BEEMAN’S BLOG - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 12

“OUR FATHER”
WITH LITTLE DOUBT – SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN!

Tonight’s episode was written by the writing team of Adam Armus and Kay Foster and was directed by veteran HEROES director Jeannot Szwarc.

Kay Foster's Credits
Adam Armus's Credits

Jeannot’s credits

Sadly – as of this episode Kristen Bell departs the show – we loved having her here. She is a pro and an all-around good egg. The scene where Sylar burns her body was her last scene in the series - but I actually directed her on her last day of shooting. This was the scene at the rental car dealership from episode 10. When we wrapped that scene the Assistant Director announced that Kristen was finished in the series. There was a huge round of applause and weepy eyes all around. Tim Kring and Kristen had explored keeping her around longer – and I know Kristen wanted to come back. There were potential storylines about pregnancies and babies…. But the truth is she has a very busy career with a lot of feature films, pilots and much else in the works. We had no official contract with her – and she couldn’t commit to exactly when she could return. And so it was decided that this would be the most exciting way to end her character. She will be missed.

For the very dramatic scene where Sylar burns Elle’s body, we needed somewhere completely isolated and controllable where we would be able to light a fire without any issues or constraints. For some reason that, I know, Jeannot never understood - we ended up at this weird beach in San Pedro. The beach was rocky and stinky and there were hundreds of feral cats living there. It was weird – but maybe the weirdness of the location fed into the weirdness of the scene.

Notably, there was a final shot Jeannot designed for this scene that ended up being cut out. It was a huge crane shot that swooped away as Sylar stood over Elle’s burning body. (See pix below) I remember the script read: “Sylar stands on her burning body. A tinge of remorse. Giving Elle far more respect than any of his previous victims.” Anyway, the shot was very dramatic and I found it very haunting, almost beautiful. But the network standards and practices people and even Tim Kring thought it was too disturbing. So we cut it - and ended up playing the scene on a simple close up Sylar. This works too. I don’t know, maybe America’s not ready for full-on immolation. I like weird disturbing stuff sometimes. I remember reading that one of the techniques of the Hindu and Buddhist priests in India is to go to the pyres where bodies are being burned and meditate upon them. These novices sit for days this way. The idea is that in fully experiencing death in this way they learn to accept their own mortality and hold a looser grip upon life... But, whoa... I digress.

As always my work along with the rest of the production team begins when the first draft of the script is finished. Usually we've read an outline - sometimes not even that. Often we have only a vague idea of what is going to happen until the day we finally get that first draft. This script, by Adam and Kay, was really a nice read with tons of emotion. Most notable were the scenes where Claire ends up in the past with her baby-self and her parents. And most beautiful of all (from my and Jeannot’s point-of-view, at least) was the scene where adult Hiro has a chance to see his dying Mother one last time, to ask for her help, to tell her that he turned out well and to ease her mind that his relationship with his father had been rectified. This scene was very moving on the page and on the stage. It is so full of archetypal resonance and wish fulfillment. Who wouldn’t want to be able to have, as an adult, one last chance to speak with a beloved parent who has passed? All in all a beautiful scene written by Adam and Kay.

It was the scene that Jeannot was most excited to direct and the one he talked through extensively in prep. But fate intervened. Turns out that George Takei was getting married to his longtime partner Brad Altman and afterwards going on a honeymoon. Like Kristen Bell, George is an actor who we write for frequently, but don’t have a contractual hold over. So the scenes in this episode with Kaito in them had to wait until George returned. This ended up being a couple of weeks after Jeannot had wrapped up the rest of the episode and by Jeannot’s schedule had him off to his next gig – an episode of SMALLVILLE.

So the duties of directing all the scenes in the Nakamura apartment fell to me. This is always a heavy burden for me – to direct scenes for another director -especially if they’re the director’s favorite scenes in his episode! I empathized with Jeannot’s disappointment, and I had a long talk with him about the scene before I shot it. In these situations, I always try to talk with the director and try to learn how they were planning to do the scene – both from a technical and an emotional standpoint. I had a similar situation last year when I directed the scene in Dan Attias’ episode 7 - where Hiro leaves behind the swordsmith’s daughter Yaeko, in front of the cherry tree. That was also a simple but emotional scene.

There was a lot of internal debate about wether to have our production designer Ruth Ammon design and build a set for these scenes or wether to find a location. The scenes were meant to happen in the apartment of the Deaveaux building. We've seen that rooftop many times - but the actual apartment hasn't been seen seince the pilot. It needed to be grand and spacious, but we also had to believe it connected to our oft-seen rooftop set. In the end we found a mansion in Pasanena California that Ruth believed felt like a New York Apartment. She built a connecting hallway on stage - so when Hiro and Claire run off camera from the roof set, they first run through this transitional hallway and then onto the practical location. On film, I believe, this complex transition is pretty seamless. In real life, there were huge windows in the mansion that looked out onto big gardens. But we were supposed to be in New York! So, we set up a forty foot tall and sixty foot wide bluescreens outside - so that out the windows the audience would see NYC. It's the same view we see from our rooftop - since, theoretically, it is just one floor below.

I was happy that a lot of time had been dedicated to shoot the main scene – 6 or 7 hours – which is generous by our standards. It is a very long and a very emotionally complex scene. The shooting style is, purposefully simple. The compositions formal – in homage to traditional Japanese cinema. Nate Goodman, the director of photography describes this in this way: “Try to imagine that you have drawn the shot – instead of photographing it. Objects re-compose within the frame, but there is little or no camera movement - unless it is purposeful."

In all these scenes, there are only a few gimmicks used to help the drama. The first is the use of an f.1 50 millimeter lens, which we used when Hiro’s mother kisses the bird. At this low f-stop a very shallow depth-of-field is created. The sick bird is in focus and as the mother leans in, her lips come into focus also. The other moment is when Hiro’s mother kisses his forehead, healing him and restoring his memory. In this moment we ran Hiro’s CU in slow motion and moved the camera in a semi circle around him. Not much moves in the frame besides the background and Hiro’s fluttering eyelids. I feel this nicely accentuates the experience Hiro has as his memory is restored.

Tamyln Tomita played Hiro's Mom. As you can see here, she has a lot of credits: Tamlyn Tomita

Tamlyn was amazing to work with. She nailed the part in the audition and nailed it again and again as we shot. (I first remember her in THE KARATE KID 2.) I shot many takes and many angles of this scene and she was right there every time. At the beginning of the day, Masi, I could sense, was a little nervous. This is an important scene and something unlike anything he had done before on the show – except a little bit with the character of "Charlie" in season one. As a director, I always feel the most important thing to do is to “allow” a space for the actors to work in. It’s not often necessary to come up with all the nuance and subtext that an actor needs in the scene. They are professionals and have done their homework. It’s more important to create a space within the set where they feel safe and supported to experience their emotions publicly. Acting is a very subtle and scary craft in which the actor has to fully experience emotions – often uncomfortable ones – in a space full of crew and lights and many other things that make it "false." On this day I worked gently with Masi, monitoring how he was feeling and letting him know that it was in his close up when he would have to “bring it.” I monitored how he was feeling and I got from him that he wanted to do his close up as the very last shot we did of the scene. When we got there I thought Masi did an amazing job of bringing a very truthful and heartfelt experience to the scene. Unfortunately, after Masi had done just one take, we found ourselves up against the mandatory lunch break. I knew that, now that we were into his performance, we had to complete it. I called the studio and suggested that we needed to go into a “lunch penalty." A lunch penalty is a name for a financial penalty the production incurs for encroaching on the crew's mandated lunch break – we have to pay the crew members each a small bonus for invading their lunch hour. A penalty that lasts a half hour or less costs us several hundred dollars. The studio understood my point. The cameras kept rolling. Two takes and ten minutes later we had the scene in the can. I was very proud of Masi and I’m proud of the scene. My first most important critique came from Jeannot who was very happy. My next will come from you, the fans.

