Heroes follow-up with Mike!

Again, Mike delivers with awesome commentary.

Didn't like Daphne dying. That sucked. Though it is about time Matt used his powers. If he wanted to, Matt could just plain take over.

Although it's not really in his character. Remember, before Matt had discovered his power's full potential he met his father, who abused that same power and used it to hurt Molly.

Who is Hannah Gittleman? She sounds like she went to Brandeis.

Hana was a character from the tail end of Season 1 who could tap into the internet? Sort of a lame power (the only time we really saw her use it was when she chatted with Ted on a computer that wasn't connected to the internet), but she helped Ted realize that he needed to get in touch with Matt to figure out what had happened to them. Also, she's Israeli. Awesome. In the alternate future from Season 1 she gets killed by Matt because she was helping Noah harbor fugitives.

Sylar taking a sidekick is weird, especially when he has a power. It's in his nature to kill and take the power. The only reason I can come up with is that Sylar needs to understand things, and he already perfectly understands Luke.

Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to me either. The most reasonable explanation for why Sylar didn't take the microwave power is that he already has an arsenal of ways to kill people and - let's be honest - microwaves? I think it's more that he needs Luke to bring him to his father; maybe by then Luke will prove that he can be useful.

How many times has Claire run away and been recaptured during this episode?
Hahahahaha. That's what Claire does! That's all her character ever does. She goes to do something "heroic," Daddy brings her back says "be normal" and then she runs away again ad naseum.

Don't forget: she has to have a lot of dumb, dramatic, overly-scripted lines, too.

As an aside, Lyle must be so angsty considering no one ever pays attention to him.

Yeah, although Lyle was always kind of an annoying character. Really he only existed as a foil to Claire (his normal guy vs. her power), so I guess we don't need him anymore.

Was anybody surprised it was Angela on the phone? I'd say no, yet the built it up like there was going to be a big mystery person on the other line.

I mean, halfway through the episode I realized that we hadn't seen her manipulating anyone yet. I thought it was going to be either her or the president. -- Speaking of which, wasn't there a black president in the last moments of Season 3? Where's he?

Also, can we get some more attractive girls on the show? Abby has a crush on 4 of the 5 in the new "rebel alliance" and I'm really just so-so on the ladies of the show.

Seriously! Alli Larter was hot as Jessica but Tracy is kind of eh. Claire looks like a barbie doll, Angela is old, Meredith is dead, and now one of the only truly hot chicks, Daphne, is dead too. Maya seems to be MIA since the beginning of Season 3, and Micah's cousin - what was her name? - has disappeared too. This show is centered around hot guys, when you think about it. Peter, Mohinder, Ando ... I even have a crush on Noah, bless his heart.

And, wait. Which of the 5 guys doesn't Abby have a crush on? It's got to be either Matt or Hiro, but they're both so huggable!

And what was with that weird scene at the end with Tracy? It was completely unnecessary. Almost just seemed like they were short a few minutes and needed filler.

At least Tracy is in captivity again. Goddamn, she's irritating. And now that she's proved that she's a disloyal whore, Peter won't be in too much of a hurry to rescue her.

...I've still got some hope, but let's see some cooler shit happen y'know.

Amen to that. This show is nothing without epic battles.

Hannah's final thought: how come the Heroes always need precognitive drawings to guide them? They drive the plot more than any other device. It's getting a little old that every time a character doesn't know what to do, his first instinct is to find an artistic precog.

HEROES Live-blogging with awesome software.

Heroes talk with Mike!

Responses to Mike's "few things", since he is awesome.

On the good guy/bad guy list, you have to move Tracy off of the bad guy list since she was abducted.

Speaking of which, why DID Tracy get abducted, anyway? She was Nathan's right-hand girl in volume 3. I suppose he was tired of getting jerked around by her - the show is establishing that the only woman who can order him around now is his mother.

Sylar is fucking bad-ass and I love that his dad is a taxidermist - that's so perfect.

