Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 5

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode Five: "Exposed"

What Happened:

Like last week, we focus on only a few of the heroes and leave the massive ensemble behind. Tight plotting here, folks. Forward movement. Let's get it on!

Claire's secret is discovered as Mrs. Bennett finds Alex in the closet. The explanation Claire uses, that they were having sex, doesn't hold water as Aqualad emphasizes he never touched and barely looked at the 17-yr-old cheerleader. That Claire lied and Alex has powers disappoints Mrs. Bennet, and she says that both Claire and HRG underestimate her strength, especially in times like these. She plots to evade the gov't agents in the van parked across from their house (they know Alex is there, even if Claire is off-limits). First hiding Alex in one of HRG's hidey-holes when the agents do a random search and then causing a diversion, Mrs. Bennett proves she's not just a brainwashing practice dummy. Her diversion (driving with Lyle to the movies) gives Claire and Alex enough time to sneak out the back, dodge the agents and hide in a swimming pool (of course they have to "kiss breathe" to keep Claire alive; they've been flirting pretty hard since Mrs. B "outed" him) until Alex can get to a train. They part fondly, and Claire returns home and starts to bond with her mom...until the Puppeteer shows up. Why? "Rebel" told him "Barbie" can help....

Meanwhile, in NYC, Parkman keeps painting the same image over and over (him wearing a bomb vest), wondering if it's tied to the floor painting he did of a nuclear bomb (or mushroom-cloud producing blast) leveling the "capitol" district of Washington, D.C. Peter tells him Rebel has sent a message over the computer telling them where Daphne is (D.C.) and to flee, as the Hunter has a idea where they are (Isaac Mendez' studio). They copy the address, trust Rebel and escape just before the Hunter's agents (plainclothes) arrive.

At Building 26, the Hunter sets Peter and Parkman as top priority for detainment, but also says they are armed & dangerous. So shoot to kill, if you have to. Nathan disagrees but the Hunter calls his bluff and exerts some ominous authority. HRG vocally agrees with his immediate agent superior, leaving Sen. Nathan Petrelli in the cold.

Now, too, at Building 26, Parkman and Peter worm their way in using double-barrel telepathy (Peter ditches flight for it; "I guess the rooftop escape is out," says Matt) and make it to a control room. Now seen by the Hunter on video monitors as just down the hall, Parkman and Peter mind-control two guards to draw their sidearms and by threat of force keep the Hunter from interfering. They discover Daphne isn't at this facility and Peter downloads a crap-load of data (including video of detainees being loaded onto planes) to use as leverage. Rebel pops a message up on the computer ("You have 30 seconds"), causes a blackout and the two heroes flee...right into HRG, the Hunter and their guards. Parkman holds everyone ("his" guards & the Hunter's group) until Peter has safely escaped.

When the Agents discover Rebel's message still on the computer screen, the good Senator calls on his mother, Angela, and asks if she is tipping them off. She knows a lot, after all. No, she says, why would she jeopardize the protection Nathan affords her? Besides, she can't work a computer. Peter then phones in while they're talking and says he'll deal - Parkman and Daphne for the wildly damaging data. If not, or if he's killed, the data will be leaked. Nathan says yes, and sets a place. The Hunter, upon hearing this, says he's operating on Presidential orders ("we do not negotiate with terrorists") and will either capture or kill Peter. Nathan reminds HRG that Peter can "hear [your] thoughts," implying that he should warn the guy.

At the meeting, HRG does just that, thinking loudly (as Peter calls out for Parkman and Daphne) that it's a trap. The Hunter, no veteran of telepaths, broadcasts his thoughts about sniping Peter and though his target hears, the Hunter does hit him high in the left shoulder, sending him falling off the parking garage roof...and right into Nathan's arms. Landing a good ways away, and meeting up with Angela, Nathan tries one last time to get Peter to turn himself over to Nathan's care. All Peter wants to know is why his big brother is doing this. It's out of control, I'm the only one who can, Nathan answers. Peter sadly mocks that it's because his brother loves him that he wants Peter under his eye, right? Sure, the Sen. says, but Peter knows better, takes a dose of "flight" and zips off. Angela warns Nathan that the game has changed and she has foreseen terrible happenings. And then, she whispers in his ear, leaving Nathan looking like he's been gut-punched.