An interesting note is that, on this day, I was working with a second unit crew. A lot of the crew members were just working for us that day and were unfamiliar to me. Many of them had never read the script and weren’t familiar with the story. Furthermore the actors were speaking in Japanese without the benefit of subtitles. So, technically, this crew should have no idea what was happening in the scene. BUT as we were shooting, a couple of times I looked around and noticed a lot of people were tearing up or otherwise having an emotional experience as we shot the scene! It just shows that when truthful, valid emotions are happening they transcend language. Very interesting!

AND NOW – PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES….


DIRECTOR JEANNOT SZWARC


WRITERS’ ADAM ARMUS AND KAY FOSTER


A TRIO OF ACTORS


ALI – GOOFIN’ OFF


SENDHIL – EXPIREMENTS WITH HIS “BUG TONGUE”


UP UP AND AWAY MASI!


MASI – HANGIN’ AROUND



DAD IS SAD. VERY VERY SAD. HE HAD A BAD DAY. WHAT A BAD DAY DAD HAD.



ZACH AND KRISTEN – ANOTHER DAY ON SET


ZACH AND BURNING ELLE


DEAR DIARY: IT'S BEEN KIND OF A WEIRD DAY...


SCALY SENDHIL


JEANNOT AND FIRST A.D. ANNE BERGER


ON SET MONITORS


MASI AND TAMLYN TOMITA


MASI AND MOM – WIDE SHOT

AND A FEW FROM PREVIOUS EPS – I FORGOT TO POST ‘EM BEFORE:


EP 11 – THROUGH THE CAMERA’S VIEWFINDER


EP 7 – JEANNOT AND CRAZY EYED HAYDEN


EP 10 – CAST RELAXES BETWEEN TAKES


EP 10 – GREG G. TRIES TO READ WRITER JOE POKASKI’S THOUGHTS

Comments

Unknown said…
Sweet. Sounds like a good episode. Can't wait for it.
Anonymous said…
I think the scenes with Hiro and his mother will hit me kind of hard tonight. My mother passed away of a brain aneurysm while I was at school. I was 13 years old at the time. It will be tough, but I love watching HEROES and wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides, it's good to have a good cry once in a while. Right?
Anonymous said…
hiro's mom is a milf

and why burn elle? why not stuff her and keep her as a sex toy?
Anonymous said…
I know I can't speak for everyone, but I think I can speak for most fans of Sylar/Elle and fans of Elle when I say that this is something we simply cannot accept. I love the show and I loved their storyline and I loved her character, but nothing about this makes even the tiniest bit of sense to any of us. There had to be a better way.
Anonymous said…
thank you for these awesome pictures!!
Anonymous said…
thank you for these awesome pictures!!
Anonymous said…
You know, I was astonished at how rude fans could be, and how mean.

But killing off Elle in such a lame manner and blaming Kristen's schedule as a reason for a storyline is pretty sad.

You've lost this viewer, that's for sure.
Anonymous said…
it wasn't the most interesting way.. it was the most senseless. goodbye show.
Anonymous said…
The episode just finished and I cannot express how emotional the scenes with present!Claire were with past!Noah and past!Sandra. The scenes with present!Hiro with his mother were so fantastic, I started to cry.

This was a very good episode overall, but I hope Hiro will be able to get back to the present soon.

I can't wait for next week. Good job on an excellent episode, you guys. :)
christina said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
I haven't had a lot of good to say about Heroes this year, but the scene with Sylar in the elevator was fantastic.
well, elle and kristen is gonna be missed!
Anonymous said…
Just a hint, Beeman...in the future, when thinking of how best to kill off or write out characters? Try going for something that actually makes sense, not something that's "exciting." Most of us prefer logical, coherent storylines to the "excitement" of bodies going up in flames after having been pointlessly shoved in the refrigerator.
Anonymous said…
This is written by two of us,

First off, killing off Elle was one of the most logical moves of the show. It is Sylar's true nature, as opposed to snuggling with Mr. Muggles.

We have two seasons to back up this behavior, a three episode love story isn't going to change him.

Evil Sylar is fantastic... > !

Now... he should visit Mohinder conveniently as Mohinder is visiting Maya.

Great sense of humor and great writing in the elevator and in the office "Cake?"

Otherwise, we had some real EMOTION tonight, and we actually felt for the characters.

Tonight was one of the best, if not the best of the season.

Good work, Heroes. We love you!
Anonymous said…
OK look we all loved Elle, just like we loved Adam and Isaac and D.L. and many more. If you can't watch the show anymore because ONE character you liked is killed, then you obviously weren't a fan to begin with. I think it was very in character of Sylar to kill her, I don't know how anyone expected anything else.

THAT BEING SAID.. this was such a moving episode. Hiro and the scenes with his mother were tearjerkrs for sure. Sylar was so funny! It was good to see that evil side of him again, it's a lot more fun. Also Claire and hrg (int he past) were cute and moving as well.

Can't wait for next week! Thanks for the pictures :-)
Anonymous said…
the scene with hiro and his mother was my favourite scene this episode! it was so heart warming and beautiful. and of course sad. loved it.
Heather said…
I just have to add my two cents that killing off Elle was a bad idea and not at all exciting. Just because Kristin Bell is busy doesn't mean she won't be available at a later date! There are a lot of characters on the show that we could stand to lose (Maya, Mohinder, Tracy, Daphne...) so why kill off the awesome ones?
Anonymous said…
You mentioned an important critique that was coming about the Hiro scene - the fans'. Well, judging by the board and blog posts, I think I can say we loved it. Top notch stuff, up there with Hiro's goodbye to Kaito. Thank you for it.

The pictures rocked this time, too.
Anonymous said…
Let me just say, this was the best episode since Season 1. The scenes with Masi and Tamlyn (thank you for casting her!) were wonderful, and the Sylar scenes were perfection. It seemed like Zach was having a great time. Please, keep this up!

Also, the Sylar/Elle fans will calm down eventually. This was a good direction you guys went in. They just can't see it through their 'shipper goggles just yet.
lauren. said…
I've gotta say, I was none too pleased with Elle's death last week. That being said, although it was kind of undignified and I still really wish it had been handled differently, Elle isn't the show.

After being completely disenchanted by last week's episode, after this I was cautiously enthralled. I didn't want to be excited, because I knew maybe I'd get all grumpy and resentful afterwards... but the more I think about it, the more I still really love it.

After spending most of the season really displeased with the directions of both Hiro and Claire's storyline (and characterizations), setting both of them up together worked incredibly well. Their scenes together were hilarious and adorable and actually succeeded in making me enjoy watching their characters again. But their time spent apart in the past was especially touching - Hiro and his mother almost got me a smidge teary-eyed.

And Sylar... oh Lordy. One eyebrow quirk and I'm head over heels. The subsequent "cake!" line and elevator scene was just... oh man, completely reminiscent of the character I've been missing for... well, almost all of this season.

Really great job. While I'm still a little wary, I'm so happy that there was so much to enjoy tonight.
Anonymous said…
I thought Elle's death was fantastic. The semi-viking funeral she got shows a soft-side to Sylar, but in a very Sylar way. It would have been great if Elle had perhaps fought for her life, but it makes a sort of sense given her conflicted arc this season. She was tired and hurt, and just sort of accepted it. She did that a lot last season; she has never really come off as a fight until the last type of girl. I loved Sylar in this ep (in a hateful sort of way, which is appropriate for his character) and felt Peter was right on track too. My only beef was with the time travel aspect: will Claire's visit have massive repurcussions, or is all time travel to the past (from the present anyway) predestined, and therefore already happened, leaving no mark on the present? If that's true, then why doesn't time travel from the future to the present not work this way, with a timeline that IS alterable. But you know, time travel. It's complicated. The Matt-Daphne-Ando stuff was a bit meh especially as a framing device for Hiro's story, but they're all adorable so I mostly enjoyed it. Good episode Heroes staff, I don't know about the crying shippers, but I will still be watching.
Anonymous said…
Finally Heroes is back!!!!!
Don't worry about those crazy syelle or kb fans, if they don't watch the show these episode will bring back all the ones you lost before, like me!
Bye bye elle!!

YEAH SYLAR IS BACK!!! CAKE?
AMAZING!!!!

