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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

"Heroes" Series 1 (US and Torrents edition)

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17:02 / 07.03.07

For the record, I would like to know how Sylar's power stealing schtick works - it's bothered me a little bit since the beginning - and I think it could still have implications for the plot when and if the mechanism is ever revealed, however I also think there are good reasons why the creators haven't been anxious to explain things further: it's not strictly necessary, and it might well be tricky to implement (turn into good telly that doesn't just come across as very dry, very geeky exposition).

17:04 / 07.03.07

Hopefully, they won´t try to explain the powers. Most of these special abilities are so far out, that genetics as the sole cause doesn´t make sense. And they better not go the radioactive accident (Hulk, Spider-Man, FF4) route.

Also, suspension of disbelief is really important for this series. For example, how did Mohinder´s father figure out, how to find all those "mutants" just by knowing about this genetic abberation? Is there a genetic databank of the worldwide population online somewhere? And why are most of our Heroes conveniently living in the USA? I don´t really mind, as long as they don´t come up with for example ridiculous "Marvel" explanations (like those I mentioned up above).

The one time it really was too much with the coincidences though was Peter´s brother flying and landing exactly in front of the diner where Hiro was at, and where just at that moment only Hiro was looking out of the window and everybody else was staring at their coffee cups.

The organization of Hiro´s father btw might be breeding people without them knowing it. Flying Guy and Fire Woman chanced to meet and didn´t know about their daughter. Also what would have been the chances of Phasing Man and Hyde Girl meeting and marrying? They probably got set up. Maybe the chances for "mutant" offspring increase drastically when both parents have powers?

17:05 / 07.03.07

Further...

If I were one of the shows creators and I was tasked with revealing how Sylar's powers work I wouldn't bother with a flashback. I'd presuppose that Mohinder worked the bones of an explanation out off camera - during his time with Sylar - and bring that to the table. Fast, efficient, and most people would be happy with it, I reckon.

17:08 / 07.03.07

I think you're right, Mist. When you try and get into the mechanics of this stuff you not only risk boring the audience, you also risk shattering the suspension of disbelief.

The cod science of Heroes is bad enough as it is, best not to scrutinise it much further.

17:23 / 07.03.07

Is there a genetic databank of the worldwide population online somewhere?

That would be the [WOOOoooOOOOooo]Human Genome Project[/WoooooOOOOOOooo] Mohinder keeps name-checking.

17:42 / 07.03.07

I´ve only heard about the people of Iceland being completely recorded in a genetic databank. But that´s ca. 300.000 people and not billions. Maybe Mohinder´s dad was on good terms with Chloe O´Brian?

17:57 / 07.03.07

I think you're right, Mist. When you try and get into the mechanics of this stuff you not only risk boring the audience, you also risk shattering the suspension of disbelief.

Piffle.

I think they're all flavors of telekinesis -- some operating at atomic or quantum levels. It's all one small brain region that handles telekinesis and, oh, something to do with sense of self or personality.

miss wonderstarr

17:59 / 07.03.07

That episode was shockingly good in a totally different way to the one previous ~ episode 17 was an intense emotional session, while 18 packed roughly the twists, reveals and pay-offs of episodes 10-15 into one tight mosaic. Some of that shit was just rollercoaster. Groovy, corny schtick like Ando turning up in a security suit ~ the Mohinder/Syler switcheroos ~ the whole narrative tease and trick around the Bennet couple ~ again, really inventive and memorable ways of visualising the powers, such as that one final shot of Peter's hair dropping with blood to the floor. And this is with hardly any Claire content.

The one weak spot was the awful cheesey "shapeshifter" effect, which seemed to make the room's shape shift, rather than her alone.

miss wonderstarr

18:00 / 07.03.07

I think they're all flavors of telekinesis -- some operating at atomic or quantum levels.

If flight, regeneration, teleport, time-travel, invisibility, acute hearing, phasing, super-strength, mindreading and telekinesis are all forms of telekinesis... well, then I guess every superhero's power you could name is actually telekinesis.

