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Heroes : ".07%"
Wow. In the 400 years since we last got an episode, I think I had forgotten exactly how wonderful it is to see a show juggle multiple plotlines and character arcs so well. I also managed to forget how this show fills me with so much glee I have a hard time analyzing it rationally. But let me give it a shot.
Good and Bad Parents
Lindermann has, in only two brief appearances, completely supplanted Lionel Luthor as my favorite magnificent bastard. Holy crap, what a wonderfully complex villain he is! I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this from a show that gave us Mr. Bennett and Mama Petrelli, but DAMN. How beautifully ironic that his heroic power is healing, and that he wants to give the world hope by first giving it fear. And how simultaneously wonderful and tragic that today's Heroes are apparently repeating history: a history that left Mama Petrelli with deep regrets, Lindermann with a deeply creepy desire to destroy the world in order to save it, and presumably Hiro's dad with his own issues that I'm sure we'll discover in future episodes.
And you know, if Lindermann turns out to be Nathan's real dad? Heroes officially becomes the fandom with the most incest EVER. Because as Lindermann was trying to turn Nathan to the dark side of the force, there was a definite slashy vibe, which must be added to the pre-existing subtext between Peter/Claire, Nathan/Claire, and of course, the completely over-the-top Nathan/Peter vibe. Hell, Nathan/Peter has practically left the realm of subtext to become text. I half expect them to just be making out onscreen in the next episode. I mean, first Nathan's total anguish on seeing Peter died, and that lovely Pieta-esque hug, and then the conversation afterwards: "I don't know who I am without you"? DAMN.
Thinking about recurrent themes in this episode, I actually think the writers may be deliberately playing with incesty themes as a way to examine different shades of parental love. For example, the shapechanging Hero whose name I have forgotten was threatening to start seducing Mr. Bennett in the form of Claire. Come to think of it, the shapeshifter also delivered Micah to Lindermann in a way that could be read, possibly, as having weird "pandering to the pedophile" overtones. (Was I just imagining that? Maybe it's just that I find Linderman SO creepy that I can't read his paternal concern in any way other than the perverse?)
If Lindermann is the perverse father, and Nathan is the father who alternates between neglect (ignoring Claire up until this point in her life) and protection (sending Claire away presumably to protect her from the bomb and whatever his plan to avert it is), then Mr. Bennett is of course the good father, protecting Claire at his own expense and acting rather paternalistically to Matt and Ted. True, he's trying to effect his own escape as well, and searching for allies, but I do feel he was being deliberately contrasted against Lindermann as a good paternal figure in this episode. And I just loved how amazingly competent he was, even if he is inadvertantly setting the stage for the nuclear catastrophe.
Contrasting with our trio of father figures, we have a pair of mothers, in Jessica and Mama Petrelli. Both of them will sacrifice a lot to protect their children, though surprisingly Jessica seems to be the one most likely to look out for her son's true interests. I was pretty impressed, actually, that Jessica stood up to Lindermann to protect Micah, because even though she's exhibited protectiveness toward him in the past, we hadn't, I don't think, seen any self-sacrifice in that protectiveness before. She's clearly not going to let Micah be exploited if she has a choice, which is the first really admirable characteristic she's ever exhibited, even if she fails to actually protect him. Meanwhile, Mama Petrelli "protected" Claire by giving her to the company--and clearly she thinks her decision was justified, to spare Claire whatever exploitation she herself experienced? And yet her protectiveness can't be divorced from her ambition for her son. She won't let Claire, or even Peter's death, stand in the way of Nathan's election. Why? Is she being manipulated by Lindermann? Does she buy his vision of the future? Or does she simply think that if Nathan has power she'll be free in a way she is not now? I'm uncertain of anything except that she must have a deeper motive than just ambition.
Is the future predetermined?
So parenthood, good and bad, was a big theme in this episode, but the other huge theme was the fixity of the future: can the future really be changed, or is it predetermined? Isaac's death, which Hiro hoped to prevent, was not averted, though it's hard to tell how much of that is because Isaac simply gave up, and how much was predetermined. Peter's "death" seemed, for a few moments, to challenge the predestined future (or at least the accuracy of Isaac's visions), and yet when Peter revived the audience--and possibly Nathan?--realized that it may not be possible to change the future Isaac saw. I loved the fact that Hiro is realizing that changing the timeline might not be possible, and that it would be a good idea to investigate more before jumping around in time again. And I'm sure most of the rest of the audience squealed as loudly as I did when Hiro came face to face with his future self!!
