SEASON 2 EPISODE 5 - "FIGHT OR FLIGHT"

WARNING SOME SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN

Episode 5!

Episode five was written by, the sisters, Joy and Melissa Blake – who are new to HEROES, and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter who is also new to the show. But even though she was new here, if you check out her resume, you can see what an experienced director she is: http://imdb.com/name/nm0322128/ She directed the pilot episode of THE GILMORE GIRLS, and numerous episodes of WEST WING, ER, and even TWIN PEAKS! She is a super great, super enthusiastic person and a strong performance director. She has a background as a choreographer so she has a natural affinity for choreographing camera and actor. But she had never done any of the kind of visual effects we do. She was hungry to learn and it was fun to teach her.

This episode develops some of our storylines and resolves some others. Our New Orleans story progresses, as Monica begins to learn what the scope of her power is, and you can see the beginnings of a new team-up in her and Micah’s relationship. Matt and Nathan continue working to track down and meet Matt’s father, “The Nightmare Man” who has been tormenting Molly. Suresh makes, what is perhaps, a fateful mistake when he brings Molly in to the company, and finds himself becoming entangled in their web. Peter resolves his story in Ireland, as a new “Company Woman” enters the picture, moving his story in another direction.

This episode is, perhaps, most notable for the introduction of Kristen Bell to the HEROES lineup. We have been introducing a lot of new characters in these early episodes. I know that, to some people, it feels like it’s been too much too fast, and some wonder where have last year’s heroes gone? But Tim Kring expressed from the beginning of the development of this year that it was important to him to keep evolving the big-picture story. He really wanted to create a global sense to the show this year. Having said all that, I truly think everyone will agree that Kristen is an awesome addition to our recipe.

If you don’t know her already, Kristen was the star of the well reviewed, but little-watched UPN and later CW show “VERONICA MARS.” Her performance as the eponymous character was routinely critically lauded. (Catch it on DVD if you’ve never seen it – it’s a real good TV show!!)

Anyway, the story behind how she ended up on HEROES is a pretty good one. Last summer, after the HEROES panel at Comic-Con, two of our writers, Joe Pokaski and Aron Eli Coleite were riding from San Diego to LA on the train. Sitting in the same car, they saw Zach Quinto and Kristen Bell – who, as it turns out, are old-time best friends. Everyone got to talking, and Joe and Aron said “Hey if you ever want to be on the show, we’ll write a part for you.” To which Kristen replied, “Really? Well, maybe I’d be interested.” More talk revealed that Kristen was a huge fan of the show (mostly through her palship with Zach.) The deal was sealed when, later, Kristen’s cell phone flew out of her hands and she told Joe and Aron how she had “energy hands.” Seems she waves her hands around a lot when she’s talking, which builds up a lot of energy. When she stops waving them and holds on to an electronic device, that device will frequently fly out of her hands and break.

Joe and Aron knew that, just that week, the writers were developing the character of Elle. Elle was a young woman who worked for the company, who could shoot lightening from her hands, and who was intended to be a dramatic doppelganger/compliment to the innocent/earnest Claire. In that instant on the Amtrak train fate connected the dots. The next morning Joe and Aron told Tim Kring, Dennis Hammer and anyone who would listen. That very morning phone calls started flying in the way that they only can in Hollywood. Agents, network executives and producers began scheming and hatching plans. Talented actress without a show. Hit show in need of talented actress. It seemed the perfect fit!

Two weeks later Kristen was standing in a Hollywood parking lot full of shipping containers, surrounded by green screen (which – with the help of CGI - was standing in for a shipping dock in Ireland.) She began that day to explore the character of Elle, the slightly demented, slightly power-mad “Company Gal.”

Having worked with her quite a bit since then, I, for one, hope she sticks around. She is a treat - a pro of an actress who knows her lines, hits her marks, and consistently delivers the goods in an unexpected way. She is also a lot of fun to be around. We have fun on HEROES and Kristen fits in well behind the scenes as well as on screen!

I also wonder - Who the heck is “Daddy???”


HI I’M KRISTEN AND I’M NEW HERE


KRISTEN BELL SEARCHES FOR HER NEW TV BOYFRIEND


HEY LIGHTENING POWER IS FUN!

Meanwhile in New Orleans, Micah gives a name to Monica’s power. He shows her a 9th Wonders comic, which is our comic-within–our-world. Tim Sale’s cover depicts “Saint Joan” (Pay attention to all this!) Micah tells Monica that she is a “muscle mimic,” a copycat! (Jeph Loeb calls it photo-reflex-muscle-memory.) What it means is – anything she sees she can copy. As I mentioned before Tim Kring’s goal was to create a new dynamic with this duo (heh heh.) Freed from always worrying about his father and mother, Micah can begin to have fun with his powers. In the last episode and in this one, a real chemistry breaks out between these two characters.

Noah Gray-Cabey, who plays Micah, is such a great kid. He’s, like, a genius. He’s only 11, but he’s already in 9th grade. He’s a real sweetie on set, and I love seeing his big smile break out in this episode. In real life, he is a virtuoso piano player. I believe the OPRAH WINFREY SHOW originally discovered him (he played piano there) which led to a Hollywood talent agent approaching him about acting. Tim had been wanting to create a scene for him to play piano in the show. And, so, the scene where Monica enters the house, sees him playing, and mimics it, was developed.

This is an interesting scene to study. As Monica plays the piano, there are a number of specific edits that develop the story. The scene begins with side angles of her hands playing, intercut with side angles of her face and Micah’s face. Then the angles onto the hands become straight down. And the angle of her face becomes super low – straight up. The tempo of the music and of the editing builds faster and faster until it hits a crescendo as Monica leaps up in fear. This, very specific shot and cutting pattern, is designed to accentuate her rising fear as she realizes something she can’t control and doesn’t understand is happening to her.

