Photos
Video
RSS
Twitter'Heroes': It's coming together
Although he made a brief appearance last week, Monday's Heroes brought Leonard Roberts officially into the fold (that wasn't him playing HRG's memory-wiping sidekick in previous episodes). The show's regular cast is now fully present, so it seems fitting that, more than any previous episode, this one started really to make the connections between our main characters.
I was a little distressed at first by the heavy focus on Roberts and Ali Larter's characters, given that her Niki hasn't been as well-defined as some of the others, either in terms of character or what her ability is. As the hour progressed, though, and we finally got a clear picture of the Good Niki-Bad Niki dynamic -- a very literal split personality -- I got more and more into her story.
The arrival of Roberts' D.L., Niki's fugitive husband, helps immensely in the clarity of this plot thread. We know now just what Bad Niki has been up to, framing the guy for her truly grisly crimes and plotting to steal his $2 million. Given the way she was left in that last scene, though, it doesn't look like it's going so well. But given how the two Nikis were conversing before, I have to wonder: What does D.L. putting his fist through (and I do mean through) Bad Niki mean for the future of her alter ego?
Given her presence at the poker-game bloodbath, Niki's comment to Ando that she's "not the same person" as she is online takes on a little extra meaning too. She also inspired a crisis of faith in Hiro, who wondered if he'd done enough to save the poker guys. Will this doubt affect him as he and Peter and whoever else try to save Claire?
And speaking of our cheerleader, I'd be interested to hear what you all think about the meeting with her biological parents. Are we meant to believe that Mr. Bennet hired people to pose as her real mom and dad, or that he was holding something over them not to say too much? I'm inclined to believe the first, but I'm not sure.
Finally, and maybe because I was so enamored of her performance in Brick and really wanted to like her here, but I didn't really see the revelation of Nora Zehetner's Eden as a bad guy coming. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense: Why else would she have befriended a possibly off-his-nut old professor from India, then taken equal interest in his son? It could also explain how, a couple of episodes back, Sylar's place was scrubbed clean when Mohinder brought the cops there.
Missed Greg Grunberg this time, but so far I'm liking that the writers aren't trying to shoehorn in every lead character every week. He'll be back next week, it appears, and it looks like D.L. and Hiro will cross paths as well.
So then: What of Good Niki? How long will it take Peter to track down that missing painting? And, are you liking the connections being forged in Heroes?
Post a comment
Zap2it Twitter Talk 
First of all, everyone I know who watches this thinks D.L. is also Mr.Bennet's sidekick. There should be a disclaimer or something. But now that you have cleared that up for me...
I am a little unsure of the split Niki thing. Maybe it is because I ***umed her to be a "good guy" and now I am not so sure. It was nice to have some clarity, both on her abilities and her relationship with D.L. I find it interesting that Mika has known about her powers all along.
I do believe that Mr.Bennet hired those two to play the part of Claire's parents. As well, was I the only one surprised that Claire has a brother?
From the very first moment Eden walked on to the screen, I knew there was something up there. She just takes to much in stride, Mohinder was raised around these theories and possibilites, but she is supposed to be new to this and should be a little more shocked. I never trusted her. At one point, I thought she might be Skylar. So I was a little disappointed to learn she was just an informant to Mr.Bennet.
I never thought DL was Bennett's co-hort. I do keep thinking he's J. August Richards. I also knew that Nora/Eden was not what she seemed from the very beginning. She was too cute and asking all the right questions. Did anyone else notice the melted wax lion from "Wonderfalls" on Micah's night stand?
I too thought that Mr. Bennett hired those 2 people to play the part of Claire's parents.
Re: Micah, I don't think he knows about Niki's powers, I just thought he knew about the money.
Just a thought here, but now that Eden has been revealed to be a source to keep track of Mohinder, does anyone think that Simone is also a source to keep track of Peter/Isaac and same with Zach (Claire's friend) to keep track of Claire's activities - and that he was the one who just gave Mr. Bennett the video of Claire rather than having someone stolen it?
I highly doubt that Simone is a source to keep track of Peter and Isaac. I believe SImone and Isaac had been seeing each other for at least 2 yrs. There is no way that those 2 people were Claire's real parents. I believe her real parents are dead. I was surprised how much I liked DL. Niki could be written off the show and I would care less.. DL, Hiro and Micah will make a great team.
Ok, I watched the episode and the preview of next week's show left me a little confused and intrigued. Does Micah have abilities too? Are all of these special people finally going to find each other and work together? Will Niki combine herself into one superwoman?
I need answers.
By the way, the 2:00 preview on NBC.com will blow your mind. A lot of interesting things coming soon . . .
Love this show, the hour goes too fast, and the week goes too long....
I keep thinking Niki is kind of like the Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix storyline.. the producers keep saying that not everyone will turn out good, so I've been watching her thinking she could end up the arch-villian. (and no way she's dead...)
I have to admit I was a little surprised with the Eden twist, I wasn't paying that close attention to her, so I hadn't seen that coming. Was hoping she would be a good guy (probably just because she's cute..)
I had a feeling that Claire's "parents" weren't real - can't trust anything HRG does. I do think they are alive, and I wonder if HRG actually found them before - maybe a future story plot.
I love that Hiro embraces his powers, and the "I have a sword" moment may have been my favorite from the whole episode...
Preview looks good, now just have to get through the week... six hundred one thousand two hundred seconds, six hundred one thousand, one hundred ninety-nine.....
Now I'm wondering about Micah, too. If what Jenny posted above is correct ( God Bless my tivo, I'll look tonight ), what does it mean that he has the Wonderfalls wax lion on his nightstand? An allusion to a power?
Another thought. We have all been ***uming that Mr.Bennet/HRG is bad- how do we know that? I ***umed he was the threat to Claire, but now I am not so sure. He could have been in cohurst with Mohinder's Father... he could be more like the scientist who sometimes lacks the comp***ion to see these people as humans and not science experiments...
I could see this twist, because the one thing i love about this show is i never know who is good and who isn't. Eden seems good, but now, who knows. Niki was good, but now, maybe not. DL was ***umed bad, now, maybe good. I could see a similar twist for Mr.Bennet.
I will bet HRG is a good guy, a Prof. Xavier figure. He acted too nice to the kid who tried to rape Claire; if he was bad he could have just had him killed. There has been a lot of emphasis to make us ***ume that they are bad, but it looks like they are just ***essing the groups powers.We were to ***ume that "clean him out: meant the brain evacuation that Skylar but it was just an erasing of memories of their encounter. I wonder if HRG's orders to Eden to "bring in" Isaac means to let him in on their operation and find out what they are really all about. And I agree: kill Niki.
I think Michah for sure has some sort of power, yet to come. I think Niki is bad and DL is good but the characters are still being developed. I think there is a good chance Mr. Bennett is good but I am still confused by what he is doing to everyone. Why was he trying to get Nathan? What did he do to Matt? I know there are still lots of questions to be answered. This is such a great show!