403: 'Ink'
Wr: Aron Eli Coliete
Dr: Roxann Dawson
Synopsis: Peter must face the consequences of his actions and also meets a new female hero. Claire deals with others knowing about her ability. Samuel fights to find his brother Joseph's memories. When Sylar returns, Matt must struggle with his own inner demons.
Review: Heroes continues to keep the brakes on with 'Ink', taking its time to dwell on the minutiae of each respective narrative strand rather than whizzing straight through plot development after plot development. In some ways, this reflects the considered style of the show's much-lauded debut season and it proves greatly beneficial to the strength of the stories, while in others, it proves to be somewhat frustrating, making the viewer sit through elements of the plot that simply don't have enough weight to hold our interest. It works most potently in Matt Parkman's storyline, which is really getting a much needed lift from his pairing with Sylar. Quinto and Grunberg play exceptionally well off each other, and it certainly helps that the writing is top class -finally, Gabriel is back to his duplicitous, manipulative self, the insightfully sinister villain who wowed us all in year one, rather than the somewhat cliched cipher he turned into in the last couple of seasons. His goading of Matt is heart wrenching and truly frightening; credit too to Grunberg for doing a stellar job of demonstrating just how much damage this is doing to the poor cop. It truly is a joy to watch this story unfold.. let's hope the writing staff can keep up the good work.
Elsewhere, the Carnival strand also proves rather interesting. Coliete doesn't give too much away here - it's still not really clear what T-Bag's power actually is - but the process of 'recruitment', in which Knepper approaches Peter, is distinctly well written. Not too sure about the idea that he would burn down that building, mind... it seems a little too B-movie villain for a character who has teetered on the edge for the past few episodes, seemingly doused in shades of gray. It's also nice to see a new individual thrown into the mix; let's face it, she's a bit of a beaut. The concept of 'mixed senses' works incredibly well for a deaf character and it's expertly handled: some of the best cinematography and music that the show has seen in a long time is used throughout her sequences.
Where 'Ink' loses its way a little is in... yes, you guessed it, Claire's storyline, which continues to be as interesting as watching paint dry. The whole thing goes nowhere of note and just retreads beats of old - Claire struggles with the fact that someone knows she has a power - before finally climaxing with the oh-so-huge development of Gretchen deciding to be the girl's roomie! Well, wowsers, eh?! What a riveting piece of television! And no, I don't care that they were all scantily clad and giggly in that last scene, listening to Death Cab for Cutie, hinting at potential experimentation to come. Not my cup of tea, thanks. I'd rather see Thomas Dekker make a reappearance... minus any clothes, of course. Still, at least we're beginning to get somewhere with this one. Something of an improvement. 7.3
404: 'Acceptance'
Wr: Bryan Fuller
Dr: Christopher Misiano
Synopsis: Hiro's health continues to deteriorate as he goes on a mission to prevent a coworker from committing suicide. Ando finally convinces Hiro to tell his sister that he's fatally ill. Meanwhile, Tracy continues to struggle to find a purpose in life and to learn to control her powers. She returns to her old job as a political adviser, but leaves when she remembers how demeaning the job could be. Nathan-Sylar is also on a path of self-discovery, as his mother, Angela, helps him regain memories.
Review: You can certainly tell that Bryan Fuller's returned to the fold. 'Acceptance' feels more like an episode of Pushing Daisies than Heroes, and that's not just because the guy's made sure the wonderful Swoozie Kurtz has been granted a return appearance (in case you're wondering, she's the one putting the hit on poor old Nathan.) No, this is more of an exploratory character piece, the kind that made Daisies such a cult hit both in the States and over here. Fuller takes tie to explore the motivations of the episode's key players and uses a series of specific events - narratalogical tableau, if you will - to move them in entirely new directions. So, we have Hiro's quest to save his co-worker, a seemingly mundane slice of throwaway minutiae that actually feeds into the larger issue of his need to face the reality of his coming death. The moment in which he successfully accomplishes his mission ans realises what must come with it is refreshingly understated, giving Masi Oka a chance to do some of his most impressive work in one hell of a long time.
