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In Africa, Arthur puts the whammy on Hiro (while Usutu’s decapitated head lies nearby--nice touch!), but gets distracted by one of Usutu’s prophetic paintings of an eclipse (buzzword!) before he can finish him off. Ando tries to get Hiro to teleport them to safety, but Hiro’s brain has been turned to pudding and he now thinks he’s ten years old. Ando guides him through the teleportation process, and they end up in a bowling alley/waffle-and-chicken restaurant in Tokyo. Let the wacky hijinks ensue!
Arthur teleports back to Pinehearst (hey, Arthur can teleport?), where Sylar glowers and broods. Arthur knows Sylar saved Peter from the fall out the window. This evidence of Sylar’s soft, mushy side is disappointing, though I take heart from the knowledge he was the one who defenestrated Peter in the first place. Arthur believes this is proof Sylar has The Power of Empathy and thus doesn’t need to chop open heads and muck around in brains to gain more abilities. To test this, he locks Sylar in a room with a chained-up Elle, whose powers are still malfunctioning and who is seriously peeved at Sylar for murdering her father.
Elle blasts Sylar until he disintegrates and regenerates, again and again. Sylar claims he didn’t want to kill her father, but was powerless to stop himself because his abilities force him to commit murder. Sylar sets Elle free from her chains and fixes her malfunctioning ability through, yes, The Power of Empathy. Elle sobs tears of joy, Sylar waxes philosophical about forgiveness and being human, and they nuzzle and giggle while Elle teaches Sylar optimal uses for her electrical powers. While this is a substantial improvement over last week’s wholly nonsensical pie romance, it’s still a little--what’s the word I’m looking for?--barfy.
And then Arthur watches his son get steamy with Elle on hidden camera. This is barfy in a totally different way.
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At the laboratory at Pinehearst, Mohinder links the development of abilities to the occurrences of eclipses. Oh, why not? He’s also decided the power-giving formula needs a catalyst existing in a human host to work properly, though he has no idea who that very, very special human could possibly be. Oh, Mohinder, sweetie, it’s Claire. Of course it’s Claire. Who else could be special enough? Remember “Save the cheerleader, save the world”? Remember super-powered magical heal-anything blood? It’s fortunate the show keeps finding new ways to make Claire special, because otherwise we might start mistaking her for just any other self-absorbed and unpleasant teenager.
Mohinder’s current test subject evolves into a hideous creature, who begs Mohinder to kill him. Which Mohinder does. Mohinder is more random than ever these days. By the way, the scaly crud has begun to creep up his neck, growing ever closer to his beautiful, beautiful face; if that’s not an impetus to start scrambling to fix the formula, I don’t know what is.
In the bowling alley, Ando and a regressed Hiro sit at a table laden with scrumptious waffles. Thumbs up to the prop department: those waffles look like the most awesome waffles in the long and storied history of waffles. Ando fills Hiro in about his superpowers. Hiro, following Ando’s instructions, manages to stop time, then takes the opportunity to play wacky pranks on everyone. It’s worth pointing out that Hiro as a ten-year-old is not noticeably more immature than Hiro as a twenty-eight-year-old.
Hiro teleports Ando and himself to a comic book store, where he discovers the new issue of the 9th Wonders comic book, which details his current madcap escapades. This does sort of beg the question: who’s been drawing 9th Wonders these days? Because there can’t be all that many precognitive artists still running around, seeing as Isaac Mendez and Usutu have both met messy ends. To find out their fate, Hiro and Ando flip to the last page of the comic. It features, yes, an eclipse.
Daphne and Matt wander around the deserted Primatech facility, where a vision of Usutu leads Matt to Angela’s comatose body. While Matt tries to read Angela’s mind, Daphne zips off to rat him out to Arthur. Matt gets inside Angela’s subconscious brain and tries to free her, but a hostile version of Daphne appears in his psychic projection and stabs him.
In the real world, Daphne returns and tries to rouse an unconscious and hemorrhaging Matt. She gets sucked inside his projection. Arthur Petrelli arrives and joins the mayhem, and now Arthur, Matt, Angela, and two Daphnes are all rattling around in Angela’s mind. The real Daphne proclaims her love for Matt, while Angela (somehow) convinces Arthur to release her from her coma. Arthur disappears, Matt and Angela wake up, Matt’s wound magically heals, and Matt and Daphne realize their love for each other. Giddy hugging ensues. Claire and Peter arrive at Primatech and join them.
At Pinehearst, Nathan confronts his presumed-dead father. Arthur goes in for a power-sucking hug, but because Nathan is a whole lot smarter than Peter, he doesn’t fall for it. Arthur feeds him the standard bucket of lies about wanting to use his formula to save the world and how Nathan is his favorite son and his destiny is to lead the nation. Nathan, however, has become a lot less trusting of his parents since the days when Angela could convince him destroying New York was a good idea, so he’s not altogether sold on this.
