Heroes Commentary 4x10 - His Brother's Keeper
A heap of questions and several instances of choked-up Jaune.
Samuel opens the show by shilling NBC’s “Green Week.” Ya know, I understand why Heroes has to shill its sponsor’s products, and its network’s point of view (you gotta eat), and I even could fanwank that Samuel the Earthbender would be all about recycling. But objectively it sticks out in the narrative like a sore thumb. Like using those damn Sprint phones in the “Slow Burn” webisodes. It doesn’t fit smoothly into the storyline, and in five years people are going to be wondering at the non-sequiturs.
So, Hiro is given a task to go to a hotel room in Texas to save a film, but not his friend Mohinder. Wow, Samuel is the worse villain ever. Hiro can’t control his time travel very well, so Samuel gives him some hotel room in the entire state of Texas on some day at some time eight weeks ago, and point-blank tells him that someone he knows is going to die and he better not do anything about it. And he gets pissed later when Hiro’s having trouble getting there? Uh… yeah, good job Mastermind.
Tracy tries to discuss her hopes and dreams and then blithely maligns the service industry. Shut up, Yuppie McSluttersons, somebody’s got to work those jobs, and they are thankless jobs with long hours. Just because you’re having panic attacks and lose control of your powers when you’re stressed (we’ve done this story arc how many times this season alone?) doesn’t mean that you get to be all, “I want to change my life, make a difference, join the carnival,” and emo all over everywhere! *Takes a deep breath* Ok, I’m ok.
And, also? Why is Noah so blasé about Tracy just walking around free? Because she’s killed a dozen people. The Greatest American Tabloid Reporter, the hapless intern agent during her imprisonment in Building 26, another six or more agents when she was shattered trying to protect Micah as Rebel, and four ex-agents in between seasons. The only other person who has killed more for less reason is Sylar. The reporter was involuntary, but all of the agents were deliberate, and the last four could not be justified as self-defense. Forgive me if I still have some serious reservations about caring about Tracy’s emotional crisis when she’s a murderer a dozen times older. Just saying.
Eeep! The instant Claire appeared on the screen this episode I let out an indignant squeak of almighty proportions. Girl, you’re wearing Spandex short-shorts and a clingy little shirt to your dad’s apartment?! What the hell is wrong with you? You’re wearing that outfit on the streets of Manhattan? In public? Christ on crutches, you’re going to get yourself assaulted! Also, I’m pretty sure there are laundries on campus. Yes, it’s nice you want to make sure you see your dad once a week, but in your skivvies? EEK!
Outfit aside, I was so proud of Claire when she immediately arms herself when she discovers her father’s door broken. Took her damn long enough to get those survival instincts into gear. Maybe Noah should keep Claire more in the loop about his superpowered partners. (I saw the picture of the entire Bennet family and I grinned. I was afraid all Noah had were pictures of Claire and I was starting to worry about him…)
The bath idea to control Tracy’s powers wasn’t a bad plan, and the little bathside moment between her and Claire was actually kind of cute. But considering Tracy can freeze like liquid nitrogen, her power laughs at warm water.
Wait, the last time Tracy froze someone solid, she hung on until they froze completely, or pulsed her power out until every froze. Once she let go of Claire, Claire should have stopped freezing, not continued to turn into a Popsicle. Whatever. This does give us the hilarious moment of Claire’s frozen foot popping off.
The post-freezing discussion was mildly amusing, but I absolutely cannot understand why Claire is suggesting that Tracy go to Samuel. Becky is with Samuel, and she’s a crazy murdering bitch. Clearly Noah doesn’t trust Samuel. And Noah has clippings on his wall that indicate the immense magnitude of Samuel’s crimes. These clippings aren’t in a closet, they’re on his living room wall! Get some clues, both of you!
