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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Heroes - Season 1 (UK)

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17:37 / 29.04.07

Possibly, I just don't see any evidence to doubt the standard interpretation of the Jessica Nikki situation. I'm genuinely interested to know if there is any.

Mysterious Transfer Student

18:51 / 29.04.07

Hmm, not wanting to seem as if I'm dogpiling on your theories, Whisky, but it seems most likely that in a show like this - one that, like BSG and Lost, tends to escalate towards overcomplication and chinstrokery very quickly - the one story element the producers are going to want to keep simple is that of who has what powers, and how they work. For me, the Niki/Jessica character was always Heroes' take on the Rose & Thorn/Typhoid Mary brand of pseudo-schizoid heroine-who-doesn't-know-she's-a-heroine supershenanigans (and interestingly the above two characters also shade towards the more ruthlessly amoral, vigilante-style end of the spectrum, just as Jessica does. I'm wondering whether that was a conscious choice by Kring and co).

The point I almost didn't make is that Niki's powers - superstrength and perhaps super-dexterity as Evil Scientist christened it above - are simple enough, but due to her mental health (and it's safe to say that this isn't the most realistic portrayal of psychosis ever seen on TV) only the Jessica persona can utilize them.

Whisky Priestess

08:46 / 30.04.07

No offence taken - after all, I'm just speculatin'. That's how I want it to be to make things more interesting, not necessarily how they are.

Although worth noting that the writers have already pulled the old switcheroo on us once before, making us think that Peter's power was flying, before his mimic-qualities were revealed.

09:17 / 30.04.07

superstrength and perhaps super-dexterity as Evil Scientist christened it above

Evil Scientist plays way too many super-hero rpgs. I've already tagged Pixie Girl as a mega-social.

With regards to Nikki/Jessica. She did tear people in half earlier in the series (the two guys who attacked her at her house were quite obviously in multiple pieces). I'm thinking that, like Isaac's self-imposed blocks, Nikki has the powers but they're only accessible by the Jessica personality currently. I am looking forward to Nikki having a "WHOAH!" moment (possibly involving hurling a mack truck at Sylar).

Of course the other possibility is that Jessica is Nikki's super-power. She's very protective of both Nikki and her son. Alright she's not exactly sympathetic to Nikki's pleas but she acts more like an amoral big sister than a "Tyler Durden" type of multiple personality (trying to assume total dominance).

Does Nikki even know that there are people with super-powers other than her yet? She's was taking the backseat when her hubbie did his Vision trick on her.

09:58 / 30.04.07

I think shows like this tend to encourage, for reasons recently discussed in the Lost US thread, a level of analysis that may be a little problematic. I've long been of the opinion that fairly straightforward things tend to get overcomplicated as fans build in the levels of complexity they expect or want from other areas of the text. This is encouraged by the dialogue between creators and fans, easter eggs, creator podcasts, ARGs, and the nature of online fan communities. Imo, a fairly common and very understandable attribution error (something I've definitely been known to do) is to mistake problems with the writing - dialogue, plot, characterisation - for stuff that clues us in on future plot, character or mythology developments. Now, I'm not saying that is what you're doing Whiskey, as I don't know the details of the case you're making, but I suspect you might be.

That said, God forbid I should try and stifle speculation. The speculation aspect is one of the things that I love most about shows like Heroes, and I completely agree: speculation isn't necessarily simply about what we think will happen, it's often about what we think aught to happen.

Whisky Priestess

10:30 / 30.04.07

Hmm. OK, I guess I missed the people torn in half thing early on, perhaps because they showed us only glimpses of the gory goodness. (I'll have to rewatch but surely chopped/hacked would be more likely though? Jessica's definitely a weapons kind of gal.) But you see carnage all the time in action films and those heroes aren't meant to be superpowered - just armed, and, as suggested above, NAILS.

The reason I want Jessica to be able to move hosts is that it would be interesting and cool - simple as that. She could e.g. take over Matt, or Sprague (or Sylar) and cause no end of trouble. A Sylar/Jessica smackdown would be great - whether they were in one body or two.

But I think Boboss is trying to let me down gently, for I know his eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the next series. Ah well - can't help it if I've got more exciting plans for Jessica/Niki than the writers do ...

10:42 / 30.04.07

Hmm. OK, I guess I missed the people torn in half thing early on, perhaps because they showed us only glimpses of the gory goodness. (I'll have to rewatch but surely although chopped/hacked would be more likely though? Jessica's definitely a weapons kind of gal.) But you see carnage all the time in action films and those heroes aren't meant to be superpowered - just armed, and, as suggested above, NAILS.

It would be pretty groovy to have her as an "unpowered" member of the team. Sort of like a psychotic Batman for their little JLA.

