SEASON 2 EPISODE 4 - "THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS"

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 4 “THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS”

WARNING – SOME SPOILERS CONTAINED WITHIN


Tonight… Episode 4 of season 2. The episode was written by Tim Kring and was directed by Adam Kane. Adam, as you may remember, was the Director of Photography on the pilot. His work there was so exemplary that Tim Kring and Dennis Hammer gave him his first break directing on HEROES on last years episode 119.

In this episode we bring both new characters into our ongoing story, and we reinvigorate old ones.

Specifically, Nathan begins to take a larger role in the story again. It was important to isolate him at the beginning of the year. Whatever happened after the events of the season finale, Nathan was clearly disturbed and distressed when we discovered him at the beginning of this year. He had given up his political office, pushed away his family and he had been drinking heavily. Tim Kring’s design is to keep the exact reasons for these changes secret for the moment. But, rest assured, in true HEROES fashion, they will be explained in due time.

In this episode Nathan realizes it’s time to clean up his act. Tim had encouraged Adrian to let his beard grow over the hiatus, to better play the fallen Nathan. I know Adrian loved having the beard. He said it kept him perfectly anonymous in public. But, I know that I, for one, had no idea it would be so big and bushy! Adrian is one swarthy guy. Once it got on film, I’m not sure we loved it. So, with his characters redirection in this episode we decided to have him shave it.

This of course presented some scheduling issues. We had to shoot the one scene where he visits his kids at school (the one where his son tells him he doesn’t like the beard) first, before we could shoot the rest of the (shaven) scenes. Interestingly the school scene originally ended with Nathan looking into the mirror and seeing the scar-faced version of himself. He then took a few steps into a discreet area and flew into the sky. Both these effects where quite good, but, as he often does, Tim omitted them in post, opting instead to end on the most emotionally impactful moment – the one in which Nathan realizes he’d better change if he doesn’t want to lose his children.

This episode also begins a several-episode team up between Nathan and Matt Parkman. Greg Grunberg and Adrian actually didn’t have too many scenes together last year. Here they finally get together as both characters attempt to solve the mystery of who has been attacking Angela Petrelli. I know Greg and Adrian really enjoy working together. Both of them are good natured jokesters – and the days always fly by easily when they are on set together.

I particularly like the scenes in the hospital hallway, between them – the one where Matt first reveals that he can read minds and that he knows Nathan can fly. In many ways it is a purely expositional scene, one that gets information out and aligns the characters. But there’s something special about it. I remember Adam Kane working with them. He wanted the scene to play quietly, but with great pace and great intensity. He talked about how neither character trusted each other, and that the more Matt revealed of himself the more suspicious Nathan should get. I also like the way the scene is staged. The art department dressed in a flower display case in the hall. Adam staged the scene next to it, and the fluorescent glow from the case reenforces the intensity of the scene.

This episode also introduces Dana Davis, Carlon Jeffery and, most excitingly, Nichelle Nichols??? (of Star Trek fame.)

As I understand it, this character and storyline came from two impetuses on Tim Kring’s part. The first was to tell a story set in post-Katrina New Orleans. The second was to create a new family dynamic for Micah. He wanted to separate Micah and Niki, giving both characters a chance to evolve independently of their mother-son obligations. Niki, as we saw last episode, is going to reside/work at “The Company.” Micah is now living with relatives, and circumstances will finally allow him to explore his desire to use his powers for good. (Exactly HOW this happens you’ll have to wait for.)

In Monica, Tim wanted to create a character who is an upbeat, positive and smart person – but someone who life has given tough breaks to. She is someone who never gives up, but who, right at this moment, is lost.

As always, we auditioned many people. Dana Davis won our hearts with her great smile and upbeat personality. Many of us producers had seen her work on last years ABC show THE NINE.

Whenever we have a new character, I try to be on set as much as possible to make sure they are headed in the right direction. Many times, the first couple of days will bring up lots of questions from the actor, the director and the writers. But, on set, it felt like Dana was slipping quite easily into her role.

I’m also excited by the way Noah Gray-Cabey’s and Dana’s scenes together play. Theirs is a friendly exuberance when they are on screen together. And I think Tim is right, by freeing Micah up from his family dynamic we get to see a new side to this little super guy.

One of the production challenges was to create New Orleans in L.A. This is a tough project. Many other cities are relatively easy to recreate here. But New Orleans is SO distinctive. We found a locally owned fast food resteraunt in south central L.A. to play as “Burger Baonanza” – the menial job Monica toils at. And the art department labored hard to build the interior of Monica’s house. It’s a great set with lots of different mis-matched wallpaper. And there’s a carefully painted in Katrina water-line that runs throughout the house.


Perhaps the most memorable scene of the episode is the Hollywood Sign sequence with Claire and West. In my opinion it’s one of the most beautiful and romantic scenes we’ve ever done – with imagery that will become iconic, I am quite sure. Both Adam Kane and the VFX guys at stargate really outdid themselves on this one.

Interestingly, the scene, as originally written had West flying Claire back to Odessa Texas, to the top of the abandoned fuel rig where she originally jumped in the pilot. But as we prepped the episode, problems, both practical and logical came up. Logically, how fast could West fly? They left Claire’s neighborhood in the late afternoon and were home that night. Even a jumbo jet takes a few hours to fly from LA to Texas, so the time-line didn’t work. Also, the abandoned fuel rig location is about an hour out of LA. The scene was set at night and there wasn’t any work we could schedule with it. So, on a practical, production level it didn’t work either.

Booth of these factors caused us to re-evaluate. While Tim liked the callback to the pilot, he understood the problems. What mattered most was that it was a tall enough structure that Claire could feasibly jump off it and West could jump down and save her.

We kicked around different ideas and finally, now it seems obviously, we came up with the Hollywood sign.

