Heroes 2.05 Fight or Flight

[selenak]

A transitionary episode.



Various of the plot threads starting to touch again, with Mohinder first encountering Niki, then Monica, Nathan and Matt meeting Parkman Senior who apparantly is after Bob next, and the Company sending new character Elle after Peter who finally openend the box. Elle is reporting to someone she calls "Daddy", so the obvious conclusion is that she's Bob's daughter, which makes for a minor chance her father is someone else. Though honestly, I doubt it, because Bob and Elle make for an exact double act to that other horned-rimmed glass wearer and his tiny blond daughter, and I suspect that will be one of their purposes this season. Note the very teenageresque "so what's the big deal?"; Elle strikes one as amoral rather than the serial killer type of evil Sylar is, killing Ricky not for personal satisfaction but not seeing in the slightest why it should matter that he didn't survive her interrogation, either. With the two main children, Micah and Molly, being presented as prematuraly wise and responsible, this is the first time Heroes coupled superpowers with that kind of childish irresponsibility which is one of the most chilling things about imagining children having superpowers. But Elle isn't a child. Or a teenager, despite her demeanour; I suspect she's supposed to be Monica's age, not Claire's.

(The fact that Bob - assuming he's "Daddy" - called her back is interesting and gives Bob a nice touch of pragmatic realism, rather than making him the Company equivalent of Ming the Merciless. He could call her back because clearly, if she can't control the situations so she doesn't kill people when she's not supposed to, she shouldn't be on such an important mission as bringing Mr. Multipowers back, or because he actually dislikes the idea of random slaughter. Either way, it makes this year's face of the Company a tad more dimensional, which I approve of.)

So my first assumption re: Niki was right, and was not. She doesn't want to lose the superstrength, she wants to be cured of her multiple personality disorder. Which, you know, makes sense, and a normal psychiatrist couldn't do it. See also: the poor woman who tried, last year. Mind you, it goes against her having integrated in last season's finale, but okay, I can accept she doesn't believe Jessica will be permanently gone, and doesn't want to risk the possibility she'll turn into Mrs. Hyde again.

Anyway, Niki's plot thread adds to Mohinder's widening dilemma. Because wanting to destroy the Company is all very well and understandable, but a) they're currently being helpful with the Molly situation, in their own best interest, of course, as they don't want to lose Molly's ability, but still, they are, b) they appear to be helping Niki, who came to them on her own free will, and c) he's send in the field to do exactly what he tried on his own, find specials, and this time he doesn't have a serial killer with him. Being a double agent sucks when you start to wonder whether maybe the people you're infiltrating aren't the scum of the earth after all.

Note, though, that Mohinder doesn't taser Monica. Go him. Just because HRG always did it this way doesn't mean he should. Mohinder seems to, gasp, believe in the possiblity of trying sensible conversation first.

Of course, trying the talking approach first can also misfire badly. Just ask the Parkman and Petrelli team. Though last week's trailer gave away Parkman Senior would use his nightmare ability on Nathan and Matt, the guy was good enough as a conman to make it believable Matt would unlock the handcuffs and follow him in the next room. His "I'm just a poor schmuck in over my head and now they're after me, too!" act was really convincing, enough so that despite the trailer, I was a wee bit uncertain myself. So, let's see what we learned:

1) The ability question. You know, I don't think Parkman Senior actually can read thoughts (which would be our first case of an ability directly inherited); he let Matt assume this to distract him from the illusion/nightmare thing he really can do, which is related but slightly different. Not surprising Matt couldn't read his thoughts; if the guy can lock Molly in her own head, he can block a telepath.

2) The nightmares obviously activate biggest fears. Matt sees himself locked up as a criminal - and let's remember last year's slip with the diamonds, which in restrospect given his father's criminal activities looks way more interesting - and accused of deserting his child, and Janice. (We also find out he didn't read Janice's thoughts to find out whether or not her saying he wasn't the father was the truth.) Nathan sees New York devastated - the 5YG scenario - and his burned self telling him he doesn't feel anything (which makes me think, among other things, of Claire's "he doesn't care about anyone", to Peter, in the finale) and to go over the edge. As visualizations of self loathing go, that one was pretty obvious, though there is one element in Nathan's vision that's different from Matt's exercise in fear and self loathing - Nathan experiences a moment of hope when he thinks Peter has come back to him. I knew it.