Nathan tells Tracy about Arthur’s plan: he wants to use the formula to give half the world super-powers. I’m not exactly sure whether this can be categorized as either good or evil so much as just nonsensical. Nathan decides to go to Primatech and get Angela’s opinion on this. After Nathan flies off, Tracy tells Arthur she thinks she can convince Nathan to go along with the plan. Aha! Tracy is evil. Good to know. The show has also just remembered that she’s supposed to be a senatorial aide, so she’s all newly bossy and purposeful. Sylar, Elle, Tracy, Flint, Knox and Arthur assemble in Arthur’s office to wait for the coming eclipse. Interesting to see that Mohinder, who is also at Pinehearst, was apparently not invited to join their little coterie of evil. Granted, I’m Mohindercentric, but if I were Arthur Petrelli, I’d invite Mohinder to sit at my right hand, or possibly on my lap.
Nathan joins Angela and the gang at Primatech. Angela tells Matt, Daphne, Claire, Peter and Nathan about the need to find a Very Special Human to complete the formula, but she has no idea who it could be. It’s Claire, you nitwits! Claire! Claire realizes she’s the only person in the world special enough to be the catalyst and volunteers her services.
So there’s an eclipse looming, and everyone’s more or less roughly divided into two opposing teams, with Hiro and Ando as slightly imbecilic rogue agents. I suppose the Primatech group, despite being led by evil Angela, represents the forces of Good, while the Pinehearst gang is Evil. Next week everyone loses their powers, thanks to the eclipse. Five bucks says Claire, who has spent three seasons feeling very sorry for herself for having super-powers, finds some way to complain about being powerless.
Comments
Haven't you heard? I'm the defensive player of the year!
That line was so cheesy, that David Caruso would've thrown up in his mouth a little. WOW that was corny.
Didn't the Sylar and Elle sharing of intimacy have the feel of awkward teenage shenanigans in the back seat of a car? Wildly inappropriate for these two. I'm thinking more Natural Born Killers surrealism. "I looooove you, Sylar!" as she blows something up.
Giving Hiro the mind of a ten-year-old boy was long overdue, since he always came across as a little kid anyway.
So Morgan, if Sylar uses the power of empathy, who did he steal it from? Also, does Nathan use the power of attorney?
I am very frustrated with Knox. His power has the potential to be cool, but his manifestation is disappointingly low-tech for the show. Think about it; the guy simply puffs his chest out. How lame is that? If he did that to me, I'd start laughing. I know because it triggers my giggle reflex every time I see it. It's so lame! Or does Knox have the power of machismo?
Finally, the best villain currently on the airwaves is brought low by sentiment. Yes, my people, Arthur is defeated when Angela gets him to grudgingly admit that deep down, he still loves her. Aww. Does Angela wield the power of love?
Let's see: in this episode, I appreciated how Mohinder actually made things worse for his test subject. Don't give him a lab, research and both sides of the vital equation - he'll kill you (and babble on to his boss about needing a catalyst).
Also, I'd like to mention that Elle has the super-special ability to blast clothes off people. And a thousand fanfiction writers fire up their laptops...
Yes, The Power of Love momentarily neutralized Arthur Petrelli. I, too, was sad to see that.
Hiro with the mind of a child versus Hiro with the mind of an especially immature adult... not much difference, eh?
Yeah, how come Mo's test subject was doing so much worse than Mo himself? Egad, man, just how lousy of a scientist is Mohinder? I did appreciate how Mo looked all beautifully frowny and distressed. Say what you will about his scientific knowhow, the man does brood well.
Knox is one of those characters with potential -- which means he'll get ignored.
I actually thought the mercy killing made some sense for Mohinder. At least last night I saw some part of the old Mohinder -- curious about the research but conflicted over the cost of what it all entails. His feeling remorse for the human test subject and making a rash decision to spare the man more pain felt in character to me. Mohinder is reacting to the here and now in front of him and there will be more consequences piling up down the road but he's now reacting emotionally. In a way this has always been a good and bad thing about him -- for a scientist he's too emotionally invested on the a personal level but that's alwyas something I've liked about him.
The Sylar/Elle storyline is really the only plot that's sticking in my craw right now, just because... it's not Sylar and Elle. I feel like they've completely refashioned these two characters just for the sake of a little romance and redemption, or possibly to make them both more viewer-friendly. This makes me feel vaguely insulted. I don't mind retconning to correct small errors (Shanti Suresh died when Mohinder was two! No, wait, she died before he was born!), but any retconning that changes established character development is a big mistake.
