BEEMAN’S BLOG - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 14

“A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER”

WELCOME BACK AFTER A LONG HIATUS – AND REMEMBER SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN

Tonight’s episode was written by Tim Kring and was directed by Greg Yaitanes.

Hello loyal fans and welcome back after 6 long weeks off the air. As we’ve discussed before – the network plans these mid-winter breaks long in advance. First of all, less people watch TV in December and January, and the break is necessary in order to allow us to catch up. Every HEROES episode takes more or less 10 working days to produce, plus a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to post-produce. Some shows, like “24” and “LOST” have chosen to delay airing until after January in order to run all of their episodes in sequence. We (and NBC) have chosen to premiere in the traditional late-September spot – run thirteen episodes in a row (which, believe me, is hard enough) – and then have a second (almost) continuous run of 12 more until late-April.

Tim Kring has chosen to deal with these inevitable mid-season interruptions by dividing the show up into separate Volumes. Episodes 1 thru 13 of this season were, as we know, entitled “VILLIANS” and this volume will be called “FUGITIVES.” As you may remember, the final scene of episode 13, technically, began this volume. In it, Nathan went to the President of the USA and told him about the “Specials” and asked for a special force, he felt was needed, in order to round them up.

Tim was looking to re-direct the show in several ways with this new story arc. First, the goal was to re-set our HEROES in a way that is more human and earthbound. He sets the episode 6 weeks into the future since the last time we saw them. Each of them has returned to a version of their "normal" life - even though we may not know how they got there. This mystery is part of the fun. Tim also wanted to separate them from each other. He wanted to diminish their powers, especially as regards our two most powerful characters Hiro and Peter. And he then wanted to rip them away from their newfound normalcy and put them into continuous jeopardy by having them pursued and hunted by a new threat which uses tactics that are more aggressive and less forgiving than those imposed by the former “Company.”

Greg Yaitanes, now doing his fourth episode for us, was tapped to direct this one. (Interestingly, Allan Arkush was originally scheduled to do episode 14 and Yaitanes was going to do ep 15. But Yaitanes had complications with his very booked-up schedule. Allan, manfully, took one for the team, and swapped episodes with Greg.)

Tim very much wanted to find a new/additional look for this episode to signify the new direction he was taking the show in. There were many meetings about this – but the obvious choice was to use a combination of hand held camera, long lenses, obscured foregrounds, jump cuts and no stage-line (more about stage line in a moment.) This kind of look has been used in movies like THE BOURNE IDENTITY and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. It is also something we had been doing from the beginning, but always as a spice and not as the main course. This look suits this storyline because it creates a visceral, documentary-like vibe. The jump cuts and line crosses create tension. And the long lenses through lots of foreground create a sense of voyeurism and observation. All of these elements really suited this story and this look will be used extensively (but not exclusively) in this volume.

Now, gentle readers, on to "stage-line." The stage-line is a rather complex concept that I'll be able to describe here only in the briefest way. (If you're really interested buy any basic book on directing for film or TV.) When filming a scene there is an imaginary line created between any two actors in that scene. Imagine a scene viewed in overhead, say, between Ali Larter and Adrian Pasdar. The stage-line connects them down the center of their bodies. If, in the "master angle," (or widest shot) Adrian is looking left to Ali and Ali is looking right to Adrian - then, as the director proceeds with the scene - he or she must make sure that EVERY shot has Ali looking right and Adrian looking left. If in, say, a closeup this line is crossed then Ali might end up looking to the right of frame and Adrian would also end up looking to the right. This would create, in the viewer, an undesired dis-orientation for a few moments. It would "feel" wrong. Now the stage-line concept gets much more complex than this, because there are stage lines between every character in a scene and as the characters move the stage lines move. Trust me, the stage line concept is an ABC of film-making. I have been on many sets that have ground to a stop as the director, the script supervisor and the director of photography discuss whether a stage-line mistake has been made. If a director gets way behind in his or her schedule - one of the easiest tricks is to lock the actors down, and keep the stage lines simple. The math just adds up to less shots overall.

Anyway - in the style chosen for this episode - the stage line is PURPOSEFULLY crossed all the time. The characters are always jumping the line and looking the wrong direction - and the designed intention of this is to create tension in the viewer. As with all rules, one needs to understand the proper implementation of the rule before one can feel secure breaking it. And it needs to be broken aggressively - not piecemeal. I think Yaitanes and Nate Goodman did an excellent job in this regard..

The mis-conception is that this style is faster to shoot or easier to design. It IS actually faster and easier to do a sloppy version of this style. But to do it right takes coordination and planning - because this style also requires a lot more shots and angles than usual. The key is that, even though more shots and cuts are required – we still have to make sure to be in the right place emotionally at the right time. So strategic close-ups have to be filmed also. And – of course – the beautiful lighting that HEROES has become known for also can’t be sacrificed.

