Sunday, December 27, 2009

(Show Me Watcha Got) Season 4

So like most of the intelligent viewers out there, my interest in heroes fell off somewhere in season three when the Eclipse came and not much occurred. It all became contrite in my mind. But a lot of people have been telling my that season four is promising and has way better writing. So with a 3 week break on my hands I decided to give it a chance, and I can admittedly say that the writing isn't that bad and neither is the story lines (at times!). I mean there are still times that I'm just like what is the point or how is this entertaining?! But here's what's happening with a bit of take on it.

4.01 "Orientation/Jump,Push, Fall

It starts with a funeral, Samuel Sullivan(terra mover aka earth bender) lost his brother Josef and now is in search of someone to replace him in a sense. Samuel is the head of a clan that lives in the circus and freely uses their powers in the community. While a tad less creative it definitely adds color to the show. Back in the city we find Noah almost drowning in a car which later leads to him making a deal with Tracy to help get her old life back. Now while Tracy had the right to have a vendetta against every person involved in Building 26, I think it was more of a lead in thing that led to the introduction of the compass storyline and Tracy's beaten path of figuring out what she really wants to do with the rest of her free life.
Meanwhile Claire is facing college life with a over-achiever room mate who ends up dead, supposedly suicide. Yet in the midst of this she is able to make a friend who inevitably finds out her secret! Not too much of a shocker but it's one of those necessary reliable conflicts that writers rely on. Anyways Peter is Peter, he has sorta of excluded himself from the rest of the "Heroes" and is drowning himself in his work as an EMT, using Mohinder's strength to aid him. But inspite of all of this he gets involved with Noah and gains speed from Edgar, a carny who has a things for knives, to further his progress in helping the world with his powers.
What has to be by far the most entertaining scenes (even thou gh I hate to say it), are the ones involving Sylar and Matt. This season Matt attempts to enjoy domestic bliss but is hindered by a certain consciousness. You see, last season Matt was involved in some funny business with Angela and HRG in which he used his power for unintended purposes when he pushed Sylars consciousness out of his body i n exchange's for Nathans. Anyways since Sylar's body thinks it's Nathan, Sylar's consciousness pops up in Matt's domestic bliss with his snarky comments and twisted thoughts.

4.03 "Ink"
So Claire, did something stupid and her new friend is aware of her secret but instead of letting her dad Haitan Gretchen, she decides that its best that she should be in the know.
In Peter's world he encounters a deaf women, that hides away in the file room with the ability of hysterical blindness. She has the ability to visual sound breaks. Which I have to say is probably one of the more creative powers that the writers have come up with. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the aura borealises floating through the air. It's even cooler when she's angry or let's her emotions show.
Finally in the Sylar department he's finally figured out a way to gain some control over Matt's powers and first causes some serious damage in a case involving drugs and eventually get's Matt to break his abstinence from his powers. Which truly found contrite, seriously if you have an ability its meant to be used. Especially in the field that Matt Parkman exists in.

4.04 "Acceptance"
I forgot to mention what is happening in Japan! So Hiro and Ando started a dial a hero company in attempts to help the world. You know Hiro, with his childlike outlook on the world, but there's a hitch in their plans. Hiro discovers that his ability to control spac e and time is killing him and he has very little time left. And instead of quitting time traveling he decides to fix the mistakes he's made in his life after an encounter with Samuel. The first, being repairing the relationship between Ando and Hiro's sister. But the more he uses his powers the less control he has and begins to jump through time a blink from him.

Also Tracy makes moves to get her old job and life back but in doing so she discovers that it isn't exactly what she wants. That's the just the way life goes sometimes. Particularly after going through a Holocust-esque event. Tracy turns out to not be as superficial as h er previous Building 26 experiences and truly desires to help people through the tools of soc iety.
Finally, with some push from Angela, "Nathan" begins to remeber things with the use of Sylar's historical remembrance powers and discovers a cover up involving an old girlfriend's death. In the end it leads to the murder of "Nathan," but seeing as Sylar can he al, he does remain dead for long but instead returns in the form of Sylar with extreme amnesia.

4.05 "Hysterical Blindness"
It turns out the circus clan has a strong prescence in all facets of life. Surprisingly we discover that Becky, is Samuel's niece and has been using her invisibility to cause problems in Claire's problems. But unforeseen to her and is Gretchen, Claire's replacement roommate has a crush on Claire, which really was just the executives of the show's attempt at boosting ratings. But I am sincerely glad that it didn't turn into anything further, yet at the same ti me am disappointed at the lame attempt and waist of air time.
After Sylar/Nathan awakes in a shallow grave and wanders upon a police station. He discovers that he has no memories whatsoever. So when the police finally realize that he is Gabriel Gray and killed his mother things go south. He doesn't kill anyone but he does flee and in his fleeing he discovers the circus and is gladly welcomed by Samuel.


