Sci-Fi Shenanigans

Old School Recaps, Part 2

See previous recap entry for disclaimer. Thank you kindly!

IT'S BAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, Heroes is as rockin' as ever despite people's bitching about the hype. Sure, it wasn't as mind blowing as the last two episodes, but with a show this intense, you need to breathe every once in a while. I always laugh at the people who say they're no longer loyal fans because of this ep. Please. You'll be back next week. Besides, a lot of plot questions were answered in this ep, not to mention...the death of Isaac! But let me back up here.

Normally I'd save my Mohinder ramblings for last, but I have a theory that absolutely must be shared. Now granted, my theory does rely on Peter's "death", and if you have no idea, go watch the episode at nbc.com. It's in part 2. Anyhow, we do know that Mohinder is seeking revenge for his father's death. He had a good plan for it but got in over his head (not to mention blowing his best chance, but would that work for the show? Not really.). However, I have a feeling that from here on out, what he knows as Peter's death is going to motivate further actions on his part. No, this is not me being optimistic (completely). Let's put it this way. He watched Sylar kill him, and he is more aware of Peter's powers. He's just not aware of all of them. Won't he be in for a shock when he sees Peter again? Anyway, getting back to "dead" Peter, Mohinder was touching the corpse just a bit much to be checking to see if Peter was alive. I mean, he practically leans on Peter. Imagine if Peter was still alive at the time... Also, listen to Mohinder's voice. Talk about being grief stricken! And let's not forget Mohinder assaulting Sylar with the chalkboard. That...was awesome! We also have how it took a bit of work on Mama Petrelli's part to get Mohinder out of her place. And then came the desperate call to Primatech to try to get a hold of Bennet. He gets Thompson instead. *cue ominous music* I personally think that Peter's death is what spurred Mohinder to make that phone call.

There's other, non-episode (as in .07%) evidence that supports my theory. One is a bit spoilery, but I'll be vague. In next week's future episode, Mohinder can curry influence (no pun intended considering he's Indian), and he's going to try to protect those with powers. Food for thought. Also, the NBC site has graphic novels which do fill in quite a number of gaps between the episodes. However, the artists, uh, kinda screwed up something in one of the panels. Actually, it's more than a small screwup, and it's noticeable enough to say it was done on purpose. Basically, on the fifth page of the latest graphic novel, there's a reproduction of the sketch Isaac made of Peter and Simone. Thing is, the hair is totally wrong. It's the wrong length, and the curls are very different. If you can't see where this is going...you must not read my journal that much! To make a long story short, it looks like Peter and Mohinder are swapping spit in that frame. No lie!

http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/novels/novels_display.shtml?novel=30

There. Linkage. You happy? In any case, they're probably looking to see who's paying attention. On the other hand, it could throw another curve ball into the whole time/space continuum issue. It could be showing another universe in which Mohinder was in the States for a much longer time than imagined. It could also give a clue as to what Simone's ability is (uh, pardon the spoiler there), but that's a stretch. I think it most likely is a comment on Peter and Mohinder's relationship, which has evolved the slowest. However, there is a reason for that. Bear with me. This is kind of difficult to explain.

The episodes only show Mohinder and Peter meeting a few times this season. However, their understanding of each other changes pretty rapidly with each meeting. Granted, a lot of stuff has happened in their timeline. However, according to Greg Beeman (one of the producers who has a great blog), both characters are A) most likely to survive the whole season and B) are implied to be lynchpin characters. In a way, this is true. Both have made Sylar vulnerable, which sounds kind of crazy. However, the fact that mohinder knocked out Sylar with a damn board...interesting. This fuels even more speculation of Mohinder having a power, but I don't think so. Nonetheless, it seems to me as if the writers are jockeying to make the Peter/Mohinder story arc last a long ass time. Why? Because they seem to be the only ones that can really protect each other. I mean, Claire did pull the glass shard out of Peter's head, but on the emotional side, it's different. There's an unspoken bond between the two, and I think the attatchment is more pronounced on Mohinder's end. However, odds are he'll do something to make Peter come around. Their relationship started out strained, to say the least, but, uh, blame/thank Sylar for being something of a matchmaker to the two, as it's his action that cause both of them to change their minds. Likewise, if the comic is not a joke, there's a possibility that on a cosmic level, those two are intertwined no matter what happens. So, long story short, the possibility of them getting together is still there, and in fact, it seems to be the only case in which reasonable canon evidence exists. Something tells me that if they got together, it would alter a lot of things we already know about the show. Could explain why they're dragging it out.

The other major event (which was spiffy, I must say) is Isaac's death. I'm a little bummed about him leaving, but the death scene was something else. There was, of course, the Saint Andrew-style crucifixion. While some of us may know that from The Da Vinci Code, I decided to opt for the Saint Andrew aspect, because that's most likely where Dan Brown drew inspiration. The X Cross is a safe way to show a crucifixion without being blasted for blasphemy. On the other hand, why crucify Isaac at all? It does help emphasize the theme of sacrifice, something we're going to see more of as the show progresses. Second, he knows he has a way to fight the cause and has laid down the groundwork for it. It has been suggested that the sketchbook contains clues as to how to stop the bomb. Will the messenger be able to read between the lines? That is the question. But the idea of crucifixion basically serves to show Isaac as the first fighter for good. I know it's odd for me to give anything a religious slant, but odds are good Isaac was raised by Catholics, so I think the angle is appropriate. On top of that, the martyrdom aspect was emphasized by Isaac's willingness to die. To me, this signals doom for those who survive. Perhaps Isaac felt a sense of relief and knew he had done his best. Saint Isaac? That might be going too far, but on this show, anything goes. Let's not forget that saint Andrew was a very devoted disciple, so in that case, who would the Jesus figure be? There's one to bake your noodle.

Many people complained that this episode was lackluster. My take is even with the spoilers I enjoyed it. Aside from what happened to Mohinder, I enjoyed the episode and think that it will help the otherepisodes make more sense. Besides, this is the way the writing has worked. Start off gently and hurtle us to the end. I love people who complain that because of such an episode they're no longer loyal fans. Whatever, You know you'll be tuning next week. Besides, it's an inventive show. Then again, with the rabidity of the fanbase, they have to be. To me, there's always a reason to tune in, especially since the line between good and evil gets fuzzier with each episode. Gotta love it!