Of course, soon enough, we discovered that the real Hollywood sign doesn’t allow filming at night, and will only allow a very limited crew. Filming on the real location wasn’t practical either.

So we came up with the idea that we would just build the top section of the letters and that the whole scene would be filmed on a blue screen stage in an all-digital environment. This solved all the problems except one of expense. Blue screen, inevitably, films slowly and with every shot being CGI, the costs skyrocketed. Adam had storyboarded an elaborate sequence and it was estimated that that would take almost two full days to film. Well - 2 days for one scene is not practical for TV. So, the scene then came under attack. Maybe it wasn’t needed at all. Or maybe a simpler version without Claire jumping could be done. The scene was reduced to that for a day or so… But I’m proud of Adam Kane. He really wanted to do this sequence, and rightfully so… So he called up all of the producers and said that he would figure out a way to shoot it all in a day.

That’s how things have to go sometimes. Somebody just has to will it to happen.

The guys from stargate took a helicopter and flew around the Hollywood sign to get backplates. Of course the final product is a little hyper-real with more lights and a greater view of lights than you see in real life. The letters in our version of reality are also about twice as tall as the real Hollywood Sign letters too.

On stage we draped a 120-foot wide 35-foot high blue screen. We painted the floor blue with 150 dollar a gallon blue screen paint. We built 12-foot tall letters. And Hayden Panettiere and Nick D’Agosto had to rehearse in fly harnesses with descender rigs to jump and fall 25 feet at a time – just another day on HEROES.

That’s it for this week. Next week Micah and Monica explore what the heck is happening to Monica, Matt and Nathan meet “The Nightmare Man,” Peter resumes his adventures in Ireland… And a new super baddie enters the fray!!!


CHRISTINE ROSE AND ADONIS-LIKE ADRIAN PASDAR


DIRECTOR ADAM KANE MANS THE MONITORS


NEW HEROES DANA DAVIS AND HER “NANA” NICHELLE NICHOLS


NOAH GRAY-CABEY AND CARLON JEFFERY


DANA DAVIS AND TIM KRING ON SET


ZACH QUINTO AND DANIA RAMIREZ ON SET (NOTE: THEIR CAR WAS ON BLUE SCREEN AND ALL THE DESERT BACKGROUNDS WERE CGI)


ZACH ENJOYS A HEARTY MEAL (BRAIN SALAD SANDWICH???) DANIA LOOKS WORRIED


ADAM KANE MANS THE CAMERA (MAN, HE MANS THINGS WELL)


LOSE THAT CAR DOOR? NO PROBLEM. BIGGETS A.D. IN TV MILOS MILICEVIC GETS THE JOB DONE


THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN "BEFORE" CGI


THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN "AFTER" CGI

Comments

Jimmy B said…
Amazing. Best episode yet this season... truly compelling. How can I possibly wait for another week???

Thank you!
Anonymous said…
Thank you Greg. That was so much better than last week. The pacing is faster and there are little lull moment in the episode. Monica is an interesting character and her power is awesome, Nathan's story is actually pretty good so far, and Sylar got some fun time with the twins. I also love the revelation that Matt's dad is the big bad of the season. Poor Molly.
Anonymous said…
Loved this one! It feels like the season is really starting to get going now ...
ganchi said…
That episode was amazing!!! The best yet. You gave us so much, so early in the season. I look forward to more great things to come!
Courtney Karl said…
Thank you and all the people at "Heroes"! I almost cried in a couple of moments in tonights episode and I cannot believe the way Claire has been acting with her father, that is almost hard to stomach, but, she thinks she is doing the right thing. I love the production value of the show and the dialog between characters is never boring or insipid, it is very natural and interesting. I think the cast is one of the best ever on television and I love every minute of every episode. Keep em coming!
Thanks again,
Courtney
Great episode. I love the fact that Greg Grunberg's character is even more connected to the other heroes than in last season. I can't wait to find out who the other lady next to Greg's "dad" is in the photo.

Will we get to see Nathan's children do anything heroesque in the future? Realistically they have a very strong genetic pre-disposition towards being "heroes".
Oh, man. THAT was my show.

Granted, the show could be called "The Adventures of Nathan Petrelli" and I would be happy. I was absolutely thrilled to see him reaching out to his sons, and to see them actually having lines. I especially loved the brief moment between him and Simon right at the end. It was also great to see him and Angela having a moment of apparently real emotional connection. I said it last week and I'll say it again, family ties are what make this show shine brightest, in my opinion.

Also, it was very good to see the beard shaved. Thank god.

I love the team-up of Nathan and Matt. They have more in common than I would have guessed, particularly their reactions to their powers. It should be fascinating to see Nathan, who lies so reflexively, trying to coexist with a mind-reader. (Also, I'm desperately hoping Matt invites poor, lonely Nathan over for dinner with the family. Because that would be the cutest thing ever.)

Speaking of Matt--AWESOME reveal about his father. I honestly never guessed that would be who Molly's boogieman was. Cool! And confirmation that the baby wasn't his was good, too. All of us fans had our doubts...

In other non-Nathan news, I love Micah's family. Monica is fun, interesting, and real, and I cheered out loud when she manifested her power and kicked the guy through the window. Awesome! That sequence reminded me of the best parts of the early days of season one, and I loved it.
Anonymous said…
Great episode, however I have 2 gripes:
1: Louisiana has "Parishes," not counties - even the most basic of encyclopedias has that info.
2:They were supposed to be in New Orleans not Savannah. No one here talks like that.
Anonymous said…
My God the camera loves Zachary Quinto. Most compelling bad guy *ever*. He completely makes the show for me.

I'm really enjoying the Matt/Molly/Mohinder storyline as well. Love that they all moved in together, love how much they love that little girl. Greg Grunberg never seems like he's acting. He's just so natural. He broke my heart when he said that his wife had been pregnant with the other man's baby. I sometimes just marvel at what a terrific cast you guys have.

