Premiere Week Parte the First
So, starting last Friday, all my shows started coming back. Yay! Or not, 'cause it's not like I need to watch more television or anything.
So, I'm gonna say this wasn't my most favorite episode ever. It was nicely animated and got the job done, but there just wasn't much *there.* Too much set-up, not enough plot. I'm sure it'll pay off, but it made the episode overall much weaker.
Random thoughts:
- Where the heck was Iroh?
- Ozai, as it turns out, is a total pretty-boy. Also, I'm pretty sure they meant Zuko to take after him looks-wise. Which adds a special sort of screwy-ness to their relationship. Well, more screwy-ness than was already there. I approve of this development.
- Also, 'cause I've seen a lot of talk on this: I can buy Ozai being a youthful-looking thirty-five to forty, giving Iroh about twenty years on him. We already knew there was a bit of an age difference anyway judging by the ages of their kids, so I'm cool with it.
- Katara's anger at her father was nicely played. Good mix of justified anger and little girl hurt. And a reminder that for all their worldliness, these kids are still *young.*
- Avatar "I will not run away" Aang. I get why they went there - it keeps the kids separated from the adults and more isolated technologically - but it felt very pasteded on yay! Again, set-up, not plot. Plus, Yue was there...why exactly?
- Maiko - oh, la. It's gonna last about as long as it takes for Zuko to get a clue about his family, then it'll pretty much fizzle, is my guess. Besides, Zuko has way too much baggage to be particularly good boyfriend material right now and Mai actually deserves better.
- Speaking of: number of episodes until Zuko gets a clue: I'm going with six.
- Crack theory of the moment: Ursa and Iroh were totally doing it on the side.
Oh man, Heroes, on the other hand? Totally rocked. It also had a lot of set-up but there was a lot of stuff going on as well. So, brief thoughts:
- Matt and Mohinder team up to raise Molly. Not only is this domestic and adorable and fills me with glee, but I love Matt again. Huzzah! While we are sad for his divorce, if it gives me more "I could cook, I choose not to" attitude, I can get over it. I also demand "How Matt recovered and set up house-keeping with Mohinder" fic, tout-suite.
- Oh, Mohinder. Your monologues are still zzzz...but you have come into your own as a schemer. We're so very lucky you and Bennet have at last decided to use your combined powers for good, rather than evil.
- Bennets: I loved how soul-crushing the move is to both Claire and Noah. Not because I like seeing them in pain, but it plays into how much both of them are, at heart, active heroes. I love them so very, very much. Also, Claire! Calling Nathan! He's such a crap dad, but, oh, he's so screwed-up and just can't help right now and ::hearts:: But the beard definitely needs to go.
- Hiro, man, never meet your heroes. You're bound to be disappointed. Their interactions were full of hilarity and oh, I do hope the swordsmith's daughter is as ass-kicking as promised. Though I'm really hoping they aren't going with "And then Hiro became the Kensei of legend" because, a) I am in no mood for that plotline and b) if I want clever causality, I have Doctor Who and Stephan Moffat, thankyouverymuch.
- Since everyone likes to talk the feminism with this show: I'm bummed they've banished Heidi to limbo, since a) we can use more female characters in both main and supporting roles and b) while I get that Nathan's sort of screwed in the head right now, he does have a wife and kids and I really don't want the show to forget that. And Maya was - well, all the talk last year about Nicki having uncontrollable power, I gave a slide on, since it wasn't her powers actually *causing* her to go haywire, but rather her illness preventing her from coming into her own (which was mostly resolved at the end of last season, so hopefully we'll see her move a bit further forward this year). Maya, on the other hand, seems to be the opposite and needs a lot more support from Alejandro. I'm willing to let it play out, but it's raising some flags.
- Peter! New hair cut is approved. And with that necklace on, are we gonna see the Haitian again?
- Oh, almost forgot - so, are we to assume the entire elder generation - Angela and Kaito and whomever else is left - are all going to get picked off? Because, oh, I like this plotline. Like, a lot.