And if I'm feeling personally insulted by television, it's probably an indication I should get out more.
With Knox, I have the sad feeling he'll be around for another couple episodes, and then he'll be offed without ever having explored his potential. I'm downright fond of the actor -- Jamie Hector was the embodiment of smooth menace on The Wire -- but he's spinning his wheels in an under-developed role.
Oh, Mohinder, Mohinder. I appreciated how he seemed sad and confused and concerned that his research was going so horribly wrong. Which, since he's been sort of obliviously dickish for much of the season, is a step up. I've sort of resigned myself to just riding his plotline out and hoping he gets something more substantial and/or sympathetic to do in the next volume (which, oddly, starts in, what, two episodes?).
Am I the only person who thinks his plotline this season is being written by 15-year-old fanfic writers? In that scene with Elle, I kept expecting the wall to suddenly be broken down by a pink-and-purple unicorn with wings, that would carry the two of them away. And Sylar would use the Power of Empathy to stop all the evil in the world. And then everyone would ask Sylar to be King of the World, since he's so handsome and strong and wise and powerful, and he would marry Elle because she's the most beautiful woman in the world and make her Queen, and they would have nine children (Gabriel Jr and Gabrielle - the twins - followed by Angelique, Arthuria, Nathaniel, Clarissa, Petrella, and of course the baby twins, Noah and Noelle). And the kids would all have the Power of Empathy too (except for Gabrielle, who only has electricity like her mom, but she's even more beautiful and kind and wonderful so that doesn't matter) and they would all work together tirelessly to help other people and make the world a wonderful place. And every year, on the anniversary of the day they realized that the Power of Love would save them from the loneliness they'd endured for too long, Sylar would bring Elle a single red rose, and a pie.
Also, the unicorn would be sparkly.
I don't think Sylar bringing Elle a single red rose and a pie is out of the realm of possibility at this point.
I completely agree. I've made the argument several times that that's one of many ways that Sylar and Peter are opposites: Peter can't control his emotions, while Sylar is too good at turning them off and not caring about anyone but himself. I was hoping to see a storyline where both of them were pulled more to the center, emotionally; it would make Peter genuinely powerful, and open an avenue for Sylar to be redeemed without being made schmoopy. Instead, they're retconned Sylar. Retconning for no real reason is bad. Bad writers!
(Oh, I should mention: I'm *forsquilis* over at LJ.)
I've sort of resigned myself to just riding his plotline out and hoping he gets something more substantial and/or sympathetic to do in the next volume
I think I'm one of the few people who was able to fanwank Mohinder's actions this season but last night was the first time I thought I was really seeing a Mohinder that was more recognizable. At this point, like you, I'm just riding his storyline out into the next volume.
I'm thankful I can still recognize Mohinder. Sylar has been altered so much from what made him interesting in S1 (and even S2)that when he's on screen I'm hardly engaged. I think the writers figured that ZQ and KB are BFF in real life and "like wouldn't it be totally awesome to have them be like a couple on screen?!". No, it wouldn't be awesome, but why should characterizations, plotlines and basic logic be taken into account?
I think I have reached the stage of sincerely wishing Sylar had died in Kirby Plaza, rather than be reduced to...whatever this is. That person on the TV screen is not Sylar, I know that.
Hi Amanda :-) I started moving towards that point a few episodes back. If I had known this is what was going to happen to Sylar I would have much rather the writers killed him off. As it is I only consider S1 and S2 canon for this show and specifically for him.
Am I the only person who thinks his plotline this season is being written by 15-year-old fanfic writers?
You're being kind. Last night I was like "did a 12 year old girl write this?" because that's exactly what it felt like. Your unicorn idea is genius and that entire Sylar/Elle and their children and the Power of Love and the Power of Empathy is probably what the writers have in mind. Who okay'd this? You've already pointed out the difference between Peter and Sylar...I have such hate for Sylar taking on Elle's power through caring about her. This is a joke right? This storyline is a very early April Fool's joke, right?...right?
In theory, I'm not against either a redemption arc for Sylar or a Sylar/Elle relationship. I just have enough of a buttheady film-school graduate in me to insist that, if that's the course they're going to pursue, the writers a) have to keep them firmly in character at all times, and b) have to avoid changing the past to make it fit their new ideas.
Speculation time: are we supposed to assume Isaac Mendez stockpiled a year's worth or so of new issues of 9th Wonders before he died? Also, was that Isaac's sketchbook that Arthur was leafing through at the end, with the drawing of the eclipse? I'm always shamelessly on the lookout for ways to work Poor Cute Dead Isaac back into the show. If they were to suddenly introduce his twin brother who shares the very same power, I imagine I'd be able to swallow my indignation over such a trite and overused plot twist long enough to welcome him back.
