Heroes #8: Villains/Nov2008

[Darth Shoju]

I don't think it's that Elle was necessarily saner here. It's just that she got attached to Sylar.

[pop psychology]

We've seen in previous episodes that Elle latches onto men very easily; she's basically looking for male validation (probably due to her daddy issues). Having connected with Sylar, and liking the attention she's getting from him, I wasn't surprised at how protective she became.

Take all of that away, and she's left to her dad's whims, who seemed to almost enjoy twisting his daughter.

[/pop psychology]

IMO they've really been pulling back on her insanity this season, and this episode was the most brazen example. I'd say it's due to a combination of Kristen Bell's popularity (I don't know if she actually is -- I'm just guessing here) and inconsistent writing.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Though, I do find all the "these characers should die" stuff fairly confusing in how wide-reaching it is. Why do you people watch this show still?
.

Mostly its because they were rewritten into idiots and don't learn a thing (READ Mohinder, Claire and Peter), are annoying (READ Mohinder, Claire, and Maya) or are too powerful (READ Peter, and Sylar). I still watch the show because I want it to return to its season one awesomeness without having the characters be stuck in an enless loop of contrived stupidity (READ Claire's continual emo trust/daddy issue rollarcoaster). Sadly, the writers have been assassinating the characters and replacing them with doppelgangers.

Also there is nothing good one to Challenge Heroes. If 24 was around I might swtch to watching that again..

How many characters do you actually like?

Let me think....

In no particular order (living characters):
1. Noah Bennit
2. Hiro (when he's not stupid)
3. Parkman (when he's not stupid).
4. Lyle Bennit
5. Daphne
6. Mr. Turtle.
7. Mr. Muggle
8. The Haitian (mid season 1)
9. Elle (she's that crazy annoying chick we all want to XXXX.)
10. Sylar (When he's not being rewritten for redemption).
11. Micca

Out of the characters who died:
1. Adam
2. Kaito Nakamura
3. Linderman
4. DL
5. That African guy.
6. That one painter guy from the first season.

 

[dravot]

Count me in as one of those who enjoyed the episode.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Though, I do find all the "these characters should die" stuff fairly confusing in how wide-reaching it is. Why do you people watch this show still? How many characters do you actually like? I guess that sounds more harsh than I intend it to, but I'm pretty lost on this point.

It is just that there are too many characters not that any are particularly bad. Its not really a personal thing, except for Mohinder who needs to die a painfull and pointless death. I just feal that if the cast was paired down to maybe a dozen or so then the stories could be more cohearant and developed. As a result I have been rooting for character deaths no matter who the are.

 

[satori01]

For myself I am giving Hereos space to operate in. The show was originally conceived to be a set of different "Hereos" each season, so now the show is trying to retro con itself into a story about a particular family. Like a campaign where the DM is changing the focus, I think it is fair to give it time to evolve.

I liked the Pertreli scenes, especially Pa Pertrelli's line about Shakespere. What I find annoying is Ma Pertrelli was willing to sacrifice Peter in season 1, so clearly in some sense Ma/Linderman are fighting for a different possible future than Pa Pertrelli.

I think that aspect the show needs to focus on more, the overarching theme of the show should be the basic fact that people are fighting for a safe and peaceful society where those with powers live w/ the normals. Time travel and people being able to see the future obviously complicates things, but I like the Temporal aspect of it....if it is done well.

 

[Mark]

What I find annoying is Ma Pertrelli was willing to sacrifice Peter in season 1, so clearly in some sense Ma/Linderman are fighting for a different possible future than Pa Pertrelli.

I guess we know now that might have been the influence of Pa Patrelli or Papa Parkman.

 

[Arnwyn]

Though, I do find all the "these characters should die" stuff fairly confusing in how wide-reaching it is. Why do you people watch this show still? How many characters do you actually like? I guess that sounds more harsh than I intend it to, but I'm pretty lost on this point.

I certainly don't find it "confusing". In fact, I think it's pretty obvious why some people (not all) might feel that way.

Pretty much what Relique said, with a dash of Brown Jenkin. There are only a few (though increasing) actual bad/obnoxious/annoying characters - but there's just too many characters overall. I'd be happy with a tight, focused core of 5 or 6. I mainly like Noah Bennett, Hiro and Ando (when they're not written to be stupid), Parkman (when not stupid), Sylar (as a super-villain), Adam (yeah, really), and Linderman (Season 1 version super-villain only). Kaito Nakamura was a really good side-character. I'd even accept a couple more, maybe - a core group of "Heroes" and a core group of "Villains".

 

[Felon]

It's not supposed to be funny, it's supposed to be tragic. Like it or not, I find the writers/producers treatment of minority characters appalling.

It's not funny or tragic, just nonsensical. Heroes boasts a large, diverse cast, for which the show's creators are to be commended. Instead, you condemn them because you consider any bad things subsequently befalling those minority characters to be racist. If you were to include every "non-minority" character (whatever that means--just causcasians I suppose?) who's died in the show, your claim would fall apart in short order.

To pad out your list you include "everyone in Maya's home village", "many Japanese men and women", and "some random Guatemalan boarder patrol agents." Now let me explain something here: if a story takes place in feudal Japan, it's pretty hard for the writer to ensure that none of the characters that get killed are Japanese. Asian people aren't minorities in Japan. Hispanic people aren't minorities in Mexico and Guatemala. Should writers avoid having any deaths take place outside of the U.S, or simply avoid other countries altogether?

Yeah i figured that last year, still like the show, but they don't like minority characters at all.

A bogus, indefensible assertion.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I liked the Pertreli scenes, especially Pa Pertrelli's line about Shakespere. What I find annoying is Ma Pertrelli was willing to sacrifice Peter in season 1, so clearly in some sense Ma/Linderman are fighting for a different possible future than Pa Pertrelli.

I guess we know now that might have been the influence of Pa Patrelli or Papa Parkman.

Or, to explain it without retconning anything beyond season one in; she knew he'd survive the explosion, and so it wasn't really a sacrifice at all.

 

[Felon]

That sums my feelings up pretty well actually -- though I still think season one stands very well on its own.

I really hate what they're doing to Sylar this season. They made it pretty clear he was a sociopath in season one. Now that he's popular, he has to be redeemed some how.

Ugh.

This is a big problem with the show. They think the characters can be reshaped at their convenience. I recall the road trip Sylar took with Maya and Alejandro in season 2. Sylar kills the American they were travelling with without a second thought. Later there's a scene where Sylar quite coolly explains to Alejandro (who couldn't understand him) his premeditated plan to murder him and his sister. And he does indeed murder Alejandro. From there, he feigns romantic interest in her until he gets what he wants and then guns her down in cold blood without even taking her brain apart.

How do you dress all of that up as a tormented soul fighting an insatiable hunger? You can't. This was Sylar at his sociopathic best.