might not know: Gunderson, the Gaming Commission heavy, is the same actor who played Dobler on Coach, and also provides the voice of Patrick on Spongebob Squarepants. Maybe next time they can get Scarlett Johanssen too.
So Hiro has decided to ditch the sidekick and go solo, after regaining his powers (not that he knows that yet). I'm in favor of this move, as there seems to be a very gradual shift in storyline going on. It seems as though our heroes are developing their powers and leaving their innocence behind. I like this move, as it allows the story to grow into more traditional superhero stories, while still remaining flexible enough to allow for new heroes, new powers, and new development arcs.
Did I mention something about "lost innocence?" How about poor Claire? She's seen her already-ditzy mom fall victim to the oldest trick in the book, the Hatian Mind Wipe. So we've learned that the Hatian's powers don't come without drawbacks. There's obviously no more hiding Claire's state of memory from her dad anymore, as she's come clean on what she knows. I do find it interesting how Claire has learned how alone she really is, since her biological mother is a conniving piece of trailer trash keeping Nathan away from his daughter to wring more money from him, and her adoptive father is obviously not what he appears to be.
So where now? Do we discover that HRG and Primatech Paper are on the side of the good guys, helping those who are powered to gain control over themselves, or are they more of the sort of group that X-Men fans have grown to know and hate (yet another government/secret group out to suppress the heroes). Certainly, Ted and Matt (wondering where Hana went? Read the online comic) would like to know.
I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We all do...
Monday, February 19, 2007
Hot List: Heroes - Ali Larter
Why do fans like Ali Larter? Fiercely beautiful, she hustled her way into the entertainment world through her exposure from Esquire magazine and then eventually proved herself worthy of sustaining her shimmer in the limelight. With her provocative image and artistic acting performances, she positively lands a spot in the television series Heroes.
Born on February 28, 1976 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Ali Larter started modeling at the age of thirteen with the famous Ford Models where she was given the chance to travel the world. Eventually, she took up some acting classes and shortly landed guest roles on television shows like Dawson's Creek, Chicago Hope and Just Shoot Me. She got her first movie break in Varsity Blues which was followed by House on Haunted Hill, Legally Blonde and Final Destination to name a few.
Friday, February 16, 2007
NBC's Heroes Still Rising - and No One Is Safe
NBC's Heroes continues its rise in popularity. The show has spawned several taglines that have caught the imagination of the viewers and have helped increase its ranking. Currently it is the top ranking freshman series on television.Tim Kring, creator and executive producer of the series says the original "buzz" phrase from the show, "Save the cheerleader, save the world," was not necessarily intended to be tagline. "Well, the 'Save the cheerleader' was just a line of dialogue from the script. And it caught the imagination of a few people over at NBC in the promo department, and they ran with that," he explains. "And so from then on, we started thinking, 'Well, what could we do for this next pod of episodes?' And sure enough, the script already had another line in it that we also liked. So it's not like we fished around for lines to impose onto the show.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Run!
First of all, what's up with the name of this episode? I think it's because several of our Heroes have been placed in peril.
First we have Claire, who is raising the suspicions of her father. When Dad get worried...people forget things. The innumerable mind wipes have clearly taken a huge toll on Mrs. Bennet, and Claire feels she can no longer trust her own father. Upon visiting her birth mother, she finds that Meredith McPyro is just as deceitful. Not even her rich and powerful birth father wants anything to do with her...or does he?
Hiro and Ando are in Vegas, chasing swords and showgirls. Ando, thinking with the head that doesn't help your SAT scores, steals a bag of money (???) from someone he's been duped into believing is an abusive boyfriend. Hiro lears the truth and gets coldcocked for his efforts. I really wish he'd get his powers back very soon.
Mohinder is tracking down people on the List...but he's not the only one. How long can Sylar fool Junior Suresh? More importantly, here's the first onscreen verification that Sylar can absorb others' powers! Personally, I'm still not buying it, as even causing something to melt can be micro-telekinesis; breeaking down the molecular bonds in the item. Now to find out what he really does with those brains...
And as for our lovely Jessica? She's on the job, doing Linderman's dirty work. This time, Linderman's slimy lawyer now has his hands on the two million dollars briefcase that has changed hands more times than the plot device in a Guy Ritchie movie. Our lawyer has protection, though, in the form of a suspended LA cop who has a big secret. Just a hint for Jessica: next time, put more height into your throw if you want to clear the ledge. I do find it interesting that Jessica understood what Matt was about("You heard Niki?"), just like she did with DL's phasing. Maybe that's why she didn't kill him: Linderman might find him valuable.
So keep your eyes glued to the screen for the next week or two, as "Someone Flies, Someone Dies!"