I'd like to think that there's only *one* copy of 9th Wonders, and that Hiro and Ando are very slow readers.
That said, I, too, miss Isaac and wish he'd return. The show could use an attractive, precognitive heroin junkie...
Heh. Yeah, it's probably the same issue of 9th Wonders -- Hiro and Ando just never thought of flipping to the back page before. Imagine all the trouble they could have saved themselves if they'd just sat down and read it all the way through.
Poor Hiro. Is he doomed to nothing more than a never-ending string of zany antics for the duration of the show? I mean, he always did straddle the line between genuinely cute and impossibly twee, but at least in earlier seasons his plotlines sort of had a purpose...
I'll bet that issue of 9th Wonders holds the secrets to the entire series. If only Hiro would read faster!
He probably gave up halfway through because he got tired of all the Nissan ads.
Speaking of, I notice Nissan is still listed as a sponsor, but they haven't had as much blatant and egregious product placement this season. Elle and Claire flew to Pinehearst instead of zipping over there in a sporty and economical Rogue! I'd say someone in NBC's promotion department has learned the value of restraint, were it not for Usutu's soul-killing quip to Matt about Sprint back in the premiere.
I've had a mad craving for waffles ever since last night.
Which means that Arthur is now the writer/illustrator for 9th Wonders.
Personally, I think they need more product placement. Maybe Claire could crack open a Pepsi before taking a swan dive out of the window?
Oh, hey, for the non-L.A.-based commenters (which is to say, everyone who's not me): Chicken & Waffles. Is that a pop-culture reference that works outside of Los Angeles? Because we're fair teeming with Chicken & Waffles establishments here, but I always thought that was because we're weird.
I feel fairly secure in assuming that a Chicken & Waffles restaurant-slash-bowling alley combination is unique to the Heroes universe, though.
Oddly enough, I even know the Harlem origins (thank you, Food Network): after late-night jazz gigs, the musicians would go out to eat. Since it was around 3-4 a.m., they couldn't decide if they wanted chicken (for dinner) or waffles (for breakfast), so they ordered them both.
My guess would be that chicken and waffles would be well-known among areas where there's an active jazz scene. And Tokyo bowling alleys, of course...
Er, this seems to have become a Richter sister comment fest. My apologies. Anyone else out there want to weigh in?
I know! How the hell did that happen? Not that you're not delightful, Ingrid, but I email you plenty as it is. Boy-Morgan and Dan are being strangely shy this week. I know we have all kinds of time zone mayhem to deal with, but it's been daylight for hours in Australia!
Thanks for weighing in on the chicken & waffles situation. I actually thought that was kind of a nice touch in the episode.
Jackie begs the interesting question: can Sylar even detect powers in others before he chops their head open? Shouldn't he have known outright that Jackie only had the power of cheer?
P.S. Josh, you're so right: I hated the line "I'm the defensive player of the year!" Dumb.
P.S. Josh, you're so right: I hated the line "I'm the defensive player of the year!" Dumb.
Great minds think alike, Ingrid. ;)
I've been trying to come up with a decent Richter Scale joke ever since I started following this blog, but as of yet I got nothing. So instead of a dumb joke with no staying power, how about setting up a system of grading the effect of bad subplots on the show? For instance, the sappy and fumbling Sylar/Elle romance registers a *blank* on the Richter scale? Hmm? No?
(I don't want to get too nitpicky, but much as with Jackie, when Sylar killed Candace and cut open her head and looked at her brain, shouldn't it have occurred to him somewhere fairly early on in that process that his powers weren't kicking in and that instead of absorbing the fabulous power of illusion, he was really just looking at some poor woman's brains?)
Ooo! I like the Richter scale idea, Josh. The more insipid the plotline, the lower the number? Sylar and Elle's romance would clock in somewhere around, say, a 2.8. Whereas a really rip-roaring plot, like the first visit to the Evil Alternate Future back in the first season, would be in the area of a 6.7, like the '94 Northridge quake. It could work.
I like the idea of Sylar just poking around in people's brains for the hell of it ("There's gotta be something special in here *somewhere*"). Shame they never went with the whole brain-munching angle...
Some thoughts:
* At least two of Claire-Bear's uncles or fathers should fight every week - powers or not. This week, it was Uncle Peter and Uncle Flint. Next week, it can be, say, Uncle Sylar and HRG.
* I love Mohinder the Euthanasist. "Please kill me!" "Well, you are hideous, so okay."
