"Heroes": Brilliant!

I don’t even know where to start with last night’s episode of “Heroes”…

There were twists and turns, main character deaths, great special effects, major throwdowns and even some answers…

It was, in my opinion, the most inventive hour of TV all year. But I have a feeling we haven’t seen anything yet…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “Heroes.”

So, let’s start with the answers, as we finally learned how saving the cheerleader will save the world—or at least, how Future Hiro thinks it will. Future Hiro believed that Sylar was responsible for the explosion, but he couldn’t stop Sylar because he killed Claire and absorbed her indestructibility. So, Future Hiro figured that if Claire was saved then Sylar wasn’t indestructible, Hiro could kill him and New York would be saved…

However, we know that theory is completely flawed. Claire was alive and the explosion still happened, because it wasn’t Sylar who caused it. That was a cover story Nathan created to protect the real culprit—his brother, Peter. But saving the cheerleader may still help stop Sylar, which as we saw would not save the world, but would still save thousands of lives…

It was interesting to see Matt in a completely different light last night. Matt had always felt inferior as a beat cop, so it made sense that he would relish the opportunity to be a Homeland Security bigwig—even if it meant betraying his own kind. But I have to say watching him kill HRG was not cool. I had to remind myself that this future could still be changed…

I loved watching Peter with full control of his powers. The whole “Matrix” thing he had going for him was pretty cool and I loved watching him and Future Hiro fight the bad guys. And Peter and Nikki? That was pretty crazy…

But the wildest twist last night was the truth about Nathan. I was wondering for the entire hour what happened to him that made him so cold. I was wondering how Linderman was able to twist him so badly. And when he started telling Claire all about gathering power, I got even more confused. Why was he talking so strangely—both in his manner of speech and in what he was saying? When he mentioned Candice, I rewound the tape to try and catch why he would need her to become President. And then, it dawned on me, just before it dawned on Claire. Nathan was actually Sylar.

It was absolutely brilliant…

Adrian Pasdar’s Sylar impersonation sold it as all of the clues were there, if we had just looked for them. It was hard to watch as the blood started running down Claire’s face…

And even though I knew that this episode was five years in the future, it was hard to watch (Future) Hiro die. I’m guessing the paper Future Hiro handed Ando will tell Ando how to save his own life, a la Marty and Doc in “Back to the Future.”

So now we’re back to the present and as the commercial says, “It’s time to save the world.” But I have a bad feeling that saving the world is not going to mean a happy ending for everyone…

Stay tuned…

"Heroes": Each Has Their Part to Play

You may recall a few weeks ago, I told you how the creators of “Lost” criticized the resolution of the “Save the cheerleader…save the world” story on “Heroes” for not living up to the hype…

Now we know it didn’t live up to the hype because we haven’t seen it yet…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “Heroes.”

“Each person has their part to play,” Linderman told Nathan as he revealed his master plan to allow New York City to be destroyed so the world could be reset by people coming together through their fear. And Nathan’s part is to be the person who leads the world through the crisis as President of the United States…

It was fascinating to me to watch how Nathan’s views changed throughout the hour. First, he thought Linderman was crazy and didn’t want any part of sacrificing his brother Peter for Linderman’s plan. Then, you could see him considering it when Peter revealed that he could survive causing the explosion. And when Peter said he thought Claire might be able to keep him from destroying New York, Nathan made his decision by sending her away until after the election—and the explosion.

But this leads me to the biggest question I had last night. If Linderman needs Nathan to become President, why did he send Jessica to kill him? The answer I eventually came to was that since Linderman had the painting, he knew that Jessica wouldn’t kill him and he used her to flush Nathan out so he could reveal his plan. But did anyone else think that painting didn’t look anything like the others? Almost like Isaac didn’t paint it?

And speaking of Isaac, his death came to pass last night, but not before he revealed his part to play—to tell everyone how to stop Sylar, which I presume he did in his last comic. But what was Sylar painting? And can he really paint the future like Isaac, or will his views be distorted?