Across the country, somewhere with mountains, Sylar and Luke Campbell drive on, and our favorite serial killer is getting a wee bit annoyed with Thrill-Kill Campbell. They stop at a boarded up roadside diner, Big Jim's. Sylar's been here before, he knows this place. Exploring inside, he has a flashback and discovers that he has been here before, when he was a young boy. And with his biological father, Samson Gray. But it is the worst memory he could dredge up, as it was then that Samson sold Sylar to his brother Martin. Sylar chases his father into the parking lot where he witnesses Samson arguing with his wife. It gets serious, and Samson waves his hand and blood streaks across the back window. He pushes Sylar's mom out of the car and speeds away. Li'l Sylar then sees what will be his calling card: a ragged slash across his mom's forehead, eerily reminiscent of her boy's amateur neurosurgery.

Coming back to the Now, Luke admits Samson is a world-class jerk and Sylar should give up the hunt. The can go off together, they don't need this- Ah, mistake, Luke. Sylar realizes the boy is doing this for the thrill of it all, the excitement of being "bad," and ditches him with a parting gift: his life. Now it's on to meet Samson Gray...alone.

On the TV, the US sees footage of American soldiers detaining - without Mirandizing or probable cause - dozens of US citizens. What is this secret gov't program? Is it legal? Peter has made good on his promise.

Back in DC, the Hunter fiddles with a drugged up Parkman as they drive in a black van to an undisclosed location. You'll be the face of their fear, says the Hunter. He gives Matt an injection and pushes poor Matt out of the back of the van into a large plaza...near Congress. On his chest? A bomb vest. It's the painting, come unfortunately to life.

To be continued next week in "Shades of Gray."


In Character Development:

No Hiro, Ando, Daphne, Suresh or Tracy. Thank God, for the last one. Two weeks without Tracy.

Peter...eases further into an adult role, taking telepathy for its tactical advantage, realizing you can't plan for the end-game (rooftop escape) if you can't reach the objective. Hurray! It's taken over fifty episodes, but he's thinking his actions through.

Nathan...is quickly losing control. I see sacrifice in his future. His own.

Matt Parkman...starts behaving less like a wounded, cornered animal. When Daphne is returned to him, odds are he'll begin acting like a cop again. In this episode, he controls at least four people at once, and though it's taxing, we see he's got a great will and is more powerful than previously thought.

HRG...is our man on the inside. Agreeing with the Hunter while protecting the sanctity of life (...sort of), he walks a thin line. Not really much here, but we know he's a good soul.

The Hunter...is not a good soul. He's like Linderman or Arthur Petrellie - the ends justify the means. Also, no prisoners and he plays for keeps. Since he is capable, and not some big brute or intimidating "power," his villainy is craftier, colder, sharper. I like him.

Angela...is certainly more involved than ever, and running at least one shadow operations (HRG as double agent).

Claire (w/ Mrs. Bennett and Alex)...thinks like an adult, like her Uncle Peter. By accepting her mother as more than a domestic damsel-in-distress/target-of-opportunity, she realizes that she can rely on other people to help her. A bit sappy, but necessary. This turn should've happened sooner. Alex is out of the picture, but he'll be back and gunning for Claire's pants. Mrs. Bennett shows a little bit of characterization. Fancy that!

Luke Campbell...shall be spoken of no more, until he microwaves himself back into our hearts. Not the abused, downtrodden boy we might've thought, he is a sociopath and a dangerous influence for Sylar. Left to his own accord, he'd see many more dead.

Sylar...finally has some answers. Next week, we see the Gray men come together, I hope.


Thoughts:

*Quick paced, better than many Season 2 episodes; the season begins to turn around.

*Claire is a better character after this episode, as is her mother. I think the writers figured out the petulant victim-child and brain-adled housewife weren't that appealing.

*I'm glad Luke is no longer a Lost Boy and is just lost and alone. He's bad news.