Fuller is a master of build, of progressing a story to crescendo, such that the epiphany is most satisfying; when something significant happens to a character towards hour's end, it feels all the more potent. Nathan is a good example of this; while his story is a little ludicrous (would Mellie really conspire to kill her best friend's son with such mindless glee? Must everyone on this show be so unrelentingly ruthless and cold-blooded?), it is distinctly engaging because it is derived from believable character beats. Pasdar successfully conveys the character's continued emotional breakdown, and the moment in which he supposedly dies is considerably shocking. Sylar's resurrection at hour's end prompts all sorts of questions and bodes well for the show; have they actually been brave enough to kill a main character off for good? The sequence is beautifully shot too, a feature that is becoming something of a staple of the season.
Elsewhere, it's nice to see Tracey Strauss getting some logical character development and also to be treated to another dose of John Sheridan. Only HRG's return to the investigative fold feels a little hokey; he needed the sage words of his college co-ed daughter (oh, and Tracey) to knock some sense into him and stop eating cereal all day long? Pah! There are shafts of light here too, since the conversations between Coleman and Panettiere are refreshingly naturalistic. While very little actually happens in 'Acceptance', what does is made all the more powerful through the episode's refreshing concentration on character. The writers could do with picking up the pace a little, but I'd rather have a hundred hours of this than anything from Fugitives. Oh, and no Gretchen! Win! 7.7
405: 'Hysterical Blindness'
Wr: Joe Pokaski
Dr: S.J. Clarkson
Synopsis: Lydia cautions Samuel against bringing in new members to their clan. Peter tries to connect with Emma, who wants nothing to do with him, and Sylar struggles to find the person he once was.
Review: 'Hysterical Blindness' is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it provides further evidence that the Heroes writing staff are regaining control of their vehicles, getting a better grip on the motivations, strengths and weaknesses of their characters and using these to organically construct the show's storylines. Sylar's resurrection is the perfect example of this. Where in season three, this would've been an excuse to have the character murder a few dozen police officers and embark on some sort of outlandish revenge-driven conspiracy, here, Pokaski takes the road less travelled, flipping the coin (so to speak) and having him suffer from a form of amnesia (or is it? Does he think he's Nathan?) The resultant effects are highly engaging: Quinto works wonders with his new-found innocence and really makes you feel for the character. His English interrogator is good too, although the jury's out on Ray Park's stereotypical depiction of the cop (overworked, frustrated by psychologists, determined not to give his prisoner any leeway etc.) Still, the whole thing has a much welcome undercurrent of despair and suspense to it, accentuated by the dramatic irony that the viewer is made privy to, and certainly helped by SJ Clarkson's superlative direction; the blues, grays and blacks of the prison really convey the coldness and emptiness of the whole scenario.
It's unfortunate that the Carnival storyline melds with this one, since it becomes obvious from about a third of the way through that Gabriel is the one that will join the family, but at least it means this narrative is actually going somewhere. Peter and Emma's story is also rather well handled. The moment in which he acquires her power is a nice nod to continuity and is all the more refreshing for its subtlety. One does wonder how many times we'll have to see the pair staring, googly-eyed, at the 'colours' around them though.
The other edge of the sword, regrettably, relates to The Life and Times of the Hopeless College Girl. This week, we get a shockingly cheesy scene in which Claire starts babbling to Gretchen about 'possibility' or some such pseudo-characterial rubbish. While it is good to see the plot acquire some relevance to the main story in an unexpected way, - thank God Gretchen isn't the killer! - the whole thing is still going far too slowly for anyone's liking. We've seen all of this a million times before, in far superior shows like Buffy and, um, *cough* Dawson's Creek *cough* In fact, the Buffy comparisons have become all the more relevant now that Gretchen has the hots for Claire. We even get a lovely same sex kiss to make the fourteen year old boys shift uncomfortably in their seats. It's a perfectly sensible development, sure, but it's also just so damn obvious; consequently, our response is blase rather than excited. If Heroes just shaved off Claire's narrative, would it really make any difference? Really? We'd have more time to fit in the fantastic Greg Grunberg at any rate.
