'Heroes': 'I Am Sylar,' and you're not
If there were ever a "Heroes" scene that illustrated both the blessing and the curse that is Sylar, it was the closing one in this week's episode. The guy just ... will ... not ... stay down.
The blessing part, at this point, comes mostly from Zachary Quinto's portrayal. That he's still able to make this character compelling and not just a mustache-twirling cartoon is something to be commended. The issues of identity that the show touched on this week as Sylar had trouble controlling his shape-shifting were more interesting than they probably had a right to be.
The curse, though, can be summed up in the final two episodes of the episode: "That hurt." When you have a character that's all but invincible, it's awfully hard to create drama. Danko plunging a knife into the back of Sylar's skull actually made me go "Whoa" tonight, which is something "Heroes" hasn't done for me in a good while. That lasted all of about 90 seconds, until he stirred, stood up and pulled the knife out.
I also fear that "I Am Sylar" is setting up some sort of redemptive story for Sylar. I can buy him not killing Micah for his technopath power at this moment, given the way his shape-shifting is causing the occasional moments of identity confusion and extra teeth (which, by the way, ick). But I keep getting hung up on Micah's appeal to Sylar's better nature and the "You can save us all" line. If Sylar's gonna be evil, then let him be eeevil -- Quinto has made the character interesting enough that people will still be hooked in. If there's a sudden good-guy turn next week, that may be it for me.
On the other hand, Sylar talking to himself-as-his-mother (Ellen Greene, making me miss "Pushing Daisies" all that much more) and talking himself into the idea that, hey, he really could be president was an interesting device. It also gives me hope that Sylar will ultimately do what's best for Sylar, and that even if there's an apparent turn toward the good, it will be a turn made out of abundant self-interest.
As for the rest of our supers tonight, I couldn't help but feel like the episode was mostly about moving them into position for whatever sort of showdown is coming next week. And by "moving into position," I mean "being taken out by Danko's agents" -- Nathan and Suresh get pumped full of tranquilizer, and Claire, Angela and Noah are surrounded by agents. So are Parkman and his family, although he's using his power to make the goons think they're gone. That leaves just the powerless Hiro, Ando and the unseen Peter as the only regulars not either in custody or close to it, plus the on-the-run (and presumed dead, thanks to a bit of Sylar unselfishness) Micah.
So, yes, color me a little under-enthused for how things might wrap up next week. "Fugitives" has been a somewhat stronger story than was "Villains" the first half of this season, but it feels like we're headed to the same sort of mushy ending that has plagued the show since the season one finale.
Other thoughts from "I Am Sylar":
- I know Noah Gray-Cabey hasn't been around much this year, but the way he was talking about Sylar you'd think he just got off the bus. It would've been nice to hear some justification for Micah's optimism, other than "My mom sorta had another person inside her too, and she turned out OK."
- Before Hiro loses his power and gets a nosebleed instead -- does he have his own internal frozen donkey wheel, or did he just lose his charge from baby Parkman? -- we see a new facet of it: If he's touching someone when he stops time, said person doesn't get stopped. This makes Ando very happy.
- And, sorry Ando, I'm with Hiro on this one: The Crimson Arc has a rather unfortunate connotation to my ears.
- Ando also gets the best line of the night, comparing Hiro to a certain other superhero: "You're noble like Superman, you believe in truth and justice like Superman. You're a little fascist like Superman."
What did you think of this season's penultimate "Heroes"? How would you like it to end, and how would you resolve the Sylar problem?
I think this show really has lost its direction this year. The writers have been unable to keep the characters consistent from week to week. One week Sylar is bad, then he seems to be good. One week Nathan is bad, the next week he starts to turn good. Then they go back to their original personalties.
This has gone on all season long. FYI-each week there is a different writer on this show. The same writer has never written the same show 2 weeks in a row. There seems to be no clear-cut direction from this. The back and forth with the characters has made this viewer become detached from most of the characters. Don't the producers of this show see this inconsistency in their main characters? Honestly, I hate to give up on a show before its end, but I may skip the next season.
