Heroes 2.04 The Kindness of Strangers
Oct. 16th, 2007 04:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakNo internet connection in this hotel, or rather, there is supposed to be one, but it doesn’t work. I’m hoping I’ll find an internet café to post my review at, written on the trusty notebook. But written it must be, because I loved The Kindness of Strangers.
“I have always relied on the kindness of strangers,” is what Blanche Dubois says at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire, after the rape by her brother-in-law has destroyed what was left of her sanity, transforming the doctor from the asylum for the mentally insane who has come to take her into a romantic figure of her imagination who comes to her aide. Given the context, it’s one of the darkest, most ironic quotes. There are various possibilities to apply it in this episode.
Obviously, there are Maya y Alejandro, who had the bad luck of encountering Sylar on the road. (By the way, that he ended up here either indicates his surroundings in the last episode were a Candice-created illusion – only then how were they maintained after he killed Candice, OR DID HE? – or that various swamp islands were somehow in Mexico. Either way, there he is, using his old name for the first time in a long while and resenting the hell out of it, and then fate gives him not just two more supers but a trip to New York to meet dear Dr. Suresh. “I helped him to find so many of you.” That’s one way of putting it. IMO Sylar has the vague idea that Mohinder would know a way to “fix” him, so that he can aquire powers again, and he’ll persuade his pretty Indian scientist one way or the other. He does not need superpowers to kill – RIP, Derek, who probably did steal Claire’s car in which they’re currently travelling – but it’s rather nice he’s in the presence of someone who can kill very efficiently with superpowers. (We do not want Sylar to get Maya’s power. No, we don’t.) And note that Maya repeats Mohinder’s mistake of last season: she’s far too trusting and bonds instantly with him. The kindness of strangers indeed.
There is also New Orleans, the setting of Tennessee Williams’ play. Where we find out more about Micah’s family and meet a new hero. Monica is the most instantly likeable character of the newbies so far, and I took to her at once. Her cheerfulness and determination feel just right without being over the top – can it be the actress is better than Maya’s, though perhaps given Maya had to angst non stop so far, I shouldn’t be down on the actress – and later, when her dream didn’t come true, she was sad without giving you the sense she was helpless. Oh, and: female character, introduced not in distress or menaced sexually. Later when bad guy shows up and menaces (though not sexually, he just wants some cash), she deals with him on her own. Writers, see, you can do it.
Meanwhile, we continue to get new interaction between our old cast, and can I say I loved the Matt-Nathan scenes? Okay, so I loved every single Nathan scene, to no one’s surprise, and I’ll get to that, but I really like the way Matt is integrated with the ensemble this season. Confiding in Nathan regarding the investigation made sense, as it directly concerns him via Angela, but what came as an agreeable surprise was Matt also adding the info about Molly’s nightmares AND then going all confessionary on Nathan Petrelli, of all the people. I loved how Nathan was taken aback by that at first (if Peter weren’t suspected dead, I guess some flippant remark about having the wrong Petrelli would have been on the offering) but said “if you want to unload, go ahead”. (With his back turned to Matt, as he’s really not into this let’s share our feelings thing, but in its unterstated way, it was Nathan being civil to a non-family member other than Hiro. Behold!) Which Matt promptly did. Filling us in some details about his divorce from Janice to boot. Now in theory it still could be a ruse, with Janice and the baby going into hiding so the Company won’t be after them, and even the claim that the baby is by what’s his name whose nose Matt broke could tie into that (they wouldn’t be interested in a non-special baby), but otoh I somehow can’t see Matt confiding something as personal as his wife cheating on him and the baby being someone else’s to Nathan in this particular situation as a strategem. Rather than as the truth how he sees it. In any case, this is a scenario in which the almost-stranger, Nathan, actually is kind. (In his Nathan way.)
Nathan’s “I don’t know you that well” when Matt invites confidences about Nathan’s own children is very him – never mind the fact he knows the guy can read his thoughts, he just doesn’t do that – but nonetheless, for Nathan, he was remarkably open to Matt. Just not about his own state; about his mother embracing Kaito a bit too long. (For those of us who wondered how he’d react to the Angela/Kaito affair of yore: congrats to everyone who said it would be deadpan, and not shocked. Bets are still open about Hiro’s reaction which we might just get, given that the scriptwriters thought it necessary to remind us of that dangerous liason again this week.) And Matt gets to see (some of) the family photos. Petrelli Senior is frustratingly turned away in that group shot, so we still don’t know what he looked like. The woman standing next to Matt’s father, otoh, is shown so clearly that I have the sinking feeling she’ll be the next victim, and the reason we see her on the photo in such detail is so that we recognize her. As for Matt’s father, that one was a stunner I had not expected. Any of it. Parkman Senior being a member of the group, let alone the Nightmare Man. Okay, given that he’s identified so early, one suddenly doubts whether he’s the killer. He could be used by someone else, perhaps?
Parkman Senior being a criminal, otoh, was not that surprising; Matt is the type who’d compensate by being a cop. His giving into temptation and taking the diamonds last season is very interesting in this light, though. Am very amused about the daddy issues exchange with Mohinder. Who, btw, sang an Indian song very sweetly to Molly; that was a very nice touch.
Speaking of issues, dads, and father-child relations. Oh, Petrellis. Also, THANK YOU WRITERS. I never dared to hope that we’d see Simon and Monty again, let alone that they’d get lines, or that we’d see some actual interaction between Nathan and his children beyond a brief glimpse. Simon and Monty, like Lyle, are the kids the writers seem to remember only very occasionally, but now they did. That was a lovely scene providing all sorts of information, from where Petrellis go to school (Simon and Monty are in school uniform, so I’m guessing private school, possibly Catholic private school?), to the split-up between Heidi and Nathan having been more bitter than we assumed if Nathan isn’t supposed to be near the kids and the teacher knows that, to further confirmation, other than those two short looks in season 1, that Nathan actually is being a functional dad for the boys. (And![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
47_trek_47 wins at fandom for guessing the importance of promises in the Nathan-his sons relationship in her fanfic.) That he tells them to call their grandmother is something I wouldn’t have expected, and brings me to that sublimely dysfunctional relationship, the one between Angela and Nathan.
“Don’t let your children hate you,” says Angela to Nathan, “not if you can help it.” Peter never hated her, so three guesses as to whom she means. I think what Nathan feels for her is a mixture of love and hate, but the attack on her clearly kickstarted something in him and made him shape up a little. One can argue that Nathan is conditioned to be the responsible one; if a family member is in real, true distress, he has to come through. But there is also the fact that Angela provides her special brand of cutting truths. It’s so typical for these two that Angela in a scene where you get that rare impression she loves her older son as well (as opposed to seeing him as a race horse, you know) first delivers a put down: “Just because you’ve shaved doesn’t mean you’re sober.” This is so them.
As to Angela’s reasoning for her fake confession: hmmmmm. I can buy the reason she gives Matt – that an investigation will lead the mundanes to the specials and a public outing will ensue – but only as one among several. Then there’s what she tells Nathan, that she feels guilty, not for Kaito’s death but for so many other things. Could be, or not; you can’t tell. But I think the major one has to be that she knows who the killer is. (BTW, am gratified that my guess from last week was true and Angela’s wounds were self inflicted, which means either the killer made her see something which resulted in this, or he turned her power against her.)
I might have missed something, but among the photos Nathan looks at in his last scene, as opposed to the scene with Matt earlier, there isn’t one of Heidi. There are some of Angela, several of Peter and himself (and new ones, too, not just variations of the wedding picture, which presumably means Adrian and Milo did more photo shoots), and Peter at various stages of his life. (Providing caps for icon makers, want to bet?) Earlier, Angela tells him he wants redemption; in the mirror scene Nathan phrases it a bit differently: “I want to put things right, Pete.” Redemption you get for a wrong committed; putting things right also can be because of a wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a wrong committed by yourself. Certainly things in Nathan’s life are as wrong as they can be right now, and by the way that scene ends, this includes him being alive at all. We get another look at Nathan’s burned self, i.e. how he should have looked, if alive at all, after the explosion. “Get away from me.” He might have started to be more pro-active, but the self-loathing is as strong as ever, and it probably will be until a) we find out what exactly happened to both Petrellis after the explosion and b) they’re reunited.
Lastly, back in California, we have yet another father-child relationship and its problems. Noah lying about the picture, the Haitian’s return into his life and his entire involvement with the bringing the company down scheme (I think we can safely assume he didn’t tell them any of it if he says to the Haitian he’ll think of a good excuse for a trip to Odessa) is paralleled by Claire lying about West. Who in turn proves that he knows something about good and bad lies himself by bringing up the idea of making her excuse by using something her father dislikes, which brings Claire to cheerleading. It’s also interesting that West doesn’t respond to the whole “my dad is overprotective and doesn’t want me to date” thing by suggesting that maybe he could visit and convince Mr. Bennet of his worthiness, which a young man with ego is likely to do. Of course, if he has an inkling his horned-rimmed glasses man and Claire’s father are one and the same, this would make sense. Hmmmmm.
(For those of us keeping score: Claire? Good liar. Like Peter or Angela.)
The date on the Hollywood Letters and the repeated Peter Pan and Wendy imagery they’re using for Claire’s relationship with West (it wasn’t quite the invitation to come to Neverland, but almost, that date) is hugely symbolic. What West offers to Claire is an opportunity to be herself, yes, but also an escape from reality. And these inevitably have to end. Wendy always returns and carries on with her life.
“I have always relied on the kindness of strangers,” is what Blanche Dubois says at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire, after the rape by her brother-in-law has destroyed what was left of her sanity, transforming the doctor from the asylum for the mentally insane who has come to take her into a romantic figure of her imagination who comes to her aide. Given the context, it’s one of the darkest, most ironic quotes. There are various possibilities to apply it in this episode.
