“I’m not perfect. Just better than you.”
Awesome line. Although I don’t agree with it.
I’m sure there are many cynical and negative viewers out there that will merely consider this episode as a “Company Man” remix. And you know what? I think that’s great. And to tell you the truth, if you take away the negative spin, I think that’s an entirely fair criticism (Parkman bringing back the “middle management” insult was great). You had HRG taken hostage with an enraged Parkman attempting to read his thoughts. Then you had flashbacks in which it was revealed to the viewers how HRG became associated with his latest cause. It was an exceptionally focused episode that only featured the necessary players.
And, as one might expect from an HRG-centric episode, there were a lot of really cool moments.
I was a bit surprised to see that Noah fought so gallantly to get the Company restarted. After all, he had once attempted to bring them down. And even when he went back to them, it was first to protect Claire, and later to get to Sylar. Why the sudden change of heart? Why did he suddenly believe them to be some grand, altruistic organization?
One of my favorite parts was how the essence of this series has always been about these people with extraordinary abilities attempting to live a normal life. But what happens when a normal person who is accustomed to living an extraordinary life suddenly has to become normal again? How does he adjust?
To answer that, last volume Hiro decided to put the safety of the entire world in danger because he was board. This volume, HRG decides to wrangle up innocent people because he doesn’t like crossword puzzles. That’s my little way of saying that I was slightly disappointed to learn how intricately he was involved with actually implementing this policy (opposed to him being a pawn). Although it did become clear that what we’re seeing now is not in the least what HRG had in mind. And I loved the moment where he realized that Nathan is attempting to play him.
I really appreciated how Mohinder brought up the excellent point that time and perception can dramatically alter a memory. I actually wish this matter was discussed more. For example, when HRG willingly let Parkman enter his mind so that Parkman could see that Daphne was still alive, what was stopping HRG from simply manufacturing that memory? If he had simply imagined that scenario, how would Parkman know the difference?
Speaking of Mohinder: Can they do us all a favor and NOT have him spend any time whatsoever in a lab? I think it’s fair to say that nobody wants to see him doing experiments, like, ever again.
As the episode ended, I couldn’t help but say to myself, “so, wait, I thought we were going to find out if he was good or bad.” I feared that the writers would reveal him as a bad guy, to “swerve” us, but I’m glad they didn’t (I’ll discuss why on my blog sometime soon). So it seems that he’s in cahoots with Angela, and is a double agent for Nathan’s government organization.
A few additional notes…
I love the contentious tone the Hunter uses every time he says “your daughter” to Nathan. Even though he doesn’t know that Nathan can fly, he still knows that Nathan is a massive hypocrite.
I’m glad that the writers aren’t going overboard with Peter’s ability. For the past several episodes he’s had the ability to fly, and it’s served him well. Aside from when it fits the story, there’s no need to haphazardly have Peter switch abilities. Then they end up in Sylar logic-defying territory (I’ll say it again: This entire time he’s had the ability to use his finger as a gun??? Really???? And all he ever does is use his telekinesis to throw people and slice their heads?) The discussion between HRG and the Hunter really hit one of the show’s major problems over the head. They often fall into this trap of either over simplifying something, or over complicating it.
I’ve wondered this since the premiere, but why exactly is Angela protected? I understand Claire. I mean, despite their emotional distance, she is Nathan’s daughter, and I can imagine that he feels something special for her, even beyond his relationship with his mother and brother. And plus, he’s using it as leverage to ensure that HRG does his bidding. I just find it surprising that he wouldn’t protect Peter, who he’s super close with despite their differences, but he would his mother. By the way, I am now convinced that she is “Rebel.”
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.