* I wish we'd had Matt's POV for the finalish scene, just so we could have heard Claire-Bear's thoughts: "Yak, yak, yak. Yak, yak, yak. When are they going to pay attention to me? Wait, did the old bag say they're looking for somebody special. I'm special." (clears throat, steps forward into limelight, makes speech)
* Sylar and Elle are adorable and I don't care what anybody says.
* And I love Ingrid's idea that Arthur is now the writer/illustrator of The 9th Wonder. Sure, he's got plenty of Pinehearst work to do and half the people of the world to give powers to (the ones that called 'heads', presumably), but he's not going to let the comic slip its schedule. The powers that be at Marvel and DC could learn a lot from Arthur Petrelli.
It's a shame they didn't do all kinds of things with Sylar. Sylar's ability to understand things has such tremendous potential to be chilling and creepy, and they totally wasted it on just killing people. How spooky would it be for him to walk up to someone and crack into their psyche? I'm thinking somethign vaguely reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter, only instead of eating body parts he eats emotions or something.
Sylar (to complete stranger): You engage in behavior X this way because of trauma Y and event Z.
Stranger: (Sobs uncontrollably)
Sylar: (makes infamous fava bean noise)
The writers really dropped the ball in season one.
Good to hear from you, Dan!
Ok, shock and awe aside... apparently I'm just about the easiest person on the planet to please. I got a significantly twisted bit of pleasure out of Sylar and Elle. They're all Bonnie and Clyde. Look, even sociopaths need to feel loved. Dig?
Ok, so Sylar making waffles for his kid in the future is fine. It's cool even. But he doesn't kill a perfectly good hot chick who undressed him with electricity and no one can get on board with this? I'm sorry, but no matter how anti-social I ever feel, if a really cute girl takes my clothes off with electricity I'd be quite happy to not kill her and share a twisted-Hallmark moment exchanging techniques on the best way to shoot.
(At least I can count on Dan to be on my side! Vegemite Rules!)
I have not seen Chicken and Waffles in Nor. Cal., but that doesn't mean they don't exist here. I think if they do they should definitely be at bowling alleys.
Why did they neglect to put Skulky in Matt's weirdo Petrelli dream world? If ever there was a place he would need his spirit guide, it's in there!
And, sure, Elle can blast my clothes off with electricity any time. Do I have to kill her father first?
Josh, call me a hopeless romantic if you like, but I'd be happiest if everybody on the show succumbed to The Power of Love, changed from hawks to little white doves, and stopped all this needless squabbling and intrigue.
As Amanda pointed out in her awesome unicorn-laden alternate future, there is no finer source of drama than a blissful existence with no conflict whatsoever - and I'm confident the ratings will bear this out.
Oh, and no Chicken and Waffles down under. No wonder our tourism industry's in such a shambles...
Heh. I think Dan has pegged my lingering problem with Mohinder the Euthanasist: I have no doubt Mohinder's motives were good and he genuinely felt plenty bad about everything that led to this point, but he essentially offed a guy just for looking hideous. And this is after he's had his catalyst breakthrough and thus should be feeling somewhat optimistic about eventually being able to heal the guy. I think the scene almost worked, but they needed to sell it a little more. If it was clear his test subject was in crippling pain, say, or was mentally deranged from the transformation, I'd be more willing to buy into the swiftness of Mo's decision to snuff him.
Kind of an interesting character moment for Mo, though: his formula has been catastrophic and now fatal, and that's all on him. If his current plot messiness eventually results in a grimmer and more thoughtful Mo, it'd probably be worth it.
Still, this is Heroes. I imagine next volume Mohinder will still be blithely stumbling his way through life, getting distracted by shiny objects and making cheerful alliances with shady characters with nary a thought about unpleasant subjects like consequences.
Hmm, no one here is mentioning the Matt/Daphne lovefest. Not that I don't love Matt, but it's definitely more of an asexual, teddy bear love. Wonder what flipped the switch for Daphne?
Oh! Can we talk about Arthur's Evil Plan For World Domination through... giving half the world super-powers and making Nathan president? Because this is more nonsensical than Linderman's Evil Plan For World Domination through destroying half of New York and making Nathan president, or Adam's Evil Plan For World Domination through setting loose the Shanti virus (to the best of my knowledge, Adam's plan did not involve making Nathan president, which might have been his fatal flaw).
How's this supposed to work, exactly? Half the world gets powers, the other half becomes deeply jealous, wars break out, chaos ensues, and then... what am I missing? Where does the world domination factor in? What's Nathan going to do about it? Fly around a lot and be quietly awesome?
