Episode 18 - The Wall
28 March 2012
Synopsis: Peter and Sylar are trapped alone inside their minds for what feels like years trying to escape. Samuel shows Claire some of Noah’s old memories to try and turn her against him. Lauren tells Emma what Samuel did but he steps in to stop her. He begins to move the carnival to New York to confront the world.
The Good: The idea of Sylar spending years trapped in his own mind to earn some degree of redemption isn’t the worst idea in the world. Certainly it should take that long for him to realise his murderous behaviour is perhaps not going to win him any friends. By still having some of Nathan and Matt’s memories it’s more acceptable to imagine they have helped fill in the black holes in his conscience.
Noah’s flashbacks were interesting to see too. The explanation for his constant suspicion of specials (because one killed his first wife) was predictable but logical. Seeing the origin of his fear and then his recruitment into the Company was good to see. It filled in any remaining blanks about his background and why he still refuses to allow Claire to make her own mistakes. His more recent threats to Gretchen explain her change of heart (417 and that is a good explanation). Though by once more lying to Claire and threatening her only new friend you have to wonder why she should ever trust him ever again. The continuity of him wanting to write plays was decent (in 408 he talked about being an English teacher).
The Bad: Heroes really lets itself down with its details. Despite presumably spending a lot of money to make it look like Sylar and Peter were in an empty city, they didn’t put much effort into their situation. If they really were perceiving years to have gone by then why did they never change clothes or grow their hair at all. Both men wear a lot of hair gel which barely changed despite years apparently passing. They briefly discussed how this combined mental reality might operate but that was a bandaid on a gunshot wound. There was just so little effort put into making it actually seem like years had passed, that they really had gotten to know one another or had tried anything other than bashing a wall to escape. Speaking of which although it was an effective metaphorical barrier, the wall just appearing like that was convenience itself.
And after all this are we really going to accept Sylar as a good guy now? The man was the most brutal and unrepentant murderer. I love how the story is all about Nathan and how Peter is hanging onto that grief to avoid bonding with Sylar. What about Isaac or Elle or Bob or anyone else that Sylar joyously slaughtered who Peter actually knew. Not to mention those he didn’t who were gutted, beheaded or slashed to pieces. Sylar would need a whole season dedicated to his repentance to make him a good guy.
I can’t really argue that Peter wouldn’t mourn his brother for a long time. But it just isn’t interesting to watch and considering the amount of people who have died with no mourning it feels oddly out of place.
As interesting as parts of Noah’s story were, I’m not sure what the point of them was. It feels like the same story as season one, Claire can’t trust him. It feels like the same story which has been going on between them in practically every episode of Heroes that they star in. Being trapped underground by dirt isn’t exactly a very interesting cliff hanger as doubtless they will find a way out soon enough.
I can’t believe this is the end of the season for Heroes. The finale feels very inadequately setup. I suppose Sylar, Peter, Claire and Hiro all have reasons to stop Samuel now but he hasn’t been established as having much of a threat at this point. Yes he can move mountains but clearly he will be stopped. They have had such a long run to do something interesting and really failed on most counts.
The Unknown: Does Central Park allow spontaneous carnivals to set up shop? I assume that’s where they are headed. What did Eli do to Lauren? What was Matt going to do to Peter? Feed him and change him for the rest of his days?
Best Moment: Seeing Noah previously married was briefly intriguing.
Epilogue: This is slow and vaguely entertaining. It’s when you realise that this is the penultimate episode that it all seems so irrelevant. We are headed for a big confrontation but unless some almighty twist comes into play this feels like a long slow build to nothing.
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