Love these episode it was the second episode of these season that I watch without passing scenes (the first one was the last week episode)
Love the hiro and his mom scenes, so sad but so tender at the same time.
I even like claire in these episode, very nice scenes.

I really start to like dhapne she is cool!
The haitain is amazing again like last week!!!

Yeah sylar is back and gabriel gray that he was (not the one who trust on angela, arthur and elle, who pretty much I didn´t like) is gone, but I may say that the real gabriel gray was in season 1 and in the start of season 2.

And yeah please, bring back maya, and please do not put her like these latina hot chick that save mohinder, I don't care abot mohinder, I want Maya to have some revenge of what sylar did it to her, I need some confrontation. I kow she is not with power but it would be really nice if she got them back and have sort of evolution, like more power on her.
BRING MAYA BACK!!!!!
Anonymous said…
Oh MANNN, I loved this ep. Again, the glimmers and eloquent reminders of S1 were what made it awesome...for me anyway. Besides the actors!

2 things of note that, for the typically non-emo like myself, that (embarrassed as I am to admit) pushed me to the brink of tears: first and most importantly, the Claire/Noah scene where *she* (future Claire, as the timeline goes...) brought up the aspect of his new daughter being his Clairebear...and I almost didn't think he would believe her, [An aside...I simply cannot get enough of HRG calling her Clairebear.], and second, the entirety of the scene between Hiro and his mother. Just gorgeous cinematography. An amazing bit of acting, this--for both scenes. :)

I just don't think a Heroes moment can get much more perfect than the Noah/Claire scene we saw tonight. (Naysayers? This is not asinine retcon. This is canon.)

Oh, and did I mention, Jack Coleman freaking owned in this ep!! Don't get me wrong, I love a kick-ass HRG as much as the next fangirl, but the emotional Noah/Clarie dynamic in this ep was just phenomenal. Jack was spot on in this ep (as always)--absolutely amazing! All my Nathan/Adrian gushing aside, I wholeheartedly say that, acting-wise (at any rate), Jack as HRG is ultimately what makes this series.

Thanks, Beeman! <3
Anonymous said…
to the entire Heroes team:

YESSS!!!!!! THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!!! congratulations, this is the episode we have been waiting for! i gasped, i screamed, i laughed, i cried...the writing was amazing! i had no idea what was going to happen next and was completely drawn into the story. sylar's scene in the elevator with that man was hilarious, and so sylar as well. ;) Claire's and Hiro's story was genius, and a twist i never saw coming. the scenes with Hiro and his mother and Claire and her parents were so touching and beautiful i cried while watching them. the human moments in the show are the ones i love most. <3

so thank you, thank you for all your hard work...this episode is my favourite so far.
Anonymous said…
HOW COULD YOU GUYS KILL ELLE??? :(((( That is the most stupid thing ever.
Anonymous said…
kudos to the writers and director (and to you) ..this was Heroes at its best! ... emotionally gripping; beautifully framed; well written; humorous; exciting; perfect! ...very satisfying episode and acted to perfection..thank you!
Michael Jozwiak said…
Yikes.
Too many people complaining about the way Elle was sent off.

Now listen here...I'm a big fan of the mini-arc of Sylar's and Elle's interactions. It's that internal conflict that Sylar keeps facing, and the forces beyond him that change him, that make it a good story. Kristen couldn't be available. Deal with it. She's the first of a new Sylar: The new Brian Davis, if you will. He's got that emotional connection to her, despite being a cruel bastard.

I congratulate you on the decision to resolve her story like that. Maybe we can see her in a flashback episode sometime down the line, but I'm not holding my breath. Kristen was a great actor to have during the time she spent. :)
Gauntlet101010 said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
Please, keep making episodes like this. You mentioned a different crew. Make them your regular crew, or if it helps keep switching crews.

More More More!

Well written blog too!!!
Gauntlet101010 said…
Whish Elle didn't have to die. She was the best Season 2 character, I gotta say.

This was definitely the best Heroes ep in Season 3. Although, I kinda wish Hiro had more ... important roles in the series. It felt that he was just around this whole time without actually doing much. Like ...
1) In the first ep he just cracks the safe to fulfill the plot requirements. And Daphne just happens to show up at the right moment. I kinda think Arthur was behind this out of character moment, but ... nothing was said, so ...
2) Then he goes on a quest which amounts to a vision. It tells us things, but not anyone on the actual show.
3) Now that his latest plot thread has been done with his powers are gone and he's seemingly out of the main action.

I like Hiro. Really. I enjoyed his season 2 story too. And I like his character. But he was just sort of ... around this season. Gratuitously.

I'd really like to know how Arthur knows where everybody is. On the planet? Possible, I guess, with Hiro's power. But 16 years into the past? How did he know where Hiro was? Guy’s a bloodhound.

Although, I really did like the episode. Nice job.
ebrown2112 said…
Never mind the shippers and fanboys/fangirls. I started watching "Heroes" because I'd heard Kristen Bell (who I've loved since David Mamet's "Spartan") was joining the cast (yes, I watched Season Two first). But I'm not "devastated" by the departure of Elle/Bell; the show's not all about her. Elle dug her own grave. Didn't her mama ever tell her, "Never sleep with a serial killer?"
Anonymous said…
Was Sekai Murashige playing Young Hiro again? It didn't say on the IMDB profile.
Jared J. said…
Wow I was astonished after watching tonights episode. It just keeps getting better and better!
It sure is nice to have the real Hiro back, even though it was only briefly. What an incredible scene between him and his mother. I was impressed!
I was also very moved by the scene between Claire and Noah, how he seemed divided on whether or not he wanted to trust her.
Very sad to see Elle leave the show, she was one of my favorite new characters from season 2, and it sure would have been nice to keep her around, but I suppose the show must go on.
I'll miss her.
However, I can't say the same for Arthur, as it was kinda nice seeing him take a bullet after messing with so many of our heroes. Nathan taking the power seat as one of the next big villains? I think the shoe fits. Having Sylar embrace his evil tendencies is a great throwback to the first season good/evil thematic presence. (Well, in my opinion, that has always been the driving force of this show, an underlying current that keeps the river flowing)

Great work to all, this fan is eager for more. Too bad there's only one more before February!!!! What am I going to do?!

*silent prayer*
hope to rewatch all of seasons 1 and 2 over Christmas :)

Cheers
Anonymous said…
i really like kristin bell...out of all the kristin's in hollywood, she is the cutest...however, the character of elle was straight out doofy and poorly written...during season 2, elle is painted as a social retard, who finds shocking others as sexually stimulating...however in season 3, she is a well trained agent and digs bonking super powered serial killers that offed their daddy...they had to kill her off, they had no clue how to use her...too bad we never got to see midget lesbian love between claire and elle tho...that woulda been cool
Anonymous said…
This whole season, Elle has been nothing but an out-of-character, whiny plot device for Sylar's storyline.

Hence, to prevent further character abuse, I am glad she is dead.
Anonymous said…
Long-time reader, first-time commenter here.

Oh, man, the "sixteen years ago" scenes were great. Claire seeing how much her parents loved her. Hiro seeing his mother again. And most of all, Hiro's mother getting to see her son all grown up into a hero before she died. *sniffle* Of course, Tamlyn Tomita was also in the quintessential Asian Mom Tearjerker movie, The Joy Luck Club.

I've seen people complaining that Mohinder should be written off. I disagree, not only because he's my favorite character, but because he's very versatile, story-wise. Give him a lab coat and a microscope, and he can spout whatever fake science theories need to be delivered. Give him a gun and some transportation and he's a field agent. Give him a cute kid and he nurtures, give him a sexy partner (of any gender) and he smolders. He can crusade for Good or be shanghaied into working for Evil. I assume that eventually he'll be cured of his skin condition and the associated superstrength, and then he'll once again be that rarest of characters, the non-super--you'll always need some of those.

