Heroes Review - Episode 06

Episode Title: Chapter 6 (1.06), "Better Halves"
Best Line: "You came from the future and told them to save the cheerleader. And you had a sword."
Best Moment: D.L. and Niki's showdown
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Heroes storyline took a few wonderful and interesting turns this week. Overall, the week's episode seemed like a connecting story, with several transitive issues occurring in the lives of our heroes. While some characters like Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) and Matt (Greg Grunberg) were overlooked this week, Niki (Ali Larter) continues to be a major player. Important developments occur for her, but most of the storylines remained unresolved this week.

As Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) puzzle over their paintings in an effort to discover the identity of the cheerleader, they make contact with Hiro (Masi Oka). Through Ando (James Kyson Lee), they tell him about Peter's visit from future-Hiro. As expected, Hiro finds the story exciting.

There's something about the character of Hiro that makes him not only infinitely likeable, but also wonderfully heroic. He worries constantly that he has taken a wrong turn on his heroic journey, but Ando is there to give him support. Of all the storylines in the series, Hiro and Ando always manage to make me smile.

Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is returning to India to scatter the ashes of his father. He claims he is leaving for good. But Eden (Nora Zehetner) seems to believe he will return. If that kiss is any indication, I think he'll be back.

As the title of this week's chapter suggests, we get our first introduction to D.L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts), Niki's "better half." But the surprises waiting for Niki are nothing compared to the surprises coming for D.L. The "Mirror Niki" finally emerges with a voice, talking to Niki in an insane discourse that suggests Niki is not a victim of a darker side. Her culpability in the actions of her mirror image is evident, despite her rationalization for any violent action. Whether Niki has finally given full control to Mirror Niki or whether she will be able to reassert her persona is still up for debate.

As Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is introduced to her biological birth parents, it appears her father Horned Rim Glasses (Jack Coleman) has orchestrated the meeting for his own agenda. More importantly, HRG has a connection to another minor character -- which is likely to cause problems for our heroes down the line.

Sides are beginning to form, and it appears that some of the characters we assumed were heroes may be villains. Could the reverse also be true? HRG seemed parentally concerned when he heard the phrase "Save the cheerleader." Could it be that he's trying to protect Claire, not unlike Clark Kent's parents trying to protect him in his youth?

HRG's shadowy investigation into those with special abilities may be unconstitutional but it also may be part of a "homeland security" initiative to assess a potential threat. It doesn't take a conspiracy nut to imagine the government ignoring some civil rights in the name of national defense. Still, that doesn't necessarily make HRG the enemy. Perhaps he's a neutral observer. Maybe he's trying to find a way to stop Sylar. Or maybe he created Sylar. It's still too early to tell.

Like a puzzle with a million pieces, the storylines in Heroes continue to intersect in imaginative and unexpected ways. Unfortunately, much remains uncertain. New pieces added this week only made the overall picture bigger – like individual paintings forming panels of a comic book. Mohinder has left for India. Peter and Isaac still need to identify the cheerleader. Hiro needs to find her. Isaac is in peril. D.L. and Micah are on the run.

I have always assumed that Heroes, though an excellent series, would not be able to maintain the level of suspense it has been generating on a weekly basis. It is nice to know, however, that even when an episode is transitional it still manages to be satisfying.

Heroes Review - Episode 05

Episode Title: Chapter 5 (1.05), "Hiros"
Best Line: "Up, up, and away."
Best Moment: Seeing Nathan fly away with a sonic boom.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Someone at NBC has finally realized the power of the sci-fi geek demographic. How else can you explain the excellent writing, awesome casting, and great production values that go into Heroes each week? As I watched the latest episode, "Hiros," I felt as if the network had made this television series just for me.

When the last episode ended, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) had been visited on the subway by Hiro (Masi Oka). Not the Hiro we know, but one from the future. Hiro, now speaking perfect English and carrying a nifty katana, came to give Peter a message: "Save the cheerleader. Save the world." Peter learns that he must return to Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) to discover how.

The key for Peter is in Isaac's paintings, which he sees as panels in a comic book. The story is laid out, with everyone searching for the cheerleader, whoever she may be, and trying to protect her from an unknown presence. This seems to be the driving story of the series – or at least this season. The unknown threat may be the much speculated about villain Sylar.

