Heroes Season 1 Review (MAJOR SPOILERS)
Also a review for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward Season Two.
A note about the Heroes review. This particular review was done differently from all of my other DVD reviews. I reviewed each episode before seeing the next one so each mini-review has theories and wild guesses that may have turned out to have been completely false as the season went on. I edited the reviews for grammar and spelling after I finished it but I left the content and theories intact. We'll see how well I did! You guys let me know how you like this review.
Heroes: Season 1:
Definitely a show I loved and I'm sorry I missed it the first time around but there are WAAAAYYYY too many serialized shows on the air to keep track of all of them so Heroes got lost in the shuffle. I think it's a really cool show and a lot like a comic book except not completely dark and angst ridden and a lot of fun.
My favorite character on the show is Hiro who is a simply a joy. His sunshiney personality is infectious and he makes the show a blast to watch. My second favorite character is Matt Parkman but that may be because I'm a huge Greg Grunberg fan from Alias. He's a schlubby everyman and I like that. Third favorite is Claire just because despite how crappy her life can be she remains someone who believes the best in people and has to grow up suddenly and realize that not everybody is the way they seem.
I can't say anything else because I'm sure the rest of the show's fans already have so I'll just review the episodes: (in the order I saw them). Season One ****1/2.
Chapter One: Genesis: Cool and intriguing opening. I really like Hiro and think he is really neat. The cheerleader Claire is also cool although the show seems to get gory whenever she's on screen. I really like how this sets up a world where everything is connected and nothing is what it seems. I wonder who Claire's adopted father is and why he was stalking the Indian guy. REALLY great start to the series. ****1/2.
Chapter Two: Don't Look Back: Hiro finding the comic book about himself was absolutely wonderful. I like the surprise twist of him actually shifting forward five weeks in time-- in time to see the destruction of the world. Niki REALLY creeps me out. Speaking of creeps Claire's father makes me really nervous. I liked Greg Grunberg as a cop and thought his power was pretty cool. Solid second episode. ****.
Chapter Three: One Giant Leap: Nathan is a piece of slime. Hiro traveling cross-country looks like it's going to be a hoot. Mohinder finding Sylar's lair was creepy. I'm pretty sure his lady friend betrayed him. I KNEW that football player was no good. Claire waking up cut up on a autopsy table was a hilarious cliffhanger. I am really interested in what is going to happen with Matt and Sylar. Really good episode. ****.
Chapter Four: Collision: Wow! What an ep! I was shocked when Claire crashed that car. I don't know if I want her to be a killer or not. I wonder whether Claire's father took Nathan or Niki. I'm worried for Matt. REALLY worried. The cliffhanger with Future-Hiro (complete with soul patch and unbroken English) was cool. ****1/2.
Chapter Five: Hiros: Claire should have gotten a HUGE hint that her father is a bad guy when he told her he would keep what happened between her and Brody a secret. Seriously no good parent would do that. I liked Hiro's buddy meeting Niki finally. And I thought Nathan's escape at the beginning was cool. I liked the idea of saving the cheerleader. I also liked how the end dovetailed with last episode's cliffhanger. Cool eppy. ****.
Chapter Six: Better Halves: I KNEW Mohinder's girlfriend was evil. I really loved Claire's father's reaction to hearing about how they needed to save the cheerleader. Niki's evil, huh? I KNOW she isn't dead. I don't know how DL can possibly explain what happened to Micah. Hiro shouldn't have felt so bad for failing to save those high rollers from Niki. It all happened too fast for him to be able to do anything. Good episode. ***1/2.
Chapter Seven: Nothing to Hide: Poor Matt. He is REALLY getting the screw-gee out of his life. I had figured Micah had superpowers. I love Adrian Pasdar as the smarmy Nathan. I still fondly remember him from Profit. Big shock that his wife is in a wheelchair. I'm really starting to like DL. Hiro's rescue of him and that lady was cool. So Lyle knows about Claire now. I wonder what the fall-out of that will be.. Another good one. ****.
Chapter Eight: Seven Minutes to Midnight: So, Bennet may be a white hat and Eden has mind-control powers. Interesting. I hope that Hiro is able to save the girl he was crushing on. I want to know WHY Matt and the others have been experimented on and why it causes different people to have different powers. Also, is this a recent development? If so, how was Niki/ Jessica able to frame DL? It seems Sylar is after people with powers. I wonder why. I'm really looking forward to the next episode. ****.
Chapter Nine: Homecoming: So everything Isaac painted came true. I think this means that the future may be harder to change than we thought. I don't know what this means for November 5th. Sylar has been captured by Eden. Jessica is SCARY. I was afraid Zach was going to die but I'm glad he didn't. Next episode looks like it's probably going to be a flashback for everyone except Hiro. Can't wait. ****1/2.
