Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Heroes 12/15


"On the sixth day, God created man in his own image. Now it's up to us to figure it all out; right, wrong, good, evil. In each of us is the capacity to decide what drives our actions. So what is it that makes some choose selflessness; the need to devote oneself to something greater, while others know only self-interest; isolating themselves in a world of their own making. Some seek love, even if unrequited, while others are driven by fear and betrayal. There are those who see their choices as dark proof of God's absence, while others follow a path of noble destiny. But in the end, good, evil, right or wrong, what we choose is never what we really need. For that is the ultimate cosmic joke, the real gift that God has left behind."


I love it when someone besides Suresh narrates an episode. It really gives you a good feeling of change (which is a very good thing for this show) and it also spices things up a bit. Make Sylar the narrator for the first part and you've got thriller gold. I enjoyed how bitter and resentful him seems towards God because it seems so like his character. Sylar's thoughts on God aren't exactly something you'd immediately wonder about but it's a very interesting character development. Just as he constantly seems to wonder and worry about what other people think of him, he must also wonder what God sees in him. I believe Sylar is one of the few deeply complex characters on television today (Gregory House also comes to mind). His constant flux between being a whole-hearted monster, being a reluctant monster, fighting to be freely evil and fighting to be freely good has been one of the most entertaining and interesting character transformations I have ever watched.




Warning: Spoilers Ahead



After this episode, the conclusion episode to the "Villains" chapter, some might now worry that Sylar is dead, blown to little pieces by Clarie's accidental nuclear mother (who now is most certainly dead herself). I would be VERY surprised if this were the case, especially since I've already heard about future Sylar plot-lines involving his new mission: finding his real parents. So, most likely his recently Claire-Bear-acquired immortality will have kept him alive through the motherly blaze and resulting building collapse. Though I have heard that the Heroes writing team is going to start cleaning houses, aka; killing off there two-tons of characters, I do not believe Sylar will be one of them. He is too great a character and holds way too much potential for chaos and villainy. So fear not, my faithful Sylar-lovers. Our man should still be around next chapter to cause trouble and strife (and hopefully for that backstabbing, hypocrite Nathan Petrelli).


Oh Nathan. What can I say? Should I refer to Suresh's narrated monologue on how everyone contains both good and evil within themselves? Or should I quote you? "You're breaking my heart". Yeah, ok, I get it. Everyone has the potential to be good or to be evil and Nathan Petrelli has always leaned more towards the dark-side so it shouldn't come as a shock that he's chosen this particular path. One might even argue that it's not a villainous path but a heroic one. He wants to save the world, to help it. He thinks he's doing the right thing and that is by far the most heartbreaking part. But even if you could give Nathan some slack for at least having his heart in the right place, that would never excuse his intentions and actions towards his brother. That's the deal-breaker, at least in my opinion. Nathan is so zealous and determined to save the world that he is becoming evil in the process. It is NOT ok to try to kill your brother just because he doesn't agree with your choices! Bad Nathan! And that goes for you too, Peter. Except, Peter saved Nathan, despite the fact that Nathan was on a roll and only too eager to beat his own brother to death. That's the line. Right there. That's the moment where Nathan's gray becomes black and Peter's gray becomes white. It's a sore loss to the side of good to lose Nathan Petrelli. They will just have to make due with Peter. Let's just hope his dark and scar-filled future has now been pushed in a different direction. Cause Future Peter? Scary.



So I know you must be sick of hearing me rambling on about how much I heart Sylar, but seriously...this guy is awesomely diabolical. Right?! Seriously, who thinks up this stuff? Pumping Clarie's mother with adrenaline so she looses control over her fire ability? Locking HRG in the cell with her? Giving Claire a choice between saving her dad from a fiery fate or protecting Angela Petrelli? Is that even a choice? Seriously, who even likes Angela? Sylar knew who Claire would pick. Too bad he fell prey to a villain's most cliche mistake: too much talking and not enough killing. Instead of getting his kill and not to mention getting his parental info from Angela, he got a nice thick shard-o-glass to the brain-pan, courtesy of a mightily ticked off former cheerleader. My younger sister always said to never underestimate cheerleaders and now I think I know why. As much as I love Sylar, even I have to admit that it's about time he got a taste of his own bad-tasting medicine. As another side note about Sylar's character, it's very interesting how much he craves to know that he is not the only monster among all the characters. It seems that he still has some reservations about being evil (though he also seems to have come to terms with his monstrous destiny), seeing his obvious need create villains out of heroes. Maybe this would make him feel vindicated in his actions and also less alone in the world. Oh wait...if he hadn't killed Elle, maybe he wouldn't be so alone now. She was the perfect evil jelly to his evil-y crunchy peanut butter. Perhaps he enjoys being alone after all...




What else can we discuss? Daphne seems to have embraced the good side, which is a relief. I find it curious how the show tries to steer clear of any serious PDA scenes between the new couple. Maybe that's because she looks about 12 and he looks..well...his age. There is a small amount of creep factor in that whole relationship, but I'm working to get past it. Also, whippie for finding out about Ando's future (and now new) power. Still, Hiro's going to be even more on his guard around him now and that never makes for a fun friendship.


What's the future like now that the formula has been destroyed? How much has changed and how much has stayed the same? Will Sylar still have a cutesy baby boy that he will love and protect? If so, who's the mom? Will Peter still eventually turn Scarface and be tracked down by dark-Claire? Will Claire still make the huge mistake of coloring her hair black? The only things that I can think of that make me believe that the future has been changed is Suresh and Tracy. In the future Peter and Matt saw, Suresh was all scaly and gross and not fit for public outings, but now he's cured. Will he seek out Maya or stick with Ice Queen Tracy? And now that Tracy has been fired by Nathan, does that mean she will no longer be Future First Lady to President Nathan? It seems that at least some of the future has been changed. But is it changed for the better? The Butterfly Effect is in full swing so what can we expect from the future now? Something even worse than before...or a brighter horizon?


"There is good and there is evil, right and wrong, heroes and villains and if we're blessed with wisdom, then there are glimpses between the cracks of each, where light streams through. We wait in silence for these times, when sense can be made, when meaningless existence comes into focus and our purpose presents itself. And if we have the strength to be honest, and what we find there, staring back at us is our own reflection, baring witness to the duality of life. And each one of us is capable of both the dark and the light, of good and evil, of either, of all and destiny, while marching ever in our direction, can be re-routed by the choices we make, by the love we hold onto, the promises we keep."

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