Heroes 3x07 - Eris Quod Sum

[marenpaisley]

Huh. I'm not really sure what to make of tonight's episode. There were things that worked for me and some others that didn't. I guess we'll start with characters again. Missing today were The Haitian and Mr. Muggles. Yeah, maybe that's why it seemed a bit jumpy: we had all of our key players today - even Lyle. "Lyle style" was an interesting little moment. Even the tortoise made it to Matt's apartment, but we can look at that later.

Claire, Sandra, Lyle, Elle: I liked the interplay between Claire and Elle after they "made up", as it were. I genuinely felt sorry for Elle, and I hope that her character can see some real growth and development in the coming episodes. Claire annoyed me with her bitchiness, but I think that was intentional (I hope?). She's a teenager going through a tough time - I've worked with enough of them irl to think that may be what the producers were aiming for.

Bennet, Meredith, Nathan, Tracy: I think I saw the scene online where the four of them interact (I was trying to stay spoiler-free, but sometimes you just. have. to. click. the. link!), and it was still pretty funny. I'm still digging Nathan and Tracy working together, too. They make a good team.

Daphne & Matt: Daphne, nooooo! I realize that she's just scared, and that's why she's still answering to Arthur Petrelli, but I'm going to hate seeing the fall-out of her double-cross. I liked Matt's reaction to his father's death; it seemed pretty realistic to me. Even if you don't like a person, you can't help but be shocked when they do die. What I'm wondering is if Matt even remembered that he used to care for Molly. I'm pretty sure he was in Mohinder's old apartment (the tagline read "Brooklyn"). Did he peek inside her old bedroom and think, "Great! Now there's room for the turtle tank!" Of course I'm just being facetious, but, c'mon, show! I suppose the writers thought Matt leaving a message on Mohinder's cellphone was enough. Because, you know, Mohinder and Molly are just out shopping or something. No worries.

Peter and Arthur: Sucks your father is such an ass, Peter. Seriously. Also, Arthur didn't take Maury Parkman's ability before he killed him - an ass and an idiot. Here's hoping that Matt owns Arthur in the end.

Mohinder & Maya: Yeah, I didn't buy the idea that Mohinder "really cared for Maya". I get it that he wasn't in control of his actions due to all of the crazy that's been happening to him, but he actually had feelings for her? Really? I did like Maya having natural reactions of repulsion to his presence. And, the biggest thing for me was the fact that Maya gets to have a new life now. She was able to leave with dignity, which is more than what a lot of fans wanted for her (cruel, cruel people). My question for Mohinder is what does he really hope to achieve now? Is he planning on working for Pinehearst because he feels as though he's being blackmailed for his own cure? Or has he really bought the idea that the future Peter saw is inevitable unless Mohinder, himself, tries to make Pinehearst's formula work?

Sigh. I think I'd be able to swallow this down a whole lot easier if the original origin of Mohinder's abilities didn't stem from him deliberately injecting himself to see if he was right, but rather, as the script first was written, as a means of self-defense against those thugs in 3x01.

Sylar: I'm still enjoying his redemption arc. I loved the fact that he pushed Peter out the window and then broke his fall. But how long will he be able to resist the manipulations of Arthur? Sylar has been a lot of fun to watch, anyway.

I feel like I'm missing someone... oh, dude. Hiro & Ando. Seriously, once again I could have done without them this episode. I also thought that ending on Hiro's "spirit walk" knock-out was a lame cliff-hanger. Um, we know that goopy stuff he ate won't hurt him. A better ending would have shown a clip of the vision he was seeing that somehow put himself or others in danger. Duh, writers. I shouldn't have to spell that out.

I think this episode suffered not so much by the story being told - each of the storylines were interesting taken individually - but rather from poor editing. I don't know if that was because the script itself was presented in this way or if the changes were made in the editing room, but all this episode seemed to do was set up more story for a big payoff in another episode. Set-up episodes generally aren't as well received as pay-off episodes, anyway, and this one seems especially disappointing knowing that the big pay-off isn't going to come until after 3x08 (the flashback episode). So that's really three weeks until the major story elements that we've been building to get to be explored again. Hmm.

Okay, add in this weird suspended World Series game, I think it's time to log off, pick up a book, and listen to the cold, cold rain.

Comments

[marenpaisley.livejournal.com]

At this point, I'll agree with you. I really DID like the idea of him making a Faustian choice and being driven mad by it, but now that they've decided to make him not crazy, I'm not feeling it at all. Heroes. >:(

Oh, yes, I liked that he made the decision deliberately at first, too. But after this episode I was just left feeling bzuh? Now I have to wonder if that was the director's interpretation of the script, who then subsequently made the actor behave in a non-crazy way? I get the feeling from reading the interviews with the writers and even from Beeman's blog that Mohinder's simply been reduced to being "the bug man" on the show. And that's it. You know, if they were really stretching for something for Mohinder to do this season while they explored the family dynamics of the Petrellis and Bennets, then I think it would have been better to just disolve his storyline for this volume - Mohinder takes Molly to India, maybe, while Maya joins the Company as an agent. He could have made a return with Molly for "Fugitives".

My biggest hope for his story in this volume is that he gets cured and de-crazified in time for what I assume will be a story arc that is similar to the X-Men's hiding-from-the-government plots. Then he can help the powered characters stay in hiding. I want Mohinder to stop playing for the villains' team in the future, and he needs to earn the trust of the other characters in order to do that.

Sylar needs less redemption at this point than Mohinder.

lol, I don't know why I'm posting this when you're going to be here soon where we can just talk about it. Eeeeee! :D :D :D