S01.E01: Awakening / S01.E02: Odessa

[shapeshifter]

For almost all of the premiers I watched this week, I had to watch at least half of the episode with the mute button on while listening to frantic relatives dealing with a dying loved one on the other side of the globe (old age, not war), so I missed a lot.

So half watching and reading an occasional caption, I thought Katana Girl's father is going to be Hiro. No?

My guess, Katana Girl isn't "real" her father is the real "Evo" he created her as a game character and then pulled her out.

This would fit with Masi Oka's real life abilities.

 

Didn't really find anything here all that interesting other than HRG and Penny For Your Thoughts guy, not sure it's worth sticking around.

My sentiments were similar. I liked the priest using the confessional for his underground railroad. It was a supernatural twist on a common procedural crime show trope.

I watched every episode of the first series because of Sylar--not a popular opinion, I know.

Haha. On TWOP back in the day, I think someone would say that he was Mohindering the plot every time he came onscreen. But he is very handsome.

Here's a definition of Mohindering: http://andraste.dreamwidth.org/355495.html?thread=3486375&style=site

He's not quite as pretty now. Are they botoxing him or something? If so, stop please. I trust he will look best in his natural glory.

Edited September 27, 2015 by shapeshifter

[SVNBob]

Pruitt Taylor Vince isn't Eddie Doyle, is he?

No.  Eddie was the Puppeteer.  Pruitt's playing "Mr. Pennies", who seems to have some form of telepathy.

 

For the Easter Egg pile: the books that HRG moved to unlock the secret door (sidebar: Multiple books for a key on a door like that. What a good idea.  Impractical to create in reality, but neat).  Two of the five titles related best to the old series: Haitian Voodoo and The Invisible Man.  Meaning Rene (RIP) and Claude.  I forget and or didn't see the other two, but the last book moved was interesting.  Pennies from Heaven.  If the books all referred to Primatech employees with powers, I think this means that Mr. Pennies was at one point Primatech.

[MarkHB]

I know one other book was "A Wrinkle in Time."

[Amethyst]

I liked it, but it definitely dragged.  Katana Girl was by far the worst plot, they should have just waited and introduced her properly the following week.  I think Kring was thrilled at the visual of the video game that he forgot that the plot itself makes no sense.  Why was Miko's front door always open?  Has she been living alone?  When she was fighting the guards at the end, was she supposed to be proficient in martial arts because she'd been in the game a few hours?  I definitely think that Hiro will be linked to this plotline, so I'll keep watching, but otherwise, they could have skipped it altogether.  The parallels to Hiro/Ando were painfully obvious.

 

Surprisingly, I didn't pick up on the mechanic being El Vengador, although everything after that was pretty obvious.  This plot actually felt the most grounded and I was pretty invested.  Count me as another one who loved the priest turning into smoke.

 

Anyone else think of Charlie when they saw Emily as a waitress?  

 

Loved seeing HRG again, but I hated them killing off Rene.  Seriously, why even bring him back just to waste him like that?  Ugh.  I really hope Claire is dead and not just unconscious because I don't need to hear any more of her whining about being normal.  

 

Evo is a stupid name.  I'm just calling them evolved humans.

 

Zach Levi is not convincing as a villain, sorry.  I think he'll break before his wife does, she seems unhinged.

 

I hope Quinten stays around for a while, because he's the only humor and levity that was around for the two hours.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

The book that Ren gave Miko, wasn't that a Japanese book, written in Japanese? If so, why were they reading it left to right instead of right to left?

 

They weren't reading the book, they were looking through it.

 

I thought Katana Girl's father is going to be Hiro. No?

 

No, they gave his name, but I can't remember what it was.

[Terrafamilia]

They weren't reading the book, they were looking through it.

But the cover was on the left and the back with the photo of the author/game designer was on the right.

[KaveDweller]

I'm confused about why we're supposed to think Claire's dead.  We see HRG at the Evo conference, we see a bomb go off, and then we see HRG calling for Claire. Did he know for sure she was there when he hadn't talked to her for years?  I feel like a missed something. Unless his thinking she's dead is a mind manipulation related to whatever memories he had wiped.

[Free]

I'm confused about why we're supposed to think Claire's dead.  We see HRG at the Evo conference, we see a bomb go off, and then we see HRG calling for Claire. Did he know for sure she was there when he hadn't talked to her for years?  I feel like a missed something. Unless his thinking she's dead is a mind manipulation related to whatever memories he had wiped.