Obviously, there are Maya y Alejandro, who had the bad luck of encountering Sylar on the road. (By the way, that he ended up here either indicates his surroundings in the last episode were a Candice-created illusion – only then how were they maintained after he killed Candice, OR DID HE? – or that various swamp islands were somehow in Mexico. Either way, there he is, using his old name for the first time in a long while and resenting the hell out of it, and then fate gives him not just two more supers but a trip to New York to meet dear Dr. Suresh. “I helped him to find so many of you.” That’s one way of putting it. IMO Sylar has the vague idea that Mohinder would know a way to “fix” him, so that he can aquire powers again, and he’ll persuade his pretty Indian scientist one way or the other. He does not need superpowers to kill – RIP, Derek, who probably did steal Claire’s car in which they’re currently travelling – but it’s rather nice he’s in the presence of someone who can kill very efficiently with superpowers. (We do not want Sylar to get Maya’s power. No, we don’t.) And note that Maya repeats Mohinder’s mistake of last season: she’s far too trusting and bonds instantly with him. The kindness of strangers indeed.
There is also New Orleans, the setting of Tennessee Williams’ play. Where we find out more about Micah’s family and meet a new hero. Monica is the most instantly likeable character of the newbies so far, and I took to her at once. Her cheerfulness and determination feel just right without being over the top – can it be the actress is better than Maya’s, though perhaps given Maya had to angst non stop so far, I shouldn’t be down on the actress – and later, when her dream didn’t come true, she was sad without giving you the sense she was helpless. Oh, and: female character, introduced not in distress or menaced sexually. Later when bad guy shows up and menaces (though not sexually, he just wants some cash), she deals with him on her own. Writers, see, you can do it.
Meanwhile, we continue to get new interaction between our old cast, and can I say I loved the Matt-Nathan scenes? Okay, so I loved every single Nathan scene, to no one’s surprise, and I’ll get to that, but I really like the way Matt is integrated with the ensemble this season. Confiding in Nathan regarding the investigation made sense, as it directly concerns him via Angela, but what came as an agreeable surprise was Matt also adding the info about Molly’s nightmares AND then going all confessionary on Nathan Petrelli, of all the people. I loved how Nathan was taken aback by that at first (if Peter weren’t suspected dead, I guess some flippant remark about having the wrong Petrelli would have been on the offering) but said “if you want to unload, go ahead”. (With his back turned to Matt, as he’s really not into this let’s share our feelings thing, but in its unterstated way, it was Nathan being civil to a non-family member other than Hiro. Behold!) Which Matt promptly did. Filling us in some details about his divorce from Janice to boot. Now in theory it still could be a ruse, with Janice and the baby going into hiding so the Company won’t be after them, and even the claim that the baby is by what’s his name whose nose Matt broke could tie into that (they wouldn’t be interested in a non-special baby), but otoh I somehow can’t see Matt confiding something as personal as his wife cheating on him and the baby being someone else’s to Nathan in this particular situation as a strategem. Rather than as the truth how he sees it. In any case, this is a scenario in which the almost-stranger, Nathan, actually is kind. (In his Nathan way.)
Nathan’s “I don’t know you that well” when Matt invites confidences about Nathan’s own children is very him – never mind the fact he knows the guy can read his thoughts, he just doesn’t do that – but nonetheless, for Nathan, he was remarkably open to Matt. Just not about his own state; about his mother embracing Kaito a bit too long. (For those of us who wondered how he’d react to the Angela/Kaito affair of yore: congrats to everyone who said it would be deadpan, and not shocked. Bets are still open about Hiro’s reaction which we might just get, given that the scriptwriters thought it necessary to remind us of that dangerous liason again this week.) And Matt gets to see (some of) the family photos. Petrelli Senior is frustratingly turned away in that group shot, so we still don’t know what he looked like. The woman standing next to Matt’s father, otoh, is shown so clearly that I have the sinking feeling she’ll be the next victim, and the reason we see her on the photo in such detail is so that we recognize her. As for Matt’s father, that one was a stunner I had not expected. Any of it. Parkman Senior being a member of the group, let alone the Nightmare Man. Okay, given that he’s identified so early, one suddenly doubts whether he’s the killer. He could be used by someone else, perhaps?
Parkman Senior being a criminal, otoh, was not that surprising; Matt is the type who’d compensate by being a cop. His giving into temptation and taking the diamonds last season is very interesting in this light, though. Am very amused about the daddy issues exchange with Mohinder. Who, btw, sang an Indian song very sweetly to Molly; that was a very nice touch.
Speaking of issues, dads, and father-child relations. Oh, Petrellis. Also, THANK YOU WRITERS. I never dared to hope that we’d see Simon and Monty again, let alone that they’d get lines, or that we’d see some actual interaction between Nathan and his children beyond a brief glimpse. Simon and Monty, like Lyle, are the kids the writers seem to remember only very occasionally, but now they did. That was a lovely scene providing all sorts of information, from where Petrellis go to school (Simon and Monty are in school uniform, so I’m guessing private school, possibly Catholic private school?), to the split-up between Heidi and Nathan having been more bitter than we assumed if Nathan isn’t supposed to be near the kids and the teacher knows that, to further confirmation, other than those two short looks in season 1, that Nathan actually is being a functional dad for the boys. (And
47_trek_47 wins at fandom for guessing the importance of promises in the Nathan-his sons relationship in her fanfic.) That he tells them to call their grandmother is something I wouldn’t have expected, and brings me to that sublimely dysfunctional relationship, the one between Angela and Nathan. “Don’t let your children hate you,” says Angela to Nathan, “not if you can help it.” Peter never hated her, so three guesses as to whom she means. I think what Nathan feels for her is a mixture of love and hate, but the attack on her clearly kickstarted something in him and made him shape up a little. One can argue that Nathan is conditioned to be the responsible one; if a family member is in real, true distress, he has to come through. But there is also the fact that Angela provides her special brand of cutting truths. It’s so typical for these two that Angela in a scene where you get that rare impression she loves her older son as well (as opposed to seeing him as a race horse, you know) first delivers a put down: “Just because you’ve shaved doesn’t mean you’re sober.” This is so them.
