OK, last night’s episode of Heroes was pretty damn awesome. As someone who disliked the majority of season 2, maybe it’s just that my expectations were so low, but I loved nearly every minute of it. The stuff with Sylar (Zachary Quinto) and his showdown with Elle (Kristen Bell) was fun, and it was great to see her character turn the corner from villain to Hero. Then, of course, you have the actions in Odessa, and every interaction and plot shift was exciting.
We all knew two people were going to die, and we all kind of knew Niki (Ali Larter) was one. But with so many possible deaths (Sylar, Maya, West), I never expected they’ve haul off and kill dear, sweet Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar). He was so tragically underused this season that I was confident they were saving up for a big storyline in volume 3, but I guess not.
I could spend this column mourning the loss of the Congressman-elect, or cataloguing the reasons last night’s finale was infinitely more enjoyable than the Heroes season 1 finale, but instead, I’m going to look to the future. While plenty of storylines were wrapped up last night, there are a few loose threads, and a few new ones, I’d like to pose to you as we begin the long wait until volume 3, “Villains.”
What Happened to Caitlin?
This is something many of you also wondered. In the future, Caitlin, Peter’s Irish lass girlfriend, was stuck in a deportation line. But now that Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) has prevented the Shanti Virus outbreak, does that future even exist anymore? If not, where is Caitlin? Is she stuck in the alternate future, or did she meld into the new future, or did she just magically transport back to the present? An inherent problem when using time travel as a device is that the audience needs to understand the rules of how it works. Journeyman, for instance, has done a brilliant job addressing all the logical, paradoxical concerns that arise from time travel. With Heroes, we’re left wondering what happened to Caitlin/
Who Shot Nathan Petrelli?
Try as the Heroes writers might, this isn’t going to become another J.R. situation. The potential list of shooters is short, even shorter when you freeze frame that final scene and focus on the man in the coat walking away during the fracas after the assassination. It appears to be a white man with dark hair. Assuming the shooter is someone we’ve already met, HRG (Jack Coleman) is the only suspect, and that would make the most sense. As part of his deal with Bob, he’s rejoined the Company, likely with the help of the Haitian, and he was simply following orders to protect the secret.
What Side is Angela Petrelli On?
It seems like I praise Cristine Rose every single week, and why should this be any different. The woman is an extraordinary actress, able to convey so much with so little. Last night she got the last laugh, delivering the final line of volume 2. While watching the news report of her son’s assassination, Angela speaks to a mystery person on the phone. “I know, it was unavoidable. You do know that you’ve now opened Pandora’s box.” Here lies the genius of Rose: I have no idea what side she’s on.
The way she delivered that line and played that scene, there are two distinct possibilities. The first is that it’s a warning. Her son is dead, and while she understands why the person did it, she will strike back with a vengeance. The second is that she’s afraid. Maybe Angela is the mastermind of the Company as some have posited, and now she knows that many people will be coming after her for what they’ve done. In fact, I can’t even decide which one I want it to be. On the one hand, you have Angela becoming the Professor X of Heroes, organizing her own personal Justice League to take down the Company for killing her son. On the other hand, she’s the Big Bad, the supreme villain hiding in plain sight all along. Either way, I’m hoping to see a lot more of Angela Petrelli in volume 3.
“What is All This Stuff?”
This was one of my favorite lines of last night’s episode. When Parkman (Greg Grunberg) walked into the secret Company vault, the first thing he noticed was that the Shanti Virus wasn’t the only thing in there. The Company had hidden many other objects, but what could they possibly be, considering they’ve been locked away with something as deadly as the Virus. Some handy freeze framing helped me decipher four of the other objects in that room: three playing cards, all queens; a human brain; a small, black pyramid; and a large, ornate key. In addition, someone over at the Heroes Wiki site noticed something resembling St. Joan’s knife in the upper left drawer. I have absolutely no clue what any of those things are, or why they’re as dangerous as the Shanti Virus. However, I like to think the Heroes team has plans for everything in there, even if it takes several seasons. Off the top of my head, playing cards remind me of Linderman and his casino, while the human brain ties into Sylar’s obsession with brains (perhaps it’s Sylar’s dad’s brain).
Who Are the “Villains”?
The title of volume 3 is very cool. Any fan of comic books can appreciate the appeal of a great villain, something that was sorely lacking in most of volume 2. By making villains the primary focus, Heroes is doing itself a favor by establishing a clear storyline. But the real fun part is that it’s plural. Sure, we saw Sylar return to glory as a villain, but who else will serve as villains? Hopefully Adam (David Anders) will somehow make his way out of that grave, and he probably won’t be too happy about it. I previously suggest Angela Petrelli could be the villain, or maybe Bob, or the Company as a whole. Then there are less likely suspects. Will the death of his brother turn Peter to the dark side? Will Parkman’s expanding powers let him dabble in evil? Will Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey) and Monica (Dana Davis) become latchkey vigilantes, avenging Niki’s death by hunting down and killing those responsible? The only thing I can say with any certainty is that Hiro (Masi Oka) will continue to be a Hero. The day they turn him into a bad guy is the day this show jumps the shark.
Those are my questions, what are yours? Let us know what questions you have going into volume 3.
Also read our HEROES VOLUME 2 FINALE RECAP
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of Heroes Wiki)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
