BSG: Razor --in Progress OMG

So while I'm pleased that BSG has finally added an out gay couple to its diverse lineup. I'm horrified by the brief recap/advertisement in between segments:

"It's been revealed! Helena Cain and Gina are lovers!

"Brought to you by Quiznos."

Oh. My. God.

Volume Two: Chapter Nine "Cautionary Tales"

Ooooooo. Such much Heroes goodness last night. It was exactly the kind of visceral storytelling I enjoy.

There were big foreshadowy reveals:

Parkman can not only hear thoughts but he can force people to submit to his.



Mama Petrelli rightly says that if he explores this power he will be exactly like his father. Matt may think he's doing it for a good cause, but as Kaito Nakamura pointed out to Hiro,

"We have the power of Gods. That does not mean we can play God."

Again, it raises questions of where to draw the line. Should Parkman read Angela's thoughts in order to protect someone? Or should he respect her privacy and the sacrifices her generation made? What about using Claire's blood to heal others? Could healing be considered an act of God?

There Were Smaller, Expected but Satisfying Reveals

Elle is indeed Bob's daughter. Bob may be thinking more globally about "specials" than HRG, but he has clearly failed as a father.



I had been worried that Kristen Bell was having trouble playing conflicted evil, femme fatale, spoiled daughter and damaged woman. When we first saw her she came off as a combination of spacey & pouty. But Girlfriend's got it down, and the writers of this episode gave her some great lines:

"Overprotective, much?" --A shout out to Slayer Slang

and to Mohinder a saucy, "What's your superpower? Punching bag?"

(Also gotta love Mohinder's "Have you killed many people?")

There was the funny...

Bob was the regional sales manager at Primatech Paper!

And HRG's "Did you pack Mr. Muggle's doggy bath?" was delivered with a perfect combination of calculation and humor.




There was the touching & sad...

Love child Hiro saying "I'm Takezo Kensei," and grown-up Hiro smiling and saying, "Yes, you are."

(And I wonder, does Nakamura Sr. know that Adam once claimed to be Kensei? I didn't get the impression he did considering his pleased reaction to Hiro's time travel to 17th Century Japan.)




I was very glad we got to see more George Takei. It's so easy to only think of him as Sulu, and he's quite a talented actor. I love that Hiro got to say goodbye to his father, and that we get to see his continuous evolution from child to man, from man to hero. He's experimental and reflective, and right now seems to be the only hero concerned with going out into the world with these gifts in a responsible manner.


Other Thoughts

-Claire spelling out "I'm sorry" in rocks under West's flight path was heartbreaking. She did nothing wrong. She's confused, in love* and scared. It wasn't the brave Claire of last season, but it was an honest moment, and certainly something a teenage girl might do.

-It's nice to see more of Mrs. Bennet's personality, which last season was suppressed as the result of numerous brain wipes. But now we can clearly see she's a tough woman--the kind of woman Noah would be attracted to, and exactly the kind of woman he would need to keep away from his shady Company business.

-Mohinder shot Noah!!! But of course he'll live. It's just a question of who saved him, and what he might be expected to do to return the favor.



-A Random Idea I'm playing with . . . It's not fully formed, but it was something that I thought of while reading the Heroes graphic novel collection last night.



There was a story told about how Claude and a rookie Noah Bennet came to find baby Claire, and how Noah was so taken with the helpless child that he swore to always protect her, to always keep her safe. I got to thinking that while the characters on this series have a lot of Daddy Issues--and that's certainly a component of Claire's relationship with Noah--he is very much a lioness. He's a Sarah Connor, or a Ripley. He's singularly focused on saving his child rather than the world. He protects instead of avenges. Like I said, just an observation and an argument not fully formed, but something I'll be thinking about for the book.



--Finally, why is it that when women exert their power, I mean, really exert it, they get a nose bleed? I don't think I've ever seen this happen to a heroic male character but last night it happened to Angela. It happened to Willow Rosenberg on BTVS several times, and it happened to Sue Storm in the Fantastic Four movie (and to countless other female characters I can't recall right now, but you can see I'm compiling a list). It bothers me because it gives the impression that women can't physically handle tremendous power.




*(with a questionable guy, but I think the writers might be fixing that. West was much less creepy last night)

Watchmen Babies

"Mr. Moore, will you sign my DVD of Watchmen Babies?"