Looking Ahead:

*Samson Gray: about damn time.
*Does Nathan fly another nuclear-armed hero to a spectacular night-sky finish?
*Hiro or Ando...anyone?

Heroes: Fugitives
Episode One: "A Clear and Present Danger"
Episode Two: "Trust and Blood"
Episode Three: "Building 26"
Episode Four: "Cold Wars"

-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!

Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 4

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode Four: "Cold Wars"

What Happened:
You've waited for answers. And for about a third of this "volume's" story, we got them last night. Unlike other weeks, I can be very brief here because the episode was so tightly focused. There was no ensemble-cast wanderings, like we've had since the volume's opener. Let's begin.

HRG, kicked out of his house after admitting to still being an "agent" of sorts, goes to the hotel bar to have a drink. It is spike with barbitol, obtained by Nurse Peter and somehow secretly administered (did Parkman mentally coerce the barmaid to add it?). They drag him off to their room, keep him drugged up and Parkman begins to "interrogate" him, i.e. push through his memories to see what he knows about this new government round-up program, who organized it and what potential weaknesses there might be.

The Hunter and Nathan notice HRG's absence.

In a series of black and white flashbacks, Parkman uncovers some of HRG's recent past:

*Angela gave him a "retirement" package (plus watch) from the Company and told him to go live a normal life.
*Idly doing crosswords, he approached by Nathan to help form this new government "Company" to round up those with powers and safely contain them on the way to stripping away said powers. HRG says yes, demanding some ground rules be laid down first. He also shows Nathan his "Public Storage" room filled with boxes of data and a big black cased packed with guns, ammo and grenades.
*HRG and the Hunter, upon meeting, are oil and water. The Company's "one of us, one of them" maxim is abandoned for "twelve of us...and none of them." Overwhelming force.
*HRG even goes to the Hunter's apartment (showing he does his research) for a male bonding session that really doesn't go well. No fighting, but you can see these alpha males are headed for a showdown.
*In a twist, we see that Suresh was approached by HRG to be an agent of his, an undercover power to help counteract whatever the gov't decides to do. Suresh refuses.
*When faced with a gun, HRG lets Matt into his mind one last time to prove that Daphne is still alive, but drugged up and wounded.

Now, while we are learning that HRG is a mover and shaker, though not the power behind the black-clad commandos, the Hunter has been trying to locate his wayward agent. After seeing the bit about the public storage unit, Parkman jots down the location and lock combo; Peter takes it and flies over to it. Of course, there is a camera in that unit and the commandos close in. Peter snags a few guns and grenades (smoke, flash, etc.) and flies away.

After Parkman discovers Suresh knew something was afoot, he attacks him (a fight he can't win easily) and in the confusion, HRG escapes. He doesn't make it far, as Peter lands on the car he's trying to hotwire. Parkman sends Peter to the Hunter's apartment, where the two have a tense stand-off (lopsided, as only Peter has a gun). Nathan risks exposure and flies over, defusing the situation and letting Peter escape. This reiterates the point the Hunter has been making: Nathan, with his powered brother and daughter, is too compromised.

With the commandos closing in, Suresh offers to divert their attention, shortly after they find out about Daphne. Suresh knocks some soldiers around, but gets tagged by about eight or nine electro-rounds and the commandos still snag Parkman. HRG escorts him out and, once in the open, Peter swoops in and snatches him from their midst.

The Hunter tells HRG to take some time off, but this situation has galvanized HRG and he says he is not torn anymore between loyalties and will Do What It Takes. He later meets with Angela and we discover he's a double-agent, gaining Nathan's confidence while having an ulterior motive. When told by Angela that he'll have to make some hard choices to "prove" his loyalty to the Hunter & crew, HRG replies, "I've always been comfortable with morally grey."

In Building 26, Natahn approaches Suresh and asks for his help...or else the government won't just contain and seek to strip the powers away, but kill on site.

In NYC, Parkman finishes a furious bout of painting and wonders why, why! he's cursed to paint this. He and Peter look down at the big picture on the floor, the centerpiece of all Parkman's prophetic doodles: a nuclear bomb erupting in Washington, D.C.

To be continued next week in "Exposed."


