Episode 24 - I Am Sylar
27 July 2009
Review
Synopsis: Sylar is having problems with his new shape shifting ability. He is having trouble maintaining his own physical appearance. His identity crisis deepens and so he sends for his dead mother’s last effects so that he can take on her form and “confront” her about how he killed her. Danko manages to track down Micah but Sylar lets him go. Sylar heads to Nathan’s office and assumes his identity; he holds a press conference in order to arrange a meeting with the President. Nathan tries to stop him but is stunned by Danko. Danko tries to kill Sylar but fails. Matt takes baby Matt back to Janice but realises they will never live in peace unless he stops the hunt for those with abilities. Hiro and Ando trick some agents into revealing the location of Building 26. But once there Hiro suffers a blinding pain as he tries to freeze time. Meanwhile Mohinder, Noah, Claire and Angela are all captured.
The Good: If not for one really irritating detail (see The Bad), this could have been a terrific character episode. If you ignore that one detail then this is a very thorough, convincing and entertaining examination of Sylar’s personality.
It’s amazing to see the writers finally explore the terrifying downside to an ability. They have ignored so many opportunities for so long that this is really enjoyable. Sylar wakes up to find he has morphed into Agent Taub while asleep. Just think how truly terrifying it would be if you thought you might literally lose the ability to look like yourself. The idea that changing one’s DNA would have these kind of consequences makes sense and helps give the whole show a little bit more credibility with the way it handles its characters powers.
The physical loss of identity stirs Sylar up further questioning who he really is. He mopes around the city as himself, risking alerting agents to the fact that he isn’t dead. When he kills a man to take his power he makes sure no one is in any doubt about who did it. It’s all a big cry for attention and he is desperate not to lose the persona of Sylar and the respect and important that comes with it. He would almost rather be at war with Danko’s army and be recognised as a big threat than become Agent Taub and be seen as ordinary.
He takes advice from Danko who offers sage wisdom about seeking an anchor of who he really is. It’s a really nice scene because for a moment both men have someone to share their lonely worlds with. Sylar in particular gets to portray frustration and confusion, emotions we don’t often see him act. Of course who he really was didn’t make him happy and remembering his watch making past leads him to seek out his “mother.” I was impressed by the continuity of Sylar needing to get hold of the DNA of those he impersonates and hence sending for her murder files.
It’s also a very suitable and understandable place for Sylar to turn. In echoes of Psycho he is so lonely and lost that he impersonates his own mother and carries her side of the conversation. It’s that picture of loneliness that made this episode so strong. For once Heroes really delved deep into the heart of one of its characters and captured who they are in this extreme and fascinating way. He lets her play the role of comforter while he admits to all his feelings. He finally reveals his reaction to meeting his real father (319) which was good. Seeing his father so lonely and pathetic had clearly filled him with renewed determination to become someone special.
Micah’s intervention in the story helps show us the remaining embers of Sylar’s conscience. Micah offers Sylar brief hope that maybe he could become the saviour rather than the tormentor of those like him. So he spares Micah, seeing him like himself, a boy who has lost his family. But when Micah sees his psychosis Sylar returns to anger. The shame of letting someone see his vulnerability sends him rushing back to the role he is more comfortable playing. At least as a killer Micah fears him. And fear gives him power and power makes him feel special. Again seeing Sylar with a tear on his cheek, rattled by someone’s pity for him is an excellent bit of television.
So he heads to Nathan’s office and finally confesses his guilt over killing “the only woman who ever loved me.” Again he tried to be special and she saw his power as making him a monster. So he wanted her dead because the feeling that he was a monster made him feel “so small.” What’s so good about this scene is that we see Sylar as a true bad guy. He is so delusional that he forgives himself as his mother for killing her. His solution to his identity crisis returns him to his central yearning – to be special. Now he will become President and find fulfilment through that lie. Again the scene is well written. He looks around the office complaining that Nathan had all the advantages in life given to him. Yet here he is willing to murder his way to a position of power and not earn it.
Micah shines as a character once more. His innocence and belief in the goodness of people is pretty inspiring. He plays his role well, looking completely convincing as he tells a murderous super powered psychopath that he’s special and that he can help him.
Matt Parkman’s story is pretty solid too. With his son in tow he realises he can’t fight Danko. He needs to protect his son and make sure he is alive to raise him. But by the end of the episode he has made an even better decision and the truly heroic one. The only way he can really be there for his son is to stop Danko once and for all.
The Bad: Sylar’s clothes changed when he changed his DNA. That doesn’t make sense. Not only that but it contradicts the story we have seen so far. When he was Sandra and Danko (322) he couldn’t change clothes. It’s a really annoying and unnecessary part of the story. Aside from his mother he could easily have changed clothes into all his new characters. It’s particularly annoying after the writers go to the effort of building the story around the real consequences of his powers and the fact that he needs DNA to change into someone. It’s an example of why Heroes lets itself down time and again when it could become an excellent drama.
I wasn’t very happy with the final scene either. Nathan should be much more afraid to face off with Sylar. Sylar killed his father and beat up Peter (123) when they were both pretty strong so Nathan standing around waiting to get killed looks stupid. Danko too should have started shooting the second Sylar started to get up. How many corpses do we need to see before someone will show some urgency in killing this man?
Hiro and Ando arguing is getting tiresome. It’s been the dominant story for them all season (301, 303, 314, 316) and they keep having these long discussions, making up and then arguing again. It seems counter productive for Hiro’s story because once again he is the only hero (excluding Micah) who is focussed on fighting the bad guys.
Sylar finally using the power he scooped up in 303 was funny. I would be surprised if many fans remember him getting the power to learn an objects history. It’s a vague description which seems to allow him to know an inordinate amount about what Nathan has been up to. But the real question is why hasn’t this power been asserting itself before now? If he has had it all this time then why couldn’t he have learnt all about his father by touching his stuff? Or track down the shape shifter instantly just by touching his bed sheets? Again it’s inconsistent and lazy to just throw it out there like this.
The Unknown: How does Sylar know who Micah is? I assume he has been through his file because they have only been in sight of one another very briefly (123). Hiro’s headaches are intriguing and could be a development from him losing his power in the first place (312). How did Danko find out about Coyote Sands (and have everyone captured there)?
Best Moment: Sylar and Danko chatting. Some fine acting from characters who don’t always get the chance.
Epilogue: It feels like a shame that this season is wrapping up just as it is hitting its stride. If it weren’t for the careless mistakes this would have been a superb episode. If you can look past the flaws this is an excellent character episode for Sylar. He is vulnerable, he is lost but ultimately he is selfish and immoral. He has a choice and he makes the wrong ones. That’s why he is bad.
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