Chapter Ten: Six Months Ago: Best episode yet. Really cool to get an origin for Sylar and why he is killing Metahumans. Hiro's plot was SO touching. I felt so bad for him but it's REALLY interesting to note that he can't change the past. Professor Suresh and Sylar's scenes together were really good and it neat to find out their connection finally. Now we know exactly where Jessica comes from but there is STILL a lot we don't know about her. I'm wondering who was driving the car that tried to drive Nathan off the road. Excellent episode.. *****.
Chapter Eleven: Fallout: I can't believe they killed off Eden. I REALLY liked the ending with Peter's vision of him destroying the world (along with appearances from all of the cast). I wonder how saving Claire will possibly stop this from happening. I hope Matt sticks with his wife. I LOVE how the Haitian is letting Claire keep her memories but I was REALLY upset they took Zach's. I loved his relationship with Claire. Bummer. Good episode. ****.
Chapter Twelve: Godsend: Doctor Who is the Invisible Man! Niki is in REAL trouble. I don't see how she is going to get out of it. I LOVED Nathan and Hiro's conversation and want to see more scenes with the two of them. They play so well off each other and are hilarious. I love that Claire is trying to become friends with Zach again. She is also doing it the smart way so that it won't overwhelm him. I REALLY hope Bennet never finds that tape. Hiro's sword being a replica was hilarious too. A really fun episode with a dark ending. ****.
Chapter Thirteen: The Fix: LOTS of juicy twists here. I like that Hiro's dad is the Big Boss (and that he's Star Trek's George Takei). I can't wait to see what the Invisible Doctor is going to teach Peter. Cool that Claire found her mom and that she's a metahuman too. I'd be a little more worried for Bennet that's Sylar's loose if I liked him. Micah's turning into a criminal! I feel so bad for both Niki and DL. They just can't catch a break. Another good 'un. ***1/2.
Chapter Fourteen: Distractions: Nathan is Claire's real father?!?!?! Holy poop! I did NOT see that coming! Claire's adopted mom is as dumb as bricks. Her scene with Sylar was VERY unnerving. I think the way Hiro got out of the situation with his father was TOO easy and pat. I loved Doctor Who pushing Peter off the building. I wonder where Bennet knows him from. Another fantastic episode. ****.
Chapter Fifteen: Run!: I loved Jessica and Matt's game of cat and mouse but I'm really disappointed in Matt for keeping those jewels. Hopefully he'll do the right thing in the end. Claire listening in on her mom and Nathan broke my heart but it seemed to me that Nathan at least has a bit of a conscience even if it wasn't clear in that conversation. Sylar working with Mohinder should be VERY interesting. Ando taking the lead was cool but I was bummed that he was tricked by that lady. Poor Ando. Poor Hiro. This wasn't the best episode ever but I thought it WAS fascinating. ***.
Chapter Sixteen: Unexpected: Sad, sad episode. I was really hoping that Isaac wouldn't turn out to be a villain but Simone's death was almost all his fault. I don't want to think about what's going to happen between him and Peter now. It's good that we're starting to get an explanation about what the marks are for. I wonder if the tracking can be removed. We already know Claire is off the list thanks to her dad. I am REALLY looking forward to the confrontation between Matt and Bennet next episode as that will probably answer a lot of questions. Mohinder is a fool for trusting Sylar. It's SO obvious at this point. Good, but dark chapter. ***1/2.
Chapter Seventeen: Company Man: Terrific and powerful episode that answered a LOT of questions (take THAT Lost!). I think the best thing about the episode is that the audience finally realizes that while Bennet may not be a good guy, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting his family. There aren't many GOOD people who would be willing to do the things he's done and sacrificed for Claire let alone people interested in gray areas. It was cool seeing that he used to be partners with Claude and how conflicted he was about killing him. I wonder who it was Claude was hiding. Lots of great Parkman stuff too. The funniest part of the episode wasn't even in it but as a deleted scene on a DVD extra with Matt talking to an oblivious Claire about The Twilight Zone and Flintstones Chewables. Little Hiro was cute too. One of my favorite episodes so far. *****.
Chapter Eighteen: Parasites: I KNEW that Mrs. Bennet was that Mystique lady the second time. Mrs. Bennet isn't as dumb as I thought just a few episodes ago but there is such a thing as acting TOO smart. And I apologize for not giving Mohinder enough credit. He KNEW it was Sylar. Kinda fool-hardy to take him on on his own but considering the dude murdered his father I don't blame him. Now that Bennet has been caught what will happen to Matt? Great to get another scene with Nathan and Hiro. I was cheering when Ando showed up. CAN the future be changed on this show? Considering it's getting a second season (AND a spin-off) I would like to think so. I also love Peter's evolution from the most pathetic hero (he can only do the same stuff as another hero when he's close to them?) into the most potentially powerful. I personally believe he is the ONLY one of the heroes who can stop Sylar. I'm still worried about him exploding if he meets Ted but if he gets on top of that blowing up thing he'll be rolling in puppies. ****.
