Unofficial Heroes NBC Forum and Message Boards

Jormengrund

In this GN, we see a bit more of the ecosystem known as an operative's life in Primatech.

After a minor preamble about Aspen trees, and their unique root system, we get reacquainted with Julien and his partner Sabine.

Sabine starts off by asking Julien if he could feel when one of his clones is injured or killed. Julien states that it's like feeling an arm or leg being cut off.

Sabine then confronts Julien, demanding to know where the "real" root is, and why, if Julien is the true root, he couldn't feel when her rogue clone had thrown itself off a cliff to it's death.

Confronting her partner at gunpoint, she demands to know why he's been lying to her.

He says that he's always been true to her, and that he's been as honest as he can be with her. Julien then demands to know what's happened to her.

Flashback: Sabine starts getting minor notes and messages from Evs Dropper telling her that the partner she thought she knew isn't really the TRUE root.

Bringing her entire world into question, Sabine decides to test this. Allowing one of the clones to escape, she then checks to see if Julien can tell. Because of his lies, she now knows that Evs Dropper was being truthful, and she'd been duped.

*Back to the present*

Demanding to know where the REAL Julien is, she waves her gun in his face. Julien admits that the REAL root has been hidden away by the company for YEARS, and she's never seen him. She then asks how many have been with her, and the clone admits to there being more than just one but it wasn't his idea. Sickened, Sabine shoots him in the leg. *Note here.. Ack! More Soap opera crap!* Screaming in pain, Julien cries out that he's the one she loves. Steeling her eyes, Sabine says "I never loved you" and pulls the trigger again.

::Flashback::

We're in Bob's office, Sabine with a major in biological studies is introduced to Julien. He's described by Bob as having a clonal power. That his clones can withstand injuries, and even death. (NOTE! Dead clone? Maybe not!)

During their time together, they develop a relationship, which becomes physical and intimate. But Sabine swears that it's just physical need, and nothing more.

*Back to the present*

Julien begs for his life. With both legs shot, he tells Sabine that he can show her the true Julien, but that she has no idea what he's like. The Julien clone plays that "I'm the one that you love" card again, and for his efforts, Sabine blows his head off.

With her emotions roliling, she drives herself to the company headquarters, stolen access badge in hand.

As she walks past the cells, she notes that the other clones are still alive, so obviously the one she shot wasn't the root. Check another point for Evs Dropper. *We also see HRG note her movements*

Using the access card, sabine opens an observation window that looks down into a lab. There, suspended by medical equipment, is the true Julien. What looks to be roots are growng from his torso, and end in a new cone. So this cloning growth is not some chemical reaction as much as it is a cellular xerox.

End of part 2.

From what I can see, the company seems to be stockpiling the clones. So how did we wind up with rogues? Were these rogues former partners of Sabines? Did they finally get some kind of message from the root to break away and get free?

The description Bob gave for Julien's clones struck me quite hard as well. If they're so resistant to injury and possibly death, then the clone that Sabine chased over a cliff might not be that out of the picture just yet...

Anyway, aside from the romantic bent to the story, this is still quite a strong GN, and very interesting!

I hope this kind of stuff is what we've got to look forward to when Season 3 starts!

Masterchef · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject:

I'm getting a kind of Blade Runner vibe concerning the clones. Like in Blade Runner, some of the replicants grew to have their own sense of identity. I think the same may be happening with the clones. It's still possible that the Root has sent some sort of message to the others, but why only affect a few and not all? Interesting that the clones can withstand death Wink

Ambience 327 · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject:

And of course, if the one who took a header off of the cliff can withstand death, so could Sabine's "lover clone" - he might not be as dead as she thinks either.

Although he did say: "If you kill me, I will die, you'll never get me back."

So maybe its just that each clone is already imbued with all of Julien's knowledge, which saves them time training new operatives? Then they just keep a steady flow of highly-traing clones pouring out of the Company, with less time & effort required, and less dramatic trauma if they lose them.