My issue with Mohinder is that the writers didn't actually give any of it a good build up. I can fanwank why Mohinder injected himself with the serum in the first place but I shouldn't have to do that. Motivations are totally unclear and then when old Mohinder seems to return (IMO) it's jarring again. I think he killed the hideous dude because the man was in horrendous pain...all inflicted by Mohinder (as the for the difference between this guy being worse for wear that Mohinder, the impression I get is that the guy has been injected a few times whereas Mohinder hasn't in a bit so his body is reacting differently...and here I go attempting to make sense of things) and that Mohinder is going to have to deal with the consequences of his actions. At least that's what I'd like to see. The writers are more likely to drop this all together. Hell, I would have liked to have seen Mohinder dealing with shooting Bennet (although at the time I got why he did it) because, well, he actually shot someone in the face and the bullet wasn't stopped. Mohinder should have to deal with ramifications of those actions.
Maybe Mohinder and Knox can hang out together -- they both have the potential to be in very interesting storylines but since neither is a Petrelli, a Bennet, or ZQ/KB, they're not allowed to exist. Matt can visit once in awhile.
If they did, Sylar and Mohinder would still be on that road trip.
LOL this would be one of my storylines too.
I don't think we have Chicken and Waffle places in Canada. It sounds...unappealing :-)
Daphne's declaration of love was the one part of that storyline that made me go, "come again? When did that happen? Didn't you two just meet?"
I've never had chicken and waffles either, but the Food Network recipe looked awesome: Fried Chicken and Wild Rice Waffles with Pink Peppercorn Butter and Maple-Horseradish Syrup. Even with that awesome recipe, Bobby Flay lost to his competitor, Melba Wilson.
Then again, we put gravy and cheese on fries out here on the East Coast, so take all my culinary advice with a grain of salt...
I'm just hoping I'm in that 50% of the population that gets a new super power out of it. Arthur for the win!
Mohinder willing to inject Peter was the one thing I couldn't fanwank. That was BS as far as I'm concerned. No way does Mohinder do that (with or without Sylar suddenly showing up).
I don't get how any of the future plans were supposed to work. Maybe Adam's -- it seemed very "humans suck so let's basically wipe them all out and the few who survive can start it up all over again" which still doesn't make much sense but Adam was a bit nutsy from living so long so I can imagine it made sense to him.
In light of the show and Kring's most recent comments I'm much more appreciative of Sendhil's documented skepticism regarding what was going on with Mohinder this season...it turns out the writers don't know what they're doing and don't have a game plan.
Now I'm hungry for poutine.
Mohinder has a nasty habit of following orders from shady authority figures. He came damn close to injecting Monica with the Shanti virus in Season 2, which is pretty much unforgiveable. Combine that with almost injecting Peter and definitely injecting the test subject with a known harmful substance and...well, I sure don't want him as my primary care physician.
I've done a lot of fanwanking with Mohinder this season. I've been sort of resorting to the blanket excuse that the formula makes him behave in uncharacteristic and sometimes violent ways, such as injecting Peter, or mugging the local drug dealers, or sticking Maya in a cocoon, or attacking Nathan and Tracy. I guess it works as an explanation, but it's unsatisfying.
If I had one piece of advice that I could embroider on a sampler and hang on the wall of the writers room, it would be this: If you have a really cool plot idea but can't work it into the script without forcing the characters to behave in an uncharacteristic manner, you must scrap the idea.
Scratch that. Here's my advice to the writers: Think, then write.
Ingrid, yeah, Mohinder almost injecting Monica was another what-the-hell moment for me. At least he consciously decided against doing it (and threw a glamorous hissyfit in the process). There's a fairly repugnant deleted scene on the Volume Two DVD where he tasers Monica to take her in to the Company. The hell?
I saw that scene and thought "who in their right mind thought that made enough sense to even write down and then attempt to film?"
I agree with this: If you have a really cool plot idea but can't work it into the script without forcing the characters to behave in an uncharacteristic manner, you must scrap the idea.
Scratch that. Here's my advice to the writers: Think, then write.
That should be etched into their brains.
I wouldn't want Mohinder as my primary physician either. I do like the idea of him not being some exceptional scientist/geneticist but rather one who is in this particular situation due to fascination and some sort of experience with it. This allows for me to accept him doing some highly questionable things.
Come to think of it I wouldn't want Bennet as a partner. Unless you're related to him (or Claire) he seems to easily toss you aside if you don't prove useful. Which I get, but it makes him a terrible leader (much more a rogue agent).
Actually I don't even think blood relation matters to Bennet. Lyle shows up once in awhile but I think it's to remind the family there's another kid around.
Survival instincts, Monica. They're nice to have.
Come to think of it I wouldn't want Bennet as a partner.
Oh, lord, no. Unless you're Claire, it's best not to place yourself into any kind of situation where your life might depend on Bennet.
Also, Matt may not look like much - but he does bring Skulky The Turtle Wonder to the relationship, so that's an enormous plus.
