Commentary: Heroes 3x18 - Exposed

[brighteyedjill]

Previously, on Heroes: Wacky serial killer road trip! Nathan wants the fugitives alive! Danko is a badass! Claire hangs out with a merman!


Chapter Five: “Exposed.” Oh, the innuendo. This ought to be good.


Alex is not upset about the lack of whole wheat bread, but he is upset about the possibility of being shipped off to Albuquerque. Claire briefly entertains the idea that there are government satellites in her ceiling.


Sandra shows up to interrogate Claire about the missing milk money! Sandra, re: Lyle. “Per usual, he has no clue.” Amen, sister. Mr. Muggles almost ruins the game by barking under the bed, but the Sandra does it instead by catching Alex in the closet. “Uh, hi Mrs. Bennet!”


Back at Building 2-6, HRG pretends not to care about Claire and the consequences of her actions. Danko starts playing hardball with Nathan, and Bennet comes down on the side of the short(er) man. The one in the bad-ass leather coat, not the one with the sexy tousled hair.


The Hunters have a lead, in Manhattan. Because Matt and Peter have cleverly gone to Mohinder’s former place of residence, which they totally didn’t suspect of being under surveillance. Cuz if Primatech had it bugged, you’re pretty sure the government has it bugged, too. Rebel gets onto MoMo’s computer and warns the two of them to get out (and also go to New York to save Daphne!).


Claire tries the time-tested method of covering up a lie with another lie that makes you look bad (i.e. “I’m having sex with this dude.”) Sandra earns my parent of the year award when she answers Claire’s “are you going to make me say it?” with “Absolutely.” Heh. Alex denies it all. “Ma’am, I swear I did not touch your daughter! Please do not sic your dog on me!”


On the psycho beach party/road trip, Luke is riding shotgun and working the laptop, which is conveniently keeping them clear of the feds. Sylar provides an important lesson in seatbelt safety, and then pulls over to get a hot dog.


Sandra continues to unleash the wrath of hell. Claire learns the hard teenage lesson that sometimes your mother isn’t always wrong. Alex, being more mature and therefore wiser, suggests that Sandra help. The audience cheers.


Peter absorbs Matt’s power so that they can have double the telepathy for their doubtless ill-fated foray into Building 26: double the mindmelding fun. However, as Parkman helpfully points out, this rules out the rooftop escape plan. Whatever: they’re going with the figure-it-out-as-we-go-along plan. Personally, I hope there’s another Petrelli hug in the future that will still make the rooftop escape possible.


Up on the something-th floor, Peter tells the poor operations man that this isn’t the turkey sandwich he’s looking for, and then proceeds to hack the computer. Since at nursing school they teach firearms training and Hacking into Government Mainframes 101. The way they shoot these scenes, zooming in and dolly-ing out, makes Matt and Peter’s telepathy faces look really funny.


Danko charges out into the hallway despite Nathan and HRG’s warnings, only to be confronted with two zombie-fied soldiers. He creeps back into the control room with his tail between his legs, which on the security cam, Matt chuckles at his distress.


Lyle, oblivious as usual to everything, is playing a game on his phone. Sandra grounds him and takes away his driver’s license (Lyle is 16?!) and makes Alex a fake ID, using simple kitchen appliances. She also makes julienne fries! She impresses Claire with tales of her heyday, including sneaking out to see Def Leppard. We are therefore clued in that Sandra is a total bad-ass, since only the good die young. Now I’m waiting for a Band Candy-esque episode where Sandra and Nathan get it on.


Sandra explains again that the upcoming divorceseparation is totally not Claire’s fault. Sandra’s just sick of HRG’s shit. And if Claire keeps lying to her, she might want to start looking for a one-bedroom on DuPont circle, too.


In the abandoned hotdog shack, Sylar is having flashbacks to his past (and an awesome soundtrack). Its 1980, and little Gabriel has the cutest glasses ever. Just like in every episode of Lost ever, we don’t get to see the face of an important character (here, Mr. Sylar, Sr.). Instead, we see Sylar drive a toy car into a hole in a partition in the diner wall. Back in the present day, Sylar retrieves his toy, and promptly goes off to build a MicroMachine castle.


At the Bennet house, gratuitous fan service commences, with Alex shirtless and just out of the shower. Alex flirts shamelessly, and Claire is not at all attracted to him without his glasses. Plus she’s still upset about her parents’ impending divorce. Damn women and their emotions!


Sandra continues to be a way better Harriet Tubman than Claire. The government folks (including The Recruit, *yawn*) have come to search the house. Sandra has her hand on a gun, ready to start trashing bozos if they do find Alex. Claire has a newfound appreciation for her mom. It’s all very touching.


Back at Building 26, Peter has the brilliant idea of blackmail, because he has awesome footage of Nathan’s gitmo antics that he’s edited together to some bumping Moby tracks. Nathan is rocking another vest, and Bennet suggests that annoying sounds will totally distract Matt. They decide to bring in Mohinder for a surprise voiceover! Oh wait, no. Instead they pull the fire alarm, and throw off Matt and Peter’s mind mojo. Matt sacrifices himself for Peter (Mo saves Matt, Matt saves Peter, but who will watch the Watchmen?!), and gets caught.


