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lathanyLast night's double episode (of which I only have a vague notion where the episode boundary is) and some general comments on the season start.
Details: Claire starts college (university - right? I missed where) and has a high achieving roommate who is found dead after the first day and it's not clear whether it was suicide or murder as Claire remembers there being no suicide note at first after seeing the body. She also befriends another girl, Gretchen (I had to look up the name), who discusses the possibilities with her (and recognises Claire's name as to do with the whole Homecoming murder). At the end of the episode, Claire jumps from the window to solve the mystery, lands in the "suicide" position, but Gretchen sees her. Hiro and Ando have launched "Dial A Hero" and end up rescuing a cat. During the course of which Hiro admits that his headaches, etc are symptoms of a condition which will end (shortly?) in his death and he starts to accidentally time freeze himself. He also accidentally time travels back to receiving his fortune at a carnival which he sees as the start of his journey. There he meets Samuel, who leads another group of Heroes all connected with the Carnival. Hiro does not disrupt receiving his own fortune, but stops Ando from spilling a drink on his sister's dress. When he returns to the present Ando and his sister are together; Hiro decides that his mission in life is to correct little things in the past. The Carnival appears all over the episode, the Carnival Heroes all(?) seems to have compasses and a speedster (I assume it's exactly Daphne's power) is sent to retrieve one from Denko. Samuel is also looking to "return" them (meaning leave the Carnival and take their powers into the general population?) and is thereby looking to recruit Hiro (who he is sent by another Hero to the past to speak with) and, at the end of the episode has identified the faces of three others they want to collect - Peter, Sylar and Claire (although the last picture wasn't too clear). Noah's having trouble getting back to work and thinks that the making Sylar into Nathan plan at the end of last season was a mistake (about time). He is encouraged by Angela to kill Tracey, particularly after she tries to kill him (Denko saves him). However, he changes path, saves Tracey by erasing Denko's memory of her and then teams up with Peter to find out why Denko was killed. Peter has gone back to being a paramedic and is solely focussed on saving lives using Mohinder's ability. He teams up with Noah, mimics the speedster ability, and discovers the compass reacts to him but refuses to help further. However, when Noah is attacked for it again, Peter is the one who arrives on the scene to save him. After initially trying to kill Noah, Tracey sees Danko, realises Noah has kept his word to her, and witnesses Denko's death. At the end of the episode it looks as though she and Bennet have teamed up. Angela is worried by Sylar in Nathan after he plans to reinvent himself (we discover the rough age of the character of Nathan for the first time - 40ish). She tries to convince him he's having a mid-life crisis, but then rings Matt asking him to come and "fix" it. Matt refuses. Matt's having plenty of troubles of his own, being haunted by Sylar who is sitting in his head somehow (not clear if this is something Sylar managed or a side-effect of guilt and it will probably never be clear). Matt's also got trust issues with his wife and is attending some sort of AA meeting (I assume having admitted to a substance abuse to receive help which he can translate into not using mind control powers). At the end of the episode, after much taunting from Sylar, he goes back to using his powers.
General comments: Not quite sure what I think yet. I'm not big on Hiro's stuff; the guy is really having several seasons of very bad luck here. I found all Matt's stuff depressing as well, particularly as we seem to be back into the "bad marriage" plot from the first season which wasn't enjoyable even then. The carnival has some nice powers, I particularly like the way in which Samuel and the woman have a sort of "team-up" (I think team-up powers are a feature Heroes could do more of). I also liked the knife-fights. Some nice references to season one.
Character by character:
Title: The first one must be directed at the orientation of the audience and the second is explicitly about the roommate's death.
Themes: There's some reference back to the pilot. When Nathan/Sylar calls Peter he used the same phrases as Peter used back them when asking Nathan about his visions (and got about the same amount of help back - although Nathan did turn up in the taxi at the end). There's also the alone/family divide - Bennet, Peter and Tracey are all seen as alone at different times. Likewise the Carnival Heroes describe themselves as a family.
