Director: Allan Arkush
Cast: Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), David Anders (Takezo Kensei), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet), Dana Davis (Monica), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli), Dania Ramirez (Maya Herrera), Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian), Ashley Crow (Sandra Bennet), Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli), Adair Tishler (Molly Walker), Nick D'Agosto (West), Katie Carr (Caitlin), Barry Shabaka Henley (Det. Bryan Fuller), Dominic Keating (Will), Holt McCallany (Ricky), Eriko Tamura (Yaeko), Stephen Tobolowsky (Bob) & Shalim Ortiz (Alejandro Herrera)
Claire tests the limit of her ability, Hiro masquerades as Kensei, Peter is tortured by thugs, Mohinder travels to Haiti, Alejandro and Maya continue their journey, and Matt investigates Kaito's murder...
After Kaito's climactic rooftop murder last week, which now heralds a murder mystery involving old heroes, the show continues to owe Alan Moore's Watchmen a debt of gratitude, for inspiring yet another plotline.
The reset button has certainly been pushed for season 2, with the heroes again spread out across space (and time), just waiting to be pulled together by a new threat. It's an understandable decision, but I hope season 2 won't become a limp mirror of season 1.
Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is in Haiti, on the first mission assigned to him by Company handler Bob (Stephen Tobolowsky). The one-man yawn atleast has some genuine use now, as he's the leading authority on the hazy "virus" that killed his sister in the 70s and has returned to infect superheroes.
Continuing the late development from last year, Mohinder's blood is the only known antidote to the virus, thus making his presence more necessary than usual. It's a good move from the writers, who never got a satisfying grip on Mohinder last year, once it became clear he was no Professor X. However, Ramamurthy's earnest performances are still too glib to get excited about.
Hiro is still stuck in 17th-Century Japan, part of a storyline clearly designed to be the comedic, escapist counterpoint to the present day's grim procedurals. Masi Oka remains engaging and, despite a weak start last week, his misadventures in the past are great fun in Lizards...
Hiro masquerades as his childhood hero Kensei and thwarts a gang of samurai using his time-freezing powers to humorous effect. The beginnings of another romance for Hiro is also introduced, in a vague Cyrano de Bergerac-style comedy, with a beautiful swordsmith's daughter falling in love with Hiro's heroics, unaware the real Kensei is an English con artist.
Hiro's mission to repair/create Kensei's myth is more appealing than I'd imagine from last week's opener, although the aim is predictably for Hiro to become his own bedtime story...
Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) is having the most torturous time (literally), as he spends much of this episode tied to a chair and beaten by Irish stereotypes, who think he stole their illegal shipment of iPods. The decision to allow Peter to survive season 1's finale may be cowardly, but he was such a popular character you can't blame them. However, they're now faced with how to handle Peter's extraordinary abilities. Throughout season 1, Peter's near-omnipotence sapped a lot of dramatic tension, unless he faced similarly-powerful Sylar.
The makeshift solution created for season 2 has been to erase Peter's memory, but Lizards already sees Peter discovering his talents and acquiring his name. It won't be long before he's flying across the Atlantic for a tearful reunion with brother Nathan -- and last season's "Superman problem" will return. Someone pass the Kryptonite.
Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is still struggling to fit into her L.A high school, frustrated she has to keep a low profile. After a biology class, she also becomes intrigued by the possibiliy of regrowing her limbs, as some lizards do. Cue another of Heroes' gross-out scenes, involving a pinky toe and a pair of scissors... yeuch.
Considering Heroes so marvellously introduced numerous characters and powers last year, the writers are really strugling with new twin siblings Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz) and Maya (Dania Ramirez), whose tumultuous attempt to get across the US border is dull and uninvolving.
Lizards clarifies the Herrera's Ying-Yang power, but even that doesn't iinspire much interest. Maya can apparently cause death through a disease bled through her eyes -- a process that can be reversed by the presence of her brother. Yeah, it's more weird than exciting.
I hope more clarity is forthcoming, because at the moment Alejandro and Maya are becoming unwanted distractions. The only thing keeping me interested in their story is the speculation there's a link between Maya's disease and Mohinder's virus, or Maya's eyes being reminscent of Molly's drawings of the as-yet-unseen villain.
Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman), Mohinder and Matt (Greg Grunberg) are the only characters engaging in anything resembling a season arc at the moment. Mohinder and Mr Bennet are plotting to orchestrate the downfall of the Company from within, while Matt's embroiled in the murder investigation of Kaito -- a case that leads to an interesting mind-reading scene with suspect Angela Petrelli (Cristine Rose), who is later attacked in an empty room by an unseen entity. Is this year's villain able to astrally project his body, to attack people? But if so, why bother with the hoodie-henchman last week to kill Kaito?
Lizards nicely develops events from the premiere, with only a few annoyances dragging things down -- the depressing Herrera's and Peter's adventure using the big book of Oirish cliches (violent thieves, plucky Irish lass, a pub setting.)
Season 2 seems to be enjoying taking its time, with the writers aware they now have a captive audience. Compare season 2's relaxed, confident tone with season 1's early sugar-rush of visuals and cliffhangers. Hopefully the relaxed attitude will mean a more coherent, consistent season, that doesn't lurch to a halt every 7 episodes to readjust itself.