Back at the hotdog stand, the soundtrack is not as good anymore. Sylar remembers his dad selling him, and then slicing his mom’s head open. “Mommy,” he whispers soulfully. Luke does not find that cool or attractive. Despite all odds to the contrary, Zachary Quinto is, as always, able to sell the line, even conjuring a little tear in his eye.


Angela and Nathan have an important family discussion. Angela expresses her gratitude to her Senator son for keeping her safe and out of the home. And is a total badass. Women power episode! Peter calls Nathan to propose a trade: Matt and Daphne for his snazzy music video. No funny business, or he’ll spill the beans to the press! Extreme close-up of Nathan’s face (and his ring!) as he reluctantly agrees (or pretends to agree) to Peter’s terms.


Back in California, Sandra and Lyle provide a distraction so Claire and Alex can run away, hide in a pool, and totally make out.


Nathan, Danko, and Bennet continue to have a dick-slamming contest about whether or not to negotiate with terrorists. Danko says that he’s really ready to shoot Peter now, really. His plan is for real going to work. No doubt about it.


Bennet warns Peter with his mind that it’s a trap, but Danko wings Peter in the shoulder anyway. Luckily, Nathan is there to sweep his brother up and fly him away. To a hospital, perhaps? Or perhaps to find Claire, since apparently it only takes the brothers Petrelli five minutes or so to traverse the nation.


Hopefully Nathan didn’t actually take Peter to a hospital, since the government is looking for him and all. I like to think that there was a tender scene in which Nathan stole medical supplies and then followed Peter’s direction (because, y’know, the man presumably did get some actual medical training at nursing school) to patch him up. Either that or Peter got a sling from Sky Mall Magazine.


Now it’s time for a Petrelli Reunion! Hooray! Nathan tries to man up and admits that mistakes were made. Nathan and Peter have another deep discussion about trust. They hug (will the Petrellis never learn!), and Peter zooms off.


Back at the shack (will someone get this man a hot dog!) Sylar is angry that Luke has made his dad out to be “Mr. Freaking Rogers,” and expresses his anger accordingly. Cruelly, he leaves Luke alive.


Danko gets the bright idea to make Matt go all suicide bomber (thanks, painting power!), loads him up with C4, and dumps him by the Capitol Building. Shock and horror! Another of the precognitive paintings ends up coming true in an unforeseen and unfortunate way! Color me surprised.


Alex made it off safely, apparently, and Claire and her mom have a heart-to-heart. Right after Sandra told Claire she loved her, I got a horrible feeling that she was about to die. I’d seen the David H. Lawrence XVII in the credits, and there was only a minute or two left in the show, so I was expecting the worst. Then I remembered that I wasn’t watching a Joss Whedon show, and that Kring probably didn’t want to lull me into a happy place just to stab me in the back and RIP OUT MY HEART (all in the service of great television, of course)! Instead of Sandra dying, though, the final twist was having Puppet Man show up and bogart Claire’s popcorn. Thanks for nothing, Rebel!


I loved the Petrelli angst and eyefucking this week. I was hoping an episode titled “Exposed” would give us more half-naked Petrelli brothers, but I guess I’ll settle for the outing of a horrible government conspiracy. I didn’t miss Hiro and Ando at all. And the unexpected highlight of the week was Sandra. Way to be bad-ass! Thanks for giving us a strong female character for once, show.

Comments

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

Hopefully Nathan didn’t actually take Peter to a hospital, since the government is looking for him and all. I like to think that there was a tender scene in which Nathan stole medical supplies and then followed Peter’s direction (because, y’know, the man presumably did get some actual medical training at nursing school) to patch him up. Either that or Peter got a sling from Sky Mall Magazine.

I was hoping there would be a scene like that too. It would have been so awesome. Deleted scene on dvd anyone???

Think of it, Peter sitting on the edge of a bad, shirtless of course. Nathan standing behind him, tie off, top buttons undone and stitching up the wounds. Inappropriate touching ensues.

[brighteyed-jill.livejournal.com]

Oh my. Nathan/Peter hurt comfort? Yummy. Pls to be writing this fic nao? Because... Yeah. Deleted scene. In our dreams.

[kelleah.livejournal.com]

Nathan, Danko, and Bennet continue to have a dick-slamming contest

That sounds painful as hell. :-)

They hug (will the Petrellis never learn!), and Peter zooms off.

If someone ever writes a Top 25 Things I've Learned From Watching Heroes list, "Never Hug a Petrelli" needs to be in the top 10.

[brighteyed-jill.livejournal.com]

I feel like Nathan, Danko, and HRG just need to get a ruler and measure their dicks so they can decide once and for all who should be in charge!

And yeah, hugging never turns out well for the Petrellis. Except perhaps with Angela. You can hug Angela. But never a male Petrelli. It will always end badly!