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By Frederic Germay
After all the boredom and plot mayhem we’ve experienced all season long, the catalyst for redemption turns out to be none other than the dreaded writer’s strike. Who would have thought that, with only a few episodes left, “Heroes” would finally regain the creative footing that gave the show its trademark popularity during its first season. Unfortunately, it is really too late to redeem the season, despite the fact that this season has been ridiculously short. However, depending on the next installments, this may allow the tragic season two to go out with a dignified bang!
This episode chronicled the death of Noah Bennet. For the past several weeks, we have been teased with that foreboding painting, and we’ve heard spoiler-ish rumors (yes, you’ve heard them too!) about the death of a major character. I was expecting Mr. Bennet to go out in a blaze of glory (which he did), but I never expected him to return. It turns out that his parental love was what defined his character for the past seasons, and it was only just that Claire’s blood would end up bringing him back to life.
I haven’t seen something that seemingly predictable, yet so shocking, on television for quite some time. I think it would truly have been a tragic error to eliminate Mr. Bennet for good, especially since Bennet’s character still has many relevant contributions to make to the plot. Need I remind everyone that he is the only ‘good’ company man left on our side? Not to mention, Jack Coleman is a powerful actor and I would hate to think that Mr. Bennet’s amazing transformation through the duration of last season served only as a prelude to his…death?
Speaking of ‘good’ company men, what is going on with Mohinder? Does the man have no spine? I beginning to think he really does think only about his stupid agenda, but I would have thought that he should’ve realized that the company can’t be trusted. Once again, Mohinder proves that he is prone to making bad decisions – need I remind everyone of how he partnered with Sylar?
Fortunately, that was the sole detractor of the episode. Hiro’s journey to save his father would inevitably turn out to be futile, but it allowed for him to uncover that his father’s killer was Adam Monroe/Kensei. I was hoping that it would be someone more interesting, but I suppose this plot development lends more relevance to Monroe’s storyline. Concerning Adam; I just don’t think that the sole ability of regeneration would make the perfect warrior/assassin. However, one starts to wonder if Claire’s ability is the same as his, and whether she might end up looking the same way for four hundred years as well.
Speaking of Elle, I am starting to be more and more intrigued by her character. I know from experience that Kristin Bell is a grade-A actress, but her skills were being somewhat tempered by the lameness of her character. However, the more we uncover about Elle, the more interesting she becomes. I am really looking forward to how her character develops.
Concerning Matt Parkman, he also developed his abilities a little more. Parkman used to be limited to just reading minds, but it seems that he ‘developed’ that ability. The fact that he persisted to read Mrs. Petrelli’s mind, despite her seemingly heartfelt plea for him to stop, proves that he is well on his way to becoming a chip off the old block. Overall, I thought this episode was an astounding achievement, and one of the best hours of TV I’ve seen in a long time. I give this episode a 9/10 |