Greg and (our Director of Photography) Nate Goodman really talked through the shots they wanted to get in detail. Two cameras were used almost all the time. And on the shooting days, Greg maintained a discipline of doing only one or two takes of almost every angle. For him, it was more important to “move on” and get another shot than to make perfect the one shot he was working on at the time. Of course, during the course of the scene, he was crafting and perfecting performance and pace as always – but he was also cognizant that this style is largely dependant on discovering the structure of the scenes in the cutting room.

Speaking of editors, Lois Blumenthal, who recently moved up from assistant editor, is cutting her second episode with this one. I think she did a great job, and this was reinforced by the voluminous e-mails that flew around between all of us producers after seeing the “directors cut” (which is the first cut we see) including one’s that said “great” “fantastic” and “All we have to do is get it to time and ‘ship it!!’”)

Of course, one of the biggest projects in the episode was the sequence where all the heroes are captured and loaded onto a military transport plane, which later has a hole blown open in it resulting in all manner of chaos.

There are two parts to this sequence. The exterior sequence, where the plane takes off, and the interior of the plane where all the action takes place. We used two types of planes for this sequence. A C-123 for the exterior plane taking off on location, and a C-130 for the cockpit work we shot here in our parking lot. Now obtaining and shooting a whole type C-123 plane is easier said than done. Our line producer, Jim Chory, looked far and wide and found one finally from a private vendor based out of Arizona.

At first we were going to film the exterior scenes at the Ontario airport. This location was looked at by our scouts and thoroughly scouted by Greg Yaitanes and our crew several times. Then, as things tend to go, a couple of days before filming, that airport fell out. Ontario is very busy and getting the clearance to land this big beast of a military plane and control the runway for an entire day and night became impossible. With just two days to go before filming had to commence we were without a location for our major set piece. There was a scramble and we found a second possibility. This was the Chino Hills Airport in Chino, California. This was a much smaller place and also much farther away. It was over a two-hour drive for our cast and crew. It took an entire day of prep and an all nighter to film the scenes and this was all done on Halloween!! There must have been some Halloween celebrations going on in the area, because, if you look carefully in the background of one shot (one where the hooded specials are being led out of the hanger to the plane) you can see fireworks. Now Chino is a fine town, and I don’t disparage it… But, besides working all night on All Hallows Eve, the cast in crew was very happy to be breathing in the deep smell of cow dung, which permeated the air all night. It was a good time!

The interior of the plane was also a major set. The first path we went down was to consider shooting the interior of the plane practically. But this became untenable for many reasons. One, it meant renting the expensive plane for several more days. Two, in order to light it meant we would have had to crane it into a controllable warehouse space. Three, the walls would have all been solid and the space is only ten feet wide – so it would have been almost impossible to get any angles over our characters. Four – there was no way, in the real plane, to do the sequence where the plane wall freezes and breaks out…

So… we decide to build it. But this had it’s own set of problems for our production designer Ruth Ammon and her art department team. First of all an airplane is a set that involves numerous compound curves. These are easier to deal with when constructing out of metal (as a real plane would)… But for speed and cost we had to build out of wood. The design of this involved a lot of design complications as well as carpentry complications. Also, from a painting point of view, we had to paint wood to look like metal – which is trickier than it sounds. Walls had to be designed to be “wild” (meaning they come in and out easily) and we had to design one wall to be frozen and broken so that it could swap out easily with the pre-frozen wall. AND… The whole thing had to be built in seven days.

One note – the cockpit of the plane (where Claire discovers HRG as the co-pilot) was not built. It was a C-130 that we rented and set up in our parking lot. These shots were done first, over a week before the rest of the plane sequence.

This is, in my humble opinion, a really fun sequence. It is an unusual sequence for us in that it is quite lengthy with almost all of our principle characters in one place. It is an elaborate sequence that required a lot of design and planning all at our usual very fast pace. It was also a sequence that seemed to be a lot of fun for our cast. They don’t usually all get to work together. Usually they are all off on their own stories, overlapping each other’s story arcs just once in a while. But for a whole night, they all got to hang out. Our cast really does like each other, and it was a very fun and happy vibe on set that day.

One last thing – I’d like to tip my hat to Tim Gilbert, our stunt coordinator – who, along with his team, recently won the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series. Tim has been with us since season two and he and his team do a great job. They make the many complex things we do look easy. This sequence is a good example of why.

OK, that’s it for now. On to the pictures. Thank you fans for sticking with us. And I will speak to you again NEXT WEEK!!!!!

