(S01E12) The month off was enough for me to start missing the show. Chapter Twelve opens two weeks after we last saw our heroes. Jessica has spent the intervening time pummeling prison guards from the looks of the fearful battered bunch that enter Niki/Jessica's cell in the opening scene. Not to worry, Jessica is concocting an insanity defense. Maybe "concocting" is too strong a word. Niki does have a really strong insanity defense. She and her husband D.L. have essentially exchanged places. Now she's the perceived dangerous criminal and D.L. is the sole protector of their son Micha.
Hardly anything has gone the heroes' way during the hiatus. Sure, the Artist came out of his time in Odessa cured of heroin addiction, and is now able to paint without it, but most of the others are still suffering in the wake of previous events.
Matt Parkman is back on the FBI's shit list after HRG (Claire's dad) uses the Haitian's ability to successfully block a search of the paper factory that hides the secret hero-buster base. Matt's FBI partner sure is fickle. Hasn't she had enough direct evidence of her temporary partner's psychic abilities in the past? She should have stuck by him again here, but she caves when he own boss comes down of her. Maybe this setback is what leads Matt to finally tell his wife the truth about his power.
Nathan Petrelli, after a few pro-forma objects for prying ears, finally gives in and starts to allow, that yes, maybe something bigger than his own reputation is at stake here. NBC picked the funniest moment of the show, the Nathan/Hiro "villain" pronunciation scene, to preview all over TV and the web the past few weeks, but it was still funny seeing it again here in context. All the Hiro and Ando stuff was fun as usual. (So far Heroes has avoided much of the product placement moments that increasingly fuel NBC shows. But this week Hiro makes a pointed reference to the Nissan Versa in an issue of 9th Wonders that he and Ando "drive everywhere.")
The Artist's rendering of Hiro fighting a dinosaur with his samurai sword (well, samurai scabbard anyway) turned out to be a red herring and a bit of a disappointment. A CGI dinosaur rampaging down Fifth Avenue, or a very long trip into the past for Hiro, would have been over the top anyway. I prefer to forget the dinosaur painting incident, which is a waste of good precognition and acrylics. Simone did roll that painting up to take to the as-yet-unseen Linderman, so we are probably not done with it.
Simone says Linderman buys as much of the Artist's work as he can, which surely is another clue the Lindeman knows more about what is going on than the average billionaire. Unless he's just really into comics.
Now that most of the cast that dropped in on Odessa has left again, and HRG has used the Haitian to wipe Zach's memory, Claire is more alone and at a loss how to proceed than ever. She even has the time to ask the question that was on every viewer's mind some weeks ago. What the hell does "save the cheerleader. save the world" even mean? I appreciate the nod to the fans, but at this date it might have been better to just to let that one go. I blame the marketing department for overworking that phrase, and I just hope they go easier on "Are you on the list?" So far, they have seemed to. The show is good enough, and popular enough, without overclocking catchphrases.
Claire does have the Haitian on her side, as he reminds her, but she has to keep his aid to her secret from her father, who she has more reason that ever to mistrust. So she starts to rebuild her friendship with the now heterosexual Zach. If Peter's dreams are a true indication, The Cheerleader should be getting her butt to New York in the next three weeks anyway.
Speaking of New York, Mohinder is back from India and hot on the trial of Sylar. Yeah, he's a little out to the loop. But he's soon brought up to speed. HRG drops in to mess with his head, then apologizes and ask Mohinder to join his hero-containment efforts. Even the very big gun HRG plants on the table doesn't sway Mohinder. So HRG leaves his business card. The name, website, and 800 number of the cover paper supply company are so clearly shown in close up that I'm sure you can guess without even checking that NBC has set up for some online adventure of some kind: www.primatechpaper.com/ (1-800-PRIMA16). Evidently, they're hiring.
And speaking of HRG in New York, the dude really does get around. For all we know, he has a teleportation ability, or maybe access to someone else's ability.
Peter has a dream similar to his last one, which jolts him back out of that coma the first one sent him into. In the dream Nathan clearly communicates he can help Peter. Maybe by self-sacrifice and flying themselves into orbit? However, once he bolts from the hospital, Peter makes plans to head for the open desert where, he sensibly reasons, an exploding Nuclear Boy will do the least harm. Meanwhile the real Nuclear Man is holed up in a shack somewhere playing with himself, so to speak.
