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GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:01 am Post subject:

1x15 Run!

It’s a miracle that Claire ended up as sweet and morally right as she did, considering her bio-parents. Nathan and Meredith could compete for biggest rat award on an Olympic level. Blackmail is not nice, sweetheart. And how easily her lie of $50,000 rather than $100,000 tumbles out of her mouth is disconcerting. Now, the only thing I see really wrong with this picture is the fact that Claire turns down the $25,000 being offered to her. Seriously? I know you think having a nice daddy who doesn’t ground you would be peachy keen and all, but… good lord, take the money!

After gradually hating Mr. Malsky a little more with each scene he appeared in in the last few episodes, you just know when Jessica gets his picture he’s going to get his. You are not long for this world, my friend. You’re not a series regular, you’re a bad guy, and Jessica wants to kill you. You’re as good as dead. And knowing Matt is the one who’s going to have to face off against Jessica made me a little nervous. This chick doesn’t take prisoners, and I don’t want Matt to be torn in half!

One major drawback to this episode for me was Hope. Ando only works for me as a glorified prop for Hiro. When they try to give him his own storyline, I’m bored immediately. James isn’t DeNiro, and Hope definitely bothered me. I know I said in my last review that Ando needed a girl, but I didn’t mean this one. This one is no good at all. Can we throw her back and pick again?

…Okay, since we can’t I’ll at least say I think it’s funny that she’s so much taller than Ando. Not high brow comedy, but funny nonetheless. I just still feel like the writers were coming up with really dumb ways to keep Hiro and Ando in limbo until the main storyline needed them again.

Zane Taylor! Even though we only have the character for one scene, I like him a lot. He seemed very thought out, and was a perfect way to advance the Sylar plot line and get him back into the thick of things, even more so than he was pre-capture. The only problem I have with this is how did Sylar know where to find this guy? Did he know Mohinder was on his way, too? (I don’t think so.) Did he have his name tucked away from his days working with Chandra? (I tend to go for this theory.) Did he bug Mohinder’s phone or something? He’s been in Texas for awhile now, and he just happens to show up at Zane’s place moments before Mohinder does?

Nasty line: “I’m this girl’s father, Ma.” “You’re a glorified sperm donor.” Ouch, Angela. But it’s interesting that she knows the whole story. I would love a bit of back story at some point on how Nathan and Meredith met and ended up having Claire. Something to think about for Volume 3 Villians, maybe? 3x04 Fifteen Years Ago!

It’s nice to see Matt get to be a badass and almost get to be the hero. What a good guy, trying to save Malsky, despite every clue pointing to the fact that he’s dirty. And this $2 million is just bad news. I’m starting to think that chunk of money is cursed—everything goes wrong when you steal it! I’m surprised the person who steals it doesn’t turn into the living dead revealed only by moonlight in the Caribbean.

I love the music changes while Jessica is in the elevator and we switch back and forth between her calm confidence and Matt and Malsky’s frantic panic. (Funniest Musak I’ve ever heard was in an elevator at Macy’s this Christmas: Britney’s Baby Hit Me One More Time.)

I very much enjoy the fact that Matt is able to outsmart Jessica in the stairwell, at least long enough to get a set of cuffs on her. Way to go, big guy. I love Ali’s delivery of “You heard Niki?” and the fact that since both girls converse with each other in one physical head Matt can hear them both. Nice detail. And I’ll admit I was pretty worried when Jessica tossed Matt out the window. I thought Greg was bound for a new show. Imagine my relief when he’s shown perched precariously on some signage on the building’s exterior, a la Scarlett and Ewan in The Island. Wheew.

One of the most skin-crawling elements of Sylar-as-Zane’s first scene with Mohinder is that Sylar is now wearing Zane’s clothes. This is just a couple steps up from Buffalo Bill’s girlskin suit. ::shudder:: Blunnnhhh. One problem I have with the scene is the view from Zane’s apartment looks a whole lot more like LA than VA. Maybe next time try for an apartment that doesn’t overlook a whole smattering of palm trees? I do like how well-read and intelligent they make Sylar. A smart villain, a cultured villain, is always more fun to watch, something like Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor. Mohinder hasn’t been in the room for more than a minute before Sylar-as-Zane starts quoting early 20th century psychologists: “Are you familiar with Abraham Maslow, the Peak Experience?” (Now you can be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs) Zachary, good job on your delivery through this entire scene. You play “human” very well. People stutter, people pause, and when you play Sylar you make him seem like the words aren’t scripted, they’re just coming up in real conversation. Kudos. And a compliment to Sendhil on his expression at the very end of the scene, after Sylar’s “You wanna see it again?” Very cute.

Does the teapot actually start to whistle at exactly the right moment, or does Sylar use a power to get it going so he has a reason to leave the room and go into the kitchen? Which one of his powers would he be using to do that? Another problem with the Zane swabbing scene: Ethan Cohn moves when Zachary puts the swab into his mouth. Dead people don’t usually move. However, I forgive all of this because of Sylar-as-Zane’s nice timing coming back out of the kitchen and keeping Mohinder from finding Zane’s body, as well as his brilliant idea to accompany Mohinder to find the others with abilities. This is perfect for the storyline and both characters, and the cherry on the top of the scene is Zachary’s expression at the very end of the scene.

Bits and Pieces:

* Nice job Hayden: you break my heart when you hug Sandra from behind after she’s come home from the neurologist. Very poignant.
* I love the details! In the shot of Hiro and Ando sneaking through the parking lot in Vegas on the way to Linderman’s hotel, you can see several recognizable strip landmarks behind them, including the Luxor. Very nice, post-production.
* I was wondering when the first time Claire used the “you’re not my real father” line was going to be. You knew it was coming, even though it’s macaroni and cheesey as hell.
* Love that Hope calls Hiro Sulu as she punches him. Nice reference, especially considering last week’s guest star.
* I like that Claire hurls a rock at Nathan’s retreating car, and Adrian’s reaction to it was very good.
* Nice timing on coming back out of the kitchen and keeping Mohinder from finding Zane’s body.
* How many times did they make poor Masi run at that door? He must have had a big bruised shoulder by the end of that. But again, I like the Star Wars reference with his Vulcan greeting and “I come in peace.”
* This is a show about ceilings. I’ll mention them later, but seriously, the directors all love pointing the camera up at the actors and filling half the background of the shot with ceiling. (There are even diamonds in this episode’s ceiling.) Most shows don’t choose this camera angle, and based on the horrendous pictures that have been taken of me from below the level of my head, I can understand why. It’s not usually a flattering vantage point.
* I like that Matt isn’t a total boy scout and takes the diamonds for himself. Makes his character more interesting.
* I never liked Pomeranians before this show, I always thought they looked like rats on Rogaine, but I think I might be starting to come around. Mr. Muggles looks so soft, like a cat-sized dog, and… he makes me want a Mr. Muggles of my own. Shh, don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation.
* Weepy Blonde Moment-of-the-Week goes to Hayden for her end scene holding Mr. Muggles. Although this isn’t fair, considering Ali plays Jessica for the entire episode and she’s not prone to weepiness.
* Ooh, and now it’s Jessica v. Nathan, part 2. Except this time they won’t be naked and I bet there will be some kind of weapon involved. I’m in.

Til next time, and visit my website for more reviews!
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com
GoldenGait

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:02 am Post subject:

1x16 Unexpected

I feel I must start this review off the way I started watching this episode: huh? This “huh?” turned into a complete “WTF MATE?” (funny, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f8grWE7AOw) by the end of the episode, because of Hana Gitelman. We’re introduced to her with no warning, no warm up of the hour with established characters, just her hacking into Ted’s computer. Speaking of Ted, we got a 15 second hi-there-and-hello last episode, but then got whisked away again… We haven’t really seen him in ages, and I don’t know what’s been going on with him out in this desert! Has he really been sitting there in his cabin glowing his hands since he escaped the police transport? I suppose this is preferable to the writers giving him dumb things to do like Daddy’s promotion and Hope, but still… And while yes, Hana has a very cool power, it’s just kind of a baby version of Micah’s. Or maybe a cousin. I suppose hers is kind of cooler because she doesn’t even have to touch anything, she’s her own network. But still, two scenes, and poof, Hottie McExposition is off to Never-Heard-From-Again-Land. I’m all for useful and interesting new characters, but if they’re just plot devices to get Teddy to NYC, I think the writers could have come up with something different. That said, the minute they start bringing her back twice or three times a season for cryptic info sharing a la Deep Throat or Mr. X, I’m in. But this current treatment of her character sucks. (I realize now that she was thoroughly discussed in the graphic novels, but at the time...?)

