Heroes 1.22 Landslide

[bop_radar]

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!

Comments

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

It also seemed weird that Hiro would forget Ando is there and that ando would just take off on his own.

See, I think that everyone is forgetting is that as far as Ando knows, his own death --not to mention the deaths of *millions* of others -- is going to occur in the next 24-36 hours if someone does not stop Sylar.

We have no idea how long Hiro was in that backroom with his father, but if it was more than an hour, I don't blame Ando for not only getting antsy, but for deciding to take matters into his own hands. Hiro's already spent the better part of their time together in the episode dithering about whether he could make a difference; his encounter with Nathan seemed to completely deflate him. Again, as far as Ando knows, Mr. Nakamura actually isn't down with Hiro's whole "I must save the world," schtick, so from Ando's perspective, it's perfectly reasonable that Mr. N. might convince Hiro to come back to Japan -- that's exactly what the man tried to do the last time they ran into him, and Ando doesn't know that Hiro's father has really just been letting Hiro take a hero's journey with which Mr. N. actually agrees; we didn't know that until 25 minutes into the episode.

If New York's impending explosion was one week away, I'd agree that Ando should've waited. But it's occuring the next day if someone doesn't try to stop it. Remember, Ando doesn't know that Peter & Claire are also trying to avert disaster; he doesn't know that Hiro isn't the only person with a chance of stopping Sylar. As far as he knows, Hiro's the only one who can do it and Hiro's not only insisting that he can't, but he's very possibly in the process of being convinced to stop trying.

In Landslide, Ando's options are stand around wasting precious time they might not have when it's very possible Hiro's going to give up the quest, or, alternatively, do something that might make a difference. Do I think it's unfortunate that Ando lost faith in Hiro at the 11th hour? Absolutely. But I don't think it was unreasonable given what's at stake, the fact that it is the 11th hour, for all intents and purposes, and that Hiro's not communicating with him what's going on.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

That's very well explained. However, I don't think the show did a good job of putting us in Ando's perspective--no doubt because they'd rather have their 50th 'reveal' moment for the ep. (Plus, I'm particularly un-attuned to Ando because I find him a dull and rather insipid little man.) I agree that Mr Nakamura and Hiro were thoughtless and short-sighted in not filling Ando in. If Hiro insists on having a sidekick, he should keep him in the loop! ;-)

I don't think it's unreasonable of Ando to lose faith in Hiro--though I also don't think he did a good job of reasoning with Hiro, bolstering his faith or otherwise offering alternative solutions. Also, surely he could have interrupted them at least once before taking off? *shrugs* If Ando ends up being the one to stop Sylar, I will be very unhappy!

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

However, I don't think the show did a good job of putting us in Ando's perspective--no doubt because they'd rather have their 50th 'reveal' moment for the ep.

I think it might have helped to hear Ando's conversation with the shop owner -- instead of having a no-doubt abridged version of it paraphrased to us by the shop owner -- but just on a basic emotional level, I can get the sense of creeping panic if you knew your own death was happening in a little over a day and the one person you thought could change it was all, "la la la, rain of blood and toads," instead of addressing the problem. ;-) I agree that it's a bit of a narrative cheat that Hiro didn't think to check on Ando. Especially since, um, he and his dad obviously changed their clothes at some point. I could fanwank it that Mr. N. had the robes in his briefcase and, thus, they didn't have to leave that backroom, but there was still a pause in the proceedings. Hiro couldn't have checked on Ando at that point? Whatever, Tim Kring.

If Ando ends up being the one to stop Sylar, I will be very unhappy!

I'm pretty sure Ando is going to die, mostly because I think the show is playing with an idea of the future where all the small things are immutable -- Sylar still killed Isaac, he still got Ted's powers, he never got Claire's -- but the big thing, the bomb (or rather the effects of it) is mutable. I think the bomb can be stopped or the course of its destruction can be altered, but I think everything else Isaac foretold up until that point of divergence will occur as he foretold it, including Ando's death.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I think it might have helped to hear Ando's conversation with the shop owner
Yes, I think so. Though I definitely don't find the idea that Ando might want to save his own life unreasonable--I'm sure I'd be doing all I could to stop it too.

I could fanwank it that Mr. N. had the robes in his briefcase and, thus, they didn't have to leave that backroom, but there was still a pause in the proceedings. Hiro couldn't have checked on Ando at that point? Whatever, Tim Kring.
Right! It was all so daft. Apart from my grumbles about the improbability factor, the 'learn martial arts in a day' device has been done so many times, in so many spectacular ways, that you have to be damn good and damn original in your choreography/storytelling to hold my attention--and this wasn't. It just distracted me with its obvious construction.

I think the bomb can be stopped or the course of its destruction can be altered, but I think everything else Isaac foretold up until that point of divergence will occur as he foretold it, including Ando's death
That seems highly probable, yes.

[elli.livejournal.com]

You're right, I didn't think of that. It's interesting how everything leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

And I agree. I think Hiro should have gone out from time to time and not forgotten that Ando was there. Same goes for Ando. They should have communicated everything.

I just think that Ando, knowing he will die, shouldn't have rushed into something.