 

I think it's because of Hayden not coming back, so they come up with this hackneyed explanation, it's clear they wanted to bring back the old cast, they're pretty much rehashed a version of that in many of the new characters.

[benteen]

I actually really enjoyed this.  It was a great start although after Season 1, Heroes was known for starting great and disappointing.

 

I liked the new characters and Jack Coleman was he right choice to bring back as the driving force.

 

Though if the "Evo's" are following Mohinder aka The World's Dumbest Smart Guy aka Do-hinder aka Spider-Moron, then they deserved to be wiped out as a species.

[elzin]

I watched every episode of the show's original run. My love for season one is only equal to my growing hatred of  each subsequent season. Most shows go downhill gradually, but it just took a huge leap off a cliff into a canyon and then somehow managed to plumb new depths every year.

 

Despite having seen the whole thing, I was fairly confused watching it. I didn't REMEMBER the Haitian until I read this thread, much less recognize him.  Same with Molly. I seem to remember now some angsty crap and her name being shouted a lot towards the end when I was a bitter hate-watcher.  But despite that, I followed the episode pretty well.

 

And to my surprise, I really, really liked it.  It was last on my "new shows to try that premiered this week" list because I was ready for utter confusion and/or disappointment.  Now, I have faith in Kring making me want to chuck my computer through the window by the end of the run, but I have a tiny bit of hope that a short run might not go too off the rails, even if it features Evil Chuck with Somehow Worse Wife.

 

I think Claire is dead. Even if it isn't entirely consistent with past power rules.  The Terminator was supposed to be invincible too and they keep getting destroyed. Maybe she got chopped into a million pieces and Peter Pan or somebody transported those pieces to the fires of Mt Doom or something, the only place where she can be destroyed.

[Free]

It was a great start although after Season 1, Heroes was known for starting great and disappointing.

 

All the more reason for it to stay self contained.

[morgankobi]

Despite having seen the whole thing, I was fairly confused watching it. I didn't REMEMBER the Haitian until I read this thread, much less recognize him.  

That's because he's always been very good at his job.

[TVSpectator]

I think Claire is dead. Even if it isn't entirely consistent with past power rules.  The Terminator was supposed to be invincible too and they keep getting destroyed. Maybe she got chopped into a million pieces and Peter Pan or somebody transported those pieces to the fires of Mt Doom or something, the only place where she can be destroyed.

 

I am thinking that Claire isn't dead because of her powers (which, IMO,  is identical to Adam Monroe's powers) but is probably bury alive somewhere (like Adam Monroe), by the show's villains and probably the real people behind the Primatech bombing. 

Edited September 28, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Free]

That's because he's always been very good at his job.

 

Until he got killed off after 1 scene.

[benteen]

Emily reminds me of Alyson Hannigan from American Pie face-wise and the way she acts.

[SG1Guy]

I'm actually a little disappointed.

This has been called a re-imagining, and not taking-up where it left-off ...

The original show "went off the rails" at the end, and lost viewers.

My feeling always was that making the Heroes all fugitives destroyed the show. 

And that's where they start off again day one.

 

Something like the X-Men was what I was hoping for. Somewhat outcast, with maybe a shadow organization wanting to eliminate them, maybe... but generally accepted as special generally.

Or, just near-completely secret, like it started at the beginning.

 

While I am pleased to see it return, I sadly don't think this track will lead to long-term success.

[Free]

This has been called a re-imagining, and not taking-up where it left-off ...

 

It seems to be a little bit of both.  The new characters are supposed to be a reimagining even though it feels similarly enough to some of the old characters only with new powers.  It takes place after Claire outed herself to the world and after an incident that caused evos to be hunted down.

[tomatoflyer]

I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters and trying to keep everyone's stories straight - especially over a 2 hour premiere. 

 

Katana Girl story was lame. I'm uninterested in recreating the Hiro-Ando relationship, even though I loved it, because it's lazy writing to go back to it. 

 

I enjoyed Noah, and I think there are some good bones here, but I don't really trust Kring to execute a show that brings back the best part of Heroes, while still being its own show. 

[MarkHB]

Incidentally, for those who didn't watch it, the bearded guy who is stalking HRG in this episode was introduced, along with his sister, in the "Dark Matters" web series this summer.  Links to the eps on YouTube are in that thread (I don't know if the nation restrictions have changed.)

