Episode 1 - The Second Coming
11 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: In the future Claire tries to kill Peter. He returns to the present to kill Nathan. He is trying to prevent a future which sounds like the one forecast in 120. Nathan dies in the emergency room but then comes back to life, apparently thanks to Mr Linderman. Nathan attributes his resurrection to God and future Peter seems satisfied that he won’t tell the world about their powers. Angela Petrelli knows it is not her Peter and says she dreamed of a bad future which he created. Meanwhile Sylar takes Claire’s power but tells her that she is special and can’t be killed. Hiro learns that his father wants him to protect one half of a formula which could destroy the world. He of course cracks it out of the safe and it is promptly stolen by a “Speedster” girl. He jumps into the future to see the consequences of this. There he sees Ando with powers “betraying” him and Tokyo being wiped out. Parkman figures out that future Peter is up to something and gets transported to the desert for his troubles. “Niki” is sleeping with some senator who is interested in recruiting Nathan Petrelli. Mohinder discovers the source of the powers isn’t in the blood but in the adrenaline and injects himself with it in order to develop powers. Noah is in the Company’s prison and can hear another inmate yelling that he is really Peter Petrelli.
The Good: You can’t fault Heroes for consistency can you? Within forty minutes of season three they have already set up the new massive disaster which the heroes must prevent from happening (Season one was nuclear New York, Season two was a deadly virus). They also seem to be linking all the stories together which is evidence of forward planning. Hiro learns that someone with pure blood can save them, just as Sylar tells Claire that she is special and unlike anyone else. Similarly Mohinder discovers how to give anyone powers as we see future Ando demonstrating some kind of electrocution power. So it would seem they have a plan.
Hiro’s story is interesting enough and as usual he is the one who is focussed on the pressing world catastrophe. The visual effect of the “Speedster” is well filmed. It’s interesting that she points out that Hiro can’t stop time but only greatly slow it down. That is a pleasing line really because his powers are already ludicrous as far as “genetic mutations” ought to go. It’s also interesting that Hiro is so selfish and rash. He has no respect for his father’s wishes and just tears open the envelope entrusted to him because he is so desperate to have a more exciting destiny.
Sylar’s attack on Claire is interesting to watch. The direction at least takes its time with the scenes (as opposed to the writers – see The Bad) and builds up a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen. When he does take her power it is good to finally see how he does it. The writers even joke about the original idea that he ate people’s brains.
The return of Mr Linderman could be good for the show as he was one of the better characters from season one. Nathan popping up alive is a creepy and unexpected moment.
The Bad: All the familiar failings are present I’m afraid. For once the balance of developments and story is passable, the writers didn’t try to cram too much into the story. It’s just that what they do cram has far too many things wrong with it.
For a start there are some head scratching moments of logic. How exactly did Sylar get from a New York gutter to California in what has to have been no more than a few hours? He has no power that can help him do that. And why can’t he break a chain off a cupboard door? That seems ridiculous because we have seen him flip trucks over with his power (122), so there seems no logic behind that.
Similarly why does future Peter bother to stash the hand gun? He makes Peter and Parkman disappear with a flick of his wrist. Couldn’t he just destroy or transport the gun elsewhere? It seems like a plot device to enable his confrontation with Parkman rather than flowing logically from his behaviour.
More continuity has been lost with Noah and Mohinder. The last time we saw Noah he had agreed to work for the company again in exchange for Claire’s safety. Why is he locked up again? I suppose you could argue that he is being held there until he is reassigned but nothing can explain Mohinder’s behaviour. Last season his moral dilemma’s were one of the few bright spots in the show. He ended the season having developed a cure for the virus which took away the character’s abilities and slowly killed them. Yet here he walks in saying there is nothing left for him to do so he is back off to India. That statement is ridiculous because it had become clear that this was his new life’s work. Not to mention all the progress that his research had made last season. But much worse is to come when he “discovers” the source of people’s abilities within twenty seconds and then suggests he will be able to give himself powers.
Remember that Mohinder has been fighting Sylar, the man who killed his father from the first episode of Heroes. Not just Sylar but Ted Sprague (the radioactive man) gave Mohinder enough reason to realise that some abilities are too dangerous to go on existing. Last season he worked hard to find a cure for Niki and fought with all his morality to save people and end their suffering. Yet now in a shocking and completely illogical development he says that it’s terrific that he can now contemplate gaining powers himself to fight Sylar. It is left to Maya to point out the possible fallout and negative consequences which he ignores. This is awful writing which has ignored all of Mohinder’s established traits and seemingly destroyed all that had been built in him.
And how convenient that future Hiro and Ando should chose the exact same spot as present Hiro was in to have their dramatic confrontation. That is one of the most ridiculously contrived moments you are likely to see on television.
Nathan’s saccharine speech doesn’t seem to tap into his character but mouths off clichés in order to remind you of his political career. Speaking of silly speeches, Mohinder’s monologues shouldn’t be in the show anymore. The quote from "The Second Coming" written by William Butler Yeats isn’t bad in itself but it isn’t relevant to Heroes. And like a lot of things in this show it is trying to sound grand without actually saying anything.
The worst thing about this episode is the feeling that there is no consequence to anything that happens anymore. With Nathan being resurrected, Niki strangely appearing elsewhere and now Claire and Sylar being apparently immortal, it is pretty clear no personnel changes are expected. Heroes has become like the comic books it so often imitates. Regular comic readers know that Super-Man and Spider-Man have died in various stories over the years. But they stay very much alive in the main continuity in order to go on selling comics for years to come. It would seem Heroes has no intention of having any of its characters die either. What that does is tell viewers not to get sucked into the story because ultimately nothing of consequence will actually happen.
The Unknown: Wasn’t Hiro’s sister supposed to take over the company (114)? If future Peter still has Claire’s healing ability then why does he have a scar? Is that Niki? How did the Speedster know when Hiro would open the envelope? Is Angela Petrelli’s power to dream the future? What is the meaning of the symbol showing the world split in half?
Best Moment: Sylar appearing at Claire’s door and their subsequent struggles. After all the build up in season one it does feel momentous to see him finally capture her.
Epilogue: Oh dear. It’s more of the same mess from Heroes. Sometimes it feels like each scene is shot by someone who hasn’t seen the rest of the show. Those worrying logic gaps make the show so much less enjoyable to watch. Sadly beneath the logic is still a messy story with poorly defined characters and a sense that nothing is really going to change. You would most likely win a bet which said that in episode 401 of Heroes we will see happy go lucky Hiro, angst ridden Claire and frowning Peter all going about the same old business as usual.
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