weewarrior | Heroes 2.03

Seriously? I have been trying to finish this review for hours. I hate having the flu. Spoilers for Heroes behind the cut.

I presume not very many people can make "Previously on Heroes" sound quite as dirty as Adrian Pasdar does. Thank you, Adrian.

"So silly, trying to be something you are not" - Sylar's sentence is not only highly ironic, it also proves to be some sort of a theme for most of the characters in this episode: Peter isn't a thief and not really Ricky's "brother;" Hiro isn't just Kensei's good buddy and Yaeko's platonic friend, much as he wants to be; Claire, Micah and Niki aren't normal, Mohinder is not James Bond, and Betty, of course, is neither Candice nor Michelle, only very much dead.

Speaking of Little Miss Hallucination, I know that Missy Peregrym is on another show, but given that Candice is a character you could actually convincingly recast - as they even do here - I don't quite see the point of killing her off. At least the question who employed her is somewhat intriguing - not the Company, from the looks of it, since they would have likely kept Sylar in a technically more advanced area with more personnel.

Plot and presumably character development relevant: Even though he tried valiantly, Sylar couldn't take Candice's power, which means he'll now have to run for presidency the conventional way - if he manages to get out of those woods any time soon, that is. Since his symptoms seem to indicate that he has contracted the virus, I'm wondering if there are different mutations now - the Haitian, after all, seemed to decline rather rapidly, while Sylar seems to be up and about despite a nasty chest wound. Of course, maybe he didn't contract the virus in a natural way but was infected with it, which could have happened at any point during the last few months I guess.

Since shirtless Milo doesn't really do it for me, the most amusing part of the Ireland storyline is still Peter doing exactly what he always criticized in his father: hanging with criminals, and even helping them committing crimes. Of course, Ricky is somewhat nicer than Linderman and even doesn't shoot people when he can help it, so I guess it's a bit of a difference.

As Ricky continues determinedly on his "dumb, but honorable lug with marshmallow centre" path I'm all the more convinced he won't make it. While I saw at least superficial parallels to Nathan last week, I'd say that he now reminds me much more of Petrelli Sr. at the beginning of War Buddies - better reaction to display of powers aside - and I'm wondering if this plays into Peter's wish of being accepted by this family - he couldn't get his father's respect, but he sure got Ricky's.

Caitlin and Peter already becoming a couple didn't surprise me, but didn't really interest me, either. I liked that she was actively involved in Plan Rob the Bookie, rather than tending bar at home, though.

Points of interest: Peter's vicious glee at choking Will, which goes a great deal to explain why he is hesitant to open THE BOX and probably reveal himself as ~~one of the younger members of a much more dysfunctional clan~~ a cold-blooded killer, the tattoo turning first into a snake then into Kensei's sign then disappearing - so much for brotherhood - and the eye-soring decision to let Peter and Ricky have their first conversation in a striped and a plaid shirt respectively. No fashion in Ireland, apparently.

Hiro, meanwhile, is not Takezo Kensei, nor is he Yaeko's lover, like he by now wishes to be; Kensei isn't Kensei either, at least not the one Hiro wants because he used to be in his childhood stories, nor is he the gentle man Yaeko wants to be hers, but from the looks of it, he might try for that.

Again, I really liked Kensei - from freaking out at Hiro - "You've cursed me!" to experimenting and delighting at what he was able to do and of course coming to the likeliest conclusion, namely that this will make him rich and powerful, to his reaction to the 90 angry ronin.
His "No one is going to stop me, because no one can stop me!" was more on the sinister side and could verge on anvilicious, depending on later developments, but for now he seems very much on the trip to herodom, which makes Hiro's decision to stay all the more likely to be extremely foolish. Oh, Hiro, you stupid, crushing little fanboy.

This was easily my favourite storyline this week, even though the framing device with Hiro writing notes for Ando, while a nice touch, made for rather jerky pacing. I still enjoy all characters involved - although Yaeko tended a bit on the generic side this time around, which hopefully won't become a habit. This being network TV, they will of course never become a threesome, but personally, I could see them ride off into the sunset together - which is probably the fever talking. Also? Masi Oka looks actually quite fetching in a kimono.

What else? Niki is back and apparently in contact with the Company, or at least Bob, who promises to cure her for one small favour, which sadly enough likely doesn't involve sex with Nathan again.
Like Micah says, this will probably end badly; and her insistence that they have to be "normal" is of course completely fruitless, as Micah's Great Aunt is awesomely played by Nichelle Nichols, and you can't tell me she doesn't have a power, in addition to being the greatest- looking septuagenarian right next to George Takei.

And then there is of course D.L.. Poor, poor D.L. - I have no idea if I should be more sad for you because you were swiftly cast aside by the show, or because one of your insane relatives apparently saw it fit to name you after Daniel Linderman. As for anyone wondering about his cause of death, going by the date he didn't die of his wounds, so I'm boldly coming out and saying that he contracted the virus - it could easily explain why Niki wants to be "cured" by the Company, and is less tacky than having him be the only one who died in result of Kirby Plaza.

Matt, Mohinder and Molly were cute and domestic, and Mohinder feels like he is increasingly in over his head with Bob. I agree with you, dude. I'm also beginning to find all those dire warnings about Mo possibly dying a little anvillicious, but I don't think he'll kick the bucket just yet.

Not to forget newer folks, we also spend some time with Maya y Alejandro, wherein Alejandro gets to play worst car thief ever, and Maya bails her brother out of jail by effectively using her power to poison the guards; they end up hitching a hike from Alejandro's cellmate, who, most ironically, might be the person who stole Claire's car, or is otherwise at least affiliated to her Highschool, given his mascot bumpersticker.

Speaking of Clairebear, I'm patiently, if somewhat indulgingly waiting for her storyline to develop into more interesting directions. Confronting West with his annoying behaviour was good, and his wisking her away for a quick flight was admittedly charming, if rather risqué - does he really think no one in California ever looks up? That she didn't tell him she knew other flying people was rather grating, but at least his reveal about Bennet could make for some intriguing developments.

Speaking of whom, Bennet doesn't have a whole lot to do this week, but gets a portent of doom - the second of Isaac's series of eight paintings, allegedly the last one in the sequence - which, given how much they blundered last time on this one, seems unlikely - which shows a presumably dead, bespectacled man who looks suspiciously like Bennet, lying before a rather indifferent Claire making out with a mysterious dark stranger. Oh dear.

Next week: Matt gets his detective on, Molly identifies the NIGHTMARE MAN (thank you,