Some Heroes thoughts inspired by the original draft of the pilot

[selenak]

I suppose this is old news to other watchers, but the script of the "Heroes" pilot, dated 12/2/05 and presumably written before they cast any of the actors is very interesting as a work in progress, and illustrates, among other things, how it pays for TV makers to be flexible. For example, in this version, Claire's adopted father, Mr. Bennet, is not yet identical with Horned Rimmed Glasses; these are two different characters. (Also, his first name is Kent. KENT? Never mind, worse naming choices will be revealed.) As the HRG-Claire connection and relationship is rather crucial for the show as it turned out, I wonder who had the inspired idea to make the two characters one and the same, and whether it came before or after they cast Jack Coleman as HRG.

Also, Zach is a girl named Zoe, though he/she has the same dialogue. The line about Claire promising to talk to Zoe in public, which is in the pilot as broadcast and said to Zach, reminds me of something:



Although "Six Months Ago" has Claire being uneasy with Jackie's behaviour, she clearly was ambitious enough to go not just for the cheerleader position but also for the popular girl position in general, in fact so ambitious that she did ditch old pal Zach - Godsend has him (when mindwiped) bringing up again that Claire stopped talking to him in their later high school years, too - until she needed someone when finding out about her powers. She also reacts to the initial discovery by wishing it away, resenting the whole thing and trying as hard as she can to cling to her previous normal life. Of course, in a linchpin, she does come through, and uses her powers to save someone life. Does this remind you of anyone? Claire does share traits with Nathan after all.


Meanwhile, it's clear that the Petrelli brothers were planned as the most co-dependent relationship of the lot from the start. Only they're not the Petrellis yet; instead, they're the Campbells, and additionally burdened with the names Ethan (Peter) and Harrison (Nathan). Also, they're twins. Not being Italian does not stop them from getting physical (Harrison delivers Nathan's "you need to snap the fuck out of this, you understand?" etc - lines identical to what was broadcast eventually - after having grabbed Ethan and pulled him against a wall) or bursting into emotional declarations. Interestingly, one of the cuts mirrors the second Nathan and Peter scene from O.07, only with reverse positions. To wit:



HARRISON:

(...) What are you doing there, Ethan?

ETHAN:

Finding out who I am!

HARRISON:

You know who you are! You're my brother! My better half! The nicest guy on the planet!


And the scene ends with:


Ethan is heavy and Harrison unsteady. He can't hold him up. Ethan slips out of Harrison's arms! Harrison grabs on to Ethan's hand (...)

HARRISON:

Ethan...oh god...

A desperate beat, as they try to hold on.

ETHAN

It's okay. I love you, Harrison.

And as Ethan's fingers begin to slip, Harrison holds on for dear life as we slam to black: The End.


Now, aside from the fact some script editor must have said "Kring, let's save the declarations until a bit later", the most important change made was from twin brothers to older brother/younger brother, and that obviously came with the casting; same with the name change and the Italian-American background. In regards to Angela Petrelli, who is Alice Campbell in the draft, and how she developed in the course of the show, it's definitely worth noting that even in her introduction scene, the script says "don't let her sweet appearance fool you, this is a formidable woman"; if anything, the "your brother doesn't love you" discussion later with Ethan is even harsher on her part than the one Angela and Peter have in the broadcast version. Ah, Petrellis. Even when you were Campbells, you were outlined as such a screwed up family.

Comments

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads-up! I missed out that script and loved to read your analysis. The Petrellis are so twisted, it's beautiful for any brothercest fan *G*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

As Giles would put it, the subtext is rapidly becoming text.*g*

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Screwed up and subtexty. Hee!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

They so are. I *heart* them in their dysfunctional co dependent glory. Though I'm really glad about the name change! And the casting, oh, the casting...

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, the casting. MV took a while to grow on me because of Gilmore Girls, but oh, he has. And, of course, Adrian Pasdar is why I'm still watching. The changes have been to the good.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I never watched Gilmore Girls, so I didn't have expectations one way or the other. But given this script, I'm not surprised that they said they were looking for chemistry when casting the brothers, because well, yes. And AP & MV have it in spades.

Besides, given the Niki/Jessica situation, twins would heve felt, well, doubled; older brother/younger brother, on the other hand, avoids the doppelganger motiv and brings in some different issues.