Seriously, why has it taken so long for networks to figure out that superheroes are *perfect* for television? Serialized story-telling, people!
So, I'm gonna say this wasn't my most favorite episode ever. It was nicely animated and got the job done, but there just wasn't much *there.* Too much set-up, not enough plot. I'm sure it'll pay off, but it made the episode overall much weaker.
Random thoughts:
- Where the heck was Iroh?
- Ozai, as it turns out, is a total pretty-boy. Also, I'm pretty sure they meant Zuko to take after him looks-wise. Which adds a special sort of screwy-ness to their relationship. Well, more screwy-ness than was already there. I approve of this development.
- Also, 'cause I've seen a lot of talk on this: I can buy Ozai being a youthful-looking thirty-five to forty, giving Iroh about twenty years on him. We already knew there was a bit of an age difference anyway judging by the ages of their kids, so I'm cool with it.
- Katara's anger at her father was nicely played. Good mix of justified anger and little girl hurt. And a reminder that for all their worldliness, these kids are still *young.*
- Avatar "I will not run away" Aang. I get why they went there - it keeps the kids separated from the adults and more isolated technologically - but it felt very pasteded on yay! Again, set-up, not plot. Plus, Yue was there...why exactly?
- Maiko - oh, la. It's gonna last about as long as it takes for Zuko to get a clue about his family, then it'll pretty much fizzle, is my guess. Besides, Zuko has way too much baggage to be particularly good boyfriend material right now and Mai actually deserves better.
- Speaking of: number of episodes until Zuko gets a clue: I'm going with six.
- Crack theory of the moment: Ursa and Iroh were totally doing it on the side.
Oh man, Heroes, on the other hand? Totally rocked. It also had a lot of set-up but there was a lot of stuff going on as well. So, brief thoughts:
- Matt and Mohinder team up to raise Molly. Not only is this domestic and adorable and fills me with glee, but I love Matt again. Huzzah! While we are sad for his divorce, if it gives me more "I could cook, I choose not to" attitude, I can get over it. I also demand "How Matt recovered and set up house-keeping with Mohinder" fic, tout-suite.
- Oh, Mohinder. Your monologues are still zzzz...but you have come into your own as a schemer. We're so very lucky you and Bennet have at last decided to use your combined powers for good, rather than evil.
- Bennets: I loved how soul-crushing the move is to both Claire and Noah. Not because I like seeing them in pain, but it plays into how much both of them are, at heart, active heroes. I love them so very, very much. Also, Claire! Calling Nathan! He's such a crap dad, but, oh, he's so screwed-up and just can't help right now and ::hearts:: But the beard definitely needs to go.
- Hiro, man, never meet your heroes. You're bound to be disappointed. Their interactions were full of hilarity and oh, I do hope the swordsmith's daughter is as ass-kicking as promised. Though I'm really hoping they aren't going with "And then Hiro became the Kensei of legend" because, a) I am in no mood for that plotline and b) if I want clever causality, I have Doctor Who and Stephan Moffat, thankyouverymuch.
- Since everyone likes to talk the feminism with this show: I'm bummed they've banished Heidi to limbo, since a) we can use more female characters in both main and supporting roles and b) while I get that Nathan's sort of screwed in the head right now, he does have a wife and kids and I really don't want the show to forget that. And Maya was - well, all the talk last year about Nicki having uncontrollable power, I gave a slide on, since it wasn't her powers actually *causing* her to go haywire, but rather her illness preventing her from coming into her own (which was mostly resolved at the end of last season, so hopefully we'll see her move a bit further forward this year). Maya, on the other hand, seems to be the opposite and needs a lot more support from Alejandro. I'm willing to let it play out, but it's raising some flags.
- Peter! New hair cut is approved. And with that necklace on, are we gonna see the Haitian again?
- Oh, almost forgot - so, are we to assume the entire elder generation - Angela and Kaito and whomever else is left - are all going to get picked off? Because, oh, I like this plotline. Like, a lot.
Seriously, why has it taken so long for networks to figure out that superheroes are *perfect* for television? Serialized story-telling, people!