THE PICTURES:


GREG Y ON SET


DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY NATE GOODMAN


THE GANGS ALL HERE


STRAPPIN’ IN


ALI LARTER PREPARES FOR LIFTOFF


GREG GRUNBERG FEARS MOTION SICKNESS


HAYDEN AND GREG G BETWEEN TAKES


MASI AND FIRST A.D. ROBERT SCOTT


MILO HELPS OUT HIS FELLLOW PASSENGERS


SENDHIL ON SET


GREG YAITANES STUDIES THE MONITOR


MASI ON SET


ASSITANT DIRECTOR ROBERT SCOTT SUGGEST BETTER USE OF MY TIME THEN STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SET TAKING PICTURES

Comments

Kruton6 said…
Excellent show as usual :D
Greg you do great work informing the community of what goes on behind the scenes!
Tata said…
Woaaah, the episode was amazing!
Anonymous said…
Good start of the season, I can't say that it left me as hyped as the premiere of volume 4, but I'm with you until the end guys!

I loved Peter the most... I really like how you're writing him now, that's the Peter I love! But wth is up with his abilities? Did he got Mohinder's ability kind of like Arthur did, I was a bit confused there...

I loved the Hiro and Ando storyline too, very refreshing1 even though I hope Hiro gets his powers back at some point :(

Nathan was totally evil and I'm not sure if it makes sense at all... too rushed imo.

About Sylar...gosh, I liked so much where you were taking the character before the end of the eclipse part 2, that I now don't know if I like him as much anymore... I mean he was cool and badass but well, I dunno I guess I'll have to get use to it :( awww it made me so sad to see him using Elle's ability, I'm still grieving! :(

For the rest, Claire was still a bit annoying but she's improving... Matt storyline was a bit weird but I'm intrigued... Mohinder, well he was there, glad that the bug storyline is over! and HRG must be playing both sides, to be honnest he bores me lol Not enough Angela haha! oooh for the moment, I like the Hunter, cool new character!
Anonymous said…
I forgot gosh... Thanks for all the pics and the BTS explanations, you rock!!
Anonymous said…
Great episode!

I thought all of the characters were in the right place.
Peter, still trying to save everyone.
HRG, doing whatever he has too for his family.
Sylar, doing what he wants to. I loved that. I didn't like to see him taking orders in volume 3.
Nathan as the politician, with his morality issues.

I also loved how Claire got to do the saving, instead of being saved!
Anonymous said…
DAMN, that was a good episode!

Although I was upset that peter screwed up again. This 'flaw' is getting overdone.

I was hoping they would just get caught actually at the end, but peter kicking butt is always fun to see (it didn't make sense that he got beat by that guard since Peter is super strong).

Can't wait for next week. Wish there was an episode everyday.
Anonymous said…
If Kring is taking Peter's power in the direction I (as well as others) perceived it and leaving Sylar with the way his power USED to function, then I could see it acting as a double-edged sword.

Mostly because of the massive plot hole and leap of established logic it created.

Hate to be a downer but I wouldn't be surprised to see the shadow of the axe looming as you guys steadily approach the end of this season.
david golbitz said…
Really enjoyed the episode. I think I liked it more than the entirety of the "Villains" arc. I'm warily hopeful for the rest of the season.
J said…
I'm sorry but that episode was C.R.A.P. Are you kidding me? It took 59 1/2 minutes to get to THAT ending? I've canceled my Heroes season pass on TiVo. Last season was "meh" but if *this* is the best you have for a season opener...then good luck. You'll seriously need it. Now, to warn all my Facebook friends not to waste time on this mess....

P.S. What the ef was up with Clair's bad make-up and terrible eyebrows?
Anonymous said…
This episode was great !, glad to see the characters trying to live in the real world again. Heroes is great to indulge in an hour of fantasy and take a break from reality. All you guys work hard to deliver for the viewers and its appreciated. To those that keep complaining, get a life. You can go back to watching Bromance or The Hills cause thats all there is on T.V. these days. Crap reality shows. Looking foward to the rest of Fugitives!
Anonymous said…
It was a good episode. However i was extremely disappointed with the scene with Matt and Usutu. His staff just keeps changing from over his head to by his side. It really ruined it for me.
Anonymous said…
Fantastic episode! I really hope that Heroes will be back with a fresh start!
Anonymous said…
OMG i totally loved this episode, it was SO good, just like season one!
I was cheering and yelling and constantly jumping off my seat during the ep, really good.
Seriously, i couldn't be more happy about this episode.
And thanks for the pics and the inside scoop!
Anonymous said…
Well, it's only the first episode yet, but I must say I like it much better than "Villains" so far! I'm glad that the new direction focuses more on characters this volume; that seemed to be lost in the last one.
Shaylin said…
To the person who was complaining about Usutu's staff:

I think that was part of the whole "set line" thing Mr. Beeman was talking about - the switch was made intentionally as a way of messing with our heads. Also, Usutu isn't really there (nor is his staff) - he's some sort of vision/apparition/thing, so consistency isn't necessarily required (when's the last time you had a dream where the details were consistent from beginning to end?).
Anonymous said…
Phenomenal. Mohinder's characterization was so much better this time around, he's incredible and should have the storyline he deserves. Peter and Nathan's relationship remains superb and taut. Excellent.
Anonymous said…
i bet volume 4 will be as good as season 1. or even better. and i love the fact that only sylar was able to beat the 'other hunters' down, hence the strongest of them all! and the hottest! Sylar 4EVA!
Anonymous said…
To Joseph: it was not a season opener, it's still season three. If you don't even get that, you do good by not watching anymore. You're C.R.A.P

That said, it was a great episode, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, literally. Can't wait for more, it's almost too little that one episode a week. And Grerg, please keep shooting those pictures no matter what they say.
Anonymous said…
I loved the episode. I really liked the fact that we won't be counting on time travel on this volume. But still somethings are missing, is it really necessary to make Parkman a prophet ? He could've had other ways on his abilities. And I think we still need to see more of characters, the people behind the powers like season 1, like in this sittuation (being hunted down) they would all come together, to run and hide or to fight against, but they would still be just people, wanting it to be over so they can move on with their lifes. And of course give Hiro his powers back, BUT he has to make a promise of some sort to not use time travel as it was that trivial as he was before.
Anonymous said…
Hola greg! I am mercies of Argentinly and still I did not see the first chapter of the volume four, it I am stooping Internet but I am charmed with your photos always the posteo in my heroes' fotolog (L) alone I do to you a question that has happened(passed) with monica micah caitlin and Mayan? Because since west so rapid it(he,she) has cut with claire? Because you have not closed this history and it(he,she) puzzles me also to know that I happen(pass) with caitlin .. too many histories without closing. (Writing with a translator) jaja good-bye
Anonymous said…
Great episode.Good riddance to joseph and his 2 facebook friends.Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. Go back to watching knight rider and let people who actually like the show watch it.
Anonymous said…
Very interesting episode, but it did not have the calliber of any Villains-episodes. I'm starting to fear the show is gonna become less exciting, and recycling old concepts more and more.

The episode was well edited etc, but is the entire volume just gonna be about the heroes crashing on an island somewhere?

And I really don't like Nathan, as a character. Not because he's now becoming evil, but he' just not nice. Sylar and Arthur were villains!!!! And those I liked, but Nathan just feels uncomfertable to see in such a big role.
Anonymous said…
I loved this episode, it was really a return to form. Great pacing, excellent twists, some slightly reviled characters got to remind us that they were likable (Claire, Peter, Mohinder...). Ando and Hiro were great together again, instead of being frustrating. The evil this season has nothing to do with looming disaster or or time travel or powerful players using the main characters as pawns...yet. I loved the glimpse of everyone trying to live normal lives, and while I would have enjoyed it going on a bit longer, the jump back into the action was great! And there is a great opportunity for new characters to occur organically and still be connected to the main cast! This was great, keep up the good work!
Anonymous said…
Excellent start!
Tracy's capture was very tense and amazing, great intro!
Anonymous said…
LOVED the episode. Felt very dark, lots of tension. I liked how there was much more focus on the characters and relationships, liked how the story line is crisper and everyone's experiences are tied together. The Hunter is freaking scary and uber serious- perfectly cast. Am interested how the Sylar story line will develop.

i look forward to the rest of volume 4 and hope that the show continues for many many more seasons. i will be a fan of heroes to the end!

On a side note, i miss Elle! Still am keeping my fingers crossed that she'll return.
Anonymous said…
This episode had more of a S1 feel to it and I LOVE it!

I feel like this episode redeems the horror that was Volume 3.

Looking forward to more Peter/Claire and Nathan and Claire bonding :)
Anonymous said…
Great *volume* opener; I think it's about time that the heroes have to deal with bad stuff that's happening to them instead of what may or may not happen in the future. I'm impressed with the script, since I've found Kring's writing to be a little weak in the last few episodes he wrote.

The only issues I have are minor ones: Mohinder apparently not living in HIS apartment with Daphne and Matt (maybe he was living in his cab? LOL, poor guy), and Matt suddenly becoming a prophet. I wonder if his visions of Usutu are supposed to be a parallel to Baltar and Head!Six on BSG... Hmmmm.

I love, love, LOVE how Mohinder and Claire were written in this episode. It's also great to see that Peter and Hiro are not as powerful as they once were, and that their foils (Nathan and Ando) are the ones with the power in this volume. Lastly, all the little nods to the pilot were fantastic, and a treat for long-time fans.

Thanks for sharing all that you do with us, Greg. Looks like this volume is going to be quite a ride!
Anonymous said…
Interesting post about the "stage-lines". Your blog is as always something to look forward to, Greg.

I liked the episode much better than the previous volume but I'm very disappointed that you decided to irrevocably destroy the Petrelli brother's relationship. Nathan selling out Peter was painful to watch.

Trying to set up Nathan's death at the end of the season, eh?