On another point, I'd quite like them to give The Haitian a name some time soon. Plus, it'd be nice to find out what his power actually is. I can see how he'd stop Scannner Cop from mind-reading if his power is memory control (delete the memories as they go into Matt's brain), but I can't see how he'd disrupt Sylar.

Maybe he's just a more powerful psychic than Matt?

Mysterious Transfer Student

11:00 / 30.04.07

Mr. Blank (and yes, he needs a name pretty soon - especially since he's begun to speak and act in his own right - and I haven't mentioned how that ruled in my eyes, since I'm a sucker for any moment in a drama where previously undefined characters suddenly step forward and demand to be taken account of) seems to be pretty much equivalent to Leech of the X-Men/Morlocks - a power canceller. Maybe he has a power-negating area of effect that's always on, but he can focus it selectively to block out people's memories, whether they're superhuman or not.

This could be another example of a 'two-tiered' power set that operates on one principle but can be turned to different uses - I'm also thinking of Hiro's time control power, which I'm assuming speeds him up rather slowing everything in the universe, or at least the local light cone*, down.

I'll be back later with an exhaustively worked out chart showing how this idea can be applied to everybody in the show, up to and including super-groupie Simone and that Japanese schoolgirl who nearly got run over. Get ready with those Ignore functions.

*My scientific knowledge is only slightly less soft and fudgelike than that of Heroes' writers - I just wanted to show off my half-assed understanding of relativity there.

12:16 / 30.04.07

But I think Boboss is trying to let me down gently, for I know his eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the next series.

Eeeeek! Sorry, I've tried hard not to spoil anything, but I suppose my very engagement with this topic necessitates minor spoilerage. If it helps any, the Jessica/Niki situation is still working itself out so there's still room for the odd curve ball or three.

I hate the idea that I'd have to stay out of this thread - I love discussing shows with my fellow Brits for a variety of reasons - but I can't resist the lure of the torrent, so if it has to be it has to be.

Ah well - can't help it if I've got more exciting plans for Jessica/Niki than the writers do …

Always the bloody way, which is sort of great and sort of shit. I remember getting really excited whilst reading Tom's ideas for a Buffy movie, and then totally deflating when I realised that none of it was likely to happen. I worry that the Dr Who writers don't understand the series as well as Iamus, either. And why Haus hasn't been allowed to write the new transformer movie is beyond me.

Whisky Priestess

13:05 / 30.04.07

Well, exactly. If we ruled the world - or at least the TV part of it - it would be, hands-down, a much better place. Although it would be irritating always knowing what was going to happen because we'd written it.

Also - nooo, please keep posting in this thread! You're not spoiling things for me, likesay it's all just idle speculation and wishful thinking anyway on my part.

07:50 / 01.05.07

Wicked episode last night, finally everyone starts to come together (except poor old Matt). I loved Hiro's sheer joy at seeing "flying man!" again. Is it me or did Nathan seem to show a genuine warmth for Hiro when they were chatting?

Nice scene with Ted "Atom Bomb" Sprague out in the desert practising to control his nuclear abilities (and probably sterilising the local area for 1000 years into the bargin).

Plus I may well have let out a Kali-esque yelp of joy at the sight of Mr Eccleston.

Claire's refusal to lose Xander's...uh I mean Zack's friendship was a really sweet moment.

And the symbol means: Awesome power + Godsend does it? Not necessarily indicating a supernatural origin for their powers though. I'm wondering if the mysterious Mr Linderman has anything to do with the rise of posthumanity?

Whisky Priestess

08:05 / 01.05.07

Seeing as everyone's powers started manifesting 6 months ago and the Heroes are all different ages under 40, and what with the tattoos and everything, then yeah, I reckon they've all been modified post-birth (and in most cases post-adolescence) by some outside agency. It's probably Linderman but I hope it's ALIENS!

Mysterious Transfer Student

08:41 / 01.05.07

'TEH ALIENS11!!', surely.

I enjoyed Hiro even more than usual this week, with his reigned-in 'whoosh' after Nathan asked him to turn it down. The legendary samurai expodump in the museum surely begs us to envision Hiro's special destiny as a time-roaming unkillable legend a la Army of Darkness.

Also, either I've gone through some kind of mental barrier or being on hiatus has done wonders for all the actors, as Simone and Isaac in particular have suddenly become much more attractive than I'd viewed them as up until now.

Shame about Eden: Mohinder's refrigerator-girlfriend revenge motivation for the rest of the series? God, let's hope not.

And it was nice to see Johnny from Naked again.

Whisky Priestess

07:29 / 02.05.07

Eh? Wasn't that David Thewlis?