Some of our heroes have easy powers to accomplish on screen and some have hard ones. Greg Grunberg’s is easy, he just tilts his head, we do some editing tricks and voil’a, mind reading. Kristen Bell has an easy one, she just puts out her hand, the visual effects team rotoscopes in lightening and voil’a – Lighting Power! But there’s no voil’a with Dana Davis’ power. In this episode she has to double dutch, do kung fu backflips, juggle and play the piano (although I think we edited out the juggling – hmmm???) That meant we had to get a double dutch photo double, a kung fu photo double, a piano-playing photo double, and a juggling photo double – and we had to teach her to do all of these things. Luckily Dana is very game to try stuff, and she ended up doing most of the moves herself.

The double dutch scene is a good example of how complex it is to direct one of our episodes. In just this one scene, there is a lot to pay attention to because there are so many levels, both technical and emotional, which one has to bring out for the audience. In this one scene, where the characters walk into a busy playground, looking to try out her powers, the director must remember to develop Micah and Monica’s new relationship for the audience. Then the director must get the shots to tell the story of a busy playground – skateboarding, basketball, double dutch, Then the director must stage and shoot that Monica has a challenge from the neighborhood girls, and that she stands up to them in a tough but nice way – which is another important aspect of her character to show to the audience. Then she begins to double dutch. This involves shooting wide shots over Micah to the jump roping double (you must connect the two characters visually on screen!) Then closer angles of Monica jumping rope. Now, Dana had learned the choreographed move, but wasn’t really able to jump rope. So she was photographed against a blue screen. The background girls were photographed as what is called a back plate behind her. And they were twirling wooden handles only. The spinning ropes were digitally added in post. Of course once Monica’s jumping – the director can’t forget to get close up angles of Monica looking to Micah and smiling, and of Micah looking back and smiling. (The cool power is nice, but the emotion is what really matters!) And all that for a 35 second scene that had to be completely shot in 4 hours before lunch! Ouch!


DANA DAVIS STUDIES HER DOUBLE DUTCH MOVES ON DVD IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SHOOT


EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ALLAN ARKUSH OVERSEES A REHEARSAL OF THE PIANO SCENE

Another complex sequence in our little weekly TV show is the entire nightmare man sequence where Maury, Matt Parkman’s father. This character throws both Nathan and Matt into their respective worst nightmares. We had to show 3 things at once: First, Matt Parkman’s nightmare of being locked up for abandoning his family. Second, Nathan’s nightmare that New York had blown up and that he had to do battle with his own inner demon. And third, that in reality, both men were fighting each other under the control of Maury.

This was a difficult sequence to both comprehend and visualize. It had many technical complexities – for instance, Adrian Pasdar had to have 3 hours of makeup to play the scar-faced version of himself. This meant we had to split up the scene where he fights himself over two days. The first day he wore the makeup and on the second one he didn’t. There would be a stunt/photo double for him to fight himself. But we also wanted to put Adrian in the same frame with himself 2 or three times, which meant moving split-screen shots. We decided to blow ash on the set, coming from the burning NYC buildings. Etc. Etc.

We had numerous meetings about how this scene would be shot and edited, to both maximize coolness and clarity. We drew storyboards and then had a few more meetings. I think the sequence is pretty satisfying, and the visual effects guys at Stargate Effects outdid themselves with burning New York. I particularly like the building crumbling in the foreground!

We spent a LONG TIME in the cutting room working on this one. How to intercut the fight to get it just right. But still, I wish we’d had more time to both think about it and design it. I always felt like the process on this complex scene was a little pell-mell, and, even though it’s good – that we didn’t have time to get it perfect!

Okay that’s it for now. Next week: Hiro and gang take on White Beard in feudal Japan, Peter and Caitlain visit a new city (and a new version of and old city!?!), Claire makes the cheerleading squad in her own special way, and HRG visits and old friend in Odessa (Russia that is!)


DIRECTOR LESLI GLATTER


PRODUCTION MEETING ABOUT THE NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE


LESLI AND GREG GRUNBERG GO OVER THE “STORYBOARDS”


GREG GRUNBERG AND WRITERS JOY AND MELISSA BLAKE


LESLI AND MILO VENTIMIGLIA –THEY BOTH USED TO WORK ON “THE GILMORE GIRLS”


ADRIAN PASDAR AND I ON SET – HEY KIDS, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO USE SUNBLOCK!


VOTE PETRELLI, HE’S THE SCABBIEST

Comments

Anonymous said…
This blog is the second-best thing about Heroes. And I for one can't imagine how the nightmare fight scene could have been better.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the insight! The Nightmare scene was incredible. I really like the choreography of the fight scenes and how they were seemlessly edited together to become one fight. All of the hard work is much appreciated! And CGI did a great job on burning New York. Still deciding about Kristen Bell's character: love or hate? She seems a little spoiled by "Daddy" though!=0)
Anonymous said…
I agree. I was on the edge of my seat during the nightmare fight scene. When the episode finished, I decided that this was one of the best episodes in a long time. It exposed enough (finally!) to satisfy my need for story progression, and it had people actually using their powers as part of that progression.