Dale is another cool character, along the lines of Original!Zane. Well-thought-out, well cast, and well acted, an exceptionally interesting character to watch despite the short amount of time we get with her. I like the detail about her listening to rap even though she hates it because it’s the only thing that drowns out all other noise. Now, one problem I have with Mohinder and Sylar-as-Zane showing up in Montana: Mohinder has dozens of people on The List that he has cold-called and been hung up on. The boys started in Virginia at Zane’s, and the nearest person they decide to visit (without even being clear on the person’s gender) lives all the way over in Montana? There’s no-one closer? Someone along the way you could stop in on? The Midwest is pretty big, and while, yeah, it’s also pretty boring, I’m sure there are a couple people with abilities sprinkled through there. A road trip to Montana just for Dale? Why did you think she was so special to warrant such a visit? But check out Sylar-as-Zane’s face as he listens to Dale describe her ability. He looks positively ravenous. I’m surprised the top of her head didn’t come off right there. Sylar looked ready to pop. Premature decapitation, if you will. Wink

And I love how perceptive she was of Sylar-as-Zane and his increased heart rate. Zachary, you do a great job playing caught-off-guard, too. Great scene all around, people.

COCKROACH TALLY! When Dale is describing how sensitive her hearing is, she mentions that a cockroach crawling across her neighbor’s floor was “like a marching band parading through my house.” (5)

I like Ted’s goodbye scene at his wife’s grave. The dead flowers and spreading death of the surrounding grass was well-done, and the camera angle down at him was beautiful. Anyone else find this reminiscent of Superman when he glances the future and he’s standing in a graveyard and everyone he knows is dead? As a side note, I’m concerned for everyone who has ever spent time around this guy. In a couple years there’s going to be a pandemic of testicular and ovarian cancer in everyone he’s ever looked at.

I again really like Claude’s training session and mental abuse of Peter. Both actors play the physicality of the fight scene very well, and I love the look on Milo’s face when he’s finally telekinetically able to stop the stick from smacking him in the head. I also think it was cool that Peter didn’t even know he had the ability until questioned by Claude about where he picked up telekinesis. Glad Peter got something other than the healing power out of his whole ordeal in Texas. Now, can he also split people’s heads open and freeze things? Because he never ticks like Sylar…

The scene at the motel between Sylar-as-Zane and Mohinder is funny and awkward at the same time. I’m not sure I entirely like it, but I can’t put my finger on the problem. I like that Mohinder admits he was skeptical about bringing Sylar-as-Zane, and I think it’s funny that he says, “I don’t know you…it could have been a disaster!” Oh, just you wait, ‘Enry ‘Iggins, just you wait (any My Fair Lady fans out there?). Their conversation in front of their respective hotel rooms was good, well-played by both parties, and I like that the subject of Chandra’s murder by Sylar came up and that Sylar-as-Zane was able to carefully skirt the issue while still pumping Mohinder to find out how much he actually knows. Interesting line: “Even if I could come face-to-face with [Sylar], what difference would it make? Justice could never really be served.” Now, where it gets creepy is following that line, with Sylar’s “What a shame…” speech. Gets a little invasion-of-personal-bubble for my tastes, and I’m amazed that Mohinder doesn’t get more weirded out than he does. He just kind of stares at Sylar-as-Zane like he wants to make out with him. And so was born the concept of Mylar.

It could have been easy for Peter’s flying scene with Claude to turn out cheesy or like a total Superman rip-off, but I liked it. I’m glad they had Peter carry Claude in a modified fireman-hold. And this was a nice way of getting rid of Claude. Yoda can’t stick around forever or else Luke will never get to truly shine. Scaring him back into hiding with a near-capture was a brilliant way of writing the character back out in a way that makes it quite possible for him to show up again as needed without it being sloppy or abrupt. Nice job. Question: was Peter using telekinesis or his time freezing ability from Future!Hiro when he stopped the taser electrodes?

Love Dale’s final scene. Even though there are some problems with it: Sylar-as-Zane has no foot-steps? How? He can’t fly… Can he telekinesis himself off the floor, Magneto-style (I hope not)? And the cheese factor for the final lines is 10/10. “That sound. In your heart. What is it?” “Murder.” But I love it! (I also love Taledega Nights: “Anarchy!” “I don’t know what that means, but I love it!”)

Zachary does a great job looking truly uncomfortable with his new super-hearing the next day when they go back for Dale. And poor Mohinder, blowing chunks at the sight of a dead body. It’s okay, Mohinder, we still think you’re pretty. I love the evil smile Sylar-as-Zane gives as he looks in on his previous night’s handiwork, and his explanation on why they shouldn’t call the police is well done, too. But how in the world does the Sylar signature of head removal clue Mohinder in to the fact that he’s traveling around with the man himself, and not Zane Taylor? He couldn’t have already figured it out, because I don’t believe he’s that good of an actor—Mohinder wouldn’t have been able to play it so cool. One last nice detail of the entire scene is the exaggerated sound of each background noise—cell phones dialing, car doors shutting, engine’s starting. Very nice.

I really enjoyed the final battle between Peter and Isaac. Both actors played the scene well (physically and emotionally). Although for the life of me I will never understand why both of them want Simone so badly. You could both do a lot better, and a lot less Ladyy. The look on Peter’s face as he goes invisible is great—the character has made such a great transition over the season to a much darker, more intense place. And the final moments, as Simone dies, are heartbreaking. Death scenes can be tough, but she plays it well, and I love how Peter materializes at her side to catch her as she falls. One problem I have: Peter’s a nurse. He’s well-versed in first aid, and yet he does nothing here but look alternately helpless and angry at Isaac. One final note: how sad that she tried to give the key back earlier that day. If Isaac had taken it from her, he could have saved her life. It’s like he killed her twice.

Bits and Pieces:

* Hayden looks like a GAP ad in her first scene. (This is not a bad thing, I love The GAP.)
* In one of the DVD commentaries someone suggests following the gun, HRG’s Company issued gun. I should sit down and do that one day when I have 8 million other more important things to do… (Probably next week.)
* Never been to Bozeman Montana, but good lord, nice CGI background. Very nice.
* Funny line: “I believe in fate, Mohinder, in karma, and I’m not just saying that ‘cause you’re Indian.”
* Acting misstep: the guy from the “gaming commission” totally overacts. And I hate the line “Not a chance! I work alone, pal.”
* Simone! Stop being nasty!
* Awesome delivery: when asked whose idea it was to help Hope by the “gaming commission” dude, Hiro says “Ando,” in the most adorable voice I’ve ever heard.
* I want a mom like Sandra! (Actually, no, wait, I already have the coolest mom on earth—love you, Mutti!) She’s so cute when she tells Claire to stop studying and to curl up with her instead with a piece of pie, a glass of milk, and a Cary Grant movie (my personal Cary fave is Charade—go see it, it’s a Hitchcock-like murder mystery with Audrey Hepburn).
* Weepy Blonde Moment-of-the-Week: Hayden for her confrontation of HRG in the hospital. Ali, you better get back in the game, sweetie, you’ve been losing out to the cheerleader week after week lately. And good for you, Claire, shoving Daddy away. Make him earn your forgiveness!
* Janice gets upset and suddenly she’s no longer got an American accent. Huh. Hey there, Aussie girl. (What up to my peeps in East Doncaster, VIC.)
* Funny line: “If people knew what we were capable of… they would drop a collective brick.”
* Only funny part of the Hiro/Ando/Hope storyline this episode: when the boys hide in the bus baggage compartment and contemplate how different their lives are now from a few weeks ago at their desks in Tokyo.
* Claire, I know you’re worried about your mom, but shut your mouth in public about this stuff. And good job with the “strictest confidence” stuff, Doc, you’re really clear on what the concept of confidence means.
* Awesomely funny delivery: “I had my blood tested. It’s in me, that isotope.” “Ted, you’re radioactive by nature.” Greg, I truly love how you do comedy. You may be my favorite funny-line-deliverer on this whole show.
* I was happy about Hiro firing Ando and sending him back home. Too bad it’s not going to stick. (I suppose he is necessary for one more thing…)
* I bet HRG is regretting his earlier condescending sarcasm to Matt. Now you and your whole family is in trouble. I hope the “oops” was worth it.
* And last but definitely not least: Stan Lee as the bus driver! Yes! But again, bad form putting his name in the opening credits. Put it in the end credits as a special guest star, he’ll get his billing, but let it be a surprise for those watching! As soon as I saw his name in the first few minutes I was waiting for him to show up. Would have been cooler if it had been a surprise.