I knew that someone was going to die last night, and I was once again concerned that it was going to be HRG. But my guy saved the day last night and has now formed an unlikely alliance with Ted and Matt to take down the company. And, of course, the tracking system is in New York. So does that mean it’s possible that the exploding man is Ted after all and not Peter? Linderman didn’t confirm Nathan’s suspicions, he just said everyone had a part to play…

And what about that Candice chick? That shape-shifting is always good for a little jolt…

In all honesty, I was a little disappointed with the episode, but there is so much promise for the future that I’m willing to give the show a pass…

And speaking of the future, we will see it in all of its disturbed glory next week in an episode I think will be key to putting all of the pieces together…

Plus, we get to see more of future Hiro and he is SERIOUSLY cool…

The Low Self-Esteem of the "Lost" Creators

Some of my classmates in high school had a saying: “People who make fun have low self-esteem.”

Granted, they just said it to make fun, but the sentiment is still true. People often tear others down to make themselves look better…

Which would explain why the executive producers of “Lost,” Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, feel the need to attack other shows…

It started with the Winter Press Tour. Lindelof and Cuse were clearly stung by the critics’ and audience’s reactions to the first batch of “Lost” episodes. The fans were angry because much of the cast was MIA while the show focused on the Others. And after posing a ton of questions in the season finale, by the time “Lost” took its break, none of them—or any others—had been answered.

In the meantime, while “Lost” was off the air, another serial had become the new “it” drama. And “Heroes” didn’t wait to answer questions, moving at a breakneck pace that fans loved—and wanted a little more of on “Lost.”

So at the press tour, Cuse finally had the chance to respond to the criticism. He could’ve just explained that those first episodes were not meant to be separate from the rest and that the hiatus hurt the flow. He could’ve just said that everything would make sense later. He did say those things, but he chose to add one other comment. He chose to say that the resolution of the “Save the cheerleader, save the world” story on “Heroes” didn’t live up to all the hype.

I remember thinking when I read this, “At least they tried, pal.” But Cuse and Lindelof were not done yet…

Last week, the duo was stung by the reaction to the Paolo-Nikki episode. Fans hated these characters from the very beginning because they saw them as taking away from the characters they loved. So last week, the show solved the problem by eliminating them from the canvas.

But did Damon Lindelof simply say that they were respecting the fans’ wishes? Did he just admit they had made a mistake with these characters? No.

Instead, Lindelof took a shot at another show, telling “TV Guide”: “The easiest thing would’ve been to forget they ever happened, like the cougar on ‘24.’ But that’s not ‘Lost.’”

Forget that it ever happened? Not even last year’s five Emmys have made people forget the worst moment in “24” history…

For those of you who don’t know what Lindelof is referring to, in season two, Kim Bauer was running through the woods trying to get to safety from the nuclear bomb that was in Los Angeles, when she began being pursued by a cougar. Running away from it, she got her foot caught in a trap. A mountain man (played by Kevin Dillon of “Entourage”) rescued her and took her to his cabin, where he tried to get her to stay with him.

As my second favorite Canadian, RT, said, what did they want? For the cougar to have its own spin-off?

“24” has abandoned many storylines in its five and a half seasons, but unfortunately, the cougar was not one of them. So why would Lindelof bring up such a bad comparison?

Remember what I said about tearing down others to make yourself look better. What better way for Lindelof to do that than by bringing up the reigning Emmy winner’s worst moment?

The sad thing is that of all the shows the people from “Lost” should not attack it’s “24,” because without “24” there would be no “Lost.” Up until the success of “24,” no network would touch a serial drama like “Lost.” It’s almost as if they’re biting the hand that fed them.

I have always respected “Lost” for listening to the fans. I just wish they would come out and admit their shortcomings instead of attacking others. Or better yet, I wish they would just concentrate on their own show instead of worrying about everyone else’s…

Maybe they need a boost of self-esteem…

Manic Monday: A Night of Interruptions

At about 9:30 tonight, my phone rang. Now, anyone who knows me knows not to call during “24,” so when I saw it was my mother, I figured something was wrong. So I answered the phone—which I never do Mondays between the hour of 9 and 10 p.m.