My only tiny complaint is that you guys seem to be fitting too much into each episode...I feel like I'm missing out on time with characters that I already love for ones that I don't really care about yet. But then again, I'd be thrilled if it were just changed to "The Sylar Show", so you can't really take my opinion on this matter all that seriously.

Another great episode. And thanks for the blog.
Anonymous said…
This was an awesome, awesome episode, but it made me sad because I realized that my favorite characters (Peter, Claire, and Hiro) kind of got shafted with their storylines this season. Everyone else's plotlines fit in so well into the Evil Elders storyline, or the Virus storyline, or the Boogeyman storyline, but these three are all stuck in limbo in their own way. I love the characters, but I got kind of blue when I realized that the best episode of the season so far (IMO) didn't really feature them (Claire's storyline was pretty peripheral to the main flow of the plot.)
rekkair said…
This episode is a far cry from the pain of last weeks. I'm glad I'm back to being reaffirmed in my belief that Heroes is the best show on TV right now. Still though, the Claire/West dynamic still seems forced a bit, just because of the last episode. I couldn't believe that she'd kiss him in the first place, so the relationship feels slightly contrived, even though I know it's necessary for what you are going for. Other than that, good job going back to the great writing.
Anonymous said…
"This was an awesome, awesome episode, but it made me sad because I realized that my favorite characters (Peter, Claire, and Hiro) kind of got shafted with their storylines this season."

I disagree. They not only get the most screen time, they also get their own individual storylines, separate from the others. It's obvious that they get "special treatment" from the writers but it ended up backfiring because people don't like their story but they get so much screen time. In fact, I think Claire still dominates the series a bit too much. I'm glad that Hiro and Peter sit out for an episode though now it's time for her to do the same.

On a more positive note, I agree with others that this is an improvement over last week's episode. I really like the fact that Monica is not another stripper or morally dubious person but someone who actually works hard (without being anvil and preachy) for her life.

The murder investigation/elders story is very interesting. Is there any reason we didn't see Petrelli.Sr's face even though we already saw his face in comic book?
Anonymous said…
Take out the good lines and see if the story still works - Ernest Hemingway

If you take out the lines of this episode you see that this episode didn't evolve at all. The beauty of the previous season was that in each episode a mystery was solved but another two were created. So far, there are 'hints' of the characters and the storyline.

The hints were, that Nathan tries to reach to his kids and shaves. This is hardly any real improvement on the characters psyche. It shows the need to pull himself together because his mom told him so.

Claire lies to Bennet as he lies to her. Which was started from the previous episode and just got carried on to this one.

Parkman learns his dad is involved in it and we got to see the previous heroes. That was a good hint, but still..a hint. Another mystery added to the other ones that haven't been evolved.

The other hint, Sylar escapes the island and finds the twins. Now, how did he get there?. With the previous season it seems that there were far more emphasis on this kind of details. Now, we have to wonder all the time, and nod in complete dissatisfaction about this kind of events.

Four episodes, four hours, and in each one we see Nathan looking at himself in the mirror looking all burned up, and there is no answer, or development about this. Which leaves us wishing that you guys are somehow going to come up with a magical all solving episode that will blow our minds, because we couldn't see how far you guys were developing this series. I really, really hope you come up with something like this.

Because the question of "Why are they presenting the episodes in bits that don't seem to develop?" pops up during the entire show.

Remember, you have an audience, actually, you gained an audience by presenting a really interesting show in your first season.

Watch the show again, take out the good lines and you'll see that you have 15 minutes of what it used to be.

It is only because of this glimpses that I'm still a true fan and I really hope that what you mentioned on today's blog about the future episodes making sense of the story so far.
Unknown said…
I just wanted to say how much I loved this episode, it was so wonderful and had such a great story. Also, thank you for having Adrian/Nathan shave that beard off; it was like it had a life of its own. But yes, I was very happy to see his story take more shape along with Matt's.
Anonymous said…
Congrats, Mr. Beeman, on a fine episode!

This is the first episode I've seen this season that reminded me why I fell in love with this show.

Thank you!
Sara Endellman said…
Thank you for finally giving Nathan a plot to work with. I'm still cautious about how this will progress but so far I'm liking the character development.

>> The hints were, that Nathan tries to reach to his kids and shaves. This is hardly any real improvement on the characters psyche.

mister n, it is an improvement because we finally see Nathan snapping out of his funk and changing his attitude about life. He now wants to do be a better person in life because that's what Peter would have wanted him to do.

I admit that the mirror thing puzzles me a little bit but I hope it'll lead to an interesting storyline and development for Nathan. I do hope that he can develop some kind of other power though.
Anonymous said…
Yes! Heroes is BACK and I loved this episode! Awesome direction, acting, effects, writing, etc.

Golly, looks like Zach's been pumpin some iron lately! Thank you guys so much for making him wear that black wife beater :)
Anonymous said…
This ep was soooo much better than last weeks! Thank you for that. No matter how dissatisfied I am with a few of the storylines this season (Claire and Peter both make me want to change the channel - that never happened last year!), I have completely faith that things will slowly turn around.

Also? Thank you so, so much for whoever decided to put Zachary in a wife beater. *flail* Now we need a shirtless!Sylar scene, and all will be well with the world. Y/Y???
Anonymous said…
H E L L O!!! This was what I had been waiting for... hoping for...

As a new fan to the series, I remember thinking (when I borrowed my sister's DVD's... which I have now purchased my own set, btw) that I was hooked at episode 4. I mean, episodes 1-3 were good, but I didn't get truly hooked till episode 4 of the first season.

Now, it's a little different the 2nd time around. I was already hooked. But I found myself feeling distanced and confused by what was happening in the 2nd season. Nothing seemed connected and we seemed all over the place.