But other than that I loved that everyone is working together now. It's so exciting to see all heroes interact.
Anonymous said…
This episode had the feel of the first series. I can't wait to see next episode.

Thanks for your interesting write and and photos.

DFG
Anonymous said…
yay, Heroes is back on the air! i'm so excited it is on again! great first episode of volume 4! it really picked up at the end for me. it was so reminiscent of the pilot - i loved it! :)

i liked how the characters were trying to live in the real world again; seeing Peter returning more to his former life by becoming a paramedic made me happy :) haha, the Andomobile was very entertaining too! the hunter is an interesting new character. and i'm glad everyone had a scene where they could all work together.

i know it doesn't make much sense now, but it would be nice to see Claire go back to school at some point - it roots the story in the real world. it's good to see a hero struggling through something so normal because we can all relate to her more that way, i think. as well, maybe tone down her makeup a little - i feel like she is getting lost underneath it all, like it is acting as a bit of a barrier between us.

thank you again for all the behin-the-scenes information and pictures! wow...painting wood to look like metal sounds difficult to begin with! i am constantly amazed at how you guys manage to make such detail-rich sets, lighting, etc in such a short amount of time. congrats on that! i'll have to rewatch the episode to take a closer look at the stage lines too.

thanks again and i can't wait for next week!!! :D
Anonymous said…
Loved the episode
Anonymous said…
Greg, I hope you have a chance to glance at the comments because I would like to thank you for taking the time to write this blog. This show is so complex (that's why I like it!) that I don't catch everything. I just love all the behind the scenes info. You reveal connections and motivations I wouldn't even think of.
I also enjoy your technical explainations very much. They are a real education. I was unfamiliar with the "stage-line" concept but you did a good job of helping me to understand what it is. And the photos are great, reguardless of what Robert Scott says! lol I look forward to reading your blog every week.
Anonymous said…
I loved the visual tie-ins with the pilot.

My favorite was Mohinder clutching Peter's hands at the close (In the pilot it was Nathan holding Peter).

But obviously I loved the cab sequence, and my heart seriously pitter-pattered. I thought it was going to be a minor throwback to my favorite scene in the pilot, but to truly introduce our new villain in the similar way we were introduced to HRG is brilliant. Even the focusing on the mouth, the eyes in the rearview mirror, was completely reminiscent.

(HRG in shown Papa Suresh's apartment, then again in the cab.)

I can't even begin to tell you how I felt with the addition of these details, it felt like a gentle encouragement to the fans. It felt like the way the show should be.

Great episode to start, felt a lot like a new set up, but had the pacing of the great episodes building up to the finale of the first volume.
Rebel said…
Loved the episode! Great job all around.

I was really upset seeing Specials being loaded up for a worse than Level 5l Special's Gitmo and it made ill thinking about those who may be innocent sitting in the real one.

But Beeman you neglected to mention the shooting of Mr. Gray's repair shop and Samson Gray's house.

Were either real places or were they both sets?

Because they both felt real--nice lighting, particularly the streams of dust and light when Sylar enters Samson's house . And I'd like to know how much road kill was used to by your production designer for his house.

The Martin Gray's Baltimore Watch shop and Samson's house convey the sad, dull seediness of sad, desperate lives.
Anonymous said…
Greg, what's the deal with Peter's ability? Can he only store one at a time now? That really suck since Sylar still goin' fine.
Rebel said…
Oh and forgot to say, also you guys did a great job of making it feel like Season 1. Very taut and compelling.

I'm glad Clair gets to be the hero she wants to be. HRG has some 'splanin' to do. Was upset Matt got taken down.

I noticed Nathan is rounding up any of the Specials who know about him and his mother, the Company and Pinehearst? Coincidence? Unlikely.

Loved Peter standing up to Nathan and Mohinder trying to save Peter in the plane.

Also, it was weird to feel gratified that Sylar has powers to make his escape. It made me think, I hope I get powers like that before the government comes after me.

I also noticed that Angela or someone in the government still is protecting Sylar from being killed, because there were no bullets to his head as Nathan wanted.
jian9007 said…
Overall I enjoyed the ep. First off, as an aside,I do not look for plot holes or continuity errors on sci-fi shows as I could find them on any show, so it is not a problem. Now on to the show synopsis/review.

I liked the direction that Sylar is headed in as his nature is to seek the why and how; it is part of his "hunger". The main reason he escaped is with his healing, it would be tough to put him down with tranquilizers and electricity is one of his abilities so that would do no good either, although it worked on Claire since she only has the healing ability.

Peters' trusting nature is part of who he is; he always wants to see the good in people, and I thought this ep was a step back towards this, which is a good thing.

I know there all also more deaths of characters as there always are but I hope that it serves the storyline and is not needless in any way.