After realizing that she didn’t call to tell me something bad, I said to her in the nicest way possible, “You do realize what time it is, don’t you?” which was followed by about two minutes of her profusely apologizing (She didn’t realize what time it was.).

Only my mother would feel the need to apologize for calling her daughter. And I love her for that, by the way…

But the biggest interruption was yet to come…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s episodes of “24” and “Heroes.”

I don’t know if it was because we got Jack and Logan at the very beginning or the absence of Rena Sofer’s name in the credits, but for me, this episode of “24” was solid from beginning to end.

I was a little concerned about Powers Boothe as the Vice President but he quickly erased all doubts for me with this episode. That southern gruffness is exactly what the show needed. And the wonderful Kari Matchett (“Invasion”) as his chief of staff is a great addition to the cast. Watching the horrified faces of everyone at CTU as Vice President Daniels announced his suspension of some civil liberties showed us that this storyline is about to get interesting. Maybe they should have bombed President Palmer sooner…

But the real heart of this episode was Jack and Logan. Their dynamic is nothing short of spectacular. I didn’t realize just how much Gregory Itzin was missed until tonight. I love how it was Logan that reminded Jack about the perils of taking on a foreign consulate—like he actually cared or something.

And though I hate to see any harm come to Jack, I have to say that this newest stall tactic of Jack being unable to relay information to CTU is a good one. But it’s a good thing he’s the star of the show, because if he wasn’t, he’d be screwed since as we already know, raiding foreign consulates never ends well—especially now with Ricky Schroeder leading the charge.

But maybe the most exciting part of the episode was the previews which showed us that next week we will get the moment we’ve all been waiting for—the return of Aaron Pierce!

Oh yeah. Martha Logan will be there too…

Now, about that big interruption I mentioned earlier…

I don’t have a problem with cliffhangers per se, but I think maybe “Heroes” may be taking it a little too far…

I really liked that they didn’t completely erase Claire from HRG’s memory and that he still wanted to find her. But I’d say he’s pretty much a dead man and you know I’m not happy about that. I saw the “she’s not his wife” twist coming, but I didn’t see Eric Roberts being right there to witness it. I told you that guy was trouble…

How cool was the reveal that Nathan and Peter’s mother is not nearly as clueless as we thought? I also liked Ando’s reappearance and Linderman revealing to Nathan that in two years he would be in the White House (although that doesn’t explain why he wanted him dead. Was that Plan B?).

And I could just hear the fans rejoice as Sylar cut Peter’s bangs. I’m guessing Sylar cutting into his brain causes the scar future Hiro referred to.

But the biggest surprise came during the previews. I knew that the show was going into reruns, but April 23rd? Are you even serious? Granted, that’s good news for me since it makes my Mondays MUCH less manic and “24” should enjoy a nice ratings boost, but come on!

Talk about an interruption…

Manic Monday: "That's Disappointing"

When Tom Lennox admitted to his scheming underling Reed Pollock that he had been against Reed all along on last night’s “24,” Reed responded with a curt “That’s disappointing.”

I have to say that pretty much sums up my reaction to the entire night last night.

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s “24” and “Heroes.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking. How could I be disappointed by a night that included both an attempt on the President’s life and answers about the most mysterious character on TV? I don’t know. I just was.

There were some good moments on “24” last night. I loved it when Chloe burst into the men’s room to find out if Morris was drinking (and people say no one ever goes to the bathroom on “24”). And of course, the meeting of Jack and Logan was awesome. I laughed out loud when Logan said he had renewed his faith. I mean, we’re not actually supposed to believe that are we? And maybe Gregory Itzin just brings out the best in everyone because his scene with D.B. Woodside was the best D.B.’s given us all season (Unfortunately, the remainder of D.B.’s scenes were so mumbled, they would have been better left on the cutting room floor.).

The problem was one that has been recurring too much this season—not enough Jack, or in this case, not enough Jack and Logan. If you’re going to bring these two heavyweights together, you need to give them plenty to do.