As to Angela’s reasoning for her fake confession: hmmmmm. I can buy the reason she gives Matt – that an investigation will lead the mundanes to the specials and a public outing will ensue – but only as one among several. Then there’s what she tells Nathan, that she feels guilty, not for Kaito’s death but for so many other things. Could be, or not; you can’t tell. But I think the major one has to be that she knows who the killer is. (BTW, am gratified that my guess from last week was true and Angela’s wounds were self inflicted, which means either the killer made her see something which resulted in this, or he turned her power against her.)
I might have missed something, but among the photos Nathan looks at in his last scene, as opposed to the scene with Matt earlier, there isn’t one of Heidi. There are some of Angela, several of Peter and himself (and new ones, too, not just variations of the wedding picture, which presumably means Adrian and Milo did more photo shoots), and Peter at various stages of his life. (Providing caps for icon makers, want to bet?) Earlier, Angela tells him he wants redemption; in the mirror scene Nathan phrases it a bit differently: “I want to put things right, Pete.” Redemption you get for a wrong committed; putting things right also can be because of a wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a wrong committed by yourself. Certainly things in Nathan’s life are as wrong as they can be right now, and by the way that scene ends, this includes him being alive at all. We get another look at Nathan’s burned self, i.e. how he should have looked, if alive at all, after the explosion. “Get away from me.” He might have started to be more pro-active, but the self-loathing is as strong as ever, and it probably will be until a) we find out what exactly happened to both Petrellis after the explosion and b) they’re reunited.
Lastly, back in California, we have yet another father-child relationship and its problems. Noah lying about the picture, the Haitian’s return into his life and his entire involvement with the bringing the company down scheme (I think we can safely assume he didn’t tell them any of it if he says to the Haitian he’ll think of a good excuse for a trip to Odessa) is paralleled by Claire lying about West. Who in turn proves that he knows something about good and bad lies himself by bringing up the idea of making her excuse by using something her father dislikes, which brings Claire to cheerleading. It’s also interesting that West doesn’t respond to the whole “my dad is overprotective and doesn’t want me to date” thing by suggesting that maybe he could visit and convince Mr. Bennet of his worthiness, which a young man with ego is likely to do. Of course, if he has an inkling his horned-rimmed glasses man and Claire’s father are one and the same, this would make sense. Hmmmmm.
(For those of us keeping score: Claire? Good liar. Like Peter or Angela.)
The date on the Hollywood Letters and the repeated Peter Pan and Wendy imagery they’re using for Claire’s relationship with West (it wasn’t quite the invitation to come to Neverland, but almost, that date) is hugely symbolic. What West offers to Claire is an opportunity to be herself, yes, but also an escape from reality. And these inevitably have to end. Wendy always returns and carries on with her life.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:22 pm (UTC)Yup. When she told West that she was a terrible liar, I thought: honey, your genes say otherwise. She's got quite a poker face.
* I thought Nathan was saying, "I'm going to put things right, Pete." Thus making a promise to Peter, and linking us back to his conversation with the boys. I'll have to rewatch that scene.
* I want Hiro and Peter to find out about Angela/Kaito together, just to see their reactions. :D
*
* I would be surprised if Angela weren't playing a double game of some sort. I just want to know what it is.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:33 pm (UTC)I thought Nathan was saying, "I'm going to put things right, Pete." Thus making a promise to Peter, and linking us back to his conversation with the boys. I'll have to rewatch that scene.
Oh, good call, and me, too. (Oh, the hardship.*g*) And yes, your phrasing definitely would link us back and be a Petrelli promise.
I would be surprised if Angela weren't playing a double game of some sort. I just want to know what it is.
If she knows who the killer is by now, it could be a tactic to get him to a place where he can be dealt with. I just haven't figured out how yet...
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:52 pm (UTC)As for this Petrelli Senior is frustratingly turned away in that group shot, so we still don’t know what he looked like.
Or he's going to show up, not-dead-after-all, and they're still casting? (Like the way we didn't see Irina's face in the last episode of Alias). And recognizing his face could be a plot point --
Also, I didn't catch the timing of the Kaito/Angela affair, but I can't be the only one wondering if there's another long-lost Petrelli relative running around. . .
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 03:24 pm (UTC)Or he's going to show up, not-dead-after-all, and they're still casting? (Like the way we didn't see Irina's face in the last episode of Alias). And recognizing his face could be a plot point --
Ohhhhh, possible.
Also, I didn't catch the timing of the Kaito/Angela affair, but I can't be the only one wondering if there's another long-lost Petrelli relative running around. . .
Clearly, any characters who look as if they could be of mixed Italian-Asian heritage should be suspicious...