First we have Claire, who is raising the suspicions of her father. When Dad get worried...people forget things. The innumerable mind wipes have clearly taken a huge toll on Mrs. Bennet, and Claire feels she can no longer trust her own father. Upon visiting her birth mother, she finds that Meredith McPyro is just as deceitful. Not even her rich and powerful birth father wants anything to do with her...or does he?
Hiro and Ando are in Vegas, chasing swords and showgirls. Ando, thinking with the head that doesn't help your SAT scores, steals a bag of money (???) from someone he's been duped into believing is an abusive boyfriend. Hiro lears the truth and gets coldcocked for his efforts. I really wish he'd get his powers back very soon.
Mohinder is tracking down people on the List...but he's not the only one. How long can Sylar fool Junior Suresh? More importantly, here's the first onscreen verification that Sylar can absorb others' powers! Personally, I'm still not buying it, as even causing something to melt can be micro-telekinesis; breeaking down the molecular bonds in the item. Now to find out what he really does with those brains...
And as for our lovely Jessica? She's on the job, doing Linderman's dirty work. This time, Linderman's slimy lawyer now has his hands on the two million dollars briefcase that has changed hands more times than the plot device in a Guy Ritchie movie. Our lawyer has protection, though, in the form of a suspended LA cop who has a big secret. Just a hint for Jessica: next time, put more height into your throw if you want to clear the ledge. I do find it interesting that Jessica understood what Matt was about("You heard Niki?"), just like she did with DL's phasing. Maybe that's why she didn't kill him: Linderman might find him valuable.
So keep your eyes glued to the screen for the next week or two, as "Someone Flies, Someone Dies!"
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Distractions
Holy cow.
Sylar is on the loose again, making a pit stop to look after Mr. Muggles. I guess I have to address my previous blog post where I claimed Mr. Bennett has the power to cancel mental abilities. We saw Sylar throw him across the room; was Mr. B caught unawares, or does he simply not have powers? I did notice that he lost his glasses; could they be a focus for his ability (Hiro's sword, Isaac's smack, etc.)? We'll find out more, to be sure. Well, maybe not Mr. Bennett's name.
We saw (heh heh...) more of Peter and the Invisible Man. I'm really starting to like that guy. He's thrown Peter off a building and told him that his problem is being too emo. Ding ding ding!!! Oh, and forget "Save the Cheerleader" and "Are You on the List;" the new tagline for Heroes should be "Payple Sook." And what is the history between Mr. Bennett and Dr. Who?
Niki and Jessica? (No, I'm not saving our bifurcated hottie for last this time) Well, kids...tasers hurt. So here's a question for your faithful-viewing sidekicks: did you see the open and undamaged phone lying next to the unconscious psych? We all know Linderman's lawyer appeared shortly thereafter. Did Jessica call Linderman to get herself sprung, or was the doctor one of Linderman's plants?
Hiro has shown us now that he's fairly savvy, as well as being able to bend space and time. The family business/daughter winning esteem in father's eyes story has been done to death, but at least they did so with a modicum of wit. Apparently, we'll hear a bit more about the family history in an upcoming episode (not the next one, though).
So now, the biggest of the big. We have now met Claire's biological parents. I have only one question at this point: is there anyone Nathan hasn't nailed yet? He scored Jessica, knocked up Joanie Human Torch, and probably is responsible for Janice's baby too. I can't wait to see where they take this storyline.
Sylar is on the loose again, making a pit stop to look after Mr. Muggles. I guess I have to address my previous blog post where I claimed Mr. Bennett has the power to cancel mental abilities. We saw Sylar throw him across the room; was Mr. B caught unawares, or does he simply not have powers? I did notice that he lost his glasses; could they be a focus for his ability (Hiro's sword, Isaac's smack, etc.)? We'll find out more, to be sure. Well, maybe not Mr. Bennett's name.
We saw (heh heh...) more of Peter and the Invisible Man. I'm really starting to like that guy. He's thrown Peter off a building and told him that his problem is being too emo. Ding ding ding!!! Oh, and forget "Save the Cheerleader" and "Are You on the List;" the new tagline for Heroes should be "Payple Sook." And what is the history between Mr. Bennett and Dr. Who?
Niki and Jessica? (No, I'm not saving our bifurcated hottie for last this time) Well, kids...tasers hurt. So here's a question for your faithful-viewing sidekicks: did you see the open and undamaged phone lying next to the unconscious psych? We all know Linderman's lawyer appeared shortly thereafter. Did Jessica call Linderman to get herself sprung, or was the doctor one of Linderman's plants?
Hiro has shown us now that he's fairly savvy, as well as being able to bend space and time. The family business/daughter winning esteem in father's eyes story has been done to death, but at least they did so with a modicum of wit. Apparently, we'll hear a bit more about the family history in an upcoming episode (not the next one, though).