Unless you're Claire, it's best not to place yourself into any kind of situation where your life might depend on Bennet.
This is why, when I'm teamed up with HRG (after receiving my powers from Arthur - odd street numbers, right?), I have a cheerleader costume packed and ready to wear.
It's hard to resist anyone in a cheerleading costume, Dan.
Oh, and Morgan, Mohinder's way cute. That's probably why Monica wasn't too fazed with being tasered and kidnapped and almost injected with a virus.
And then, after he promised never to do it again, I'd ruffle his hair and give him ice cream and send him on his way. Bone structure like his goes a long way with me.
Mohinder might just be the most evil character of them all.
You want anyone to believe that you'd send him on his way? Really? Just ruffle his hair? No extended hug so you could affirm how good you suspect he'd smell? None of that at all? Really?
I think Mohinder just isn't a very good scientist. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.
Has anyone in this history of this blog bothered to mention that Sendhil is pretty? I'm just curious.
I'm partial to The Matt/Daphne InstaLove™ myself. She's a super-cute speedster and he's got a turticular spirit guide! Where I come from that qualifies as clever and funny. If a turtle can't help you find fast women then who can?
It's ok if you don't get super powers Ingrid. Ando doesn't have any and he still got a poster!
(Today's speculation on what Mohinder's hair smells like: I'm going to go with Madagascar vanilla beans and rose water.)
Bennet does pretty darn well for himself without powers. And he got his very own poster as well. So there's a bright side for the unlucky fifty percent of us who aren't the beneficiaries of Arthur's largesse. (I was going to mention Mohinder as an example of non-powered awesomeness, but then I remembered he's a crazy bug-man now.)
I can just see Matt's eHarmony ad: "Affable California detective, recent New York transplant, enjoys pizza and babysitting. Seeks cute, young blonde for romance and mind games. Has Wonder Turtle."
My name is Josh, and I'm an ordinary-American. See? I feel better about myself already.
There's also a lesson to be learned from the movie The Incredibles. When everyone is special, no one is.
I'm glad Josh is looking on the bright side. In any case, of the 50% of the world population who get snazzy new powers, the vast majority of those are going to end up with something dumb, like super-enhanced taste buds or the ability to produce great quantities of mucous. Not everyone gets to be cool like Sylar.
(I still can't figure out how Arthur can possibly use this power-giving scheme to his advantage, President Nathan notwithstanding. Unless Arthur then goes around and sucks out the powers from everyone he's given them to, one by one? Maybe? Seems a little inefficient, frankly, but that might be why I'm not a criminal genius: I can't think outside the box.)
Arthur's plan is pure genius! Just look at the hurt feelings (mine) on this board alone. I take consolation in the fact that my sister lives on the even side of the street and isn't getting any special powers either. But it better be one great poster. That's all I'm saying.
Maybe Skulky has an opening for a sidekick?
Alas, Boy-Morgan, he already has Parkman.
And, yes, Ingrid, Parkman's eHarmony ad was snorteriffic.
So this odd street numbered Petrelli superplan... What happens if your house just has a name? Am I doomed? Damn the British spirit of individualism...
Oh yes and hello I'm new here. This blog rocks. Ok that's quite enough from me for now.
The only reasonable thing to do with a house name is to convert the name to numbers (a=1...z=26), add them up and see if the number is odd ("Hooray! You have super-powers!") or even ("You remain unspecial and everyone with powers will mock you.")
I definitely need to make cookies scented of Mohinder's hair...
And after some mental arithmetic not seen since grade school it appears... I am doomed to normality. Aww shucks. I had such a great ability idea up my sleeve and everything. Damn me and my terrible choice of accommodation.
Fantastic idea, Mohinder Cookies! Could they be called Mookies? Hmm does that sound wrong?
Is the world ready for Mookies?
Mookies, indeed. I think we've just found our next cottage industry.
And people say we Mookie around
The Mookies won't actually have hair in them, will they?
And am I seriously the only one getting any powers here? Huh. I suppose that's the way the Mookie crumbles.
Boom-tish. Back to my Saturday morning chores.
Consumer: Will eating Mookies make me gain weight?
Me: Yes, but if you buy a case you get five minutes alone with Sendhil!
Consumer: Okay.
Me (mumbling): offer of five minutes with Sendhil not valid in all fifty states.
We'll make a fortune!
I'm a little bit concerned and confused about what flavor cookies would be, if they were based upon the theoretical smells of an actor's hair. Will they have a flavor at all or just smell certain ways? Are you talking about just one type, or is this Mookie brand going to carry several different varieties?
From a marketing standpoint, basing a brand for a food product on ones hair is a risky proposition, even if he is one cute mookie.