Peter's plane reservation plans are interrupted. He meets an invisible guy (Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston), who looks to be yet another bad-off fellow who's power is much more a curse than a blessing. I do wonder why the first thing we see him steal is money, though when he 
can't use it to pay for anything. Poor guy, probably just bored. I'm looking forward to seeing how he and Peter interact next week, as a pair of invisible dudes, and how invisibility can possibly help Peter not become a nuke.
Doctor Who panel - Comic-Con Report
NBC's Kings panel - Comic-Con Report
The Dharma Initiative wants you - VIDEO - Comic-Con Report
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-23-2007 @ 8:09AM
La-di-dah said...
This episode was tight! - as in tightly controlled and fun and exciting. They did not let me get bored for even a second (plus I think I missed the show too, well and good). I now even find myself interested in Niki/Jessica (they have to find a way to align her story/goals with the heroes mission, don't they? Anytime soon?) and how cool is it that Niki might finally be realizing her superstrength - I hope she'll whine less and crazy less. I also found myself interested in Mohinder and his list (fantastic scene between him and HRG, um, Mr. Bennett). When is he going to meet Parkman and pardner. And Zach and Claire are back! Indestructible girl and sidekick - I hope this friendship duo stay far away from HRG this time. And Nathan meeting the artist meeting Hiro and Ando - I can't take the excitement! Now, I am sure Sylar is only on hiatus until he can escape, but Linderman is sure promising to be ... probably a menace. All I am saying is that it was an intense and fantastic spring welcome. Can't wait for invisible guy and Peter! Why do we have to wait til Monday again?
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1-23-2007 @ 8:47AM
margot said...
p.s. I didn't realize they had done more graphic novels during the hiatus. What a bad fan I am!
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1-23-2007 @ 8:47AM
margot said...
Allright. I just want to be sure I got this:
Sprague (the radioactive hands guy who we saw in the desert in this episode) is the same guy who Matt and the FBI agent found and his wife died and such? I thought he had died in a car crash, but perhaps that was staged(?). I was reading the latest graphic novel and it said his wife died, but a year ago, so the timing would be off. The novel also introduced another hero who can, uh, see words. You'll see what I mean.
I appreciate any clarification. Thanks!
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1-23-2007 @ 9:13AM
Dave t. said...
OK I just finished my review and liked it too. Margot, I believe radioactive man blew up that car you saw in the crash to escape and that was definitely him in the cabin.
Did anyone else the clips on NBC.com and the extra clip that debuted a new character Wireless? I can't believe they leave out a major character introduction and just do it online. Is there any confirmation on that TVS?
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1-23-2007 @ 9:41AM
Will said...
Anyone notice from the description of next week's episode that Hiro's dad shows up...and he's being played by George Takei?! Please tell me they're joking. I'd like to think my favorite show is above stunt-casting antics like this. I like Takei but all he's going to be is a distraction on the show.
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1-23-2007 @ 9:42AM
Grishny said...
The graphic novel didn't say his wife died a year ago; it just showed her sick in the hospital a year ago. We saw her death on the show last year, in show time probably only about a week or two ago.
I have a theory that Linderman might turn out to be HRG's heretofore unseen employer; the "top brass" we hear him on the phone talking to in "Fallout." And speaking of HRG's jet-setting ... maybe he's like "Multiple Man" and can be in many places at once.
This is one of the things that I think makes this show so successful. It's not only engaging and fun to watch, but it's fun to speculate in between episodes.
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1-23-2007 @ 9:42AM
Arkangyl said...
I dunno if anyone else caught this, but the radioactive hands guy was holed up in the Nevada desert (according to the words placing him there), coincidently where Peter was headed to avoid "blowing up".
You can conclude that if Peter were to stay where he was in New York, then he would never blow up because he wouldn't be close enough to radioactive guy's hands to absorb his powers. If he still heads to Nevada, his vision of blowing up will come true.
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1-23-2007 @ 10:14AM
Michael Canfield said...
Will: yes Takei is confirmed, see this post by Julia:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/18/george-takei-joins-cast-of-heroes/
Dave t.: Just caught the Wireless clip, my guess is that she will show up on the show soon, since Sprague is still holed up in his cabin during the clip.
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1-23-2007 @ 10:28AM
Haggis said...
In the book Drawing of the Three, Stephen King also featured a multiple-personality character much like Niki/Jessica. One was really nice and innocent, and the other was a horrible violent person. In the end both parts of her personality "merged" into a whole brand new one with both parts. She had the kindness of the "good" one, and the strength and cunning of the "evil" one. I forsee this same thing happening to our dear Ali Larter. Just a thought...
