Heroes (SPOILERS)

[Hutch]

I can see Nathan taking the bomb guy into orbit, killing himself and the bomb guy.

Alternatively, Peter absorbs Nathan's flight powers long enough to take him up to orbit, and still has Claire's regen. 

Lives to fight another day.

Peter's not Rogue. Once he's got someone's powers, and figures out how to trigger/control them, he can use the powers whenever he wants.

[Ironwood]

"Take me in return for Un-Special Ando."

Last nights episode was fantastic and the cut at the end got Christine shouting 'Naw, not now !!' at the screen.

It truly is good stuff.

For me, the show could be called "HIRO (and Ando)" and I'd still watch it religiously. 

[Dren]

Yeah, for the last 3 episodes since we have known Peter can do all of the powers anytime, I've thought, why don't you just fly out in the middle of the Atlantic and explode.  You'll survive, nobody gets hurt, etc.  Who know, maybe he'll actually grow some smarts before this is done and actually do that.

I was just theorizing today that perhaps the next season or the 3rd will go all the way back and explain the story behind the elder heroes.  I can see that as a distinct possibility given all of the huge gaps they are providing now.  Heck, they already jumped ahead in time, might as well jump back.

[MrHat]

Ya, the comic dealing with Linderman and Petrelli was great, and I'd love to see more of the 'elders' as we're calling them.

As for Peter hanging around, I think he's starting to believe it isn't him.  We'll see next episode I think.  They've given us 3 possibilities (4 if you count a 'surprise' one): Sylar eating Radioactive Man and blowing up NYC out of spite, Radioactive Man blowing up because he loses control/stops caring, Peter blowing up because he can't control the power, or a surprise one is a new character that causes other heros to lose control of their powers (neat concept anyways).  Plus, the 'catch-line' (I fucking hate these btw) from last episode was something like "Who do you think will blow up NYC?" or some shit.

[Venkman]

I haven't read the comic yet. In fact, I just learned about it's existence. From page 17.

However, in the last episode, when Linderman is talking to Nathan, he talks in brief about the old timers once working together and then some splinter group going off on its own doing Bad Things(tm). I took that to be the faction split between different views of what the future should be, with one set of old timers wanting to blow up NYC to install Nathan as King of the World while the other group doesn't.

My guess is that Linderman's group is going along on this plan because they started it long ago, but havent factored in Sylar. Meanwhile, Eric Roberts' has factored in Sylar and is trying to adapt a new plan that utilizes Molly to stop Sylar, and along the way counter Lindermans' plans. Plan A is business as usual, Nathan in charge (until it becomes Sylar and he wipes out everyone), Plan B is a revised one, with a future we have no idea about.*

I don't think they'll blow up NYC. Not for "real" in the show. This is a big network and too many people would bitch at them for it. They know only certain types of PR are good PR.

* In a way this reminds me of 'Foundation and Empire', the one where the Foundation has been managing the emergence of the new empire through Psychohistory, and come to realize The Mule is a foil (he having escape from Gaia, Hari Seldon's trump card race/world). As a result there's the Second Empire chasing The Mule to take him down to get psychohistory back on track and then there's the rep from Gaia that helps the main protagonist realize there's a much bigger choice to make: short term return to expected or the long term actual success.

[schild]

I don't think they'll blow up NY simply because it'll make the series cost a shitload more. It's pointless. New York is a fun place to film superheroes also. It makes certain things more believable.

[Velorath]

For a while I also kinda thought that they should end up having the Heroes fail to stop the bomb.  Thinking about it more though, maybe it would have worked if it was a shorter story arc and a couple seasons into the show.  As it stands now though, if the payoff to a season long storyline is that for all their powers, for all the advanced warning they had that this explosion was going to happen, they still were unable to stop it... would people still want to tune into the show next season?  It would set a pretty bleak and helpless tone for the series.

Blowing up New York in the finale is great if you're doing Watchmen.  Not so much if you're doing a network TV series that you're hoping will last around 5 years.

[MrHat]

It would be awesome though.

[Venkman]

Ok, just read through all the comics. Way surprised by how many there were. How often do they release new ones? Once a week?

*** Light Spoilers. Avoid if you haven't read them yet ***
My favorite side story was with Wireless. I like the character a lot, a human data miner.