One
Date: 2007-10-16 03:27 pm (UTC)(We do not want Sylar to get Maya’s power. No, we don’t.)
You know, that and the fact that Sylar literally seems to have dropped down from the sky after having been in a completely different landscape last week makes me wonder if someone put him on the trail of the twins on purpose, so I'm on board with your idea of this still being an illusion. I am very glad that the virus affects him as well -
Her cheerfulness and determination feel just right without being over the top – can it be the actress is better than Maya’s, though perhaps given Maya had to angst non stop so far, I shouldn’t be down on the actress – and later, when her dream didn’t come true, she was sad without giving you the sense she was helpless.
I adore Monica, and I think to a great deal it is the actress - she was pretty good on Veronica Mars in a much smaller role and she was very good in the pilot of The Nine (which is admittedly the only episode of that show I've seen) - but I also think she has been written differently. She is in a problematic situation, but she isn't whining and she is crafty on her own. Of course, she also has no adult male relatives, which might help rather a lot. In a lot of ways, I felt her storyline played like Niki's probably should have played, complete with the wise-cracking, but caring redhead best friend (Of course Niki had mental illness to plague her, not to mention mobsters, but Monica just gets across the working class (substitute) mom, getting by, trying to make more out of her life far better).
Of course I loved the scenes between Nathan and Matt as well. It was just everything so great and in character, from the "Are you reading my thoughts?" - "No...yes. Sorry." to Matt's emo-info dump in Peter's flat, where Nathan invites him to talk but doesn't provide much beyond that. It was almost - dare I say it? - an emphatic move on his part. And Greg and Adrian just work very well together.
As for Parkman Sr. being the Nightmare Man, unfortunately I was spoiled for that (*cries*) but I thought it worked really well, nonetheless. And his attack on Molly really was very scary. Have you seen the promos for next week?
Two
Date: 2007-10-16 03:27 pm (UTC)I adored the scene with Nathan and the kids too, of course (but is there any Nathan scene in this ep that I didn't adore?), but he must have messed up really badly if Heidi got a restraining order to keep him from seeing the kids (without supervision, I guess?).
Angela scenes - to die for, all of them. Have you seen this interview with Cristine Rose I linked on my journal? She's a darling. It's quite a difference to see her so happy and quirky, though.
And I'm pretty sure she either knows or thinks she knows who the killer is, and that's what the whole confessing to the crime thing is about. It almost seems like a bargain, because if she really were afraid that whoever it is might kill her, she probably wouldn't just let herself be arrested to get away from him, given that he seems to be able to reach people despite being locked up.
Nathan's mirror image: that one started to look quite a bit nastier than in it's first appearance. In addition, Claire seems to have inherited her desire to randomly maim herself from him.
(For those of us keeping score: Claire? Good liar. Like Peter or Angela.)
I still find it sublimely hilarious that everyone in that family lies excessively well, except for the person who needed it for his aspired profession. Although Claire had additional training by watching Bennet, I'd think.
It’s also interesting that West doesn’t respond to the whole “my dad is overprotective and doesn’t want me to date” thing by suggesting that maybe he could visit and convince Mr. Bennet of his worthiness, which a young man with ego is likely to do.
He does, actually, that's the first thing he suggests to her.
I'd love to comment more, this is really an episode to talk hours about. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 03:30 pm (UTC)I strongly suspect Alias is mostly responsible for this obsession of mine, but didn't the father of the eminent Summers clan (Marvel, not Buffy edition) show up at some point as
well?
Re: One
Date: 2007-10-16 03:40 pm (UTC)Though of course he could be planning on killing Alejandro, thus making Maya dependent on himself. But right now he can't, or well, he could, but without aquiring the power. Which I think he wants to out of sheer self preservation. Even Sylar can't have that big an ego to believe Maya would not attack him once she figured out what he is - but if he has her brother's, then maybe not. So I think Sylar's plan right now is:
1) Go to NY, become twins' best friend ever.
2) Get Mohinder to fix me.
3) Kill Alejandro, take his power.
4) Either use Maya as tool or take her power as well.
The actress for Monica was on VM? Was that in the third season (which I haven't watched)? Otherwise, I fail at tv.
Greg and Adrian just work very well together.
They do. I just read Greg Beeman's blog and see this will be kept up in the next eps. Which explains the Greg vids on YouTube, I guess.*g*
No, haven't seen the promos yet, will try to before being banished from the hotel lobby...
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 03:44 pm (UTC)When I saw that line in your review about the Peter-Shrine being icon fodder...let's just say I smiled. :D I want one of Simon and Monty now that says, "Peter and Nathan redux."
Re: Two
Date: 2007-10-16 03:44 pm (UTC)Me too. Definitetely double adultery. Elders, elders. Waitaminute - suddenly I recall Angela's dressing down of Nathan in Run! about reaping what one sows and self control and...
Good thing that Hiro and Kimiko look in no way Caucasian, nor Peter in any way Asian, so I'd say we're safe from surprises there.
True. Though from now on I shall regard characters who look as if they could be both Japanese and Italian with great suspicion. Especially if they have chemistry with either Hiro or one of the Petrellis.
