Monday, October 29, 2007

'Heroes' - "The Line"

Heroes - NBC
Hmmm ... I'm wondering if the chapter name -- "The Line" -- has to do with the old saying "toeing the company line." I would think so as the meaning behind it is loyalty to the company even if the company's actions may be wrong. Although, after tonight, could the Company have good in mind?

Nah, I think it's a ploy. I don't trust the Company minions. Here's the skinny on what went down in the episode (chapter):

Peter and Caitlin

In the bar where Mickey was murdered by Elle, Peter and Caitlin talk about going to Montreal (as in the painting Peter Isaac'd). Peter doesn't want her to go with him, but she's insistent. She wants to kill the woman who killed her brother.

They opened the episode and closed it, not to be seen in between. In the closing of the episode, they're in Montreal at the very location they were in the painting. They enter what looks to be some sort of studio only to find a note to Peter from someone named Adam -- "We were right about the Company. The world is in danger." Peter doesn't remember an Adam (neither do I, but that's beside the point).

Peter and Caitlin embrace and end up doing a Hiro. They've transplanted themselves to June 14 (Flag Day), 2008 in an abandoned Times Square, NYC. Well, at least that was the date on the evacuation notice Peter found. That's where the show ended, but a lot happened to others in between.

Claire and West

While Claire's advocate Meg voted for her to become a cheerleader, Debbie (that so-and-so) said no. Claire seems to have issues with cheerleader captains. So did I, but I tended to scoff cheerleaders in general back in my high school days.

Claire told West that she had told her father that she was on the cheerleader squad and that she wasn't allowed ot date at all. West suggested she do something to Debbie to get her on the squad. She tried talking to her only to be turned down and laughed at.

Since Debbie the So-and-So was drinking, they came up with a way to humiliate her in public. I believe it was West's idea. He dressed in black garb like a robber
, flew in and picked up Claire while she was talking to Debbie. He then dropped her, killing her (but we know she'll heal), and went after Debbie. Debbie called the police to report it, Claire appeared alive, Debbie got canned from the squad and Claire is on. I don't care. I still don't trust West.

West told Claire that parental guidance is a non-issue when you can fly. I think he's going to try to really test Claire's bond with her parents. He reacted strangely when she mentioned parents. Does he even have any? He was in Louisville (if memory serves) when the "man with the horn-rimmed glasses" kidnapped him. Hmmm...

Monica, Mohinder Suresh, Molly, Niki, and Bob at the Company

Lots went down at the Company in Hartsdale, NY, this episode. Mohinder did
indeed bring Monica (Micah's cousin) there. They had her watching gymnasts and learning the moves. But then Bob wanted Mohinder to inject her with a serum (the Ashanti serum) which would remove her powers, but might have other effects, too. Of course, Bob says it's all for the greater good. Mohinder almost did it, but ended up going to Bob telling him he quit after calling HRG. He wants to take Molly with him and leave.

Oh, my. Bob did a quick
turnaround. He apologized to Mohinder, telling him how hard it's been -- 30 years, a lot has changed, they've overstepped their bounds, he's so valuable to them, a bigger danger exists, blah-blah-blah. So, Mohinder stays, Molly stays.

Bob ended up bringing Monica back to her house, giving her an iPhone with all kinds of videos she can study, and telling her there's a lot of good she can do in New Orleans. Say what? I just know the Company is evil! How dare he act good!


He gave Mohinder a new partner -- Niki (or could it be Jessica?) toeing the company line. No more misunderstandings. Mohinder just looked confused. So did
I.

HRG and the Haitian in the Ukraine

Yep, they're in Odessa and we aren't talking Texas. We're not talking a
management training meeting in Tulsa like he told Claire, either. They're seeking the remaining Isaac paintings from a Company dude whose name is Etan (I think). He was HRG's mentor in the Company.

HRG knew right where to hit him trying to get the paintings. First he had the Haitian erase Etan's memories of his wife and honeymoon. Then he went for the memories of the daughter when Etan finally told him what he wanted to know.

Etan tried to convince HRG to come back to the Company, telling him it had changed. HRG didn't fall for the company line. He made it look like a burglary and
shot him dead to cover his tracks. He and the Haitian then examined the paintings -- number 8, of course, might put a chill down his spine.

"You'll condemn yourself to hell," Etan cried as HRG aimed the gun at him.
BANG
"I know," HRG said.

Yikes, I say.

The Wonder Twins and Sylar

They're nearing the US border. Alejandro doesn't like Sylar and the feeling's
mutual. Sylar likes Maya's "delicious" power. He told Maya that he had special powers, but they all went away. He wants to be special again. As they cross the border, Sylar got Maya to use her powers to knock of the border patrol guys calling them "fake police."

Alejandro fussed that she was a killer because of him (Sylar). She told him that they needed Gabriel (Sylar) to get to Dr. Suresh. Alejandro told her he wouldn't give her his hand the next time and he'd let Gabriel die. Sylar told him that Maya is his own shiny new toy and he'll kill Alejandro.

Okay.

Hiro in 1671 Japan via Ando in present day Tokyo

I like Ando, but it makes no sense to have him read the scrolls. Make that stop.


Yaeko (the swordsmith's beautiful daughter), Kensei, and Hiro attack the camp of White Beard to rescue the swordsmith only to discover that the swordsmith told them how to make guns. Of course, guns didn't exist in Japan in 1671, so Hiro had to make sure the guns get destroyed. They must save Japan!

Then Hiro blew it. As danger surrounded them, he teleported Yaeko and himself away. She then realized it was him she had fallen in love with, not Kensei. It was Hiro with the flower petals! (Well, duh.) Hiro, poor lovelorn guy, kissed her. He's so in love and he knows it's an impossible love as he must get back to his
own time and she must fall for Kensei.

