Among the highlights, Sylar killed Nathan at the end of Season 3 and shape shifted into Nathan, but Angela got Matt Parkman to make Sylar in Nathan's body think he (Sylar) is really Nathan. But Parkman learns he has a price to pay - Sylar's persona is now inhabiting part of Parkman's head, and he comes out to advise and needle Parkman and otherwise make life difficult for him. We've of course seen this set-up before with Baltar and Six on Battlestar Galactica, and even with House and Amber, but Zachary Quinto did a good job of it anyway as Parkman's internal nemesis.
Over in Tokyo, we do get some bad news - Hiro is dying - but, as always, nothing is necessarily permanent with time travel. I've got to admit that I'm always in the mood for a time travel story, and Heroes has done well with such threads over the years. Hiro at first vows he'll never again try to change the past - he realizes, in prime metaphysician form, that it's too dangerous (and he's right) - but he goes back more than a decade into the past anyway, and does a good deed for Ando's love life. He accidentally stops Ando from spilling a slushy all on Kimiko (Hiro's sister), which open the door to their falling in love. The takeaway for Hiro: he now knows he can change the past for the better, and he'll use his powers to correct his own mistakes in the past, the punishing metaphysics of time travel notwithstanding.
Apropos such high falutin' terminology like metaphysics, Claire's a freshman in college now, and so is Gretchen (new to Heroes, played by Madeline Zima from Californication, which will also be back on Showtime this Sunday). HRG's turning into about as good a guy we've so far seen, and he's creating an alliance with Tracy.
At the other side of the spectrum from university life, there are a new group of possible villains led by Samuel, centered around a carnival. Too soon to tell yet what they're really up to, but like most else in this premiere they were refreshing to see.
I'll keep you letting you know how it all works out.
8-min podcast review of Heroes
See also reviews of Season 3 Heroes Gets Lost ... Heroes 3 Begins: Best Yet, Riddled with Time Travel and Paradox ... Sylar's Redemption and other Heroes and Villains Mergers ... Costa Nuclear ... Hearts of Gold and the Debased ... Seeing the Future Trumps Time Travel ... Superpowered Chess with Shifting Pieces ... Villains and Backstories ... The Redemption of Sylar ... Thoughts on the Eclipse, Part I ... The Lore of the Comic Book Store ... Hiro's Time Traveling Closure ... Augmented ... Shades of Recalibration ... Baby, Rebel, and Last Fantasy ... All that Shape Changes Remains the Same? ... Season 3 Finale: Hopeful Deceptions
4 comments:
Nathan died last season at the hands of Sylar. Sylar was rendered unconcious by Peter and the choice was made to turn Sylar(with his newly aquired shap-shifting ablilities) into Nathan by wiping the Sylar persona and making Sylar actually belive he was Nathan.
Everything else you stated was correct. But Nathan is dead. All we have now is Sylar's body thinking it's Nathan.
Thanks - I was more clear about this in my review of the Season 3 finale in April - and I clarified in my post above here :)
Hey, Paul, great review. I'm on a business trip and meetings are running into the evening, so missed the Heroes premiere and haven't had a chance to catch up on it on Hulu yet. This was just enough to wet my whistle without actually spoiling too terribly much about what to expect.
I wonder if you've had a chance to read Heroes & Philosophy yet? I've got a couple of essays in it related to the science of the show, and there's a great Authors@Google discussion about the philosophical implications of Heroes by Tyler Shores, one of the other authors who also has an essay in it.
I look forward to seeing what you have to say about the other upcoming premieres.
Actually Paul, I loved Samuel and his bunch -- once we learn what they are up to. But, like any gimmick introduced this late into a series, it might be TOO LATE. Where were these people all these years when the company and then the government was hunting people with powers? How did they hide? Etc.
The other problem I had with them, is the Sylar problem. Obviously, there is an easier way to fix him. Have the Haitian wipe his memory. But no, we don't use the Haitian for the Sylar problem, because we want to bring Sylar back as a baddie.
You know what -- I am tired of Sylar. Make him go away.
Finally, the time travel. Sorry, real time travel doesn't work that way. Who knows how much of history Hiro changed by that one act from Samuel and him 14 years ago. I don't like this path he's embarked on. It's a loser.
I think "Heroes" has finally jumped the shark as they say, and is heading for the scrap heap. Too bad, because it had its moments, some of which were visible even this Monday. HRG with Tracy, even Peter. Loved all of Peters moments.
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