3) Parkman Senior might or might not be the only killer - I still think he can't be, there are at least two - but if he's working with someone, it's not Bob; he definitely has it in for the Company, too. Given the difference in monetary status between him and the others, and the fact he did a runner when Matt was 13, I wonder whether kattaj's "V" suspicion is correct but with Parkman not Kensei at the center; what turned Parkman Senior against the others and into Molly's Nightmare man. Maybe they wanted to use his abilities on a larger and larger scale and experimented on him without him volunteering, and now he's out for revenge?

Micah explaining to Monica about superpowers and Monica experimenting with hers was geeky fun to see, with the watching karate movies which is exactly what one imagines one would do. But Monica asks "what does it mean?", which makes sense. Early on, when the cop asked her to identify the robber, we got the pointed line about needing heroes (which also is a reminder that being heroic doesn't require superpowers). Now she's made contact with Mohinder and through him with the Company; this could get her the college education she always wanted, but at what price? Not to mention that Niki presumably placed Micah in New Orleans so he WOULD BE FAR AWAY FROM ANY COMPANY INFLUENCE.

Hiro's storyline in ancient Japan still progresses at a snail's pace, though I'm heartened to see the fact they're supposed to rescue Yaeko's father hasn't been forgotten, and also that Yaeko's fighting spirit has returned. Otoh, things in Ireland at last get moving, with Peter going from the ostrich attitude to finally opening the box. At which point anyone who guessed that among the contents would be yet another example of the wedding picture series gets - no prize, because that was kind of obvious.*g* Okay, seriously now, of course Peter would have a photo of Nathan and himself with him. (As opposed to, you know, pictures of Mom and Dad, or Simone, or anyone else. Ah, Petrellis.) Still doesn't trigger memories, though. What it does trigger is Isaac's power, and in a neat doubling of s1, where a picture gave Peter the sign he was waiting for, he paints another one holding clues. I guess it's goodbye Ireland, hello Montreal now. Also, he gets an illustration of the dangers involved via the dead body of poor Ricky, whose death is and isn't Peter's fault.

(No idea whether this will result in Caitlin going with him - because her brother is dead, because she's in the picture, or at least someone with curly hair is - or staying in Ireland - if she doesn't want to be with Peter anymore after he cost her brother his life.)

And thus I conclude my review, with yet another repeat of the question: what did that wedding photographer think he was doing?

Comments

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

Reading your commentary makes me find a very US-American glitch in the episode - I bet that an Irish girl, when seeing French street signs, would not think of Montreal but of Paris first...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes and no - this was just after she had seen his flight ticket to Montreal, so it wasn't unlikely she'd jump to that conclusion...

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I think most Americans would think of Paris first, too. The plane ticket is the giveaway there.

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this episode quite a lot -- more than I'd expected to -- mostly because of the enjoyable juxtapositions. Matt and Nathan make a terrific (if not wholly competent) team, and their veiled battle through the twin illusions was an absolute highlight.

What I find most intriguing is the suggestion, from the carefully chosen box of items, that Peter left New York of his own volition. It's very unlike him to let his family think he's dead; he must have had an important reason to take off. But what?

My guess right now: When Peter was in pre-explosion throes, he completely lost coherence and control and did something that horribly hurt Nathan. (See Monster Burned Nathan.) He fled out of fear of what he would do to the people he loved, rationalizing that Nathan and Angela were unlikely to simply let him go. Nathan is seeing Monster Burned Nathan as a true memory of what he was in what he thinks were the last moments of Peter's life, aka, when he failed and somehow killed his brother. So it's a symbol of pain, loss and failure. What do you think?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Matt and Nathan make a terrific (if not wholly competent) team, and their veiled battle through the twin illusions was an absolute highlight.