In Characters Development:

Nothing this week with Hiro, Ando, Tracy, Sylar, Luke, Alex or Claire. Here are some quick thoughts on the others.

Matt Parkman - his orderly, police-trained mind is now showing the strains of his run from the law and seeing his love gunned down. He is out for revenge and is letting it cloud his judgement. It's a human reaction, though I'll say Greg here doesn't quite play it as well as he could. Hm. I think he needs to start thinking like a cop again. When Daphne is rescued and his desire to kill fades, especially as he starts to realize what he saw in HRG's head can be interpreted differently than "pure evil" based on his actions, I think his character will rebound into the "likable" column.

Suresh - he is wracked with guilt over killing people (vol 3., Villains) and just being a jerk overall. In fact, he probably carries a degree of guilt for those he let Sylar kill, unknowingly. So now he seeks redemption, and the sacrifice to let Peter and Parkman escape is just the beginning. Will he become Nathan's "pet special" and superscientist? What damage will he inadvertently cause this time?

Peter Petrelli - a soldier in this episode, and still a bit headstrong, I think he's taking more ownership of his powers and their responsibility, understanding that making a decision requires thought and care and that wanton revenge is not the right way (or else he'd have killed the Hunter).

Nathan Petrelli - conflicted over what he's doing and worried about the beast he's unleashed (the Hunter), perhaps after three seasons of "greater good" talk and always falling in with the smooth-talking bad guys he'll finally see the light.

The Hunter - he knew there were heroes before joining Nathan's little initiative. What more do we need to know? Who had powers in his past (see "Rev. Stryker" in God Loves, Man Kills)?

HRG (Noah Bennett) - playing the undercover hero, the spy who'll never get all the credit he deserves, the "Company Man" will most certainly play a key role to undermining and dismantling what the Hunter is doing. We see his humanity numerous times in the flashbacks, as he stresses these are people they are hunting, not animals. They can be an asset, many can be good. Remember, not all were locked up at PrimaTech, only the most dangerous. Tag the quiet ones, watch them and make sure no one goes "boom." But those tactics did prove flawed as more heroes started popping up. Perhaps he'll work for integration or some sort of mass-hiding to protect these "special" people.

Daphne - Not dead.


Thoughts:

This episode moved. More importantly, it moved in the right direction, highlighting good characters (HRG, the Hunter, Parkman) who had dynamic stories to tell. We need to have some episode that are predominantly action at this point, not just talking heads. Bryan Fuller's first episode is close at hand.


Looking Ahead:

I want Sylar to get to the end of his road trip and an actual resistance to be formed with Peter and Parkman at its head. Are you saying that between those two (and with Angela's shadow backing, bound to be made apparent to them) they can't 1) get a hideout, 2) gather more heroes and 3) counter-attack? Come on!


Heroes: Fugitives
Episode One: "A Clear and Present Danger"
Episode Two: "Trust and Blood"
Episode Three: "Building 26"

-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!

Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 2

A week late and a dollar short, but here's the next review, all spit-polished for your enjoyment.

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode Two: "Trust and Blood"

What Happened:

The story is told in flashbacks, as Nathan talks on the phone to a mysterious, silent individual. He's at "Building 26" and it's forty-eight hours after the plane crash. Everything...didn't go according to plan.

Well, the plane crashed, and that could hardly have been on the flight itinerary. Anyway, the plane goes down and "some" of the heroes escaped. Commandos busy themselves hunting through the Arkansas woods and do a poor job. Clarie briefly tries to escape with Peter, but HRG steps in and says, Nuh uh, Claire-bear...but he lets Peter get away. Meanwhile, Ando's bummed that he can't get a plane ticket to Arkansas (a mythical place to his Japanese travel agent) when in a flash (ahem) Daphne jets over and whisks them both to the crash site. Parkman, Suresh, and Hiro link up, Parkman goes all Isaac-eyes and rushes into the woods where he demands drawing material. The other two get some clothes at the sedentary trailer/hill-folk dwelling they find while Parkman sketches some stuff out. Meanwhile, Tracy and Peter pull the old prisoner-running-this-way-as-distraction-while-other-prisoner-karate-chops-the-commando-on-the-back-of-the-head maneuver (the ol' PRTWADWOPKCTCOTBOTH Maneuver, as I learned it).