[wychwood]

How intriguing! The mechanics of TV can be pretty cool, can't they. And you're right about Claire, too.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

They can. Re: Claire, that's something which first occured to me a couple of days ago, and reading that script really brought it home.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Ah, awesome find! I'd say most of these changes are for the better, especially the merging of HRG and "Kent." And turning Ethan and Harrison (ouch) into Peter and Nathan, which I don't only approve of because of the casting, but also because I think the Petrellis are more interesting as Italian Americans than they would have been as WASPs.
Second your observations on Alice/Angela, and on Claire being similar to her bio dad (also, here I couldn't help noticing that he would have been indeed fairly young - around sixteen? - when she was conceived, which moves everything we have heard of his parents apparent involvement last episode in a somewhat different direction); these are clues I think that Kring did indeed plan quite a lot of the family and the connections beforehand.

Something who I feel actually did get the short stick was D.L., who is much more prominent here (well, the fact that he is around at all before the fifth episode is a point in itself).

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

"Something who" in the last sentence is meant to be "Someone who." Yikes.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Harrison (ouch)

I know! Nobody but the actor formely known as Indiana Jones should have to bear that burden.*g*

also, here I couldn't help noticing that he would have been indeed fairly young - around sixteen? - when she was conceived, which moves everything we have heard of his parents apparent involvement last episode in a somewhat different direction);

Well, the script says twins are 34, so he wouldn't have been that much younger than Nathan eventually was, but of course that makes Ethan's drifting somewhat different than Peter's (at 26).

Italian Americans versus WASPs: seconded. But then, I'm prejudiced. *whistles Godfather tune*

D.L.: indeed. In the show as broadcast, I was seriously surprised we saw him at all; I hadn't expected him to be more than backstory.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Well, the script says twins are 34, so he wouldn't have been that much younger than Nathan eventually was, but of course that makes Ethan's drifting somewhat different than Peter's (at 26).

Going by the War Buddies comic - which is shaky, as show canon and comic canon do divert occasionally - Nathan should have been born between '66-'67, if we take the letter into account, as well as the fact that by his own estimation, Dallas had been in Vietnam for two years by November '68 (I'll just take for granted that he is Nathan's father to not further complicate matters). That would have made him 21 when Claire was born - an adult, and thus someone who at least theoretically should have had more to say about how to deal with his girlfriend and daughter than a minor (we are talking about the Petrellis here of course, so I'd think he would still have been in trouble had he been 32 at that point).

I agree about Peter's drifting having a different impact since he is in only in his mid-twenties; it also changes due to Nathan not being his twin, and thus automatically more successful at the same age.

Italian Americans versus WASPs: seconded. But then, I'm prejudiced. *whistles Godfather tune*

Unsuccessfully tries to envision Peter as Michael Corleone.

D.L.: indeed. In the show as broadcast, I was seriously surprised we saw him at all; I hadn't expected him to be more than backstory.

I was spoiled for his eventual appearance, but other than his initial storyline of taking Micah away from Jessica, he had so little impact, that I'm really wondering why they bothered bringing him into the mix. But maybe they'll do something with him now that Micah has been spirited away by Linderman.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

That would have made him 21 when Claire was born - an adult, and thus someone who at least theoretically should have had more to say about how to deal with his girlfriend and daughter than a minor (we are talking about the Petrellis here of course, so I'd think he would still have been in trouble had he been 32 at that point).

I really want more on the Meredith backstory. When she says to Nathan, re: Claire, "she thought you'd save her from her sad life - sounds familiar?" it sounds like an allusion to their old relationship, so she did expect him to save/marry her. But otoh, it doesn't sound as if he just dumped her when she got pregnant, either; other than that remark, she's nowhere near bitter enough for that, and if he went to her funeral, she wasn't a "secret" he kept at the time, either. Also, he recognizes her voice after 14 years, so I do believe him when he says to Angela she meant something to him. Angela's "Nathan's folly in Texas" description sounds like Meredith was beyond the pale for the senior Petrellis socially; or she might have been "folly'" because he could have considered moving there and living with her and Claire instead of following his career. We just don't know.

Unsuccessfully tries to envision Peter as Michael Corleone.

"That's my family, Simone. It's not me."

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

I really want more on the Meredith backstory.

