Heroes 3x18 "Exposed" Discuss and Grade

[Temis the Vorta]

This one was doin' pretty well till they got to the dumb "setting up Matt as a terrorist" bit. Is that really the best Danko can think of?

All Danko really has to do is tell Fox News the truth - the government has learned of people who can CONTROL YOUR MIND!!!! - and let the media take it from there. Oh, and footage of Matt forcing soldiers to turn their guns on each other would be a nice counterpoint to the orange jumpsuits. Hey all you viewers at home, there's a damn good reason they're sedated and under restraint.

If the general public ever knew the truth, the number of people howling for the supers' extermination would be at least equal to those wringing their hands about their civil rights. Peter is being stunningly naive to think anything different.

I just hope they don't try to convince us that it's his dad's fault that he became a killer, because that would be lame.

Also contradictory with what they've established - that Sylar's eeevilness flips on and off like a light switch when he loses his powers - so it can't be psychological. Then again, that was a retcon so maybe they'll retcon the retcon of the retcon?

Is it me or is Sylar's story becoming a total snooze? He can only emote in a sinister monologue for so long. The man's an island.

Sylar has been a problem from the first - he's too popular to kill but the character logic makes it very difficult to shoehorn him into the story so that he interacts with the other characters. On the plus side, they've retconned him all over the map so that whatever aspect of him might solve the dilemma is available among all the shit they've tried, because by this point they've tried every possible permutation for the poor guy.

Really, the only way I can see to keep the character reasonably evil enough to be interesting while making him "interactable" with the others is to flip the eeevil switch to "off" by having Mo invent a therapy - not a cure - for powers. Sylar can suppress his powers and the eeevil switch but not permanently, which raises the continual temptation that he will go off his meds, because killing "feels so good."

I wouldn't count on that higher budget too much. With last week's season low of under 7 million viewers, NBC isn't about to give the hugely expensive Heroes a budget increase.

A smaller budget could be a blessing. What this show needs is the stuff that doesn't require big bucks - good writing, a smaller cast (kill Hiro, Nikki/whoever and Claire, but yeah I know they can't ever kill Claire), focus on developing/salvaging the existing characters, give us plotlines that are worth a damn. Having SFX for fancy fights is fun once in a while, but I'd rather see characters use their brains to solve predicaments and if sometimes they do that in ways that don't require powers, so much the better.

 

[LutherSloan]

I still find it both sad and hilarious that they didn't even bother to explain how Sylar got out of the burning building. I think the writers got tired of having to do this and just said, 'Screw it. Nobody likes us anyway' and Sylar showed up the next volume uninjured.

I really feel like this show is on its last legs. They are seriously doing a total writing loop now. The only difference is that instead of things like Issac painting an apocalyptic future, it's Matt (which still makes no real sense).

Besides both Hiro and Ando going MIA for two episodes, what happened to Tracy? We haven't seen her in at least 2 episodes now either. Not that I like her character at all. It was just a cheap stunt to keep that actress on the show, even though her original character is dead.

I was also surprised to see 'The Puppet Master' back, because much like other posters in this thread, I could have sworn Sylar killed him.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The Peter only having one power at a time thing is working for me right now, but eventually he will need to get his original power back so he can have a big show down with Sylar.

I'd prefer Peter to have only the one at a time power and have to defeat multi-powered Sylar anyway.

But it begs the question, if Sylar had 100 powers and Peter touched him, wouldn't Peter have the same 100 powers? He got both Matt's telepathy and mind control via one touch. So that solves the showdown issue (but I still would prefer for Peter to be at a distinct disadvantage).

Which reminds me, when Peter picked up Matt to fly off with him, why didn't the power transfer happen then, and then - SPLAT! Does he control the power transfer? Would be more fun and interesting if it were involuntary.