I hope that it is a step in the right direction this season as other good shows have been canceled and I hope Heroes is able to rebound. Keep up the hard work as many of us are still watching and want the show to succeed and thanks for the behind the scenes looks and information.
jian9007 said…
Correction: "all also" should be "is also", in my previous post within the first line of paragraph 4. Sorry.
Anonymous said…
Excellent new volume's start!
As i really enjoyed 'Villains' i'm still happy to go back to something less wild and more federator. This start seems full of promises: Recentration around the main cast obviously and less new cast, plus the classic 'meeting expectation' like Sylar was in the 1st season before we met him. In this volume, his real father gets this rôle.
Speaking about new cast, the Hunter fits well physically .Let's see if he can build his character further.
I always enjoy the abysmal inputs (hum: it'a a french expression sorry)like Momo driving the cab with Peter meeting him 'by coincidence' there:)It's always exiting and rewarding for the faithful watcher: almost like a private joke...HRG was as grey as possible (poor Momo...)And Sylar as powerful as i love him to be, and still looking for answers, or new questions anyway!
Nice that he spared the watch-maker's life,Well-done for the marines(or whatever squad it was) who thought they could get Sylar like a vulgar Tracy!...pfff!
I really really hope that NBC will give us a 4th season.
Anonymous said…
Give Peter back his older powers. Having to touch people, now and especially having only one power at a time is lame. Change or just kill him off
Anonymous said…
Couldn't agree more about Peter... the touching thing is fine (Yay Rogue), but don't gimp him because it's hard to write a hero with all those abilities. Or at least level the playing field and gimp Sylar. Whatever it takes so that we can get the knock-down, drag-out Kirby Plaza rematch we've all been waiting for.
Anonymous said…
Excellent episode. It has given me great hope for the rest of Volume 4. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the show.

My favorite part was the Sylar takedown attempt. It had a Neo realizing he can view the matrix in code kind of moment... the proverbial raising of the hand and saying "no". Also how he was toying with that agent, pausing the can opener for asking questions... the right questions (lie detector).

I was left with the question of, has peter's ability somehow changed to require physical touch? does this also rob the host of their ability like it did when Papa Patrelli used his ability? The special FX used indicate Peter used a Papa Patrelli like power (requiring physical contact), but we know from the Pinehurst explosion that Peter mimiced Nathan's flight ability without physical contact (Peter's natural ability thus far). Whould this also mean he has flamethrower hands as well? Presuming he was just as far as Nathan was.

The glitch Peter experienced after receiving Ms.Struss' ability is hardly different than when he first got Radio Ted's power... uncontrolled at first. It was probably used as a plot device to bust open the plane more than anything else. When Peter got un-drugged, I was hoping he was able to absorb everyone's powers on that plane before some got sucked out (harsh existance, you're on a show as an extra and your character get sucked out of a plane without a parachute, essentially blindfolded and shackled in a freefall to certain death (unable to use their ability to save themselves even IF they possessed a Clare like healing ability or a Nathan like flight ability). I was kinda hoping Peter would let go of the cargo netting and fly after those two specials that got away. It's not too late Peter! :)

Some explaining of how Matt is developing a pre-cog ability is needed, or at least of how he aquired it... The african poo mixture would have left his system by now ;)
Anonymous said…
Now this was a Heroes episode! For the issues I was vocal about with Volume 3, I was quite impressed with the writing, direction, tone of the newest episode. With a couple of things here and there that I wasn't sure about I thought the characterizations were good and that they worked with the plot. In a nutshell I actually recognized these characters as being an extension of who they were in Volume 1, not the retcon and unrecognizable changes we saw in Volume 3. The characters did things that made sense for them.

The entire final section was wonderfully shot and paced. It had a very Michael Mann feeling to it (which I mean as a compliment since I like his style) and for the first time in a long time I felt more of a connection between the characters. Loved the music over top of the action, the way the juxtaposition of shots raised the tension.

And what a great callback for Peter and Mohinder. Not only to their first meeting but finally seeing them interact again in a life or death situation and risking themselves...the final scene with their hands (after Mohinder has presumably undone his restraints so that he can try to help Peter) is fanastic.

Also this is the Sylar story that I find interesting. Him trying to find his biological father, uncover more of his past. Forget true love and Elle and all that terrible stuff. This is a far more intriguing storyline and one that doesn't require the character to be destroyed in the process.

Along that line I'm happy seeing Mohinder written much better -- though I don't buy he would be okay with people being rounded up and sent to detainment camps...helping people control their powers, yes, people being taken away and imprisoned, no way. I like that his actions here made more sense...trying to keep cool with the Hunter and then doing a decent job of getting away...being presented with not much of a choice by Bennet and doing what he has to only to have it backfire anyway...doing what he can to help Peter.