Chapter Nineteen: .07%: They could be trying to make Nathan the Big Bad or they COULD be trying to make his a story of redemption. I hope it's the latter but I have a sneaking suspicion it's the former. Good that Isaac got some redemption before he died. I hope whatever he did helps Hiro and Peter stop the explosion. I loved Bennet, Ted and Matt teaming up and breaking out of that prison. I think Matt is my second favorite character after Hiro (Claire is third). The scene where Candice pretended to be Claire for Bennet was creepy beyond belief. I was afraid they were going to go somewhere sexual with it and apparently that's what Candice had in mind. Mohinder teaming up with Thompson is a REALLY bad development. I loved the cliffhanger with Hiro and Future-Hiro. Can't wait for the next one! ****.
Chapter Twenty: Five Years Gone: Total worst case scenario. I was bummed and surprised that Matt turns out to be working for the wrong side if the bomb goes off so now I REALLY hope it doesn't. I was DELIGHTED and surprised that Bennet is a White Hat if it explodes but seriously, he isn't in such good shape if that happens. Now that Future Hiro is dead how does he get the message to Peter? I'm actually relieved that Nathan turned out to be Sylar even if it means Claire died. I would HATE to think that Nathan was such a monster despite Sylar's claims. I wonder how Niki got rid of Jessica. I REALLY hope Hiro is able to stop it but I don't see how he can if his information is that Sylar was responsible if it was really Peter. REALLY dark episode. Not as good as Gargoyle's Future Tense or a Deep Space Nine Mirror Universe episode but about the same high quality as Buffy's The Wish. ****.
Chapter Twenty-One: The Hard Part: It was SO obvious (and has been for a while to me at least) that the reason Peter is going to explode is because he absorbed Ted. This has got to be a kick in the pants to Peter but he should have seen it coming. Nathan is on a VERY bad path right now and I am worried about what he will do. Will he be a hero or a villain? Again, my gut says villain but I hope I'm wrong. I wasn't surprised Hiro couldn't kill Sylar especially since he was so vulnerable (him painting the explosion in his mother's blood was chilling) but it does raise questions as to whether or not the future can be changed. My gut thinks it can be or Hiro's powers wouldn't include being able to travel through time. Another clue is that Future-Hiro had no memory of present Hiro traveling into the future which suggests to me that it IS possible to alter the future. To be completely honest despite what Hiro says I'm not completely convinced altering the past is impossible either. Two more episodes to go for this season. ***1/2.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Landslide: I loved Hiro's reaction that Nathan is already a villain and I agree. Refusing to help him puts him squarely in the bad guy camp as far as I'm concerned. I loved Linderman healing Nathan's wife. I'm annoyed that DL died because it's just another instance of the black guy always dying in science fiction. It's cheap and stupid.. I'm also bummed that Matt was taken out although that makes Bennet and Mohinder's stand-off that much a better cliffhanger. I don't think they need to kill Molly at all. I think hiding her would do just as well. Sylar is SCARY. I knew he was going to take out Ted but it still was frightening. I also loved Hiro's father teaching him to fight just because it's great to see George Takei use those mad fencing skills he showed off in Star Trek's The Naked Time. I really hope Hiro manages to save Ando. If Ando is the only thing keeping him such a fun character I want him alive at all costs. ****.
Chapter Twenty-Three: How to Stop an Exploding Man: Okay, I heard rumblings over the internet that the Heroes finale was a disappointment (I still managed to avoid most spoilers) but I can't see how. That was awesome! They are ALL Heroes! Even Bennet and Nathan! How cool is that? I loved the idea that both Niki AND Jessica are good and that Nathan saved the day! And DL isn't quite as dead as I thought he was! I'm disappointed Sylar didn't die but Hiro DID stop him before he did serious damage. I can't wait for next year because this season just SCREAMED origin. I wonder if everybody will team up at some point. I KNEW Claire couldn't shoot Peter but I think Nathan's way was better anyways. Ando survived too! I want to know who Molly's untraceable Big Bad is. I love the idea that Sylar might just be a small fish compared to him. The cliffhanger was awesome and hilarious too. I bet the Godsend sign has something to do with the Ultimate Evil. I also bet Matt survives his wounds. Nathan living could be a bit trickier but he could have let go of Peter right before he exploded and flew away. I love this show and I thought the finale was awesome. I don't know WHAT critics and fans were complaining about. *****.
