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Heroes 1:22 Landslide
This episode was so good I fear for the finale but that’s a Wednesday problem.
Liked the title, metaphorically a victory in the polls, more literally a hint about the threat of physical disaster, metaphorically again the suggestion of all the stones finally rolling down the hill to meet at the bottom. New York, New York.
Last week the issue was how killing is hard. Hiro failed and even Sylar balked. This week Hiro learned how it’s done with the return of Sulu (and was that actually Chris Claremont in the sword shop)?
To save the most important thing you must be strong enough to cut out your heart.
Ominously Hiro showing what he’d learned cut from Sylar taking Ted’s head off. Sylar’s heart must be pretty rudimentary but arguably what was left of it died with his mother. More complex comparisons came with Bennet whose heart has survived multiple stab wounds but still find some things it has to steel itself to do. Not killing a ‘friend’ or even a person but a child. Then there was Nathan breaking Hiro’s faith in ‘Flying Man,’ smiling and smiling and still being a villain. More complicated than that though from Nathan’s point of view and it ties into the essential paradox of Hiro believing his ‘destiny’ is to change the future. The whole concept of destiny implies that the future is set and that does seem to be what Nathan believes, he can’t change it but he can be prepared for it. But he also aparently accepts Linderman (and Candice’s) assertion that the world needs to be healed without querying whether it’s sick. There’s a bitterness to Linderman as if the bomb were not only destined but welcomed as some kind of revenge on the world. Nathan said his father was his hero, I suppose he remembers him from before the disillusion set in whereas Peter being that much younger cannot.
Claire said what I said ::squee:: that she’s not normal and Noah accepted that or at least let it be reason for her to get out of Gotham but even then he must trust her to survive two explodable men. Only one of them is dead already. Poor Ted, just when he finally seemed to have got it together.
Unexpectedly, if I had to choose I’d say my favourite parts of the episode were those involving the elder Hawkins. First they blow into town like Angelina and Brad, but if Angelina were funny (best “haven’t we met somewhere” line evah) and Brad were hardcore. Hard to remember the guy who played Forrest on Buffy, not a trace of petulant fratboy detectable.
Second, if Linderman had watched Buffy he’d have known better than to taunt the girl with her nothingness. Tell her that victim is all she is and she’ll show you she’s more. I wondered why Bill didn’t use the gun before, partly overconfidence about being able to play Jessica, but also he knows that DL can phase out of bullets. But not this one, this one he had to be real for because Linderman was wrong. It was real.
I
Could be and would fit with the earlier Stan Lee cameo, but if so, no fan before you noticed!
Not killing a ‘friend’ or even a person but a child.
So, if not for Matt, do you think Bennet would have done it? The answer to that is relevant for Mohinder's s2 arc.
Then there was Nathan breaking Hiro’s faith in ‘Flying Man,’ smiling and smiling and still being a villain.
That scene made me whimper. Big time. (So, retrospectively, does the funny scene in "Godsend" where Nathan teaches Hiro how to pronounce "villain".) Save of course for Charlie's death Hiro's biggest heart break of the season, I mean, one can see what Nathan means to him by this:
More complicated than that though from Nathan’s point of view and it ties into the essential paradox of Hiro believing his ‘destiny’ is to change the future. The whole concept of destiny implies that the future is set and that does seem to be what Nathan believes, he can’t change it but he can be prepared for it.
It's fiendishly difficult for me to comment on Nathan's pov on this without finale spoilers, so I'll limit myself to outward observations and a rethorical question. Firstly, the big paradox is that this heartbreaking scene is arguably the most intimate between the two of them, as Nathan gives Hiro the Petrelli body language treatment with the non-existence of personal space:
Secondly, here's Masi Oka and George Takei and the actor who plays Ted commenting on this scene for the podcast:
A: Those are my old stomping grounds.
M: Yes. Of course, that's the stage, you were telling us…
G: Mm hm.
M: Where you caught on fire. (!!!)
G: That's right. Yes and Bill Shatner…put it out!
M: (overlapping) Bill Shatner was the hero.
G: Yes, he was the hero.
M: Adrian Pasdar's so amazing to work with, I… Every time I get a
chance to work with him…
G: You know, when you say this, when you say "Nei-san"
M: Yea I know it's like…
M&G: Big Sister!