But yes, indeed, go Eccleston as the Invisible Hobo. I totally called it the minute he swiped the phone off the table. I also like the fact that he's using his powers for eeeevil (or rather petty crime) instead of running about the place saving cheerleaders. Perhaps he and Nathan should team up? Whatever, I really want to see his backstory.

And Niki does have superstrength! Sometimes it's kind of nice to be wrong.

Regrettable Juvenilia

21:21 / 07.05.07

I think it would be great if the other week Bennet had actually said to Mohinder: "Look. I'm the most interesting character in this show who has no powers, possibly the most interesting character full stop. You're the least interesting character without powers, and you'd be the least interesting character full stop if Jessica was a better shot and it wasn't for that cop. You should be begging me for a team-up!"

Pleased to see they have ditched Mohinder's end-of-episode voiceovers. But please Sylar, don't kill Bennet! He has no tasty superpowers to munch on in his brain! Wouldn't you rather be able to walk through walls, read minds, or make ATMs give you cash whenever?

06:21 / 08.05.07

Judging from the brief trailer for next week's eppy, Dr Claude will help teach Peter how to use his powers by throwing him off a building.

OMG HE IZ TOMOBEDLAM! 11! 23!

08:27 / 08.05.07

Boy howdy have I missed Eccleston's mad old face.

So we've got definite confirmation that our current batch of Heroes aren't the first super-powers to manifest. Claude's obviously been around for quite some time, and it sounds like he's had at least a little experience with other supers. Plus...Claire's real Mum's a pyrokinetic! About time one of those showed up.

Plus, Hiro's Dad's George fracking Takei!

Nathan's still in major denial over the whole super-power issue isn't he? Even when Mohinder's basically drawing him a flow-chart of how Peter's abilities work he's practically ignoring him and moving straight on to the prospect of a cure.

Anyone else want Nathan's flight power to turn out to be gravity manipulation?

Regrettable Juvenilia

08:30 / 08.05.07

Er, no.

Question: if Sylar can survive being dropped off buildings and experimented on to the point where he appears to die and then recovers, why does he even need Claire's powers? I guess maybe he doesn't need them and just wants them, even more so now that her dad has pissed him off...

08:55 / 08.05.07

Being a serial killer might have something to do with it.

Regrettable Juvenilia

08:57 / 08.05.07

Yes, I guess I'm more thinking about the speculation that the reason Peter was tasked to "save the cheerleader, save the world" by Future Hiro was to prevent Sylar gaining her healing powers and thus becoming totally already. Whereas as it stands he seems to be unkillable already. I guess maybe it's a matter of degree... I also think it's not worth me worrying about too much, it's just fun to ponder...

Whisky Priestess

09:26 / 14.05.07

I am moved to wonder what effect that plastic dongle in the back of Sylar's head is going to have on him/the plot. Also loving firestarter trailer-trash Claire's mum - which is an interesting development especially as Claire has grown up in a resolutely middle-class environment and is now going to see what might have been.

I *cannot wait* for Claude's Fisher King-style mentoring of Peter to begin. It's bound to include many comedy moments and some juicy backstory. Slaver.

Mysterious Transfer Student

21:12 / 14.05.07

Oh nooo! Pete & Claire cellbound smouldering a few episodes back all kinds wrong in hindsight!

With one bound Heroes joins Star Wars and Neon Genesis Evangelion in that category of relationship-based squickedelia.

Whisky Priestess

08:46 / 15.05.07

Yet again I missed the first half-hour of this. On the other hand, re: Claire's father: I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

That is all.

And now every little fanchild is hoping there will be a late-season reveal that Peter, too, was adopted, meaning that he is legally able to consummate his love with either
a) Nathan
b) Claire, or
c) both

Great scene when Peter overloads on powers and starts accessing them all at once. If only they'd had him levitating at the same time.

08:51 / 15.05.07

Yet again I missed the first half-hour of this. On the other hand, re: Claire's father: I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

Well done. Love it when speculation bops reality on the nose.

10:38 / 15.05.07

Any scene can be improved with levitation.

I hope that's not a major spoiler for NGE Irresponsible Captain Transfer, I've spent possible years avoiding threads on it for years on here, zomg.

Whisky Priestess

10:58 / 15.05.07

Boboss - to be fair I only called it during the episode, I wasn't convinced of it for months beforehand or anything. Still smug though.

However, given that many of the Heroes are suddenly turning out to be related to each other in some way, and that there are only 36 people in the WOOOORLD with the genetic marker, doesn't it follow that they are literally all connected by blood?

Like some great-grampappy sailor managed to circumnavigate the globe fathering the forebears of such geographically, socially and racially diverse people as Hiro, Mr. Blank, Niki, Isaac, Matt and Nathan? It's odd that initially the point of Heroes was how different all the characters were, and now they are coming together and the connections begin to show.