Again, a decent effort but as seems to be the unavoidable truth with Heroes these days, the bad begins to encroach on the good. 7.0
406: 'Tabula Rasa'
Wr: Rob Fresco
Dr: Jim Chory
Synopsis: Sylar starts to find his true identity. Peter and HRG go on a quest to find someone that can save Hiro.
Review: Zachary Quinto's tour de force continues apace with 'Tabula Rasa', which essentially acts as a vehicle for his considerable talents. The young Spock proves exactly how much he can do by effectively playing a different character - he gets the chance to be the thoroughly good guy, not just the rabbit in the headlights that he was last week, by depicting Nathan in Sylar's body and you buy it completely. Hell, it's as if the writing staff took one look at his performance in Star Trek and realised what a commodity that had. Quinto seems to excel at being taken out of his comfort zone, first with his entrapment in Parkman's head and now with this, and it helps to produce some absolutely stellar scenes. His introspective moment with Knepper is of particular note, but even the moments in the hall of mirrors succeed when they could so easily have been mawkish. The reappearance of the cop is certainly commendable, a nod to the attention to detail that has characterised this season. It's also good to see the writers throwing a curveball at us by not having Sylar automatically revert back to his former self... the process of development is no longer as easy as metaphorically flipping a switch. The show takes its time with such things and it's all the better for it.
The other narratives, despite being intriguing enough, don't quite reach the giddy heights of the Sylar stuff. Hiro's tet a tet with Emma drags somewhat, especially as it just seems to play out the same beats that we've been treated to for the last three episodes, but at least we have an actually likeable new character in the woman (and yeah, that 'magic' scene is damn cute.) Peter and HRG's encounter with Jeremy Greer, meanwhile, works fairly well for what it is but again, it seems like an excuse to pad out the season rather than a naturally grafted plot element. HRG wants to save those he may sort of have wronged in the past? Well... okay. Just play us a new record. Mind, the kid's sorta hot and at least his power is remotely interesting.
Another fairly solid episode then, just not one to get overly excited about. Which pretty much encapsulates the season at this point. 7.2
407: 'Strange Attractors'
Wr: Carlos Coto
Dr: Tucker Gates
Synopsis: Sylar continues to torment Matt. HRG and Tracy help a young boy who has suffered many hardships in his life. Claire and Gretchen have a problem with their new sorority sisters hazing them.
Review: Once again, the need to incorporate Hayden Panettiere hampers what is an otherwise rather fine little episode. Claire's college hazing continues to be less interesting than Chris Barrie's Intimate History of the Drillbit, utilising contemptuously predictable plot 'twists' and yawnsome hetero-male-teenager bait in an attempt to stir up some interest. Sure, it's brave of any primetime show to address the murkiness of sexuality, but do the production staff really have to do it through such a heterosexist lens? The teasingly innuendo-laden dialogue and situations (oh look, they're huddled together in a car boot! Tied up! PHWOAR!!), the wistful glances, the oh-so-tragic confusion on poor old Claire's face, the woefully stereotypical implication that college is the place everyone goes to 'figure themselves out' and that, yup, this should obviously include flirtation with lesbianism. Puh-lease. These beats are so outdated that your momma probably remembers them. Buffy the Vampire Slayer did this exact storyline infinitely better about ten years ago by embracing tact, sensitivity and refusing to pander to the lust-fuelled libidos of any horny straight viewers. Here, it feels like a gimmick, a desperate attempt to court interest in a storyline that is absolutely dead on its arse. I mean, just look at the minutiae: the girls get kidnapped and placed in some spooky Saw-esque warehouse where Becky attempts to kill Gretchen? Oh for God's sake - why would she risk exposing herself by performing such an over-the-top act? And while we're at it, what's with the woeful acting chops? Those extras need a few lessons in naturalism: their 'shock' at the revelation of Claire's ability is just plain cringeworthy.