I had high hopes for episode 4 being the one that would 'bring me home.' And it did! Wahoo! The show last night had the same "feel" to it as last season. It felt like coming home. I was ecstatic.

You've left so many questions and so many things unanswered.

I like that you made us Peter fans sit out an episode. I LOVE his character, but I understand that people love other characters as well and they need their time. So I'll be a good girl and share. :) But I am so excited about next week's episode. I still want to know how a necklace that looks like the one the Haitian wore has ended up on Peter... where he was for 4 months... why he has no memory (was it done to him on purpose? So he can't remember how to explode?) And why his personality seems to have changed??? The old Peter would have never hurt someone one and ENJOYED IT??? What the HECK! It almost seemed like, when he was using Sylar's power, that he was acting a little bit like him as well... Hmmm... Is that important? Does he absorb more than just their 'power'? Hmmm...

Anyway, great job with West and Claire. I'll admit and agree that their kiss last week caught me off guard a little (after Claire's bad relationship at her last school... and finding out that her savior Peter was her uncle) I would have thought she'd be a little more guarded. I like this week that you had West "leaning in" for a kiss (snort) but Claire interrupting his attempt. LOL. And I'm so glad he caught her. I was totally a Peter/Claire shipper until I found out they were related (ugh) but West is growing on me.

So I guess that means I have to give the Irish chick a chance too... I suppose... although, I just don't feel the "chemistry" there - between her and Peter. I am excited though about Kristen Bell in next week's episode - wahoo!

Now, Nathan... hmm... Is what he sees in the mirror real? Or is it his imagination showing him what would have happened to him if Peter hadn't pushed him away (theory) or if he hadn't left Peter and flown away (another theory). I'm sure he blames himself to some degree for Peter's "death" (poor guy, how long before he realizes his brother is alive). Anyway, I was glad to see him get more screen time this week. I'll be even more glad to see him and Peter get screen time together, hopefully, in the future. Those two actors work so well together.

Matt/Mohinder - I am still LOVING this little setup. And poor little Molly!!! What happened to her? Matt can still hear her thoughts but it's like her mind has been trapped away from her body! Yikes! Well, at least he knows where to find his father... He better take some help with him before he goes to confront him.

Sylar!!! Woohoo! It was awesome having him back. Now... will he wait to try to take the twins powers, until he figures out why none of his powers are working yet? And if he tries to take her power, will she freak out and try to kill him? What if he's only able to get the brother's power? So he has the ability not to be affected by what she does (or neutralize her) but could effectively use her as a weapon??? Hmmm... nah, he's usually a solo act. We saw that with Candace.

Anyway... I've typed way too long - can you tell I loved this episode? And this time I will actually post as something other than 'anonymous'. Thanks for the awesome episode and I'll be on pins and needles waiting for next week!
Anonymous said…
I loved this episode and I just want to say BOO-YAH to all the whiners. There is a point to everything and if you read anything of what Greg is writing you'd see that. Nathan was supposed to be missing for awhile and such.

I was wondering how Sylar got to 'somewhere in Mexico' but maybe that's where he was being kept and just ran until he passed out on the road.

Another complaint is that no one is connected but obviously that is not the case. According to the preview the Petrelli brothers will be reunited soon.

I didin't notice the water line in the Katrina house. I think that's cool. I'll have to look next time.

The only thing that makes me wonder is why did Matt push Molly so hard. All he needed was the street or even just the apartment building. He could have found his father from there. Isn't he a detective? But to see him panic and start to cry when she slipped into coma made my breath catch.

So happy to be so excited again!
Rae Mendez said…
I'm glad to see Nathan finally getting some decent screen time and storylines. Adrian is such a talented actor. His acting in this episode was just awesome. The scene with his kids, mother, and Peter's photos are filled with different range of emotions.
Anonymous said…
My favorite of the season so far. It's all starting to come together.

I used to live in New Orleans and I didn't even notice the part about the counties. Not that big of a deal.
Anonymous said…
Trevor- I'm not saying you're wrong- but no one can hear they're own accent.
Anonymous said…
Fantastic episode, full of exciting plot development and yet at the same time, containing some wonderful acting. Hats off to Christine Rose & Adrian Pasdar in this because they were just superb throughout even by their own very high standards. They should be in the show every week.

And Matt has a dad? Matt's dad was one of the Elder Heroes and might be the big bad? Interesting! Now I'm excited about next week.

Just when I was beginning to worry that my favourite show had lost it's way after last week's episode. Thanks for proving me so decisively wrong because - wow! that was great.
Anonymous said…
Seems like the show is absolutely picking up speed now, great work.

Have to say, I loved the Nathan/Matt-pairing. Those two really work well together. I almost got a substitute-Peter-feeling from Matt, with his "hey, you, me, this all must be connected in some way!" talk.

Cannot wait until Peter gets back in touch with his family though, I miss having a more gentle version of Peter in the show.

Oh, yeah. Good thing to have Sylar team up with the twins, now their storyline is improving rapidly.

Also - is West really supposed to come off as someone trying super-hard to infiltrate the Bennet's? Because that's what he seems like to me.

All in all though, great great work. I love this show to pieces.
Anonymous said…
Another great episode and things seemed to start coming together. I sure hope the wonder twins start doing something soon, though.
Anonymous said…
"Cannot wait until Peter gets back in touch with his family though, I miss having a more gentle version of Peter in the show."

I could not agree more. I love Peter and will watch him wherever I can get him in the show... but... I would much prefer the Peter that we all grew to love. The Peter that "embodies" love. (sniffle)

Do we really have to wait a whole week? LOL...
John said…
While slightly better than last week I'm still finding the show to be a shadow of last season.

What did we get this week? Another character, with another power. Some exposition and 1 reveal (Parkman's Dad).

What do we get next week? Yet another character (Kristen Bell). Geeze...you're going to employ most of LA is this keeps up.