4.06 "Tabula Rasa"
After Sylar has found his way to the circus, it is made clear that he isn't haven't the proper memories and Samuel does his best to coax out the real Sylar. If it were I, Sylar would not be welcomed. I mean there are too many people there for him to harvest. Anyways, Hiro unconsciously travels to NY and is admitted at the hospital Peter works out and aids in building up Emma, in her ability. While Peter and HRG set out to find a healer to rid Hiro of his brain tumor.

4.07 "Strange Attractors"
To say the least Peter and HRG find a distraught teen who found the opposite of his powers when his emotions get the best of him. Everything that seems to sur round him portrays death. And what else could be expected when his powers weren't cultivated and he had a dismal teenage life. While HRG attempts to help the boy it leads to the cops through him in jail and treating him badly. Even so badly that after he kills another citizen by touch he is dragged around town with chains behind a truck.


While in California Claire deals with the aftermath of Gretchen's feelings during a sorority scavenger hunt in a slaughter house. Though it is meant to scare the crap out of the girls, the true guise of this hunt is to further separate Claire from feeling belong or like she has grasped normalcy. In the end, Becky gets caught using the dangerous apparatuses to attack Gretchen along with outing both her and Claire secret.


Now, Matt seems to have had enough of Sylar's pervasiveness in his life and battles with Sylar through a common drug--liquor. The more Matt drinks the more Sylar seems to fade away.

Worth Watching

Thursday, December 24, 2009

*O Domo tree, O Domo tree...*



*...your leaves are so, uh...Domo-yyyy*

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
May your holiday be Domo-y and bright!

Love,
||Good Grief|| Mind Grapes || Zozizzle ||

Friday, December 18, 2009

Roswell: The Start

The procastinator in me needed something to distract me from midterms, finals and the like. And being a tad disappointed with the television landscape, you gotta love archives. Seriously where would we be without Hulu and TheWB.com?
Roswell. Speaks to my love for sci-fi and deep seated closeted inclination to hopeless romanticism.

It all starts with Liz Parker, the seemingly normal teenager who bides her time in the town of Roswell, New Mexico working at her parents restaurant and dating an athlete at school. One day she gets shot in broad daylight during a disagreement, but here's the thing. Luckily, there's a quiet boy whose been watching her the whole time--there's always a guy that goes unnoticed in the girl's eyes. He rushes over to her during all the commotion and saves her life. And the next moment he and his friend are gone.
It's the ultimate "cute meet." A mysterious guy brings a girl back to life. In more ways than the physical way. Somehow it awakens Liz and gives her an whole new outlook on life. When a silver handprint esotericly appears on her torso and the law, in the form of the Sheriff, gets involved both her and Max's lives change forever.
Liz uses her scientific resources to discover that Max is different from the rest of humanity. And instead of dismissing it as a weird notion she confronts him and in an iconic scene, she discovers that its not just him.
To understate things, unable to keep a discovery like this to herself she tells her best friend Maria who first precedes to freak out and then help them to cover up the link that is found between the significant silver handprint and a murder that occurred in 1959, years after the crashdown. After all this Liz and Max decide that its best to not get involved despite their clear chismic connection.
While Liz and Max are a significant part of the overall story there's more to Roswell the town than them. I mentioned there were others but I didn't say who. First, there's Michael, the loner hot head who ends up in a twisted form of a relationship with Maria. I don't want to ruin it too much for ya, but it all starts in a hotel room. Then there's Isabel, Max's sister, she's popular, beautiful and conservative. Who else would you expect Katherine Hiegl to play?
Although the main theme of season one maybe keeping the secret. Many important incidents arise that must be dealt with properly, such as searching for the other alien, who the other alien is and about there home planet along with parents, the law, the FBI, right and wrong in mainly the emotional department, and learning trust. While each of these seem minor to composition of the story they hardly detract from the main focus. That's something I think the creator did well, there aren't too many filler episodes that disappoint the audience.
While all the characters support the overall theme (discovering their home and identity) a lot of it rests on Max and Liz's relationship. This becomes obvious in both "Heat Wave" and "Sexual Healing,"(these are the episodes in which Liz and Max no longer fight there chemical make ups and engage in some serious make out sessions) it also proves to be a perilous factor. As if enough problems weren't available to deal with, a new girl shows up. And it turns out she's the fourth they've been looking for--not from 1959. The alien from 1959 is questionable in his scruples and was meant to protect them...but plans don't always work out.
Which brings up the fact that the overall arc of season one leads to the capture of Max by the FBI in which the gang goes through some serious changes. One being that they tell Sheriff Valenti about the secret. Not to mention that they discover in "Destiny" that the four of them are a unit. More importantly a coupled unit. Max and Isabel discover they have a Mother out there frozen in time over a war. Essentially she was their angel and sent along with them their spouses from their past lives, hoping that'd they would learn salient lessons that could help them when they returned home. At this time Max and Liz are highly involved in a serious relationship, and while Max is willing to fight his destiny. Liz walks away.

While this show may rely on the old stand by of science fiction: aliens away from home. It explores the facets that a teenager faces along with providing a tumultuous star cross lovers relationship. While providing interesting and humorous characters. It's got my attention and definitely worth further exploration.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Tuesday, December 8, 2009