Til next time, and why haven't you checked out my website for my other reviews yet?
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com
GoldenGait

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:03 am Post subject:

1x17 Company Man

This episode is very interesting in that it's so centered on the Bennet family and HRG in particular. This is a very ensemble-based show, and this is the only episode I can think of that focuses so intensely around a single character. True, we have Ted and Matt and Claude, as well as mentions of a bunch of others, including a short glimpse of Child!Hiro, but we saw nothing of Mohinder, Sylar, Micah, DL, Niki, Peter, Nathan, Present!Hiro, Ando, or anyone else. That said, I love this episode and think it worked perfectly. The missing cast didn't bother me, and when we came back to them in 1x18 I didn't feel like we'd skipped a week with them at all.

So Mr. Muggles knows to bark at Ted and Matt, but can’t figure out that Sylar is bad news? Huh. I do like the initial couple lines, though: “Think we’ve had enough of that!” “No, no, don’t, don’t, don’t!” “I’m not going to nuke the dog…” Ted is great in this episode. He really seems like the perfect personality to have the nuclear ability. He’s not bad, per se, but very unstable, and very willing to go to extreme lengths without thinking he’s out of line. Very intense, and when he gets going, he’s pretty much unstoppable. And through all of his hostage taking and threats of violence, his personal back story is so human that you still don’t dislike him. What would anyone do if one day they literally became a danger to society, through no fault of their own, and ended up unwillingly killing their wife? It’s unfortunate that Ted’s so unhinged at this point, but can you blame him?

Very interesting choice to show all of HRG’s personal back story in black and white. It’s not like 15 years ago was so long that color film hadn’t been invented, but having it that way made everything feel very cold, and very detached. The Company doesn’t let emotions cloud their decisions, and everything is very black and white to them, there is no gray (with the exception of certain “morally gray” decisions), there is no color, it’s Normal People and Abnormal People. There are set rules of how to deal with certain situations, and those rules are never to be questioned. The fact that present day is in color and HRG has now grown to love his Claire-Bear and actively hide and protect her from The Company speaks to how he has grown as a human being and as a father. As a side note, I also like that he starts out without glasses. It’s too easy to base the entire character around them and identify him at all times with them, but they choose to show us an HRG with no HRGs. When his character is literally referred to by those glasses, it’s gutsy as a show to take them away from him, even just for one episode. Then again, you could make the case for this episode telling us the story of how he came to be HRG, the glasses symbolizing his Company Man mentality. He was more than a dispassionate bag-and-tagger at one time, and he became HRG through years of “morally gray” acts.

I also love that the episode after we lose Present!Claude we get him back for an extra flashback episode. Nicely done, especially since we already know they knew each other and we were starting to get curious as to the back story between them.

The scene between Matt and Claire in HRGs study is very nicely handled. Just enough info is shared plausibly that I can believe they trust each other later, but it’s not a densely packed two minutes of solid exposition. Peter Petrelli comes up, Save The Cheerleader comes up, and Claire’s power of healing. That’s all we needed, and that’s all they showed us. Nice and concise.

Awesome rooftop scene at the Deveaux building. Interesting to know HRG had only been with The Company for a year before Claire came along. I also loved Child!Hiro playing the old school Gameboy. Very cool that they have HRG speak Japanese, and so cool that they bring Kaito Nakamura back as an insider at The Company. And we all thought he was just an obnoxious father the last time we saw him! This makes him so much more interesting and watchable.

Hayden is so impressive in the stand-off scene with Ted, her mom, and all the guns. Wow. And my heart breaks for Sandra as she scoops her daughter up off the floor. Claire’s back-from-the-dead scene upstairs is also very well done, and I especially liked her coughing out the bullet. Nice touch. Only problem is the bright red vampire mouth Hayden then has to act through for the rest of the scene. Makes it harder for me to take her seriously, because, come on, let’s face it, it does look kind of comical.

Young!Claire is adorable! Hayden plays a couple years younger very nicely. Most people end up playing younger in a very silly way, but she manages to shave 7 or 8 years off without acting like a baby. And the hair is just so cutely reminiscent of Remember The Titans that I can’t complain about this scene at all. Plus, the awesome shot of HRG as he puts on his glasses for the first time and we get that from-behind establishing shot… Very nice. Very nice.

And the final scene on the bridge is heartbreaking, too. This gives Hayden the Weepy Blonde Moment-of-the-Week award. Both she and Jack are so good, and they have such wonderful father-daughter chemistry. Kudos to both parties.

Bits and Pieces:

* I love how Baby!Claire’s hand plays with HRGs face when he first holds her. It’s always nice to see a real baby in a shot instead of a pile of blankets wrapped to look like the size and shape of a baby. I know the little ones are hard to work with, so I appreciate the realism that much more.
* Love the way Child!Hiro gives an absent-mided shove of his glasses up his nose at the end of his scene, and the Baby!Claire smile is the cutest thing I’ve seen in awhile.
* I loved meeting The Young!Haitian. And it’s interesting that they described him as mute. Was he really mute initially? Or was he faking it from the beginning? And if he was faking it, when did HRG figure out he could talk? After the Claire ordeal, or before? Did he only talk to HRG before he got chatty with Claire? Nice continuity: The Young!Haitian has the helix necklace on. Now I’m just insanely curious—how did he get it in the first place?
* Funny line: “He doesn’t want the truth, he wants his wife back. Short of that he wants revenge, of the good old biblical variety.”
* Ooh, The Haitian has a bigger boss than HRG, and it’s someone in Claire’s life… whoever could it be?
* Claude was hiding someone with abilities from The Company. When do we get to meet this person, and what do you think they can do? What’s their relationship with Claude?
* The bridge scene is well-acted by both parties. I particularly like how surprised HRG looks when he first fires on Claude, like even he didn’t think himself capable of it until after he’d already pulled the trigger.
* If just living around LowLevel!Ted gave his wife an aggressive case of cancer, how did FreakingOut!Ted not burn up and tumor-ize Matt and HRG, as well as everyone within a couple miles of the Bennet home?
* Filming the FreakingOut!Ted scene must have been a little awkward for Matthew John Armstrong. I know I’d feel kind of silly thrashing around and screaming like that with nothing actually happening.
* Did everyone notice the helix in the glass of the front door of the Bennet home as Ted is going nuclear, just as HRG runs out of the house?
* The special effects of Claire rebuilding herself as she comes out of the house are really great. I’m just amazed her hair wasn’t burned off, and if it was, I’m even more amazed that it healed perfectly curled. Now that’s a cool power.
* We meet Candice! Although it’s not really a true introduction at all, just a glimpse. We’ll come back to her later.

Til next episode, or visit my website for more reviews!
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com
GoldenGait

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:03 am Post subject:

1x18 Parasite

After an HRG-heavy episode last time, you’d think I’d be ready for some other storylines, but I was desperate to know what happened to him after the bridge! Jack does a great job acting completely wiped and fatherly-desperate to find his little girl. And the line “…took her out of a basinet, put her in your arms and told you to take her home—and that’s after you said no thank you,” was fantastic. What a great way to put his whole outlook on Claire into unemotional perspective. Poor HRG. Also chilling: the way HRG’s love for his daughter is referred to as an “indulgence”.