Brilliant.

(But where is Baby Silk Spectre?)

Sarah Connor Chronicles Trailer

Here's another one from Fox





I just love hearing Summer Glau say that iconic line:

"Come with me if you want to live."

Sarah Connor Chronicles Trailer

I saw this advertisement on Fox the other day and just about peed myself with excitement.



I've been looking forward to Sarah Connor Chronicles since seeing the pilot in San Diego. It was 70 minutes that completely reworked my ideas for my chapter on mothers.

Let's hope that the WGA gets the props they work so hard to deserve soon so that we will be able to continue enjoying these kick-ass women debuting in January.

Best. Simpsons. Episode. Ever...

The news was spread several months ago that the enigmatic Alan Moore graciously agreed to guest star on the Simpsons--apparently he is a fan of the series (although I've read that he and Melinda don't own a TV. hmmm....) Regardless, the whole episode should have revolved around the hip new comic book store "Coolsville" that put The Android's Dungeon out of business. Owned by Milo (voiced by Jack Black) the store honors fan opinion over old school fanboy encyclopedic knowledge of continuity. Milo stocks Tin Tin comics. They're out on shelves to be enjoyed.

While Milo hands out Japanese hard candy and sings along to Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat?" our old friend Comic Book Guy soothes his insecure ego with obscure knowledge and mylar casing.

The brilliance of all can be summed up in this scene:






Go League of Extraordinary Freelancers Go!

Treating Writers Right

Dave Letterman rocks

Wonder Woman Wardrobe War

(Found via The Beat)



From Project: Rooftop

Contest Announcement: Wonder Woman Wardrobe War!
Break out your golden lassos, kids! Project: Rooftop is teaming up with Zeus Comics of Dallas, TX for a drawing contest event in honor of fan-favorite creator Gail Simone’s upcoming run writing for the world’s greatest and most recognizable superheroine, Wonder Woman! Starting today, we are accepting entries for the Wonder Woman Wardrobe War, with Zeus Comics providing cool prizes for the top redesigns!

Grand Prize (1) - This classic Lynda Carter Wonder Woman statue, a signed WonderWoman issue from Gail Simone, a DC Direct Wonder Woman action figure, and $25 gift certificate good at the Zeus Comics Online Store!

First Prize (2) - A signed Wonder Woman issue from Gail Simone, a DC Direct WonderWoman action figure, and a $15 gift certificate good at the Zeus Comics Online Store!

Second Prize (3) - A signed Wonder Woman issue from Gail Simone and a DC Direct Wonder Woman action figure!

Additional Prizes - P:R and ZC may provide a few extra goodies for the other striking entries, if we see something that really knocks our socks off!

Send in your Wonder Woman redesigns to editors@projectrooftop.com, with the subject line, “Wonder Woman Wardrobe War!” Please include your full name, age, website, and mailing address for prize shipment. All the usual P:R Guidelinesapply!
All entries must be recieved by November 20th, 2007!

Lois Lane

Hello All,

I'm currently researching Lois Lane for my book and am hoping that someone can provide or suggest resources. I've found a few well done blog & personal website related explorations, but am also hoping to find some more formally written texts. Even though she is one of the most iconic and lasting characters in popular culture there seems to be little written about her, and much of that is only a tangential mention in a work about Supes.

I'm also hoping to find articles on women reporters in the 1940s & 50s.

Any help regarding the character in any incarnation would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Jen

Heroes Changes Ahead

Heroes creator Tim Kring called Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly discuss fan reaction to Season Two.

EW has titled the piece "Heroes Creator Apologizes to Fans" although nowhere in the piece is there an actual apology--and I, for one, believe it's not necessary. Kring acknowledges some of the narrative choices made during this arc aren't quite working:

-Claire's creepy boyfriend
-Taking too long to get to the "big-picture story"
-Keeping Hiro in the past for so long
-And the slow introduction of new characters

While I prefer the faster-paced reveals, I've really enjoyed this season so far. I think people have forgotten just how slow much of last season was, often tediously slow, and the story didn't ramp up until mid-season.

Heroes, Chapter Seven “Out of Time”

I didn’t post a review last week, because I didn’t really have much to say about Chapter Six. But it’s clear now that “The Line” laid much of the groundwork for this week’s episode, proving once again that Heroes is an excellently functioning serial.