Isn't the name of this show Heroes? When do we get to see any actual heroic activities? Take at least 1 character and make them get some criminals. Show at least 1 person using their powers to benefit people instead of hiding them.

What actual character development are we seeing? HRG is back to lying to his family. Claire is back to lying to Dad. Peter is a no-op, Nathan is just there. Hiro is prancing around outside the rest of everyone else. Ando is reading scrolls in an office. Nikki isn't even in this season. Parkman is still playing cop and so on....

No plot line has moved forward, no characters have really evolved. Heroes may lose season pass status on my TiVo if this continues.
baldbobbo said…
Loved the episode. As a New Orleans native, I was kinda disappointed that the writing staff has Monica, a NOLA native herself, say "half the people in the county are in FEMA trailers" when Louisiana is divided into parishes, not counties. Come on, y'all. I'll help if you need NOLA inside stuff. :-D
Anonymous said…
OMG.
I LOVE Matt, Molly and Mohinder.
its awesome.

Greg Grunberg was fantastic in this episode. He almost made my cry when he was calling for Molly ro wake up.


Dude, Mr. Beeman,
how can you have an episode with so much Matt, Molly and Mohinder... and not post any pictures of them?
haha.
m just kidding.
but not really.
please post some pictures of Sendhil, Greg and Adair?

-Priscilla
Doc_Bo said…
Tim Kring: PLEASE write all the episodes!!! THIS was awesome (ok.. Joe and Aron can also write the episodes .. :) .. terrific writing, pacing and directing.. a l0/l0 -
Thanks so much!!!! Sheindie
Anonymous said…
Good episode, even without Peter or Hiro. Love the new power Monica has, and really liked Nathan getting more time.

I know some people complained about the disconnect of storylines. It's obvious now that everyone will be involved in the Elders' story in one way or another, either by family or by association with the Company. Should be an awesome ride.
Anonymous said…
Yes yes yes! This episode turned the slow beginning around and reminded us all why we love Heroes! I had about four "No way!" moments this episode, and I hate to say it, but this episode was great because a.) there was no Hiro in Feudal Japan, b.) There was no Peter in Ireland, c.) there was less Claire/West (and it actually made sense when they were together), and d.) the story moved forward, things actually happened, Maya/Alejandro finally made sense, and Sylar and Nathan are getting great storylines! I am also very interested in Monica, her power seems reminiscent of Charlie's power. Keep it up Heroes team! Heroes is single handedly turning monday from the worst day of the week to the most anticipated!
Anonymous said…
Best episode so far, but im sure theres better to come :D. And SOOOO SOOOOO excited about Kristen Bell coming to Heroes YAY!!
CosmicAvatar said…
Excellent episode. And lots of Nathan at last! Well worth the wait.
Anonymous said…
I really liked the episode. Although I'm a native Japanese, the Japanese style scenes were bit dull for me. So I really loved this episode. Your blog remains me of my college days in Australia ... (I was majoring film and media...)
Rebecca Currier said…
Heroes is awesome! I love reading your blog and seeing what goes on behind the scenes. And as a Louisiana resident who has been through the changes Katrina and Rita have brought in the last two years, I love seeing a storyline in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Though, as a continuity note, we don't have counties in Louisiana. We have parishes.
Anonymous said…
truly more compelling & dramatic than prison break it sucks u in & wont let go!
Anonymous said…
This show still rules! I loved to see more of Nathan (love the picture you posted, by the way), but I miss Peter a lot.I don't miss the Irish gang, though. Make Peter come back to New York ASAP. Monica is sweet and kicks ass. I'll love to see more of her. The twins are still boring, though.

More Peter and Nathan and less Claire and West on the next episode, please.

Thank you for taking some of your time to talk to us, Mr.Beeman.
Anonymous said…
im sorry, but kring stinks as a writer...at least for this show...and i agree with trevor...if you are gonna put part of the show in new orleans, at least make it feel like new orleans...and my god...where is the tension?
Anonymous said…
bacci40, you're really rude. I don't think you understand that there's a big difference between giving a criticism and outright slamming and this one is the former. Personally, this episode is the best of all the 4 episodes that have been on air so far.

I'm glad to see the murder mystery kicking off to a great start. Who knew Matt's father would be the person who's been haunting Molly's dream. My guess, though, is that someone else is probably controlling his action. I love Nathan's interaction with his children. I really hope that he's a much better father to his children than his father to him and Peter. So that scene where he visited the two of them was a delight.

I'm also glad to see his interaction with Angela. Maybe she's not the best mother that he and Peter have but it seems she's genuinely concerned for her sons' well-being. Adrian was also fantastic in his scene with Peter's photograph. There's so much emotion contained in that small scene where he promised to make things right.

I'm glad to know that Sylar's addition to the twins storyline seem to make them more dynamic. Now we can see that Maya is the more naive of the two while Alejandro is the skeptical one. I'm surprised to know that Maya is the one who can speak English though.
Damien said…
Please, can Peter leave Ireland sooner rather than later. The Ireland in Heroes is nothing like the country I grew up in and it's starting to become painful to watch.

Other than that, the show's still going strong.
Anonymous said…
Kill off Claire and Wes or West or whatever already.
Their cheesy high school romance has ruined the show and bored me to tears.
grace said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
grace said…
thanks greg, was just really really wondering... the other greg, matt parkman made a promise to the singapore fans to mention... erm... singapore in the later episodes. i wonder if he did? could you like... erm, mention it in your blog if he did? it'll MOST CERTAINLY FREAK ME OUT if he did. hahah

otherwise, i thought it's just another day for the everyday hero, matt's dad's the man, although...no some super hot baddie like sylar. he's good now! ... or is he not?