Do you suppose the they had planned all along to have Nathan be a good guy in this whole mess and be an FBI informant? Or was he just coming off way too jackass-y, so they wrote in a redeeming quality for him? Still, interesting twist I did not see coming. Speaking of not seeing things, I loved how Peter appeared in Nathan’s office after the agents left. And I’m glad Nathan expressed a little concern about his blood-stained brother before unemotionally plotting how he was going to fix things. But I was definitely concerned about Nathan’s trip to Vegas this time. Jessica’s waiting there to kill you, dude! Stay away!

Sylar and Mohinder! Back in New York, up to no good, as usual. Smile

I love how painfully interested Sylar becomes the closer he gets to the complete list. And personally, I was freaking out. Don’t let him anywhere near your computer, Mohinder! This scene extends in bits and pieces over the course of this episode and well into the next one, too, and I swear it gets better with each minute. I love Zachary’s calming of Mohinder by offering to call Isaac, and the following Bad Guy Monologuing. I never would have guessed Mohinder could be smooth enough to slip something into Sylar’s drink without him noticing, though. He’s got super-hearing, and he’s evil, which as we all know, gives you a bit of an edge on any Good Guy. Other nice details: the way Zachary clears his throat as he drinks the chai, and the way the camera looks down on him and loses focus as he falls to the floor.

It’s tough to sneak another line in as my favorite in this episode when it has to compete with the entirety of the Sylar-Mohinder scenes, but I think Masi and Adrian steal the top spot with “Hiro.” “Mr. Petrelli? Frying mah—!“ “Sh. Not here.” “Sorry.” Especially when paired with Masi’s follow-up turn and Adrian’s face as he leans back to avoid Hiro’s poster tube. Nice reference: “I think you’ve been around long enough to know what happens when Mr. Linderman doesn’t get something he’s expecting. Or do I have to paint you a picture?”

Nice to see Jessica back, and I love her fake-innocent look with one finger in her mouth when DL confronts her about Nathan’s picture: “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” “Bout what?” And thank God Leonard gave us that final look as he walks away from Jessica. I was beginning to think he was a total chump.

And we’re back to Mohinder’s apartment. With an IV of curare (learn something new today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curare) in his arm, Sylar suddenly looks beatable. Vulnerable. And at the same time, the look on his face as he quickly assesses his options and snipes right back at Mohinder keeps him scary. This guy is willing to say and try anything to manipulate people and get his way. Now, considering how much I’ve raved so far about these scenes, you’d think I wouldn’t be able to find fault with them, but yes, as it turns out, I can. I have a major problem with Sendhil’s delivery of his lines while torturing Sylar with the tuning fork. It’s silly, it’s forced, it’s bordering on goofy. Zachary does a great job looking like his eyes are about to start bleeding with the pain, and I even believe his gasped “Sylar!” as he finally cracks, but Sendhil fell really, really flat for me here. His eyes are bored, there’s no real anger or desperation in his voice, and he doesn’t seem to commit.

As soon as the tuning fork segment ends, though, both actors do wonderfully. Sendhil finally looks ****** and heartbroken over his father as he first points the gun at Sylar, and Sylar’s true creepiness slides back over Zachary full-force after his past few episodes as Sylar-as-Zane. And I really want to know more of the backstory between Sylar and Chandra Suresh. I know they made up after Sylar demonstrated an ability, but what really led Sylar to kill him? And once again, let me just say how much I love the way Zachary delivers long stretches of dialogue. If his lines were food, they’d sound delicious. I love the continuing drugged feel the out-of-focus camera gives the scene, and my favorite part of this sequence is Sylar’s challenging lean into the muzzle of Mohinder’s gun and the release of energy you see in his face as the gun is withdrawn and Mohinder backs down. (You can tell Zachary was really into that lean, too—check out the pressure mark the muzzle leaves on his forehead!) And one last comment about this slice of the episode: Mohinder’s “and it’s going to hurt” is another reason Mylar has such a strong foothold. It’s not just creepy intimacy from Sylar’s end, Mohinder’s on board too. Huh. They can’t possibly be doing this on purpose, can they?

It’s interesting to watch the different attempts and positions Sylar takes trying to appeal to Mohinder. My favorite is his evolution from victim asking for salvation to complete meltdown: “Give me that damn list so I can sink my teeth in!” I think he even manages a tear at that point. And the chilling part is his calm, collected follow up, like he’s flipped the Crazy Switch off in his head: “I’m a natural progression of the species.” Mohinder’s shocked expression after firing the gun is perfect—is he just surprised that he actually fired? The vantage point behind Sylar’s head as the shot rings out is perfect, too, we the audience can’t see a thing. The floating bullet was lovely, as is Sylar’s creepy, victorious monologue as he stands up and starts after Mohinder. And kudos to Sendhil: he does a great job at the close of this scene looking like he’s completely petrified. Having Sylar ****** off and out for blood must be like realizing you’re trapped in a cage with a poisonous snake. Death will not come fast, and it’ll be painful in the meantime.

Peter’s interruption of Sylar’s torture of Mohinder is fantastic. I like Milo’s reaction to the dripping blood, I like Mohinder’s desperate, choked “Sylar!” and I love the way Sylar flings Peter to the wall and inspects him like an interesting bug. And bringing back the this-is-a-show-all-about-ceilings comment, it’s such an interesting choice to have Mohinder pinned to the ceiling of his apartment. Very nice, very twisted. As far as the climax of the episode, I for one was freaking out over Sylar slicing through Peter’s head. Also, as I’ve said before, Milo has a great scream. Not girly, not silly, not fake, just really good. This was one of those episodes that ended on such a crazy note that I didn’t even realize the hour was up, and when it cut to black and the credits started, I looked around wildly like I’d missed something. “What? What happens next? You’re kidding me!”

Bits and Pieces:

* I love that the “previously on Heroes” was done in Japanese for this episode.
* I know people talk about a smoking gun, but do they generally smoke that much?
* Oh my heart breaks for Isaac as Peter runs out the door and leaves him alone with Simone’s body. Santiago is really wonderful in this episode.
* Poor Matt, strapped to a chair and forced to listen in on HRGs thoughts. But I loved the little hair-tousle Candace gives his head as she walks away.
* I love that Sandra’s cell phone ring is a bunch of ridiculous barking dogs.
* Great Sandra line: “Don’t worry. I know how to play dumb.”
* Wow, Candace recognizes Puccini?
* Claire bothers me like crazy in this episode. No wonderful, heartbreaking Weepy Blonde Moments of the Week, just a whiny, petulant child.
* I love the reveal of Candace’s power as she morphs from Simone. Very cool special effect. Followed by a great line: “Maybe you should have thought of that before you shot her. Twice.”
* I love Linderman’s collection in his vault. Amazing! And again, I love how many details are placed nonchalantly in the background and not harped on. Kudos for being humble about your amazing forethought and continuity, guys.
* Anyone else hear a similarity between “there are so few dead sea fragments left in the world... it would be a pity if you crushed this one” and “there is a shortage of perfect breasts in the world… it would be a pity to damage yours”?
* Okay, so I’m glad Ando came back long enough to save Hiro’s butt, but he can leave again now.
* Fantastic badass delivery on Ali’s part when she breaks in on the agents and kills them. Great line: “Don’t run surveillance on a man from inside his own hotel. It’s really tacky.”
* Poor Isaac, staring at his own personally foreseen death.
* I was so excited to see Hiro jump into the future!
* Glad for the reveal of Angela as the puppeteer behind The Haitian. Now I want to know their backstory!
* Love the casting of Linderman! Creepy, creepy guy, that Malcolm McDowell. Even if he is making pot pies and bringing plants back to life. This was a long scene, but it totally kept my attention. Kudos to both actors: you guys don’t move, there’s no-one else in the shot, and there’s very little in the background and yet it’s not a boring couple minutes.

