I knew Lisa Miller was not to be trusted! First, she’s played by Kari Matchett, who last played a woman taken over by some sea creature alien from outerspace on Invasion last year. She was perfect and excellent in that role. So I was naturally suspicious as soon as she stepped off the plane with VP Daniels - the one and only Powers Boothe - on 24 this season, I can’t remember exactly how many hours ago.

And, sure enough, she’s sleeping with Stargate’s Michael Shanks, who’s some kind of bad guy giving info to the Russians. I’m still suspecting Jack’s father is somehow involved. And now that Daniels and Lennox have Lisa working for them, we should find out soon.

Meanwhile … Audrey’s catatonic (I’m sorry, but for my money, she always seemed a little catatonic even in the best of circumstances). Nadia, who has taken over from Buchanan, at first is willing to let some robotic, overweening shrink “shock” her back to reality - even though the treatment could kill her. Doyle shows he’s a good guy, helps Jack get Audrey away from the shrink, and Audrey is able to give Jack one useful piece of information. But just as things might be getting a tiny bit better, William Devane - former Secretary Heller, Audrey’s father - comes in to CTU and lays an attitude on Jack - stay away from my daughter… you’re cursed, Jack … everything you touch winds up dying …

Sheesh - doesn’t Heller remember that Jack saved his and Audrey’s lives two years ago, when Jack called Tony and the two shot their way out of a garage or something and saved Heller and Audrey? And didn’t Heller make some serious errors last year?

You know what?

I’ll be happy to see definitely Audrey and maybe Heller go, too.

Jack’s sister-in-law - Graem’s widow - was in the coming attractions. She’s by far the best for Jack. Though, Kate Warner from Season 2 would be fine, too…

Useful links:

listen to a 3-min podcast of this review at 415-223-4124

my latest novel: The Plot to Save Socrates

Chapter 20, (Five years later)

Ok, so that might not be the title–I missed the title, but this describes the episode. From the beginning on the year, we started with the premise “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World”. Well, tonight we learn what happens if they don’t.

Spoilers

Hiro travels five years into the future where he meets his future self and gets promptly arrested by Matt and Homeland Security.

In the five intervening years, Sylar was blamed for being the “exploding man” and Nathan was rocketed to the White House. In the fear brought about by that destruction he created a world of oppression for all “mutants”. (Yeah, sooner or later, someone is going to have to point out that the “heroes” of this show are mutants like the X-men.)

Sides were chosen. Hiro, the future Hiro, continues to fight. The Haitian, Mohlinder and Matt work for the government. Nicki, Peter, Mr. Bennett and Claire are all in hiding. Micah, Ando, DL and others are dead. The world is dark, very dark and Hiro is determined to change it.

He realized that there are two past events that must be changed. First, they must save the cheerleader, because if Sylar doesn’t gain her power, he can be killed. (Yes, we finally find out why Hiro said, “save the cheerleader, save the world.”) Second, on the day of the explosion, Hiro must kill Sylar.

Only, present day Hiro was arrested by Matt and ordered killed by the President. Nathan ordered Hiro killed, because Mohlinder figured out that Hiro could alter time. On top of that, he decided it was time to kill all other specials. But why would he want that?

Well, through a series of events, Matt found out where Claire was hiding, He brings her to her father, the President who promptly cuts off her head. You see, Nathan isn’t Nathan but Sylar who is using the power of illusion to pretend he is President Nathan. (Personally, I found this brilliant.)

Still, future Hiro and Ando are free and they get help to save the other Hiro; they get Peter. Now, this Peter isn’t the unsure hero of today, but someone fully skilled in his power, making him the first or second most powerful of all. Sylar is his only rival.

Together they attack the place where Hiro is being held, but they have one problem–the Haitian. He can negate their powers. (Does anyone else notice that he seems to have two powers; erase minds and negate powers, and everyone else has only one power? Even Nathan and Sylar only have one power; the power to copy.) But help comes from an unexpected source–Mohlinder.

Last episode, Isaac wrote a comic showing the story of Hiro’s trip to the future and how Hiro will kill Sylar. Mohlinder finds the issue and realizes that he has a part to play: he can kill the Haitian. Once he is down; future Hiro and Peter arrive. Only, Matt manages to shoot future Hiro, but Matt can’t stop Peter. No one can, but Sylar.

The future scenes end with Sylar and Peter going at each other with full power. The scene was building to be on par with anything Marvel or DC would do in a super-hero/villain fight.

As the place explodes from the fury of their powers, Hiro and Ando return to the present. Super-hopeful Hiro now realizes that to save the world, he must kill Sylar. The end is near.

On a side note, I find this particular view of the future very interesting in light of the direction Marvel Comics has taken over the last year. In early 2006, a small town was laid waste by an exploding man killing many, especially children. As a result, the government decides it is time to register all super-beings and if you want to be a hero, you must be licensed. And the dark side of that storyline was just told tonight on Heroes. I know the creative mind behind Heroes works in the comic industry and I cannot help but wonder if this is a subtle commentary on the new direction of Marvel Comics.

Chapter 19 .07%
Unlike my previous blogs on Heroes, I don’t want to go through a blow by blow per se.  I don’t think that would do this episode justice.  What this episode is about is that the mysteries that have been building all year are coming to a head.

Spoiler warning Read the rest of this entry »

Oh, man. Just when I was about to give up on “my” show and not be too upset should the rumors of a done deal on an 8th season come to pass, “It’s Just Like Riding A Bike” had to come along. This is the first episode that I can remember off the top of my head in a VERY long time that was just flat out fun and made me remember how this show is going to go down as one of the greatest in TV history. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s become clear that these last nine episodes of The Sopranos are not really a mini-season, but a series of post scripts, carefully and satisfyingly rendered. Rather than a new story, we’ve seen a sequence of older stories wrapped up, and existing characters clarified and in some cases brought to fruition. In the previous three episodes, Bobby has asserted himself with Tony, Christopher made his movie, and Junior tried in vain to free himself from the psychological shackles of his institution.

Tonight the focus was on Tony’s lawyer Hesch (played by Jerry Adler), and AJ’s relationship with Blanca.

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Sopranos: The Reviews Continue!
Episode Review - Final Season, Episode 4 of The Sopranos by Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking.Com
A 2GuysTalking TelevisionReviewBlog.Com Review:

Ah, another Sunday and it’s time for the Sopranos!! The rest that follows is a listing of random thoughts as they arrive inside my head and are then placed in to the categories provided below. Please feel free to chime in on any of them and again, remember that you can refresh your browser window at any time to see the updates as they go by this evening!

Bada-Bing! What It’s Done Right:

– Tony’s Wearing of His Heart: One of the most endearing things that you see often inside the Sopranos, is Tony’s brutality, but it’s often overshadowed the times that he’s actually shown us his heart. When Vito’s widow walks in, we see it yet again. That he’s able to have a reasonable expectation of what CAN be done in this situation to get Phil to pay $100k for “a change of scenery” is a great mask that Tony is able to put on, but damn it’s real.

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