It was, and despite being on the road all the time (and tomorrow without access to my laptop), I must write post-episode talk for these two, if no one else does.

What I find most intriguing is the suggestion, from the carefully chosen box of items, that Peter left New York of his own volition.

Yes, that has occured to me. I mean, presumably the passport could have come from another source - say, Angela - but the photo of Nathan and himself points to Peter as the one who picked those items to take with him.

As to why: I'm with you that Monster Burned Nathan was the result of Peter radiating and exploding. I'd go further, though, and point to Mohinder and Niki as two people who went to the Company because they need help for either someone dear to them or themselves, making devil's bargains. I think that is what Peter did AFTER the explosion. He might or might not have absorbed Linderman's ability, but he didn't know about it. Otoh, the Company was the one group of people who'd know if there was (another) healer he could use to help Nathan, who was in all likelihood dying. In return, he promised to a) disappear and b) do a job for them. (Which is why he has Elle's ability, the electric sparks - he must have been in contact with her at some point.)

As to what job: do we know those eight pictures were actually painted by Isaac? In theory, could they have been painted by Peter post explosion and before he turned up in Ireland without his memories?

[mimesh.livejournal.com]

As to what job: do we know those eight pictures were actually painted by Isaac? In theory, could they have been painted by Peter post explosion and before he turned up in Ireland without his memories?

Hah. I just thought the same thing. The key question here is, where did Noah get the first painting? If he took it back when Isaac was in company custody, Isaac must be the artist obviously. But the paintings in his loft could be from anybody. We don't know what happened there in the last four months.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Indeed, and the refitting of the loft as a lab for Mohinder wasn't done until recently, considering a lot of the paintings were still there when Mohinder arrived. So they could have used the loft as a place for someone else until recently...

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

I must write post-episode talk for these two, if no one else does.

I would read that... *blinks innocently*

Sad news

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

Sir Ben Kingsley denies Davros rumours (http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,2196463,00.html).

Re: Sad news

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Alas.

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Dude, don't take anything I theorize seriously! *shocked*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Well, if they did Watchman last year, they can do V for Vendetta this year...

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Nathan experiences a moment of hope when he thinks Peter has come back to him. I knew it.

*g* I guess they just couldn't leave this out.

I loved the scenes with Matt and Nathan, even though I found the nightmares a bit obvious. But it was well-filmed, and these two are just fun together. They could need a comedic spinoff. maybe with additional Hiro.

If I remember correctly, you more or less streamlined a larger chunk of the first season, is that right? Does it feel different for you to watch it live, from the beginning of the season?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, I streamlined the first eighteen episodes during the last hiatus. (Though that still made for three weeks of watching.) It feels slightly different, but reminds me of Alias that way (saw the first two seasons on DVD, then the rest in real time.) For example, I remember after I streamlined looking for reviews, and people kept complaining about Hiro's storyline going nowhere after "Six Months Ago" and before "Parasite", which as I streamlined did not seem the case, but certainly would have in real time, as it moved at a similar pace to his story right now.

[mimesh.livejournal.com]

1) The ability question. You know, I don't think Parkman Senior actually can read thoughts (which would be our first case of an ability directly inherited); he let Matt assume this to distract him from the illusion/nightmare thing he really can do, which is related but slightly different. Not surprising Matt couldn't read his thoughts; if the guy can lock Molly in her own head, he can block a telepath.

Papa Parkman is obviously not to be trusted but I saw Matt's ability to actually project a thought into Nathan's mind as supporting what his father said before. Reading minds is the first step, projecting thoughts the next and it could easily lead to projecting images and more.

At which point anyone who guessed that among the contents would be yet another example of the wedding picture series gets - no prize, because that was kind of obvious.*g*

Hey, I want my prize! Ok, I was actually joking in my poll but if there is one thing the show has taught me, it's that these jokes become canon faster than you can say co-dependence.