He kills people who he feels are wasting their powers,

That's just one of many rationales the writers have tossed out there. He also kills because a) he's an addict, b) he has mommy issues, c) he enjoys it. They need to pick a rationale and stick with it! And the notion that Sylar cares how people use their powers doesn't really wash because he doesn't act like he wants to guide or lead them to use their powers "correctly." I don't think he cares at all, it was just a lame excuse that he's apparently forgotten all about now.

 

[LutherSloan]

I'm pretty sure that if Peter touched Sylar right now, he would only get his original power, which is the scalpel-finger thing and I guess the ability to steal other powers. MAYBE.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I'm pretty sure that if Peter touched Sylar right now, he would only get his original power, which is the scalpel-finger thing and I guess the ability to steal other powers. MAYBE.

But Matt developed his mind-control power later - it wasn't original - yet Peter glommed that. Then again, I'm worrying about logic on this show?

They had something going with the potential Sylar-Peter conflict, the cynic vs. the idealist

I don't think Sylar is a cynic. He's self-centered vs. Peter being empathetic - that's the opposition factor. Sylar wouldn't lead anyone because he doesn't care about other people - to him, they're just fodder.

Am I the only one who keeps expecting Luke to reveal that Sylar's dad is his dad and that him and Sylar are brothers?

I hope not, that would be cornball even for this show. But I can't help but notice Alex looks like he could be Sylar's brother (coincidence, I'm sure).

 

[DarthPipes]

A smaller budget could be a blessing. What this show needs is the stuff that doesn't require big bucks - good writing, a smaller cast (kill Hiro, Nikki/whoever and Claire, but yeah I know they can't ever kill Claire), focus on developing/salvaging the existing characters, give us plotlines that are worth a damn. Having SFX for fancy fights is fun once in a while, but I'd rather see characters use their brains to solve predicaments and if sometimes they do that in ways that don't require powers, so much the better.

One of the problems this show has had is their refusal to kill anyone off and the constant adding on to the cast. None of Ali Larter's characters have been interesting. Hiro's character never wants to grow up. Mohinder's character is the world's stupidest smart guy, and Claire is just useless.

As for what else is wrong with this show...a lot. They've just never been able to regain their first season magic and they never will. I think the decline began during the first season finale. They built up this great storyline over the course of that season and the Sylar/Peter confrontation turns out to be incredibly anti-climatic.

With the way their ratings are slipping and with the size of their budget, this show will last one more season tops.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

And, um...didn't that building burn to the ground?!? How the hell did ANYONE survive?

Might as well weigh in on the Sylar Issue: maybe he used TK to build a rubble shield around him to make himself some space, and then used TK to "burrow" through the rubble, moving it aside to fill the space behind him as he went.

 

[Hermiod]

I'm glad someone is taking the view point that that having very powerful heroes is not a bad thing. Do people read this bullshit exuses from the writers themselves and then buy into them?

Most people on here have been buying it at least since Arthur Petrelli took Peter's powers, that's not even counting the times they've taken Hiro and Sylar's powers away, the Eclipse, Arthur taking Hiro's, Peter's memory loss, the "Haitian pills" and so on.

Hermiod-- The computer at my workplace won't let me go to the "Twitter" links. Could you put some of the info from Greg and Jason in spoiler code?

Sure.

Spoiler: The Tweets

Grunberg: Winding down shooting Season 3 #Heroes. Tough to say goodbye to crew not knowing if any or all of us will return next year. Hope all.

Grunberg: Don't get me wrong, #Heroes IS coming back next next year, but some crew take other jobs, so it's tough... we have the Best. Crew. Ever.

Grunberg: Numbers are in: Heroes huge all over the world. 230 markets internationally. DVD sales are HUGE. 40% increase day after ratings on DVRs.

Grunberg: Thank you to all who watch us, we love doing the show!

Grunberg: After long day of rain on set and being misquoted. A big bowl of chili with my wife and kids makes it all better. Nothing. Else. Matters.