We didn't have to wait very long to see Maury's & Elle's use their powers, and it was a very nice change. I think I am in love with Kristen Bell now.
Unknown said…
OH YEAH! HEROES IS TOTALLY BACK IN ACTION NOW! Not that I didn't enjoy the last couple of episodes but this episode finally feels like the fast pacing that made this series so enjoyable in the first place is back. I hope that all the setup episodes are done and the plot starts to move along. Great job!
Anonymous said…
Peter is getting out of Ireland! OMG Yay! I loved the scene with him channeling Isaac's power. Fantastic--creepy and cool at the same time.

The moment when Nathan thought he'd seen Peter was just heartbreaking. I need the Petrelli reunion soon.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, this episode is really good. Please tell Adrian that his delivery of "I am not a cargo jet, Parkman" was awesome.

Also, whoever coreograph that fight between Matt and Nathan deserves a prop. That fight scene and the special FX for the nightmare scene is unusually good.
Anonymous said…
Great episode all around! I was on the edge of my seat. Also, Kristen Bell is one of my favorites and I'm psyched that she's on the show- it made my day!
Anonymous said…
I was blown aWay with that fight/nightmare scene thinking there was no wAy this.. THIS.. waS a TV show I was watching. just woW.Incredible. it was magical.
Anonymous said…
I have to say that both the nightmares and concluding fight scene between Matt and Nathan was the best part of this episode. Adrian and Grunberg both blew me away with their fantastic acting! I'm also glad that the pieces are starting to fall into place now, what with Peter leaving Ireland and The Nightmare Man proving how much of a threat he is.

Thanks for posting on your blog for fans, for all your hard work, and to everyone else who is working on the show :)
Anonymous said…
I thought the season started off slowly - which I understand considering each season is supposed to stand on it's own and not rely on the previous one. This episode though? This one turned it up to 11! ;)

The nightmare scene was brilliantly shot and edited (not to mention acted, but dealing with those two, that's to be expected!). It's obvious that a lot of time went in to that... You say that you guys did a good job, but didn't reach perfection? If that scene is just good, I can't imagine what you'd consider perfect. By far, one of the most dramatic intense moments I've seen on television. Bravo to all involved!
Jen said…
Re: San Diego back to LA by Amtrak: that's how I got to and from the Con last year. That's a nice way to go!

Kudos to everybody involved in the nightmare scenes. Those were my ultimate favorites in this ep (aside from Nathan with the shotgun and the cargo jet comment. Which, I hope you've seen the MadTV skit from last year which really had Nathan in such a capacity). I love that each of the characters have to face their worst fears this season (Molly being taken, Sylar without his powers, Nathan of the monster within, Matt of the family leaving him, Peter of the person he was, etc.)

Thanks again for another great blog, with awesome pics (Mr. Pasdar's makeup really is something...eep!) I love that, outside the show itself, there are so many great things to be read, seen, and discovered that make the show, as well as the fandom, much more enjoyable. Your blog and buckshotwon's YouTube page are two of my fav links.
david said…
i felt like this was one of the best episodes of heroes, and definitely the best of the new season. the nightmare scene, monica + micah, and kristen bell's introduction were all perfect!
Anonymous said…
This was a can't-get-to-sleep episode. One thing I would point out that, although Oprah may have had Noah on, his first TV appearance was at home here in Maine, when he appeared in a benefit show with his family at the age of five.

Speaking of which... when does New England get a hero?
BG said…
Can't wait to see what happens in Montreal, my home town! And since I guess you didn't travel allthe way here to film it, it'll be fun to see how you pull that off... :-)

Love the show, love the blog (I watch the show on monday, read the blog on tuesday and re-watch the show later while checking for stuff I learned about in the blog - it's great!)
Anonymous said…
Greg: Kudos to you and your colleagues for a top-notch show. I'm chomping at the bit to watch series 2 and series 1 hasn't finished airing in the UK yet!

Heroes just hits the spot on so many levels. And a nice idea to have some spin-off material on those comics on the NBC website. Whose idea was that?
Anonymous said…
Mr. Beeman, thanks, as always, for the blog update. I always learn such interesting things from it.

Besides the info on the nightmare scene (which rocked btw, I don't know what you mean by 'perfection' because it was awesome) and the really cool pics (hmmm, how long till we figure out why Nathan sees himself like that?) There was this fun line:

KRISTEN BELL SEARCHES FOR HER NEW TV BOYFRIEND

What the deuce?

Boyfriend? Really? See... when I heard Kristen Bell was coming to Heroes (and possibly Peter/Milo's story line) I was thinking - Hmmmm, she might make a possibly good match up with Peter (as I'm not a huge fan of Caitlyn.) I mean, I enjoyed the kissing and what not - but how could I not, this is Milo we're talking about :) But Caitlyn just doesn't feel "right" for Peter.

However... Elle? Hmmm... I just don't know. She seems awfully bada** for Peter right now. I mean she just murdered the brother of the woman he's dating!!! But who knows how her character is going to develop and progress.

And perhaps you were just teasing about the whole boyfriend thing anyway ;)

New city? Montreal? Old city remade new? New Orleans perhaps? Interesting.

Greg and Adrian's scenes together - besides just the awesome nightmare scene - were top notch. Good job guys. I thought it would be hard to beat Adrian and Milo's character chemistry, but their scenes were very enjoyable.

You sure have put an interesting twist on the company... but then again, I have to keep reminding myself that Linderman isn't behind it now... Bob is. That could make a difference, right? ;)

And... hmmm... is Bob, daddy?

Hmmm, so many questions, so few answers (Peter, does Elle need to hit you with an electric spark for you to get that memory of yours back? - LOL) And I am going to be on pins and needles from here on out for the rest of the season. I can just tell.