I also liked the sidebar of Nathan saving the girl from the fire. I wish there was something along those lines in the show, something to show his "good side", to make us see the conflict in him about letting NY blow up.

Finally, I really liked the chapters dealing with the girl who could command people with her voice.

Two questions I've had for awhile:

Was Sylar a homicidal sociopath before he got his first power after his first run-in with Suresh Senior?
What lead Suresh Senior to Sylar in the first place, if Sylar had no powers? Or was it that Sylar could eat people's brains and absorb their uniqueness that was the power that put him on Suresh's charts?

[Samwise]

Ok, just read through all the comics. Way surprised by how many there were. How often do they release new ones? Once a week?

Something like that.  It seems like they go up right after the episodes air.

Was Sylar a homicidal sociopath before he got his first power after his first run-in with Suresh Senior?

There's nothing to suggest that.  It seems like the thing that drove Sylar to kill was the other mutant telling him that he didn't want his power, and asking Sylar to "fix" it.  It was the combination of Sylar's desire to have a cool power and be special, his disappointment that Suresh Senior had told him he wasn't special, this person who WAS special not appreciating it, and the sudden realization that he could figure out what made other people special and take it from them.

What lead Suresh Senior to Sylar in the first place, if Sylar had no powers? Or was it that Sylar could eat people's brains and absorb their uniqueness that was the power that put him on Suresh's charts?

Suresh's formula only shows that someone has a power, not what that power is.  Sylar's power (the ability to take things apart and see how they work) just wasn't immediately obvious, so Suresh assumed that the formula was wrong.  Supposedly.  If I were Suresh, I would have investigated the "hey, your watch is off by .001%, hand that over here and I'll fix it before you can say 'huh?'" phenomenon in a bit more depth.   

[Venkman]

Ok cool. So then why did telekinesis-man come to Sylar in the first place? Or was it Sylar that reached out to him by seeing his name on Suresh's list?

Oh, and another thing: why would any mutant-based faction, particularly Linderman's, want to proceed with nuking NYC? Do they not realize the tight spot that'd put all mutants in, including Linderman himself, Mrs. Petrelli (who's got some as-yet unknown power) and so on? Is their vision to let the event happen and then take over the world (in which case Sylar screws that up by taking over as Nathan)? Or does Linderman et al hate all mutants and want them to go away (in which case it doesn't matter it's Nathan or Nathan/Sylar?)

I did like the inner conflict of Sylar in the last episode though "why would I do this? what possible gain would there be for me?" At first you think he's starting to question himself. But then you realize it's just hyper narcissism :)

[Evil Elvis]

Oh, and another thing: why would any mutant-based faction, particularly Linderman's, want to proceed with nuking NYC? Do they not realize the tight spot that'd put all mutants in...

To start a race war they probably would win?

[NowhereMan]

There's nothing to suggest that.  It seems like the thing that drove Sylar to kill was the other mutant telling him that he didn't want his power, and asking Sylar to "fix" it.  It was the combination of Sylar's desire to have a cool power and be special, his disappointment that Suresh Senior had told him he wasn't special, this person who WAS special not appreciating it, and the sudden realization that he could figure out what made other people special and take it from them.

When did this happen exactly? Don't remember seeing that episode or comic, did I miss one? (If so which one, I quite want to see it.)

[Venkman]

http://www.nbc.com/Video/rewind/full_episodes/heroes_02.shtml?show=heroes10

Episode 10: Six Months earlier. Part 6 is the one where the conversation takes place. It's where Sylar says, "you're broken". That seems to make him curious about finding other people with abilities. Then I guess over time he starts to like it.

To start a race war they probably would win?

Actually, I think this is the deepest question. You've got ignorant humanity on one side, a group of Illuminati wannabes on the other, and a bunch of folks with abilities caught in the middle. Some just want their normal life back. But others want a higher purpose. Trouble is, the Linderman group (and others) aren't actually talking about what they're about. They simply talk about them existing at all.

Basically, we don't even know who to root for yet :)

[Dren]

Ok cool. So then why did telekinesis-man come to Sylar in the first place? Or was it Sylar that reached out to him by seeing his name on Suresh's list?

Yes, Sylar saw the name and went to see him himself alone.  He was frustrated with not seeing any results with Suresh Senior, so he went to go see this "power" himself.