So now, the biggest of the big. We have now met Claire's biological parents. I have only one question at this point: is there anyone Nathan hasn't nailed yet? He scored Jessica, knocked up Joanie Human Torch, and probably is responsible for Janice's baby too. I can't wait to see where they take this storyline.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Who Will Die on NBC's Heroes?
Featuring four collectible "Heroes" covers, the January 29 issue of TV Guide magazine revealed that one series regular is headed for hero heaven. "Some people will be upset (when they learn who dies), sure," says "Heroes" creator and executive producer Tim Kring. "During February sweeps we are going to kill off one of our regulars, someone who has been with the show from the very beginning." Asked if that "regular" is one of the actual heroes, Kring responds, "You know what? I personally never use the term 'hero' because I happen to know that, ultimately, some of the seemingly heroic characters will not be heroic." Still he hints that we may not be seeing the last of whomever it is that is being knocked off.
Monday, February 5, 2007
George Takei on Starring in Heroes
"Heroes" has been getting a lot of talk lately because of its great cast and Golden Globe nomination this year. The news keeps getting better. The distinguished and talented actor, George Takei, who played Sulu on the classic "Star Trek," has come aboard this season as Hiro's father, Kaito. His character portrays a very powerful industrialist with multi-faceted sides to his personality. Now, viewers have another good reason to turn on their TV sets to see the ever popular show on Monday nights. Takei became familiar with "Heroes" after receiving e-mails from fans telling him about the series and the Japanese character, Hiro, who is played by Masi Oka. Soon afterward, Takei was contacted by his agent with the news that there had been considerable interest in him auditioning for the part of Hiro's father.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Fix
They aren't letting up on us, are they?
I don't know about you, but I loved this episode. I don't know how the writers manage to do it, but every week they find a way to answer questions while still posing new questions. As viewers, we need some things from our shows: we want to feel smart. It's important to us to be able to speculate on the nature of the show's goings-on, and then be able to be proven right (yes, I'm looking at you, serial-television-show-who-shall-remain-nameless-but-also-had-Greg-
Grunberg-in-it-and-isn't-Alias). *ahem* But on to the latest episode...
More George Takei! Seriously...you can't build us up like that, and then cheap out. I know, I know...he'll be on next week (at the very least, if the spoilers are any indication), but I'm impatient. Hey, I'm not even a Trekkie, but that's just cool. Are we going to have another Hero, or is Nakamura-san's power just his influence over his son?
*sigh*...I still can't stand Matt. It really is a toss-up, to my mind, between Peter and Matt as to who is the whinier, more toad-like character. Even Claire and Nathan--who don't even want their powers--don't complain as much as Matt and "Fall Out Boy" do.
And speaking of Peter, I'm really enjoying his storyline, even though I don't care for the character. Need mastery over your powers? Ask Dr. Who! It's nice to see Christopher Eccleston's character playing the jaded counter to Peter's fretting idealism.
Not that it's much of a surprise, of course, but Sylar is up alive and kicking again. They need a villain (how do you pronounce that, again?), and preferably a super-powered one. "How's Claire?" *shudder* This leads me to a theory I have about Mr. Bennett: he does have a power. I believe he can neutralize mental powers. The evidence:
And our beloved Niki/Jessica? I'm sorry to say, but it was pretty much a plotline episode. Most of the time was spent in watching Niki trying to suppress Jessica. DL's unauthorized visit was nice, but even that seemed like little more than a setup to Micah's "coming out of the phone booth" to his dad.
Stay tuned, and be sure to keep up with all the additional content; especially the online comics!
I don't know about you, but I loved this episode. I don't know how the writers manage to do it, but every week they find a way to answer questions while still posing new questions. As viewers, we need some things from our shows: we want to feel smart. It's important to us to be able to speculate on the nature of the show's goings-on, and then be able to be proven right (yes, I'm looking at you, serial-television-show-who-shall-remain-nameless-but-also-had-Greg-
Grunberg-in-it-and-isn't-Alias). *ahem* But on to the latest episode...
More George Takei! Seriously...you can't build us up like that, and then cheap out. I know, I know...he'll be on next week (at the very least, if the spoilers are any indication), but I'm impatient. Hey, I'm not even a Trekkie, but that's just cool. Are we going to have another Hero, or is Nakamura-san's power just his influence over his son?
*sigh*...I still can't stand Matt. It really is a toss-up, to my mind, between Peter and Matt as to who is the whinier, more toad-like character. Even Claire and Nathan--who don't even want their powers--don't complain as much as Matt and "Fall Out Boy" do.
And speaking of Peter, I'm really enjoying his storyline, even though I don't care for the character. Need mastery over your powers? Ask Dr. Who! It's nice to see Christopher Eccleston's character playing the jaded counter to Peter's fretting idealism.