YAY for heroes! :) and... erm...the INTERNET!
Anonymous said…
im being rude??? nope, im being honest....the weakest shows are the ones written by kring...the strongest ones were the ones written by fuller...what made this show cool is that it was the first comic book created for tv....and what made the first season cool was the newness and the overall plot line of saving the world from disaster....the overall plot of this season is just not that good...and kring stinks at social commentary...im still watching, but im just not as interested, and the show is nowhere near as fun....if i was an nbc exec, i would excercise the buyout claus on krings contract, put loeb at the helm, and allow him to do his magic
Anonymous said…
I think I hear your phone ringing. The NBC execs have read the genius words of some random person who adds his unsolicited comments to a blog and have heeded your advice. They're firing Kring and they want you! You're obviously more educated and qualified for the job.
Quick! Go answer it!
Anonymous said…
This one was a GREAT épisode!
At last, the twins'story became interesting, Nathan is back,Sylar is the best, as usual...The New-Orleans arc is quite interesting too, and all the plots seem to fall in place.It seems that'HEROES' is back!!! yeah!
Anonymous said…
Best episode this season, without a doubt. The pins have been set.
Anonymous said…
Awesome... Keep em coming Beeman.
Anonymous said…
A much improved episode. Whew. I was getting scared there and loosing interest fast. Hope the upswing continues.
Anonymous said…
Who knew that so much was involved with West and Claire? Thanks for explaining this and it WAS romantic!
I'm glad that Greg Grunberg is now involved with Nathan (my two fave actors!) ..also, this ep. was paced beautifully, directed awesomely (sp) and written wonderfully..Thank you for an excellent and WOW episode. I am SO excited about Season 2.
Alan Grey said…
I'm hoping Sylar gets finished off this season sometime.

Whilst the actor makes an incredible bad guy, it will start to feel tacky and forced if he continues to be the bad guy season after season...
Anonymous said…
Could anyone tell me why Nathan's wife left? I can't remember.
Anonymous said…
Heroes is starting to get back on its feet! Thank you Mr. Greg Beeman and company! You made a truly delightful, entertaining and well-written episode this time around.

Needless to say, I have enjoyed the whole episode except for the Claire-West flight scenes. They still looked very cheesy to me.

From beginning to end, I was hooked with the interconnection of the major characters’ storylines that’s why I didn’t notice that Hiro and Peter weren’t there. But it was well done… finally!

This is what Heroes is all about... great script, excellent twists and exciting scenes. More power to you!
I assume when you mean the "stargate guys" helped you out you're speaking of the stargate tv show that we all know and love?
Anonymous said…
i love "the kindness of strangers." it was one of the best ones yet! one og my favorite people in the show is Zach Quinto! hes a really good bad-guy!
Anonymous said…
Great episode, seriously.

But ugh, the more I see Zach the more I want him to marry me. Lol. He's such a...stud.
Anonymous said…
This was a major improvement over last week's episode but the amount of screentime/exposure that Claire gets still bugs. It's like NBC forced the writers to feature Hayden on every single episode. Tim mentions about how some characters won't appear in some episode. We have yet to see this with Claire. Personally, I can do with two or three episodes without her.
Charlie said…
first, let me say how excited i am for kristen bell's debut next week. Second, I need to tell you, I am HATING the twins, i wanted to give them a chance, but they are getting so much screen time and I just don't like them or feel that bad for them, plus their power is totally creepy. I'm kinda (Read: completely) hoping sylar kills them.
Joe B. said…
Thanks again, Greg. I should just stop writing about the show and send all my readers here.

Nah, I'm not quite ready to do that.

I do have clips from this coming Monday from NBC.com at this link, if anyone's interested ...

http://iamatvjunkie.typepad.com/i_am_a_tv_junkie_a_blog_f/2007/10/i-got-heroes-kr.html
Anonymous said…
This was an AWESOME episode!! (Even if there was a series-first lack of Hiro) I still don't like West, but that's probably because of my love for HRG. Please don't let him die!!