Last week, it was revealed that The Company is using the Shanti virus to stop Specials who either cannot learn to control their powers, or who, like Sylar, use them for evil. It’s an interesting moral quandary, and though it’s been previously explored in popular culture (most recently in Joss Whedon’s run on The Astonishing X-Men) it’s certainly an issue that would arise if people ever where to actually develop these sorts of gifts.

Is a man who can fly inherently dangerous to humanity? Should a woman who can spontaneously regenerate be exploited for the greater good? How is it decided whose powers should be quelled? As it appears these mutations are hereditary should Specials be prevented from breeding? Or will they placed into eugenics programs to create a race of supermen?

The question of liberty is also reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange—Anthony Burgess’s novel about free will.


Though I haven’t yet read the novel, I’ve seen Stanley Kubrick’s film version numerous times.* Alex, the protagonist of both, is a vile human being, raping, pillaging and performing acts of “ultraviolence” with his mates. After his eventual arrest and sentencing, Alex is reconditioned via an experimental treatment program to have a negative response to violence so that he might be reintegrated into society. The results are both just and tragic. As Alex grows to want a normal life, he encounters his victims who each exact revenge. Because of the conditioning Alex is unable to protect himself as he is now filled with nausea and paralysis when faced with evil.

According to Wikipedia,

“Burgess wrote in his later (Nov. 1986) introduction, titled A Clockwork Orange Resucked, that a creature who can only perform good or evil is "a clockwork orange — meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with color and juice, but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil; or the almighty state."

By this definition Sylar is clearly a clockwork orange. (Ironically, The Company likely sees him as he sees Maya, as “a shiny new toy.”) Sylar has charm, as well as abilities desired by people in positions of power, and The Company may only want to subdue Specials with powers they can’t manipulate. But it does raise the question of free will. Should other Specials be punished for their gifts because Sylar missuses his?

But back to “Out of Time,” an truly riveting episode in which the relationships between our characters grow more complex. Mohinder is finally growing a pair, instead of splitting one with Matt. He begins to realize that Noah is impulsive, temperamental, and desperate, and that means regardless of his skills, HRG sees him as expendable. He begins to seek a way to better protect himself, as well as his own family.

Matt and Nathan show up at The Company’s headquarters to warn Bob that he is next on Parkman Sr.’s hit list and Nathan pressures Bob for information on “Adam Monroe” –a name that was first dropped last week.**



Bob, who as Mohinder notes is “morally gray, at best” again states that “we all have our parts to play” and that “with these abilities sometimes people begin to see themselves as gods.”***

As part of Bob’s plan to stop Parkman Sr. by injecting him with the virus, he pushes Matt to explore his capabilities. Matt’s terrified of actually becoming his father, but after a heartfelt moment with the unconscious Molly he finally resolves his Daddy issues. After noticing his daughter stir in her slumber when he tells her he loves her, Matt recognizes that with these powers of the brain he not only can enter Molly’s mental prison to release her, but he can trap the Nightmare Man there as well.

It seems Matt grew a pair too.



He and Molly awake to find Parkman Sr. unconscious and as they embrace Matt says: “Oh, God, I love you.” And Molly replies, “I heard.”

He IS her hero.

Back at the Bennets/Butlers Claire is finally recognizing the danger of West—who is a creepy, creepy, stalker guy. He is in her home, uninvited, having waffles with her mother, while she is asleep. When he text messaged her a good morning I half expected him to be hovering over her bed watching her. (icky-shiver.)

Claire tells West that “You can’t just do whatever you want, whenever you want.” She’s not only concerned that he and her father will discover each other—but that HRG will discover what she’s done and she’s embarrassed to have used her gifts so childishly. Before West, she was thinking about how her blood might be used to heal people, after hooking up with him she’s torturing the alpha Mean Girl at her high school.

Because of West, she’s drifting from who she is at her core. Compounded with standard-issue teen angst, she’s growing ever-more antagonistic towards HRG (with whom, by the way, she is developing a very Jack & Sydney Bristow relationship.****)


Peter and Caitlin are in the dystopian future Manhattan where they are abducted, decontaminated, separated, and quarantined.