Strong episode. You all deserve a big thank you for that.
Anonymous said…
By the way, I don't mind hand-held cameras, unless it's so shaky I can't tell what's going on. You don't have to film shaky like Cloverfield on Bourne Identity just because all the cool kids are doing it. That wasn't too big of a problem, just a minor thought. Super-Awesome episode! Unfortunately I missed lots of volume three because I had loads of homework, but I caught up on hulu.com and I will definitely be watching vol 4 regularly. Hiro and Ando made me laugh out loud multiple times.
Anonymous said…
I love this show. I love it so much.

A couple of random things stood out for me - namely, Mohinder becoming such a hardass; after three long volumes of being kicked around, he deserves to do some kicking. :D Also, Sylar's new plotline? So awesome. (I've seen the actor chosen to play his father, by the way, and he's beautiful. In an old man sort of way.) And hee, Peter missed his emo bangs too damn much.

Also, I count, like, maybe two slightly negative comments total, so you needn't take my word for it. ^^ Fabulous start to what's sure to be a fabulous volume.
Anonymous said…
Mann, that episode was basically EPIC! Bringing back the writer from season 1 was probably the best idea ever! I mean, since "Villains" did SO many stupid things, like killing off good characters like Adam, taking away Peter's powers. And...god putting Elle and Sylar together, I mean ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

This volume "Fugitives" is already totally making up for volume 3's mistakes. Totally awesome episode! I starting cheering when I saw Peter absorb Mohinder's powers. SO glad he got his original ability back! Well, IF it is, and I am hoping it is. Someone needs to match Sylar, right?

And yeah, Joseph, you suck. Go watch Gossip Girl and OTH. Oh, and btw, even if your "super strong" it doesn't mean that you can't still get beat up.
Anonymous said…
Thanks Greg,

I do a education on becoming a camera man and you explained the use of stage-line beter then my teachers:D

But it is funny to see that what we learn to do right(stage-line), you do wrong and get away with it.

Btw keep up the good work;p

Greetz from Holland
James Corachea said…
The long lenses certainly give it a more cinematic feel. The scene with Nathan looking at the plane taking off had an air of 24 about it - probably as it had no dialogue and contained quick changes in camera angles.

Don't take the hate mail to heart. The fact those people took the time to read your blog and post a comment saying how much they dislike Heroes sounds like a hollow threat. It would be sad to not be able to see a season 4 some point in the future though!
Anonymous said…
Beeman, a lot of the Heroes cast and crew are jumping onto twitter.com to connect with the fans, throw out some trivia, post pics from the set and answer questions.
you should get on there!!
Unknown said…
Great episode Greg! The first thing I noticed and appreciated were the well-down camera angles and pacing. The illusions to season 1 were timed and placed very well too!

Looking forward to the rest of the season
Anonymous said…
To be honest, I loved the show. But I think there was a problem with Peter's powers. During episode 13, he injected himself with the serum and he got his powers back. From that scene, he would have gotten Nathan, Monhinder and Flint's powers.

But in this new volume, he had to have contact with Mohinder & Tracy to absorb their powers and only able to use 1 power at a time, which doesn't make any sense to me as he managed to absorb Nathan's powers in the previous episode WITHOUT touching him. Unless, this is a temporary setback of the sedation.

Many of my friends also found this (Peter not being as powerful as before) very disappointing. We're actually to waiting for a showdown between him and Sylar. Please try not to disappoint fans like us who's been sticking with the show for EVERY episode.

Best Regards.
Anonymous said…
hey greg. i hope u will add more pictures of zach in ur upcoming entries. we love our Sylar so much!thanks!
Anonymous said…
Great episode but please tell the BBC to pull their finger out, we in the UKm won't see it officially on the telly til the end of February!! The ratings aren't going to be good if people have to resort to watching it online as I did (and it's never as much fun on a rubbish computer screen).
Anonymous said…
OK so the injection Peter gave himself restored his ability to absorb other people's abillities? So why now does he have to touch them instead of being in close proximinity?

Please for the love of Pete wrap up the Sylar story line. He is easily becoming the least interesting character on the show. The whinny guy who cant decide whether or not to use the finger is just not the way of his character. Kill him right after Peter touches him.

And of course if he isnt dead, then what is the story with Arthur? I have my money on that he isnt dead either.

And finally please give Hiro his powers back already and bring back Claude Raines. There is something just totally cool about an inviso guy.
Anonymous said…
Great episode! I like where Heroes is heading towards.

My favourite scene would be the Peter-Mohinder scene in the taxi. It gave me a sense of déjà vu, as if we were brought back to season one.... Peter+Mohinder in the taxi, plus introducing the new villain(whatever his name is) similarly to the way HRG was introduced in season one was a great touch.

Anyhow, I'm hoping Hiro would freeze time just before the plane crashes in the next episode. Even though he had lost his powers previously and wasn't injected with the serum, you could argue that the 'adrenaline rush' during the emergency landing caused him to reactivate his powers. I'm also hoping his powers are reactivated to a weaker extent, so Ando can actually be involved by power'ing Hiro up.