Christine Rose interview: did I mention they make me pay a lot for my internet time? I'll watch at the weekend, once I'm home.
In addition, Claire seems to have inherited her desire to randomly maim herself from him.
Looks like. I so want another Claire and Nathan scene, dammit!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 03:48 pm (UTC)Re: One
Date: 2007-10-16 03:53 pm (UTC)I'm convinced he will - Alejandro is really the Ted of this season in that you know that he'll die eventually, you just don't know when - and I just hope Maya will have gotten a grip on her power by then - and that she doesn't meet Peter any time soon.
And this is where I am wondering if someone set Sylar on Maya's trail, in the hope that he will eliminate Alejandro - likely because they think that either Sylar alone with both powers or Maya in reluctant alliance with Sylar who can stop her tears will be easier to control, since they are both a lot more brittle than Alejandro. (Hmm. Driving people crazy could be a theme of this season.)
The actress for Monica was on VM? Was that in the third season (which I haven't watched)? Otherwise, I fail at tv.
She was Jackie's best friend in Season Two. The girl who secretly worked at the fast food joint dressed as a chicken?
Which explains the Greg vids on YouTube, I guess.*g*
It does. It also explains why Adrian said/wrote at some point that it was nice to have Greg around since things were going so dark. Aw.
Speaking of Beeman's blog, I loved that he gave an actual explanation for Nathan not being all that much in the first few episode. Poor guy, I suppose his blog was slammed by furious fans before. *g* And the fact that they didn't estimate Adrian's beard to become this massive just cracked me up.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 03:56 pm (UTC)This episode made me wish I loved Nathan and Matt more, because I think I would have enjoyed it even more, then. I do like seeing them work together, though, but apparently character love is an unpredictable thing and cannot be forced.
Also, I didn't catch the timing of the Kaito/Angela affair, but I can't be the only one wondering if there's another long-lost Petrelli relative running around. . .
Everyone's a Petrelli. They just don't know it yet. :D
Re: Two
Date: 2007-10-16 03:59 pm (UTC)Definite pot-kettle situation. Of course, this make me wonder if Arthur didn't take Peter's "Threatening Suicide" maneouvre a step further and made at least one attempt to keep her from cheating. If he wasn't too caught up with Linderman, that is.
Though from now on I shall regard characters who look as if they could be both Japanese and Italian with great suspicion. Especially if they have chemistry with either Hiro or one of the Petrellis.
I think we'll just find out at some point that both the Petrellis and the Nakamuras are descendant from Kensei, and that's why they feel so drawn to each other. At the very least the Petrellis are probably Kensei spawn, and given how fabulously he gets along with Hiro...
Christine Rose interview: did I mention they make me pay a lot for my internet time? I'll watch at the weekend, once I'm home.
Yes, wait until then by all means. It's delightful, but it's also over an hour long.
I so want another Claire and Nathan scene, dammit!
Seriously. Having scenes with another flying person is no substitute!
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:04 pm (UTC)Just wait until next week: then you'll get YouKnowWho searching for YouKnowWho!
(And seriously? Nathan and Matt just had to happen. I love how Greg Beeman was all "These two hadn't so many scenes together last year." Sweetheart, there was one scene they were vaguely on screen together and in that one Nathan was preoccupied and Matt was unconscious, and the only other scene that remotely qualifies was Peter's dream sequence!)
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:24 pm (UTC)Oh, I know. I'm just deeply afraid that it's going to suck. *bites fingernails*
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:27 pm (UTC)I will trust you on this. It's just that I will be able to love this episode even more once I can be reassured that all the plotlines are picking up pace, you know?
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:37 pm (UTC)That's *totally* how I look right now. (Except that I don't really have the colour for puppy eyes given that they're green-grey. But I have emo bangs! Sorta.)
And I know. It will be fine, don't worry.
Re: One
Date: 2007-10-16 05:22 pm (UTC)OH, MAN. this hadn't occurred to me when watching the episode, but of course Sylar would want to do this and use Maya has his personal weapon. While this is very in character for Sylar, it's cranky-making for me because this sounds like we'll many, many more episodes of Maya crying and being helpless, with the additional sporkiness of being used as a tool on top. (Unless she learns how to control her powers on her own in some way and turn on Sylar like some vengeful Fury. Oh, well. One lives in hope.)
From your original post:
Oh, and: female character, introduced not in distress or menaced sexually. Later when bad guy shows up and menaces (though not sexually, he just wants some cash), she deals with him on her own. Writers, see, you can do it.
I just wanted to quote that because there isn't a big enough WORD in the world.
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Date: 2007-10-16 05:53 pm (UTC)*clings* This is where your frankness and bluntness are very reassuring, because I know you always mean what you way.
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Date: 2007-10-16 06:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 07:16 pm (UTC)Re: One
Date: 2007-10-16 07:20 pm (UTC)I'm telling myself that Maya's arc has to be going somewhere, and vengeful fury is movement whereas weeping victim is not.
Also because with Nightmare Man, the Company, and if my (unspoiled) speculation is right Kensei in the present we have the threat department covered, and don't need Sylar-using-Maya...
Re: One
Date: 2007-10-16 07:22 pm (UTC)Whoever Candice was working for at the end is a likely suspect.
