Wow - I actually loved it! Thought it was incredible.
You know an episode is really good, when you're so engrossed that you don't really find a fault or plothole, because you're not looking for them, although I'm sure there were a few. Just remembered some actually.
I can't really describe what made this episode so good. How can you say it was slow paced though?! At about 6 Minutes into the episode, you learn it's possible Claire will get shot, and she gets shot about 20 mins later. Last Season, it took 7 episodes to get to the point where a predicted death takes place.
Loved the Hiro as a Kid scenes: they were so great. The: Ando, Hiro, Matt, Daphne rapport was excellent too. Loved the translations between Ando, Hiro & Matt too.
Also liked how we saw Primatech back, up and running. Once Angela was released from her mental prison, the place was buzzing again. The 12 Villains who escaped, whom I've almost completely forgotten about! were referred to again. We saw: The Puppet Man; and a return to Vortex-guy's house reminded us of him; and we were introduced to another escaped Villain: the Haitian's brother. We're finally also getting some background on this guy, which is why, I think next week, he might bite the dust. It'll be one of the biggest mistakes the writers could ever make, but I'm feeling that way a bit.
Peter & Nathan in the jungle worked as well. Loved the tension and the argument between them. Nathan hit the nail on the head about Peter: He's always saving his ass. Something I didn't notice before.
Likewise, Peter hit the nail on the head about Nathan - A Puppet, easy to manipulate and control, but Nathan's also: quite cold, skeptical, almost sinister - A bit like his father (It was outlined in this episode how very similar Nathan was to his father - or was it last episode, I watched them together, so I'm a bit
); something that always irked me about him in Season 1, and made me want to see him bite the dust and be done with. He was the one character in Season 1, I wouldn't have mind seeing gone, but he's no longer a character I despise. I feel like: Saving Peter; Spending time with Matt & Hiro, really transformed him into a very likeable character imo. One other note about them this episode: I think the whole Jungle scene and survival-without-powers predicament amplified the tension between them and that delivered some fantastic scenes.
So, Tracy's Double Bluffing, and working for Angella really, but pretending to work for Arthur. What happened to all those guys on Arthur's side? How did they get reduced down to 6? Wierd...
Mohinder: - don't really care about his storyline anymore. I don't need to watch a remake of the fly. However, for some reason, I don't want him to die, because he was like the Foundation of Heroes - how it all began. Back when he was NORMAL, which is what they need to return him to. His Narration initiated Heroes, and I think it'd be right for it to conclude it.
Call me crazy, but I didn't care much about HRG/Clare/Elle/Sylar. I enjoyed it, but not enough to really make a comment on it. i was trying to anticipate what would happen next, through-out the episode, but it was pretty conclusive for me. I think the whole: "Claire just died" thing was to, make you want to watch the next episode. For HRG to be pretty sure she's fine and then run off, then for her to die, is a bit inconsistent, although I did see her sort of slipping away during her final scene with me. Nevertheless, I'm calling the writers' bluff. Claire Bennet isn't going anywhere. Loved the: Noah pointing the gun @ Elle & Sylar. I was like: "No! Don't kill them! - We haven't had Little Noah yet!" Good Cliffhanger.
I agree with GG about the beauty of this episode: The lighting, the scenary, the transition from seeing the Eclipse to the Eclipse that establishes the introduction of the show before the credits begin appearing at the bottom of the screen, was fantastic. At that point, I was just thinking: "How can you not love this show?"
As if to answer my own Question: Hiro no longer had teleportation powers. How did he and Ando get to that comic store so fast. Let's counter-argue this anyway, and say it was a comic store in Texas. To get to that comic store so quickly from that kind of farmland in such a short time (remember it's all in the time an eclipse takes place, and they don't take forever) is a fear. Furthermore, the store looked EXACTLY like the store they went into last episode. pfft!
Peter suddenly gains a brain? When he was using his intuition and reasoning to figure out the right way to go, I was thinking exactly ^ that. It's funny how Peter & Mohinder r medics (Scientist/Doctor and Nurse); You'd expect them to be quite smart, but they're always as thick as wood.
What was up with going to the Vortex Man's House? Who knew it was so close to the Bennet's Costa Verda house? Yet it takes Claire overnight to get there between Episode 3 & 5, even though Mr Bennet can get there and back twice, in a shorter time than it takes an Eclipse to finish - hmmm... I didn't know He had a super-speed power too! Oh, and he's immuned to the Eclipse too? Incredible.
Another thing: This whole Matt/Daphne relationship suddenly happening so fast. I think I get how and why. I'll explain it in the "Theories & Speculation" section. I would here, but this review is already becoming my height's length size. On the topic of Daphne: She must have had her powers for ages, if she knows what to do everytime an Eclipse is coming. I also think her powers are synthetic.
Despite my personal criticisms, I don't think we should take these faults we find so seriously. Heroes is a Sci-Fi Show dealing with very advanced ideas and concepts, and as Sci-Fi, it's also fantasy, and Fantasy isn't something to really be questioned. We have the general idea of the explanations to the fantasy, but to scrutinize them is almost absurd. It's like trying to criticize a horror movie: "Why does this girl deliberately run into a locked room when she's being chased by a killer - trapping herself will only make it worst"; or "Why does the killer want revenge for such a small thing like people forgetting his birthday?" Sometimes you've just got to suspend belief and go with it, as it is almost part of the convention.
I think that's all from me for now. Sorry for all who have to read through my Psychobabble
Topic: 3x10 - The Eclipse Part 1