Wonderful episode, Mr. Beeman. My favorite of the season so far. (I know, I said that last week - but they just keep getting better and better). Brava!
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Anonymous said…
Okay - third time's a charm... right?

I'm back. Sorry. Just one more thing (if I can manage to get it posted correctly.) I should have posted this on last week's blog, but I forgot...

Kudos to whoever was involved with the final scene Zachary Quinto was in last week. When Sylar started up the car and looked up into the camera with that half-crazed look in his eyes, I was reminded of the final scene of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' when Anthony Perkins said he wouldn't even hurt a fly and gave the camera a similar look.

Very bone chilling and wonderfully done.

Thanks again for such a wonderful series - it's all the little things that make this show so great.

It's all in the details.

Oh, and P.S. - Milo did awesome in his Isaac scene (all of them, of course) but especially that one. And I know they say the contacts help... but those scenes are just awesome.
Skwid said…
Holy Copyediting, Beeman!

Seriously, though...this week's entry had a few issues, but mostly: Lightning. There's no "e." Really.
Nibehlung said…
That was an awesome episode. Nathan and Parkman storming the apartment looks cool. That fight scene was incredible and made me wish Nathan have more power than flying because I kept thinking how awesome he would have been in a super-powered fight scene.

The dialogue also works a lot better this episode. "I'm not a cargo plane, Parkman" made me LOL so hard. Adrian's expression made it even better. Also, kudos on improving the special effects. Unlike the flying scene a few episodes ago, the nightmare scene was fantastically shot and directed. Ditto with the fight scene I described above.
Anonymous said…
I didn't watch Veronica Mars, but I like Kristen Bell after just one episode.
Anonymous said…
The fight scene was fantastic. I was watching it with a bunch of friends, and at first we all just thought it was really cool editing (which it was). Then, about 30 seconds before the reveal, Rebecca says "They're fighting each other!!!" And then it all clicked. Made the scene that much better. It was probably the best scene in the episode, in my opinion.

Great episode all around... can't wait to see Hiro and Takezo fight White Beard's camp!
Wow, congratulations on another great episode. As great as all the other episodes this season have been, they just keep getting better.

Kristin Bell: Great addition. I never watched Veronica Mars, but I might check it out now (plus I'm a Kevin Smith fan too). I can't wait to see her again later this season. You said it, "who's daddy?"

Any chance the other cast/crew members have blogs like yours?
This blog is amazing and really adds a whole additional element to the show, along with the on-line comics.
I was concerned about Heroes getting it's groove back, but wow, you outshone yourselves last night. Fabulous episode!
Thanks so much for maintaing this blog, it is the highlight of my week. Well. except for Heroes, of course!!!!!
So how am I supposed to wait until next monday!!
Anonymous said…
Yay! Heroes is BACK. I was getting worried and I was (and am still) down on the first 3 episodes, but the last two have been awesome! First TV show in a long time where I can't wait for next's week's show. Excellent, excellent episode.

OK. Please, please, please, save some budget NOW for a mega special effects showdown at the end of the season to make up for last year's "non-event".
Anonymous said…
Heh love the show but i gotto add Odessa is in the Ukraine, not Russia...
John said…
The blog is more interesting than the show. Last night's episode moved heroes from must watch the night it is on, to a record and watch when convenient status.

You guys just aren't moving the story forward enough for my taste. Some of the individual scenes are great, some of the individual lines are great and some of the characters are great. However, as a whole the series is a shell of last year.

What's the point of having Elle go all the way to Ireland to "find" Peter only to get called back when she knows she's 2 steps away? Why to teasingly introduce another character and then have them do nothing.

Why not show the Elle frying Mr bad Irish accent scene? It's cheaper not to.

What's the point of Ando reading Hiro's story instead of showing it? Because it's cheaper.

I found the copycat action scenes to be horribly edited. It was a horrible green screen sequence. You would have been better off to have hired stunt double to show her dunking and cut out all the cheazy shots of Micah. I do have hope for them as a duo, as long as you get moving and have them start doing something.

I really think you guys are spending money in the wrong places and cutting corners in the wrong places. Using the green screen for the double dutch scene was the wrong place for that money. Going cheap with the Hiro story line (90 angry ronin), is the wrong place to cut corners.

However, the biggest problem you have is letting Tim Kring expand his universe in season 2 when he couldn't even tie up his smaller world at the end of season 1. You needed to put some of the domestic stories to rest (Seiler, the company) if you were going to expand worldwide ones (the virus, the originals).
Madge said…
I've gotta give my props for the nightmare scene! It was shot fantastically. It was disorienting when it needed to be and horrifying and exciting the whole way through. I loved how Matt's nightmare was shot like a horror movie, and when I realized that Matt and Nathan had begun fighting each other I was practically jumping up and down. TOTALLY AWESOME. Every episode I can hardly believe it's possible that Heroes can get any more cooler than it already is, but the show always surprises me! Fantastic job!
Anonymous said…
Bring back Sendhills voiceovers!

(I don't say Suresh, so you can go ahead and kill him) - but bring them back! They are part of Heroes!

I shall be boycotting the DVD's if we don't get a lot more.
Anonymous said…
"Letting" Tim Kring....? It's his show.
Anonymous said…
The fighting scene was really well done. It created that viewer can figure out what is going on before Matt stops Nathan. It was great.

Also, the double dutch scene... yeah, I can't thank enough that we could read how you guys did the scene.
Anonymous said…
here is my prob...we are getting lots of scenes...but little cohesion...so someone is killing the old guard....so maybe there is a killer virus out there....but what is the overall arc??? where is the dynamic tension that was last season? and when are bell and panitierre gonna show up in bikinis? fire kring
Anonymous said…
I like that Ando is reading about Hiro's adventures. He's reading about what his buddy did 400 years ago. I doubt it's about money and unless you've had the conversations with them about it, who are you to say why they do certain things.