And the fact that they didn't estimate Adrian's beard to become this massive just cracked me up.
"So, Adrian, how about growing a beard through the summer so Nathan looks instantly in the doldrums to people?"
Three months later:
"Um. Adrian. Maybe you should have told us your beard would look so...beardy?"
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Date: 2007-10-17 09:43 am (UTC)Yeah, I'm starting to think he's being manipulated by someone much worse. Identifying him early points to an early defeat, but why would they be able to defeat someone worse than Sylar so quickly?
(Simon and Monty are in school uniform, so I’m guessing private school, possibly Catholic private school?)
Until canon contradicts, I'm assuming all Petrellis from time immemorial to the present went to Catholic school.
As to Angela’s reasoning for her fake confession
I think that she wants to be in jail for some reason. Probably he thinks they'll physically protect her from Kaito's killer, assuming that was a different person from the one messing with her at the police station. If there were more time for a conviction, I'd wonder if there was someone in prison she wanted to find, but that's pretty far fetched at the moment.
He might have started to be more pro-active, but the self-loathing is as strong as ever, and it probably will be until a) we find out what exactly happened to both Petrellis after the explosion and b) they’re reunited.
I'm reeeeeally hoping that Nathan manages to get over his self-loathing before his reunion with Peter. He needs to learn to generalize his sense of self worth. He can do caretaker, responsible guy mode -- but he only does it for family. He needs to do it for more people. The scenes with Matt, where he is civil as you point out, are a good starting place for that. It'll be rocky for him, but if he's willing to give other people are chance, he'll probably start feeling better about himself.
(and new ones, too, not just variations of the wedding picture, which presumably means Adrian and Milo did more photo shoots),
I actually think there was just one that they took a lot of pictures at, and those are used as the wedding photos. The rest are the real thing of Milo's actual life.
It’s also interesting that West doesn’t respond to the whole “my dad is overprotective and doesn’t want me to date” thing by suggesting that maybe he could visit and convince Mr. Bennet of his worthiness, which a young man with ego is likely to do.
Actually, West did ask if he could talk to Noah. Which I like. He didn't just jump onto the secret relationship band wagon right away. He wanted to do the normal thing and try to talk to his potential girlfriend's father.
(For those of us keeping score: Claire? Good liar. Like Peter or Angela.)
Sometimes good. I'd actually say she's more of a Nathan type liar. She doesn't have great instinct for lying, but she's very good at selling them once she's thought of a good one.
Re: One
Date: 2007-10-17 09:52 am (UTC)One of the things I liked that they added was the idea of Monica always scheming to get rich, ever since kindergarten. That's not typically a characterization used for female characters, not unless they are gold diggers or femme fatals of some sort. The crafty, lovable semi-trickster schemer is generally very male.
Re: One
Date: 2007-10-17 10:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 01:30 pm (UTC)Exactly. If he was the Big Bad, he wouldn't have been identified in the fourth episode. It took until Homecoming to see Sylar's face, after all.
The scenes with Matt, where he is civil as you point out, are a good starting place for that. It'll be rocky for him, but if he's willing to give other people are chance, he'll probably start feeling better about himself.
It occurs to me that Matt has one big advantage for Nathan right now: since as he mentioned he read Nathan's thoughts, the whole not talking, not sharing, shutting out thing is a bit pointless. I mean, I don't expect Nathan do start talking about the kids, Heidi or Peter any time soon (and the "I don't know you that well" reaction was dead on), but maybe he won't be as guarded with Matt as he's with non family members in general, plus if they work together, with the added urgency of Molly's current situation, Nathan would be constantly in a position of helping non-Petrellis (and non-voters), which aside from Hiro he hasn't done yet. As you say, could be good for him.
Mea culpa about missing the West thing... err, he mumbles?
Lastly: what do you make of Simon and Monty being in school in Washington, DC? Did Nathan actually move there before he resigned, or did Heidi move there after the separation? If the later, I think my personal fanon about Heidi being genuinenly interested in politics is true, and am adding the fanon she's involved in Hillary's campaign. (There now.)
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Date: 2007-10-17 02:01 pm (UTC)Even with the compressed time frame of only half a season, I still think he's got to be a puppet, because that simply doesn't work.
since as he mentioned he read Nathan's thoughts, the whole not talking, not sharing, shutting out thing is a bit pointless.
Aww, Matt is Nathan's half way house into normal human relationships. He can read Nathan almost as well as Peter can, but doesn't have the baggage that hamstrings the usefulness of so many of those readings, and if ineffectual enough that Nathan won't automatically defend himself by shutting him out. Win-win!
Lastly: what do you make of Simon and Monty being in school in Washington, DC? Did Nathan actually move there before he resigned, or did Heidi move there after the separation? If the later, I think my personal fanon about Heidi being genuinenly interested in politics is true, and am adding the fanon she's involved in Hillary's campaign. (There now.)
We really need a time line on him falling apart and resigning from Congress. A canon one. Because if they moved there, it makes sense that Simon and Monty would have been enrolled in school there. Of course, this could just be an indication that Heidi is living with her parents. She's supposed to be an Annapolis townie, but that was cut so they can change it.