Unaired Pilot (Tim Kring Cut): I'm gonna be honest. I like the regular pilot "Genesis" better because of all the loose threads this one left dangling that weren't followed up on because some of the characters and plots were cut. How did Matt know the terrorist? How did Mohinder meet Sylar? Where did Micah go? It's an intriguing look at what might have been but I like what actually happened in the continuity better. ***1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward: The Day of Awakening
The second batch of episodes is MUCH better than the first. It still sometimes feels as if the writing has taken a downgrade from the original series but the story arcs and plot-lines finally go somewhere. I suspected this would be the case but the first season was SUCH a let-down that I was nervous that the show wouldn't really recover. I'm still not a huge fan of the future format but the situation is growing on me even if some of the characters aren't (I'm looking at YOU Cody Jones). Season Two Average: ***1/2.
The Gaminator: Decent episode. It reminded me of a holodeck episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I liked how Mikey was the expert for this episode since it dealt with videogames. ***.
Graduation Day: Class of 2105: The episode was all right. My biggest gripe is that the lessons Mike learned will be totally forgotten later in the series. At least the old show had some character growth. And Splinter's lessons were kind of obvious and ham-fisted. ***.
Timing Is Everything: EXCELLENT episode. I am surprised and impressed. The concept of the hundred year old letter was a great one (and Serling totally blowing off the Triceraton Postman was hilarious). I also really like how the time travel plot included bringing Shredder briefly into the future. It doesn't exactly wreck continuity either since Shredder usually keeps dealings of this sort close to his vest. I like how once Shredder entered Sho'Kanobo's lair he proceeded to try to take over. ****1/2.
Enter the Jammerhead: I liked Jammerhead fighting the Turtles with martial arts but Starley's family were annoying beyond belief. The old Jewish stereotypes were quite ugly to watch. **.
Milk Run: Good episode. I love that the Triceraton named Boss Zucco seemed to be a Batman reference. I found the end a little bit confusing though (I wasn't sure if the Triceratons were the bad guys or not) but the next episode cleared that up. ***1/2.
The Fall of Darius Dunn: I liked this episode a lot. I had been waiting for Darius to finally slip up but I had envisioned this episode to be similar to the fall Lex Luthor took in Injustice For All on Justice League. The episode was still pretty good though and it was good seeing the evil Turtle clones back. I liked Clone Raph confusing a put-down from Mikey as a compliment. ****.
Turtle X-Tinction: I think it was a good idea to give Serling a bit of character development but it was somewhat clumsily handled. I got what they were going for though so I liked this episode too. ****.
Race For Glory: Decent episode but I'm not that huge a Triple Threat fan. I liked the call-back to Planet Racers and wonder if the Falcon in this episode is any relation. Probably, but we'll have to wait for a future episode to find out. **1/2.
Head of State: REALLY cool episode. Not only is Bishop reformed but it looks like they are going to reform Baxter Stockman too! Wild. We'll see if the ending is retconned or not in the future. As it stands it's really cool to see some of the Turtles best known villains being shown a chance for redemption. *****.
DNA Is Thicker Than Water: I pretty much enjoyed the episode the entire way through. But I think Leo telling Dark Leo the story of the Scorpion and the Frog wasn't such a great idea, especially considering the circumstances. But it was kind of cool to note the differences between the regular Turtles and the clones and that the Turtles kindness might have changed them for the better, if only a little bit. ****.
The Cosmic Completist: I liked the episode but I didn't love it. The Pokemon parody WAS hysterical but the plot of this episode reminded me a lot of Superman's The Main Man. However, the way the villain was defeated was quite different. ***1/2.
The Zixxth Sense: I'm glad the Turtles outsmarted Zixx at the end because they've been punked by him entirely too much on this series. Still, since the Earth was never really in jeopardy (which I suspected) I imagine this will gut the impact of rewatches (which is an important factor for cartoons). ***.
The Day of Awakening: I liked the (series?) finale very much and thought it was pretty swell. I liked Leo, Mike and Splinter fighting the virus at the end. If I have any complaints it's that Cody saves the day WAAAYYY too often on this show. Star Trek had a similar character: he was called Wesley Crusher. Do the Turtles really want to go there? Also, even though Bishop is a good guy now I always got the sense that he was still a little bit dangerous. This episode defanged him a little too much. However I'm glad that Sho'Kanabo was conclusively defeated and probably won't be back. I think that recurring villains are important for cartoons but sometimes you need a decisive win for the good guys to make everything worthwhile. They could retcon this but they didn't really retcon Shredder's defeat at the end of season three so I don't expect them to. I'm really beginning to like this show and I hope there is another season. ****1/2.