Criticizing the creators is like going to get your hair cut and then instructing and criticizing the hairdresser every step of the way.

Unless you have the experience, education, or training take a step back, becasue your comments aren't coming from anything other than a over-analytical couch potato.
Anonymous said…
Fire Bacci40.
CosmicAvatar said…
I love these behind-the-scenes explanations. And the ep rocked.
Anonymous said…
Hi Greg,

Thanks as always for taking the time to post this. As ever, your insights into the making of the episodes are fascinating.

Another great episode and the introduction of two instantly intriguing characters in Elle and Parkman Snr. I really hope we see plenty more of the latter! He very effectively conveyed that he was a very weak personality but at the same time also conveyed a lot of menace and malevolence in a VERY short amount of screen time and that so impressed me. "Pleasant dreams" indeed. *Shiver*

Interesting to see that Elle is sort of the AntiClaire! Be fun to see how THAT plays out.

Finally, Adrian Pasdar was fantastic this week. Really pleased to see that he's getting to work with Greg Grunberg and watch that dynamic developing - it's a lot of fun seeing the more lighthearted moments between these two as well as the dramatic moments he has always done so well.
Although having said that, I'm sure I speak for the audience when I say I can't wait for Nathan to be reunited with Peter - the scene this week in the nightmare where he believed he'd found his brother was heartbreaking because he looked so overjoyed.

Very much looking forward to next week already!
Unknown said…
Mr. Beeman,

Your blog is very interesting, and makes for a nice addition to the show itself. Sadly, I have to agree with some of the detractors who are posting here -- the show, while wonderful, is starting to lose a lot of its appeal. I can't even begin to understand the technical difficulties faced by you and your staff, but I do agree that the character development this season has been disappointing -- and this in a show where the main draw were the interesting, nuanced, conflicted characters. Ms. Bell's character promises to be interesting, but the promised resolution to the questions of how Peter ended up in Ireland, what happened to Nathan, the virus, etc., has been a long time in coming, and frankly, I'm losing faith in the show and its ability to provide satisfying answers.

In all honesty, I really hope the characters continue to be developed as the season moves along. This show is fantastic enough that your audience is willing to accept the four month jump in time, with its accompanying shift in so many characters' situations and attitudes, but not without some kind of explanation or rationale. As it stands now, it is begining to feel more and more like a deus ex machina, and I refuse to believe that such talented writers could have run out of ideas.

Best wishes, and thank you for this blog. Seeing the devotion and the love that goes into this show is keeping it on my to-watch list, sometimes in spite of the show itself.
Anonymous said…
All of the scenes with Nathan and Matt rocked my socks quite thoroughly. I'm growing to like the new characters more as well--I just have one suggestion concerning Monica's kung fu. Dana does a really good job with it, as it's not easy to portray accurate martial arts if you haven't studied them recently. One thing that would increase the believabilty of it, should she need to do it again, is just to keep her shoulders straight--a lot of people (including myself) tend to hunch in on themselves, and when that happens, it kinda falls apart, no matter how nice your stance is or how clean your punches.
Anonymous said…
I thought the scene when Parkman and Nathan were fighting each other in their nightmares was great! I don't know how it could have been more perfect than it turned out!
Anonymous said…
I think it's amazing to get insight into a show as successful as Heroes. I'm always wondering how things are done on set. I often tell people if I weren't going for a Business degree, I would have chosen to do special effects work, so to fully comprehend how hard it is for the entire staff to do their job and get an insiders perspective on a show with such great CGI is fabulous. Just recently got into this blog and loving it so much. Keep up the great work Heroes!
Anonymous said…
this is completely off-topic and somewhat random. i was randomly googling my real name (Monika Beeman) and was somewhat surprised to come across your blog. i was even more surprised that she's in NOLA, as i am! i was quite amused by this coincidence. i have no idea if we are truly related by blood, but i'd still like to wish you luck in all your endeavors. -bs
Anonymous said…
Great Blog! Great episode! Great commentary with Grunny! I am really enjoying this season, even though it started off a bit slow. I thoroughly enjoyed the nightmare scene as well as hearing Micah play the piano with Monica (speaking of which, is there anyway you can tell us what piece they played?).
oh gosh I love Kristen bell so much!! She is awesome and I loved bad Elle!!
Unknown said…
Your editors deserve a fruit basket for the awesome work they did with that fight scene. (Well, everyone does but still!)

And my love for the "St Joan" touch knows no bounds. It's things like that which take this show from being great to being awesome.
Anonymous said…
Oh please don't listen to just all the praises you get here. If Heroes continues to unfold story like this, your show will get canned. I love Heroes and to see the show heading this way is just unbearable. This season has been such a let down so far. The first 4 episodes were all about Claire and her boring boyfriend. And " the box "? Lame. Not to mention that the writers actually let that Irish guy protected Peter. A civilian protecting a hero ?!! Wow. And where the hell is Ali Larter? She's been on the screen for literally 20 seconds in 5 episodes. Even that kid who plays Molly get more screen time than her. And Matt Parker,urgh, just let Sylar have him will you?
Anonymous said…
It's interesting you love the stargate people so much, I thought that picture of new york looked sooo fake (as did Bennet in front of Moscow) - in fact you showed so little of it and cut so fast i thought it was to hide the ... budget being visible.