Thanks for reading, guys, and check out my website for more reviews!
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com
Til next time,
GG

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:05 am Post subject:

1x19 .07%

Go HRG! I enjoy the badassness he affects while on “death row” and his subsequent escape plan. Very nice use of his inside knowledge and his two partners in crime, Ted and Matt. I’m glad Matt still has a distaste for HRG, too, otherwise their working together would have seemed somewhat fake and forced. Although the perfect timing of HRGs instructions is a little unbelievable.

Again, I love Linderman’s collection. Beautifully dressed set, that one. I’d love to go wandering around the set and just check stuff out. One of my favorite lines in this episode comes as Nathan and Linderman look at a painting of Hiro: “I know this man.” “Oh, great, if you see him, tell him I want my sword back.” I also like that there are several Kensei artifacts other than the sword in the vault.

I’d love more info on Linderman and his “friends” who set out to save the world. I know that’s what Volume Two is supposed to be about, but since it was somewhat prematurely aborted, I don’t feel like we got the amount of info we were supposed to receive. Linderman’s speech to Nathan about those of the group who got greedy and began using their powers for personal gain drops so many hints and I don’t think we’ve had the majority of them explained at all. Maybe Volume Three will go into things a little more while continuing a forward storyline?

Mohinder’s stint on the ceiling is really the only point in the entire series so far when his hair isn’t perfect. Which brings us back to the exciting conclusion of the Mohinder-Sylar extendo-scene from last episode. The look on Sylar’s face as he watches Peter heal is fantastic, and I really like the way Milo drops to the ground as Sylar is flung across the room and releases his hold on Peter. Very badass action hero. Although I’m not sure Mohinder had to be quite so damsel-in-distress helplessly frightened while lying there on the floor between Peter and Sylar. I mean, true, he’s probably just been subjected to countless hours of horrendous torture, but he looks like he still has all of his parts, and I just think they could have let him keep a bit of his spine, especially as Sylar says, “oh no, I’m not done with him yet,” as if he’s just a ragdoll he’s been playing with. Mohinder just lays there like, “oh, okay, if you say so, I won’t move.” The glass however, is my favorite effect of the episode, and probably one of my favorites for the entire series. I’m glad they let Mohinder get one good hit in right there at the end, but it seems too little too late.

As much as Angela is evil and cold-hearted, I enjoy her in her scene with Claire. I know she’s probably in league with Linderman and all, trying to blow up the city, but hey, I just can’t fault her for offering Claire a free trip to Paris and some new clothes. Hey, if Claire doesn’t want to go, Angie, I’ll take you up on that offer! I also like that she hints that she has a power, though she doesn’t tell us what it is. And I’m still dying to know! When do we get to find out? I like that she shows a little emotion when she thinks Peter’s dead. Makes her seem a little more interesting.

Nathan’s reaction to Peter’s death is odd. It just doesn’t sit right with me, and I think a little part of the problem is the music in the scene. But most of it is Adrian’s reaction… Isn’t he planning on letting his baby brother explode? Isn’t he happy now that those .07% of people don’t have to die? I know, it’s different when you’re actually faced with it. But I don’t think Adrian cries very well in this scene. I know he’s better than this, too, because he was heartbreaking in a couple episodes of Judging Amy. Milo, however, looks great. Playing dead is harder than it looks, and he keeps so still, and so lifeless. It’s tough to keep your eyes open and perfectly still. But: I have yet more problems with this scene. The blood make-up on Peter’s face looks like a design-y face paint, with dots and swirls. It needed to be more organic and less cartoony. Also, Claire’s hair stroking and heartbroken attitude takes us back to the icky Paire place most of us don’t like to go. I don’t care how much chemistry these two actors have with each other, they need to stamp that crap out when they’re playing uncle and niece. Milo does do a great job of coming back to life, though.

Isaac’s last scene is wonderful. I was incredibly sad to see him go, but his last moments are well done. Poor guy, pinned down with his own brushes on his painting of the bomb. Slight biblical references there, too, but nothing heavy-handed. I momentarily thought “oh no—no more artwork!” but quickly remembered Sylar now has the ability, and Peter’s had it for awhile. Still… I’m going to miss Isaac as a character. He’d really started to get very compelling.

The CGI future is always impressive. I really like it. And speaking of impressive, Isaac’s loft in the future, with strings and timelines and clippings looks phenomenal. Very nice set. I’d want to wander around this one as much as Linderman’s vault. And finally, I can’t say how much I love Future!Hiro. Masi is such a badass as Future!Hiro. I think as a single character he’s one of my favorites (although in an ensemble show, it’s hard to pick single character favorites).

Bits and Pieces:

* I would love to be drawn by Tim Sale. I’d love to see his version of me. Or rather, I think I’d like to see how Isaac would paint me. And where. Possibly in the White House? As a famous, world-renowned surgeon? On the arm of Zachary Quinto, perhaps? I’d just rather not see my death. That would really freak me out.
* I like that Isaac gifts the sketchbook away to the geeky messenger. I’m crossing my fingers that it comes back and is important again later.
* I love that Linderman has been pulling the strings behind the scenes with Micah, Niki, and DL from the beginning.
* Jessica stands up to Linderman for Micah! She’s not all kill-kill-kill-I-will-shoot-and-kill-anyone-kill-kill-kill. Jessica is so much more interesting than Niki.
* I love the EMP task Ted has to perform. I like the explanation of “bright” not “hot”, and I love that Ted gets a moment to save the day with his power instead of being entirely destructive for his whole Heroes career. Very nice bit.
* Peter and Nathan’s scene after Peter comes back is kinda creepy. What’s with the slashiness, people?
* Peter looks silly with his hair all slicked back. (Save that for the next episode where it’s appropriate.)
* Love the bait and switch Candace pulls with Micah.
* Santiago looked very natural when he painted, Milo looks pretty awkward, and Zachary comes in somewhere in the middle. I like that Sylar’s style is different, too, a perverted version of Isaac’s elegance.

Thanks for reading, and check out more of my reviews on my website!
thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com
Til next time,
GG

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:05 am Post subject:

1x20 Five Years Gone

This is my favorite episode. Possibly of any of the shows I’ve watched religiously over the years. But definitely my favorite Heroes episode. This is the only show that can get away with having a completely AU episode, removed in time and space from the current plot, and still have it actually fit into and advance the very same plot that it’s removed from! Amazing! It’s like the writers got together and decided they were bored with how slow the first season seemed to be progressing, so they figured they’d write an AU fanfic and have good characters be evil and get Niki and Peter to make out, and basically try to get every true fan to jump around like a lunatic in their living rooms while watching it all unfold. Well done, writers, mission accomplished. So if this review just turns into a sappy love letter to the writers, creators, and actors…. Oh, who am I kidding, “if”? It’s gonna be.

As cool as it is to see who died and who survived as a badass in the future, no-one tops Future!Hiro. The hair, the sword, the low voice (sans accent—by the way, when is that going to start fading in our current storyline?), no glasses, and the very prickly disposition… It’s all perfect. Even the soul patch. Good on ya, Masi, those two characters don’t even seem like they were played by the same person. Way to demonstrate your range. Nice moment: when Hiro claims he is scared of his future self.

Now, I’ve been a Grunberg fan since Alias, and while Greg plays an adorable nice-guys-finish-last character, I was so happy to see him get to be an honey in this episode. He does the jackass G-man bit well, and I loved the wardrobe choice of the long black overcoat. The only problem I had was with the total lack of explanation of how he got to this point. I know they only have 42 minutes or so, but every other future character was believably advanced, and I see no reason for Matt to have become this by-any-means-necessary kind of guy. Was he hand-picked because of his previous work with the FBI? Did The Company turn over their files on him and get him recruited? One line would have satisfied me, but alas, the only reason I can come up with is the writers thought it would be awesome. Which it was.

Ando. As one of two past characters thrown forward, he didn’t do much compared to Hiro, but that’s okay with me. He usually doesn’t do much, so this was in keeping with his character. And as I’ve mentioned before, I think it’s hysterical how hard up poor Ando is for some female lovin’. If he were a dog, he’d be the annoying little kind that humps your leg every time he sees you, wags his tail too much, and rather than chasing the mailman, hides from him instead. So his enthusiastic, “Niki, it’s me, Ando! Do you remember?” was pitch-perfect. Other than that, I just enjoyed him for his effect on the other characters, as per usual.