I think we basically saw recently that Sylar's parents built up this duality into his personality.  He respected his father and liked the watch repair business, but his mother was constantly nagging him to be better than that.  She obviously hated his father for some reason and Sylar didn't like that.  With such opposite ends of the spectrum tearing at him all the time, he snapped. 

He's satisfying his father's memory by "figuring out how things work," and satisfying his mother's insistance that he is "special" and bound for glory.

[stray]

Oh cool. We get it all year now. Sort of.


Off season spinoff coming... Link

"Heroes: Origins" will air in "Heroes'" Monday night time slot, most likely after the original completes its season run (but possibly when it takes a hiatus). The net has ordered six segs of "Origins," which, combined with "Heroes" makes for 30 hours altogether.

NBC Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly said "Heroes: Origins" will allow the regular show to air virtually uninterrupted through the season.

"I'm calling it the 'Bulk-Up Challenge,'" Reilly said. "We're trying to stay more consistent in the scheduling for our audience... so we'll fill out the year, with not a lot of repeats or a long hiatus. We'll keep the pedal to the metal next year on 'Heroes.'"

Reilly credited "Heroes" creator-exec producer Tim Kring with pitching the spin-off. Kring will oversee a second crew that will write and produce the episodes simultaneously with the original skein.

"Heroes: Origins" will air as stand-alone episodes that center each week on a different character not yet seen on the original show. Peacock has also added an interactive element to the show: Viewers will be asked to pick their favorite character from "Origins," who will then join the cast of the full-blown "Heroes" skein the following year.

Scratch that. Give it the soap opera treatment. All year long!

Thank you, NBC.

[HaemishM]

Kick ass.

[MrHat]

That's kinda neat.  Stand-alone episodes.

[Velorath]

"Heroes: Origins" will air as stand-alone episodes that center each week on a different character not yet seen on the original show.

The funny thing is, when I first heard about Heroes, back before it aired, I thought that this was going to be the format of the show (stand-alone episodes each featuring a different character).

[CmdrSlack]

I just read today that Heroes is NBC's only hit this season.  They're doing a bunch of schedule jiggering for next season -- dumping stuff, picking up some other shows with "supernatural" themes (that was the word from the CNN article).  It just makes sense to give people more of Heroes.

[Samwise]

Very cool.  I hope the standalone episodes are as good as the main show, and that it pays off for them if they are.

[hal]

I know I have been away from American media for some time. But shit on a shingle, Jebus on a cross this ain"t Ozzie and Harriet. This is startling good drama crafted into 1 hour installments. It is  both a wonder and a statement about most of what is programmed that a network could air something this damn good.

[SnakeCharmer]

Kick ass.

Absolutely.

"What am I thinking NOW, Parkman?"
"Your last thought..."
BLAM!!!
BLAM!!!

Linderman death?  A w e s o m e.  I was hoping for something like that, kind of a rip out your beating heart and feed it to you kind of thing, but the hand in the back of the head will do nicely.  I'm hoping DJ doesn't bite it, but not looking good.

Somehow I'm thinking the shapeshifting hottie is not all that attractive without her powers...

I was thinking about something on my way home from my wifes parents.  We all complained a bit that it got a little slow in the middle, or at least I did.  But the tempo of the show has been pretty much flawless in retrospect.  It got us hooked early, went through a middle of explanation, peaked a bit higher, slowed down, peaked even higher, and is gearing up for the final episode of the season.  Great, great job of story telling, in my humble opinion.

[Threash]

Somehow I'm thinking the shapeshifting hottie is not all that attractive without her powers...

Well she did say she was huge and that she got teased for her looks so i think thats a pretty safe assumption.  Quite the casualty list this episode: DL, Linderman and caveman Ted.

[HaemishM]

DL's death(?) is actually a bit plot point. I'm almost positive that they said he was around during the Five Years After story, which means the past HAS been changed. So nothing is set in stone.

Sylar looked menacing in this episode, especially when he tossed the truck. That kicked ass, as did Linderman and Eric Roberts' deaths. Biggest ass-kicking part? When Sulu tells Hiro the truth and they sword fight. One can never have enough Sulu, especially when it's revealed he really is a good guy trying to stop the crazy blow up New York fuckers.

BOOM. Fantastic ending. Next week can't come soon enough.

[Threash]

DL's death(?) is actually a bit plot point. I'm almost positive that they said he was around during the Five Years After story, which means the past HAS been changed. So nothing is set in stone.