Mookies will be the mostest deliciousest cookies in the world. Obviously. We'll pound out the details of flavor and such somewhere down the road. Our main priority now is getting Sendhil on board with Josh's marketing scheme. I feel quite certain Sendhil wouldn't be too adverse to submitting to five-minute grope sessions with consumers.
"One cute mookie", heh. You guys are funny.
Yes, I too noticed that Dan has superpowers on this board and no one else. Mighty suspicious.
I also think Lou gets a 10% cut off of the top and all European distribution rights for coming up with the awesome name. It was much better than my idea of "Gee, Mohinder's hair smells great!" cookies...
In fact, maybe that's been Arthur's plan all along. Perhaps he's bought up all the odd-numbered houses in the world and is planning to make a property market killing via his evil machinations, just like Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie and Superman Repeats.
Nuclear-induced earthquakes. Giant crystalline spontaneous kryptonite continents. Street number-based power handouts. No wonder the property market is so difficult to predict.
Erratum: On reflection, I did make the rules on the street number thing.
The ever-reliable Urban Dictionary informs me that a "mooky" is "a term of endearment". Which is very sweet and nice, and most appropriate for our little cottage industry.
Urban Dictionary also claims that "mookies" are, and I do quote, "a nice pair of big tits."
Josh, when you're working on our marketing campaign, I suggest you focus on the former definition rather than the latter. No sense confusing our target customers.
It promises to be an overnight sensation. I suspect very strongly that history will look back on it as being the greatest selling product of all time.
That presents difficulties. Suppose Mookies are shaped like Mohinder's head; would that suffice to change popular culture?
OH! We could introduce a series of double-entendre commercials! A buxom woman asks some men if they'd enjoy a pair of Mookies. When they very predicably stare, she giggle and reaches behind her back.
"Not these mookies," she coyly explains, "these Mookies!" she says as she produces a box of Mookies. The commercial ends with a little bubble opening in the corner of the screen showing a winking Sendhil.
I'm pretty sure that's genius.
I love that you guys already have built an enterprise around this. That is beyond genius Josh. That is pure marketing gold.
Thanks for the welcome Girl_Morgan I'll be a regular here for sure. 10% Euro rights rocks.
Boy-Morgan, you must use your power only for good.
Kudos to whoever has the nerve to send this image to Sendhil's fan mail.
And Girl-Morgan, I think being associated with Mohinder's scented hair and big billowy breasts is only going to help sales.
Josh, I chortled out loud over your marketing campaign last night :-)
Thank you, Ingrid! I'll be in the Army all week.
What phenomenal talent has gathered on this thread. Do the regulars here get to call themselves Preppies of the Apocalypse?
In an attempt to supplement Josh's awesome double entendre ad and in a bid to broaden the demographic appeal of Mookies™, I propose a parallel advertising campaign along these lines:
Small child comes running out of the kitchen.
"Mommy, mommy! What's that horrible smell?"
"I'm baking you some cookies!" says Mom.
"But they don't smell like Mohinder's hair!" sobs the child. (Wrinkles nose in disgust. Starts to cry.)
Mother frowns.
Voiceover: "Doesn't your child deserve Mookies™? The only cookie with the life-affirming odor of Mohinder's hair?"
Mother relents, hands over giant box of Mookies™. Child cheers and disappears to tree house to eat them.
And, as always, the commercial ends with a little bubble opening in the corner of the screen showing a winking Sendhil.
Oh, and needless to say, the mother has enormous breasts.
[And I hope everybody appreciates me tailoring my spelling for the lucrative US markets]
I feel that time spent quickly cobbling together rough faux-packaging ideas, is time well spent.
In any case, what this has taught me is that Blogger's comment fields are a wee bit annoying in their lack of flexibility.
I'm a little astounded by Dan's easy adoption of our backwards American spelling of things. I know it's not easy, leaving out all those "U"s. Thanks for dumbing it down for us Dan!
These astounding feats of spelling are becoming pretty common these days over on the powery side of the street.
"HI! BILLY MAYS HERE WITH GEE YOUR HAIR SMELLS LIKE MOHINDER SHAMPOO! ONE TRIP TO THE SHOWERS AND YOU'LL SMELL LIKE A GREEK GOD!"
"BUT I'M NOT DONE YET! CALL RIGHT NOW AND YOU'LL GET A BOX OF MOOKIES FOR FREE! JUST PAY $80 SHIPPING!"
*Dan, et.al., If you don't have Billy Mays screaming at you to buy stuff in your commercials, be grateful.
It's definitely not the sort of power that will make you defensive player of the year.
Boy-Morgan, touche! I made the Mookies box my desktop wallpaper.