Now for Niki. I like that since Micah’s death she’s gotten a little more….up front about her stripping, but that wig has to go. I’m sorry, but that thing was distracting. At least it was only on for a couple frames during her dance. And the treat we got for putting up with it was the look between Niki and Hiro as she notices him in the audience. Awesome, both of you. What was most amusing about Niki, though, was the fact that even five years into the future, she’s still a whiny, sad, why-me kinda gal. This girl is way into self-flagellation, and doesn’t look like she’s ever going to change. Here’s hoping her character evolves a little bit more in the actual storyline, or else she’s going to get very boring, or killed (don’t get me started on 2x11 here—read that review for my thoughts on this subject).

One of the top five moments of the episode was the first bar conversation between Niki and Peter. His materializing after pulling the glass to himself was fantastic, and while it had already been revealed that Niki is his girlfriend, it was entirely different to actually see them making out. Fanfic moment if there ever was one. I think it seemed especially hot because, in a show with very little romance, there isn’t a lot to compare it to. This kiss, I think, even outdoes Jessica’s seduction of Nathan, and therefore sets the bar for s*xy on this show. This also means Niki/Jessica has had both Petrelli brothers… Do you think she or Nathan ever told Peter about their night together in Vegas? Nice moment: the precision control Future!Peter has in order to pull the TV plug with an almost imperceptible nod of his head.

Milo gets the silver medal for his Future!Peter in this episode. Masi squeaked by with the gold, but Milo did a wonderful job making Peter very believably completely different. And the scar! (Kudos, writers, for setting that up since 1x04 Collision. That’s some damn spiffy continuity and forethought.) The hair was great, the way he carried himself, the muscle tone and mass (which Milo must have been quite stealthy about accruing over the course of the season, because I swear he wasn’t built that way from the beginning), and the monochromatic wardrobe all worked perfectly without ever feeling over the top.

The familiarity with which Future!Hiro and Future!Peter address each other makes me really want to see more of their story over the five years we skip here. I bet they were on the winning side of some kickass battles, and I’m super-curious to know how the guy who can heal manages to attain such a huge scar. And if Hiro’s power progresses to the point where he can pop in and out of time and space with minimal effort, will we get to see a Nightcrawler-like sequence at some point, with him materializing and vanishing again several times over in one room and taking out a whole mess of guys? Not sure they have the budget for it, and I know the fanbase would cry party-foul because of the obvious imitation, but… still, it would be extremely fun to see.

Mohinder has a beard. Smile

Upon first viewing, the reveal that Nathan was actually a shape-shifting Sylar caught me completely by surprise. I took that thing hook, line, and sinker until the exact moment one morphed into the other. Even then I think I was confused for another couple seconds before it dawned on me completely.

...I can be extraordinarily gullible sometimes.

But! On second viewing, I was amazed at how dense I had been considering Adrian’s perfect imitation of Zachary’s Sylar. In the audio commentary for the episode on the DVDs it was mentioned that Adrian had Zachary record the lines so he could deliver them in proper Sylar fashion. And it showed! The best Sylar delivery was during his talk with Claire: “For all I know, I’m the most special person there is.”

Claire. Another pure fanfic moment, with her living in hiding as a brunette. I think I’ve read that one a couple times, actually. (Except she’s usually pining for the lost love of her Uncle Peter… ::shrugs:: To each his own.) I enjoyed the idea of her storyline, but it didn’t seem as fleshed out as the other ones.

And I just can’t say enough about the final two minutes starting when Sylar!Nathan pulls Peter through the door. Peter’s slide along the hall was (okay, ineloquent fan moment approaching, avert your eyes) SOOOOOO COOL! (You may now resume reading.) I’m not sure how they managed that turn within the slide, whether it was wires, a mat, or just a lucky toss of Milo by a big stunt guy named Curly, but it was very pretty. The Nathan-Sylar morph, on the other hand, could have been prettier, in my opinion. But I don’t care too much, because once they light their hands up and start down the hall toward each other, all is forgiven, because we’re going to see an epic battle--! Nope, wait, no, we’re just going to see a colorful light show as Mohinder tries to keep the door closed. ::grins:: But I bet the epic battle we’re not seeing is pretty badass, don’t you think?

Considering Sylar is my favorite character, it’s interesting that my favorite episode only has Zachary Quinto in it for about a minute and a half. However, it’s a fantastic minute and a half, and the only negative is that they made his hair look like Sonic the Hedgehog. I’m serious. Go back and look.

Other Sweet Badass!Peter moments include #1: His freezing of the room and kidnap of the recently captured Hiro and Ando. Nice to have you back in the game, Pete. #2: His instinctive, effortless movement of the chair out of his way as he re-enters the room after walking out on Niki. So subtle I missed it the first time. #3: The raid on The Company’s building. This also doubles as a Sweet Badass!Hiro moment. Opening up and relishing a good fight, tossing guards about like nothing…very nice. And all with that don’t-******-with-me look on his face. It was like a bullet-less, sunglasses-less Matrix scene.

Bits and pieces:

* Every time they show New York destroyed by the bomb it gives me goosebumps. The CGI team that works on this show is fantastic. And kudos to the actors who react so nicely to the green screen.
* Nice delivery: “Is it any stranger than being able to read someone’s mind?” “…Yeah. It is.” Love ya, Greg.
* Another nice Greg delivery as he unfreezes to find Peter has popped out with his two recent captures: “What?” There aren’t a whole lot of quoteable lines as written in this show—what makes them great most of the time is the interesting delivery.
* HRG looks funny in wire-rimed glasses. So is he WRG in this episode?
* Does Mohinder seem like an insanely loose canon to anyone else? He gets an idea in his head about the “right thing to do” and heads blindly in that direction without a second thought. Thankfully it worked out for the best in this episode, but…where is his loyalty, really? He seems to turn on a dime!

All in all, this is the 10/10 I compare all other Heroes episodes to. Gold stars for everyone involved.

Thanks for reading, and for more of my reviews, check out my website!
thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com
Til next time,
GG

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:06 am Post subject:

1x21 The Hard Part

As much as this episode is a lot less entertaining than the last one, I’m still captivated by the Sylar storyline, and this is the episode that completely sealed the deal and cemented his place as my favorite character.

The first we see of Sylar is his examination of his painting in comparison to Isaac’s. Under the impression he is going to be the exploding man, he calls Mohinder. I think Sendhil could have acted a little more unnerved by the fact that the man who tortured him only a few days ago is now calling his house line to chat. He gives a single glance over his shoulder, but that’s it. I’d be reaching for a baseball bat, checking under the bed, and throwing the deadbolt. The psycho could be on a cell phone outside your door! I do like the phone call itself, though. Sylar’s calm, rational explanation of his prior acts of murder is extremely well acted and well written. I like how Zachary walks aimlessly around the room as he speaks even though he has no purpose for the actions—it seems very real. (I wander around my apartment whenever I’m on the phone.) I also appreciate the writers giving Sylar a boundary. An edge, if you will, where even he draws the line between killing for a reason and killing for no reason at all. He seems disturbed by the fact that he is going to become a mass-murderer. Genocide seems distasteful to him. I like that even the villains on this show have a sense of right and wrong, no matter how skewed they are. The other part of this scene that I find very interesting in terms of Sylar’s character is that when he feels introspective and in need of a sounding board, he calls Mohinder. The man he had no problem lying to and torturing. It’s sad that Mohinder is the closest thing Sylar has to a friend. Which, I suppose, is why the sour note the phone call is left on prompts him to go see his mother.

I like that Sylar dresses differently and puts his glasses back on before he goes to see his mother. As if he’s switching back into Gabriel. And when he hears Ando and Hiro behind the painting, he takes his glasses back off, as if he needs to remain Sylar a little while longer, to deal with them. Another nice moment in this scene is the way the old man in the grocery nonchalantly moves Hiro’s sword case as he walks past them.