Thanks for all the hard work you guys put in on the show!!
Anonymous said…
thank you maswex
Pavi said…
Well Done Greg.Good attempt. I have listen a lot about Wonder Years TV Show but did not know much about it. I will start to watch this show soon.
Anonymous said…
Have you heared about 9Dragons which you need use Tales Of Pirates gold to play, and you can also borrow Tales Of Pirates money from other players? But you can buy Tales Of Pirates Gold, or you will lose the choice if you do not have cheap Tales Of Pirates gold. If you get it, you can continue this game.
Have you heared about 9Dragons which you need use priston tale Gold to play, and you can also borrow priston tale Money from other players? But you can buy priston tale Gold, or you will lose the choice if you do not have cheap priston tale Gold. If you get it, you can continue this game.
Anonymous said…
I always heard something from my neighbor that he sometimes goes to the internet bar to play the game which will use him some LOTRO Gold, he usually can win a lot of Lord Of The Rings Gold, then he let his friends all have some buy LOTRO Gold, his friends thank him very much for introducing them the cheap Lord Of The Rings Gold.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
As a new player , you may need some game guides or information to enhance yourself.
angels gold is one of the hardest theme for every class at the beginning . You must have a good way to manage your angels online gold.If yor are a lucky guy ,you can earn so many buy angels goldby yourself.If you need , you cancheap angels online goldat our website . Go to the related page and check the detailed information . Once you have any question , you can connect our customer service at any time .
Anonymous said…
I know that most players use aion kina to get a shiny cool weapon like other players in game. You need enhance stones with aion online kina. The process of enhancing is simple if you have aion gold. You can buy aion kina after clicking enhance, you will see a star rotating about like roulette. The equipment will be enhanced to the next level if you have more cheap aion kina.
latale online gold in the game which movement is much like an arcade game. We know, the latale gold can exchange the real money of the reality. The world you are enjoying in latale money can entertainment and get to know new friends. This economic structure lead buy latale online gold has one kinds of real value in the real world. You can use cheap latale gold to purchase various items of course, there are need to change.
nike-stores said…
Nike-Stores.com lastest Launched Michael Jackson Shoes and Forever MJ shoes.The Michael Jackson Memorial Shoes in North America and Europe is very popular.In 2009,The most popular sneakers are: Jordan 6 Rings ; Air Yeezy Fusion sneakers ; Jordan Fusion 23 ; Nike Air Structure Triax.
Anonymous said…
sneakers shoes She continued,
"Why...? Don't you need someone to pose as your girlfriend this year?" Then he answered, "No, there is no need for that anymore......"
Before he can continue, he was interrupted, discount nike shoes"Oh yes! Must have found a girlfriend! nike shox r4 You haven't been searching for one for the past years, right?" The man looked up, as if he has struck gold, his face beamed and looked directly at the drunken girl. tn dollarHe replied, "Yes......you are right! I haven't been looking for anyone for the past years."
With that, the man darted across the floor and out the door, cheap nike shoesleaving the lady in much bewilderment. He finally realized that he has already found his dream girl, and she was.....the Vancouver girl all along! The drunken lady has said something that awoken him.
All along he has found his girl.nike tennis shoes That was why he did not bother to look further when he realized she was not coming back. It was not any specific girl he was seeking! cheap nike shoxIt was perfection that he wanted, and yes.....perfection!!
Relationship is something both parties should work on. Realizing that he had let away someone so important in his life, he decided to call her immediately. His whole mind was flooded with fear.free shipping shoes He was afraid that she might have found someone new or no longer had the same feelings anymore..... For once, he felt the fear of losing someone.
As it was Christmas eve, the line was quite hard to get through, especially an overseas call. He tried again and again, never giving up. Finally, he got through......precisely at 1200 midnight. He confessed his love for her and the girl was moved to tears. nike shoes It seemed that she never got over him! Even after so long, she was still waiting for him, never giving up.
He was so excited to meet her and to begin his new chapter of their lives. He decided to fly to Vancouver to join her. It was the happiest time of their lives! nike discount shoes But their happy time was short-lived. Two days before he was supposed to fly to Vancouver,cheap puma shoes he received a call from her father. She had a head-on car collision with a drunken driver. nike shox shoes She passed away after 6 hours in a coma.
The guy was devastated, as it was a complete loss. Why did fate played such cruel games with him? He cursed the heaven for taking her away from him, denying even one last look at her! How cruel he cursed! How he damned the Gods...!!nike free shoes How he hated himself....for taking so long to realize his mistake!! That was in 1996.
The moral of this story is :
Treasure what you have...
Time is too slow for those who wait;
Too swift for those who fear;
Too long for those who grief;
Too short for those who rejoice;
But for those who love...
Time is Eternity.
Your blog is really good, and I like it very much. I find that we have the same ideas about this topic, and I consider it as my honour.
How do you think of polo cotton shirt? Do you want to be a fashion chaser? In our store online you can chase the most popular ralph lauren women shirts. it can help you increase your attraction.
My friends and I also want to buy excellent tennis prince, and I know there is a perfect store recently, which sells perfect tennis rackets.In order to play the game and search the place where can buy the
tennis racket, we find many places, and finally, we find tennis set shop.
would you want to be more attractive? If your answer is "Yes", you can wear spyder
jackets
, you really need a pair of north face jacket. They can make you become the focus.
women's polo hoodies
men's polo hoodies
north face jacket
polo t shirt
custom shirts
black polo
prince tennis accessories
discount tennis racquets
wilson tennis racquets
perfect babolat racquets
famous wilson racquet
excellent head racquets
Anonymous said…
Your blog is wonderful, I like it very much, thank you!
By the way, do you like polo shirts, which are very chic, especially the polo t shirts, I love them very much. I also like playing tennis rackets, it can keep healthy, what do you like to do?
We are the outlet of polo t shirts women, polo t shirts on sale, polo t shirts for women, polo shirts on sale, these products are best-seller in our store online.besides we also sell polo shirts men, men's polo shirt, men polo shirt, mens polo shirts, mens polo shirt and cheap polo shirts, discount polo shirts, men's polo shirts, women's polo shirts We are also the outlet of cheap tennis racket, discount tennis racket, and the main product is prince tennis racquet, head tennis rackets, wilson tennis racket, babolat tennis racquet.You are warmly welcomed to my store online!
I agree and enjoyed reading, I will make sure and bookmark this page and be back to follow you more.
Reklam said…
Thanks Mr Beaman.With your help we can get all the information you thanks for episode's.
Reklam said…
Thanks administrator Thank Mr. Beeman
Anonymous said…
I’m a Wholesale Polo Shirts huge fan of Fiber Gourmet pasta’s; Cheap Ed Hardy clothingthey taste great and Air Max Chaussures are healthy not only for you but your entire family. Polo shirtThere’s really no difference in the taste between thisTn Requin pasta and your standard pasta, Chaussures Sport InI couldn’t tell the difference, Polo shirtneither could any member of my family including my picky children.Chaussures puma It’s nice to know that even while dieting and watching my calorie intake there Chaussures Nikeis an alternative out there that allows me to eat the pasta I want, Wholesale Polo Shirtswholesale polo shirtsNIKE AIR RIFT,NIKE requin tn Livraison 24H Shox R4,when I want without the guilt.

