Heroes: Hiros
March 12th 2007 10:36
Hiros was quite an enthralling episode of Heroes. It built on the collisions from the previous episode and further developed the characters.
Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is correct in stating that the default scientific position should be skepticism, but his ambivalence towards the research is fast becoming irritating. Evolution is an imperfect process - he shouldn't have been surprised that Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) was unsure and had yet to master his power. Mohinder has come half way around the world to continue the research that led to his father's murder - to dismiss Peter as a charlatan so quickly seemed counter-productive.
It was finally confirmed that Peter's power is a form of empathetic imitation, as he was able to finish Isaac's (Santiago Cabrera) painting.
The tension between Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) had been slowly mounting, mostly due to their different perspectives on the nature of heroism. This finally came to a head, and it didn't surprise me that they had a falling out. This rift was short lived, however, as the pair realized that they need each other. It shows that a hero is not complete without his sidekick.
For Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) and Niki (Ali Larter), it was the morning after the night before. Niki awoke with no recollection of her romp with Nathan, and returned home to discover her husband has escaped from custody. She also seriously needs to change her attitude towards internet privacy, particularly given the nature of her work. I’m surprised that her alter ego didn’t ensure she was untraceable, as she seems to be into covering Niki’s tracks.
It’s obvious that Linderman is intent on Nathan winning the election. It seems far too coincidental that he has had dealings with both Nathan and Niki – does he know of their abilities? If so, what are his motives?
For me, the highlight of the episode was Nathan’s flying escape.
Judging by his precision and prowess, I think he may have been practicing on the sly. I also enjoyed his meeting with Hiro - despite the marked differences between the characters, there was a great sense of camaraderie. Although Hiro referenced Superman with his cry of ‘Up, up and away,’ Nathan is rather different from the man of steel – his seems to be quite unscrupulous at times, and has no qualms about conducting underhanded dealings. Although, if you read this site, perhaps the two aren’t as far apart as they appear…
Hiro’s message from the future has been delivered, and looks set to be imperative throughout the season – Save the Cheerleader, Save the World. When taking into account her family, heroic ability and tendency towards dangerous situations, Claire (Hayden Panettiere) seems the obvious choice as the cheerleader to be saved. It will remain to be seen whether, in a twist, it is another cheerleader that needs help.
Mr Bennet (Jack Coleman) is fast becoming one of the most intriguing and complex baddies to grace the small screen. His reaction during Claire’s confession was nothing short of brilliant – the anticipation of learning her secret was evident in his every expression. However, as soon as she told him of Brody’s (Matt Lanter) actions, this instantly dissolved and was replaced by fierce fatherly protection. He was in full papa bear mode when he ordered that Brody’s mind be wiped clean. The character is very ambiguous – he is clearly ruthless and capable of evil, but he obviously loves Claire deeply. This inner conflict is sure to cause turmoil in later episodes.
The only part of the episode that I didn’t enjoy was Matt’s (Greg Grunberg) storyline. I couldn’t bring myself to care about his reconciliation with his irritating wife. At the moment, he seems to be on the periphery, and I want him to do something more interesting that involves him interacting with the other heroes. Perhaps Future Hiro can visit him let him know that picking up guns is not a good idea.
*Screencap courtesy of the TVIV, and used under Fair Dealing for identification and critical commentary.
Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is correct in stating that the default scientific position should be skepticism, but his ambivalence towards the research is fast becoming irritating. Evolution is an imperfect process - he shouldn't have been surprised that Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) was unsure and had yet to master his power. Mohinder has come half way around the world to continue the research that led to his father's murder - to dismiss Peter as a charlatan so quickly seemed counter-productive.
It was finally confirmed that Peter's power is a form of empathetic imitation, as he was able to finish Isaac's (Santiago Cabrera) painting.
The tension between Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) had been slowly mounting, mostly due to their different perspectives on the nature of heroism. This finally came to a head, and it didn't surprise me that they had a falling out. This rift was short lived, however, as the pair realized that they need each other. It shows that a hero is not complete without his sidekick.
For Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) and Niki (Ali Larter), it was the morning after the night before. Niki awoke with no recollection of her romp with Nathan, and returned home to discover her husband has escaped from custody. She also seriously needs to change her attitude towards internet privacy, particularly given the nature of her work. I’m surprised that her alter ego didn’t ensure she was untraceable, as she seems to be into covering Niki’s tracks.
It’s obvious that Linderman is intent on Nathan winning the election. It seems far too coincidental that he has had dealings with both Nathan and Niki – does he know of their abilities? If so, what are his motives?
For me, the highlight of the episode was Nathan’s flying escape.
Nathan prepares to fly away*
Hiro’s message from the future has been delivered, and looks set to be imperative throughout the season – Save the Cheerleader, Save the World. When taking into account her family, heroic ability and tendency towards dangerous situations, Claire (Hayden Panettiere) seems the obvious choice as the cheerleader to be saved. It will remain to be seen whether, in a twist, it is another cheerleader that needs help.
Mr Bennet (Jack Coleman) is fast becoming one of the most intriguing and complex baddies to grace the small screen. His reaction during Claire’s confession was nothing short of brilliant – the anticipation of learning her secret was evident in his every expression. However, as soon as she told him of Brody’s (Matt Lanter) actions, this instantly dissolved and was replaced by fierce fatherly protection. He was in full papa bear mode when he ordered that Brody’s mind be wiped clean. The character is very ambiguous – he is clearly ruthless and capable of evil, but he obviously loves Claire deeply. This inner conflict is sure to cause turmoil in later episodes.
The only part of the episode that I didn’t enjoy was Matt’s (Greg Grunberg) storyline. I couldn’t bring myself to care about his reconciliation with his irritating wife. At the moment, he seems to be on the periphery, and I want him to do something more interesting that involves him interacting with the other heroes. Perhaps Future Hiro can visit him let him know that picking up guns is not a good idea.
Overall Rating
*Screencap courtesy of the TVIV, and used under Fair Dealing for identification and critical commentary.
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Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
(And 'Scrubs' is back....yayyy!)
Mohinder is irritating....grrr...
And you were right about Peter...and I like his power!
Ninabelle....this review is quite....sassy...!
Hope you're well hon.
Channel 7 should be snapping you up to do the reviews for their site!
Dusk
Comment by Francis
Passionate Apathy
Hiro and Ando have different ideas about how to use Hiro's powers, but at the end of the day they are friends. They can disagree and still be friends.
Don't want to spoil anything, but there are answers- some of the characters are connected, as you'll see...
Comment by Nina
TV Babble
I really like the direction they have taken with Peter's power. Mimicry has been done a thousand times before, but Peter's empathetic nature is such a pivotal part of his character, and his ability reflects that perfectly.
I'm honoured that you found my review sassy - it's wonderful to get such praise from someone as talented with words as yourself.
If Channel 7 do ring me up, I certainly won't refuse!
Nina
(As for Scrubs, that definitely deserves a yay. I have to admit, I never used to watch it, probably because I didn't know it was on. Then I watched a ton of episodes while I was ill over Christmas, and now I'm hooked)
Comment by Nina
TV Babble
I enjoyed seeing the little disagreement between Hiro and Ando. Too often shows are far too dramatic when it comes to tiffs between characters - friends have heated moments, but they care about each other enough to forgive and forget.
It must be difficult for you not to give anything away! Sometimes the line between speculation and spoiler can become a little blurry as time goes by.
Nina