How the hell did Mohinder get both Mira and teaching position back after he’d been gone for a year and a half? That woman is really damn patient. Srsly. She’s also smart, knowing that Chaudra’s research is toxic to her being with Mohinder. But also why is she surprised and shocked when he pulls that research out of the trash and explores it anyway? Mohinder has been gone for months and months on end without calling you because of that crap and you think he’s going to instantly change when something about it really fires him up? Sweetheart, find another scientist to love, because Mohinder’s pretty much off the rails.
So, specials basically give off vibes? And Samuel is particularly sensitive to this? Uh, okiday. Why didn’t the other Coyote Sands people notice this earthquake? People like, oh, I don’t know, ANGELA or something?
Oh Mohinder, in trying to justify yourself to your murdered father, you manage to set events in motion that turn Samuel into a complete megalomaniac. A murdering megalomaniac.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, if Samuel only found out about the fact his powers can be increased by being around more specials two months ago… you’re telling me he went from drunken wastrel to revered father figure in that short amount of time? I assume Joseph didn’t have many specials in the carnival if he was trying to keep Samuel’s power under control, so Samuel was able to locate more specials and change the entire makeup of the carnival in two months? Bullshit.
It disturbs me that Nathan had to really think hard about his secretary’s name. But it amuses me that not only does he bring up the point that people should have wondered where he was, but that Angela was behind trying to keep his absence under the rug. Peter mouthing “Mom” to him made me giggle.
I adored and love and huggled the scene where Peter hits all of Nathan’s high points as a brother. There’s been so much angst in between them that it’s awesome to know some of the reasons these two have stuck together despite all the crap between them.
Wait, Peter knows the Haitian’s name is René? Who knows this info? And why hasn’t anyone else known until last episode?!
René doesn’t want Nathan to get too close, for good reason; I wonder what his power-neutralization range is? Because we’ve seen him dampen powers from 20-30 feet away before. Maybe he has a minimum range that he can’t turn off? It’d be really, really damn interesting to see what would happen if René touched Nathan…
Heh, of course Peter brought Nathan along on his mysterious errand. Which is to discover Nathan’s body. I watched this scene with my heart in my throat, because this is where it all comes crashing down.
When Matt finally gets all better, Sylar is there to fuck things up. Matt lays the plot on the line, and you can see Nathan start to die inside. Then Sylar arrives to cut through the grieving process in his own delightful way. Why does he have to touch Nathan? Matt’s powers don’t have to work through touch! Is Matt trying to hold Sylar back or something? Do not get!
Later in the episode, the first thing Matt does when he gets his powers and life back is to officially kill himself, steal a county mountie’s clothes and fuck up the guy’s career by leaving him naked in a closet. Then call Janice and inadvertently scare her over the phone with his crazy-talk. It’s good to see you getting back to form, Matt. Can someone PLEASE get this man a decent plotline?
Nathan basically wants to end it all, but Peter refuses to leave him. He gives up healing so Nathan can’t leave him behind. I cried, I admit it. When they flew together, I got all choked up.
At the apartment, Nathan realizes he’s going to die and lose his brother. Sylar is too strong. I think Nathan could keep being Nathan if everyone but Peter knew. He can’t stand Peter knowing he’s Sylar under the skin. That, I think, is what is going to kill him.
Hmm, Hiro did a decent switch-a-roo with the film and the vest. It was a good solution. However, Mohinder continues to be stupid by thinking that arguing with a time-traveling teleporter is going to work. Hiro said to “keep out of sight,” not “let Samuel win.” I was totally blown away, and not in a good way, by Hiro’s solution to Mohinder’s stubbornness. Has he gone completely insane? Dropping Mohinder in an asylum for eight weeks to be drugged and confined? What the hell was that? He could have just dragged Mohinder eight weeks forward in time and had him punch Samuel in the face. Is saving Charlie worth torturing your friends, Hiro? WTH?
Next week, Samuel breaks his promise to Hiro. Hiro, damnit man, you’ve dealt with Adam Monroe, you know Samuel will betray you. This shouldn’t come as a surprise!