de
Anonymous said…
Thank you so much, I haven't ever read so wonderfull blog, your bolg is so good, I like it very much. I also want you to go to my web, and so that we can discuss something.
By the way, do you like polo shirts, which are very chic, especially the polo t shirts, I love them very much. I also like playing tennis rackets, it can keep healthy, what do you like to do?
polo t shirts women
polo t shirts on sale
polo t shirts for women
polo shirts on sale
polo shirts men
men's polo shirt
men polo shirt
mens polo shirts
mens polo shirt
cheap polo shirts
discount polo shirts
men's polo shirts
women's polo shirts
cheap tennis racket
discount tennis racket
prince tennis racquet
head tennis rackets
wilson tennis racket
babolat tennis racquet
Cam Mozaik said…
Kaliteli ve özveriden ödün vermeyen Türkiye'de tek 50 yıllık garanti veren tek cam mozaik firması Best of the best blog tenks admin
VPS said…
Sorunsuz Güvenilir Hosting'in tek adresi sahhosting.com
Best of the best Power blog . Tenks admin
Unknown said…
Your article is very awesome. Do you know something new about NFL Jerseys? Our Chaussure de Sport is a good store provide you high quality Nike shoes. Air Max Shoes are the best selling shoes. clothing jeans are very popular among fashion girls and boys. athletic shoes can perfectly match with it. ed hardy clothing is also very popular in recent years, Chaussures Sports will lead you a fashion life. Nike shoes like nike tn,tn requin,Tn Requin and Air Shoes are very popular among young fashion girls and boys. China Wholesale are also very cheap but functional. We also provide you top quality Tennis Racquet Shop,Cheap Nike Shoes, cheap nike shox,ed hardy, Nike Chaussures ,cheap polo shirts,Polo Shirts at a reasonable prices and awesome services.
Anonymous said…
For 11 years, from 1997 to 2008, the cheap tiffany jewellery Museum of the University of Arizona in Tucson was the custodian of the display portion of the Miguel discount Tiffany Pendants collection. During that time most of the pieces were on public Tiffany Key Rings on sale in special exhibit cases, some of which were dedicated solely to the Romero specimens. Curator tiffany on sale Wetmore and her assistant, Sven Bailey, are to be complimented for their good stewardship in caring for this important collection and making it accessible to visiting Tiffany Bracelets. Although the Romero collection is now gone, the discount Tiffany Bangles on sale recently discount Tiffany Key Rings by bequest the $7 million Tiffany Necklaces on sale of Hubert de Monmonier (see Wilson and Origlieri, Tiffany Rings on sale Record, vol. 39, no. 5, 2008), which is now featured in a special Tiffany Bangles.
The University of Arizona Tiffany Cuff Links on sale Museum now houses one of the finest mineral Tiffany Pendants in any university. It began with an act of the Tiffany Earrings State Legislature establishing a School of Mines in Tucson, Arizona Territory, in 1885; the main building cheap tiffany for classes in 1891, and Arizona became a state 21 years later, in 1912. The discount Tiffany Pendants on sale Bracelets Bangles building, Tiffany Bracelets on sale today as "Old Main," still stands at the Tiffany Earrings on sale of the sprawling University of Arizona campus.discount Tiffany Cuff Links was one of the subjects Tiffany Rings taught at the University, and a proper collection of minerals was essential for teaching purposes. The 1892 University of Arizona Register states: "In addition to collections made by Prof. Blandy, formerly Territorial Geologist, the private collections of the reduced Tiffany Pendants of the School of Mines (Dr. Theo. Comstock) are on deposit in the Tiffany Money Clips on sale." This is the first reference to the Mineral Museum, and suggests that it was discount Tiffany Money Clips prior to 1892.
Unknown said…
Ed hardy streak of clothing is expanded into its wholesale ED Hardy chain so that a large number of fans and users can enjoy the cheap ED Hardy Clothes range easily with the help of numerous secured websites, actually, our discount ED Hardy Outlet. As we all know, in fact Wholesale Ed Hardy,is based on the creations of the world renowned tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy. Why Ed hardy wholesale? Well, this question is bound to strike the minds of all individuals. Many people may say cheap Prada shoes is a joke, but we can give you discount Prada Sunglasses , because we have authentic Pradas bags Outlet. Almost everyone will agree that newest Pradas Purses are some of the most beautiful designer handbags ( Pradas handbags 2010) marketed today. Now we have one new product: Prada totes. The reason is simple: fashion prohibited by ugg boots, in other words, we can say it as Cheap ugg boots or Discount ugg boots. We have two kinds of fashionable boots: classic ugg boots and ugg classic tall boots. Ankh Royalty--the Cultural Revolution. Straightens out the collar, the epaulette epaulet, the Ankh Royalty Clothing two-row buckle. Would you like to wear Ankh Royalty Clothes?Now welcome to our AnkhRoyalty Outlet. And these are different products that bear the most famous names in the world of fashion, like Ankh Royalty T-Shirt, by the way-Prada, Spyder, Moncler(Moncler jackets,or you can say Moncler coats, Moncler T-shirt, Moncler vest,and you can buy them from our discount Moncler outlet), GHD, ED Hardy, designer Sunglasses, Ankh Royalty, Twisted Heart.
Unknown said…
NewStreetFashion
Ed Hardy
stylish design
Ed Hardy Wholesale
fashion excellent quality
wholesale Ed Hardy
ED Hardy clothing bring you a super surprise!
ed hardy wholesale clothing
The quality is so good
christian audigier
Young and creative style
abercrombie and fitch
You can have a look at it.
abercrombie & fitch
Unknown said…
Young and creative style
abercrombie and fitch
You can have a look at it.
abercrombie & fitch
if you really want it
jordan 8
jordan 9
jordan 10
Tera Gold said…
The reason at the rear of nice regarding Rift Gold is definitely its

assortment ranges and virtually any stand being compatible. The wonderful design top quality, easy

handling, web browser compatibility a few characteristics that produces these kinds of activities additional

fascinating.

The particular Runescape Gold also have several gains

within our true to life. It contributes greatly to enhance the particular mental security along with focus.

Including a under no circumstances countless energy for accomplish or convert a little something develops

on intellect. This hard work occasionally observed in real life battles also.
Tera Gold said…
I value what you guys are usually up too. This kind of clever work and reporting! Keep up the great posts guys I've added you to my blogroll, Cheers.