It's a shame that this storyline is so hopeless as there's much, much promise elsewhere. Carlos Coto's script makes some very brave decisions, and not always ones that you might like. HRG and Tracey's narrative is particularly indicative of this. Finally, Ali Larter gets something interesting to do with her otherwise fairly redundant role, assisting the young harbinger of life and death in his quest to be released from prison. The whole thing has a decidedly humanitarian feel about it and it's really welcome. The concept of helping others to ground themselves (without conspiratorial intervention) hasn't really been touched upon in the show before and it seems to suit both characters. Just to compound matters, Coto wraps this up in the intricacies of the Carnival plot and does so with great skill. Using the boy to demonstrate Samuel's validity, the fact that he may actually have a point in secluding the heroes, both strengthens him as a character and genuinely shocks the viewer. Come on, hands up all of those who actually thought they'd kill the kid? Yeah, I thought so. It's a bold move and one that really resonates, precisely because it happens so infrequently. It's a stark reminder of the inate brutality of our kind and it makes for somewhat harrowing viewing.
Matt and Sylar's narrative traverses rather dark ground too, as first Quinto relishes doing the dirty with Janis (an excellently executed scene, by the way) and then Parkman appears to discover a way to silence him: by drowning him in drink. Once again, the pair get the best dialogue, their back-and-forth sparkling with antagonistic energy, and the scene in which Sylar finally appears to dissipate is just magnificent, a perfect example of how to play trauma and breakdown without overstatement or exaggeration. Every additional drop of alcohol adds pain to the viewing experience as the result is so clear... and yet, so compelling.
A difficult episode to rate this; if it werent for Claire's continued adventures in Sweet Valley High, 'Strange Attractors' might actually stand comfortably alongside some of the show's greats. As it is, you can't help feeling just a bit disappointed. 7.4
408: 'Once Upon A Time in Texas'
Wr: Aron Eli Coliete & Aury Wallington
Dr: Nate Goodman
Synopsis: A trip into the past may give Hiro another chance to save the love of his life.
Review: Okay Heroes, I'll give you one thing: while you may be dabbling in that age-old problem-generator time travel for the seven millionth time, at least, this time around, everything actually seems logical and fairly water tight. At least we aren't creating gargantuan paradoxes or a series of alterna-strands that serve only to boggle the mind and frustrate the quantum physicists in the audience. No, here, things stay strictly on the straight and narrow and the only concession made is Hiro's alteration to the untimely ending of poor Charlie's life. Thank the Lord for that. Problem is, while all of this works wonders, the same cannot be said of the meat of the plot, which is depressingly lean.
There is a nagging ambivalence coarsing through the entire episode and it somewhat hurts our enjoyment of it. On the one hand, Noah and Lauren's story is a rather brave move that opens up a entirely new set of doors for HRG's character, allowing us to see both the minutiae of his work life and exactly how it affects him (how lonely and torn he is), but it's also achingly predictable and more than a little questionable given his absolute devotion to his family. Oh yes fine, so nothing actually happens but the idea that he would even consider it seems rather out of step with his personality.
Similarly, it's great to see Masi Oka being more than a cipher for once, making some darker, more human, decisions, and hell, he gets a lot of great dialogue, but it's a shame that it all amounts to some glorified 'happily ever after' Hollywood fantasy; a trite love story that fails to surprise. Sylar's inclusion here is probably the best thing about the entire episode: honestly, give Zachary Quinto his own show, stat. It's incredible how effortless the slip is back into his former self. The 'OK corral' scene (you know the one I'm talking about...) is rather regrettable however, taking the Hiro/Sylar confrontation just that one step over the line into cringeworthy.
There are some other praiseworthy elements: Robert Knepper continues to be simply fantastic as Samuel, and the final scene is a genuine shocker, but overall, the episode feels too much like it's taking on water. For all this may, conceptually, be a fangeek and continuity freak's dream, there's not really enough engaging plot to go around and what there is becomes a little stale around two thirds of the way in. There's taking time guys, and there's procrastination... 6.6
409: 'Shadowboxing'
Wr: Misha Green & Joe Pokaski
Dr: Jim Chory
Synopsis: Claire tries to determine who is responsible for the attacks on Gretchen and Annie. Sylar maintains his control of Matt, and Peter uses his newly gained ability to help Emma.