James Kyson Lee: Ando & Hiro comes back next week... and you'll be very surprised who we find

 

[Hermiod]

Another Tweet from Greg Grunberg: "I stick by my tweet. I never said #Heroes was getting canceled because it's NOT. Now, Knight Rider on the other hand..."

 

[SFRabid]

I'm pretty sure that if Peter touched Sylar right now, he would only get his original power, which is the scalpel-finger thing and I guess the ability to steal other powers. MAYBE.

And didn't we already go through that once when we met the future "nice" Syler?

 

[Mallet]

Didn't Sylar already have super healing by then? The burning building wouldn't have bothered him any more then the burning train crash bothered Claire.

And some NBC lady just confirmed that Heroes will be back next season.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

But isn't the point that Claire stick something in the back of his head? That's been shown on her and Peter to prevent the healing. So with something in his head, he shouldn't have been able to heal and thus escape.

I don't even care. Think how even more boring this volume would be if Sylar couldn't get out of that building!

 

[Hermiod]

Depends, I suppose whatever she stuck in the back of his head could have burned away in the fire.

 

[Mr Light]

Sylar's innate power is only to understand how something works and copy it from the exposed brain. The finger-zip is just his borrowed telekinesis. So if Peter stole Sylar's power, he wouldn't get a hundred powers, he would just get the "understanding" power, and the serial killer hunger along with it.

 

[Hermiod]

Sylar's innate power is only to understand how something works and copy it from the exposed brain. The finger-zip is just his borrowed telekinesis. So if Peter stole Sylar's power, he wouldn't get a hundred powers, he would just get the "understanding" power, and the serial killer hunger along with it.

Sylar is capable of copying another person's powers through empathy. He did not kill Elle to take her powers, he gained them by showing empathy. This is exactly the same as Peter's original power.

However, once a power is copied, it becomes part of the copier's DNA. It becomes their power.

Arthur Petrelli gained all of Peter's abilities, not just his empathic mimickry.

 

[The Habs Fan]

There was an interview with one of the writers which suggested he had "lost touch with his empathy" which is why he couldn't have more than one ability but that's code for "we're idiots who can't write characters who have superpowers so we just take them away instead".

 

[Hermiod]

There was an interview with one of the writers which suggested he had "lost touch with his empathy" which is why he couldn't have more than one ability but that's code for "we're idiots who can't write characters who have superpowers so we just take them away instead".

Did you just threadbomb me ? You realise I consider that flaming, don't you ?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I'm pretty sure that if Peter touched Sylar right now, he would only get his original power, which is the scalpel-finger thing and I guess the ability to steal other powers. MAYBE.

And didn't we already go through that once when we met the future "nice" Syler?

But Peter has a different power now, so it's anybody's guess how the logic of it works. He seems to have mental control over it - he didn't get Matt's powers the first time he touched him (flying away with him) but did the second time, when he wanted to. Or the writers are being sloppy-ass again.

There's some speculation that Sylar's original power might have included TK from his dad, but I think it's more likely he was wowed by Brian's TK because of repressed memories that dad had that power, which overwhelmed whatever restraint he might have had regarding killing.

Intentionally or not, the repressed-memory thing does help explain Sylar's mommy fixation, why he insisted to Chandra that the watchmaker and Virginia were not his real parents, and why he lusts after powers in general and seems to prefer TK above all else.

 

[hyzmarca]

Or maybe he's just conflating his real memory of being abandoned with his own murders. Memory isn't a perfect thing, after all. It would have been smarter of him to use the psychometry that he picked up near the beginning of the season, but the writers seem to have forgotten about that.

 

[The Habs Fan]

There was an interview with one of the writers which suggested he had "lost touch with his empathy" which is why he couldn't have more than one ability but that's code for "we're idiots who can't write characters who have superpowers so we just take them away instead".

Did you just threadbomb me ? You realise I consider that flaming, don't you ?

Well, actually I was thread bombing Peter Petrelli, since I agree with your point.