[Free]

Incidentally, for those who didn't watch it, the bearded guy who is stalking HRG in this episode was introduced, along with his sister, in the "Dark Matters" web series this summer.  Links to the eps on YouTube are in that thread (I don't know if the nation restrictions have changed.)

 

I preferred the web series.

[Ottis]

The original show "went off the rails" at the end, and lost viewers.

 

 

My recollection is that it went off the rails after season one, but YMMV.

 

My feeling always was that making the Heroes all fugitives destroyed the show. And that's where they start off again day one. Something like the X-Men was what I was hoping for. Somewhat outcast, with maybe a shadow organization wanting to eliminate them, maybe... but generally accepted as special generally.

 

 

I prefer the focus being on average people who gain powers, don't understand them and then either go bad or nuts or good ... and then an external threat that requires those powers to stop it. The more they add a formal "us vs. them" arc, the less interesting it becomes. We already have Agents of Shield, X-Men, etc.

 

It was good to see Chuck again, though.

 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Ottis

[Danny Franks]

Eh. I tried it, I'll pass. I found the original show tiresome by about two thirds of the way into season 1. They'd run out of ideas, and from everything I've heard, it just kept getting worse. 

 

This version? Nah, I'm not interested in Zachary Levi as a villain, his stone-faced wife or in any of the dozen or so faces introduced after them, especially not the angsty teenagers. It all felt lame and looked cheap. Levi deserves a better gig than this.

[Miles]

I am thinking that Claire isn't dead because of her powers (which, IMO,  is identical to Adam Monroe's powers) but is probably bury alive somewhere (like Adam Monroe), by the show's villains and probably the real people behind the Primatech bombing.

Wow, I had completely forgotten about him until you said his name and I googled him. Guess I sucessfully surpressed most of my memories of the later seasons.

My recollection is that it went off the rails after season one, but YMMV.

You are almost correct. It went off the rails in the finale of season one.

[TVSpectator]

Wow, I had completely forgotten about him until you said his name and I googled him. Guess I sucessfully surpressed most of my memories of the later seasons.

 

I have also a theory (formed after Season 2) that some of evolved humans (back then only known as the heroes and villains) are/were descendants of Adam Monroe. 

[Free]

My recollection is that it went off the rails after season one, but YMMV.

 

That's when it happened for most people.

[placate]

This Evernow stuff is so weird.  I liked .dot//hack and code lyoko, but they were cartoons.  Making it live action just looks really silly.

[KaveDweller]

I think it's because of Hayden not coming back, so they come up with this hackneyed explanation, it's clear they wanted to bring back the old cast, they're pretty much rehashed a version of that in many of the new characters.

 

Well, you and I know Hayden's not coming back.  But HRG doesn't know he's on a TV show, let alone which actresses are available.  So why does his character think she's dead when he saw no indication that she was at the site of the bomb.

[Clanstarling]

Despite having seen the whole thing, I was fairly confused watching it. I didn't REMEMBER the Haitian until I read this thread, much less recognize him.  Same with Molly. I seem to remember now some angsty crap and her name being shouted a lot towards the end when I was a bitter hate-watcher.  But despite that, I followed the episode pretty well.

I remembered the Haitian, but not Molly, which is funny because I've just started rewatching the first season of Heroes, and they're both prominent - Molly's the little girl Matt found hiding after Sylar attacked her parents, and he was subsequently drugged and kidnapped by HRG and the Haitian. (I'm not sure if it was in a single episode or two).

[Free]

Well, you and I know Hayden's not coming back.  But HRG doesn't know he's on a TV show, let alone which actresses are available.  So why does his character think she's dead when he saw no indication that she was at the site of the bomb.

 

Because 'plot', idk.  They brought back the Haitian just to kill him off in 1 scene after all.

[elzin]

I remembered the Haitian, but not Molly, which is funny because I've just started rewatching the first season of Heroes, and they're both prominent - Molly's the little girl Matt found hiding after Sylar attacked her parents, and he was subsequently drugged and kidnapped by HRG and the Haitian. (I'm not sure if it was in a single episode or two).

I started rewatching too. And Molly is much more prominent than I remembered! 

 

I really liked S1 again, but S2 started up and I'm already getting really annoyed really fast.  I hated the whole Irish thing and Maya is maybe my single least favorite tv character ever.  Let us all cross our fingers and hope none of these plot tumor characters be Reborn.