Another interesting quote is: "He's not who you think he is. I can show you, no more lies."

What is it about the real Julien that is so different from who Sabine thinks he is?

Also, the "root" Julien looks to be strapped up in order to keep things going properly (i.e. not mess with the "roots" function), but it doesn't seem like he is actually restrained. The rings around his wrists look loose enough that he could slip them off, and the shoulder harnesses definately aren't very tight.

With all of those clones and all the equipment, I'd expect him to be heavily restrained if he was there against his will. Of course, he might be sedated instead (looks like he has an IV in his finger).

Jormengrund · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject:

He looked to be in a functional but vegetative state. The body will function as it needs to, but any free will or voluntary muscle movement is not even in the realm of possibility.

I only have one problem with the current GNs that have been showing up.

The apparent need for some kind of romantic angst-type of twist.

Donna and Thompson Jr.

Julien and Sabine..

What else???

Is this a smile and pat on the head for younger viewers to get them hooked on soap opera tactics?

The whole "Yes, I looked dead, but before I could totally die, someone came to save me, and I lived as a monk for the last couple of years, regaining my memory, strength and abilities" type of comeback crap?

I really hope this isn't where the series is headed. If so, I'm going to drop-kick my TV out of my picture window. It will completely ruin one of the best shows I've seen for quite a while!

Hercules67 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:43 am Post subject:

Yeap, in that last post Jorm, you pinpointed my problem.

Oh well, maybe that's where season 3 will go. We'll see.

popkorn615 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:40 am Post subject:

I think the Graphic Novels have been decent the past few months - I just hope that Season 3 brings in some of these newfound powers that have recently been introduced to us through the Graphic Novels (i.e. Night/Magnified Vision, Acid ability, and Multiple-man).

I wonder if Julien is related to Evan from the Revolutionary War GNs, since he too could create multiples of himself which he used to fight Adam. Just some food for thought ::num num nums:: Cool

Ambience 327 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:19 am Post subject:

popkorn615 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject:

Whoops, hehe sorry! Embarassed

I like your train of thought, Ambience, but personally I don't think that a duplicator would be able to achieve immortality through a development of his/her power, but that's just my opinion. To achieve such a feat through spontaneous generation is one thing, but if anything, perhaps a developed version of duplication is the ability to create more "master" copies of one's self.

Thoughts?

Jormengrund · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

Well PK, we've seen that there are deeper abilities through use and maturity in powers and if Julien is anything like the others, maybe his "second level" of power is being able to exactly duplicate himself, much like his clones, but one that is able to be another ROOT.

Thus, there is one generational root, but it can spawn a few other roots, and those roots can spawn, but only reproduce one other root, etc.....

That would keep him going in perpetuity, really.

Sure, it would be quite suspicious, but if he keeps changing names, and so forth, who is going to know any better?

Hiding in plain sight is a gift that many secret lives learn to do very well quite early on.

The only real way to tell for sure would be for Julien and Adam to face off again...

popkorn615 · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:15 am Post subject:

I sorta understand what you mean, Jorm. However, when Julien, or any duplicator creates another copy of him/herself, it's in that moment in time, no? Wouldn't that mean at 10 years old, Julien would have created another 10 year old version of him, which would grow and mature? Furthermore, wouldn't a 40 year old Julien would create a 40 year old copy? Thus, though Julien would be able to continuously replicate himself, he wouldn't be able to live forever - only until the master perished.

Thoughts?

Jormengrund · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject:

What I was actually thinking was that each "root" could create a generational clone.

Basically, one spawned seed that would be the "10 year old" version.

Hide this youngling in an orphanage, and when it matures, it knows everything the parenting root did, plus it can spawn the clones and such..

Not a birth, as a type of cutting, like you'd do with some trees and flowers to keep growing more in different areas.

Do you get my idea? Neutral