18:01 / 07.03.07

And this is with hardly any Claire content.

Point!

I have thoroughly revised my opinion of this show recently.

18:02 / 07.03.07

I reckon all powers hae something to do with genetics and lasers!

18:06 / 07.03.07

she probably isn't a "shapeshifter" (i'm frustrated by comics fans who want to equate every power they seen in the show to one they've read in a comic book.) it seemed she could alter a person's perception of what they experience. she changed the room so the dead body wasn't visible along with her appearance.

they'll never explain certain powers. i'm fairly sure Kring said they would never explain the mechanism of Sylar's power, nor will they ever confirm Jessica/Nikki any more than they have. their focus on the show is not the powers, it's the people with the powers and what they do with them.

18:28 / 07.03.07

Zactly

miss wonderstarr

19:24 / 07.03.07

i'm frustrated by comics fans who want to equate every power they seen in the show to one they've read in a comic book.)

That's an interesting argument, but by calling it "Heroes" I think the invitation is there to read it in terms of what you know from superhero comic books. Not to mention the fact that 90% of the abilities we've seen have obvious precedents or parallels in comic books; that one of the main characters is a comic book fan, one is a comic book creator, and that several episodes featured a fictional comic book; and and a noted comic book artist provides the illustrations while a noted comic book author co-produces and writes for the show.

I do think it's an interesting idea that the show should be read independently, as science fiction or as its own universe, but I think it'd be hard to argue that very strong links with comic books aren't present in the series, which I think encourages viewers familiar with comics to try to explain the show in those terms.

miss wonderstarr

19:28 / 07.03.07

she probably isn't a "shapeshifter" (i'm frustrated by comics fans who want to equate every power they seen in the show to one they've read in a comic book.) it seemed she could alter a person's perception of what they experience. she changed the room so the dead body wasn't visible along with her appearance.

You're right there. It isn't clear how many people's perceptions she was altering, at the time ~ Mendez, the cops and Bennet, presumably.

19:34 / 07.03.07

The show also contains a number of deliberate and glaringly obvious comicbook references

20:51 / 07.03.07

Anyone catch FBI agents Alonso and Quesada last ep?

miss wonderstarr

20:57 / 07.03.07

Who are you agreeing with, Boboss?!

12:13 / 08.03.07

...their focus on the show is not the powers, it's the people with the powers and what they do with them

I was agreeing with this line of Slagar's post, and I think ze does have a point when it comes to people over-emphasizing the importance of the powers (note that I am not suggesting for a minute that they are unimportant). A certain type of geeky viewer tends to get hung up on this stuff, and it's frustrating because 99% of the time characters and not teleporting eyeballs are the building blocks of drama.

I was agreeing with you that superhero comics do inform Heroes and that drawing parallels between comics and the show isn't necessarily a worthless activity. It would seem absurd to suggest otherwise, although we would all do well to keep in mind that what has happened in X-Men does not dictate what will happen in Heroes - the show will have to thrash out its own rules.

Hope that's clarified things. Sorry if this post has come across as patronising,

miss wonderstarr

12:20 / 08.03.07

No, no... I agree with you.

12:18 / 11.03.07

At the end of the ep when Sylar started slicing Peter, and that ridiculously large forelock fell, I thought of two things. The second was samurais cutting off their topknot and becoming ronin. But the first was of circumcision. Peter getting cut (there's a joke to made there), and becoming a man now?

16:00 / 11.03.07

Ummmm, I hate to say this within a Barbelith context, but I think you are reading far too much into a very straight forward scene.

23:00 / 11.03.07

Ummmm, I hate to say this within a Barbelith context, but I think you are reading far too much into a very straight forward scene.

Well, I disagree, but perhaps I spent too much time studying semiotics...

X-Himy has a point I think, especially if in the next episode Peter kicks some Silar arse with his collected array of empathic powers...