As for Peter, when I realised he was put in a plane with so many others with abilities, it just made me jump with excitement. It was kinda dumb for Nathan to actually place him in the same place as others with abilties, knowing that Peter have had his powers reactivated.

...Peter might actually explode.

Anyhow, I believe Peter possessed only flight (+pyrokinesis, maybe?) before episode 14. Correct me if I am wrong, I don't recall Peter gaining super-strength from Mohinder. It was only confirmed that he got his flight back.

And regarding Peter receiving Mohinder's ability. It is similar to, but also different from Arthur's. Arthur steals abilities, rendering the stealed powerless. However, I believe Peter actually 'copied' (hopefully) the ability from Mohinder and Tracy.

Lastly, I feel the this episode is more realistic, in a way more 'earthly' as well. I wasn't much of a fan for 'Villains', but I'm hoping the rest of this season would be as awesome as season one!
Anonymous said…
Greg, please post some Zach pics next week. :) The fangirls on Zach's board at fanforum.com are dying here, have mercy... ;)


And I loved the last eppy! Keep the great work with this blog too. Take care. :)
Anonymous said…
I loved every scene that Sylar was in and Zach did an amazing acting job in the very last scene Sylar was.

All us Zach girls at Zach's board on fanforum.com would love to see some Zach pictures in your next entry. I hope you give us some Zach hotness on Monday for us to drool over. ;)
Anonymous said…
Sorry but this show is now trying to fix mistakes that were attempts to fix previous mistakes in a way that every person is so out of character it makes absolutely no sense!

WHY DOES MATT HAVE TO PAINT THE FUTURE? COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW FOR ONCE!!! Argh, sorry but it frustrates the hell out of me. Keep powers simple. And characters believable.

I loved this show but it really isn't good tv anymore. Simple as that, and it makes me really sad :(
Anonymous said…
Greg Beeman no no! do not you realize that this series heroes becoming worse? and the death of niki was a mistake. elle's death was a mistake I am going to tell Sylar to die? nathan not ever be that? if this comes to pass as the set command to not be shit! do not you realize that the public wants to see something like ... sanders family (as in the first season) claire cheerleader, Sylar bad politician Nathan, Hiro and Peter always so good trying to save the world and that it remains geneticist Mohinder? Matt Parkman and bring a marriage officer or to care for molly but ... all this gave a 180 degree turn! The history is ugly, and that will be feeding the series makes me very grumpy.

DREA, Brazil.
Nyksylos said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nyksylos said…
Greg, I hate to point this out. Actually, it disgusts me that I have to do so.

But Why would the US Government go to Japan to capture a FOREIGN citizen!? A foreign citizen with NO POWERS for Gods sake! Sure, its okay to go ahead and kidnap an important STOCKHOLDER/CHAIRMAN to one of the Largest Corporations in japan without having any economic repercussions. Does the Japanese government give the US a free pass to go in and kidnap their own citizens? This level of absurdity is rediculous.

There had better be something about Hiro's sister looking for her brother, or else the audience will just have to "assume" that they dont communicate that much.

Why is there no SCRIPT EDITOR around the Heroes offices? Seriously Heroes writers, what're you doing? Looking at the lights? Freaking unprofessional.
Nyksylos said…
Now that I think about it, since this episode was written by Tim Kring, I guess even if there were Script Editors, they wouldn't have the BALLS to call out the snaffus in the script.

No wonder season 3 was a story-telling holocaust.

And I say this out of frustration and anger that my favorite show's potential has been defecated on.
Anonymous said…
OMG... is this an excellent show or what !! love Heores... HUGE fan from Mexico !!!
Anonymous said…
I enjoyed the episode even though some of the logic leaves me scratching my head. I do my best to suspend my believe a bit. I have too. If I didn't, I'd go nuts and stop watching the show.

A few things to keep an eye on. I love Matt progressing in his powers, but don't you think he's progressing a bit to fast and too much?

Peter got depowered and now it looks like he can only use one power at a time (not a fan of that) while Matt gets more power development?

Speaking of Matt, unless Matt has the power to speak to dead people, the whole talking with Ustu is getting to weird.

At either case, I still enjoyed it, even though the logic of the show is really waning thin.
Anonymous said…
it seems like the comic book feel of the show has been replaced by a more gritty crime-show-like style, i must say although its great to have different style this time around, i kinda miss the new york blue and the odessa gold hues, that was a huge part of what gave heroes its unique look, i think i wouldn't have recognised the show if it weren't for the actors, because it looks so different! but well, i'm sure this new look will serve the story well too,

i like the fact that all our heroes have to come together to fight a common enemy now:)

shirley
Anonymous said…
A Great Episode!
excellent cast and crew... and also the team, that worked so hard.
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