Well, I will say this for Heroes: I typically watch 24 and Heroes right after one another, starting at about 11:15, making my Monday nights pretty late (especially when you consider that I have to type up a review afterwards). Well it’s been a really long and tiring day, and the weekend wasn’t particularly restful. So when it came to watching one of the shows tonight and saving the other one for tomorrow, I went with Heroes, despite the fact that I’ve really, really enjoyed 24 thus far. I don’t know if it was morbid curiosity or I was genuinely interested in what was going to happen next (perhaps both), but Heroes got the nod this week.
And all in all, I’m glad I did. While I’m sure 24 was fantastic, I thought this was the best episode of Heroes we’ve seen in quite some time. Maybe even since “How to Stop an Exploding Man.” It felt really focused and I loved how it was framed by Nathan’s phone conversation. It felt like we got a clear sense of where each character stands and where the volume is heading. And the overall pace was great: Not needlessly fast, but not plodding either.
Congratulations to one of my long-time readers, Larry, who correctly predicted that Peter can only use one ability at a time, and that he loses one when he garnishes another. A very interesting take on his former power, with some interesting repercussions.
While I’m not a huge fan of seeing Claire vs. HRG Part 7 million, I did love how Claire told him that she’s no longer going to be his excuse. She brings up a good point: Every single season we see HRG do something diabolical, and he says it’s in order to protect her. I do find it sweet, though, how despite the fact that both of her fathers have repeatedly let her down, Claire still looks at HRG with far more love, compassion, sympathy, and understanding than she ever does Nathan. When push comes to shove (and it always does), HRG is the one she’s going to rely on and trust.
Speaking of Claire, how many times in one episode can she get captured and escape?
Why exactly did Hiro say “it’s complicated” when Mohinder asked how he lost his powers? I mean, that’s one of the very few things on this show that CAN be easily explained. How hard is it to say “Arthur Petrelli took them from me”?
I have to admit, I did get a kick out of Hiro saying that he’d send money later after stealing clothing from the rednecks (as well as him saying he’d send money for gas). I also liked the fact that Ando still calls Daphne “nemesis.”
And is Daphne actually dead? I spent all of last volume saying that Parkman is one of the most expendable characters on the show, but he’s unfortunately hooked up with one of the best new characters (Daphne), so keeping him might be an unnecessary evil. Well, if she’s dead – and it’d be too bad if she is – then GET PARKMAN OFF OF THIS SHOW!!! You don’t have to kill him if you want him to have a “happy” ending. Reunite him with his ex-wife and son, or even Molly, and have him live happily ever after.
How twisted did Sylar look when he casually drank his cup of coffee while strangling the mother? Actually, he had some pretty good zingers throughout the whole episode (“if that’s a coincidence then God’s improved his sense of humor,” “I don’t even need an ability to know that’s a lie,” “I let you live. That’s kinda a big deal for me.”)
I really, truly hope that the entire volume can sustain this quality. The show has a nasty habit of kicking their stories off with three or four great episodes, and then just falling apart until the last two or three episodes. Then again, if I’m not mistaken, this volume is a little shorter than their past ones, so hopefully that will help them maintain their focus.
Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.
