I don't mean to be an @ss to the people who are not liking the show, but the writers are doing exactly what the viewers wanted them to do for the entire second season. They sped the action up to an almost frantic, manic level like at the very end of season one. This was what everybody was clamoring for throughout season two. All I read during the second season was, "this show is too slow. Nothing happens. They need to stop taking so long for characters to develop. We need more action." etc. etc. Now everybody is complaining? I guess the lesson should be to be careful what you ask for, as you may get it. The writers are giving the fans exactly what they've been saying they wanted - more nonstop action and plot twists.
Lesson 1: People just like to complain. They'll find a reason to complain about anything. I think everyone needs to realize that we're 4 episodes in and you are not supposed to understand everything at this point. It's just like season 1 where they confuse you and then reveal bits of info later that make you say, "Ohhhhhhh."
Re: Peter the Killer I didn't like that new wrinkle in the least. Peter in a sense already had a power akin to Sylar - he could take anyone's power he encountered. The difference was, his was by osmosis, whereas Sylar had to physically inspect the brain. Why Peter needs Sylar's power and why he couldn't just take it in like normal is baffling (at least for now in absence of explanation). Why Sylar's compulsion for collecting more powers is being tied into his power is dubious, and somewhat detracts from his S1 origin story episode. That it was a compulsion was always clear - it's just that killing was a necessary step in the process for him. The compulsion to take powers didn't have to be an actual, inseparable part of his power. In fact, I always felt that if Peter gave Sylar his power, it would end Sylar's serial killing spree (and would be a fun dilemma for the show). That Peter now (and immediately) can't resist slicing open anyone he sees is tough to accept. He already has Nathan's power, can take any power he wants naturally.....but he can't stop himself from carving his own brother up? Is it just to "see" how it's working? The way this got introduced and so immediately became an uncontrollable urge just felt forced and badly written. Sort of like all the badly done romances from S2.....the forced Hiro/Ando division......the Claire/Adam resurrecting blood idea......
Again, Sylar's power is telekenesis. It's the only power he's ever had. Peter already has that power. It's been that way from the beginning. Peter cannot take anything else from Sylar because Sylar has no other powers. He can perform them because he knows how they work not because he somehow absorbed their ability. The reason Peter loses control with his brother is that wants to see what Nathan is thinking with regards to the situation and the "full proliferation" he talked about. He stops when he realizes what he's doing.
A. I've stated repeatedly that the show is still good, and that I still enjoy it. In a post from a couple weeks ago, I praised them for following through on their pledge to learn from their S2 mistakes. B. That bad writing is getting in the way is a separate issue from the pace. No one (that I've seen) is complaining about the faster pace and increased conflict. People are complaining about crummy, Highlander 7-level writing. Evan
No, it's not. That was the first power he lifted off from a victim. If Sylar's power (taking other's power) isn't an actual "power" but gleamed from pure knowledge.....I can accept that Peter can't lift that off of him (though it makes the power even more absurd - looking at your brain tells me how to make my brain like yours?). I can't read that scene any way other than Peter being unable to resist the urge to inspect Nathan's brain...can't see at as Peter's way of killing his own brother after realizing a doomsday truth. If he wanted to kill him, he would have just killed him with a fireball or some such, not with the can opener.
You're right about him lifting it from his first victim. I forgot about that. That does mean that he doesn't really have a power which would seem to match with what Mohinder's dad told hiim (that he didn't have a special ability). I don't think it's an absurd idea to think that's how he learns powers, at all. In fact, it was the reason that he and Peter are (or were) polar opposites. I didn't mean to insinuate that he wanted to kill his brother. I fully agree with you that he wanted to inspect Nathan's brain but my point was that he wanted to inspect it to see what his real goal was. After all, he already has the same power as Nathan.
I appreciate what you say and I do understand the distinction that you are making, but I think one is part and parcel of the other. If you want increased speed and action in a serial one hour show, you are going to necessarily end up with a side effect of more plot holes and wackiness. Different writing mediums like films can avoid this because they have more time to rewrite and rewrite. I think your standard of increased action without side effects on the rest of the writing, while admirable, may not be realistic. As you say, better writers could probably handle that, but it is hard to get the modern equivalent of Joseph Conrad or Graham Greene to write for a pulpy TV gig.
I also liked: 'What's the magic word?' 'Abra-cadabra!' 'Ok.. well, that's *a* magic word, so I guess it counts..' LOL
The show has changed quite a bit from season 1 and 2. It happens. I still like it better than season 2.
I liked this episode and I dont spend time thinking about some small plot lines... Just wonder what is going to happen and does anyone know how many season of heroes there will be??
Sylar's power is understanding how things work, he even SAYS IT OUT LOUD in this episode if there was any doubt. There is no reason for Peter to be wanting to look at brains.
I fully agree with you there. I hope I'm not coming across as "This shows sucks! Anyone that likes it is a moron!" I like the show a lot - I'm just hopeful they smooth out some of the flaws. If the flaws worsen, they'll get in the way of my enjoying the show.
I just watched that episode again. You can hear Peter say that he needs to know Future Nathan's true intentions, that is why he was about to slice his head open. It's the hunger talking that came along with having Sylar's ability of knowing how things work. On a side note, I always thought that there was something peculiar about Knox (the black dude who turns people's fear into his strength). I finally realized what it was: Spoiler He's Carl Landry!
It is a plot hole because. . Peter has Parkman's Telepathy How does cutting a person's head open and reading his mind better than simply reading his mind ALSO Has Peter [or Sylar] used TWO ABILITIES at ONE TIME? Rocket River
Maybe Peter can only read current thoughts but can't go in and pull out memories, motivations, or things the other person isn't actively thinking about.
I don't think either ever has. At least none of the "active" abilities. The regeneration one seems to be on all the time though. It seems they'd have to practice using multiple different abilities in sequence in order for it to appear seamless. Right now they have to think about which ability to use next, which is why you can have a scene where Peter brain farts and lets the Gabriel nuke go off. Does he teleport himself out? Stop time? Teleport himself and Gabriel out? Just that hesitation is enough for things to go bad. I could see at some point, once enough different powers were acquired, that they'd only have to determine the action they want to take and the needed power will automatically invoke to produce the result.
I know a couple of scientists and engineers who look at something and they can't just appreciate it. They have to describe the forces and break it down into components, forces, or equations - they see a stereo speaker and their first thought is the relationship between the maximum width of the cone, and the lowest frequency which can be reproduced, for instance. The music coming from the speaker is almost an afterthought. Everything in the world is an engineering/physics problem for them. The 'Sylar impulse' reminded me of the way these people view with the world. This was always the dichotomy in some way between Sylar and Peter to me and one that they really seemed to play up in the first season. They both did more or less the same thing, but Peter did it by approaching the target emotionally and with empathy, while Sylar didn't feel anything for them, but took them apart like someone rebuilding a car engine. Peter was the empathetic humanist and Sylar the cold, distant scientist. This compulsion plays right into that for me.