I'm actually surprised that Peter was around in NYC after the explosion. He must have seen what has become of his family and for him not to intervene or simply letting them know he was alive must mean that there were serious things going on.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Otoh Candice could project images without reading minds - that's how her gift worked; though I agree that Matt projecting to Nathan has to be a signficant step. (If nothing else, it could help him to break Molly out of his father's trap, one hopes.)

Peter in NYC after the explosion: well, I see you've found my theory in my reply to Yahtzee above.*g*

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

She could, but she was also simply physically manipulating sound and light waves. Presumably touch helped break through it. If Maury's psychic illusions are complete, touch and pain could be controlled. And now I want to know if Peter can see through Maury's illusions, or not. I suppose it'll be like Matt. He can't see through them until he starts using his power to break out of it.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

That would be my guess. I'm not sure how conclusive the Sylar-Peter encounter in 5YG was - he didn't see Sylar as Sylar until Sylar dropped the Nathan illusion then, but that was only for a minute, and he might not have absorbed Candice's power from Sylar before. Plus as you say, Candice operated on a physical basis and Maury on a mental one.

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

What throws me about Candice's power in 5YG is that it shoulder operate like a variant of invisibility, which Peter did see through almost instantly. Maybe we can futz with the range, and claim that Sylar just wasn't close enough for Peter to start absorbing it yet? Although, given that Peter absorbed DL's power (unless he got closer to DL at some point in the missing four months), Peter's range is very, very big.

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

Elle is reporting to someone she calls "Daddy", so the obvious conclusion is that she's Bob's daughter, which makes for a minor chance her father is someone else. Though honestly, I doubt it, because Bob and Elle make for an exact double act to that other horned-rimmed glass wearer and his tiny blond daughter

I'm trying to decide just how close a double they are. Is Elle biologically Bob's daughter? Or is she adopted to -- I favor the latter because I still cling to the idea that Elle is the one Claude was protecting, and that Noah betrayed.

I can accept she doesn't believe Jessica will be permanently gone, and doesn't want to risk the possibility she'll turn into Mrs. Hyde again.

I'm going to be very grumpy if Niki isn't just faking them out. >:(

Mohinder seems to, gasp, believe in the possiblity of trying sensible conversation first.

I wonder how this will backfire on him. Because it must. I think Mohinder is really going to come to see the appeal of the Company, and he's going to have to see that their questionable methods do bear fruit.

and let's remember last year's slip with the diamonds,

I wonder what ever happened to those diamonds? Did he take them with them when he went to meet Hana and Ted? Because then the diamonds would have ended up at the Company and in Linderman's hands, probably. The "rightful" owner. If he didn't, then Janice would still have them.

What it does trigger is Isaac's power, and in a neat doubling of s1, where a picture gave Peter the sign he was waiting for, he paints another one holding clues. I guess it's goodbye Ireland, hello Montreal now

I'm trying to decide if this a move forward of backward for Peter. His complaint about the contents of the box is that it doesn't tell him what he's supposed to do. He's always trying to find his destiny, to let others control him. No, I'm definitely going with step backwards here. Following a painting because he understands the purpose and the potential personal price (as in the season finale) is different than following a painting because you'll take whatever directions you get.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Is Elle biologically Bob's daughter? Or is she adopted to -- I favor the latter because I still cling to the idea that Elle is the one Claude was protecting, and that Noah betrayed.

Oh, I like the idea of Elle being adopted, both for the even greater Claire-HRG parallel, and because if she was the one Claude was protecting, the dramatic irony would be perfect.

I think one thing the entire West-was-tagged-by-the-Company-via-Noah thing must have brought home to Claire is that if Noah hadn't adopted her, and someone else had, and Noah had been sent after her, he'd have done the same thing to her as to West in the best case scenario and delivered her to the vivisection he described in the worst. But he would have done it, if she hadn't been his daughter. If Elle is who Claire might have been if raised by the Company, this would be another way to make the point, especially if it was through Noah's involvement.

Following a painting because he understands the purpose and the potential personal price (as in the season finale) is different than following a painting because you'll take whatever directions you get.