1 October 2007
NBC, 9/8c pm
Cast: Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), David Anders (Takezo Kensei), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet), Dana Davis (Monica), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli), Dania Ramirez (Maya Herrera), Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian), Ashley Crow (Sandra Bennet), Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli), Adair Tishler (Molly Walker), Nick D'Agosto (West), Katie Carr (Caitlin), Barry Shabaka Henley (Det. Bryan Fuller), Dominic Keating (Will), Holt McCallany (Ricky), Eriko Tamura (Yaeko), Stephen Tobolowsky (Bob) & Shalim Ortiz (Alejandro Herrera)
Claire tests the limit of her ability, Hiro masquerades as Kensei, Peter is tortured by thugs, Mohinder travels to Haiti, Alejandro and Maya continue their journey, and Matt investigates Kaito's murder..."I can't even be myself at home?
It's bad enough that I have to be all fake at school."
It's bad enough that I have to be all fake at school."
-- Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere)
After Kaito's climactic rooftop murder last week, which now heralds a murder mystery involving old heroes, the show continues to owe Alan Moore's Watchmen a debt of gratitude, for inspiring yet another plotline.
The reset button has certainly been pushed for season 2, with the heroes again spread out across space (and time), just waiting to be pulled together by a new threat. It's an understandable decision, but I hope season 2 won't become a limp mirror of season 1.
Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is in Haiti, on the first mission assigned to him by Company handler Bob (Stephen Tobolowsky). The one-man yawn atleast has some genuine use now, as he's the leading authority on the hazy "virus" that killed his sister in the 70s and has returned to infect superheroes.
Continuing the late development from last year, Mohinder's blood is the only known antidote to the virus, thus making his presence more necessary than usual. It's a good move from the writers, who never got a satisfying grip on Mohinder last year, once it became clear he was no Professor X. However, Ramamurthy's earnest performances are still too glib to get excited about.
Hiro is still stuck in 17th-Century Japan, part of a storyline clearly designed to be the comedic, escapist counterpoint to the present day's grim procedurals. Masi Oka remains engaging and, despite a weak start last week, his misadventures in the past are great fun in Lizards...
Hiro masquerades as his childhood hero Kensei and thwarts a gang of samurai using his time-freezing powers to humorous effect. The beginnings of another romance for Hiro is also introduced, in a vague Cyrano de Bergerac-style comedy, with a beautiful swordsmith's daughter falling in love with Hiro's heroics, unaware the real Kensei is an English con artist.
Hiro's mission to repair/create Kensei's myth is more appealing than I'd imagine from last week's opener, although the aim is predictably for Hiro to become his own bedtime story...
Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) is having the most torturous time (literally), as he spends much of this episode tied to a chair and beaten by Irish stereotypes, who think he stole their illegal shipment of iPods. The decision to allow Peter to survive season 1's finale may be cowardly, but he was such a popular character you can't blame them. However, they're now faced with how to handle Peter's extraordinary abilities. Throughout season 1, Peter's near-omnipotence sapped a lot of dramatic tension, unless he faced similarly-powerful Sylar.
The makeshift solution created for season 2 has been to erase Peter's memory, but Lizards already sees Peter discovering his talents and acquiring his name. It won't be long before he's flying across the Atlantic for a tearful reunion with brother Nathan -- and last season's "Superman problem" will return. Someone pass the Kryptonite.
Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is still struggling to fit into her L.A high school, frustrated she has to keep a low profile. After a biology class, she also becomes intrigued by the possibiliy of regrowing her limbs, as some lizards do. Cue another of Heroes' gross-out scenes, involving a pinky toe and a pair of scissors... yeuch.
Considering Heroes so marvellously introduced numerous characters and powers last year, the writers are really strugling with new twin siblings Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz) and Maya (Dania Ramirez), whose tumultuous attempt to get across the US border is dull and uninvolving.
Lizards clarifies the Herrera's Ying-Yang power, but even that doesn't iinspire much interest. Maya can apparently cause death through a disease bled through her eyes -- a process that can be reversed by the presence of her brother. Yeah, it's more weird than exciting.
I hope more clarity is forthcoming, because at the moment Alejandro and Maya are becoming unwanted distractions. The only thing keeping me interested in their story is the speculation there's a link between Maya's disease and Mohinder's virus, or Maya's eyes being reminscent of Molly's drawings of the as-yet-unseen villain.
Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman), Mohinder and Matt (Greg Grunberg) are the only characters engaging in anything resembling a season arc at the moment. Mohinder and Mr Bennet are plotting to orchestrate the downfall of the Company from within, while Matt's embroiled in the murder investigation of Kaito -- a case that leads to an interesting mind-reading scene with suspect Angela Petrelli (Cristine Rose), who is later attacked in an empty room by an unseen entity. Is this year's villain able to astrally project his body, to attack people? But if so, why bother with the hoodie-henchman last week to kill Kaito?
Lizards nicely develops events from the premiere, with only a few annoyances dragging things down -- the depressing Herrera's and Peter's adventure using the big book of Oirish cliches (violent thieves, plucky Irish lass, a pub setting.)
Season 2 seems to be enjoying taking its time, with the writers aware they now have a captive audience. Compare season 2's relaxed, confident tone with season 1's early sugar-rush of visuals and cliffhangers. Hopefully the relaxed attitude will mean a more coherent, consistent season, that doesn't lurch to a halt every 7 episodes to readjust itself.
1 October 2007
NBC, 9/8c pm