Continuity errors and other weirds: I wasn't big on Hiro constantly seeing the fortune at the Carnival as a big deal; although I accept![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bateleur's interpretation that this is when he decided he was going to be a Hero (and thus ignored business training, etc) rather than having any thoughts of getting his powers from here. When Ando sees Hiro's sister in season one (is she played by the same actress - does anyone know?) the implication is that he doesn't know her / know her well (although immediately fancies her). That changes here.
Season opening stuff in general: This reminded me a lot of the season opening for season two - lots of stuff about telling you where everyone now was. It felt somewhat sluggish in general (because they've all split up... AGAIN), but hopefully that will change. I applaud the Carnival as "something different", but I've not seen enough to say more.
Details: Claire starts college (university - right? I missed where) and has a high achieving roommate who is found dead after the first day and it's not clear whether it was suicide or murder as Claire remembers there being no suicide note at first after seeing the body. She also befriends another girl, Gretchen (I had to look up the name), who discusses the possibilities with her (and recognises Claire's name as to do with the whole Homecoming murder). At the end of the episode, Claire jumps from the window to solve the mystery, lands in the "suicide" position, but Gretchen sees her. Hiro and Ando have launched "Dial A Hero" and end up rescuing a cat. During the course of which Hiro admits that his headaches, etc are symptoms of a condition which will end (shortly?) in his death and he starts to accidentally time freeze himself. He also accidentally time travels back to receiving his fortune at a carnival which he sees as the start of his journey. There he meets Samuel, who leads another group of Heroes all connected with the Carnival. Hiro does not disrupt receiving his own fortune, but stops Ando from spilling a drink on his sister's dress. When he returns to the present Ando and his sister are together; Hiro decides that his mission in life is to correct little things in the past. The Carnival appears all over the episode, the Carnival Heroes all(?) seems to have compasses and a speedster (I assume it's exactly Daphne's power) is sent to retrieve one from Denko. Samuel is also looking to "return" them (meaning leave the Carnival and take their powers into the general population?) and is thereby looking to recruit Hiro (who he is sent by another Hero to the past to speak with) and, at the end of the episode has identified the faces of three others they want to collect - Peter, Sylar and Claire (although the last picture wasn't too clear). Noah's having trouble getting back to work and thinks that the making Sylar into Nathan plan at the end of last season was a mistake (about time). He is encouraged by Angela to kill Tracey, particularly after she tries to kill him (Denko saves him). However, he changes path, saves Tracey by erasing Denko's memory of her and then teams up with Peter to find out why Denko was killed. Peter has gone back to being a paramedic and is solely focussed on saving lives using Mohinder's ability. He teams up with Noah, mimics the speedster ability, and discovers the compass reacts to him but refuses to help further. However, when Noah is attacked for it again, Peter is the one who arrives on the scene to save him. After initially trying to kill Noah, Tracey sees Danko, realises Noah has kept his word to her, and witnesses Denko's death. At the end of the episode it looks as though she and Bennet have teamed up. Angela is worried by Sylar in Nathan after he plans to reinvent himself (we discover the rough age of the character of Nathan for the first time - 40ish). She tries to convince him he's having a mid-life crisis, but then rings Matt asking him to come and "fix" it. Matt refuses. Matt's having plenty of troubles of his own, being haunted by Sylar who is sitting in his head somehow (not clear if this is something Sylar managed or a side-effect of guilt and it will probably never be clear). Matt's also got trust issues with his wife and is attending some sort of AA meeting (I assume having admitted to a substance abuse to receive help which he can translate into not using mind control powers). At the end of the episode, after much taunting from Sylar, he goes back to using his powers.
General comments: Not quite sure what I think yet. I'm not big on Hiro's stuff; the guy is really having several seasons of very bad luck here. I found all Matt's stuff depressing as well, particularly as we seem to be back into the "bad marriage" plot from the first season which wasn't enjoyable even then. The carnival has some nice powers, I particularly like the way in which Samuel and the woman have a sort of "team-up" (I think team-up powers are a feature Heroes could do more of). I also liked the knife-fights. Some nice references to season one.
