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« Roush Dispatch
Bombs Away on Heroes and 24
There’s a reason Heroes gets first billing over 24 this week in describing Monday’s explosive episodes of these head-to-head thrillers. (In one, a man-made bomb went off. In the other, a man WAS the bomb, and he set off a firestorm of plot complications.) Simply put, Heroes blew 24 away in what was easily the freshman fantasy’s finest, most sensationally entertaining episode. It was one of those turning-point, game-changing episodes that could launch an already successful show to the top tier of can’t-miss TV (a status some bestowed on Heroes even before it hit its recent stride).
Not that 24 was playing dead. But even detonating the bomb in an assassination attempt against President Not-David Palmer wasn’t enough to rouse this show from its midday stupor. (Spoiler alert: According to the previews, it looks like the blast was effective enough to take Wayne out of commission long enough for Vice President Cy Tolliver McEvil to take charge for a while.) What a weird season. It started off with a ferocious and literal bang with the nuke blast in Valencia. But since then, it’s been a rocky road of wacky personal reveals about Jack Bauer’s twisted family and redundant conspiracy plots to kill the wooden new President Palmer, broken up by dreary happenings in the corridors of CTU. (New drinking game: Chug one down every time anyone questions Morris’ competency. Make it two if it’s Chloe.)
Still, it was great to see the Emmy-nominated Gregory Itzin back as deposed President Logan, and his performance was perfectly pitched to make us wonder just how deep is his Psalm-spouting commitment to redemption. When he gazed at a photo of him and the former First Lady, was it an expression of longing and love or a wish for revenge? So what if the circumstances of his comeback are nutty? (Wasn’t Jack causing havoc at a consulate what landed him in a Chinese prison in the first place?)
Maybe the problem with 24 this season is that it peaked early, with the mushroom-cloud climax of its riveting opening four-hour weekend. Kind of hard to top that, and to shake that off as the show returns to the weekly grind of chasing down elusive international contacts, torturing the truth out of them, letting leads slip away until the next crisis. Been there, chewed my nails over that.
It all feels terribly familiar, and somehow pales when compared (perhaps unfairly) to last season. I just find there to be an unsettling disconnect between the urgency of the nuclear catastrophe and the preposterous exploits of this season’s heroes and villains.
I actually found myself empathizing with Morris this week. Challenged repeatedly by Chloe (including in what no doubt will be seen as an historic detour into the men’s room; yes, people do find time in 24 to relieve themselves), Morris admits, “Even I know that I shouldn’t be here,” and says he wishes he could just go home, crawl in bed and forget this day after happened.
I wouldn’t go that far. I’m still along for the ride, even if I’m finding most jolts of this year’s roller coaster to be something less than satisfying.
Speaking of thrill rides, Heroes finally lived up to its potential with a tightly focused (at last!) hour that gave us powerful insight into the Bennet family, most notably revealing surprising details into HRG’s compromised past as a loyal “company” employee and, reluctantly at first, as a devoted father. Superhero kudos to Jack Coleman, who gave a bravura performance, with so many unexpected shadings in his flashback sequences you might have dreamed you were watching a first-season episode of Lost. (Note to Lost producers: This is a reminder of how you go about delivering answers, through character AND action.)
Things I didn’t see coming:
— That HRG and Invisible Man Claude were once partners in their more idealistic days of tracking down “heroes” for “the organization.”
— That Hiro’s dad CEO-Sulu is part of the agency, directly responsible for turning baby Claire over to pre-glasses HRG. How ominous those words: “Don’t get too close. You’re only her surrogate father. She belongs to us. If she manifests, we’ll take her.” Do you think he knows what lies under the surface of his little boy Hiro?
— That dad would take a bullet, and let his mind get wiped by the Haitian, to free Claire from the company’s clutches. Their farewell scene was the emotional high point of the Heroes season to date.
— And that doesn’t even take into account the delicious suspense of radioactive Ted taking the Bennet family hostage, and how crafty HRG was to manipulate mind-reading Matt to pull the wool over Ted’s eyes. Great, great stuff. Ted’s climactic Altered States meltdown? Terrifying.
And all together now: Ewwww on Eric Roberts, slime personified as HRG’s diabolical boss.
Let’s hope Heroes can keep this momentum going. Won’t be easy, but like Claire’s poor addled mom said, now’s the time to have faith. And just my luck: Now that I’m finally getting into the show, it’s about to go on a long break after next week. Unfair!