As for the aforementioned assassination attempt, it was just too anticlimactic for me. The President didn’t seem all that close to the explosion and the conspirators took the coward’s way out and did it during the practice instead of during the actual address—so it lost a little drama. And having a member of the President’s staff tied up in another room because he (or she) opposes a plot against the President has been done before (in season two), but I’m still willing to give it the benefit of the doubt since Chad Lowe is fantastic.

Next week’s previews show Jack getting himself into trouble again with a foreign consulate as he threatens to start breaking fingers. I know that some of you are too squeamish for that kind of thing, but I would rather see Jack eat someone’s entire hand than to see him touch Marilyn the way he did last night. Ewww!!!!...

So since “24” was a little ho-hum, I was pretty jazzed about “Heroes.” But you know what I’m always saying about expectations…

Maybe I was still bummed about “24,” but for me, the whole episode was one big rollercoaster that started going down before it ever got to the top.

Two things are for certain, though. HRG rocks and Jack Coleman gave one of the best performances of the year as he seamlessly (and believably) slipped back and forth between loving father and calculating villain.

There were some nice surprises last night, though. The first of which was that Claude, the invisible man, used to be HRG’s partner. But the biggest one was that Hiro’s father is involved in the organization and appeared to be very high up in it.

The episode also deserves some major kudos for those gorgeous black and white flashbacks. The makeup and hair people did an excellent job at making everyone look younger.

But now we have the questions…Who told the Haitian not to mind wipe Claire? Was it her mother?...Did the Haitian completely erase all of HRG’s memories about his family or just those about Claire?...Why did Eric Roberts shoot Ted? Was he wanting to test Claire’s ability or was he just hoping to do away with everyone?...How did HRG get Matt? Will HRG go back to being a bad guy and partner with him?

And with promises of more answered questions, the revelation of Linderman, AND a “Spider-Man 3” preview, how can “24” possibly compete next week?

Well, Kiefer does look good in a suit…

Stay tuned…

Pick of the Week: HRG Takes Center Stage

As much as it pains me to pick anything that competes against “24,” when a show spotlights one of my favorite characters on TV right now, I really have no choice.

This week’s Pick is none other than “Heroes” as the spotlight falls on HRG in an episode called “Everything Changes.”

Tonight, we’ll find out how HRG (or Mr. Bennett, if you prefer) got Claire as Matt, Ted and Hana take drastic action to get answers. And if you’ve seen the spoilery pictures in this week’s “TV Guide,” you know that things do not end well.

Plus, we get our first appearance by Eric Roberts as one of HRG’s associates. I still shiver every time I see him thanks to that guest appearance he did on “CSI: Miami” as that hatchet-wielding serial killer. I can only imagine what havoc he will wreak here…

“Heroes” airs Monday, February 26th at 9 p.m. on NBC.

But please make sure you tape “24” since the phenomenal Gregory Itzin will make his much anticipated return…

Manic Monday: Someone flies, someone dies and someone returns!

The biggest problem with a Manic Monday is that it can lead to an oversleeping Tuesday. And after last night, let’s face it. I needed the rest…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episodes of “Heroes” and “24.”

Since everything I’ve read says that a major character will die on “Heroes” March 5th, I was sure that the “Someone will fly, someone will die” promos were a bit of a con.

Boy, was I wrong…

First off, let me say that I think it is becoming more and more obvious that the character who will die March 5th is HRG and I’m not happy about that. Yes, his storyline seems to be coming to an end as more and more truth comes out; but I really like him and Jack Coleman is doing a fantastic job playing all of his facets. We should see much more of those facets next week as we get a flashback episode that should provide a few more answers.

But as much as I like HRG, I really hope it’s not Peter who dies, because he is getting really cool with all of those powers. It’s interesting that he was able to absorb all of the powers Sylar has, allowing him to have just about any power he wants.

And speaking of Peter, I was thinking from the moment his beloved Simone appeared on the screen how great it would be if she was the one who died since I find her character completely pointless.