Character by character:
- Claire - As bateleur said, bits were like watching season four of Buffy. Nice to see Sandra, briefly, as well (wouldn't she tell Noah if she had someone else because of Lyle being at home and stuff?). The murder/suicide looks interesting and both of us had Gretchen pegged as murderer (OK, she's the only other named character in that section!)
- Hiro - Life sure sucks for Hiro and has done since the start of season three. Dying, completely losing control of his abilities. His sister regarding him as a total nuisance. I hope stuff starts looking up soon. Oh, and I'm not sure that one little success would convince him to mess with the past after the entire Adam saga.
- Ando - I see Ando finally has a romantic plot after wanting a girlfriend since the pilot. Nothing else seems to have changed, though, he's still really Hiro side-kick material.
- Peter - Following on from Fugitives he's ignoring family, which I have some sympathy with after everything he was put through. Although I was surprised that he wasn't even returning Nathan's calls. Wonder how long he's going to remain in isolation; although I thought they did it well as, whilst distant, he still came across as the same nice person, getting on with everyone. It's unclear at the end of the episode whether he's left chowder for Noah as a parting gift, or because he's changed his mind about helping and will be back. I liked his paramedical partner, particularly that he's the same guy as before (and had some of the best lines - "she's named both of them Peter").
- Noah - Noah's marriage appears completely over (although we don't yet know if the man in Sandra's house was a romantic interest). Very nice to see a change of direction on the "helping" front though.
- Tracey - Appears to be turning more into Niki personality-wise now. What with the deciding she wants to help, etc (although I guess this is post-Rebel). I'll be very interested to see where the team-up with Bennet goes.
- Angela - Very little screen time. Also, appears to have utterly failed to get her family together as Nathan is having Sylar issues and she doesn't appear to be in contact with Peter at all. Nice reference to Arthur going off and having an affair when he hit forty, though - very believable.
- Sylar - He's now in two halves. Nathan has the powers, but appears to have absolutely no memories. Matt has the annoying Sylar personality. Given the situation, this isn't a bad way forward. After all, we've seen almost no Matt/Sylar in the previous three seasons. Although that they did it at all was idiotic.
- Matt - Is vying with Hiro for most sucky situation. Given he obviously doesn't trust Janice, why on earth did he go back? And, yeah, being the one haunted by Sylar given he was the least keen on the plan is awful for him.
- Mohinder - No sign so far; although Niki didn't appear until the third episode of season two, so he may still be in. I hope so, although I'll admit that there's not a Mohinder-shaped plot hole at the moment.
- The Haitian - Good to see him back, even briefly. Although I did wonder why he wasn't teaming up with Noah all the time (given Noah's whole lack of partner).
Title: The first one must be directed at the orientation of the audience and the second is explicitly about the roommate's death.
Themes: There's some reference back to the pilot. When Nathan/Sylar calls Peter he used the same phrases as Peter used back them when asking Nathan about his visions (and got about the same amount of help back - although Nathan did turn up in the taxi at the end). There's also the alone/family divide - Bennet, Peter and Tracey are all seen as alone at different times. Likewise the Carnival Heroes describe themselves as a family.
Continuity errors and other weirds: I wasn't big on Hiro constantly seeing the fortune at the Carnival as a big deal; although I accept
bateleur's interpretation that this is when he decided he was going to be a Hero (and thus ignored business training, etc) rather than having any thoughts of getting his powers from here. When Ando sees Hiro's sister in season one (is she played by the same actress - does anyone know?) the implication is that he doesn't know her / know her well (although immediately fancies her). That changes here.Season opening stuff in general: This reminded me a lot of the season opening for season two - lots of stuff about telling you where everyone now was. It felt somewhat sluggish in general (because they've all split up... AGAIN), but hopefully that will change. I applaud the Carnival as "something different", but I've not seen enough to say more.