Not only could the hair cutting be seen as a circumsion metaphor, but his hair-do is actually quite juvenile, so whilst we might see a change in Peter's personality as he 'becomes a man' we should almost-certainly see a change in his appearance if he goes for a more 'adult' cut in order to fix his ruined hair...

ORA ORA ORA ORAAAA!!

05:05 / 12.03.07

I think it's reasonable to assume the lock of hair is symbolic, especially since Peter has been mocked for his lack of control over his powers, his compassion and his stupid emobangs, in the same sentence, previously.

Hopefully his hair symbolises his love of others, to him, and he becomes some kind of hulkmonster, with bangs down to his knees, and eats sylar for disturbing his emotional centre.

19:15 / 12.03.07

I think it's reasonable to assume the lock of hair is symbolic, especially since Peter has been mocked for his lack of control over his powers, his compassion and his stupid emobangs, in the same sentence, previously.

He was? Assuming that's true then I'm lots more amenable to the idea that the hair has symbolic value, otherwise I think we just don't have enough information (yet) to assess whether symbolism - beyond YEEEOOOOOOW! - was intended.

13:32 / 13.03.07

So am I right in understanding that there is no new (last) episode until the last week of April?

13:41 / 13.03.07

Think so.

And just when this had become teh favourite.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

13:58 / 13.03.07

I didn't realize it was going on a break. Last episode was really good and a great ending.

ORA ORA ORA ORAAAA!!

00:53 / 14.03.07

this quote is from television without pity, so may have been edited a bit, for 'comedy' or what have you: "You've got this rosy film over your eyes like a kid," says Claude. "It's no wonder you live like an adolescent. Posters on the wall, hair in your face." HEE! He goes on to say, "You've got to see the world as it is. That's the only way you'll learn how to save it."

06:24 / 14.03.07

Then I'm totally with you

miss wonderstarr

09:55 / 18.03.07

I had a really weird moment this week, reading a novel written in 1999, set in 2000, titled Turn of the Century: it namedrops the (invented) NBC hit show "Hero", about normal people who develop superpowers for a day.

14:28 / 24.04.07

So I thought last night's return was pretty good. Nothing fantastic, but enjoyable.

Now, for anyone who didn't see it...please don't read on...

I think next week's cool-looking episode is just a red herring. The events last night made it seem clear that "Future Hiro" is in reality "Future Alternate Reality Hiro." I'm thinking he's ticked off with Past Hiro because he still screwed up, NYC still got bombed, etc. Note Peter even had the scar on his face in next week's preview -- the scar "Future Hiro" claimed he had grown accustomed to on Peter's face.

When...man, can't remember his name, the artist guy died last night, I think he gave away the clue for how the season will end. He said he could die a hero, as he'd drawn how Sylar can be killed (and most importantly) how the bomb can be stopped. If there's one thing I know about shows like Heroes, this guy's death won't have been in vain. Therefore I think this (admittedly cool) alternate future reality stuff next week won't have anything to do with the finale -- it's how Hiro will learn to stop the screw up which lead to it, anyway.

14:45 / 24.04.07

Linderman's plan and the motivation for it didn't strike anyone as being more than slightly reminiscent of the central event in a certain highly regarded graphic novel? Might as well steal from it before the movie comes out, I guess.

14:54 / 24.04.07

Total rip-off. I half-expected Linderman to turn on a nearby set of monitors and note how the phallic/sexual imagery in the commercials symbolized tensions and aggressions which would inevitably lead to war.

20:12 / 24.04.07

Not sure why it has to be a rip off of Watchmen. As has been pointed out many times, Kring doesn't read comics, so assuming he has a masterplan I would have thought his ideas for Linderman find their source in all the other fictional baddies who dream of a better world born in the ashes of the old. New York's role could quite easily be coincidental. A lot stranger things have happened.

The episode was enjoyable if nothing to write home about. Beginning to find Mohinder pretty intolerable, though. Would've loved Sylar to have cut his head off.

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