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Heroes 1.22 Landslide
Heroes didn't really do it for me last night, so bear that in mind before you clicky. This episode contained one of my most hated devices. The 'learn martial arts in a day' device. And yes, I know it is ridiculous of me, in a comic-book universe, to fixate on this one piece of implausibility, but it bothered Greg Beeman too, damn it! I read it in his blog! (While shaking my head and thinking 'yeah, you should have listened to that small voice of reason, Greg!') So skip the rest of this para if you don't want to hear me rant. I guess I should have seen it coming... but I was hoping there would at least be a bit more offscreen time. Instead, no, Hiro magically learns to fight in an afternoon. Not only that, but he spouts some philosophy as well! *headdesk* Eeeeeeek! It couldn't get worse. I'm sorry, but it takes years, YEARS, to learn even the basics of a martial art (in my club it was a mantra that black belt was where your learning began), and as for philosophical insights... well those are even harder to come by, and completely meaningless unless you've lived them. I understand that most people will just run with it, but it's one of those things that just always is a sticking point for me. Especially because it is so often avoidable. Why wouldn't Hiro's father have had him train in a martial art (even a different martial art would have helped) as a child? Then he could have just been taking a 'masterclass', so to speak. I could have handwaved that a LOT easier. Of course I understand that heroes will always be shown to be able to absorb the requisite skills/knowledge faster than 'mere mortals', but Hiro's power has got nothing to do with martial arts! And I'm not even sure his cardiovascular capacity is that great. *frowns at him* He'd need to train dammit. Ok. Fine. I'm going to fanwank that he time travelled back to relive the same hour over and over and over and over again, for, like, TEN YEARS. *is slightly appeased*
On to the rest of the episode... I have to admit that I *lol*'d at Peter's last-minute 'wait! don't shoot me in the head like I asked you to!' reaction. Oh, Peter! *facepalm* That was one of the most obvious fakeouts they've had yet. On the other end of the scale, I really loved Sylar acquiring Ted's power and the last sequence with him standing on the rooftop playing with it and saying 'boom'. The melodramatic villainy was fun.
It is, of course, encouraging to see all the heroes drawing closer and closer together and I liked the way they crossed paths in this episode. I'm really glad that Hiro made his appeal to Nathan, and that Nathan turned it down. While I don't think Nathan's choice is the right or noble one, their altercation helped convince me of his position and it seems convincing of his character that he's been swayed by Lindermann. He's not happy about it, but he thinks the future can't be changed. That was the most chilling thing he could possibly say to Hiro, who already has good reason to fear that very fact. But Nathan could have made a different decision, which that scene also showed--that was a possible turning point--and he didn't. So I found the scene powerful and effective, even if it means Nathan's gone over to the 'dark' side.
I thought it was very cool that Lindermann healed Nathan's wife--his power is an incredible one. But he's been killed now? That's a little hard to process. DL punching into his skull was extremely gross. I wished I cared more that DL was dying... I think it's bad news for Micah since I don't believe either Nikki or Jessica is a good parent. He should hang with the shapechanger some more, especially since we finally learnt a bit more about her character--her true form is presumably the one that we saw at the election booth, I assume.
Speaking of the election rigging, I found that kind of stupid and implausible too. Surely there would be an investigation into that kind of turnaround in the election results. Yes, yes, I know--it's a comic book universe--but... but... *frustrated*
The final sequence was more satisfying in its suspensefulness, but I'm really just itching for them to get to the final showdown now. Enough with the developments I have to handwave! Get to the good stuff!
On to the rest of the episode... I have to admit that I *lol*'d at Peter's last-minute 'wait! don't shoot me in the head like I asked you to!' reaction. Oh, Peter! *facepalm* That was one of the most obvious fakeouts they've had yet. On the other end of the scale, I really loved Sylar acquiring Ted's power and the last sequence with him standing on the rooftop playing with it and saying 'boom'. The melodramatic villainy was fun.
It is, of course, encouraging to see all the heroes drawing closer and closer together and I liked the way they crossed paths in this episode. I'm really glad that Hiro made his appeal to Nathan, and that Nathan turned it down. While I don't think Nathan's choice is the right or noble one, their altercation helped convince me of his position and it seems convincing of his character that he's been swayed by Lindermann. He's not happy about it, but he thinks the future can't be changed. That was the most chilling thing he could possibly say to Hiro, who already has good reason to fear that very fact. But Nathan could have made a different decision, which that scene also showed--that was a possible turning point--and he didn't. So I found the scene powerful and effective, even if it means Nathan's gone over to the 'dark' side.
I thought it was very cool that Lindermann healed Nathan's wife--his power is an incredible one. But he's been killed now? That's a little hard to process. DL punching into his skull was extremely gross. I wished I cared more that DL was dying... I think it's bad news for Micah since I don't believe either Nikki or Jessica is a good parent. He should hang with the shapechanger some more, especially since we finally learnt a bit more about her character--her true form is presumably the one that we saw at the election booth, I assume.
Speaking of the election rigging, I found that kind of stupid and implausible too. Surely there would be an investigation into that kind of turnaround in the election results. Yes, yes, I know--it's a comic book universe--but... but... *frustrated*
The final sequence was more satisfying in its suspensefulness, but I'm really just itching for them to get to the final showdown now. Enough with the developments I have to handwave! Get to the good stuff!
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I love it! I have to say the election results really bugged me too, but I didn't want to get into it in case the US system was just a whole lot weirder and more different than I knew! But I work as an election official here in Australia, and it's a loooooooong day!
(a) Peter's such a drama queen sometimes and (2) way to make your niece second-guess herself in the midst of impending crisis, Pete.
Exactly! He's lucky Claire's a smart and thoughtful little cookie, otherwise he'd have been offed already. As uncles go, he kinda sucks!
he's so lucky he won me over during Homecoming because now when I mock, it's entirely with love instead of growling irritation
*nods* Truly!
Nathan could still surprise all of us -- after all, there's one more hour of story to go and no one anticipated that he was working with the FBI to take Linderman down earlier in the season until we were given that reveal -- but I'd be lying if I said that I'm not disappointed in him right now.
True. I think he might still surprise us, and if that's the case I'm still glad that the Nathan/Hiro scene played the way it did--it would have been too easy for Hiro to run up and persuade him. In the battle for Nathan's conscience it's Hiro versus Nathan's mother, institutional power and political influence--Nathan likes Hiro but that's not enough to sway him. I don't think Nathan's abandonned his conscience entirely--I think he just believes that political means are his best way of exercising influence. However, what I wouuld really really love is for him to use his flying powers to save the world, after all. He's dismissed them, and they've been mocked, but... I hold out hope.