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Feb 27, 2007 1:10 PM
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Matt - Totally spot on about last night's Heroes! What an amazing hour of television and so heartbreaking at the end ... but what choice did HRG have in order to protect Claire?
Thanks, too, for the little note to the Lost producers - I still watch it faithfully, but find myself exasperated more often than not!
Most fans of Heroes have two questions regarding last night - Will Matt be HRG's new partner? and What is the Haitian's motivation for taking Claire on the run? Like you, we're eagerly anticipating the answers!
We knew you'd finally fall for Heroes! Now if you could just show the love for Supernatural, too ...
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Feb 27, 2007 1:38 PM
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Matt, you hit the nail on the head with this one. Heroes was awesome last night... its best episode to date.
24 wasn't bad, just one of it's "slower" episodes in my mind.
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Feb 27, 2007 1:47 PM
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I've never seen 24, so I obviously don't pay close attention to the coverage, but I seem to remember every year at some point during its "day" that people start to say the show is in a slump or a lull, only to have them jolted back to full fan-attention for the last several episodes. Something about the structure of the show, the one-complete-day in the life of an "event" probably makes it inevitable that part of it has to slow down at least a little.
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Feb 27, 2007 2:32 PM
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Hilarious! I would actually try that new drinking game if I weren't going to be so smashed by the end of the eppy that I couldn't even watch my recording of Heroes  (Which I should have watched first last night by the way).
We're already approximately halfway into this season of 24 and I don't know what to think. I'm hoping that maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself and really believe that the last twelve hours are going to blow us away (no pun intended).
I agree with Rodyssey in that it was just a slow episode and definitely agree with Staley's comment about us 24 fans being jolted back towards the end of the seasons.
Although, I could have sworn that there were a couple of seasons when I don't remember feeling this lull, it seems like I was engaged every single episode, but, that was seasons/days ago so who knows. Doesn't matter, it's not like I would ever stop watching the show.
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Feb 27, 2007 2:55 PM
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I agree pretty much 100% with your assessment of both shows, Matt. I have to say my interest in '24' is slipping this season and it doesn't feel like a mid-season slump to me. It feels like too much cliche and not enough surprise; like the writers need to change their tactics. The surprises given by '24' that we didn't used to see coming are predictable now. I miss the people I didn't want to see die - but they did. Even Chloe seems a shell of herself, too intent on saving Morris. I miss her personality disorder.
Heroes on the other hand was astoundingly good and did shock me. I didn't see Claude as HRG's partner coming or George Takei's character being intregal to the story. I am never disappointed in Lost and my only message to the creators there would be - stop trying to please whining fans and critics and tell the story - strongly and completely. When it flows out a little at a time, moving the myth forward, as in Heroes last night, it will shine brilliantly!
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Feb 27, 2007 3:29 PM
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Didn't expect Lost backlash in reading over an article about 24/Heroes, especially from you. I have thought your analysis of Heroes has always been spot-on, with 24 being a little too laudatory but generally on the mark.
I totally agree about 24, another bad year after a pretty good one.
I really enjoy 24 and Heroes, and they are way up on my viewing list. But, I have never thought that they were brilliant shows. Heroes is uneven and rarely nuanced despite the relative ease of writing in the supernatural realm. (see Harry Potter for brilliant storytelling in the supernatural arena). I still look forward to seeing it, as the fun ride it is (despite less than compelling story departures in between more compelling stories).
24 suffers from needing to surprise you in a way that is at least somewhat tied to reality. I willingly go along for the ride, despite a true lack of planning (I know that the first year's surprise villain was not planned out). Jack Bauer is my hero, just give hime worthy writing.
As far as Lost goes, no show blew me away for the nuanced, well-acted, turn-everything-you-thought-on-its-head, consistent episodes in the first and second (and 2-3 in the third) seasons.
As much as I loved the last episode of Heroes (I really did), there were several Lost episodes in the first and second season that were even better. Plus, you can't compare a first season to a third. It is harder to surprise you when you know the characters (ask Rob Thomas).
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Feb 27, 2007 4:34 PM
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I started watching 24 this season because of Alexander Siddig. Looks like I'll be back to watching Heroes in "real time" instead of online the next day after next week. The first few episodes of 24 had me wondering why I've never watched the show before; the last few episodes have had me wondering why it won the Emmy.
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Feb 27, 2007 5:41 PM
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Last night's Heroes was truly "must see". It answered so much, but left me with other questions, and rubbing my jaw after it hit the floor so many times. I hope their momentum continues.