I'd like to see them actually have her involved in politics. A typical politician's wife is a fund raiser and activist, and I could easily see her as a lobbyist.
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:46 pm (UTC)I saw many people making jokes about Sylar being on Lost island in Kindred but I thought it was just a bad CGI jungle and therefore could have theoretically been in Mexico. ;)
And note that Maya repeats Mohinder’s mistake of last season: she’s far too trusting and bonds instantly with him. The kindness of strangers indeed.
Oh, I didn't realize how much that mirrored the Mohinder/Zane meeting including road trip and all. As psychotic as he is, Sylar apparently has a gift to make (albeit naive) people trust him. Well, to their defence he makes his deranged killer smiles only when they aren't looking.
With his back turned to Matt, as he’s really not into this let’s share our feelings thing, but in its unterstated way, it was Nathan being civil to a non-family member other than Hiro. Behold!
I love the Matt-Nathan dynamic for this reason. He will ultimately open up more to other non-family members during the investigation plot and hopefully also come more to terms with his power status by interacting with the other supers.
Okay, given that he’s identified so early, one suddenly doubts whether he’s the killer. He could be used by someone else, perhaps?
That's a good point. We knew about Sylar from the first or second episode but it took half the season to get a face. I'm leaning towards the theory that he is working with someone and that there are at least two killers running around. Ando saw the hoodie guy and Kaito recognized him but I have severe troubles to imagine Matt's dad in that hoodie. So there has to be someone else. The only thing we know about the Nightmare Villain is that he terrorizes Molly and probably Matt and Nathan next episode.
I might have missed something, but among the photos Nathan looks at in his last scene, as opposed to the scene with Matt earlier, there isn’t one of Heidi. There are some of Angela, several of Peter and himself (and new ones, too, not just variations of the wedding picture, which presumably means Adrian and Milo did more photo shoots), and Peter at various stages of his life.
Actually I didn't even see one of Angela. Heidi is suspiciously missing, so is his dad. The only pictures we saw were of Nathan and his sons and Peter. Now I'm wondering if that was originally Peter's stack of photographs (they were still in his apartment after all) or if Nathan brought them over. But Peter doesn't strike me as narcissistic enough to have such an enormous collection of photographs of himself and no other family members with the exception of the wedding pics.
Redemption you get for a wrong committed; putting things right also can be because of a wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a wrong committed by yourself. Certainly things in Nathan’s life are as wrong as they can be right now, and by the way that scene ends, this includes him being alive at all. We get another look at Nathan’s burned self, i.e. how he should have looked, if alive at all, after the explosion. “Get away from me.” He might have started to be more pro-active, but the self-loathing is as strong as ever, and it probably will be until a) we find out what exactly happened to both Petrellis after the explosion and b) they’re reunited.
That's an interesting point but I still think that Nathan seeks redemption for things he almost let happen and don't forget his dear mother explicitly blamed him for Peter's death which I'm sure does affect him on some level. His promise to make things right could be directed at all the things that are wrong right now including his own missteps and his visit to Simon and Monty was the first step in that direction. But I can't think of anything that would lessen his amount of self-loathing right now despite finding out Peter survived after all and I hope he gets himself together before they reunite. As much as I'm yearning for them finding each other again, I don't know if I could take a broken!Petrelli reunion.
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Date: 2007-10-17 07:59 pm (UTC)Re: One
Date: 2007-10-17 08:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 08:05 pm (UTC)That, and in Maya's case, as
He will ultimately open up more to other non-family members during the investigation plot and hopefully also come more to terms with his power status by interacting with the other supers.
That's what I hope as well; and the investigation plot could allow him to use both his "normal" skills - he's a lawyer, after all - and the fact he has a power he tried to surpress for so long, thus uniting the split halves of his life, and allowing him to achieve something not because it's expected of him as the Petrelli heir but because he can and he wants to.
As I said to C., Matt is actually a very clever choice on the part of the writers, because while Nathan doesn't have the instant sympathy for him as with Hiro, Matt can read his mind and thus the whole usual Nathan Petrelli firewall is basically useless, and he knows it. How do you deal with someone you can't basically not lie to if you're used to block out any outsider and most family members as well?
Actually I didn't even see one of Angela.
I'd have to check the screencaps, but I think there was at least one I spotted, and of course she and the other elders were on the group shot which was among the photos Nathan had at his, err, Peter's apartment. Since I doubt Peter had that group shot, it must have been among the family pictures Nathan took with him.
But Peter doesn't strike me as narcissistic enough to have such an enormous collection of photographs of himself and no other family members with the exception of the wedding pics.
You know, the odd thing is, the only two pictures we know for sure Peter possesses - the one of Nathan and himself (not from the wedding, taken during the campaign, because the campaign banner is in the background, and also, they're not in tuxes) he's looking at before Nathan and Mohinder show up, and the one of Nathan and himself as children he's looking at in the deleted scene from "Six Months Ago" - are not among the photos Nathan is looking at. At all.
This being said, I think it says something about Peter and the older Petrellis that he had those and looked at those at critical points of his life, not at photos of the entire family or him and his parents. It's the mystery of Italian brotherhood again. *g*
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Date: 2007-10-17 11:20 pm (UTC)Someone on lj (