The really bad thing is that Kensei saw them kiss. Uh-oh. Hiro told him he had fallen in love with her, but it just can't be -- it would be the only kiss, there would be no more.

Oh, but Kensei didn't believe him and still had his old greed in mind, probably heightened because he knows he can't be killed. He kidnapped Yaeko and knocked out Hiro.

Gulp.

13 comments:

Michael said...

Sorry to be pedantic, but it's "TOE the line", not TOW.

If you "toe the company line" then you're conforming to a standard set of rules. Or like a sprinter, who starts with his toes against the line, or else he'll be punished if he goes over.

The Line - well, a border is a line (like the US/Mexico border). A metaphorical "line in the sand" is the point of no return once you cross it, like what Maya did. A number of people crossed lines on this episode - Hiro, HRG, Mohinder. Did Nikki cross enemy lines? Claire is giving "a line" to her dad about what she's doing (more often referred to as a line of BS).

Jackie S. said...

I fixed it.

Anonymous said...

I don't trust Nikki at all. She looks like she is going to kill Mohinder. I am not enjoying the characters of the twins. Why doesn't Alejandro speak or understand English, but his twin does?? C'mon, a little far fetched for me.

Jackie, you were feeling that the show is disjointed this season...and now I have to agree. I wasn't feeling that way until tonight's episode. I know a lot of people thought that it's a build up to something....like the evacuation of NYC. However, it's almost too many people to tie in together.

I am still watching however! LOL

tbc

RBennie said...

I just started watching Heroes a few weeks ago. I got season 1 from Netflix and was hooked by the end of the first episode. When I finished all the season 1 discs (there were 7 of them), I watched the first few episodes of season 2 online, so now I'm all caught up and able to comment here.

It does get a little confusing with all the jumping around. There are just way too many people on this show, and they add new people all the time! I would just like to see more of the core group of heroes.

Zoetawny said...

Thanks for the review, Jackie. I don't know how you followed it. You must have taken copious notes. ;) I have to go read that review again to retain it all. LOL

michael...Thanks for the "line" lesson. Isn't interesting how many meanings that one little word can have.

Anonymous said...

rbennie,

the producers have said the show isn't basrd around a character but the story...exspect some deaths to help lower the characters to follow.

miko

Michael said...

Well, it's obvious that the Wonder Twins are there merely as Sylar fodder. He wants her power and could care less about his.

Bob is probably not long for the world, as a member of the Founding Family. But his daughter is probably Veronica Mars.

So Jackie, do you find yourself with a lot of free time now that Big Brother is over? :)

RiseandShine said...

I'm interested in the Sylar story line. Why doesn't he have his powers anymore? Who was behind holding him with the shape-shifter woman? How did he get from that "island" to the middle of the road? In fact, we haven't seen anything about the events that put Peter in the container, gave his brother that ugly face, and put Sylar on the island. Although, I think I remember the shape shifter saying something about having picked Sylar up off the street in NY.
I don't trust that West. I don't think Nikki is up to anything good either :). I agree...Bob is a goner (and what a power to lose!) and Veronica Mars is his daughter.
I think the new skill absorbtion girl is going to be big, and Uhura has powers too.

Michael said...

Funny you should ask those questions, riseandshine - two episodes from now (Nov. 19th) is an episode called "Five Months Ago" which is supposed to fill in the blanks between last year's finale and this year's premiere.

Anonymous said...

riseandshine,

Peter absorbs others ability...that girl mimics others muscle movement...can't remember what mohender called it.

Well the hatian probably zapped peters memory...wonder if he can put it back now that he can remove selective memories.

not sure why sylar can't use his...must have something to do from fight with peter....maybe micha can fix him

Jack said...

I think West met up with HRG in St. Louis, for what it's worth...

Deanna said...

I actually like the "Bigger Story", although it can at times be frustrating and slow moving. I like that they are making us see this as not just a core group of people w/ abilities, but a much larger group and that the abilities go way back in time(Japan). I do like how they are showing that way back in Japanese history there were "Heroes" with powers, but the Hiro story line is very boring to me. Probably because it is a lot of reading and the story line is moving slowly. I like seeing new characters though, and their abilities, but they need to start killing off some of them or we are going to start forgetting who some of the Heroes are.... Just hope they don't kill off Peter...He is nice eye candy! :)~

Anonymous said...

Jackie,

Have you seen this yet?

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-nbcshelvesheroesorigins,0,2319525.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines

The not-yet-official Hollywood writers' strike has already claimed its first casualty: "Heroes: Origins," the planned anthology spun from NBC's "Heroes."

The network has put the six-episode series, which was slated to air in the spring, on the shelf -- at least partly in anticipation of a strike, the showbiz trade papers say. The Writers Guild of America's latest contract expired at midnight Wednesday (Oct. 31), and the guild and producers remain at loggerheads over several issues, most notably residuals for DVD sales.

The guild has a membership meeting planned for Thursday night, and its members could walk out as soon as Friday.

"Origins" attracted considerable buzz following its announcement last May. The show would have introduced six new characters into the "Heroes" universe and let the audience decide which one would stick around for the following season. Several big names were attached to the project -- Kevin Smith ("Clerks," "Dogma") and Eli Roth ("Hostel") were set to write and direct episodes, and "Superman Returns" co-writer Michael Dougherty was writing a third.

In addition to strike fears, NBC is also staring at fan dissatisfaction and a slight ratings slump for "Heroes." Critics and others have attacked the show's somewhat sluggish pace to start the season, and overall ratings are down a bit from last year, even with DVR usage factored in.

For all that, though, "Origins" isn't completely dead. The project could be revived for next season, but NBC didn't want to commit to it financially while facing the possibility of writers not working, the trades report

Miko