FF:QLD "Heroes"

Enough of you have started to watch this show, so now's probably an appropriate time to start this thread.

For those who came in late...

"Heroes" is a new American show about ordinary people discovering they have extraordinary abilities. The non-spoilerific participants are;

Peter Petrelli - a respite nurse in New York who dreams he can fly.

Dr. Mohinder Suresh - an Indian Genetist carrying on his father Chandra's work to find the next step in human evolution.

The Man in Horned Rim Glasses - I call him "Mr Sinister", as he seems to bear the same function to that great X-Men villain, at least initially. Someone else who seems to be interested in Chandra and Mohinder Suresh's work.

Niki Sanders - A Vegas Showgirl with a violently split personality and debts to the mob.

Claire Bennett - The Indestructible Cheerleader, a 16 year old Texan girl with Wolverine level regeneration.

Nathan Petrelli - Peter's older brother. A former soldier, he's running for Congress, and finds Peter's obsession with dreams of flying a little damaging to his election prospects.

Hiro Nakamura - SuperHiro! A Japanese office worker with the power to bend the Space/Time Continuum.

Isaac Mendez - The Artist, a New York artist that can paint the future...but only after shooting up with heroin.

Matt Parkman - An L.A. cop who can hear people's thoughts.

Sylar - A serial killer with a grisly M.O. and terrifying abilities.

So far, Hiro is the major fan favourite. Pretty much everyone else in this show gripes about having powers in the usual hero-angsting way. But not Hiro, he loves that he has powers, and his sheer exuberant joy when he discovers a new ability, or when he meets another hero is joyous to watch. He's also potentially the most powerful of the heroes we've so far seen. And George Takei will be playing his dad!

I also really like Parkman, he seems to be just an average L.A. beat cop; he's taken the Detective's test 3 times but failed due to dyslexia. And while he's a little out of his depth in the hunt for Sylar, he's not the gormless loser everyone thinks he is. In a situation that warranted it, he charged in gun blazing because that was what was necessary to save lives. But in others, he uses his abilities to talk people down from committing violence, and in one case allowing a man to say a final goodbye to his dying wife.

There are a lot of other heroes as well, nearly a new one per week. My latest favourite is "GoogleGirl"...

While each character or group of characters has their own arc (Niki trying to escape the mob and her husband with Micah, for example) the main story arc concerns the heroes trying to stop one of the Artist's visions, a nuclear detonation in New York.

This is definitely the best new show on TV, and I encourage everyone to track down copies. You know who to ask

The only thing this show has going against it is the idiot doing the recap at the beginning of each episode. They should just jump straight to Mohinder's narration.

I'll start putting up recaps in the next couple of days. Episode 9 just aired in the States, so there's a few to do.

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

Of all the hero abilities... Sylar's is the one I'd have...
But I'd use my telekenetic powers for good... You know, like getting kittens out of trees,
and flicking up ladies skirts... er, I mean, saving people from burning buildings!!!

 

You've been watching Zapped again haven't you?

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

There you go... Sylar is really Scott Baio.

 

I'll have to get copies of this - We tried to get the eps off the cd you gave Abi, but a few of them didn't want to transfer over

 

Allright, you have my interest but I have yet to see an episode so where can I get a copy? Hmmmmmm?

 

Yep, i've ben keeping up with this series...love it.

Fav part so far was with peter and hiro on the train. anyone whos seen it will know what im talkin about

Save the cheerleader, save the world!

 

CLAPS WITH GLEE. A thread

Lovin this show. Glad you're watching it CJ. This will be a weird thread til we're up to the same point. I guess the blacking out thing whilst annoying for those doing it, might be useful for those wanting to discuss cool stuff!

I'm up to episode 6. Yes it was cool Magnus and yes I loved the bit where they were doing the thing! Didn't love the episode as much as 5 though.

Passed on my borrowed copy of 1-5 to guy at work. Don't belong to me, but I'm sure the owner would be happy to pass them onto someone else when I get them back. Last 10 minutes of the pilot is unwatchable though due to my ability to scratch DVD's with my new DVD player.

Train scene. Awesome. Nuff said.