Finally, I have to return to Isaac's death. Was he giving up because he had lost so much? Was he making some sort of heroic sacrifice to ensure an outcome he had seen in the future? I really hope the latter is true, because giving the power of future visions to Sylar seems like ceding the battle to him, otherwise, and I'd like to think better of Isaac than that.
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I honestly think we're being set up to see someone *else* explode - or attempt to explode - NYC. Ted has been taught to burn "bright" rather than "hot" by a very cagey Mr. Bennet - so I think he is eliminated as the exploding man. It might be nice to see what happens when the 'old' heroes begin to reconnect. Mr. Nakamura, Mr. Lindermann, Mama Petrelli, possibly Claude...and watch their fatalistic world view as it compares to the less jaded point of view as the 'new' heroes we are seeing.
I think Issac has seen (and sent off) a newer vision of the future - perhaps one that we don't get to see until the end. He very ominously (and happily) tells Sylar that eventually even with all the collected skills, Sylar won't win. I took Issac giving himself over as a very clear and rational thing to do. Peter has had visions of the future as well, and two of those people are now not there to witness or participate in that future. Does their absence change things? Possibly. The most compelling aspect of this show is that the pieces are constantly falling into place and then changing.
I'm kind of interested in how it is Mohinder is so easily manipulated, though. For a supposedly intelligent and intellectual creature, Mohinder is so quick to accept what is shown to him as fact.
I do have to admit that I don't see a lot of the incestuous energy other people do (other than Peter/Claire, but I really don't find that fairly incest, since the show gave us that energy between them before the big reveal), but the concept of the family relationships being toyed with in the ways you outline, Nora? I find that totally fascinating. :)
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Ooh, interesting theory. Though perhaps, if it is Peter that absorbs his power, he doesn't get the skill set along with the power? Or maybe--completely speculating here--Sylar eats Ted's brains and he's the one that explodes?
think Issac has seen (and sent off) a newer vision of the future - perhaps one that we don't get to see until the end. He very ominously (and happily) tells Sylar that eventually even with all the collected skills, Sylar won't win.
I really hope this is true. I loved Isaac's last scene--the tone was certainly heroic--so I hope his sacrifice does help bring Sylar down.
I'm kind of interested in how it is Mohinder is so easily manipulated, though. For a supposedly intelligent and intellectual creature, Mohinder is so quick to accept what is shown to him as fact.
Ah, well, at this point at least it's character continuity that when it comes to common sense things, Mohinder is as dumb as a brick.
do have to admit that I don't see a lot of the incestuous energy other people do
I blame this ENTIRELY on fandom, which seems to have given me not only slashy goggles, but also incest goggles. It's a little disturbing, really. And it's quite possible I'm reading this episode a little too much through these goggles, since I haven't seen anyone else picking up on any of the stuff I brought up above (except for the Nathan/Peter moments, I mean).
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I feel you. It was hard pulling my thoughts together for my own post because all I wanted to say was, "Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!! My show is back! My show is back!! Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!" but that would have gotten old for ten paragraphs.
then Mr. Bennett is of course the good father, protecting Claire at his own expense and acting rather paternalistically to Matt and Ted. True, he's trying to effect his own escape as well, and searching for allies, but I do feel he was being deliberately contrasted against Lindermann as a good paternal figure in this episode.
Oh, I agree. Bennet guided Matt and Ted to safety and he gave Ted a very specific kind of encouragement that made it possible for Ted to eventually understand that his powerful doesn't necessarily have to always be destructive. I loved watching him win them over, especially because he was using truth to do it.
If Linderman was encouraging his charges to act on the worst of their impulses, Bennet was encouraging Matt and Ted to act on the better of their impulses; that's how I think they were contrasted, if that makes sense.
And ITA with you on how awesome Linderman is. This is easily Malcolm McDowell's best role in years and he's playing it to the stylish, fantastic hilt.
we have a pair of mothers, in Jessica and Mama Petrelli. Both of them will sacrifice a lot to protect their children, though surprisingly Jessica seems to be the one most likely to look out for her son's true interests. I was pretty impressed, actually, that Jessica stood up to Lindermann to protect Micah, because even though she's exhibited protectiveness toward him in the past, we hadn't, I don't think, seen any self-sacrifice in that protectiveness before.