Last of all, thank you so much for maintaining this blog. Reading about the nuts and bolts of production gives me a greater appreciation for the work involved in creating 40 minutes of entertainment, and I like that your photos include not only the instantly-recognizable stars of the show, but also writers, directors, and crew.
Anonymous said…
To the person that said "Evil Sylar.. fantastic." Uhmm you do know that the future Sylar turned good, has a son, and we have no clue why he changed to good. Then now this storyline... makes things go one step forward, two steps back. How can he redeem himself now? Makes no sense.. the plot device of killing Elle like that was pretty bad. But overall the rest of the episode was GOOD for a change, compare to the rest of the season. T. Tomita rocked... oh man, geekcentral. Awesome choice. Too bad she's like 40 years younger than Mr. Takei...
Anonymous said…
http://www.sexyemilie.com/?id=435405
Anonymous said…
One more thing.. what happened to the rest of the "Heroes"? We're missing Micah, and who the heck is taking care of Molly during this entire time? Matt is running around, and Mohinder could care less.

Seriously, who's taking care of Molly? She was so pivotal last season, finding the "Boogeyman"... and now nothing. She's in the apartment chilling, eating Top Ramen or something.
Anonymous said…
I feel the need to revoke my earlier comment. After watching the episode again, and talking with other fans, I've reached a peace with her death, and while I'm not 100% sure I like how it happened, I can honestly say that I can appreciate the tragic beauty in the way it was done.
littletiara said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
thank you to the heroes team for this amazing episode. its true that if you look for inconsistencies (how'd the past-Arthur know about the whole plan of Hiro taking the catalyst and his 'war' with Angela?) it can sort of break..

BUT as an episode by itself it was just STUNNING. I like how they established that the future can really be changed by meddling with the past, and the plot twists in the last half of the episode made me want to clap! Especially the end Arthur-Peter-Sylar showdown.

"You're not a killer Peter. I am."

How awesome can it get! Especially how in the end how the lie detector comes into context, with everything fitting into place. (although the fact that sylar just happened to find a lie detector out of that long list in Elle's phone is.. improbable)

But I'm quite satisfied with the writing here. I've realized that pretty much all the past-future episodes have all been much better than the rest.

Kudos to all of you! And of course you Mr.Beeman for updating us all this while. Its now a habit to come to your blog after watching an ep!
Anonymous said…
FZ - That wasn't past Arthur, it was present Arthur, he can teleport like Hiro thanks to Peter.

Adam Armus and Kay Foster are the best writers on the show. I love every episode they dream up.
Anonymous said…
While I believe that the real Elle hasn't been on this show since s2 thus I wasn't to bothered with that Elle-there-to-push-Sylar's-development was killed I still think it would have made more sense to have that revelation that Arthur wasn't his father before he killed her. It wouldn't have been so hard to swallow then.
Tam said…
Ooh this episode was very touching, actually focusing on characters instead of just driving the plot or having it all action, it was great. Especially Hiro and his mother, she was lovely.

Agree with Mandy. Bring Maya back! You were going to go in a pregnancy and babies route with Elle? Maya could have slept with him before she found out the truth in s2, she was deeply in love with Gabriel. Give Dania a story please. I hope she’s back because I find it weird that you haven’t even said goodbye to her on here if she‘s truly gone…

Come on! I'm not the only one that wants her to get revenge and wants this ignored story focused on again. It could be amazing and I’m not giving up hope.
Anonymous said…
What's a shipper?
Anonymous said…
BEST EPISODE ALL SEASON. Wow. I loved it. I can't say enough that I loved it. I loved everything about it. Even characters that normally annoy me (Claire, Peter) were just on tonight.

Good job!!
Anonymous said…
I had no problem with Elle's death. The people complaining certainly don't speak for everyone. I've seen on other sites that people think the past two eps have been so wonderful, they're really getting back into it.
Anonymous said…
A shipper is a person who believes two characters a)have a relationship that is b)the only really important part of the story/the only reason they are watching. A) is a stronger factor in cases where the relationship is only hinted it, or in extreme cases, only exists in the minds of the fans, like say, a ship between two characters who have never interacted. B) is in evidence here: "OMG you killed Elle! You have just lost a viewer, Heroes writers" and the like.
Anonymous said…
That explanation was kinda confusing but I think I got it. Thanks! :)
Anonymous said…
Oh, and for the most part shipping is harmless. Most of the time it's benign, like, "oh those two should totally do it" or "they are totally doing it". Then it becomes "Read my fic where they do it" and "look at this pic I drew! They aren't doing it, but look, they're holding hands! Squee!" It gets bad when people get rabid about it, like anything else in life.
Anonymous said…
nice post
Anonymous said…
Ok got another one. What's a woobie?
Anonymous said…
I am okay with Elle dying and the way she died. I am just mad that there wasn't a good reason for it character wise other than "Sylar Bad. He killz." This whole season focused on Sylar's redemption arc and now it is totally gone. I would have been okay if he ended up like HRG and killed but still had a family. Dunno, just think it is bad writing.
Anonymous said…
Dear Beeman,

You guys did a great job on episode 12 of season 3. It is great to see Syler back as the archtype of evil. He really is the liar, thief and murderer with charm... The only problem I find with heroes is to bring a true conversion of Syler in the future you need a true Saint to forgive Syler like a Padre Pio character!

Peter is flawed by his sexual sin in a worldly sense and irrisponsible tendencies, hence would not be able to take such a role...

If you had a saint like Padre Pio look him up there is documented proof of Bilocation, Healing, Soul reading etc... Stigmata of Jesus Christ for 50 years etc... Such a holy character who only does what is good and loving in small and in great things would be great and posibly the only character that could forgive Syler by Gods power. Personally I would have Syler kill Peter defending the saint then as he is killing the Saint who offers no defence only sacrificial Love to Syler and Forgives Syler who by this stage is like an anti christ with unbelieveable power...

The blood of the innocent and true archytpe of good Saint and his forgiveness of Syler as he is dying transform Syler. Syler possibly at this stage has some sort of vision or experience of God etc...

To face true evil like a Syler in full character with all his charm and lies he needs to meet a true and absolute archtype of good and real Love. A relativist good even the best like Peter, clare or Hiro still have these worldly relativist good tendencies such as thegreater good morality... You need a true and Christ like character of Love like a Saint to bring the future goodness in Syler.

Obviously this would have to be in the final season of heroes. But you could start bringing the Saint into later episodes to get fans used this character (the archtype of absolute good not the relativist kind --look up Saint Padre Pio to get an idea...).

Thanks for the great last episode - Syler a great archytpe of evil.
Anonymous said…
yeah yeah yeah... Elle died (boo hoo)...
I'm still trying to get over the eclipse... why did the eclipse last for what seemed like a few hours? Sylar/Elle vs Claire/mr Bennet brawl -> mr bennet carries claire home -> mr bennet leaves -> claire gets really sick -> mom takes claire to hospital and the eclipse is still going on?
In addition, eclipses are not global events and shouldn't occur in the same place (aka. NYC) over a period of two years.
Then again you have flying people, time travelers, and people that can throw fire and lightening... so maybe I should just lower my reality standards.
Anonymous said…
So my question is why invested so much time in a romance just too carelessly toss it away in the end? They offered us a glimpse into the future and yes, it stated it could change. Shouldn’t someone explain how it has changed now? On the other hand, has it not change and Elle not Noah’s mom? I am confuse by the plot holes! The whole death scene felt wrong, useless, and once again misleading, kind of like Adams. What a waste of film and time for that entire side plot to see how he can be something, but then killed the chance to see it through. If Elle just had to die, HRG should have done it. It would have made more sense then Sylar coming to his senses and doing it himself. Especially after his speech to HRG, it’s so conflicting! It really could have had this big dramatic death scene and shockingly Sylar could have still burned her body in the end and then went all evil again. Sadly we get the lamest death yet on Heroes.

Now I have to admit Sylar being evil is brilliant! Especially after seeing, him humanized with Elle, however still misleading. It’s all randomness and carelessness, I feel like as an audience member I am being toyed with or the writer don’t know what they are doing.

Nevertheless, you know there is still hope it is Heroes after all. I plan on watching till the end, but if things don’t start being explained so, I might just have to walk away.
Anonymous said…
I want to send a gift basket or something like that to Adam Armus and Kay Foster because they single-handedly restored my faith in the show with this episode. Best episode of the season BY FAR.