[Free]

I hated the whole Irish thing and Maya is maybe my single least favorite tv character ever.  Let us all cross our fingers and hope none of these plot tumor characters be Reborn.

 

Same, but it's a possibility given that they're juggling so many characters and storylines.

[maczero]

I'm betting that Zachary Levi's character is Tommy's dad. He and his wife took Tommy to the Evo day and his memory got wiped. 

That doesn't work.  If their kid was nine in 2014, then there's no way he would be a teenager now. 

 

Zach Levi and his wife were, up to a year ago, regular people so I don't buy that they'd be able to walk around and execute groups of powered folks without much trouble. 

I was good with them being able to murder the super support group.  Truth be told, I've always felt some super powers are overrated.  Perfect example was the fire guy who took about ten seconds to flame on or the old man who couldn't control his super speed.  A guy with a gun should be able to take out people who have never used their powers offensively.  Now, how the murderous couple manage to evade the authorities for so long is another matter.

[Clanstarling]

I started rewatching too. And Molly is much more prominent than I remembered! 

 

I really liked S1 again, but S2 started up and I'm already getting really annoyed really fast.  I hated the whole Irish thing and Maya is maybe my single least favorite tv character ever.  Let us all cross our fingers and hope none of these plot tumor characters be Reborn.

I haven't finished S1 yet, so I'm still enjoying it. Maya - was that black oil eyes girl? There were so many lame ones as it went on, who took up air time from the few who actually were interesting by that time. The only thing that's really bugging me in S1 right now is Peter's hair - which, IIRC, got a lot of hate back then too.

 

I'm hoping we'll see a grown up Micah, and maybe his...cousin? The girl who could learn anything. I haven't watched many promos, so I have no idea who will come on board again.

 

I do like the teleportation power, and how they built up to figuring out what it was and how it worked. It's a pretty useful one. I haven't seen the boy in anything else, so I have no feelings about him one way or another.

 

I really hate Zach Levi's character's wife. He's redeemable, maybe, or at least could be an interesting villain.

Edited October 1, 2015 by clanstarling

[MarkHB]

I'm hoping Molly and Micah will meet; I loved their brief interaction in S1 of the original series.

 

Yes, Maya was the black-oil-eyes girl. Her role was intended to be The One who would save the world from the virus at the end of S2 (by absorbing it into herself), but the show never got there due to the WGA strike.  Dana Davis, who played Monica (Micah's cousin) actually was a guest star on the Code Black premiere this week.

 

All the discussion about Katana Girl makes me wonder if she's the current equivalent of Niki: the person whose power you don't really understand at first.  Personally, I was disappointed with the ultimate outcome of the original puzzle, so whatever this one is I hope it turns out more interesting.

[Hanahope]

I need a refresher.  The last time I recall seeing Mohinder, he was turned into some sort of bug-man.  What happened that got him back to normal?

[Lebanna]

Everything in teleporting ice cream kid's life is so green. Everyone wears green. The cars are green. The dishes, coffee maker, lampshades, pictures? All green. Green, green, green.

I know this show has a particular visual style, but it was distracting.

[TVSpectator]

Everything in teleporting ice cream kid's life is so green. Everyone wears green. The cars are green. The dishes, coffee maker, lampshades, pictures? All green. Green, green, green.

I know this show has a particular visual style, but it was distracting.

 

I think that the green you are referring to (and btw, I didn't notice it till you mentioned it) is more of a motif/theme. Sort of like how oranges were used, in the Godfather.  Maybe Kring is trying to say something with the color green?

Edited October 4, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Free]

I need a refresher.  The last time I recall seeing Mohinder, he was turned into some sort of bug-man.  What happened that got him back to normal?

 

Arthur Petrelli removed his powers I think, I didn't see a point of all that as that whole storyline went nowhere.

[DigitalCount]

Arthur Petrelli removed his powers I think, I didn't see a point of all that as that whole storyline went nowhere.

They fixed his powers with the catalyst. That was the missing ingredient, after which Mohinder just had normal super-strength. During the V3 finale, Flint and Knox start smashing up his lab, and the huge tub of formula washes over Mohinder, taking away the spider weirdness. This was the same episode where Peter gets the final syringe of formula before the lab explodes and takes Nathan's flight to get them out.

