‘Heroes’: ‘I Am Sylar,’ and I dress as my mom sometimes
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Zach Quinto got lots of non-‘Star Trek’dialogue to chew on in this ‘I Am Sylar’ episode of ‘Heroes.’ Did Sylar somehow gain the power to recite long monologues along the way and we didn’t know it?
The (arguably) two most powerful good guys were taken down a few levels during this ‘Fugitives’ arc of ‘Heroes’ when Peter’s ability allowed him to only hold one power at a time and Hiro lost his completely, only recently regaining the ability to stop time. But Sylar, THE bad guy, remained unchanged -- until now.
No, he wasn’t reduced to only having his ticking power of observation, but he was always also dangerous because he was calculating, smart, focused and driven by a purpose: to gain more abilities. Now, there is a chance that, despite his power, he can be beaten ... because he’s got identity issues and is freaking out a bit. By causing him to shape-shift into his dead motherand talk to himself (finding an anchor for his shape-shifting abilities?) in this ‘I Am Sylar’ episode, some of his menace was taken away (from the viewers at least). That could’ve been the plan all along when they (the show’s overseers) first gave him the shape-shifting ability -- knowing that it could slowly unsettle him. If that’s the case, job well done. Consider him, and me, unsettled.
In other news ... Micah is smart. Micah is not Luke. Micah ran when Sylar said ‘Run.or I’ll kill you.’ Good for Micah, and I hope we see more from him further down the road. Along with Hiro, he seems to be the only character of singular purpose. He’s still growing and learning, and he has already shown that he can be a great force for good. And I’m still upset that we haven’t seen what happened with Monica. I can’t believe that she would let him do this on his own. Did I miss something, or is she just a dropped character? Maybe Danko’s already got her. Hmmmm ....
Matt has decided to take on the fatherhood fight and back off of the government, but he soon realizes that there’s no way he can do that until he deals with his pursuers. He’s shielding them now, but what happens when they go with infrared or use heat signatures from headquarters or motion detectors ... and just start shooting. Yeah, Matt’s in trouble.
So Hiro and Ando -- Superman and Batman or Hiro and the Crimson Arc -- decide to continue their assault on Building 26 after reuniting Matt Parkman and little Matt. So, of course, the best way to do it? Get captured! They even botch that, though, instead finding their way the old-fashioned way -- a stolen GPS. But Hiro has suddenly got a nasty nosebleed when using his power. We know that won’t stop him, so the questions are ‘What’s wrong?’ and ‘How bad will he hurt himself to finish his mission?’ We are talking about Hiro hear, so death will probably be knocking.
Lastly, Nathan versus Sylar. Is that even a contest? There had definitely better be an ace up the story sleeve here, or we should next be witnessing Sylar holding Nathan in place telekinetically and slicing open his dome. Peter may swoop in, but it better be quick, or Sylar gets a twofer.
And Mohinder was captured again. Moving on ...
More than a few things need to be wrapped up in next week’s finale. Promos hint at a showdown, but what will be interesting is how the situation with the government and Danko is resolved -- or even if it will be this season. We know Ali Larter (as Tracy?) will be back, but will that be hinted at again (the wink)? With Sylar able to pull Danko’s knife out of the back of his head, his most glaring weakness has now been taken away, and with Peter and Hiro out of play ... well, suffice it to say, it could be a task taking him down.
Yes, it could be a series finale, not a season finale, but it HAS shown a bit of improvement (two steps up, one back) and is still one of the great dramatic ideas on TV. Next season’s Redemption storyline has been announced, and despite word from Greg Grunberg, there hasn’t really been much direction given to the fans about where things are going. Sadly, what happens in the finale will probably not influence how the network or viewers will treat the show when it returns, but it could at least help endear the show to the fans who have ridden the one-way rollercoaster.
-- Jevon Phillips