The Hiro and Claire story line in the past was so touching and heart warming. This season has been lacking this kind of emotional depth.

But this episode made me really care for these characters again. Hiro and Claire interacting with their parents in the past. Peter struggling with the burden of having to kill his own father. And even though Sylar was murdering his way through this episode, it was so great to see him back. Interesting that he didn't want Peter to become a killer. That entire scene between Arthur, Peter, The Haitian and Sylar including the crosscutting with the formula experiment was very well done. And how awesome were Peter and The Haitian as a team?

Almost all characters were back to old form, the characterization was so much better. Great writing and great acting throughout.

Fantastic job from all people involved! Tonight Heroes was back on track. Thank you, guys.
Anonymous said…
I can suspend disbelief and accept Sylar killing off Elle. I'm willing to do that, even though in the context of their story it seemed like a writer changed his mind at the last second. Putting that aside, though, I thought it was odd that Sylar cut open her head, because he already had her powers -- he used 'empathy' to get them from Elle while she was chained up, and even practiced using them at Pinehearst -- so why did he need to cut her head open? Seems like he could have done it a hundred ways, with all his powers, so the head slice seemed very odd to me.

I'm still 'down for the struggle', just confused about the thinking there.

Brian
Anonymous said…
I really enjoy the show, and now that Arthur is gone and Nathan is setting up to be the villain, I may continue watching.

However, I am very disappointed in how the writers handle Hiro. When it turned out that he receives the catalyst, I was thrilled! Finally, he gets an awesome storyline that doesn't involve him wandering around trying to get out of something that he put himself in. Something that actually connects him to the show. And he literally "grows up" in an instance. The writers are actually giving him responsibility and treating him with respect.

Except, not so much. Five minutes later the writers completely ruin the character growth by having Petrelli yank the catalyst away. Once again, Hiro is a goob. It was not exciting, it was not a twist, it just sucked.

I apologize for the rant; I really am a fan and want so much to enjoy this show. But the writers are not allowing interesting plotlines to develop and instead are retconning previous plotlines (eclipse giving powers...was there an eclipse when Claire survived that fire?). They are not allowing character growth. Please rectify this, and I will continue watching. I know I am just one opinion among many, and I appreciate your hard work. There aren't too many shows out there that would even make me bother writing to express my opinions. I am glad Heroes is one of them, even if the opinion is negative.

Thank you.
Anonymous said…
A woobie is a character that fans believe is in need of a cuddle. This could be any typical sad sack character or it could a bad boy/girl with a soft side or even a sociopath like Sylar with a hint of tragedy to them. For further fan lingo, check the tv tropes wiki.

--Fan mouse
redelf said…
I was very dissappointed with the Sylar/Elle storyline. It was going so well and then it seemed to be stopped abruptly with little explaination about Sylar's suddenly turning back into a murderer when he was trying so hard to be a "goodish" guy. I do agree it could have been handled much better than it was, if writing Elle out had to do with Kristen Bell's work schedule, especially if she did really want to come back at some point, I do not see why you could not have come up with something better than Sylar going nuts AGAIN. Really, I have no problem with murderous Sylar and killing off Elle, I just feel it was handled poorly and out of character, at least for Elle to just lay there and take it, or rather I hated to see her so "blah" about dying.


I still love the show despite many inconsistances and the ridiculous handling of the Sylar/Elle storyline so I will keep watching.

But please..kill off Tracy!! Please!!
Anonymous said…
I frequent the blog, but I don't usually post. But this week, I had to let you know how much I loved last night's episode. It felt like we really got to see the more human side of the characters again - like others have said, it reminded me of the best parts from Season 1. Solid characterizations, but still allowed for some twists that really moved the story along. This season has been a lot of fun so far, and I can't wait for next week!
Anonymous said…
Considering how much I disliked the way Sylar and Elle were handled for most of volume 3 I actually felt like him killing her made sense within the context of who Sylar was in season 1 and season 2. Thank god there's no pregnancy and baby stuff to come. For me that felt like such a misstep from who these characters were and what made them interesting.

It was also good to see Sylar taking a pleasure in killing again ("I'd forgotten how good that feels"). Ignorning "the hunger" storyline, I've always seen Sylar as someone who chose to kill to get what he wanted -- to lord that power over others and certainly to ensure that he wasn't sharing it with someone else. Also some of his lines were an amusing callback to the campy side of the character in Season 1 which was also appreciated.

Villains can be complex and fascinating without having to completely annihlate the things that draw us to them in the first place. Wanting to explore redemption with Sylar was not a bad idea but the execution required the character to no longer be who he was and thus it fell flat. But last night felt like it got back on track a bit.

Elle was a character who I thought was far more interesting in volume 2 when the writers seemed more on board with her being a sociopath. It's too bad about the direction she was taken in this volume but in a way that's what makes it easier to accept her death as another part of the story.

I'm interested to see the tension between Peter and Nathan...and what Mohinder will do with this new formula (I'm still holding out for Mohinder and Sylar to cross paths again). I hope Mohinder can be moved away from being stuck as a bumbling scientist for the sake of the story. He's a great character who is connected to quite a few of the characters and it's something worth playing around with. I like that so many of the characters are now in the same place and I want to see how it all plays out.

I'm also glad to see more of The Haitian who is a character I'd love to see explored more.
Anonymous said…
I've been a bit lukewarm on the rest of the series, but man, this episode recaptured my enthusiasm and really seemed to resonate well. Great job with it!
Anonymous said…
Really, i get it about Kristen's busy and all, but was it necessary to kill her that way at all?!
it could always have left it open for her to come back, seeing she has kind of a good fan base (and not to talk about the veronica mars' orphans). Her character could've been huge and greater in many ways, but it seems that the writters can't do something right for 2 episodes in a row. I'm not very found of Sylar/Elle shipper, i really fell in love with Elle complexity as a person. And well, sincerely talking, i only got through 2nd season because of her.
Anonymous said…
Heroes officially sucked when they killed off Elle.
They took their best pairing of Elle and Sylar, and also got rid of the best character Elle, and just threw it all away.
What was the point of Sylar being all humane and learning how to take powers without killing, only to go back to killing.
This is so messed up. No more heroes, i mean they would have to do something as good as lost to keep me hooked now. All thats left are the petrelli brothers, hiro, and Tracy's walk on guest stars, yay! :|
Anonymous said…
WHERE IS THE PICTURE OF JACK COLEMAN ??? :(
Anonymous said…
@redelf

Yes, kill off Tracy. That way Nathan can sleep with the last sister and we can be done with them all.
Anonymous said…
Last night's episode was really good. I loved Hiro and Claire together, they were really funny. I also like the idea of Hiro being lost in time with no powers, I've been waiting for that to happen since season 1.

As for Elle dying, I'm pretty sad about it. I really liked her character and the fact that Sylar killed her even though he already had her power bugged me. But of course, that's Sylar for you. ;) And sincce Kristen's schedule is so busy she can't be on the show regularly, I'm glad you killed Elle instead of just writing her off like Claude, Molly, and others. But it would be nice to see her in upcoming flashback episodes, even a little girl Elle would be interesting, to see how she became the way she was before her death.

All together, great episode. :)
Anonymous said…
The fans complaining about Elle and Sylar are getting annoying. Yes, he saved her from HRG by sending her on. Yes, he had sex with her. But still, she was the one who pushed him to kill again. She was the one who lied to him about his parents. Of course Sylar is going to kill her. This is a man who kills office workers for cake! (loved that line)

The scenes with Claire/Bennet were awesome, as were Hiro and his mom. I'm glad the show is getting back to evil Sylar, with everybody else doing the family thing.

Now if you can just give Peter his powers back and get rid of Ali Larter, I'll love this show again
Rayuen said…
the scenes between Hiro and his mother were beautiful. I was crying along with Masi.
This season has been great, but there has been one thing that has been bothering me other than the fact that you guys killed off Elle. Hiro keeps getting punked. I would love to see his character developed more. Take him down the path to turn him into Future Hiro. I loved getting to see him with his mother it was a very touching scene.
Anonymous said…
i think this has ben a very good season last night episode was very good . i like that sylar is back to how he was in season 1 keep sylar bad like he was in season 1 don't make he good becase makeing sylar good will not work very will. i allso like petter allso i would like to see him get back his power all of them. tim kring keep up the go .the people that keep bicthing about the show if you don't like do warch it.
Anonymous said…
Hey,

this episode was awesome!