I was wondering if you didn't have any money for effects - but the double dutch scene looked fine.
Unknown said…
The interlocking Matt-Nathan nightmare was A M A Z I N G, one of the best things in the season so far. It was just so brilliant when you realized what was happening, and nice to see Matt using his powers to save the day.

I must also say I *love* the villain y'all have created in Maury Parkman. During his initial confrontation with Matt and Nathan I almost felt sorry for him! I almost believed him! It wasn't until he walked away with that pure evil look on his face that I got really angry - at the character, and also at myself for being such a sucker!

Which is the brilliant part - that's what real-life jerks do. They worm their way into your respect, only to make you realize they never deserved it.

I have one problem with this episode... Suresh's decision to take Molly to the Company just made me go WHAA? It was a total about-face for the character that, I'm sorry to say, really should have been set up more clearly.

But, you know... it's easy to Monday-morning quarterback, isn't it? Really I love this show, I love all the hard work you guys put into this every week, and I love that you are cool enough to blog about it. I hope whatever negative remarks have been made doesn't prevent you from doing that in the future, I think most of the criticism is meant constructively...
Anonymous said…
I just gotta say thank you for the commentary with the other Greg. You two had me smiling the whole time because you blended so well together. It was energetic yet not frenetic. Seriously. Your commentaries ROCK!
Anonymous said…
Oh please don't listen to just all the praises you get here. If Heroes continues to unfold story like this, your show will get canned.

Well...regarding what this anonymous commenter said above...I'm actually really enjoying this season so far. But I do think he or she is right about not placing too much weight on what is said here, either positive or negative. The truth is that the section of the viewing audience that goes hunting for info like this, reading and commenting on blogs and message boards, etc. is VERY different from the mainstream viewing audience. It's easy to forget that the views expressed here, whether praise or criticism, are probably not representative of everyone watching the show.

Having said that, like I already said--I'm loving the season so far. Though I wish Claire, Hiro, and Peter were more involved in the main action.
Anonymous said…
I have got to ask this after watching the episode again. Who made Peter's passport? Whoever did gave me a great laugh. :D
Anonymous said…
* Street name typo *

"Saint-Jaque" is actually spelled "Saint-Jacques". I don't know if the real scene has already been shot, but if it hasn't, make sure you get this right :)

From someone living in Montreal...
lyverbe-at-hotmail.com
Anonymous said…
One little bad comment first: the Russian bluescreen thing looked totally fake.
Apart from that, it was a very good episode. :)
I really liked seeing Micah play the piano and smiling with Monica, great team here.
Joe B. said…
So the most powerful guy in the Heroes universe is a shlubby guy in a ratty apartment?

I love that!
Anonymous said…
Nice post on this one my friend! The fight scenes are so great and this is one of the best yeah!!
Anonymous said…
That was a GREAT épisode, as the last week's one! 'Heroes' i love seems to be back! The Nighmare scene was kind of terrifying.Reminds me a bit of Candice's (ex) power. Wow: This Maury is a serious challenger for Sylar...
And THANK you for sparing us the teen love scenes and the:'but i want to be normal' with teary eyes from the cheerleader.
This épisode was a treat! Thanks to all of you!
Anonymous said…
That was a GREAT épisode, as the last week's one! 'Heroes' i love seems to be back! The Nighmare scene was kind of terrifying.Reminds me a bit of Candice's (ex) power. Wow: This Maury is a serious challenger for Sylar...
And THANK you for sparing us the teen love scenes and the:'but i want to be normal' with teary eyes from the cheerleader.
This épisode was a treat! Thanks to all of you!
Oh!!: On Peter's passport, where one can see rapidly his face, under the sex genre, it's written a 'F' !!
A new incredible info: Peter is a FEMALE!!! lol!
Anonymous said…
To anyone who has complained about the storyline sucking or the path that the show is on heading downhill, if you have time to post on this blog then take a little time to read what else is on the web about Heroes. I numerous articles and on just about every Heroes website since the beginning of the season they have talked about how in november during 'sweeps' they're going to air "4 Months Ago" which claims will tie things together. In essence this season will not even start until after that episode.

From what I gather what we see now is just a preseason. Kinda like a warm-up. Plant the seeds of the "originals", and the killings, and kensei, causing confusion and suspense as to "What the heck is going on ?!?!?". Once we get to "4 Months Ago" as stated by many sources about the show, it will tie up the loose ends that we all really want to know right now. Why things are the way they are this season. And after that we'll feel content, but they will still be able to build the show because they will be able to explode the "weak" storylines they're introducing now.

Whew, that said the Matt and Nathan fight scene was awesome. Did anyone else notice that to break out of the dream Matt didn't read Peter's thoughts, but SENT his thoughts to Peter? I think that it's awesome that Matt's power is growing... just hope he doesn't turn like his old man.

And the Russia shot sucked... felt Jipped by that.