A note about the Heroes review. This particular review was done differently from all of my other DVD reviews. I reviewed each episode before seeing the next one so each mini-review has theories and wild guesses that may have turned out to have been completely false as the season went on. I edited the reviews for grammar and spelling after I finished it but I left the content and theories intact. We'll see how well I did! You guys let me know how you like this review.
Heroes: Season 1:
Definitely a show I loved and I'm sorry I missed it the first time around but there are WAAAAYYYY too many serialized shows on the air to keep track of all of them so Heroes got lost in the shuffle. I think it's a really cool show and a lot like a comic book except not completely dark and angst ridden and a lot of fun.
My favorite character on the show is Hiro who is a simply a joy. His sunshiney personality is infectious and he makes the show a blast to watch. My second favorite character is Matt Parkman but that may be because I'm a huge Greg Grunberg fan from Alias. He's a schlubby everyman and I like that. Third favorite is Claire just because despite how crappy her life can be she remains someone who believes the best in people and has to grow up suddenly and realize that not everybody is the way they seem.
I can't say anything else because I'm sure the rest of the show's fans already have so I'll just review the episodes: (in the order I saw them). Season One ****1/2.
Chapter One: Genesis: Cool and intriguing opening. I really like Hiro and think he is really neat. The cheerleader Claire is also cool although the show seems to get gory whenever she's on screen. I really like how this sets up a world where everything is connected and nothing is what it seems. I wonder who Claire's adopted father is and why he was stalking the Indian guy. REALLY great start to the series. ****1/2.
Chapter Two: Don't Look Back: Hiro finding the comic book about himself was absolutely wonderful. I like the surprise twist of him actually shifting forward five weeks in time-- in time to see the destruction of the world. Niki REALLY creeps me out. Speaking of creeps Claire's father makes me really nervous. I liked Greg Grunberg as a cop and thought his power was pretty cool. Solid second episode. ****.
Chapter Three: One Giant Leap: Nathan is a piece of slime. Hiro traveling cross-country looks like it's going to be a hoot. Mohinder finding Sylar's lair was creepy. I'm pretty sure his lady friend betrayed him. I KNEW that football player was no good. Claire waking up cut up on a autopsy table was a hilarious cliffhanger. I am really interested in what is going to happen with Matt and Sylar. Really good episode. ****.
Chapter Four: Collision: Wow! What an ep! I was shocked when Claire crashed that car. I don't know if I want her to be a killer or not. I wonder whether Claire's father took Nathan or Niki. I'm worried for Matt. REALLY worried. The cliffhanger with Future-Hiro (complete with soul patch and unbroken English) was cool. ****1/2.
Chapter Five: Hiros: Claire should have gotten a HUGE hint that her father is a bad guy when he told her he would keep what happened between her and Brody a secret. Seriously no good parent would do that. I liked Hiro's buddy meeting Niki finally. And I thought Nathan's escape at the beginning was cool. I liked the idea of saving the cheerleader. I also liked how the end dovetailed with last episode's cliffhanger. Cool eppy. ****.
Chapter Six: Better Halves: I KNEW Mohinder's girlfriend was evil. I really loved Claire's father's reaction to hearing about how they needed to save the cheerleader. Niki's evil, huh? I KNOW she isn't dead. I don't know how DL can possibly explain what happened to Micah. Hiro shouldn't have felt so bad for failing to save those high rollers from Niki. It all happened too fast for him to be able to do anything. Good episode. ***1/2.
Chapter Seven: Nothing to Hide: Poor Matt. He is REALLY getting the screw-gee out of his life. I had figured Micah had superpowers. I love Adrian Pasdar as the smarmy Nathan. I still fondly remember him from Profit. Big shock that his wife is in a wheelchair. I'm really starting to like DL. Hiro's rescue of him and that lady was cool. So Lyle knows about Claire now. I wonder what the fall-out of that will be.. Another good one. ****.
Chapter Eight: Seven Minutes to Midnight: So, Bennet may be a white hat and Eden has mind-control powers. Interesting. I hope that Hiro is able to save the girl he was crushing on. I want to know WHY Matt and the others have been experimented on and why it causes different people to have different powers. Also, is this a recent development? If so, how was Niki/ Jessica able to frame DL? It seems Sylar is after people with powers. I wonder why. I'm really looking forward to the next episode. ****.
Chapter Nine: Homecoming: So everything Isaac painted came true. I think this means that the future may be harder to change than we thought. I don't know what this means for November 5th. Sylar has been captured by Eden. Jessica is SCARY. I was afraid Zach was going to die but I'm glad he didn't. Next episode looks like it's probably going to be a flashback for everyone except Hiro. Can't wait. ****1/2.