We learn that the first case of the Shanti virus is (was) reported on 3/20/2007 (which means all other cases have been/will be kept quiet by The Company) and that 93% of the population has died from it. This must mean that the virus has mutated to affect Normals as well as Specials and that Mohinder’s blood is no longer a cure. (As we indeed learn later, when Niki turns a virus-filled needle on herself instead of injecting Bob. She is infected with a strain, which perhaps only Claire can cure.)




Mama Petrelli is one of the 7% who’ve survived and shows up to restore Peter’s memory. She reminds him that he is kind, selfless and caring and then charges him with “changing history” a theme that repeatedly came up in this episode.

In 17th Century Japan, Kensei announces that he is going to change history—although this is a bit of a misnomer. He can make or write history, but he can’t change it unless he too has traveled back in time. Now, since Peter has seen the future, he can change history. And who is he going to do it with?

Kensei. I mean, Adam Monroe.

(Yes, the big reveal, and most saw it coming, was that the two men are one and the same.)

Though Hiro defeats White Beard by destroying the guns, and seemingly blowing up Kensei with them, we know that as a spontaneous healer Kensei could not have been destroyed and will be a major player in this volume.



One of the sweetest moments of the night came when Hiro performed the final task of "Takezo Kensei" and cut out his heart for the dragon. He said goodbye to his sweet love Yaeko who told him that she will make sure his legend, the true legend of Kensei and his Princess will live on.




“The boy Hiro Nakamura will have tales to help him sleep,” she says, as I, watching, choke up just a little bit.


Next Week is the anticipated Vol. 2 Chapter 8, “Four Months Ago.” Will current timeline Peter travel back to Kirby Plaza and save Nathan? How did Matt and Mohinder come to be Molly’s parents? Where was Candace keeping Sylar—and was it for The Company? What did Niki and Micah do for four months? What about Ando and Nakamura, Sr.? What did Mama Petrelli tell Nathan’s wife about the “family secret”?

And in future episodes . . . will Mohinder kidnap and exploit Claire to save Niki? It’s obviously him in the painting. Does he shoot HRG? Is Caitlin stuck in the future, or did Maury invade Pete’s mind?








* The film must of course be on the minds of the creative team having had Malcolm McDowell guest as Linderman.

** The show seems to have a lot of nods to Marvel characters, and I wonder if Executive Producer, Jeph Loeb, has some clearance with that Company having been a writer for them. As Bob shows an old newspaper article to Nathan regarding a snowstorm in Miami, that could have been a tsunami, Ororo Munroe is immediately (and, I suppose, inevitably) evoked. It’s not clear if weather control was Kensei’s doing. Either he’s developed other powers, or the event was the result of him having brought Generation 1 together. Perhaps Nana Dawson will turn out to be our weather goddess (although, then she could have stopped the hurricanes in New Orleans—unless Parkman Sr. interfered. Hmmmmm….)

*** Again, themes from Marvel are at play. As Kimzilla
noted in the comments of Vol. 2, Chapter 4, there appears to be a Brotherhood of Mutants vs. X-Men –esque clash of philosophies.

**** Last week’s phone call of lies was straight out of Alias.

Heroes To End Season Early

Oh Noes!!!!!!!

First the news that Heroes: Origins has been shelved as a result of the impending WGA strike comes a report from TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that the currently-running season of Heroes may end in December.

Heroes' second season may be coming to a close a lot sooner than expected due to the forthcoming apocalypse, also known in some circles as the damn writers' strike.

Sources confirm that the show is going back and shooting an alternate ending to the Dec. 3 episode that, if used, would allow the episode to function as a season finale in the event of a strike. Originally, the episode was only supposed to serve as the conclusion of the current "Generations" arc. Should an 11th-hour agreement be reached and a strike averted (fingers crossed!), the alt ending would likely be scrapped.

It looks like our Heroes party will be on December 3rd!

Whedon Back to What He Does Best

Well THIS sounds interesting . . .

Dollhouse follows a top-secret world of people programmed with different personalities, abilities and memories, depending on their mission.

After each assignment—which can be physical, romantic or even illegal—the characters have their memories wiped clean and are sent back to a lab (dubbed the dollhouse). The show centers on Dushku's character, Echo, as she slowly begins to develop some self-awareness.

It sounds like good ol' Sci Fi 101--with the Whedon touch.