maybe the thing that bothers me about the series--it seems to blame overinvolved mothers for male psychopathology while attributing heroism to having had a distant father--is intended.
There's no way I can speak for the writers' intentions, but I just never saw this. You could just as easily see a socioeconomic source for criminal and other antisocial behavior, or a lack of moral fiber. To me, it's just a part of the larger story like any other, and in one case, with the Petrellis, there is an overinvolved mother. This is the only storyline where that's the case. Mohinder's got a distant father, but a loving and supportive mother; Niki has a physically abusive father and no mother figure to speak of; Hiro's got a strict and unemotional father (and no mother to speak of, either). Noah Bennet sprang fully formed from the sea foam, and for some reason decided that he wanted to hunt down mutants for a living - but also have a loving and stable nuclear family, only realizing too late that those two things are incompatible.
I just see far too much complexity to have something like that bother me, and I also think it's a valid approach to story. Tennessee Williams had his sex and gender hangups, but his stories work, even if there's not a healthy relationship to be found anywhere. I know I'm a moron for comparing Heroes to Tennessee Williams, but to me a story is a story is a story.
I totally agree that it is a story like Tennessee Williams. I probably noticed the evil mother theme more than anything else because I usually look for a character to identify with in stories and I'm at that mother stage of life.
Sylar was the primary example for me, his status as the villian was dumped at the feet of his poor mom in Queens.
The mothers on the show are lame or immoral. Only the LA lawyer pregnant mom seems OK. But from my experience you lose your saintly madonna qualities once the fetus is born. Niki is struggling for hero status. At the finale of saga 1 it seemed like she could have killed Sylar with her super strenght, but went to sit on the side with her son and wounded husband.
I haven't seen the premire of the new show yet because my recording got bumped by stupid South Park. I'm glad that the network (what network is it even on? I've only seen the DVDs) is repeating it on Saturday.
There's no way I can speak for the writers' intentions, but I just never saw this. You could just as easily see a socioeconomic source for criminal and other antisocial behavior, or a lack of moral fiber. To me, it's just a part of the larger story like any other, and in one case, with the Petrellis, there is an overinvolved mother. This is the only storyline where that's the case. Mohinder's got a distant father, but a loving and supportive mother; Niki has a physically abusive father and no mother figure to speak of; Hiro's got a strict and unemotional father (and no mother to speak of, either). Noah Bennet sprang fully formed from the sea foam, and for some reason decided that he wanted to hunt down mutants for a living - but also have a loving and stable nuclear family, only realizing too late that those two things are incompatible.
I just see far too much complexity to have something like that bother me, and I also think it's a valid approach to story. Tennessee Williams had his sex and gender hangups, but his stories work, even if there's not a healthy relationship to be found anywhere. I know I'm a moron for comparing Heroes to Tennessee Williams, but to me a story is a story is a story.
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Sylar was the primary example for me, his status as the villian was dumped at the feet of his poor mom in Queens.
The mothers on the show are lame or immoral. Only the LA lawyer pregnant mom seems OK. But from my experience you lose your saintly madonna qualities once the fetus is born. Niki is struggling for hero status. At the finale of saga 1 it seemed like she could have killed Sylar with her super strenght, but went to sit on the side with her son and wounded husband.
I haven't seen the premire of the new show yet because my recording got bumped by stupid South Park. I'm glad that the network (what network is it even on? I've only seen the DVDs) is repeating it on Saturday.
Reply
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