Yes. Agreed. And I'm hoping that Sylar's "sort of a good guy but really just pissed off" trend continues. I think that having been attacked will be enough motivation for him to start fighting against Nathan's operation, but that doesn't mean he'll join forces with Peter et al. Honestly I'm hoping he doesn't so that he and Peter can have an awesome-off again. Sylar will always win those fights, though, since Peter is emo.

I hope the "hero" that flew off the plane wasn't someone important. Also, who was that brunette?

I'm pretty sure the hero that flew off was Peter. They never explicitly showed us that he has his regeneration powers back, but I think it's safe to assume that he does, since Claire touched him when she took his hood off. And we don't know who the brunette was - at first I thought it was Hana Gittleman, but isn't she dead? More likely it's someone new and exciting.

Of course Noah was going to be in the cockpit. It had to be. But yes, I'm upset he's bad again.

Noah being bad was such a blow. He's been a good guy since mid-season 1! The only explanation for his turning bad is that it was the only way to keep Claire safe, which frankly is a theme I'm sick of. Claire can't get hurt, yet her two dads are constantly trying to protect her. It's getting old!

Abby & I did talk about how NOBODY EVER REALLY DIES (N.E.R.D.? Is Pharrel a producer?). African guy had to be back a bit so that there was at least 1 African/Latin American character around.

True. Although I think he is actually dead, and what Matt's seeing is some kind of spirit visitation thing. I mean, we saw the African's head in volume 3 and it was not attached to his body. You don't bounce back from that right away. So this incarnation of the African guy is more like a ghost that gave Matt his power and follows him around.

I'm glad Nathan is the bad guy. I don't think anyone ever really liked him. I'm also glad that bald guy got a taxi-cab door to the face. How he didn't end up with a bruise or broken nose is beyond me. Does he have powers too?

Yes, I never liked Nathan either, although I always was willing to give him another chance if Peter was. Mostly the theme with Nathan is that he's always out for himself, which originally was just sort of annoying but now is Evil. I doubt that Bald Guy has powers, although that would be a creepy twist. Maybe he's a twin! ...OR A CLONE! Or maybe they just don't have a very good continuity editor.

I wonder if Georgetown, Hamilton & whatever the 3rd one were payed to be Claire's choices.

Yes, at the end of the credits it listed those colleges as sponsors. I knew there had to be an ulterior motive for the amazingly boring "Claire picks a college" bit. Also, Hamilton isn't a super-prestigious school ... but maybe in the Heroes universe, sponsored by Hamilton, it is.

Lastly, yes, Claire could use another power or at least maybe a few more inches or more ass-kicking ability.

Agreed. Meredith sort of taught her how to kick ass in season 2, but can someone please teach that girl jiu-jitsu or something? At least give her a weapon that she always carries around.

HEROES live-blogging! Spoilers aplenty.

Final thoughts: This season looks like it's shaping up to be pretty good! Seems like they're going back to all the things that made the first season great: clear lines between 'good' and 'bad' guys, a defined threat against the heroes (season 1 was Sylar chasing them all down to steal their powers). What we need now is a specific event like the exploding man to work up to. And please, let's see some more powers in action! That's what makes the show so much fun to watch!
Also, let's not forget that at the end of season 3 there were a whole bunch of soldiers who had been given powers. I bet they'll play in somehow.

10:00 So Ando gets to go to the rescue with a power that doesn't do any good without another hero?
WHAT IS IT WITH THOSE FREAKY ORANGE SUITS?
And how come Nathan is willing to take down his own brother but not his daughter?
Nathan, you're a jerk.
Claire, on the other hand, YOU ARE AWESOME.
Peter's power is exactly the same except now he has to touch people to get their powers?
Claire's "unexpected landing" line was totally lame. And Noah being in the cockpit is even lamer.
Peter, we all know you're not going to die because Claire already touched you. Dude.
I really hope that the next episode has a lot more powers in it.

