One of the things we saw in the finale was the return of the cockroach. I've got a copy of the pilot script that includes those wonderful sketches by Tim Sale of cockroaches kind of taking over the page. It was nice to see that paid off a bit when the cockroach was crawling around on the manhole cover in the finale. Is there anything you can reveal about the significance of cockroaches in "Heroes?"
Well, because I was dealing with an evolutionary theme, I became fascinated with this factoid I read about cockroaches being possibly the pinnacle of evolution because they were so capable of adapting and existing in really troubled times. Throughout all the various ice ages and climate changes and meteors hitting the earth, the cockroach just basically kept surviving and doing so beautifully. They are so perfectly genetically engineered. So, for me, it became the embodiment of this idea of evolution. It harkened back to the original speech that Suresh gives at the top of the pilot when he was talking about this exact idea. It was very important to me to make this last episode feel like a book end to the pilot. So, if you noticed, I started with the exact same narration, we went back to the actual music queues that were used in the pilot. They were woven through at the very begining, they were woven into the scene with Richard Roundtree and were woven into the final moments with Claire and her Father, the exact theme that was used at the top of the pilot. And going back to the Eclipse as well. This was all my way of telling the audience this was all of a piece and there was a plan here. That this, as a volume, was a complete volume and to help people feel like they finished the first novel in this continues saga.
And there's also the juxtaposition between the survivability of cockroaches and the possible survival of Sylar as he may have dragged himself down that manhole.
Right. It's talked about in the very beginning of the pilot. One of the lines was that a cockroach could remain alive headless for weeks at a time, which a cockroach can do - a fact I always found amazing! [laughs] So, this idea that we just watched this guy die and clearly somehow dragged himself into a manhole is exactly the signal that perhaps this character is still alive.
That's a great find... I would *never* have noticed the musical theme. I'm a little disappointed that he dragged himself down the manhole, though... I was sure it was Ma Petrelli's evil schemes.
i dont think the roach has any physical meaning, as in sylar ate its brain or anything.
but i do think the roach is a very neat motif ( motif= reoccurring symbol, for anyone not knowing the definition) thrown into the show, much like a well written book.
i think the roach symbolizes evolution all together just because how evolution made it superior to any other species. also Mohinder goes on about it in Genesis. and i forget the technical term for what that scene was but i think it was the author( or writer) trying to send a direct message to the reader (or viewer in this case).
but when we do see the roach, it seems to be there during the escaping of people. like we see the roach with matt parkman right before he escapes out of his cell. and when sylar crawls into the sewer (or gets dragged... whatever u want to believe) but in both instances they were escaping away from something... but i think that theory is mostly smoke out of my ass
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject: Recurring Cockroach
The cockroach has appeared and has been mentioned several times in the series. The cockroach has been seen in relationship to Mohinder Suresh and Evolution, Sylar, and in situations of death or presumed death. Appearances include:
1. Mohinder Suresh mentions the cockroach in a lecture on Evolution in "Genesis"
2. Mohinder Suresh stomps on a cockroach in his father's apartment when he first arrives in New York in "Genesis"
3. A cockroach is seen crawling next to the presumed dead body of Sylar at Primatech Paper Company in "Godsend."
4. A cockroach is seen crawling over the food left by Matt Parkman while inside a Primatech Paper Company holding cell.
5. A cockroach is seen crawling over the manhole that Candice Wilmer dragged Sylar into at the end of "How to Stop an Exploding Man." Sylar is presumed to be dead at the original appearance
6. A cockroach is seen crawling next to the dead body of a man named Derek, when Sylar kills him in Mexico in "The Kindness of Strangers".
7. Several cockroaches appears in graphic novel "Molly's dream." Molly rides a very large cockroach in the beginning and is attacked by several cockroaches in the end.
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:26 am Post subject: My Theory
Remember in Nightmare Before Christmas when the Oogie Boogie Man comes apart and we learn that he is comprised entirely of bugs under his burlap skin? I think Sylar is similar. He is an organism comprised of roaches. His compulsive killing and power collecting is just a manisfestation of a cockroach's survival instinct
I will have to agree that their's a link to Sylar and the Cockroach Appearances . . . That doesn't explain their appearance with both Mohinder and Matt though . . . That being said -- I got nothin. No idea.
Dale Smithers also says hearing a cockroach in her neighbor's apartment is like a marching band going through her living room. This is before sylar even knew about her..so I doubt he's involved with the cockroaches, I believe like many other things in heroes, it's symbolistic. Perhaps relating back to how humanity will survive, like the cockroaches ability to withstand even a nuclear attack.
Remember when we talked about Sylar acting like a roach in stopping his heart to fool the doctor at Primatech? Or when he jumped at the Police station trying to escape after trying to abduct Molly the 2nd time? Does Sylar have/had some sort of insect/cockroach power?
I had suggested back then that "roach thread" should get "A STICKY" because it's a recurring theme! I've been proven RIGHT! By my powers as a moderator, I sticky it!... Oh wait, I ain't, no moderator...oops!
Hey BYD! You should sticky it! It's an important thread! It keeps coming back-up! And maybe merge the old with the new!
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I've been proven RIGHT! By my powers as a moderator, I sticky it!... Oh wait, I ain't, no moderator...oops!