I loved the conversation between D.L. and Jessica because you could see D.L.'s words sinking in to her and then she acted on that when she went to see Linderman. She 'got' what D.L. was saying to her: it's one thing if she wants to remain entangled in Linderman's dealings, but pulling Micah into it/letting Micah be pulled into it is another story entirely. I really enjoyed seeing the thread of that conversation carried out in Jessica's actions later on.
And well, let's just say that Linderman's henchmen are in for a world of hurt when Jessica figures out what happened.
So parenthood, good and bad, was a big theme in this episode, but the other huge theme was the fixity of the future: can the future really be changed, or is it predetermined?
That was definitely the big question of the evening and I like the ambiguity of it. I mean, Isaac's death could arguably have been averted had Sylar remained in Primatech custody, but Mr. Bennet's focus on Claire got in the way of that because Sylar got free when Bennet sent the Haitian to wipe Claire, Lyle and Zach's minds. So, it's like: how much of this is pre-determined and how much of it is a function of intervenining decisions made by the characters themselves? Or are those decisions fated to be made no matter what? Definitely something to chew on as as the remainder of the season unfolded.
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And yet *bounces up and down* our show is back! Yay!!!! *Twirls you*
If Linderman was encouraging his charges to act on the worst of their impulses, Bennet was encouraging Matt and Ted to act on the better of their impulses; that's how I think they were contrasted, if that makes sense.
Oh, yes, I like the way you put that. And it is pretty amazing how Bennet is showing Ted that his power doesn't *have* to be destructive.
And ITA with you on how awesome Linderman is. This is easily Malcolm McDowell's best role in years and he's playing it to the stylish, fantastic hilt.
I think he may have become my favorite villain of all time. God, when he told Jessica he'd make Micah a sandwich! That was on par with him denying Nathan pot pie because he was pointing a gun at him. Oh, and speaking of Jessica, good call on her taking D.L.'s words to heart, and really starting to think about the danger she's putting Micah in while working for Linderman.
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HAHAHA! I had that thought too!
Mr. Bennett is of course the good father, protecting Claire at his own expense and acting rather paternalistically to Matt and Ted.
Mmm, yes, but it's interesting that Mr Bennett himself seemed rather creepily attached to his daughter to begin with--I definitely felt an incest-y vibe with that family to begin with, and he is abusing his wife... I mean, I love him, but even the 'good' characters have their creepy 'cest-y side.
we hadn't, I don't think, seen any self-sacrifice in that protectiveness before.
Good point! I was wondering why I was loving that scene so much. I was just fixated on how much better than Nikki she seemed...
I loved the fact that Hiro is realizing that changing the timeline might not be possible, and that it would be a good idea to investigate more before jumping around in time again.
Yeah, that was encouraging to see.
I took Isaac's sacrifice at face value--it may well have damning consequences but it makes sense to me that HE thinks he's doing the right thing. (I ramble about that a bit more in my review.) It remains to be seen whether he's being Mohinder-like in doing the wrong thing for the right reasons or he's actually going to be a lynchpin in the undoing of Sylar. I'm actually inclined to think the show may go the 'lynchpin' route with his character. One Mohinder is enough, surely! ;-)
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It's funny how this fandom is completely split between people who totally see the incest everywhere and those who don't see it at all.
Oh, and good point about Mr. Bennett having his own "creepy dad" side--I think I just meant in the context of this episode he was playing good dad, but unquestionably he is more complex taken as a whole.
It remains to be seen whether he's being Mohinder-like in doing the wrong thing for the right reasons or he's actually going to be a lynchpin in the undoing of Sylar. I'm actually inclined to think the show may go the 'lynchpin' route with his character. One Mohinder is enough, surely! ;-)
Hee! I hope you're right. Geez, Mohinder is the most annoying mixture of brilliant and dumb, isn't he?
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I'm actually coming to the conclusion that Mohinder is entirely dumb. As yet he hasn't come up with anything original himself--he's just following Papa. If he displays some startling insight, I'll revise my opinion but I'm not holding my breath...