Can´t wait!!!!!!
Anonymous said…
WHAT!?
NO I CANNOT BELIEVE SHES GONE FOREVER!!
THIS IS UNNACCEPTABLE!
NO NO NO NO!
THIS IS ALL WRONG!
POOR KRISTEN!!! :(
SHE WAS AMAZING! THE BEST CHARACTER ON THE SHOW!
im super depressed :(
Anonymous said…
The scene with Peter, the Haitian, Arthur, and Sylar just didn't make any sense. First off, WTF!!!!!!! Since when has the Haitian's power not work on someone(when he is conscious---lol), but two people at the same time. Is Sylar so powerful that he can override the Haitian's ability too? What happened? I love Heroes to death, but WTF? Why didn't the Haitian get after him immediately? I know he could just erase/kill him just like he did his own brother. (side note---not good for the series)Well ,why ask why? Never mind on the Sylar thing, the Haitian wanted Arthur dead so.......
I guess the Haitian has mastered
his ability, seeing that he didn't understand it at first and ruined his father's life. (graphic novel ref.) So I guess he can selectively off a persons ability in any given situation.
Anyhow, it's funny how Heroes got the same actor who wanted abilities from the show The 4400 to play the same role in Heroes. LOL!!!!!!
Anyway, the episode was great. I thought Sylar would have a change of heart and let Elle live, but at the start I was like OH, OK, yeah, she's dead.

? ----Did I miss something, How did Arthur just come out of left-field like the Squirrel Master and make Hiro his Bitch? Did we have to just know that he drew a picture and that was what's up?

Hiro's Mother------------------
Another WTF? Damn, where the hell was Linderman? Greg can you answer that one. And on a another note-- back to the Haitian, where the hell is his story arc? 2 1/2 seasons and you never give him his own and then you just spring up a brother.
I could go on but why? Anybody else feel the way I do? Is he not one of the most important character on the show, what? Also, was he in Haiti chillin' with Wyclef when Peter was about to go nuclear. (Side Note) DAMN, Wyclef cast as his father in one of those flashback scenes. Whatever!!!!!!!!!!!!Heroes is still the S__t. It hate when it goes away. 1 left tho
Anonymous said…
BEST S3 EPISODE SO FAR!!
Griff said…
I have to echo the statement of S3 having been pretty so-so thus far. However the latter part of Eclipse Part II and this entire episode is starting to feel like Heroes again. You guys veered off track, but I am enough of a fan to hope and pray we'll see more episodes like this one in the future.
And most of all thank you for finally bringing Sylar back. Whoever he's been for the rest of the season really made no sense and ruined one of the best villains ever made. It was so good to see him embrace his evil and get back to doing what it is that makes Sylar so evil and so amazingly watchable.
Kudos to the cast and crew, please keep up this quality work!
Jemiah said…
Amazing. What a great episode, probably my favorite of the season so far - and I shoulda KNOWN that it was YOU who directed my favorite scene from the entire episode! I won't dis Jeannot, because he rocked the rest, but you did an amazing job. You get really good work out of Masi!

Wonderful, and thank you again.
Anonymous said…
"and she couldn’t commit to exactly when she could return. And so it was decided that this would be the most exciting way to end her character."

Wow. I am so excited and shocked and blown away by your rationale!

Because killing characters off is -so- the most creative way to handle busy schedules.

I don't even mind if Sylar tried to kill Elle... like many have argued, it is in his nature/character... I'm just upset that he succeeded, and it was so passive. I know that Elle is in a weird place, but who said she had to save herself? I'd rather have kept enjoying Kristen's acting a little longer, Sylar or no Sylar. A lot of people talk about her character development, but I don't think we ever got a good enough chance to know her character. We always see her in these weird stages of her life... the closest we've seen to her true nature is when she felt bad about tricking Sylar with HRG. Now we'll never get to see... and I'm supposed to settle for being interested in Claire's typical teen soap character development?

Elle coming back even a year from now for a cameo... THAT would be exciting, Beeman. Don't try to act like some sort of profound genius as an excuse for the lack of creativity that went into Kristen's exit.
Anonymous said…
You have definitely lost many viewers by killing off elle especially in that way.

and to give a poor excuse?
no if you really wanted her back you wouldve pushed it.

she WAS the show.
good job!
Anonymous said…
This is unbelievable!
to kill off elle?
what were you guys thinking!?
yeah okay she has other work i get it but SO WHAT!?
get her back or you will ruin yourselfves as you know it.

i have spoken to many people who have told me how pissed they were and how they are no longer watching heroes because of this!
Anonymous said…
KILL ELLE!?
GOOD GOING!!!
NOT!
ARE YOU JOKING!?
THAT IS THE WORST DECISION YOU GUYS HAVE MADE ALL YEAR!
WE WANT KRISTEN BACK!
Anonymous said…
WE WANT KRISTEN!
Anonymous said…
one question:

why the heck would you kill elle?
youre crazy!
Anonymous said…
way to kill the best character on the show.
you couldve just cancelled the show while you were at it!
Anonymous said…
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
KILLING ELLE WAS A MISTAKE HEROES!!!
OMG THATS CRAZY AND NOT COOL!
i dont think ill be able to take heroes anymore........
what a mistake :'(
Anonymous said…
you just killed heroes. along with the best character.
nice work!
Anonymous said…
Elle and sylar were the best couple ever!!!
why do this?
why?
:(
The scene with Hiro and his mother was one of the most beautiful and moving I've seen, and I'm not even all that invested in Hiro as a character. Congrats to all involved.
Anonymous said…
This was such a good episode!
Truly amazing! Last week... I was going to stop watching it because Elle was killed off... which i understand that she dies because KB is busy and didnt have a contract or whatever... but why kill her off that way?!

Anyways... whats done is done... but Sylar... aaaawwww... I love the evil Sylar so much! And the interation between Claire and Hiro! So funny! I cant wait for the finale :)
Thanks for the blog! You truly rock! Always giving the fans the best! Cant wait for next week!
Sarah Beth said…
Hey Greg,
Was the apartment Noah and Sandra had 16 years ago the same as Peter's in the present? I didn't think it was, but someone else told me it was, so I figured I'd ask a man who'd know. Awesome ep and blog, I read every week. Cheers!
Anonymous said…
Don't listen to what is probably the same anonymous whining over and over again about Elle. This episode was great, especially Sylar's return to form, and you are in no way responsible for their crying. Note to the bratty Elle fans: insulting Beeman won't get your blonde back. Retreat to fanfic or learn to love one of the other many blondes on the show. There are only two now, but you know there'll be more.
Anonymous said…
Mr. Beeman this episode was pure gold! Best one yet and that is saying a lot because I have enjoyed S3 immensley!

I am sad Elle is gone but if it wasn't well written great drama I wouln't be sad. I would have loved to see the crane shot, but I can understand that it could be viewed as disturbing.

The scenes with Hiro and his mother were nothing less than perfection. I don't usually cry when I watch this show, but I was sobbing buckets. Again, great writing.

And SEXY BAD BOY SYLAR IS BACK!!!!! YESSSSS!!! The way ZQ plays him is absolutely hysterical! But it's the fact that he doesn't try to make him funny that works so well. He just is such a well written and well acted character. Though I hope we will see a gradient between the evil head popping psycho and the loving daddy we saw in the future. He is clearly capable of being both, but he does not feel he deserves any sort of happiness. I don't think any other actor could have played this character so well.

Great show! Can't wait for the finale!!!
Anonymous said…
Great show!Elle really wasn't important to the main story line,she will not be missed in that regard.
Anonymous said…
I want the head of the writters who choose to burn elle >.<
Anonymous said…
What a fantastic episode, HRG's confrontational approach to a stranger looking after baby claire and the look on his face was almost terrifying.