Molly Walker! Played by the cutest little actress in the entire universe, Adair Tishler. She’s even got a cute name. What a scene stealer. Look at the way she jumps as Mohinder draws her blood. And she’s only 8 years old!

In a storyline I don’t particularly like at this point in the series (Claire and her Brand New Family), I really enjoy one scene: where Claire informs Nathan of Ted’s existence and power. Nice Claire line: “You can fly?” Nathan shrugs. “That’s cool.”

I have a problem with the way they cast mothers of grown men in general on television. The mom is always too young, and too pretty, and it always ends up kind of creepy between mom and son when they hug and look at each other lovingly. It never comes off as mother-son love. I manage to put up with Angela, but she’s guilty of it (and it’s a two-way street, Adrian and Milo don’t help matters). So the awkwardness between Sylar and his mom is nothing new. However, I think they both manage it a lot better than a lot of other pairs on television, and the problems they do have come mostly from Momma Gray, in my opinion. Like when she tells him he could be president, and cups his face and touches his lips. I think most 30 year old men would be pretty grossed out if their mother did that to them.

The running scene in Sylar’s mom’s apartment is fabulous while still riddled with problems. I love Sylar’s line about the clock: “It’s a beautiful piece, it just needs a little attention.” Thinly veiled, but a nice metaphor for the character himself. And oh dear, did you see the picture of Child!Zachary in the snow globe? I think he probably popped out of the womb with those eyebrows. Smile

Now, a major problem and ick factor comes with Mom’s stroking of Sylar’s head as he begins to work on the clock. I think she’s a bit too much of a cartoon. I know the actress is famous for stage work, and that might be the problem. A stage is big, and as such requires big movements and emotions… a television screen is much more intimate and can handle much more subtlety. I think she just needed to take it down a notch or two. I also enjoy how Sylar has reached a point in his “career” (if you can call it that) where he wants to stop. Maybe if he stays home he can rewind time like one of his clocks and not kill anymore.

A note about Zachary’s tasks within a scene: whether this guy has nothing to do or a very intricate task to perform while remembering lines and delivering them well, he always manages to look human and believable. Wandering an apartment aimlessly while on the phone, painting, using watchmaker’s tools (some of those things are tiny); he always looks easy, like he’s comfortable with all of his actions. I know it’s harder than it looks.

Boy, this woman is excitable! No wonder Sylar left. Momma Gray is pretty out there. She’d drive me nuts within 24 hours. I think there might be a genetic screw loose in that family.

I really like the Sylar theme music that plays through these scenes. Very haunting, very poignant, and much different from his usual sinister ticking clock noise. I also really like the fact that he’s stopping to take stock of how far he’s willing to go: “What if I told you I can be special. Important. But to do it I’d have to hurt a lot of people. Should I?” I even like the water-to-snow trick he does for his mom. What I dislike is the telekinetically spinning snow globes that pick up after a few moments, and the fact that he beans his mother in the head with one of them. That felt a little kitschy, a little cheesy.

My favorite part of the whole episode comes as Sylar stands outside his mother’s locked door and begs her to open it. Personally, I was a bratty child, and I had my share of meltdowns, and when Zachary slides down the door and bangs his head against it, calling for his mother, it rings very true, as if he were channeling a 7 year old who had just thrown a big tantrum and was tiring, but not budging.

Kudos to both actors for holding so still after Hiro freezes them. I’m not sure how Sylar came out of it, though. Was Hiro’s grip on time wavering, like his resolve to kill Sylar? That makes the most sense. And how did Sylar catch the blade of a sharp sword with his bare hand as Hiro was swinging it down on him? Sylar isn’t invincible, but the sword doesn’t even knick him. It should have taken his hand off. And if I were Masi, I don’t think I would’ve had to act at all when Sylar started yelling. Zachary, you’re downright frightening here.

How the hell didn’t either one of them say “What are you doing here?” when HRG and Claire saw each other again in Kirby Plaza? I’d be a little more surprised if I were them. I do enjoy the way Peter and Ted size each other up as they stand to the side of the family reunion. And I love the cliffhanger they leave us with—Peter’s going nuclear? Already?

Bits and Pieces:

* Awesome pictures, there, Peter. Kinda creepy, but nice to see you’re using your new talent!
* I want Claire’s new Paris coat. It’s gorgeous. As is the white collared shirt she’s wearing. I do love her wardrobe from here on out.
* Okay, again with the creepy uncle-niece stuff. And is it just me, or does Hayden often sound like she’s got a cold? Kinda stuffy?
* Nice job, location set dressers, a snowy LA is tough to accomplish.
* I like that one of the reasons Micah doesn’t like Mr. Linderman is that “he smells funny.”
* Funny Mohinder line: “As far as I can see you’re all a bunch of untrustworthy gundas.”
* Ah ha! We have an answer for how Sylar found the Walker family. Chandra Suresh’s notes and list. I’ll also assume that he got Charlie’s name from Chandra as well.
* Creeps me out that Sylar shaves with a straight razor… but it also seems oddly fitting.
* So now DL can bring people through walls? He wasn’t able to break Niki out of jail earlier in the season?
* I like that Micah—who’s always been pretty in-tune with his mom—figured out that Candace wasn’t really Niki. I also like his fruitless escape attempt. Very cute.
* Kudos on setting up Sylar’s freezing power so far in advance. What was that, episode 1x02? The pilot?
* Safe house you got there, Nathan. Guns in kid-height drawers. Nice.
* Funny line: “My destiny is not to shoot you, the universe cannot be that lame.”
* So, Angela Petrelli is a co-architect of the NY bomb. Didn’t surprise me.
* I love the blood version of Isaac’s bomb on Momma Gray’s floor.

That's all you get for now, unless you want to check out my website to read more of my reviews!
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com

GG

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:08 am Post subject:

1x22 Landslide

So, now that Peter has met The Merry Band of HRG Followers, he’s talked some sense into Ted and the two of them plus Claire are off to Windy Fork, Nebraska, Pop 15. But all cannot be well, so the writers stuck Sylar there at the end of the scene, eavesdropping and ready to spoil all their noble plans. Awesome. I just want to know how Sylar knew to go there?

I’d love to see what would happen if Sylar met Mr. Linderman. That would be interesting. Can you imagine Linderman’s powers if he was wielding Sylar as a weapon? I love that he healed Heidi. That woman needed a little gift, what with all Nathan’s put her through.

And we have the return of Kaito Nakamura! Glad we get to see him again, and very glad he ends up being in on the whole thing! Makes him much more interesting. Now I want to know whether the writers had planned all along to keep George as one of the cast or whether the fan response was so great when they brought him in the first time that they wrote him back in? I’m leaning toward them having a master plan from the beginning.

I really got to enjoy Candace and Micah’s relationship. Sure, she was kidnapping him and all, but she was really sweet to him, and he grew to like her in the end. Plus, when he sways back from fixing the votes, Candace looked truly concerned about him. This was a nice little side story while it lasted. Nice job, both of you.

Child!Hiro is so cute! I don’t like or believe the Hiro-sword-instruction montage. But I do like the voice-over additional background we got on Takezo Kensei. Ooh, and I like how they shot the reflection of Kaito’s eye in the sword as he initially unsheathes it.

Second only to Sylar’s trick with the glass when he killed Peter comes his calm upending of Ted’s transport and flat palm to stop it. So cool. Can’t say I was sad to see Ted go, though. Cool power, but dead weight as far as characters go. As long as Peter and Sylar have his power, I’m cool with letting him go. He’s run his course.