I guess sometimes wishes do come true…

I really should have seen it coming, but I was so wrapped up in the big fight between Peter and Isaac and all of the cool powers that Peter was showing that I totally missed the signs. Seeing her face as she looked down at the blood, grasping Isaac’s key was a true Gasp! moment…

Unfortunately my death wishes didn’t work on “24” as both Milo and Marilyn survived—although I have to admit that Milo redeemed himself with his role in the Morris story. Making Morris a coward, while Milo gets to be the hero, was a great way to go and I’m loving every minute of it. Marilyn, however, is seriously getting on my nerves. We have to get her off this show before the writers decide to do the ridiculous and make Josh Jack’s son. And I think Rena Sofer may be needed on “Heroes” soon…

There’s no doubt that Peter MacNicol (Tom) is needed back on “Numbers,” and it looked for a moment like he might get back there sooner than we thought as Reed worked to keep Tom from stopping the Presidential assassination plot (That’s right, I said it.). Since they did something very similar in season two, I really should have seen that moment coming, but I was still surprised. Again, I love D.B. Woodside, but I am totally loving this story, as Jack will be powerless to stop the death of another President Palmer.

And speaking of Jack, how cool was it when he dragged Marilyn by her throat and then threw her up against the wall?! We had seen Marilyn reveal the truth about Jack’s father in the previews, but the scene still resonated as we saw Jack come to the realization. “How could I have been so stupid?” he asked himself. We were wondering the same thing Jack; but we’re glad you’re with the program now.

Kiefer Sutherland is going to have a difficult time picking an Emmy episode this year. And I have a feeling his best is yet to come…

As to why Phillip let Jack go, I think it was because he knew CTU would have a better time finding Gredenko than he could. Then, when they do, he’ll show back up to take care of business.

And even though “TV Guide” had already spoiled the big surprise at the end of this episode (Enough already, guys!), I still couldn’t contain my glee when I heard the voice of Gregory Itzin on the phone. I can’t wait to see the next confrontation between Jack and Logan. I’m still shaking from the last one…

And as the overly revealing previews tell us, Logan has one thing on his mind—getting his wife back. And that’s when Aaron Pierce will return to kick some you-know-what!

Say what you will about the beginning of this season, but “24” is in full swing now. If I were you, I’d jump on the roller coaster because things are about to turn upside down…

Manic Monday: "Fooled Again"

The theme song of “CSI: Miami” says, “We won’t get fooled again.”

If only that were true…

I was so keyed up from “24,” I almost couldn’t sit still long enough to see if Delko survived. But I slowed my breathing down just enough for it to speed back up again…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episodes of “CSI: Miami” and “Heroes.”

I was so shocked to hear the doctor pronounce Delko dead that I accidentally cursed (Sorry, the adrenaline was still rushing.). So imagine my dismay when, after the commercial and some creative stalling, Delko was revived.

Having been sufficiently fooled, I rewound the tape to watch “Heroes.”

Unfortunately for “Heroes,” after the two-hour “24” thrill ride, the episode was bound to be a letdown. But it did have a few moments…

First of all, how awesome is Ali Larter as a hired assassin? If this “Heroes” thing doesn’t work out, “24” needs to give her a call. And I like that Matt can hear Nikki. I have a feeling that will come into play later.

And yes, I was fooled again by “Heroes,” because I was sure that Matt was dead. I need to start remembering that not every show is “24” (which is too bad for them, by the way).

I also liked that HRG’s mind-wiping back-fired on him, but Sylar totally creeps me out. I still can’t believe that’s the same guy from “So Notorious” and “24.”

But as usual, I have some questions. First, why does Linderman suddenly want Nathan dead—two weeks before the election? Wouldn’t he want him elected?

And what happened to “Are you on the list?” That catchphrase went away a little quickly, didn’t it? I have to say that it was much better than “Someone flies. Someone dies.” I’m sorry, but that’s just stupid…

Manic Monday: "Some family..."

[Warning: This post contains details of last night’s episodes of “Heroes” and “24.”]