We already know the past has changed, Sylar didn't get Claires power.

[Samwise]

DL's death(?) is actually a bit plot point. I'm almost positive that they said he was around during the Five Years After story, which means the past HAS been changed. So nothing is set in stone.

I think Nikki said that he died when the bomb went off, but that may not be reliable.  Sylar had DL's power (he used it to pull Peter through the door), and presumably he didn't get it by exploding him.

[Threash]

Yeah the way i understood that was that Bennets deal with Parkman to report all the dangerous heroes (seriously can we just call then mutants please? heroes wear costumes and fight crime) if he let the harmless ones go meant Sylar had been getting a steady diet of the better powers after he became president.

[Merusk]

I worry about Hiro.  The Kensai story seemed far too forboding and had too much foreshadowing to make me happy.  Still, finding out Takei was the good guy made me very happy.  Laughing and yelling, "awesome" happy no less.

DL's death(?) is actually a bit plot point. I'm almost positive that they said he was around during the Five Years After story, which means the past HAS been changed. So nothing is set in stone.

I think Nikki said that he died when the bomb went off, but that may not be reliable.  Sylar had DL's power (he used it to pull Peter through the door), and presumably he didn't get it by exploding him.

That was what I remembered, too, but the powers thing is a good point. I'd not quite worked that one through.  Thinking about it again, I think Peter said he was responsible for the deaths of DL & Micah and we assumed that to be he meant through the bomb.  He could have been referencing something else.

Did anyone else watch the preview for next week?  I could have sworn I saw Parkman slumped against a building looking gutshot, but it was so quick I may have been mistaken.

[Samwise]

I might need to go rewatch that episode.  After thinking about it more, I think Peter might have said that he killed Micah, but I don't think he mentioned DL.  Nikki's only allusion to DL was saying that she had nobody left when Peter rescued her (in the comic).  So it's entirely possible that DL's death had nothing to do with Peter.

Still doesn't explain how Sylar had DL's power if DL was killed by Linderman.  And I don't see how anything that Hiro has done, time-travel-wise, might have led to DL dying now, since Hiro's and Peter's escapades haven't really affected DL or Linderman significantly.  And presumably any divergence from the "bad future" timeline would have to happen as an indirect result of Hiro's meddling.

My first thought when DL killed Linderman was "Well, there goes any chance of making him heal you.  Putz."     But I guess he didn't know about Linderman's healing power.

Also, yeah, I saw the shot of Parkman dying.   :-(  It looked like it was in the hallway of the building they're in now.

[Nevermore]

Yes, that was Parkman in the preview for next week.  One thing I've always been curious about is: Does Sylar need to be the one to kill his victims to see how their powers work?  Logically, he should be able to examine the brain of a hero who died some other way, as long as the brain is still intact (which would be why he couldn't copy Eden's power, since she blew her brains out).  So DL could die from the gunshot and Sylar could still get his power later.  Maybe.

Of course the point could be moot anyway.  Personally, i think Peter will end up sacrificing himself in order to kill Sylar.  They're both just way too powerful to be around for the next season.  On the other hand, if Peter ends up surviving then Sylar will survive as well.  They're natural foils to each other.  If they do survive they'll get increasingly more difficult to write as they each get more and more powerful, though.

[tazelbain]

I am disappointed that this doesn't make any sense.  I don't see how anything Hiro has done could have affected DL and changed his future.  They want to use fate as a way handcuff Hiro and added gravity to the story, but then break it later for no reason.  Sloppy.

[sigil]

DL isn't dead, though. Gut shot, yeah, in bad shape, but he was still breathing at the end of the show.

Similarly, I don't trust Lindeman being dead until he's completely out of the picture. Lindeman is a healer.

Now the caveman, he's dead.

[Mazakiel]

Linderman's brain is gone.  DL's hand was goopy, and there was a big hole in Linderman's head.  There's no healing from losing a brain like that in Heroes.  Either way, Linderman's power is an active one, not a passive one like Claire's.  He has to basically focus on something to heal it.  I think he's going to have trouble focusing even if by some quirk of fate he's half alive. 

Anyway, great episode.  I'm anxious to see how next week plays out.  Based on previews, it should have alot of awesome moments. 

[Threash]

Also in the comics i believe Linderman told papa Petrelli that he could on heal the living.