BTW, watching Sylar go back and forth between himself and his dead Mom, well that was creepy. Reminded me of the original Psycho. I could have lived without that.
This episode highlighted both problems that are currently ruining this show.
1. Too much Sylar. We get it, he's a really bad guy. Why can't we finally just be done with him and move on to someone else? The guy just won't go away and he just won't die!
2. Too many heroes decide to do one thing, then turn around and do the exact opposite. Parkman's not going to help bring down Building 26. Then he travels across the country to LA and decides, yes, he IS going to help. Danko wants Sylar on his side, then he tries to kill him. Sylar helps Micah, then he wants him dead. These are just the flip-flops presented in a single episode!
Hiro/Ando: Aside from the horrible superhero name (Hiro and I agree!), it was decent. The ending was shocking for me, unusual for a Hiro/Ando storyline
Nathan and co: Just pieces. Not much.
Matt: I still don't get why he didn't flip a brick at Janice for keeping Matt away from him. Whatever.
Sylar: Hooo Boy. What happened to the delicious serial killer from the last two seasons? Yes, he was still great in Season 2. All over, just abuse. Tonight may have been the last nail in the coffin of what was once one of THE greaest villians to come to screen in a while. The Norman Bates aspect just really did not play to me. If not for Quinto's performance, I too think this episode would have been complete torture. I hope he's the death everyone is referring to on Heroes, so not only will Sylar be done with (horribly so, unfortunately), but also so Zachary Quinto can get his own DAMN SHOW.
this is directed to the writers of heroes:
"save the Sylar, save the world"
shut the h@ll up!!!
for the rest of "tv land" if you search close enough,
you too can find and see the remaining "Pushing Daisies"
episodes
hint: "the bbc"
This may have been my favorite episode of the last couple seasons.
Less cornball Nathan, brooding Peter, and miserable mom is a good thing for me. So is less Mohinder. The story was all over the place with the flip flopping as mentioned above but the involvement of so many characters kept the story moving along nicely.
I got a prediction. Remember the painting of Ando zapping Hiro. The only thing to happen between Hiro using his skills at Isaac's and losing them at B26 was Ando zapping the security van. I think Ando's zapping in the security van killed Hiro's power. I think Ando zaps him next week to give it back to him.
This show has gone from HERO to ZERO so quickly it's scary. Do the producers and writers of this show WATCH this show? I don't think they do. How else can one explain the character inconsistencies week after week?? There appears to be an internal tug of war in their writer's room because the constantly shifiting loyalties and personalities of the Heroes is just plain ridiculous at this point. It would be one thing if it were just one character who was a flake. Now it turns out that the majority of them are flakes.
Also, it's time to retire Sylar for good. Sorry, but that's the honest to god truth. Sylar has totally outlived his effectiveness and usefulness and the character is all over the map emotionally.
Everybody else seems to have most of my gripes covered, but there's one thing I feel I have to weigh in on: Mohinder may be the most captured character in any medium, ever. I feel like there ought to be a 'Heroes' drinking game--take a shot of Bombbay gin (he he he) every time the poor guy gets blasted full of darts and dragged away by hoods.
My chief complaint is the same one I posted last week... where did they obtain their special abilities/powers. Last week epi made it seem the origin of their special abilities was from birth given Angela's sister's special ability to control the weather and even her dad had a special ability. How about Linderman's ability to heal and don't know what Bishop's special ability was and Deveaux's "jedi mind trick" ability. There was no formula then; they were'nt genetically engineered or altered. Please explain this and I said last week, I stopped watching b/c of the inconsistency(ies). I agree with the poster who said it's become a chore to watch Heroes and it has. The show is too fustrating to watch and it's kind of silly. I hope it's canceled.
Am I the only one who is liking Ando more and more, but tolerating Hiro less, as the show progresses?
You know what amazes me??? You people ***** every week about Heroes and this and that, and cry about this person and that...but you still keep watching...Get real.