I had so convinced myself that Linderman was Claire’s father on “Heroes,” I never saw any other possibilities—even though a close examination of the previews would have told me. So, I couldn’t help but gasp at the big reveal that Nathan is Claire’s father.

The strength of “Heroes” has always been its ability to connect all of the characters and this one is a great twist. Peter obviously felt some kind of connection with Claire, and now we understand why.

But my favorite part of this somewhat slow episode was the continuing evolution of H.R.G., who I think is becoming one of the most fascinating characters on TV. Yes, he appears to be a bad guy; but he clearly has nothing but love for his family, as he’ll do whatever it takes to protect them—even steal their memories.

As Claire and her mother would say, “some family.”

But that phrase could also apply to the Bauer family on “24”…

One of the biggest complaints about “24” this season is that Jack returned to his old self too quickly. In the first four hours, he was a shell of a man who could no longer use his old torturous methods to get the job done. But by the end of hour five, he was smothering Graem with a plastic bag. It just didn’t work for some people.

I hope those people were watching last night as the shattered Jack returned in full force. How great were those torture scenes? Jack knew he had to do whatever was necessary to get the truth out of Graem, but it was still his brother. The old Jack would probably have done it without a second thought, but this new broken Jack couldn’t bear it as he held his brother to get him through the pain—all the while still screaming at him to tell the truth. Yes, Jack had already tortured him, but Jack was able to contain the pain Graem felt. He couldn’t stop it this time.

And it only makes sense that the new Jack’s emotions would turn on a dime. He was anguished about torturing his brother, until Graem confessed to ordering the murders of his friends (Jack stumbling into the chair was priceless.). And when Graem dared tell Jack they were the same, Jack’s rage came out full force as he’d finally had enough. Even the usually quiet Burke had to take action as he felt Jack losing control of the situation. It only made sense that the disapproving look of his father was the only thing that could snap Jack back to reality. And again, I have to believe that only the broken Jack would fall for his father’s lies so easily.

Yes, I admit that I saw it coming, and yes, I admit the whole “how am I doing” reveal was a touch soapy; but the possibilities of this story are so numerous, I don’t care. The fact that Jack will have to take down his father is just SO AWESOME…

“Some family…”

Manic Monday Becomes Family Monday

Three different shows, all with the same theme—family.

[Warning: The remainder of this post discusses details of last night’s episodes of “Prison Break” and “Heroes.”]

Of course, “Prison Break” has always been about family since it’s about two brothers, but last night they threw in the touchy-feely story of Sucre pursuing Maricruz while bonding with a recent widower. Even Haywire got into the family act as we discovered his father was an abusive drunk when he defended a young woman from her own abusive father. It was actually the first time I cared Haywire was even on screen…

Happy family memories were not the order on “24” either as Jack discovered some bad things about his brother and father (more on that in another post)…

Finally (for me, anyway), “Heroes” was all about family as Nathan struggled to help Peter, D.L. tried to be a single dad, Matt started a new chapter with his wife, Claire found her real mom, and Hiro’s father worked to bring him home.

I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment that we all knew that Hiro’s father was coming on the show, because that could have been a classic “Heroes” cliffhanger. Thankfully, the surprise of seeing the flames come out of Claire’s mom’s fingers made up for it. And my theory of Linderman being her father is becoming more and more probable as the Haitian admitted he didn’t know Claire’s dad.

For me, “Heroes” has yet to make a false step, but I have a bad feeling it’s about to seriously tick me off as the previews give us the distinct impression that HRG may be about to die. All of the magazines, websites, etc., tell us that someone that has been with the show from the very beginning will die and now all the signs point to him—especially now that Eric Roberts is joining the cast (and no one does creepy better than him). I think HRG is a fantastic character and Jack Coleman is doing such a wonderful job with him (Hard to believe he was Steven on “Dynasty.”). I know that because of the nature of his character he can’t stay around forever, I was just hoping he’d be around a little longer.

After all, he’s part of my TV family…

Photos courtesy of Gannett News Service