9:48 I don't think it's fair that Matt gets another power. There are already plenty of people in the Heroes universe who can see the future in one way or another. Why aren't any of them called "prophets"?
Too bad Claire doesn't have a more awesome crime-fighting power.
Peter, let's not lie: you do not want to be normal. Although I'm glad that your habit of dealing in moral absolutes hasn't gone away.
"Give your big brother a hug" - I saw that coming. Hasn't Peter learned his lesson about hugging family members? What happened the last time he agreed to hug someone? His dad stole his powers. Dammit, Peter.
We've hardly seen any powers used yet. Luckily we have Sylar to KICK SOME ASS.
Sylar is going to be "good", I think, if for no other reason than that he doesn't like it when people try to hunt him down.

9:37 BROTHER VS. BROTHER. This isn't nearly as epic as Peter vs. Sylar from the alternate future in season 1.
I just realized we still don't know exactly what Peter's new powers are. Oh! And Nathan is wondering too. Guess we're not going to find out right now.
I'm not surprised African Guy is back, seeing as no one stays dead in Heroes for long.
Funniest line so far: "You will paint it." "I can't even draw!"
I think I knew that Hiro was going to get kidnapped, since it was in the previews, but what's the point, really? When they figure out that he doesn't have powers anymore what are they going to do with him? Maybe they'll experiment on him and give him some powers back.

9:30 Okay, alliances round-up. "Bad guys" are on Nathan's side, "Good guys" are .. not.
Bad guys: Nathan, Angela, Tracy, Noah (tear out my heart!!), weird bald guy
Good guys: Peter, Matt, Daphne, Claire, Mohinder
Undecided: Sylar, Ando, Hiro

9:25 Matt and Daphne are awfully domestic. And what is it with all the heroes' desire to be normal?
THE AFRICAN GUY IS DEAD. WTF.
I don't think Sylar is going to be evil this time around. Nathan has clearly become the main bad guy - I mean, he wants to take out Peter? Asshole.
Sylar is now a philosopher. And he's gone through three sets of parents now. Hope this new father is his real one at last.
At first when I saw that Sylar held back from hurting Fake Dad #1 I thought it meant he would be a good guy, but maybe that was just because Fake Dad doesn't have any powers to harvest.
Mohinder is driving Peter's cab! I totally called that. And I called that they were going to reuse the dumb lines from the season 1 cab ride.
OH SHIT. I assumed that the next person in the cab would be Noah, but it's actually Creepy No Glasses Guy, who has taken Noah's place from season 1 as the weird antagonist.
Luckily, Noah is right there to save the day. OR NOT. Goddamnit Noah - I was so convinced you were actually going to be a good guy this season, but apparently you're too wrapped up in keeping Claire safe, as always.

9:15 We're supposed to believe that Hiro is totally okay with having lost his powers? Not so much. And now he's going to keep tabs on Ando so that he can live through him... Someone PLEASE give Hiro some powers so he can be awesome again!
Peter is still emo.
Nobody cares about Claire's college search.
Sylar is DEFINITELY not dead, but Claire should know better by now than to go after him by herself. She's only awesome when she has a partner.
I'm interested to see how Sylar's story is going to play out this time around. He's one of my favs.

9:00 Starting off with Tracy? Man. She was never my favorite.
Oh shit! Anti-heroes swat team! Did Nathan send those fuckers over? ...What the hell. I thought he liked Tracy. Is this going to be the alternate future we saw earlier where Nathan is president and hunts down people with powers? Gross, that means that Mohinder is going to grow a beard. It might make him look distinguished but it also greatly decreases his hotness.
Where is Mohinder, anyway? We saw him get into a car with Tracy at the end of Volume 3.

8:40pm T-minus 20 minutes. How about those Super Bowl commercials? I had dreams last night about those weird orange spacesuit things - creepy! I have to admit this new plotline is very intriguing, although I said that about Volume 3 before it started, too. Predictions for this season: Hiro will get his powers back somehow; Arthur Petrelli isn't really dead; the scene from early Volume 3 when Ando zapped Hiro with his red electricity will be explained (and Ando didn't actually kill Hiro!); we'll finally meet the third Ali Larter triplet.

The best part of waking up is French presidents being mauled by depressed poodles.

Other Hannah: "I heard on BBC this morning that Jacques Chirac got mauled by a poodle? Someone needs to corroborate this."