Meanwhile, a woman and her teenage son (Luke Campbell) pass the taxidermy shop, surrounded by ambulances and cop cars; she knew it would come to this, what with that nut living there. The boy, by the by, is dark-haired, morose and recently got in a fight at school. No dad in the picture. Upon entering there house they find the commando Sylar was questioning, duct-taped to a chair with screw drivers pinning his hands to the armrests. They freak, Sylar appears, TK's them into chairs and says he'll torture them to get the commando to talk. Ooo.

Back at the crash site, Daphne and Ando have arrived. Parkman, Suresh and Hiro look at Matt's drawings: one of Hiro & a blond (Claire?) in India; one of Daphne getting shot in the shoulder in front of the plane wreckage. The second has Matt nervous and he starts back to the crash site and the others reluctantly follow. Claire gets the third degree from HRG and Nathan, giving some fire back, too. Daphne and Ando, the sidekicks, meet up with Parkman, Suresh and Hiro. Daphne acts impulsively (hah! that's two!) and dashes into the camp to get Claire. And here's where things get bad.

While standing, for a moment, in a plain view of the every eye in and about the crash site, Daphne takes that fateful shot in the shoulder as a squad of commandos crests the ridge behind the group's hiding spot. She then takes another, and several more for good measure before collapsing in blood and dust. Claire leaps forward and gets shot, shrugs it off and gives her best Wolverine I'm-a-pissed-off-unkillable-psycho look while Parkman cradles Daphne's lifeless (?) body. Much happens in slo-mo. Parkman now looks up at the soldiers and concentrates, forcing the main shooter to kill his other fellows until he is killed by the main commander, the Hunter. The heroes (Suresh, Hiro, Ando, Parkman) run away as Claire struggles to heal. Hunter takes Claire captive and threatens to put a bullet in the the back of her head, her Achilles' heal, but Nathan steps in, giving her to HRG to ferry back home. HRG promises to her he'll not be such a jerk to her friends. Claire returns to Costa Verde and gets a text message from "Rebel," who promises revolution against Nathan's people.

Tracy, after calling Nathan and promising Peter in exchange for her life, and Peter meet up later that night with Nathan...who did not come alone as promised. Peter holds Nathan at gunpoint, HRG and Hunter have their sights on him but HRG claims he "doesn't have the shot" (that's for you, Claire-bear). Peter flies away; Tracy is captured and taken to Building 26 where she's bound and drugged. For the greater good. Peter finds the other guy heroes and they plot to save their friends and counterattack.

Back to Sylar. He starts to choke the mother after the commando lies, claiming Luke wants it anyway, that they are hindrances to each other, basically putting all his own angst on the kid. Surprising us all (or, not at all), the kid has powers! He uses them to boil and burst the cup of coffee in Sylar's hand. He and Sylar have a pow-wow in the other room while the mother recuperates and the commando frees himself. But, Luke sees disaster (for who?) and microwave blasts the commando in the chest (the effect is like air rippling above a hot road), killing him. Sylar agrees to take Luke with him after the boy says he knows where Samson Gray, the taxidermist, lives. The head off in the Campbells' car.

We find out that Nathan's been telling the story over the phone to his mom, Angela, and she will not absolve him of any guilt over the tragic events. She will have no part of it and hangs up as she looks over the files she has of the Hunter...and others.

To be continued next week in "Building 26."


In Character Development...:

Peter and Nathan
Aside from reiterating that Nathan's a jackhole, there's not much on him. He is protecting Claire, but he's not learning from his mistakes. The "greater good" spiel might've worked circa Season 1, but characters grow. I guess not enough.

Peter, on the other hand, has grown. Showing determined leadership and realizing not all will turn out right with the world, he's made the decision to be forceful. Making a decision in general is big, but to take the lead and not appear wishy-washy floppy-haired Peter is a grand development. The power limitation also forces him to be practical where he's been spacey and relied on a bevy of crutches in the past.