As far as the show goes, you gotta see the big picture, and don't forget about "4 Months Ago"!
Doc_Bo said…
These are two terrific writers, I must say.. What an exciting and scary and engrossing episode and Monica and Micah are SO wonderful and bring warmth and smiles to the show. I could not imagine the work that went into this..it was seamless! ..so, thanks for sharing and please..more stories from these 'new' writers... Sheindie
Anonymous said…
I'll have to see the Russia scene again because I didn't think it was bad. And I like the burning New York. It did look fake but it was very comic book-y- which was cool for me.
Anonymous said…
Hi every one
This blog is wonderfull,to have the "point de vue" of a person fully working in that show.
About that episode, I am wondering about the daddy and the origin of the "god send" sign. Daddy/compagny boss can be Takezo Kensei. The reason why everyone is connected,could this be because Kensei is the ancestor of all of them?Geez,I'm waiting for all the others episodes
Anonymous said…
Pasdar.ahahhhahaha..cool!*lauhts*
I like Hathan`s monster!
I miss Claude...:`(
Anonymous said…
This new Nathan is awesome. I love his sarcastic attitude, his smart (hiding behind a wall when a crazy man wielding a shotgun), and that sexy shot of Nathan + shotgun..... Where was I? Oh yeah, I love his redemption plot and hope to see more of his heroic adventure.
Anonymous said…
Loads of people have already mentioned the sensational fight between Matt and Nathan, the characterization of the Nightmare Man, the growing friendship between cousins Monica and Micah, and the long-awaited return of Nathan's fantastically dry sense of humor - (my gosh, he rocked my socks this week!) - as highlights of this most recent episode. These were my favorite parts as well and bode well for the renewal of the character-centric focus that made Heroes my favorite show last year. I just thought I'd mention a couple more of what I thought were nifty, surprisingly honest moments from the characters this week:

1. The Peter lost in Ireland seems like he's been trying so hard to stay emotionally contained, betray as little as possible of the awkwardness and fear he must be feeling in his situation. All resolute and coiled like a spring when he goes to open that box, Peter lets off that brief, intense huff of anger when it doesn't immediately tell him anything he really wants to know. That one moment felt like a significant disclosure, and I liked it.

2. Ando tries (awkwardly) to throw the ancient-scroll-repair specialist off the scent! (Very common name, I'm sure, Ando). I thought the two had an enjoyable rapport.

3. Ricky's scene with Elle. For one thing, suddenly I'm hungry for stew... and mussels... and stew. But Ricky is funny here and personable - and for the first time, I can really buy him as someone: a) dangerous, and used to using little more than mild-yet-intimidating demeanor to get pretty much whatever he wants, but also b)a man with whom Peter would agree to (even provisionally) ally himself. I know how badly Peter needs ties, needs to belong to a family, I can understand his attraction to a lovely girl, and I can also see how, subconsciously, he might be drawn to a family that parallels his own in some ways. But it was hard for me to understand why he would "join up" with a group of people who find random amnesiac guys, beat them to a bloody pulp, then extort unwilling cooperation from them - even if he has no hard feelings against them from having been said random guy. Ricky's scene with Elle showed us another side of the guy - a (manipulative, but appealing) charm that I can see people being drawn to. He played off her rather nicely, really just needled her, provoked her... (Though hardly a "shipper," I do wonder whether, under less unfortunate circumstances, the two might have bonded over their shared affinity for violence and stripey shirts). Ricky turned out to be kinda cool - just in time to die. Which, I guess, is exactly as much time as any of us ever have.

4. Caitlyn is a little pissed off when Peter turns out to have super-art-powers, too! Man, did that ring true for me! Here Peter has been so complimentary of her paintings, suggested she's gifted and special, then this scary, miraculous trance-thing comes over him out of nowhere, and it turns out that not only is he a super-powered amnesiac boy, he's also Tim Sale! Which is to say, he can draw better than her. Which sucks! (For the girl, that is. It was wonderful to see Tim Sale's work brought to the fore once more, and the visions and dream-sequences are often my favorite scenes on Heroes). All I mean to say is: if I had a super-powered boyfriend, and that happened to him? Despite whatever horror and wonder and curiosity his trance-painting might occasion in me, I'd absolutely let myself have five minutes or so to be cheesed off and a little jealous at first, too.

5. Niki (or Jessica, maybe?) exploding onto the scene of Mohinder's conversation with Bob. I'm not sure what exactly was going on there, but it was a truly surprising moment, well-choreagraphed and charged with irony and energy. I love Heroes when it's eloquent and talky, but this was a nice case of "a little less conversation and a little more action."

6. Hiro admits his journey has been "like a storybook - only more tiring." That sounded like true Hiro-speak to me. I loved the idea of Hiro communicating with Ando through letters, but felt that the earlier letters themselves were lacking that certain special smack of 'Hiroism,' if you will. Hiro's manner of speaking is usually so distinct, one of his most endearing qualities. But his earlier correspondence seemed a trifle dull, for all that it described some more or less momentous developments in his ongoing story. I still wish we could see more memorable interactions between the characters of the feudal japan plot, instead of simply hearing about them in summary, but the summary method worked better this time. It matters a lot that it feels like Hiro telling the story in his own, very particular Hiro way. (Plus, Kensei and Yaeko had what looked like a genuinely sincere moment there, which is a nice departure from the more predictable, er, 'Hirono de Bergerac' plot where the girl should, if she's thinking straight, obviously prefer the secret suitor to the one out in the open. I like the idea that in discovering how good it feels to be revered as a hero, Kensei begins to transform himself into someone who deserves to feel that way, someone the girl might genuinely love. At the expense of Hiro's hopes.
Anonymous said…
Brilliant episode! I notice a lot of people whining about this season not living up to season one. All I have to say to them is--the fun hasn't started yet, kids, sit down and be patient. I for one am enjoying the slower build, and the drama of wonder what the heck happened in the last 4 months. I am genuinely on the edge of my seat wondering how and why Nathan and Peter are alive--not to mention why the latter is suddenly in Ireland and rather on the electric side.

The suspense is killing me. And don't get me started on "hooded figure" theories.

My only complaint...the teen angst Claire/West thing I could do without. But I have a distinct feeling that their relationship is gonna change. Okay, this is SO not a spoiler; he couldn't be a more blatant bad guy if he was cutting off heads.

