Further Heroes and Kensei thoughts
Unrelated: messed about with layout and default userpic again. Because I have the attention span of a hummingbird with ADD.
And now I'm going to babble about Kensei. Because no one else loves my poor, snarky samurai. And, oh, alright, I'll talk about other Heroes-like things, too.
And now I even more desperately want to write fic in feudal Japan, not only because a) no one else is and b) it's going to end soon, but because there is such an Author/Lancelot/Guinevere triumvirate going on, that it's not even funny anymore. It's Camelot, only instead of songs, there are wacky superpowers. Plus, you know it's going to end badly. The Golden Age of England for this friendship closes with betrayal. Or, at least, perceived betrayal. The difference, I suspect, will play a big role in where exactly it goes downhill for Kensei and Hiro and what either of them may have to do to fix it.
Although, I'm still kind of annoyed that it all comes down to - again, some more - Who Gets the Girl and Never You Mind What the Girl Actually Wants. And I am so very weary of this storyline being recycled over and over. Especially when the introduction of the Love Triangle in this instance was so clumsy (Hiro, dude, you've known the girl for about an hour and suddenly you're in love like it's Friday?). I can buy it more now - because, again, Camelot and there's been a much more obvious passage of time - but it still grates.
Though, I suppose it could be worse: Kensei could be facing his incestuous, bastard off-spring instead. So, y'know, I'll take my pluses where I can.
And, yeah, Kensei. So, we're back to him being the potential Big Bad again, only...I don't know. I don't think I quite buy it. I buy his dark side fine, but I'm not sure I see him as quite so Machiavellian, someone who spends a great deal of time dwelling on new and elaborate schemes for revenge. I mean, fandom's sort of been anticipating his immortality and while a lot can change over the course of those centuries, this is also the guy whose default setting is "run away and hope someone else deals with it." I think I can see him as a mercenary (because, hey, money is good) but not as the Numero Uno pulling strings. Possibly because it involves too much work and work is for those who can't get drunk.
Also, it plays into my crack!theory that he's totally Petrelli, Sr. What? It could happen. Plus, it would be a great bonding exercise for him and Claire ("My limbs grow back!" "Mine grow back faster!")
Crackier corollary: Kensei is, in fact, related to all the heroes. Because he's a great, big immortal man-whore. Yup, yup.
So, that's that then. Other thoughts:
- Monica! I love her, very, very much, yes. And can I just say this is one of those times where a girly-girl thing didn't bug me? Because there's Micah all "Skateboarding! Basketball!" and Monica's response is to jump rope instead. Because she's a girl, yo, and yeah, we do that, but she always wanted to be better at it. So, she can both jump-rope and learn kung fu and that rocks.
- As the seasonal theme of Unlikely Team-Ups continues, I'm not certain if Matt and Nathan fighting crime quite replaces My Two Superdads yet, but it's darn close. I also like how genial Maury is while hiding this really rather horrific power. I believe there's some truth to what he's saying - that part of why Molly is trapped is his attempt to protect himself - but it doesn't excuse how very callous he is towards other people in general. So, no, not the Big Bad, but someone untrustworthy regardless and not to be counted on to not stick a knife in your back.
- Called it on Nicki looking to integrate Jessica. I didn't see her as fully cured at the end of last season, so not that big a problem for me (and if she's playing the Company, too? So much the better).
- West grates on me in a way I can't describe. While I'm sitting here hoping against hope that Kensei won't be evil (even though he probably will), I'm kind of rooting for West to be Snidely Whiplash in disguise. The actor's fine, Claire deserves to be happy, all that and yet Do. Not. Want.
And now I'm going to babble about Kensei. Because no one else loves my poor, snarky samurai. And, oh, alright, I'll talk about other Heroes-like things, too.
And now I even more desperately want to write fic in feudal Japan, not only because a) no one else is and b) it's going to end soon, but because there is such an Author/Lancelot/Guinevere triumvirate going on, that it's not even funny anymore. It's Camelot, only instead of songs, there are wacky superpowers. Plus, you know it's going to end badly. The Golden Age of England for this friendship closes with betrayal. Or, at least, perceived betrayal. The difference, I suspect, will play a big role in where exactly it goes downhill for Kensei and Hiro and what either of them may have to do to fix it.
Although, I'm still kind of annoyed that it all comes down to - again, some more - Who Gets the Girl and Never You Mind What the Girl Actually Wants. And I am so very weary of this storyline being recycled over and over. Especially when the introduction of the Love Triangle in this instance was so clumsy (Hiro, dude, you've known the girl for about an hour and suddenly you're in love like it's Friday?). I can buy it more now - because, again, Camelot and there's been a much more obvious passage of time - but it still grates.
Though, I suppose it could be worse: Kensei could be facing his incestuous, bastard off-spring instead. So, y'know, I'll take my pluses where I can.
And, yeah, Kensei. So, we're back to him being the potential Big Bad again, only...I don't know. I don't think I quite buy it. I buy his dark side fine, but I'm not sure I see him as quite so Machiavellian, someone who spends a great deal of time dwelling on new and elaborate schemes for revenge. I mean, fandom's sort of been anticipating his immortality and while a lot can change over the course of those centuries, this is also the guy whose default setting is "run away and hope someone else deals with it." I think I can see him as a mercenary (because, hey, money is good) but not as the Numero Uno pulling strings. Possibly because it involves too much work and work is for those who can't get drunk.
Also, it plays into my crack!theory that he's totally Petrelli, Sr. What? It could happen. Plus, it would be a great bonding exercise for him and Claire ("My limbs grow back!" "Mine grow back faster!")
Crackier corollary: Kensei is, in fact, related to all the heroes. Because he's a great, big immortal man-whore. Yup, yup.
So, that's that then. Other thoughts:
- Monica! I love her, very, very much, yes. And can I just say this is one of those times where a girly-girl thing didn't bug me? Because there's Micah all "Skateboarding! Basketball!" and Monica's response is to jump rope instead. Because she's a girl, yo, and yeah, we do that, but she always wanted to be better at it. So, she can both jump-rope and learn kung fu and that rocks.
- As the seasonal theme of Unlikely Team-Ups continues, I'm not certain if Matt and Nathan fighting crime quite replaces My Two Superdads yet, but it's darn close. I also like how genial Maury is while hiding this really rather horrific power. I believe there's some truth to what he's saying - that part of why Molly is trapped is his attempt to protect himself - but it doesn't excuse how very callous he is towards other people in general. So, no, not the Big Bad, but someone untrustworthy regardless and not to be counted on to not stick a knife in your back.
- Called it on Nicki looking to integrate Jessica. I didn't see her as fully cured at the end of last season, so not that big a problem for me (and if she's playing the Company, too? So much the better).
- West grates on me in a way I can't describe. While I'm sitting here hoping against hope that Kensei won't be evil (even though he probably will), I'm kind of rooting for West to be Snidely Whiplash in disguise. The actor's fine, Claire deserves to be happy, all that and yet Do. Not. Want.