Each of us scurries back to our computer and presumably googles "jacques chirac poodle". Simultaneously, we run back into the hallway.

Me: "Not only did he actually get mauled by a poodle..."

Both of us: "...but it was depressed!"

Other Hannah: "And on pills!"


What a great way to start the morning. (And to come back to this blog after a hiatus!)

In honor of Black Friday, a list of gift recommendations.

A year ago today, my brother, his girlfriend and I went to Best Buy at 4am. We waited in a mile-long line just to get into the store, then spent the early morning hours in a giant moshpit of commerce. I'm not sure there's any bargain in the world that could get me to do that again, unless they were giving out free puppies or tasers.

I've seen a lot of "Best Gifts Under $20"-type lists popping up all over the internet lately. I will offer you no such thing. Instead, eschewing the rush for Black Friday bargains and the country's current economic woes, I present to you:

Hannah's List of Ridiculous and Exorbitant Gifts that are Totally Awesome and Probably Useless

1. Chain Mail ShirtAdmit it: you've always wanted to wear chain mail under your button-down. It's comforting to know that if a cave troll shows up - which, I think we all know, could be at any moment - you'll only be slightly winded if he spears you in the chest. (Disclaimer: Mithril-like qualities are not guaranteed. If that troll wants to spear you, you're out of luck.)

$199.99 at ThinkGeek

2. Rolerball
If you've ever considered a career as a hamster, this is the perfect gear to get you started. It'll also suit you nicely if you're the kind of person who would like to strap himself into a huge plastic ball with no brakes or steering and roll down a hill. Just don't use it if there's a breeze - the website warns that the ball is "susceptible to being blown by the wind." Don't blame me if you wind up floating in the Atlantic.

~$1858 at I Want One Of Those

3. R2D2 Projector RobotR2D2, also known as the Cutest Little Robot Dude Who Will Ever Beep At You, is now available - full sized - in all his beepy glory. He projects DVDs and anything you can plug into him on the wall - and he has an iPod dock and a radio, too. I'm pretty sure all that's missing is a fry-a-lator. Comes with a remote control shaped like the Milennium Falcon.

~$3718 at I Want One Of Those

4. 1960's Guang Yun Beeng Cha Pu-erh Tea
If you're really, really into tea, have I got the gift for you: an antique (can something 40+ years old be considered an antique? I suppose if it's edible) cake of tea that produces about 75 cups. Say, that's only $16 a cup! For those of you for whom Starbucks isn't expensive enough.

$1,200 at Amazon (originally $1,500 - it's on sale!)

5. sWaP Mobile Phone Watch
"The future has arrived and it's a wristwatch," proclaims the website. Does that mean that said watch could make you disappear and reappear at will like Ben Murphy's in Riding With Death? Or at least one that can arm and detonate small but powerful bombs like Pierce Brosnan's in Goldeneye? Well -- no. It's a phone. I guess a watch slash phone is pretty cool ... I wouldn't say it's the future, though, since Dick Tracy had one as early as 1946.

~$463 at I Want One Of Those

6. Kota the TriceratopsContrary to popular belief, it seems that dinosaurs were actually cuddly, plush, and wouldn't stomp on you the second you came near. Here to debunk the myth that Triceratops were anything but fuzzy green sweethearts with adorable eyes is Kota, the animatronic plush dino with a heart of gold. You can feed her, ellicit reactions from her, even ride her - just like a real dinosaur.

~$556 at I Want One Of Those

7. Giant Swiss Army KnifeThe Swiss Army Knife to end all Swiss Army Knives. This baby's got 85 tools at your disposal and even includes a handy belt clip. You know, in case you want to walk around with a 3 pound, 8-inch long multi-tool hanging off you.

$999 at ThinkGeek


This post is brought to you by Jonah, who posts way more often than I do.

Three new albums

Three new albums are up on Facebook (not on Picasa yet):

Dublin: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065675&l=11a6d&id=9805968

Dad and Nathan visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065687&l=a5b0b&id=9805968

Trying to be arty in Trafalgar Square: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065699&l=d1ff3&id=9805968