[Free]

They fixed his powers with the catalyst. That was the missing ingredient, after which Mohinder just had normal super-strength. During the V3 finale, Flint and Knox start smashing up his lab, and the huge tub of formula washes over Mohinder, taking away the spider weirdness. This was the same episode where Peter gets the final syringe of formula before the lab explodes and takes Nathan's flight to get them out.

 

Thanks for the refresher, it was such a convoluted mess.

[OakGoblinFly]

I started rewatching too. And Molly is much more prominent than I remembered! 

 

I really liked S1 again, but S2 started up and I'm already getting really annoyed really fast.  I hated the whole Irish thing and Maya is maybe my single least favorite tv character ever.  Let us all cross our fingers and hope none of these plot tumor characters be Reborn.

 

 

Season 1 is the only one I rewatch because it really was just that good - the show went downhill quickly after that.  If I remember correctly, Syler was supposed to be killed off (and stay dead) after season one (he had filming obligations related to Star Trek).  But then the writers strike happened and Zachary Quinto became availalbe, the powers-that-be loved Skylar (and Quinto), and lo-and-behold, Syler survived.  I think if the show runners stuck with the with the original plan the show would have been fine.

 

I'm still not sure what I think about the relaunch - some plots are quite interestisng (Molly Walker, Penny For Your Thoughts, Teenage Trio) and others are a bit too unpolished (pseudo-Daredevil, Japanese gamers, killing couple) - since this is only 13 episodes I think I'll stick with it (I suspect this show watches better in binge mode).

[Free]

I'm still not sure what I think about the relaunch - some plots are quite interestisng (Molly Walker, Penny For Your Thoughts, Teenage Trio) and others are a bit too unpolished (pseudo-Daredevil, Japanese gamers, killing couple) - since this is only 13 episodes I think I'll stick with it (I suspect this show watches better in binge mode).

 

I feel the same, but I do think it also makes the series uneven when you compare the storylines back to back like that.

[shimarella]

On 9/25/2015 at 10:20 AM, marketdoctor said:

That was the greatest five-word review I've seen--of anything.

 

I wonder if Noah Bennett/HRG guy survived the explosion because just before it happened, Claire hugged him to protect him, and he was mind-wiped to think she was dead and not living in Nashville under an assumed name.

 

More generally, I thought the story was more "Wild Cards" (Series of books, started in the 80's, edited by George R. R. Martin).  Powers are everywhere; people are distrustful but used to them, even the parallel to the gay rights movement (upside down rainbows for badges), and some people have powers that are more or less useless and are resentful about that (the floating kid, the guy with super speed but no apparent ability to control direction, etc.)  Even the teleport kid has a power nearly identical to PopinJay from the books (he could teleport anything up to about the size of a sofa just by pointing at it, but couldn't teleport himself).  That said, if you're going to borrow, borrow from good material.  That's why the promotional line about "ONLY…THEIR…FRIENDSHIP…CAN…SAVE…US" was too off (it was like an X-Men/My LIttle Pony crossover…which, no thank you.)

Bless you for remembering the Wild Cards series. I collected them all as a teen and as I was watching this pilot, I kept thinking about it more and more!

[Wandering Snark]

IIRC, Claire was not immune to brain stem injury (wasn't there an ep with something stuck in her neck that she didn't revive from until someone removed it?) So, if she is in fact dead, beheading would be the likely cause. Which does happen in large explosions.

But we saw her blonde non-detatched head in the hospital video footage and she looked basically whole... but dead.

 

it was like an X-Men/My LIttle Pony crossover…which, no thank you.)

Yeah, but now I'm remembering this tattoo.

[Camera One]

I wasn't going to go through this mess of a universe again, but I ran out of stuff to watch.  

 

It wasn't horrible.  There were a billion and one characters, which I sort of expected.  I couldn't even tell some of the guys apart until close to the end.  It already felt better than the final season, though they were trying a little too hard to mirror some of the originals, with a Japanese couple, a child character, etc.

 

I've always hated the gratuitous violence, and this one amped it up right away with three separate massacres of innocent people, two with just executing people with guns.  I found that aspect disturbing and unenjoyable.

 

I wasn't a huge fan of HRG in the original series, but he was one of the more compelling stories here for sure.  The teenage story was fine.  The rest were hit and miss.  I don't like the version of the Molly Parker we got.

 

I hope we get to see Mohinder... didn't like seeing him described as a terrorist.  I guess I will watch a few more episodes in the hopes of some cameos.