 

need... to... see... :S

Sounds really, really good

 

It's really really really good, actually.

Episode 9 blew my mind. Our heroes are catching up with the future, and fast. And man, Sylar is one scary sonofabitch.



And I'll be the first person in this thread to pull out the good old highlight-to-read, because I'm going to state my 'grand unified theory' and see if everyone else is on the same wavelength as me here. So this is how I think it's all going to play out:

We've got 2 main storylines going on here: Sylar, and the nuke. Because of the masterful writing of this series, we know that everything is going to tie together. My current line of thinking, which continues to gain evidence and momentum, is that Sylar is killing super-people so that he can steal their powers. That explains why he has exhibited multiple abilities thus far (telekenesis, being able to fly/jump very high, freezing people, and cutting people's heads open just by waving his finger). The map and everything in his apartment proves that he's using Chandra Suresh's research to track everyone down.

Next we have Ted Sprague, the 'nuclear guy'. He puts out vast amounts of radiation and heat, and sets things on fire when agitated. By his own admission, he doesn't know what would happen if he was to die. He thinks he might well "go up like a nuclear bomb." And as of right now, Ted is on the run from Homeland Security (who think he's a terrorist). He's in the LA area now, but I think it's pretty obvious he's heading for the big apple.

Sylar's after heroes. He kills them when he finds them. What happens when he finds Ted? Kaboom. And that's why Peter had to "save the cheerleader". Because if Sylar had taken Claire's power, he would be unstoppable.

I don't know how Mr Sinister or Niki will play into this, but it seems obvious that they will set circumstances into motion that will lead to all of this coming to pass. Everything in this show is interconnected, everybody's path is going to cross sooner or later.

So that's how I'm thinking this is going to go down. Everyone I've talked to about it so far seems to agree. What do the rest of you guys think?

 

I have the same theroy yeah...

if you look closely you can see it coming.

Awesome stuff

 

I WILL NOT READ THAT! I'm none too quick off the mark with seeing things coming, so I'd rather be in blissful ignorance and go WOH when it happens.

 

Very good, Kahlan, do not read it. We're going to be very careful with spoilers in this thread, for anyone who's behind on the show. It's written so well that to know things ahead of time rather than letting them unravel at the proper pace would be to do it a disservice.

 

Tis a valid theory BBN, and while I'm in agreement, one addendum:

All of the powers Sylar has displayed so far can all be based on his telekinesis.

A powerful TK can use their TK field to cut through a solid substance, in this case bone. They can use their TK field to block bullets or other projectiles. They can use their TK field to repel themselves away from the ground, giving them the appearance of flight or hovering.

A *really* powerful TK can use their powers to halt movement on the particle level, thus giving the appearance of freezing.

However, he's only used that power once. Another possibility is the victim in that case had freeing powers of his own, and tried to Iceman up to protect himself.

What makes Sylar *really* scary is his degree of control. He has a high degree of precision, and can switch tasks easily; he went from trying to get Audrey to shoot herself to throwing up a TK shield to block Parkman's bullets with ease. Fortunately it appears he can be surprised; Peter's brief fight with him left Sylar injured, obviously he never expected someone to attempt to grab him and throw him off a building!

And I've gotta say, despite its brevity, Peter lived up to the mantle of Hero in that encounter.

I'll put the first recap up later tonight.

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

This was the reason I was afraid to leave the country: that a new show would spring up and take the world* by storm, meaning I'd come back to so many new references and in-jokes that you might as well speak a foreign language. (Come to think of it, this must be how it feels to listen to The Rubber Chicken Podcast. God forgive me.) That said, I'm really, really looking foward to catching up come January.

*You are my world, darlings.

 

Mate, in January we're going to sit you down and marathon this show with you. You will not regret it for a moment.

 

Intrigueing

 

Mate, in January we're going to sit you down and marathon this show with you. You will not regret it for a moment.

Second.

This recap and the next one will be a bit beefier than usual, since I want to set up the characters and situations for all to read. After all the introductions are out of the way, these recaps will get smaller.

"Heroes" 1.01 - Chapter One: "Genesis"

"In recent days, a seemingly random group of individuals has emerged with what can only be described as "special" abilities.