Alot of people I think spend too much time watching TV judging by their reaction to the Elle thing, eg. "OMG ELLE'S DEAD, I CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO GET OUT OF BED ANYMORE,WAH WAH WAH". It's just 1 character and not even a main character, I assume no-one watched season 1 which didn't feature Elle. I liked Adam but hey, that's the way it goes.

Good to see Sylar return to his evil ways, does their need to be some deep and convoluted reason for him to kill Elle? He's a serial killer, it's what he does.
Anonymous said…
You know when Sylar said to Elle in 3x11 that no one really changes?

He's wrong. And by extension, you, Beeman and Co., are wrong. People do change. In fiction, it's called "character development." I realize you've probably never heard of it, but here's a protip: good works of fiction have it in spades.

You know what good works of fiction don't do? They don't pretend to develop a character for half a season, then pull the rug out from under the viewers at the last second, scream "FOOLED YA!" and press the reset button on that character, sticking him right back where he used to be with nothing having changed at all.

I can't believe I wasted almost two years of my life on this piece of garbage TV show.
Anonymous said…
"Good to see Sylar return to his evil ways, does their [sic] need to be some deep and convoluted reason for him to kill Elle? He's a serial killer, it's what he does."

Um, what you're failing to take into account there is that--serial killer though he may be--up until now, Sylar has never killed anyone just for the hell of it. His kills have always had purpose: either he killed people for their powers, or because they were in his way. Elle appears to be the first person he's killed for no reason whatsoever except that the writers needed some BS way to get rid of the actress. And it's particularly ironic/stupid that he killed her for no reason given that she apparently is the only one of his victims who actually meant something to him. Good job, writers. Good job.
Anonymous said…
A top Fantastic episode!
Very well-balanced between emotion/action, past/nowadays, wondering/explanations..etc
The come-back of Sylar couldn't have been better! Quinto is just absolutely great! He was exploding across the screen(mmm, it's a french expression..) with his character tonight:)
THANK you for his humor: I always said that Sylar's humor was, by far, one of the most important power in Heroes:)
Hiro with his mother was a great scene, just the good length I think. That actress (Hiro's Mum) was perfect too. Much more charismatic than the one playing Yaeko I think.
Claire, confronted with her baby self, was really interesting too, and the scenes with HRG were nailed by Jack Coleman. That guy knows how to act too. The special effects to take years out of the actors faces were very well made, though i guess it was not an easy task to do (I mean expensive and long computer processus surely!)
I liked the way KB went out of the series, from the hands of the only guy she loved (in character)and with his friend Zach (in RL).
I really enjoyed that 3rd season, but THAT episode is, for me, the BEST!
Thank you guys for your work, thank the actors too.
Anonymous said…
Mister N
See ya later show

quick and to the point:

1. the plot line flips flops for no reason ( to your writers that means interest and to the audience is a complete insult )

2. no character development and they just change sides for no reason, no story development, and for what it looks like, no creativity in your writing team.

3. I commented before and now the show has lost its quality. It's going on a nose dive and only hardcore fans will stick with it. they're only a small percentage of your viewers.

4. Instead of watching heroes I will be reading comic books.

5. I don't care about the show anymore.

see ya later and better luck in next projects
Anonymous said…
To Kath from last weeks post:

He did ask her and she lied.
Anonymous said…
Cool episode.
Elle was not a very interesting charachter for me personally and since im no longer a teenager I can get on with my life. The Sylar performance was great with some excellent scenes. Whilst I realise that Peter and Hiro with there powers could easily just jump around and fix everything before it happens. I really like there powered charachters (Like the first season matrix lobby scene). I also notice that "Shoot him in the back of the head" does not mean put a bullet in his forehead. Arthur then is probably only incapacitated. (Peter and Hiro have to get there powers back somehow !!!)
I was moved by the Claire - HRG and the Hiro - Mum scenes. Beautiful and rewarding.
Im still waiting for the FX budget busting face off between two charachters though. (The season 1 Sylar-v-Peter just before the door closes scene is the kind of thing im on about.
All in all Im a big fan and thouroughly enjoy the show...
Anonymous said…
Mr. Beeman-

I have enjoyed reading your blog since I discovered it early last season.

I was struck by your comment that you stepped in to direct the scene between Hiro and his mother, one of the best-executed scenes this season. I was surprised to note that you also directed the cherry blossom scene, possibly the best moment of the entire fairly dreary feudal Japan story arc.

For all the times that you blog about the importance of emotion in the show when I feel like I've failed to see it on screen, you demonstrate in these two scenes alone your firm grasp of this ideal.

You need to spend a lot less time listening to other people, and they need to spend a lot more time listening to you.

When and if Heroes ends, I hope we see you and Masi Oka work together again.
Anonymous said…
Sure she lied, but if he bugged her about it enough she would have given in and told him.
Anonymous said…
Haha couldn't resist another comment.
And Oops, sorry I didn't realise I posted
what I meant to post here in last weeks comments.

Anyway, question. Which you won't answer, but what the hell.
Did HRG know that "the neighbour's neice" was his daughter Claire from the future? Cause I was wondering if he knew, he kinda looked at her and then the baby and then back again. Realised the same eye colour? And then he did a kind of knowing smile. I dunno, maybe I'm way over my head.

Plus now that I think about it, I think the Sylar getting his mind reading power was kind of lame.. and too convenient. They keep letting him get powers but he never uses them, each week its just TK, TK, TK, TK.
I know with money and stuff it's kinda hard, but still.
I'm looking forward to next week to see if he goes to Angela to mind her.
I think Zachary Quinto is a fabulous actor, plus it doesn't help that he is absolutely gorgeous.

Just reread and didn't know you shot the cherry blossom scene from last season. LOVED IT. I really felt like I was there in japan with Hiro. I didn't really mind the feudal Japan plot. Maybe because of Adam, he rocked.

Oh god, I talk to much.
Sorry.
Oh and I think I'm gonna stick around this blog, can't believe I only found out about it yesterday.
Anonymous said…
I've been reading up on some stuff
and Tim Kring has said that a major character that we've all gotten to know will die before this season ends.

Everyone thinks it's Hiro.
If it is, I'm going to get extremely angry. And perhaps cry.

If it's Sylar, I fear I may go into depression. Okay only kidding, but seriously something like that anyway.
Oh yeah I forgot, I've seen some behind the scenes shots of Sylar filming for Volume 4 so I'm sure his safe.
Still, don't kill him. EVER.
Unless it's so he can go to heaven and be reunited with Elle. And he has to actually say that. HAHAHA, okay just messing with ya.
Anonymous said…
WHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?
KILL ELLE!?
ARE YOU NUTS!?
bye bye heroes.
Anonymous said…
I can't believe you killed elle!
but you insist on keeping maya and mohinder!
like why!?
elle is the best character!
and the way she was killed by sylar was really upsetting!
and honestly you guys have gone crazy with sylar...i dont know how many times hes changed from good to evil to good to evil in the time of like 4 episodes!!!!
he loved her!
i cant believe this actually happened.
SHE SAVED HIS LIFE!
he stopped her pain
they forgave each other
he killed her father
If anyone shoulda killed anyoone it shoulda been elle to sylar WHICH wouldve made me mad trust me i love sylar! but i dont agree with the decision made! :(
Anonymous said…
Kath,

I agree I think maybe HRG suspected something.
Anonymous said…
OMG sence when heroes is "the elle show"?
Yeah these crazy KB or elle fans never saw one episode of season 1!!!!

Thank GOD ELLE IS DEAD!!

Don´t even care about these elle fans post, they are the same person. Boring character ever!!! ANd don´t worry about ratings with the last 2 episodes you bring back the fellow fans from the start of the show. Like me!!

CAKE!!!!!
Anonymous said…
Wow Ludmi. You're either an Elle fan troll, or you're just obnoxious. Congratulations on that, you must have worked really hard at it.

On an unrelated note, Mr. Beeman, I've posted on this episode before, but I'd like to add that the scene with Hiro and his mother was beautiful. I'd missed it before and was wondering what the fuss was about, and just...wow. And Masi and Hayden had some really great interaction in their scenes, I hope we see those two working together again soon.
Anonymous said…
I liked the episode! It was great! And the scene with Hiro and his mother was so sad!
Anonymous said…
Uh, Ludmi. I've been a faithful watcher of Heroes ever since the pilot. When Elle came on, it just made it better.
Well, I'm kinda over her death now, (emphasis on the word: kinda)
OKAY SO I'M NOT AT ALL !