It may also be someone closer to her. Certainly there is a conflict with Claire (Hayden Panettiere) being the daughter of the enigmatic Horned Rim Glasses (Jack Coleman). Not much is known about HRG, but he doesn't seem to be one of the good guys. He has exhibited ruthlessness in dealing with people. Not only did he kidnap Matt (Greg Grunberg) and spy on Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), but this week he uses Mysterious Man (Jimmy Jean-Louis) to clean up another problem.

As with last week, this episode brings together more heroes. Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) narrowly escapes from Horned Rim Glasses by exhibiting his flying prowess, then – in a bit of cosmic serendipity – lands outside a diner where Hiro sees him. Hiro, having had an argument with his friend Ando (James Kyson Lee), bums a ride back to Las Vegas when a car arrives to pick up Nathan.

When Nathan returns to his hotel, he again bumps into Niki (Ali Larter). Having paid her debt to Mr. Linderman, she gives Nathan the only help she can by tipping him off about the videotape made of their night together. Returning home, Niki finds more trouble. Police have staked out her house because her ex-husband D.L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts) has escaped custody. Evidently D.L. is quite the escape artist, and undoubtedly will become a big part of her story.

In "Hiros," the show became a little more personal. Matt used his telepathic powers to heal the rift between he and his wife. Niki learned that her murderous ex-husband is loose and in the area. Hiro and Ando resolved their differences. Yet, these moments remind us that these heroes are people first. They have lives and families as well as powers. They are ordinary people, trying to come to grips with the changes in themselves.

Ordinary people are discovering amazing things about themselves, and they still don't believe it. Take, for instance, the look on Nathan's face when Hiro confesses that he, too, has special powers. Despite the fact that Nathan just flew away from his kidnappers, he seems to think Hiro's claim that he can bend time and space is ludicrous. This kind of skepticism by some and total acceptance by others is what keeps the series grounded in reality, and helps separate the pragmatists from the idealists.

In each episode, the unspoken question to the audience is "What would you do if you had powers?" Would you try to make the world a better place, would you use them for personal gain, or would you just try to forget that you had them and lead a normal life?

While the individual stories help drive Heroes, it is the overall story – the need to save the world – that fuels the series. I think this is the strength of the series. It's still too early to tell, but my guess is that the season's story arc is "Save the cheerleader. Save the world." Don't expect any quick resolutions for Claire or New York's apparent destruction. If Heroes follows a comic book format, as the show often suggests, expect the end of season one to be like the end of a first issue with all the heroes coming together for the first time to stop the villain.

Heroes continues to exceed my expectations every week. Despite the numerous storylines and characters involved, it moves at a good pace and never feels drawn out. It is the only television series that has me shouting "Noooooo!" at the end of an episode, and waiting in anticipation for the next.

Heroes Review - Episode 04

Episode Title: Chapter 4 (1.04), "Collision"
Best Line: "Niki's not here right now."
Best Moment: The final scene on the subway.
Rating: 5 out of 5

The new fall drama Heroes continues to surprise me. After only four episodes, it is my favorite show on television. And it just gets better and better. With chapter four, titled "Collision," the diverse characters are finally beginning to cross paths – in some very unexpected ways.

At the end of chapter three, things looked grim for Claire (Hayden Panettiere) who apparently received a deadly blow to the head. Luckily for our indestructible cheerleader, she doesn't let a little thing like fatal head trauma slow her down. The scene in the morgue is grotesque, but wonderfully so. Claire holds herself together amazingly well, all things considered, even when she runs into the quarterback who tried to rape her and then left her for dead. It may seem that she is in denial, but it only takes the confession of one girl (Ashlee Gillespie) at school to make Claire angry again.

Matt (Greg Grunberg), the telepathic cop, wakes up to find himself in an undisclosed location, bound to a table. The wires and machines are not particularly menacing, but Mr. Horned Rim Glasses (Jack Coleman) isn't known for his bedside manner. We learn that HRG is part of an organization that "doesn't have initials" and that they want to learn about these special people. So why don't I feel good about that?

Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) has a brief run-in with Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), who tries to warn Nathan about the man named Sylar and the things seen in Sylar's apartment. He asks if Nathan has noticed any unexpected changes in his physiology, but Nathan isn't talking. Believing that his brother sent Mohinder, Nathan tells Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) to disappear for awhile.

While Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) make their mark in Las Vegas, something else is happening in Sin City. Niki (Ali Larter) has been "persuaded" by Mr. Linderman to entertain a visiting politician to help obtain some leverage. Niki runs into everyone's least favorite Petrelli and begins to seduce him. She is unable to go through with it, however, until "Mirror Niki" takes control (after putting the beat down on Linderman's thug too!).

The key story this week, however, is the introduction of Peter to Mohinder. Peter confesses to the scientist that he has special abilities. Most surprising is his revelations that he can only fly in the presence of his brother and that after being around Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) he could paint the future. The revelation he makes is surprising, but it fits. Apparently Peter is a mimic, inheriting the powers of the "heroes" around him.

As the story progresses, Heroes has made a point of showing people reacting to their abilities in very real ways. While Hiro seems to be the only one with a hero's code in mind, Claire has shown her willingness to help those in need. But how far is she willing to go in the name of "justice"? Niki is trying to survive and make a better life for her son. Although her aspirations are noble, she must rely on "Mirror Niki" to handle the nasty details. Surprisingly, it is Isaac who wants to be a "hero," and he is willing to sacrifice his own health to his heroin addiction in order to keep painting the future. Perhaps one day Peter will show him how to unlock his potential without the need for drugs.

Heroes has made a name for itself by ending each week with a huge cliffhanger that would seem like a season closer for most television shows. As with the revelation at the end of "Don't Look Back" (when Hiro watched New York explode in the future), "Collision" ends with an awesome surprise involving this underdog character. Hiro is easily my favorite hero.

FilmGuru's 13s

As many of you may know, October 13th is the birthday of your beloved FilmGuru! I even have the luck to have been born on Friday the 13th. To commemorate this day, I thought I would take a look at some other famous folks born on October 13th. Here is FilmGuru's 13:

Great Movie Wisdom - Part 06

"This is a tie you cannot steal. This is a tie you'll have to earn!"
-- Sir John Gielgud, Arthur (1981)

In my estimation, some of the best movie lines are those that sound utterly nonsensical out of context. There's nothing like throwing out an obscure bit of dialogue in the middle of a conversation, only to have the one person who has also seen the movie pause and nod in acknowledgment while everyone else stares blankly. These are the moments I live for, and so does my wife.

Even though I am "The FilmGuru," she occasionally sideswipes me with an archaic reference. She has been tossing around lines from the movie Arthur for the past couple of years, and it was only when I saw the film again recently that I understood the wisdom hiding behind these seemingly insane comments.

It had probably been about 20 years since I had seen Arthur, the story of a drunken playboy (played magnificently by Dudley Moore) who falls in love with Linda (Liza Minnelli), a woman from the wrong side of the tracks. Arthur first spots Linda in a store as she steals a tie. "Girls don't wear ties!" he says, fascinated. "It's the perfect crime! All right, some girls wear ties. It's not the perfect crime, but it's a pretty good crime!"

After Arthur breaks up with Linda to fulfill his family's wishes to marry a respectable girl and settle down, his butler, Hobson (Sir John Gielgud), goes to Linda's apartment to encourage her to crash the engagement party. He makes it clear that his involvement can only go so far, and it is up to her to decide if she wishes to fight for Arthur. He tells her, "This is a tie you cannot steal. This is a tie you'll have to earn!"

So much of our lives are filled with moments when we must decide how to shape our fate. Do I accept that job or promotion? Should I ask that girl out? Could I move to a new city? Every choice that we make, we decide our own destiny. Often, the choice is difficult because it means risking everything for something that seems unattainable. The easier thing, we tell ourselves, would be to keep things as they are. Change is frightening.

The lesson of which Hobson cleverly reminds us is that the important things do not come easily. We cannot slip destiny into our collective bag and hope to escape unscathed. We have to earn what we want. "Fortune favors the bold," or so the saying goes.

It is partly because of my wife's support that FilmGuru.Net is still going strong today. Without her cajoling me to spend more time on my reviews, the site might have turned to cobwebs after my marriage. But she has always believed in me and my dreams. She reminds me that my future as a writer is "a tie you cannot steal" and encourages me to earn it every day.