Bits and Pieces:

* Peter needs to learn Tai Chi. Seriously, dude, take up meditation. You’re working with some crazy rage.
* I for one never believed HRG, Ted, and Matt would kill Molly. I’m gullible, but I’m not stupid.
* HRG and Claire have one of the best father-daughter relationships on TV. This never has any creepy overtones to it. Good job, Jack and Hayden. It’s tough to create the kind of family-love chemistry you guys manage.
* Funny line: “You’re not going to catch me in a cape. Zippin’ around with my underwear outside my pants.”
* My favorite line of possibly the entire series comes as Matt and HRG meet up with DL and Jessica: “Didn’t I throw you out a window?”
* I liked Linderman’s attempted bribe of Jessica, and I loved that Jessica did the right thing and gave up control to Niki.
* Very cool effect and death scene for Linderman. Very nice.
* I definitely enjoyed the standoff between HRG and Mohinder in Molly’s room. Can’t wait for the conclusion of the scene!
* And for the best moment of the episode and one of my favorites for the entire series: Sylar’s “Boom,” from atop the NY building’s roof. Love the simplicity of the line, and love Zachary’s delivery of it.

That's all you get for now, unless you want to check out my website to read more of my reviews!
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com

GG

GoldenGait · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:09 am Post subject:

1x23 How To Stop An Exploding Man

Season finale! I can’t tell you how pumped I was for this episode when it first aired. And I can’t tell you how similarly disappointed I was once I’d seen it. Really a let down, in my opinion. This is an awesome show that never seems to be able to stand up to the pressure of expectations. Everyone and their mother was tuned into the second season premiere and we all saw how well that turned out. But we’ll get to that disappointment later.

I didn’t hate the whole episode. Far from it. There were some pretty great little scenes in here, and my issues are few and far between (they just add up to enough that the whole episode is colored by them). I liked the initial scene between Matt, HRG, Mohinder, and Molly: the continuation from the last episode’s final scenes.

I really liked the reveal of Nathan standing by the pillar in the underground garage. The way the camera follows the view of the car around the turn was elegantly done. The rest of the scene was nicely done, too, well-acted by all parties. Especially the nasty little look on Adrian’s face when Peter hears Nathan’s thoughts. Oooh.

Kudos to Milo for his dry-run in the alley after Claire disappears. In a dark alley, with no CGI glowing hands to work off of, he does a fantastic job of looking thoroughly freaked out, and his faint is perfect. Most guys can’t pass out and still maintain their cool-factor, but Milo, you managed it. Nice job.

Continuing on in the Milo compliment department, his dual Peters in the flashback with Simone in the greenhouse is great. Milo’s done a great job of gradually lowering Peter down all season, getting darker and darker. It’s a mark of a really decent actor who can switch back to the original form of the character after playing the evolved form for several months. Most actors don’t pull it off as well as he did. Past!Peter was every bit as sweet and optimistic as he was in the pilot.

I liked the way Sylar picked Ando up by the neck and telekinetically pushed him away to the wall and held him there. The stunt was smoothly done. I also liked how after a moment Sylar lowered his hand, as if keeping Ando pinned there took so little effort he didn’t even need to hold a hand up in his direction. The problem I have with the episode starts here, though. If Hiro was precise enough to pop over to Ando and pop out of Isaac’s loft with him before Sylar could figure out what was going on, why couldn’t Hiro, at any future point in the events of this episode, pop up right next to Sylar and run him through?

Ooh, creepy Claire sandwich between Angela and Nathan. Complete with icky look between mother and son over Claire’s head. I did enjoy watching her follow it up with a swan dive out the window, though. Her healing, stumbling walk away from where she fell was well done, too.

Very nice camera move on Peter as we cut from his flashback of sorts to him lying on the pavement in the alley. And yay! HRG has a first name. Nice to meet you, Noah.

Most of my problems start as Noah, Sylar, and Peter converge in Kirby Plaza. How did Sylar sneak up on them like that? There’s no way. He can’t become invisible, he can’t fly, he can’t turn into anything else… How did he do that? I like that Peter is as scared of Sylar as he is, and I like the shot that mirrors Sylar’s painting vision. Another positive in this scene is the exchange: “Haven’t I killed you before?” “Didn’t take.” Followed by a great, creepy telekinesis grab by Sylar. Even Matt being shot back by his own bullets didn’t bother me too much (although it felt a little hasty, like they were trying to get him out of the way as quickly and easily as possible).

The single most annoying part of this scene is Niki. She shows up and smacks Sylar with a parking meter—Sylar should have gone flying! This chick rips doors off their hinges; she would be able to do more damage to this guy than just knock him over. I don’t think it would have been that tough to hook a stunt guy up and hurl him a bit. Plus, a whiney cry from Micah makes her run from a fight that will determine whether they all get microwaved in a few minutes? She’s not a doctor, how does DL need her help? Get Mohinder! Again, it would have been easy enough to write Niki into the fight. Have Sylar toss her across the plaza. Get rid of her that way. Basically, I feel more people should have been flung in various directions.

I liked the villainous laugh Sylar gives as Peter’s hands begin to glow, and I again want to congratulate Milo on a great performance as he begins to light up. But before I discuss Nuclear!Peter, I want to mention how dumb Hiro’s stabbing of Sylar is. First off, he yells his name in warning. Don’t do that, it gives the bad guy time to react! Which, really, he should have been able to do, considering it takes Hiro about 8 minutes to run at Sylar, yelling, with his sword out. Sylar could have telekinetically stopped him, easy. Poorly done. The saving grace of this moment is Hiro’s hardened, low-voiced, “Yatta,” as well as the flashes we see in Sylar’s eyes before he “dies”. But again, the battle was too quick, not messy enough, and just seemed all around thin.

Okay, back to Nuclear!Peter. I like that the music cuts out for a moment, and Peter seems almost peaceful in his resignation to the fact that he’s going to have to die in order to save New York. The only remaining problem I have with the Nuclear!Peter exchange is that as Nathan arrives, he answers a question posed that he could not possibly have heard. Otherwise, I think Adrian and Milo do a wonderful job. The make-up on Milo is perfect, and Adrian’s look at the sky as he asks, “You ready?” is fantastically subtle (I think I remember the director’s commentary on the DVDs mentioning that the look and line were adlibbed by Adrian during one take and they loved it and kept it).

…And then things just go downhill from there. DL was so badly hurt before that he passed out, bleeding from his gut in the building by the elevators. Now he’s up and walking around? I did like the CGI blast and scattering clouds. That was pretty cool. But the cheese factor just gets unbearable as Molly sobs, “Please don’t die, Officer Parkman! You’re my hero!” Ugghhnnn…

Cockroach tally: one crawls along the manhole cover (6) as “END OF VOLUME ONE” crosses the screen.

I liked that we were given the beginning of Volume 2 included in the season finale. Masi’s fall was cartoon comic genius, and the whole scene was so surreal that it was the perfect amount of odd-ball information to leave us with at the end of the season. And are we ever going to be told the significance of the solar eclipses?

Bits and Pieces:

* I love that Sylar’s paintbrush mars the chapter title.
* Why in the world is Zachary Quinto a guest star in the credits?
* I liked HRG and Mohinder’s argument over Molly. Sendhil: nice job.
* Nice job on the hints for next season, writers. In an episode rushing to wrap up the season, you manage to drop clues about The Nightmare Man and Hiro’s trip to the future. How far in advance do you plan these things out?
* I want Claire’s wardrobe! And her eyelashes. Those are bordering on unholy.
* Peter’s hair is grossing me out by this point in the season.
* So, Linderman had a power, Angela obviously has a power, and I’m guessing Charles Deveaux had one, too. Did the late Mr. Petrelli have one, too? What were they all?
* After all the Niki/Jessica mental fighting and screaming through mirrors all season, I liked the physical match up between Candace-as-Jessica and Niki.
* Another problem I have with this episode is that in the busy city of New York, not a single stray person wanders by Kirby Plaza while the final battle is going down.
* Niki pulled that door off it’s hinges pretty easily. Does this mean, perhaps, that Niki had the strength all along, but Jessica was the only one who was willing to really access it? My guess is that both Niki and Jessica had powers, and that Jessica’s power was the ability to move her consciousness into another body when she died. I’ll come back to this in the review of the Volume 2 finale.
* Cute line: “You look bad ******.” “Really?”
* So happy to see that blood trail leading to the manhole at the close of the Kirby Plaza scene. I was going to lose a lot of interest in this show if Sylar died.

That's all you get for now, unless you want to check out my website to read more of my reviews!
http://thegoldengaitbridge.blogspot.com

GG