M: It's kind of like a little on purpose. Nei-san Nii-san.
A: The stuff with you guys, too. I love watching you and Adrian.
M: Yeah I love… every time we work together it's amazing.
G: I thought you were suggesting something else by calling him Nei-san.
M: Ahhhh! *both laugh*
G: *to A* It's an "in" Japanese joke.
M: I love… Adrian's choice here… when he uh… opens up
G: Oh when he whispers?
M: Yea, when he whispers and opens up. I just loved that.
G: Yes, it's beautifully done, and then *waves* it's the politician
again. He's a very very
M: powerful
G: a very subtle actor.
M: *watching Hiro ask Nathan for help* Ah, hopeful, hopeful, hopeful, …hopeful… he says ‘I’m sorry’, comes in.
A: Crushed
M: I love that!
G: Yes, and the camera coming in so close to his face…
M: So sad…
G: And then… *snaps*
M: That smile. Ugh. We were both tearing up, I remember, when we were doing it. Aw, so sad.
G: You know, I saw the drop of tear in your eyes.
A: You know, it's interesting… the sort of softer moments with him
come when he's working with you. Like, that character,
M: it's cool
A: with Hiro, you know?
M: That's what I love about that relationship; that they can open up to each other.
Thirdly, rethorical question, and leading me to the second part of my reply: what, if anything, do you think did not happen in the 5YG timeline?
II
Again, very difficult to comment on that without spoilers, but this was when I started to wonder what happened to the earlier generation - Linderman, Angela, Petrelli Senior - to make them what they are. And yes, Nathan's pov and Peter's pov on their father being that different might very well be connected to their age, but in Nathan's case there is also restrospective guilt and consequent glorification at work. You'll note that Nathan says "(Pa) would have me committed for even considering this insanity" to Linderman. This would be the same Petrelli Senior who worked with Linderman-the-mobster for years and years and years, and even if that started as fellow idealists, it was followed by a lot of crime. But I think Peter was dead on when he said to Nathan, in "Six Months Ago", that if he went to court against their father, "you'll never forgive yourself". (Regarding Peter, it's telling his objection wasn't "think of what that would do to Dad" but relating to how it would affect Nathan.) There is a deleted scene for 6MA on the DVDS which is a longer version of the scene where Nathan tells Peter their father died. (Which, remember, was by suicide, and Nathan knows this, though he doesn't tell Peter, that's left to Angela in the second episode of s1.) Said scene makes it even more explicit Nathan did blame himself for his father's death. Which I think makes for projecting in the Linderman scene from "Landslide".
Yep, the DL and Jessica/Niki scenes were much fun. They also inspired the final bit of silliness in this crack!fic of mine (spoilers only until Landslide, so you can read it). Re: Linderman, I think what he missed completely was that Jessica's original reason of existing was protecting Niki. Protecting Niki also means not to let her do something which she won't be able to live with (i.e. kill D.L. in this instance).
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even Sylar balked
I think that was my favourite part of last week's ep!
the world needs to be healed without querying whether it’s sick.
Afraid this reminded me of something else... "What this
countryworld needs - right now - is a Doctor!"First they blow into town like Angelina and Brad
That is a brilliant image! :)
Can't wait for Wednesday!
Re: II
If there were no-one to stop him I think he would have. He would have hesitated (as he did with Claude) but have counted out the greater good, weighted it for Claire and done it.
Nathan gives Hiro the Petrelli body language treatment with the non-existence of personal space
Yes! But it’s also practical because it allows Nathan to say something his entourage can’t hear and Hiro doesn’t know the Petrellis well enough to be sure of the significance. I mean, I think he can sense it but it doesn’t quite make sense to him. And that second screencap gives the whole thing a look of the betrayal scene in Gesthemane.
Thirdly, rethorical question, and leading me to the second part of my reply: what, if anything, do you think did not happen in the 5YG timeline?