Review: With 'Shadowboxing', Heroes begins to feel like it's going somewhere for the first time this season. Dangling narrative threads start to come together and we acquire an idea of where it is that the volume appears to be heading. The Carnival developments are interesting, even if they take a complete U-turn from where we were last week (really, couldn't we have had some sort of acknowledgement of the HUGE Mohinder-related cliffhanger/bombshell we were treated to? No?) - seeing Robert Knepper without eyeliner is decidedly unnerving after eight episodes, but his transformation to 'normality' works very well. He's excellent with Hayden and the pair seem to have good chemistry. Becky's ignomny with HRG is logical, if a little repetitive (haven't we seen this a dozen times in the show before?), and it's questionable whether she can carry this sort of emotional gravitas, but at least it doesn't descend too far into absurdity. The scene in the car park is well choreographed, pointedly tense and just the right side of dramatic. The effect on Gretchen is neatly handled, and kudos for not having her change her mind and be sat in Claire's room at the end of the episode. It's actually a little touching when young Bennet sheds a tear, which is a sign that this storyline is moving in the right direction.. let's just hope they don't abandon all the good stuff in favour of some hot, meaningless, unbelievable lesbian action next week. If they handle the issue with sensitivity, as here, who knows... maybe they CAN compete with Buffy's handle on the scenario.
As ever, Matt and Sylar are amazing together, with both parties putting in some fine, angsty performances. The dialogue continues to sparkle, with Parkman's about turn into manipulative SOB working exceptionally well... it's a nice change of pace, after all. It's a little irritating that the writing staff couldn't give him an ounce of sense when it came to the concept of Sylar using his body to kill... that seemed obvious to everyone and his or her cat from that fateful moment at the end of episode seven, and it takes a brutal murder for Matt to realise the gravitas of the situation. Still, this doesn't detract from how genuinely intense the sequences are; particularly the final, parting (supposedly) gasp, as Matt sacrifices himself in order to put an end to the 'Brain Man's sinister legacy. It's a genuine jump-out-of-your-seat moment, a 'mouth wide open' shocker... of course, they have to bookend it with footage of the guy being driven to the hospital and what's the betting that Peter is able to heal him next week?! Ack, if that happens... for now, I'm happy to think positive and commend the writers' bravery. Hell, even threatening to do away with one of the show's favourite characters shows they clearly have some balls...
Peter and Emma's story is really the only lightweight element of the hour. There is some good character development to be found here, a product of the heroes' abilities rather than some grafted on swerve. The writing staff have done a damn good job of fleshing out Emma, to the point where she actually feels like an integral part of the show, and we want to see her develop. Her scenes with Milo have a delicacy that the show is often lacking, and they really are a joy to watch. Sadly though, after four or five episodes of amazement at the fact that she can 'see' sounds, it is beginning to become apparent that she is pretty directionless; that her story amounts to little more than musing over psychological issues and being taught how useful and all round great it is to have abilities. It's threatening to become tired, and the last thing we want is for this to besmirch an otherwise wonderful character. Let's hope they do something different with her soon...
The other big news, of course, is that Nathan's back. Well, sorta. Zachary Quinto'll probably rear his ugly head pretty soon... but at least we have some actual plot development here; dramatic ironies are demystified and revelations made... if 'Brother's Keeper' picks up where 'Shadowboxing' left off, we should be in for some interesting sequences between Pasdar and his televisual family. On the whole, this is a pretty competent episode, steadily moving pieces across the board at a decent pace and finding the time for some encouraging character development and one mother of a shocker at the same time. There are gripes, and this certainly isn't an all time great, but 'Shadowboxing' is certainly one of the better offerings that Heroes has served up this year. 8.2
No comments:
Post a Comment