Also, so far he made Caitlin his personal conscience the way Nathan did with him. Now this makes sense if you consider that he has no memories and suspects he could be Darth Vader, but it's still looking for someone else to guide him and be responsible for the choices he makes. Though if they go to Montreal, presumably that will be his choice, not hers, and a step to taking responsibility for himself (after the death of Ricky).

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

and Noah had been sent after her, he'd have done the same thing to her as to West in the best case scenario and delivered her to the vivisection he described in the worst. But he would have done it, if she hadn't been his daughter. If Elle is who Claire might have been if raised by the Company, this would be another way to make the point, especially if it was through Noah's involvement.

Which makes it even more interesting that West, in some ways, coded as family for Claire. Claire got a dose of the crazy her biological family possesses last season, now it's time for the adoptive family, and it's interesting that the foil they gave her can relate to her both as a mutant, and as the same kind of mutant Nathan is.

Now this makes sense if you consider that he has no memories and suspects he could be Darth Vader, but it's still looking for someone else to guide him and be responsible for the choices he makes.

Funny that you should mention Vader... Peter is suddenly pinging my Anakin-dar even more than normal, what with his need to be controlled and punished (to the point where he instantly needed Caitlin to blame him for Ricky's death) and his belief in his innate evil. Needless to say, I'm really, really loving this. >:D

Though if they go to Montreal, presumably that will be his choice, not hers, and a step to taking responsibility for himself (after the death of Ricky).

Ricky's death, if Peter can for one moment stop being an utterly crazy person, will probably be good for Peter, in a way. He needs to stop letting big brother's swoop in to save and protect him. They just end up burned to death. Peter has more than enough power and emotional resilience (no really!) to handle these things on his own. He's just, as always, afraid of it.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

He needs to stop letting big brother's swoop in to save and protect him. They just end up burned to death.

Hmm. Now I am wondering if he reacted by telling Caitlin it was his fault partly because he does on some level remember that he burned up Nathan.

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

It depends on how we define "some level." I'm guessing somewhere between Nathan actually remembering it through his hallucinations and not at all. But that reaction was just so visceral and sudden that I think it wasn't really a reaction to Ricky at all.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

But that reaction was just so visceral and sudden that I think it wasn't really a reaction to Ricky at all.

Yes, that's what I think, too. ("Some level" referring to Peter; I think Nathan really only has some sort of weird impression of the whole situation, because I don't see any way he was lucid at that point.)

[12-12-12.livejournal.com]

No, I'm definitely going with step backwards here. Following a painting because he understands the purpose and the potential personal price (as in the season finale) is different than following a painting because you'll take whatever directions you get.

That's what worries me slightly about the amnesia storyline. As latxcvi put it, I like the person Peter became over the course of Season 1, and I'd hate to think of that character growth being lost. I guess it all depends on how and when he gets his memory back.

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

Disclaimer: I talk about my theory like it's canon, and will persist in doing so until I'm proven wrong.

I don't think that Peter has been lost, precisely. I mean, he was broken apart and destroyed by Nathan's near death experience, because all the strength of S1!Peter was founded on his codependence with Nathan, and was therefore unstable. And right now Peter is so convinced that he's evil and not worthy of anything that he can't trust his own instincts for anything. So while last season ended with Peter having clarity of vision and purpose (in his own crazy, slightly scary way), now he not only has none, but he wants none. When he opened the box, he was secretly hoping it would tell him to hide and never come back.

So once Peter recovers his memories and comes to terms with the deal he made to save Nathan's life, I think we will see a wearier, but stronger version of late S1!Peter. He'll probably be a mid-point between that Peter in 5YG!Peter. But I have no idea when we'll see him. It could be a while, because those are some biiiiiig issues he's got to deal with. But that's where having his family will step in. 5YG!Peter didn't have Claire, or Nathan, or even Angela. Canon!Peter is going to have so many more people to draw strength from, and we all know that's what he does best.

Still. Poor CRAZY boy. ;_;