Oh, seconded. They really built it up as something more than just a fling, in the way Nathan reacted to her call and later when he talked to Angela, and the way they interacted with each other, be that on the phone or later in the trailer. I also thought that Angela's whole demeanour in her conversation with Nathan had very much of an enraged parent whose underage son has messed up badly - to contrast, she is as cold and ruthlessly practical when she suggests hiding Peter's body until after the election, but she doesn't treat him with the same scorn. It suggests that she did definitely see Meredith as a fauxpas Nathan committed, and the "folly" remark nicely underscores that

Tim Kring said at some point that we'd see more of Meredith in Season Two, so I hope we'll eventually find out the details.

"That's my family, Simone. It's not me."

Hee. It has been ages since I saw the movie. Now I'll see Marlon Brando every time I try to imagine Dallas.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

instead, they're the Campbells,

Okay, I admit it, the Immortal was involved with the pilot --

I'm obviously going to have to rent the DVDs for this show when it comes out, aren't I?

I got frustrated trying to watch it week to week, but fandom is trying to suck me in :)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

LOL. Yes, he clearly was.

Having watched 18 episodes within two weeks, I was not frustrated, but know from other shows what you mean. go for the DVDs, though! Now that you are a Marvelverse expert, you'll get such a kick out of it. cadesama and self keep comparing and being amused by the variations, contrasts and parallels to certain people whose last names begin with S....

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Hee, well, I remember getting that vibe off Peter right away, in the pilot -- the scene where he's in the back of the cab and the sun makes his glasses glow kind of red. Plus the name change to "Peter" has fairly obvious Marvel resonances; and Nathan's also a name with a lot of history in the Summers family, though that one strikes me as much more likely to be a coincidence --

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Here's what C. and I came up with:

C: Okay, Peter is clearly Alex Summers - younger brother, emotionally unstable, could explode, but Nathan is so not Scott. He's Sebastian Shaw.

Self: No, he's Tony Stark during and post Civil War.

C: Unfair to drag in non-mutants!

Self: Same universe, though, so it counts!

And yes, obvious resonances, especially with the alliterations.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha, you do know how to pimp your fandom. . .

One of the reasons I didn't get into the show from the first few episodes (I think I watched 3 or 4 before I stopped) was that I felt like I should have liked Peter but I just wanted to smack him. I liked Nathan somewhat more even though it seemed like he was supposed to be the "bad" brother. But if Peter is Alex, rather than Scott, and Nathan is Tony, that's perfect. (Peter can even be Peter, though in this case it's sort of a reverse -- with Peter WANTING them to expose themselves, and Nathan wanting to stay in the closet. Though Stark definitely had his closet periods, too. . .) So, who's the mother?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I felt like I should have liked Peter but I just wanted to smack him. I liked Nathan somewhat more even though it seemed like he was supposed to be the "bad" brother.

Ah, no. Way more complicated. And if you stopped that early you missed the whole fun twistedness of that relationship and that it's anything but good and bad brother. Ep 5 is the first time you see Nathan in detail (and he has some great character scenes), and ep 7 is when the Petrelli family dynamic really gets under scrutiny, complete with mutual manipulations (showing that Peter does know how he can get to Nathan if he really wants to and is definitely not the naive here), great snark and fantastic affection/anger mixture.

So, who's the mother?

That's tricky, because steely manipulative matriarchs are rare in the marvelverse. Aunt May has the spine, but is far too nice. Mystique is too crazy; ditto Cassandra. Actually, she's more like a female Ultimate!Charles Xavier than anyone else...

Not really that Mystique is crazy...

[alara-r.livejournal.com]

...more that Mystique is not a behind-the-scenes manipulator. Mystique is a fighter, a combat leader, not a person who pulls strings from afar.

Ultimate Charlotte Xavier actually is a very good description, though. :-)

I take it back...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

...and you're right, that's the more important difference as to why she's not a good Marvelverse likeness for Angela Petrelli.

Glad you approve of Ultimate Charlotte Xavier!

[g_shadowslayer]

Oh what a find! I'm very glad they changed those names, though. *shudders*

And... and... *sporfles*
(Also, his first name is Kent. KENT? Never mind, worse naming choices will be revealed.)

As opposed to now, where he doesn't have a first name! Even on his driver's license (I wanted to post a screencap, but WMP was not cooperating and I got a lovely black rectangle...) the ONLY name listed is "Bennet"!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Oh, I want to know Bennet's first name, too, but I maintain "Kent" is not what he should be called.*g* (Though if he is, someone has to write that story where Claude teases him mercilessly about it.)