Although unaware of it now, these individuals will not only save the world, but change it forever. This transformation from ordinary to extraordinary will not occur overnight. Every story has a beginning.

Volume One of their epic tale begins here..."

Thus begins the first episode of "Heroes" with this rather stark text crawl before we hear the voice of the man we will soon identify as Doctor Mohinder Suresh.

Where does it come from? This quest, this need to solve life's mysteries when the simplest of questions can never be answered.

Why are we here? What is the soul? Why do we dream?

Perhaps we'd be better off not looking at all...not delving...not yearning...

That's not human nature. Not the human heart.

That is not why we are here...

As Dr Suresh soothes us with his voice, the camera pulls back from an eye of a young man, standing uncertainly on a rooftop, the wind pulling at his coat. The camera cuts to above him, and we see the Episode's, or Chapter's title written on the ground behind him in true Comic Book Panel fashion.

The man spreads his arms, closes his eyes, and steps off the building. It is beautiful.

From the man's perspective, he's flying in the city's canyons, before he banks up and the sunlight blinds him...

And he wakes up in a New York apartment as his patient's daughter walks in.

The young man is a hospice nurse, we'll come to know him as Peter Petrelli. The woman is Simone Deveaux, and art dealer. Peter's patient is Shaft. John Shaft.

Okay, he's actually Charles Deveaux, but he's played by Richard Roundtree, so from this point on, Peter is watching Shaft die and trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

Simone's all appreciative about how Peter takes such good care of her father, and how he considers Peter a son. Peter says that'd be awkward if he wanted to ask her out. And it gets awkward, so he changes the IV bag, and we jump to...

Dr Mohinder Suresh, hip looking professor, lecturing on genetics at a university in Madras, India, three days ago. The upshot of his lecture (and the actual content is something I'll go into after this) is that humans are only possibly now starting to discover their true potential; ie being able to do superheroey stuff. Except he sounds like a crazy person, and his students look skeptical.

Nirand, a more stuffy and conventional lecturer interrupts the class, prompting Mohinder to dimiss his students. After the room clears, he apologises to Nirand for sounding crazy like his father, but defending his stance. That doesn't matter to Nirand, as he's here to tell Mohinder that his father is dead.

Cut to the rain soaked streets of Madras as Nirand and Mohinder argue. It seems Professor Chandra Suresh left India in disgrace to pursue his theories in the United States, working as a taxi driver in New York to make ends meet. Mohinder is determined to find out who killed his father (Dude! Cab driver in New York!) and continue his research (Dude! Crackpot theories a-go-go!).

Leaving Nirand behind, Mohinder enters his father's home to find it ransacked. There's a pair of horn rim glasses lying on a table, and a world map on the wall filled with pins and string; seems to be the locations of Chandra's "heroes".

Unfortunately someone else is in the apartment, a man talking on a mobile about how Chandra left everything behind but his computer. Mohinder takes a photo of the map, the flash alerting the man. He then pulls the pin centred on New York out of the map, grabs a large stack

 

Wow, excellent work, Magnus. I always really enjoy reading these recaps of yours. Looking forward to more.



I got the vibe from this conversation that Mr Petrelli senior might have been a mobster, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.

That's an interesting thought. It's backed up by the fact that Linderman is something of a family friend, by all accounts...

 

So whens the Marathon? As I have yet to see an episode

 

nice work mangnus had to re-watch the first episode again after that write up

 

So whens the Marathon? As I have yet to see an episode

Well, definitely in January, when HappyBob gets home from his little European jaunt. Maybe we'll have one sooner, but I don't know.

 

it would be better to wait and get as many episodes as you can before the marathon. because you always want to see what happens next

 

Second recap, with a couple of notes.

First, this episode introduces us to ?Annoying Voice Over Man?, who gives us the pre teaser ?Previously On ?Heroes?? recap. His involvement is unnecessary, just jump to the dulcet tones of Mohinder.

Second, from this episode onwards the first scene each major character gets is accompanied by a comic book caption telling us their name and location. Useful that, and helps with the vibe.