Tracy
She screwed. Politicking doesn't get you out of "heroes" Guantanamo, where/whatever that might be. Betraying Peter (or was it Nathan?), constant hedging, ignoring moral choice - these don't help in this fictional world. Good or bad, you have to come down on a side.

Suresh, Parkman and Daphne
So Daphne maybe dies; no body bag is seen. If she is worm-food, not great loss...except her power and what she does for Parkman (happiness). Speaking of, Parkman takes a big leap forward this episode by actively using his power in a combat situation. It's not the psychic knives or brain blast many of us (X-Men) fans desired, but "commandeering" still works. The psychic/seer stuff might get old fast; hopefully, he just gets flashes of insight and not full-fledged plot foreshadowing (ala Isaac Mendez). Suresh runs around.

Hiro and Ando
Not entirely a hero yet, Ando follows Daphne, another sidekick, and avoids death. Is he seeing what it takes to be a hero and, therefore, how best to use his abilities? In combat, I'd imagine his boosting would make Parkman an engine of mental destruction or Suresh a Bombay Hulk. The learning curve Hiro discovered in the first and second seasons plays out again, but with Ando.

Not one to sit by and not complain, Hiro laments his loss of power and says he needs to be a hero again. Parkman's painting supports that theory. Ideally, if he is to get his power back, it'll be an added bonus of heroism, not the direct benefit. Get a sword.

Claire and HRG
She's a victim who wants to take action against her abusers. HRG is a good solider with a conscience. See previous seasons. It's not that I don't like their characters (he is still my favorite), but until Claire realizes she's not Invincigirl all duded-up with the martial ability to combat evil, her story will be repetitive. Perhaps - and this goes against contact, popularity and wisdom - she needs to sit out half a season or so. Rest the character, save the plot.

What to do with the Company Man? I like his moral quandaries, but I think he's had enough now to realize that "fighting from the inside" doesn't work. Instead of derailing the Hunter by not killing Peter or keeping Claire free, maybe he should be in the field terrorizing this new fascist black-ops commando unit. Give him the Invisible Man, the Haitian and a few other "acquaintances;" I'm sure his hero team would boost the ratings.

Sylar (and Luke Campbell)
Of all the characters, Sylar is moving forward. By giving him a Maltese Falcon/MacGuffin (in the guise of his biological father) to hunt, we can see him interact with people differently than if he was on a killing spree. Already he has a sidekick, the mentally unwell Luke Campbell. I smell future betrayal. Luke brings a new power to the fore, microwave emission, and a random character dynamic. Is he evil? Misguided? A normal teen rebelling? And what's his (blood?) relation to Sylar's father?


Thoughts:

*Sylar plays Peter Pan, picks up a Lost Boy (Solar Lad? Hot Plate Boy?). Positive. The best part of Season 2 was the "team-up" between Beard-O Nathan and Parkman as they hunted the latter's father.

*Daphne goes the way of the dodo...or does she? Speedesters, in comics, are notorious for both dodging death and healing quickly. I don't count her out.

*HRG isn't a total bad guy, as we all knew. However, he's not interesting enough anymore. I want less "new company, same as the old company" and more "I do have a particular set of skills..." bad-assery.

*Peter's powers? Perfect for him. It forces him to make difficult choices, making him grow up at the same time. Limiting him to one-at-a-time also allows for less arguments of "Why doesn't he just go ballistic on these people with lightning, TK, ice, telepathic assault, etc.?!" when faced with conflict and impediments. I like this quite a lot.

*Claire needs to heal Hiro so he gets his powers back. Maybe Peter, too. Mandy (wife) seems to think this is the best course of action. Linderman's ability healed brain damage by the Haitian. Suresh's formula could give powers and gave Peter almost his original one. Adam Monroe's blood healed people not him.

*Parkman using his powers aggressively? Finally. Finally. Now he needs to use them for espionage.


Looking Ahead:

*Is Daphne Dead?
*Where is John Glover/Samson Gray?! How long will this be dragged on? Road trips are fun; fantasy-novel style Walking Without Destination less so.
*Does the Hunter have a power we don't know about?
*Does Tracy make a deal?


Heroes: Fugitives
Episode One - "A Clear and Present Danger"


-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!