Chapter Ten: Six Months Ago: Best episode yet. Really cool to get an origin for Sylar and why he is killing Metahumans. Hiro's plot was SO touching. I felt so bad for him but it's REALLY interesting to note that he can't change the past. Professor Suresh and Sylar's scenes together were really good and it neat to find out their connection finally. Now we know exactly where Jessica comes from but there is STILL a lot we don't know about her. I'm wondering who was driving the car that tried to drive Nathan off the road. Excellent episode.. *****.
Chapter Eleven: Fallout: I can't believe they killed off Eden. I REALLY liked the ending with Peter's vision of him destroying the world (along with appearances from all of the cast). I wonder how saving Claire will possibly stop this from happening. I hope Matt sticks with his wife. I LOVE how the Haitian is letting Claire keep her memories but I was REALLY upset they took Zach's. I loved his relationship with Claire. Bummer. Good episode. ****.
Chapter Twelve: Godsend: Doctor Who is the Invisible Man! Niki is in REAL trouble. I don't see how she is going to get out of it. I LOVED Nathan and Hiro's conversation and want to see more scenes with the two of them. They play so well off each other and are hilarious. I love that Claire is trying to become friends with Zach again. She is also doing it the smart way so that it won't overwhelm him. I REALLY hope Bennet never finds that tape. Hiro's sword being a replica was hilarious too. A really fun episode with a dark ending. ****.
Chapter Thirteen: The Fix: LOTS of juicy twists here. I like that Hiro's dad is the Big Boss (and that he's Star Trek's George Takei). I can't wait to see what the Invisible Doctor is going to teach Peter. Cool that Claire found her mom and that she's a metahuman too. I'd be a little more worried for Bennet that's Sylar's loose if I liked him. Micah's turning into a criminal! I feel so bad for both Niki and DL. They just can't catch a break. Another good 'un. ***1/2.
Chapter Fourteen: Distractions: Nathan is Claire's real father?!?!?! Holy poop! I did NOT see that coming! Claire's adopted mom is as dumb as bricks. Her scene with Sylar was VERY unnerving. I think the way Hiro got out of the situation with his father was TOO easy and pat. I loved Doctor Who pushing Peter off the building. I wonder where Bennet knows him from. Another fantastic episode. ****.
Chapter Fifteen: Run!: I loved Jessica and Matt's game of cat and mouse but I'm really disappointed in Matt for keeping those jewels. Hopefully he'll do the right thing in the end. Claire listening in on her mom and Nathan broke my heart but it seemed to me that Nathan at least has a bit of a conscience even if it wasn't clear in that conversation. Sylar working with Mohinder should be VERY interesting. Ando taking the lead was cool but I was bummed that he was tricked by that lady. Poor Ando. Poor Hiro. This wasn't the best episode ever but I thought it WAS fascinating. ***.
Chapter Sixteen: Unexpected: Sad, sad episode. I was really hoping that Isaac wouldn't turn out to be a villain but Simone's death was almost all his fault. I don't want to think about what's going to happen between him and Peter now. It's good that we're starting to get an explanation about what the marks are for. I wonder if the tracking can be removed. We already know Claire is off the list thanks to her dad. I am REALLY looking forward to the confrontation between Matt and Bennet next episode as that will probably answer a lot of questions. Mohinder is a fool for trusting Sylar. It's SO obvious at this point. Good, but dark chapter. ***1/2.
Chapter Seventeen: Company Man: Terrific and powerful episode that answered a LOT of questions (take THAT Lost!). I think the best thing about the episode is that the audience finally realizes that while Bennet may not be a good guy, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting his family. There aren't many GOOD people who would be willing to do the things he's done and sacrificed for Claire let alone people interested in gray areas. It was cool seeing that he used to be partners with Claude and how conflicted he was about killing him. I wonder who it was Claude was hiding. Lots of great Parkman stuff too. The funniest part of the episode wasn't even in it but as a deleted scene on a DVD extra with Matt talking to an oblivious Claire about The Twilight Zone and Flintstones Chewables. Little Hiro was cute too. One of my favorite episodes so far. *****.
Chapter Eighteen: Parasites: I KNEW that Mrs. Bennet was that Mystique lady the second time. Mrs. Bennet isn't as dumb as I thought just a few episodes ago but there is such a thing as acting TOO smart. And I apologize for not giving Mohinder enough credit. He KNEW it was Sylar. Kinda fool-hardy to take him on on his own but considering the dude murdered his father I don't blame him. Now that Bennet has been caught what will happen to Matt? Great to get another scene with Nathan and Hiro. I was cheering when Ando showed up. CAN the future be changed on this show? Considering it's getting a second season (AND a spin-off) I would like to think so. I also love Peter's evolution from the most pathetic hero (he can only do the same stuff as another hero when he's close to them?) into the most potentially powerful. I personally believe he is the ONLY one of the heroes who can stop Sylar. I'm still worried about him exploding if he meets Ted but if he gets on top of that blowing up thing he'll be rolling in puppies. ****.