So there's two superfamilies now - the Petrelli-Bennets and the Sanderses. Can Matt, Mr. Blank and Sylar find a shared cousin before the next commercial break? Is Janice's special power being superhumanly dull? And what about Matt's baby? Is it the Antichrist? Tune in next week, etc. ...

10:42 / 16.05.07

Not a bad episode, although I am wanting them to put Sylar back into the shadows as his eyebrows are starting to distract me. Plus I'm not sure if this "Sylar's clockwork music" effect they've been toying with in the last few episodes is really all that necessary.

Perhaps just tone it back to when he's about to use his Super-Watchmaker power or something.

One wonders just how much Nathan's been hiding now. If Claire's Mum was an operative for Bennett as was hinted a few episodes ago then does that mean Nathan was as well?

The Claude/Peter stuff was good, I suppose Peter should be glad he hasn't met Hiro yet. He could have found himself time-dispaced to the Cretaceous era.

George Takei does "stern, impassive, father-figure" well doesn't he? Hope he's back in it later to fund their Quinjets.

Just started to read the online comics that have been released in conjunction with the show and then had to stop sharpish when I realised they spoiler a heck of a lot of upcoming stuff. I'll have to leave them until it finishes.

I do have a cool comicbook panel of Ted "Atomic" Sprague as my background now.

Whisky Priestess

10:22 / 17.05.07

A comic? Damn that's cool. I might read the first few, but not enough to spoil myself.

The below is merely for my own amusement, but I want a place where I can put down all the powers of the Heroes so far and see what's missing:

Character Power Costume

Nathan Flight Business suit
Peter Absorbing others' powers Casual wear
(though I'd love to see him in his nurse's uniform)
DL Phasing Jeans, shirt
Niki/Jessica Super strength Straitjacket
Claire Unkillable Cheerleader's kit
Claire's Mum Pyrokinetic Trailer Mom
Hiro Time travel Business/casual
Mr. Blank Mindwipe/power damp Suit
Matt Telepathy Cop uniform
Sylar Psychokinesis etc. Exterminator?
Dead ice person Freezing N/A
Ted Sprague Radioactivity
Claude Invisibility Hobo
Mohinder FUCK ALL

Whisky Priestess

10:24 / 17.05.07

bugger

I'll fix it in a bit

Forgot Pixie Girl - Persuasion
Diner Girl - superfast learning
Chris Davis - telekinesis (now Sylar's)
and Isaac - Clairvoyancy

I feel we're missing someone who can heal others, someone with X-ray vision - or - better - supersenses, someone with superspeed ... can't really think of any more. I suppose a very dangerous Wolverine/Beast type might not be a bad idea.

What heroes/powers would everyone else like to see on the show?

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:50 / 17.05.07

Micah - doing shit with machines and making me fervently wish for Sylar to CUT OUT HIS IRRITATING ICKLE BWAIN AND EAT IT.

11:06 / 17.05.07

I realise that DL's trying to make a clean break of it and all and be a fine upstanding example to his son but, seriously, doesn't money problems+phasing powers+criminal tendencies=no money problems?

Better DL who already has a record (and is still on the lam as far as I am aware*) than his son getting busted for cyberkinetic fraud.

* Are they living back at Nikki's old house? Weren't the cops staking it out looking for him? Have I missed a huge deus ex Linderman where he was acquitted?

Whisky Priestess

12:19 / 17.05.07

I just came back to add Micah! (Electro-empathy I like to call it).

Which reminds me, there should be someone who can talk to teh animals, or maybe a weather-controlling Storm type. Or someone who can do something with light, I don't know what, but something cool. Maybe generate it or absorb it like a black hole, bend it, create mirages, make people see visions etc.

Why didn't they call me when they were writing this show?

Mysterious Transfer Student

12:30 / 17.05.07

Whisky is frothing with ideas. I enjoy.

If the writers of this show fondly imagine they're going to be able to get renewed for two or three more seasons just like big bro' Lost, they've probably got plenty of fan-pleasing People with Powers ideas under their belts just like the ones noted above. Of course the advantage of getting a second season is usually a bigger budget, so that would be ideal for Storm Summoning, Empathy Healing, Gravity Control and other flashy power sets.

... Damn, I wish I could afford to reactivate my City of Heroes sub.

13:41 / 17.05.07

Empathy Healing

What is?

Mysterious Transfer Student

13:46 / 17.05.07

Er, power set from City of Heroes MMORPG. Very fun, but expensive. There's a thread on it down in the basement of Games if you're remotely interested. The other two powers I mentioned are official power sets from the same game.

Threadrot is corrosive like alien blood in Transfer's hands.

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