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1-23-2007 @ 10:43AM
JTS said...
Although I'm sure glad the show is back, I was a little disappointed in this episode. Was it me, or did it feel like absolutely nothing happened? We spent way too much time with Parkman (pretty boring) and a little too much time with Claire, who obviously has it rough, but her teen angsty feelings of loneliness really don't fit well into the plot. A freaking city is going to explode for god's sake.
The one thing that this episode highlighted and Grishny talked about above is the relationship between Linderman is tied into this thing way deeper than we originally thought. He now has links to virtually every one of the Heroes, and finding out where exactly he fits into the puzzle will really be the key to the rest of the season.
On a side note, did anyone else think it was wierd that Syler is being held in some super secure cell, but that somehow bugs were able to get in? And how the hell did they sedate him? Did I miss something? I thought he pulled Eden right through the glass. How did he not escape?
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1-23-2007 @ 10:44AM
David said...
What is Jessica's power? The Super Insane Woman?
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1-23-2007 @ 10:58AM
Will said...
I'm so glad that this show is back. It seems like more happens in 1 episode than an entire month of Lost.
Did the prison guard not see it when D.L. reached through and touched Nikki? I guess that divider thing was in the way. I'm not so big on their storyline, but I guess it'll get better when they reconnect with the others.
I like that Nathan was a little less evil in this episode.
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1-23-2007 @ 11:10AM
tom_squick said...
awesome!
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1-23-2007 @ 11:18AM
Sam said...
Regarding the (whats the name of that car again, I couldn't quite read the huge flashing neon signs), Hiro's cars. I think it might be a subtle jab of the writers that the character who keeps mentioning it is English impaired Hiro, since until I started reading the web comic, I thought he drove a nissan bulsa.
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1-23-2007 @ 12:11PM
Jonathan Harford said...
Haggis, I've been thinking exactly the same thing! One more vote for the Stephen-King-esque theory of webcam ho unification. That said, I find that family's storyline WAY DULL. And what's with the common TV conceit that crazy people have super-strength? I mean, wouldn't anybody think it's strange that a woman snapped a prison guard's baton in half?
I didn't think "villain" was that funny, but I did like Hiro's shrug and "Eh, good enough."
Fun fact (that really has nothing to do with Heroes, really): I looked up the guy who plays Radioactive Man to see if he's the GEICO caveman. (Right?) 1. No, it's John Lehr (of Noah Baumbach's early films and TBS comedy 10 Items Or Less) and 2. He gets asked that ALL THE TIME. Ha!
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1-23-2007 @ 12:12PM
Carly said...
I loved this episode. I think the carryover from last year was great, although I agree with the Heroes spoilers blog I like that some of the characters physically looked different, like HRG went on a diet. It's at http://heroes-spoilers.blogspot.com/ . I also would prefer there not be a promotion or a web game during the episode, like with flashing the paper company website on the screen. I thought Lost lagged when they started their website last year. Besides that, the introduction of Claude was pretty interesting. He uses his power of invisibility to be the best pickpocket - not exactly the classic role model of a hero. That ambiguity is one reason a lot of people are really interested in Heroes.
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1-23-2007 @ 2:14PM
Amy said...
JTS - YES! I did wonder about the bug! That bug made NO SENSE AT ALL! Not only did I think about how they should really seal the cracks in that place, but I also thought that if this is a super-secure testing lab for the Heroes, then shouldn't it at least be STERILE??? And then I kept waiting for a bit of foreshadowing or something with the bug - like Sylar blowing up the bug like the cartoon roaches in the Raid commercials - but it never came!
However, bug aside, it was a really, really cool episode, and they should never be allowed to take a month off again!!!
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1-23-2007 @ 2:20PM
FAP said...
Inviso guy can use the cash. He can deposit in a bank using an ATM and purchase stuff online. Stuff that might be difficult for him to carry around.
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1-23-2007 @ 3:22PM
LC said...
I like that they have the online comics and other things, but I would have to assume that most casual viewers watch just the show itself and it bothers me that some scenes leave you guessing unless you read the comic.
I too was wondering how Sylar was still in a cell. It wouldn't have been too much for HRG to say to the Hatian something like "Thank God we got here in time before he got out".
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1-23-2007 @ 4:43PM
megan said...
@ jts: sylar didn't escape because hrg and the hatian came in right after the incident with eden. it was in one of the online comics at nbc.com.
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