Chapter Nineteen: .07%: They could be trying to make Nathan the Big Bad or they COULD be trying to make his a story of redemption. I hope it's the latter but I have a sneaking suspicion it's the former. Good that Isaac got some redemption before he died. I hope whatever he did helps Hiro and Peter stop the explosion. I loved Bennet, Ted and Matt teaming up and breaking out of that prison. I think Matt is my second favorite character after Hiro (Claire is third). The scene where Candice pretended to be Claire for Bennet was creepy beyond belief. I was afraid they were going to go somewhere sexual with it and apparently that's what Candice had in mind. Mohinder teaming up with Thompson is a REALLY bad development. I loved the cliffhanger with Hiro and Future-Hiro. Can't wait for the next one! ****.
Chapter Twenty: Five Years Gone: Total worst case scenario. I was bummed and surprised that Matt turns out to be working for the wrong side if the bomb goes off so now I REALLY hope it doesn't. I was DELIGHTED and surprised that Bennet is a White Hat if it explodes but seriously, he isn't in such good shape if that happens. Now that Future Hiro is dead how does he get the message to Peter? I'm actually relieved that Nathan turned out to be Sylar even if it means Claire died. I would HATE to think that Nathan was such a monster despite Sylar's claims. I wonder how Niki got rid of Jessica. I REALLY hope Hiro is able to stop it but I don't see how he can if his information is that Sylar was responsible if it was really Peter. REALLY dark episode. Not as good as Gargoyle's Future Tense or a Deep Space Nine Mirror Universe episode but about the same high quality as Buffy's The Wish. ****.
Chapter Twenty-One: The Hard Part: It was SO obvious (and has been for a while to me at least) that the reason Peter is going to explode is because he absorbed Ted. This has got to be a kick in the pants to Peter but he should have seen it coming. Nathan is on a VERY bad path right now and I am worried about what he will do. Will he be a hero or a villain? Again, my gut says villain but I hope I'm wrong. I wasn't surprised Hiro couldn't kill Sylar especially since he was so vulnerable (him painting the explosion in his mother's blood was chilling) but it does raise questions as to whether or not the future can be changed. My gut thinks it can be or Hiro's powers wouldn't include being able to travel through time. Another clue is that Future-Hiro had no memory of present Hiro traveling into the future which suggests to me that it IS possible to alter the future. To be completely honest despite what Hiro says I'm not completely convinced altering the past is impossible either. Two more episodes to go for this season. ***1/2.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Landslide: I loved Hiro's reaction that Nathan is already a villain and I agree. Refusing to help him puts him squarely in the bad guy camp as far as I'm concerned. I loved Linderman healing Nathan's wife. I'm annoyed that DL died because it's just another instance of the black guy always dying in science fiction. It's cheap and stupid.. I'm also bummed that Matt was taken out although that makes Bennet and Mohinder's stand-off that much a better cliffhanger. I don't think they need to kill Molly at all. I think hiding her would do just as well. Sylar is SCARY. I knew he was going to take out Ted but it still was frightening. I also loved Hiro's father teaching him to fight just because it's great to see George Takei use those mad fencing skills he showed off in Star Trek's The Naked Time. I really hope Hiro manages to save Ando. If Ando is the only thing keeping him such a fun character I want him alive at all costs. ****.
Chapter Twenty-Three: How to Stop an Exploding Man: Okay, I heard rumblings over the internet that the Heroes finale was a disappointment (I still managed to avoid most spoilers) but I can't see how. That was awesome! They are ALL Heroes! Even Bennet and Nathan! How cool is that? I loved the idea that both Niki AND Jessica are good and that Nathan saved the day! And DL isn't quite as dead as I thought he was! I'm disappointed Sylar didn't die but Hiro DID stop him before he did serious damage. I can't wait for next year because this season just SCREAMED origin. I wonder if everybody will team up at some point. I KNEW Claire couldn't shoot Peter but I think Nathan's way was better anyways. Ando survived too! I want to know who Molly's untraceable Big Bad is. I love the idea that Sylar might just be a small fish compared to him. The cliffhanger was awesome and hilarious too. I bet the Godsend sign has something to do with the Ultimate Evil. I also bet Matt survives his wounds. Nathan living could be a bit trickier but he could have let go of Peter right before he exploded and flew away. I love this show and I thought the finale was awesome. I don't know WHAT critics and fans were complaining about. *****.