Can I speculate about the answer anyway? Since Hiro is misinformed about Sylar’s role his attempts to kill him as a result of the trip are irrelevant. Also, so far the only people who know anything different due to the visit to the future are Hiro and Ando themselves. It could be that Ando now knows he will die if nothing changes, so his going off to fight Sylar may be important. Otherwise the only person they’ve spoken to is Nathan (Father Nakamura seems to know about the bomb but I don’t think he ever names the villain he expects Hiro to kill) and up until now all the people who seem to have knowledge of future events have been telling him he’ll make a good difference. So Hiro telling him he’ll be a bad man is something new.
Re: Linderman, I think what he missed completely was that Jessica's original reason of existing was protecting Niki.
Maybe he interpreted her purpose as vengeance and self-protection – her father killed/abused her not Nikki. Maybe Linderman was an only child :-)
Re: II
Agreed. He knew, going in, that he'd have to kill a person to "take down the Walker system", and the fact this was a child would ultimately not have stopped him.
And that second screencap gives the whole thing a look of the betrayal scene in Gesthemane.
I was thinking more of Godfather II, but you're right, Gethsemane will do nicely.*g*
Father Nakamura seems to know about the bomb but I don’t think he ever names the villain he expects Hiro to kill
No, he doesn't. He shares that general Elder tendency of being cryptic. (There is a great s2 quote about the Elders from a member of the younger generation on said tendency, but I can't say by whom about whom without spoiling you.) Also, the story he told little Hiro about Takezo Kensei and which Hiro now repeats is interpretable in many ways. Let me repeat the story: the hero gets offered by the dragon the power to "unite the whole of Japan" by the dragon, but he'll have to kill his princess, the person he loves most/stab her through the heart. Instead, he choses to offer his own heart in her place. Now Hiro puts the emphasis on "cutting out his own heart" in his conversation with Kaito, but you could just as well emphasis the trade and why he does it.
Maybe Linderman was an only child :-)
That's what I assumed from .07% onwards.
Otherwise the only person they’ve spoken to is Nathan and up until now all the people who seem to have knowledge of future events have been telling him he’ll make a good difference. So Hiro telling him he’ll be a bad man is something new.
Again, I'll limit myself to saying something I did then: given that one of Isaac's paintings shows Micah burning behind glass in an exploding New York, given that Micah is in fact dead in the 5YGverse, whereas here it looks like he's about to be rescued by his mother, what are the chances that Nathan in the 5YGverse also told Jessica/Niki and DL where to find Linderman? I don't think he did...
Lastly, because they're fun, and a counterweight to the heartrendering Hiro 'n Nathan scene, another quote from that podcast. Masi Oka is still raving about Adrian Pasdar:
M: He's such a generous person and actor. It's just completely amazing.
A: Yea, it's great.
M: I actually got to hang with him when I was in New York last week.
A: Oh yea?
M: We had some crazy adventures. We actually went to Times Square to recreate…
A: Oh the scene?
M: my Yatta thing.
A: Oh, did he do it, too? Did he spin?
M: Yea, well, he actually too the camera and spun around me and had me
spin in the other direction.
G: Oh, he shot it?
M: Yea
A: He didn't play you though? I mean, I'm sure… people do go to Times
Square and do that.
M: Yea! I think that's what happens. People didn't think it was me.
"Oh, just some crazy tourist pretending to be Hiro again."
A: Right.
M: But little did they know…
G: You can go and do that again, unrecognized.
M: It was really me.
Adrian P. put that vid up on YouTube later, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hjvva4qpzE
And it has an absolutely hysterical follow-up, where a tourist wanders over with a camera to the Heroes boys, but no, he doesn't want to take their picture, he wants an unrecognized Masi O. to take HIS picture in Times Square:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFv6JC0b9MM
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Re: II
I hadn't thought that through but I did notice how tense Nathan was in that scene, balanced on a knife edge and it looked as if what finally pushed him into telling them where Linderman was was seeing the "64% Landslide" come up on the screen. I was feeling cynical at the time and interpreted it as Nathan seeing that Linderman had done his job and he no longer needed him/was beholden to him but it could also be the final confirmation that all the crazy talk about destiny and bombs was real. Or a wake-up call - now you have power, what will you do?
That podcast is wonderful.
Re: II
That podcast is wonderful.
They're an adorable cast and completely crazy about each other. And with a great sense of humour. Further cute examples:
And then there are the hilarious interviews,
more dorky backstage pictures and crazy vids...