Not that it's much of a surprise, of course, but Sylar is up alive and kicking again. They need a villain (how do you pronounce that, again?), and preferably a super-powered one. "How's Claire?" *shudder* This leads me to a theory I have about Mr. Bennett: he does have a power. I believe he can neutralize mental powers. The evidence:
- As far as we can tell, all of our heroes have only one power (yes, even Sylar). We know the Hatian can erase memories. So who blanked Matt's mindreading?
- Mr. Bennett told Eden that she finally met someone who could say no to her.
- Sylar was able to use his powers on Eden, but not on Mr. Bennett.
- Nathan was able to fly away from Mr. B. and the Hatian, so that seems to rule out physical abilities being neutralized.
And our beloved Niki/Jessica? I'm sorry to say, but it was pretty much a plotline episode. Most of the time was spent in watching Niki trying to suppress Jessica. DL's unauthorized visit was nice, but even that seemed like little more than a setup to Micah's "coming out of the phone booth" to his dad.
Stay tuned, and be sure to keep up with all the additional content; especially the online comics!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Godsend
It certainly was...
After an all-too-long hiatus, Heroes returned on Monday, January 22 with a new episode. This time, we're picking up the threads left from Fallout.
It's two weeks later, and Peter is in a coma following the Save the Cheerleader events. Nathan seeks out Isaac in order to find what this is all about. Claire is trying to come to grips with the realization that her entire life has been a lie. Mohinder has been approached by Mr. Bennett about The List. Matt is on the trail of Sylar, as well as pressing Mr. Bennett to discover more about what he does. Hiro and Ando go to New York to find the sword that will focus Hiro's powers.
But what about Niki???
In Fallout she turned herself in to the police. Now we find her behind bars (but not before she roughed up a few arresting officers). Niki and Jessica are locked in a power struggle as to their fate. I've told you enough already, so I won't spoil it for you by telling you about the episode's last shot of Niki.
What will the next eipsode have in store for us? We'll just have to wait and see. But if it's anything like Godsend, I won't be disappointed.
Until next time...be the one we need.
After an all-too-long hiatus, Heroes returned on Monday, January 22 with a new episode. This time, we're picking up the threads left from Fallout.
It's two weeks later, and Peter is in a coma following the Save the Cheerleader events. Nathan seeks out Isaac in order to find what this is all about. Claire is trying to come to grips with the realization that her entire life has been a lie. Mohinder has been approached by Mr. Bennett about The List. Matt is on the trail of Sylar, as well as pressing Mr. Bennett to discover more about what he does. Hiro and Ando go to New York to find the sword that will focus Hiro's powers.
But what about Niki???
In Fallout she turned herself in to the police. Now we find her behind bars (but not before she roughed up a few arresting officers). Niki and Jessica are locked in a power struggle as to their fate. I've told you enough already, so I won't spoil it for you by telling you about the episode's last shot of Niki.
What will the next eipsode have in store for us? We'll just have to wait and see. But if it's anything like Godsend, I won't be disappointed.
Until next time...be the one we need.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
NBC Giving Heroes Audience A 360 Degree Experience
NBC today unveiled its extensive "TV 360" realization for the breakout-hit "Heroes." The digital extensions, which launch with the return of original episodes of the show on Monday, January 22nd, will include exclusive and original content made available on several alternative platforms, sponsored in part by Nissan.
The announcement was made by Jeff Gaspin, President NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross Network Strategy.
"This is particularly exciting because it's the most developed TV 360 application we've created for a scripted series, and the first to use this level of interactivity," said Gaspin. "'Heroes' has proven itself a hit on-air and online, and these extensions of rich, original content will allow our audience unprecedented access to new levels of the show as they dig deeper."
Beginning on January 22nd, viewers will be invited to experience "Heroes" in a whole new way.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
NBC's "Heroes" a surprise hit
Success has turned "Heroes" creator Tim Kring into something of a softie. Initially he intended to kill off characters helter-skelter, but as the show — about far-flung ordinary people who discover they have bizarre super-powers, and a global conspiracy enveloping them — has been clicking so well, it's made his trigger finger not so itchy.
"I thought it'd be every few weeks one of these will go by the wayside, and it hasn't turned into that," Kring admits in his office, where a pipe collection and a bottle of red wine sits on his desk.
"It's a testament to the cast that everybody has popped in their roles so well that we have had a lot of trouble with the idea of killing people off. The audience has gotten used to them, so when and if they depart, it's going to be a much bigger deal.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Not Quite Myself ;-)
First of all, I'm a guy. Niki is just my favorite hero, and I lucked into this screen name. More Heroes to come. Be the one we need.
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