Samuel opens the show by shilling NBC’s “Green Week.” Ya know, I understand why Heroes has to shill its sponsor’s products, and its network’s point of view (you gotta eat), and I even could fanwank that Samuel the Earthbender would be all about recycling. But objectively it sticks out in the narrative like a sore thumb. Like using those damn Sprint phones in the “Slow Burn” webisodes. It doesn’t fit smoothly into the storyline, and in five years people are going to be wondering at the non-sequiturs.
So, Hiro is given a task to go to a hotel room in Texas to save a film, but not his friend Mohinder. Wow, Samuel is the worse villain ever. Hiro can’t control his time travel very well, so Samuel gives him some hotel room in the entire state of Texas on some day at some time eight weeks ago, and point-blank tells him that someone he knows is going to die and he better not do anything about it. And he gets pissed later when Hiro’s having trouble getting there? Uh… yeah, good job Mastermind.
Tracy tries to discuss her hopes and dreams and then blithely maligns the service industry. Shut up, Yuppie McSluttersons, somebody’s got to work those jobs, and they are thankless jobs with long hours. Just because you’re having panic attacks and lose control of your powers when you’re stressed (we’ve done this story arc how many times this season alone?) doesn’t mean that you get to be all, “I want to change my life, make a difference, join the carnival,” and emo all over everywhere! *Takes a deep breath* Ok, I’m ok.
And, also? Why is Noah so blasé about Tracy just walking around free? Because she’s killed a dozen people. The Greatest American Tabloid Reporter, the hapless intern agent during her imprisonment in Building 26, another six or more agents when she was shattered trying to protect Micah as Rebel, and four ex-agents in between seasons. The only other person who has killed more for less reason is Sylar. The reporter was involuntary, but all of the agents were deliberate, and the last four could not be justified as self-defense. Forgive me if I still have some serious reservations about caring about Tracy’s emotional crisis when she’s a murderer a dozen times older. Just saying.
Eeep! The instant Claire appeared on the screen this episode I let out an indignant squeak of almighty proportions. Girl, you’re wearing Spandex short-shorts and a clingy little shirt to your dad’s apartment?! What the hell is wrong with you? You’re wearing that outfit on the streets of Manhattan? In public? Christ on crutches, you’re going to get yourself assaulted! Also, I’m pretty sure there are laundries on campus. Yes, it’s nice you want to make sure you see your dad once a week, but in your skivvies? EEK!
Outfit aside, I was so proud of Claire when she immediately arms herself when she discovers her father’s door broken. Took her damn long enough to get those survival instincts into gear. Maybe Noah should keep Claire more in the loop about his superpowered partners. (I saw the picture of the entire Bennet family and I grinned. I was afraid all Noah had were pictures of Claire and I was starting to worry about him…)
The bath idea to control Tracy’s powers wasn’t a bad plan, and the little bathside moment between her and Claire was actually kind of cute. But considering Tracy can freeze like liquid nitrogen, her power laughs at warm water.
Wait, the last time Tracy froze someone solid, she hung on until they froze completely, or pulsed her power out until every froze. Once she let go of Claire, Claire should have stopped freezing, not continued to turn into a Popsicle. Whatever. This does give us the hilarious moment of Claire’s frozen foot popping off.
The post-freezing discussion was mildly amusing, but I absolutely cannot understand why Claire is suggesting that Tracy go to Samuel. Becky is with Samuel, and she’s a crazy murdering bitch. Clearly Noah doesn’t trust Samuel. And Noah has clippings on his wall that indicate the immense magnitude of Samuel’s crimes. These clippings aren’t in a closet, they’re on his living room wall! Get some clues, both of you!