"Heroes" 1.02 - Chapter Two: "Don?t Look Back"

We all imagine ourselves the agents of our destiny, capable of determining our own fate.

But have we truly any choice in when we rise? Or when we fall? Or does a force larger than ourselves bid our direction?

Is it evolution that takes us by the hand? Does science point our way? Or is it God who intervenes, keeping us safe?

We begin almost the same as last time, with the Chapter title on the roof in comic book style as the camera sweeps past Peter Petrelli, waiting to fly. Ever after 9 episodes, these shots are still beautiful. He leaps, he falls, his brother Nathan flies up and catches him.

He wakes up in a mid-town Manhattan hospital, his brother?s hand on his shoulder.

Starting from now, the first scene each major character gets in this show is accompanied by a comic book caption telling us their name and location. Useful that, and helps with the vibe.

Nathan?s relieved that his brother?s okay, and he?s even more relieved when he thinks Peter can?t remember what happened. Nathan tells Peter he tried to kill himself by jumping off a building, fell 25 feet and hit a fire escape, then Nathan ran up, and carried him down. Despite how good a liar Nathan may be (he is running for Congress) Peter is unconvinced; he knows his brother flew.

Flashback #2: the train wreck fire in Odessa, and Claire?s first heroic act. It pulls back to a photo on the front page of the Odessa Register with a secondary headline of, ?Mysterious Good Samaritan Saves Man?.

Claire Bennett, the Indestructible Cheerleader and the next stamp on my Special Hell Passport, is glancing over the front page and chatting with her dad whilst he cooks breakfast. He knows she wants to meet her biological parents, and he?s curious as to why now. Claire?s statement about wanting to know what they can do pique?s his interest to the viewer?s observation, and his advice is pretty good; lots of issues will spring from this, so this is an adult decision. He gives the standard ?don?t be in a rush to grow up? speech that all fathers give their daughters, then makes the mistake of assuming cheerleading isn?t hard work.

For the record, it is hard work. Cheerleaders have to be fit, limber?flexible?I?m back.

Claire leaves for school, and Mr. Bennett looks at the front page of the paper. From the music and the expression on his face, he obviously suspect?s something is happening to his daughter, but he?s not sure yet.

Now I may be completely off base here, but I just can?t see what some commentators are saying about the creepiness of Mr. Bennett?s relationship with his daughter. While he may be evil and a murderer, his relationship with his daughter seems genuine, loving and healthy. Just wanted to get that out of the way now.

Back in Brooklyn, Mohinder arrives home to his father?s old apartment. First thing we notice as he?s walking through it is that it?s bigger than originally shown. Must be rent controlled. The second thing we notice is the man fiddling under a desk. Mohinder grabs a heavy metal pachyderm and sneaks up on the man. He notices, and Mohinder demands to know who he is. He claims to be an exterminator, the superintendent having let him in. Mohinder notices the open phone line port and the electrician?s equipment on the floor as the ?exterminator? swings at Mohinder with his can of chemicals. A struggle ensues, and the ?exterminator? eventually pulls a gun. Instead of killing Mohinder, he just grabs his stuff and leaves, and Mohinder pursues.

The ?exterminator? crashes into a young woman in the hall

 

this episode introduces us to ?Annoying Voice Over Man?, who gives us the pre teaser ?Previously On ?Heroes?? recap. His involvement is unnecessary, just jump to the dulcet tones of Mohinder.

Quoted for truth. Ugh. So annoying. It'll be worth buying the DVDs just to get rid of this, as it's patently obvious that it's just been tacked on the front by the network.


Now I may be completely off base here, but I just can?t see what some commentators are saying about the creepiness of Mr. Bennett?s relationship with his daughter. While he may be evil and a murderer, his relationship with his daughter seems genuine, loving and healthy. Just wanted to get that out of the way now.


Quoted for even bigger truth. While Mr. Bennett certainly has an agenda, and it's very unlikely to be pure of motive, his genuine love and affection for his adopted daughter has formed quite a soft spot for him in me, especially after the most recent episodes.


She?ll be referred to as Eden McPixie.

So true.



So yeah, a fortnihgt, and we can begin to seriously discuss a marathon.

Count. Me. In.