Unaired Pilot (Tim Kring Cut): I'm gonna be honest. I like the regular pilot "Genesis" better because of all the loose threads this one left dangling that weren't followed up on because some of the characters and plots were cut. How did Matt know the terrorist? How did Mohinder meet Sylar? Where did Micah go? It's an intriguing look at what might have been but I like what actually happened in the continuity better. ***1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward: The Day of Awakening
The second batch of episodes is MUCH better than the first. It still sometimes feels as if the writing has taken a downgrade from the original series but the story arcs and plot-lines finally go somewhere. I suspected this would be the case but the first season was SUCH a let-down that I was nervous that the show wouldn't really recover. I'm still not a huge fan of the future format but the situation is growing on me even if some of the characters aren't (I'm looking at YOU Cody Jones). Season Two Average: ***1/2.
The Gaminator: Decent episode. It reminded me of a holodeck episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I liked how Mikey was the expert for this episode since it dealt with videogames. ***.
Graduation Day: Class of 2105: The episode was all right. My biggest gripe is that the lessons Mike learned will be totally forgotten later in the series. At least the old show had some character growth. And Splinter's lessons were kind of obvious and ham-fisted. ***.
Timing Is Everything: EXCELLENT episode. I am surprised and impressed. The concept of the hundred year old letter was a great one (and Serling totally blowing off the Triceraton Postman was hilarious). I also really like how the time travel plot included bringing Shredder briefly into the future. It doesn't exactly wreck continuity either since Shredder usually keeps dealings of this sort close to his vest. I like how once Shredder entered Sho'Kanobo's lair he proceeded to try to take over. ****1/2.
Enter the Jammerhead: I liked Jammerhead fighting the Turtles with martial arts but Starley's family were annoying beyond belief. The old Jewish stereotypes were quite ugly to watch. **.
Milk Run: Good episode. I love that the Triceraton named Boss Zucco seemed to be a Batman reference. I found the end a little bit confusing though (I wasn't sure if the Triceratons were the bad guys or not) but the next episode cleared that up. ***1/2.
The Fall of Darius Dunn: I liked this episode a lot. I had been waiting for Darius to finally slip up but I had envisioned this episode to be similar to the fall Lex Luthor took in Injustice For All on Justice League. The episode was still pretty good though and it was good seeing the evil Turtle clones back. I liked Clone Raph confusing a put-down from Mikey as a compliment. ****.
Turtle X-Tinction: I think it was a good idea to give Serling a bit of character development but it was somewhat clumsily handled. I got what they were going for though so I liked this episode too. ****.
Race For Glory: Decent episode but I'm not that huge a Triple Threat fan. I liked the call-back to Planet Racers and wonder if the Falcon in this episode is any relation. Probably, but we'll have to wait for a future episode to find out. **1/2.
Head of State: REALLY cool episode. Not only is Bishop reformed but it looks like they are going to reform Baxter Stockman too! Wild. We'll see if the ending is retconned or not in the future. As it stands it's really cool to see some of the Turtles best known villains being shown a chance for redemption. *****.
DNA Is Thicker Than Water: I pretty much enjoyed the episode the entire way through. But I think Leo telling Dark Leo the story of the Scorpion and the Frog wasn't such a great idea, especially considering the circumstances. But it was kind of cool to note the differences between the regular Turtles and the clones and that the Turtles kindness might have changed them for the better, if only a little bit. ****.
The Cosmic Completist: I liked the episode but I didn't love it. The Pokemon parody WAS hysterical but the plot of this episode reminded me a lot of Superman's The Main Man. However, the way the villain was defeated was quite different. ***1/2.
The Zixxth Sense: I'm glad the Turtles outsmarted Zixx at the end because they've been punked by him entirely too much on this series. Still, since the Earth was never really in jeopardy (which I suspected) I imagine this will gut the impact of rewatches (which is an important factor for cartoons). ***.
The Day of Awakening: I liked the (series?) finale very much and thought it was pretty swell. I liked Leo, Mike and Splinter fighting the virus at the end. If I have any complaints it's that Cody saves the day WAAAYYY too often on this show. Star Trek had a similar character: he was called Wesley Crusher. Do the Turtles really want to go there? Also, even though Bishop is a good guy now I always got the sense that he was still a little bit dangerous. This episode defanged him a little too much. However I'm glad that Sho'Kanabo was conclusively defeated and probably won't be back. I think that recurring villains are important for cartoons but sometimes you need a decisive win for the good guys to make everything worthwhile. They could retcon this but they didn't really retcon Shredder's defeat at the end of season three so I don't expect them to. I'm really beginning to like this show and I hope there is another season. ****1/2.