How the hell did Mohinder get both Mira and teaching position back after he’d been gone for a year and a half? That woman is really damn patient. Srsly. She’s also smart, knowing that Chaudra’s research is toxic to her being with Mohinder. But also why is she surprised and shocked when he pulls that research out of the trash and explores it anyway? Mohinder has been gone for months and months on end without calling you because of that crap and you think he’s going to instantly change when something about it really fires him up? Sweetheart, find another scientist to love, because Mohinder’s pretty much off the rails.
So, specials basically give off vibes? And Samuel is particularly sensitive to this? Uh, okiday. Why didn’t the other Coyote Sands people notice this earthquake? People like, oh, I don’t know, ANGELA or something?
Oh Mohinder, in trying to justify yourself to your murdered father, you manage to set events in motion that turn Samuel into a complete megalomaniac. A murdering megalomaniac.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, if Samuel only found out about the fact his powers can be increased by being around more specials two months ago… you’re telling me he went from drunken wastrel to revered father figure in that short amount of time? I assume Joseph didn’t have many specials in the carnival if he was trying to keep Samuel’s power under control, so Samuel was able to locate more specials and change the entire makeup of the carnival in two months? Bullshit.
It disturbs me that Nathan had to really think hard about his secretary’s name. But it amuses me that not only does he bring up the point that people should have wondered where he was, but that Angela was behind trying to keep his absence under the rug. Peter mouthing “Mom” to him made me giggle.
I adored and love and huggled the scene where Peter hits all of Nathan’s high points as a brother. There’s been so much angst in between them that it’s awesome to know some of the reasons these two have stuck together despite all the crap between them.
Wait, Peter knows the Haitian’s name is René? Who knows this info? And why hasn’t anyone else known until last episode?!
René doesn’t want Nathan to get too close, for good reason; I wonder what his power-neutralization range is? Because we’ve seen him dampen powers from 20-30 feet away before. Maybe he has a minimum range that he can’t turn off? It’d be really, really damn interesting to see what would happen if René touched Nathan…
Heh, of course Peter brought Nathan along on his mysterious errand. Which is to discover Nathan’s body. I watched this scene with my heart in my throat, because this is where it all comes crashing down.
When Matt finally gets all better, Sylar is there to fuck things up. Matt lays the plot on the line, and you can see Nathan start to die inside. Then Sylar arrives to cut through the grieving process in his own delightful way. Why does he have to touch Nathan? Matt’s powers don’t have to work through touch! Is Matt trying to hold Sylar back or something? Do not get!
Later in the episode, the first thing Matt does when he gets his powers and life back is to officially kill himself, steal a county mountie’s clothes and fuck up the guy’s career by leaving him naked in a closet. Then call Janice and inadvertently scare her over the phone with his crazy-talk. It’s good to see you getting back to form, Matt. Can someone PLEASE get this man a decent plotline?
Nathan basically wants to end it all, but Peter refuses to leave him. He gives up healing so Nathan can’t leave him behind. I cried, I admit it. When they flew together, I got all choked up.
At the apartment, Nathan realizes he’s going to die and lose his brother. Sylar is too strong. I think Nathan could keep being Nathan if everyone but Peter knew. He can’t stand Peter knowing he’s Sylar under the skin. That, I think, is what is going to kill him.
Hmm, Hiro did a decent switch-a-roo with the film and the vest. It was a good solution. However, Mohinder continues to be stupid by thinking that arguing with a time-traveling teleporter is going to work. Hiro said to “keep out of sight,” not “let Samuel win.” I was totally blown away, and not in a good way, by Hiro’s solution to Mohinder’s stubbornness. Has he gone completely insane? Dropping Mohinder in an asylum for eight weeks to be drugged and confined? What the hell was that? He could have just dragged Mohinder eight weeks forward in time and had him punch Samuel in the face. Is saving Charlie worth torturing your friends, Hiro? WTH?
Next week, Samuel breaks his promise to Hiro. Hiro, damnit man, you’ve dealt with Adam Monroe, you know Samuel will betray you. This shouldn’t come as a surprise!