So I had a dream last night about Heroes. No kidding.
It seems my mind has made up it's own ending to eclipse part 2.

Sylar: It is true, what he said?
About Angela and Arthur not being my real parents?
Elle: They're lying to you!
Sylar: *cocks eyebrow* Or is it you, Elle, who has been lying to me?
Sylar: Please don't lie to me Elle. *smoldering eyes* *caresses her cheek*
Elle: oki me tell you evy-ting
cuz i luff wuv luff wuvvvz you!

Okay, maybe not the last bit.

Oh I am so in denial.
Anonymous said…
Maybe I'm obnoxious!! But why? I'm obnoxious coz I didn't like elle? OMG till the end of season 2 I was watching heroes, that maybe I didn't see much of season 3 coz it wasen't heroes anymore it was "the elle/kb show" (ohh yeah coz she was the perfect character, the best character, the best of them all)

But people need to understand that KB was just a GUEST STAR!!Not a regular character. And Elle was boring for me so...lame syelle thing. Yeah what I didn't like it, so what???
And Elle is pretty much dead for good. She is not going to revive from the deads coz KB is busy in the whole 2009 and if the ratings are these down like it was allmost in all season 3, Heroes is not going to pass to season 5 (too expensive show for the network to have so little ratings)
Anonymous said…
Hey Lumdi, it's not that I believe KB was the one bright star in a bleak show or anything. I definitely feel that the show's attempts to make her death more sympathetic by making her a more sympathetic character had a warping effect on the show and on the other characters. Your feelings aren't obnoxious, but the way you chose to express them in your first post was. Capital letters, complete sentences, and minimal use of exclamation points are good things. Doing the opposite of that made you seem like either a dumb kid, or a dumb kid who was also a KB fan who believed they were a brilliant parodist. Your second post was better, so I apologize for calling you a troll.

As for the cancellation of Heroes, well, despite lower ratings the show still does better than anything else on NBC, and merch sales are pretty good. Heroes also has no qualms about product placement; that has to help cover those FX costs. I agree about season 5 being unlikely, but that's just because I believe no show should go beyond four or so seasons anyway.
Anonymous said…
I'm sorry to say that Elle was the only thing keeping me watching Heroes :( Oh well.
Anonymous said…
Elle was a great character last season when the show needed some spunk, but I was personally getting a little bored with her this season, especially the romance subplot.

I ran across this article, which makes me excited for Volume 4 of Heroes: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/12/exclusive-bryan.html

I can't say I didn't like this volume, but a return to form will be much appreciated!
Anonymous said…
Kinda funny how its usually the guys that don't like the romance sub-plot
I'm a girl and I loved it!
Anonymous said…
people, just get over with elle's death for goodness sake!

this episode was the best of the heroes series! i thought sylar being good was brilliant, but then i realised him being a baddy is the best thing to do. he's the only reason why i watch heroes.

i've always hated niki/jessica/tracy storyline from the start. i want her to be killed off. but i think for now you should keep her, coz it will greatly help in nathan's storyline.

lastly, no MAYA please. she's redundant.
Anonymous said…
yeah i agree about the tracy/nikki/jessica thing
btw when tracy dies, if she does,
PLEASE don't bring up a babara storyline, cause thats just weak.
honestly.

can't wait for tomorrow!!!
Unknown said…
As much as I loved the episode one thing kinda stood out to me which made no sense. Sylar had already taken/learned Elle's power before when they were locked in that room together then why would he still cut the head open and kill her? If he does "covet" other peoples powers then why would he kill her anyways? That one moment kinda gave me a "why'd you do that" kinda feeling. Otherwise I loved the show. First I was thinking how is Peter gonna get his powers back...now I'm thinking holy crap how are Peter and Hiro gonna get their powers back. Can't wait till Monday. :)
Anonymous said…
Kris, I've been wondering
alot why he'd do that as well

And I think I have the answer.
When he uses Empathy to get people's power, he doesn't know how it works
so he has to keep practising in order to master it. That's why Elle was teaching him to use the her power,
and he was getting all fustrated going "i have to prove myself" blah blah
He usually just knows straight away with his Intuitive Aptitude a.k.a BRAIN SLICING !

Hope that made sense.

can't wait til tomorrow
being in australia is annoying
*sigh*
Anonymous said…
okay, how can arthur be dead when he took peter's power, and peter had claire's ability to heal? as soon as the haitian leaves he'll heal back up and be his old bad self, no? unless they sever and burn his body parts or something...
Anonymous said…
I think when Peter got the scar on his face it should have been across his eye like future Peter. That would have brought that storyline together.
Anonymous said…
i absolutely LOVED the hiro and claire scenes.

the scene with hiro and his mother really adds depth to his character, and tamlyn is a brilliant actress, loved the sheer delight on her face when she realized it was future hiro in front of her.

and sylar is EVIL again, yay!! he has finally come to his senses. claire and noah 16 years ago was wonderful,

i feel a bit of the old heroes glory back in this episode,

while elle's departure was regrettable, at least we won't have any elle/sylar anaymore.. phew :-)
Anonymous said…
hey, for poeple asking how peter, claire and hiro would get their powers back.. since papa pettrelli is dead, all the powers will go back to their original holders, no??

cos i thought i saw the light leaving his body when he got shot.

anyway, i was kind confused about claire going back in time, won't her mom (in the present) remember that she saw claire as a 16 year old girl all those years ago? or does the past stay the way it's supposed to be until someone goes back in time to change it, and after that, everyone's memories will be magically altered in the present.

anyway, i absolutely LOVED the hiro and mom scenes, so touching and so emotional! its amazing to see hiro being so raw with his emotions
Anonymous said…
This was a great episode and a couple of commenters have talked about the good points so... just wanna say that the scenes between Hiro and his mother was really... Jap-like. I've watched a lot of anime and read a lot of manga so it just really reminded me of their style, especially the stuff with the bird and dialogue. Great effort. Heroes rocks!
Anonymous said…
I can't believe Elle's gone. She was my favourite character and I loooved Sylar/Elle storylines.
Please bring her back! Kristen must have some time in her agenda!
She was the best female character.
I'm not gonna stop watching Heroes cause it's mt favourite show but we need Elle back =(
Anonymous said…
this episode was excellent. finally elle hits the dust and sylar is himself after a long long time. the whole elle/sylar lovebirds thing was ridiculously annoying. it was out of sync of the series. how elle's character changed from unsocial psycho masochist to simpathizer, emotional one was totally unbelievable and out of continuity.

the way sylar accepted angela as his mother and turned good was totally out of character for him too. but you have to give credit to zachary quinto, he nailed the good sylar character, all said and done sylar is better when he is evil. thanks for bringing evil sylar back. the scene where sylar slices open elle's head was super. the fact that sylar already has her power but still slices her head open is something you can expect from him. the eclipse, the losing and regaining of power made him realize his true self and it is totally logical.

as for the adult hiro and his dying mom scene, i have to say it is one of the top three scene ever
of heroes. it was a genuinly heartfelt scene and kudos to the writers n actors for this scene. adult claire holding her babyself was a homage to "BACK TO THE FUTURE", it was a fun scene.

but i can't accept how arthur pitrelli found hiro in the past? how could he know where n when he was? why didn't hiro froze time and disappear? he had enough time to do so.

arthur getting shot on the head by peter n sylar jointly was a very cool idea, he totally deserved it.
arthur was such a megalomaniac, he simply had to die. what happens to the powers he absorbed? will they
return to their original host?

those who threatened to not see HEROES again just because elle died are not fans of the show, they are just fans of kirsten bell who fail to realize the series is not revolving around her and she is not the central character. original fans are not so irrational to abandon it just for the sake of some blonde hottie.

you guys are doing great. just remember, too much action or effect is not as much necessary as character development or human connection. kick ass dudes.
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