24, by comparison, felt kind of anti-climactic. I'd say we're at the middle of the roller coaster track; we've passed the hills at the start of the ride, but are not quite to the "big one". At least, I hope there's a big hill coming.
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Feb 27, 2007 6:09 PM
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"Wasn’t Jack causing havoc at a consulate what landed him in a Chinese prison in the first place?"
Of course. Logan even mentioned it last night when he told the new Palmer that now Logan could consel the current president over a consulate situation, just as old Palmer counseled Logan when he was the new president over a consulate situation.
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Feb 27, 2007 7:59 PM
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I have to say last nights 24 was a little slow for my taste. Heroes on the other hand rocked and I don't think I spent one minute in limbo. You really felt like HRG was not some freak who got off on the mind wiping he was ordering, but that he did grow to love Claire. I loved that Hiro was there at Claires hand over, and I liked that Matt was given something to do besides wonder who else his wife was attracted to. Youare right about the LOST reference. I find myself pulling away from it, because it hasn't given anything in the last few episodes nearly as good as what Heroes gave last night.
(I do love Powers Boothe on 24. I keep expecting him to say to Wayne Palmer, "Please meet my wife, the lovely Joanie Stubbs.")
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Feb 27, 2007 10:01 PM
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Matt, I totally agree with on this one about Heroes. I've been a fan since the beginning, however I have sometimes felt a built overwhelmed when the show tries to cover too much. However tonights show was very focused and allowed some characters to grow. Made for a great episode, and hopefully greater things to come.
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Feb 27, 2007 10:29 PM
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Delia, you won't be able to watch Heroes in real time because it won't be on the air after next week. You might as well stick with 24, the season will get better...hopefully...
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Feb 27, 2007 11:47 PM
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I have to admit that this episode of 24 wasn't one of its best but it'll be a long time before I give up. I think there's still a lot of juice left in the show. And Keifer is still great to watch. It's the peripheral characters this season who seem so weak. Milo and Morris are both pretty uninteresting as were the bomb guy (sorry I can't remember his name) and his ditzy girlfriend who tried to claim the money for locating Morris. I was glad to see them go and the show even made their departure rather interesting.
For some reason James Cromwell (who I like as an actor) isn't raising any sparks as Jack's dad. I would rather find out what happened to Karen and see more about Jack and his sister-in-law. Mostly I hope that Jack's nephew doesn't turn out to be as uninteresting as most of the juvenile characters on the show usually are. Though you could hardly get worse than Kim.
As for Heroes I have tried and tried but I just can't get behind that show. No kicks against anyone who likes it. It just isn't for me.
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Feb 28, 2007 3:13 AM
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This is about a post in your "Ask Matt" column. A reader named Michele wrote in expressing her distaste for gays and the "gay element" introduced in Men In Trees.
First I'd like to know what Michele was doing a couple of years ago when Anne Heche was maing some rather gay headlines for herself. Maybe Michele thinks that, like Ted Haggard, Heche has been "cured". That Heche could find herself in relationships with men and women should be some clue to Michele that there is more to the issue than she may think.
I'm so tired of the ridiculous bigotry against gays. I have said this before but as far as I'm concerned the only time I am concerned about what another person is doing in bed is whether they are doing it with my wife. Other than that it is none of my business.
Gay people are a part of this world Michele. Some of them are your friends co-workers and your family. You may not know it and if that is so it may be because the kind of bigotry you express and the hatred and discrimination it encourages makes the hesitant to simply openly be themselves.
Don't count me among those who think gay problems are the exact equal of racism or sexism. People don't have to know that someone is gay and for the most part minorities and women don't have the somewhat dubious luxury of the closet. And gays are not immune from being racist or sexist either. And as Matt says anyone who thinks gays are are liberals is very mistaken. Although I can't imagine why anyone would support those who put measures against them in the very platforms of their parties (Mary Cheney, are you listening?). Check out the Log Cabin Republicans for a rude awakening.
But the problems gay people face are very real and the obstacles they face are many. Some of the things you say about gays were said about African Americans and other minorities not that long ago-in fact such thought is still all to prevalent. Perhaps at one time you thought you'd neverbe interested in seeing a show with a black lead or cast. But I'll bet you have seen or will see Dreamgirls. I'll bet you've watched the Cosby Show or laughed at Eddie Murphyor watched Oprah at least once or twice. Somewhere along the line your mind was probably pried open just enough to accept such things. I only hope you will move into the 20th century (yes, I said the 20th century. I'm only expecting baby steps) and learn not to feel so threatened by people who are just as "normal" as you.
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Feb 28, 2007 3:43 AM
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