I just noticed the fantard rant this comment has become. I haven't been this enthused for a series since BtVS. Now I'll take my leave before I become too much of a geek for the general public...
Unknown said…
Excellent blogsite, Mr. Beeman! :)Thank you for sharing so much information and insight about the show.

Kudos to you and your colleagues, the cast, and crew for such a phenomenal show. It's quickly gaining popularity here in the Philippines. Episode 1 of Season 2 just aired last night and I'm looking forward to the coming episodes.

Looking forward to your next entry!
Anonymous said…
Nathan's character development is one of the best things that happen this season. Although I dislike the Ireland plot, at least it separates Peter long enough from Nathan so that Nathan can get some much needed character development and awesome moment like that shotgun/fight scene with Matt.

Don't get me wrong, just like others, I love Nathan and Peter interaction and am looking forward to their reunion. However, despite the two's connection last season, Nathan's main role was as "Peter's jerk brother". I really, really do not want Nathan to regress back to that role once he's reunited back with Peter.

I hope the writers realise that they've done a lot of good character development with Nathan that it'd be a step back to turn him back into a jerk again. Please move the character forward not backwards or back and forth like photocopy machine.
Anonymous said…
Great casting with Kristen Bell. She's my favorite new character by far.
Anonymous said…
Mr. Beeman, I just wanted to come back to say that I watched the commentary that you and Greg Grunberg did for Fight or Flight. Awesome! You guys are hilarious. I hope you two really are planning to do the commentary for episode 10 together. Looking forward to the harness scene he was talking about and the funny line. :D

This was the first commentary that I've watched. I'll definitely be going back to watch others.

Thanks so much for this blog and also for the commentary. I'm really looking forward to tonight! Keep up the good work.

~Nicky
Rickey said…
Um, so did anyone read the EW post about Heroes? Because they were spot on in their criticism of Season Two. Everything that worked last season has been passed over and ignored entirely. And the twins just smack of demographics casting.

Kring went out of his way to prove that he has never read a comic in his life, and it definitely shows in the episodes and the overall plot. Everything that made this show cool last season is gone. I'm curious: who told Kring to make the show "socially relevant"?
Anonymous said…
beeman please give us more Sylar´s adventures we want him strong and back.....
Anonymous said…
Wow! New York in jepardy. How exciting. Oh wait, where did we see that before? Peter discovering his powers, how exciting. Oh wait, where did we see that before? Mohinder being stupid. Where did we see that before? Claire, well she sure put that mean ole snooty cheerleader in her place didn't she! How heroic! Every single hero has regressed to Season 1 status or worse. I used to could not wait for Mondays. Now? I'll get around to watching it whenever. This is sad, sad. What a shame and what a waste and the plumeting ratings don't lie.
kriskramer said…
Not a bad episode, but I have to agree with the fact that it's a little wierd to have Elle show up and get so close only to get pulled away.
Anonymous said…
episode 5 was very well written. The story line for this particular group of heroes is very good, but i'm worried that so many stories are out its becoming difficult to finish for example Peter's mom was supposed to be on a death card but they seemed to have given up trying to kill her? the central americans have been trying to cross the boarder since episode one.
Claire's story... girl trying to fit in in highschool zzz.
i would really like to see some action in all of the episodes like there was in episode 5!
Kay Ray said…
write more blogs please!! It was awesome!!
Anonymous said…
Kensei and Claire have the same ability. I hope it's explained why he hasn't aged and if Claire will do so. THE COMPANY... Zzzz. Viewers need to be put in the light more of what the heck it is, why it is, where it's going, and to what ends does it fulfill. It is about time to end these scenarios of characters learning about their abilities. We had an entire season to cope with that. Also, the plot is becoming to busy (like Spiderman 3) this is very distracting and tiresome. Here is a writer's tip from an English double major. COMBINE MORE CHARACTER PLOTS so they show up on the screen together, then you don't have to cross cut so much. Claire in general is becoming boring. Focus more on the interesting characters such as Sylar and Peter. Those are the people that sell. Hiro and Ando work well TOGETHER not seperated. I think it was a huge mistake killing of Hiro's father because the plot with Ando and Sr. Nagamura was actually very interesting yet of course cut short. NO MORE NIKKI AND DL. THEY ARE THE WORST PART OF THE SHOW.
Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
ive like just only found this blog. and its gotten me pretty excited. love all the photots tbh (:
Anonymous said…
Say Greg, do you actually read these comments? If so I would like to talk to you. I am sure you can find me. Just think "chirp" from ElMo.
Anonymous said…
i absolutely LOVED the fight scene, wonderfully choreographed and edited!!!
Anonymous said…
thank you nice sharing

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Anonymous said…
AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE that even though you guys are introducing new faces, youre keping the focus on the core characters from the pilot (i.e Peter, Nathan, Niki, Claire, Hiro..) and a big HURRAY for bringing our Niki/Jessica back!!
Anita said…
Greg,

Can't wait for you guys to be officially back! We definitely need more pictures and commentary. I got to meet you at Heroes Fan Day, so now I have my official 'Beaming Beeman' picture as well :) Btw, if you can work on TK about getting us a gag or blooper reel for S2.5 or S3, that would be fantastic! :)
kareena said…
How do i get in touch with Greg Beeman. I would appreciate if i could have an email address through which i could access him. Please do let me know.. It is kinda urgent. Does any one know whether he still reads this blog or not?
Anonymous said…
thank you maswex
Anonymous said…
Greg-

When is your blog coming back? Spet 23?
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Reklam said…
Thanks Mr Beaman.With your help we can get all the information you thanks for episode's.
Reklam said…
Thanks Mr. Beeman
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