The third season of Heroes is drawing to a close, and there is only so much more side swapping and line smudging to be done before the shows dramatic climax. With episode ten's focal point being a huge astronomical event, hopefully 'The Eclipse, Part One' could take place on a similarly impressive scale.
With Daphne and Matt experiencing trust issues, a lot of the episode is spent following the couple, joined by Ando and Hiro (who is still convinced that he is ten years old). While the romantic element is, as always, flat and clichéd, the presence of Ando and Hiro make the scenes infinitely more enjoyable. It's a reminder of how appealing the characters were in season one, back when they only spoke Japanese and when Hiro acted as if he was in a comic book. There are some quality lines and scenes, including one where Hiro flings corn at a bewildered Matt, and it's genuinely funny. And, for once, it's intentional. It doesn't do much, if anything, to advance the plot, but it's so entertaining you won't care.
Meanwhile, Sylar and Elle are attempting to track down Claire Bennet, the catalyst to the formula (which is possibly the most obvious plot twist in the entire series so far). Unlike Matt and Daphne, the relationship between Sylar and Elle is much more bearable, partly thanks to the characters themselves, and partly thanks to the depth and complexity of the relationship (even if it was made up to kill fifteen minutes of a flashback episode, it's still effective). The pair are constantly challenging each other, and the chemistry between the characters makes for great viewing, although the motivation behind the challenges is sketchy, at best.
The eclipse - the episodes namesake – happens halfway through the episode, and as a result everyone loses their powers. Why this happens hasn't been explained yet, although the scaly Spiderman is sure to deliver a half-arsed explanation at some point. With DNA, adrenaline, formulas, viruses and now the moon having some effect on the extra ordinary abilities, Heroes is rapidly loosing the credibility and believability that it barely ever had. If the show didn't insist on taking itself so seriously, this wouldn't be an issue.
The loss in powers forces Nathan and Peter, who are searching for the Haitian, to fall into the jungle. The conflict between the two - with Peter confronting Nathan about the future, believing that Nathan will join his father and destroy the world – is a nice reminder of the characters interactions in the first season, as the powerless but moral younger brother tries to help his corruptible sibling. Peter reprising the role that made him such a popular character in the first season is excellent, and it's a massive improvement on the supercharged, overly dramatic version of Peter that we've been subjected to for the bulk of season two and three.
Episode ten builds up the suspension well for the next episode, and has managed a steady balance between comedic and serious elements. Mohinder and his silly theories get a little too much time, but otherwise it's a solid, entertaining episode.
3/5
If you were wondering why Claire and Mohinder are barely mentioned in the review, it's because all Claire did is hit things with sticks, and all Mohinder did was waffle and cough.
Never thought he'd start to like Peter again - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment