No, Really, We're Okay Now!: TIC v. Heroes 4.8!

Cross-posted to Racialicious!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Note: Just want to invite everybody to check out the latest Roundtable thread covering 4.7 over at The R.

Are people's expectations really that low for this show anymore?

Going into this week's episode, the word seemed to be good from my friends: "Heroes ftw" one said on twitter; "we're on an upswing," another told me this morning. Really?

I didn't even mind that this was a placeholder episode; everybody needs those, I get that. But Sylar and Dudley DoWrong playing Law & Order: Superhuman Unit to track down a fugitive shapeshifter was by far the most effective plot in "Into Asylum," which in itself was nothing more than passable.

Not to say that our latest installment of As The Petrellis Turn didn't have bright spots: Cristine Rose and Milo Ventimiglia each showed some more welcome shades of humanity in Angela and Peter, respectively; and best of all, no Mexicans were harmed in the filming of the Claire-Bear Goes To Mexico sequences.

In fact, Claire was downright clever in using her regenerative powers to swindle a spring-drunk American coed out of his drinking money. But the ensuing reconciliation between herself and Nathan just felt hollow, because if there's one thing we've learned about this family – and Angela herself copped to this in her confessional – it's that these folks are always gonna make the wrong choice.

Speaking of bad decision-making, the point of all those shots of Danko shaving and listening to oldies finally came through – the poor grunt is more EEEEEVIL than he is smart, and he finally came undone this week, not only teaming up with Sy but flat-out allowing him to get the power Sylar has been after since early on in the series. What's the over/under on Gabriel turning on the “Hunter” and taking his shape – and his spot? Two episodes?

Near the end of the episodes, we got what was meant to be a dramatic sequence featuring the Petrellis and Claire walking away from their latest crises of faith and haircare. The problem for the series has been, we've always gotten this sequence, or some variant of it, where the First Family suddenly decides to stop practicing cranial-rectal exploration and get down to business.

And by this point, all I can say, again, is, really? After all that's happened they still need to hit rock bottom? In his monologue at the church, Peter made a compelling case for him honestly wanting to do some good in the world. But heroism, as any comic fan can tell you, is about more than good intentions; it's as much a job as a calling – with the same demands when it comes to your choices and your skill-set. And if the smartest people you know are manipulators and outright killers, you need to step up twice as hard. Here's to hoping this latest family turn toward ... well, outright intelligence sticks.

The Racialicious Scorecard
There. Now you've seen more POC core characters than were featured this week. And, hey, it's one thing for the show to rotate featured cast from show-to-show; that's the nature of an ensemble.

But, setting aside for a minute the convenience of Nate and Claire being safer in Mexico Hiro was on his native soil, what struck me most was, for all the talk about making things right, nobody – not even Claire – thought to mention Micah, who has been the most consistent force for good throughout this volume. And consider that last week, not only did Micah stick his neck out for Tracy's sake, but Hiro and Ando willingly traveled cross-country to save a kid that doesn't belong to either of them, and Mohinder has sacrificed himself for Matt's sake a few weeks ago. When the time comes to pay off the "Fugitives" storyline, will the POC characters matter?

Previously: Racialicious Heroes Archive

Title and Claire images courtesy of HeroesWiki
Angela/Peter image courtesy of Comic Book Resources
Hiro/Baby Matt image courtesy of Greg Beeman's Blog

TV Notes, happy and sad

* RIP, Andy Hallett.

* Dollhouse: Not as epic as last week's ep -- how could it be? -- but definitely a much stronger show as an ensemble piece rather than Echo's Weekly Adventures. Curious to see, however, that they might pull the trigger on an "awakening" so early in the run.

* Family Guy: All the hype over the TNG cast's appearance went up in smoke as soon as Peter said, "it's another Meg episode." Not as much because it was Meg as because the creative team seems to give less of a damn about her than even Peter. Too much dreck, not enough Trek.

* Better Off Ted: Glad to see Lem & Phil get their own episode so soon, and the bits of continuity -- Phil's recurring symptoms, the trickiness of the Office Affair clause -- are appreciated this early in the run. Will we get a backstory for Veronica?


Lastly, a look at Mr. Hallett as many of us probably remember him best.

SHINY MORNING MIXTAPE!

A special jumbo-sized jukebox this week, dedicated to my friend Anissa.

About four years ago, Anissa asked me to make her a mixtape. Then she asked for another. And so I found a way to fuel my mix-making and music-collecting hobby, and the Shiny Gold Mixtapes were born. Things reached the point where not only did she ask me to DJ her wedding, but three other couples have, as well. I've made mixes in fits of discovery and in the darkest of moods. It's easily, aside from writing, my favorite pastime, and I'm grateful to her for giving me an outlet for it.

So, below is the complete track listing from 'Nyssa's latest mix -- No. 30, excluding multi-part editions; those are another story. (Would that make this a MiXXX?) To make the list easier on the eyes, I've provided links to either the video or the artist for each track.

1. The Ting Tings -- That's Not My Name (Justin Kayes Remix)
2. 45 Grave -- Party Time NOTE: NSFW
3. Soulwax -- Any Minute Now
4. Burning Hearts -- I Lost My Colour Vision
5. Monareta -- Llama
6. The Detroit Cobras -- Village Of Love
7. AC Newman -- On The Table
8. Theresa Andersson -- Birds Fly Away
9. Camera Obscura -- My Maudlin Career
10. Hello Seahorse! -- Universo 2
11. Placebo -- I'll Be Yours
12. Razorlight -- Wire To Wire
13. Slushco -- Sad Songs and Lonely Places
14. My Dear Disco -- White Lies
15. The Vibrators -- Disco In Moscow
16. Adam Ant -- Desperate But Not Serious
17. Amazing Baby -- Bayonets
18. Black Eyed Peas -- Request Line
19. Asobi Seksu -- Familiar Light
20. DJ Earworm -- Funky Goes To Hollywood

So, True Believers, should I put up more mixtapes on FMJ?

Notes on Better Off Ted 1.1

* Not a bad pilot, but I get the feeling that the writers are trying too hard to make the show "quirky," instead of letting the interactions carry the story.

* Best part of the show by a country mile is Portia DeRossi, and not just based on aesthetics. So far, Veronica is at once devious and clueless, and DeRossi's timing in the episode was money.

* Worst part? The star. Jay Harrington's Ted goes beyond relatable to straight-up blandness. His daughter, Rose (Isabella Anders) went from adorable to annoying within two mini-monologues. But, the Office Affair clause and reveal were well-executed.

* Here's to hoping we get more bits with Lem and Phil; they definitely give me a Lenny & Carl vibe.

The Kid Is Alright: TIC v. Heroes 4.7!

Cross-posted to Racialicious!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

My, my, Micah, how you've grown.

Even if it was the worst-kept secret on the show, the youngest Sanders' return to the fold was one of several nice touches this week, making "Cold Snap" a welcome turn for the better from the past couple of episodes.

Name-checking Che and eluding Angry Valjean and the Armies of Excess Security, Micah came out of hiding to help his not-mommy Tracy escape SEXY TORTURE, only for her to first lure him into a trap, then help him get out of it with an all-out display of her freezing powers. It's hard to figure a kid who's hip to Che "leading a revolution" would be so surprised Tracy is "a politician" (not technically, but you know). Still, it was good to see somebody on the show who didn't mix good intentions with angst – in other words, not Claire.

Speaking of angst, Mrs. Petrelli was going through some of her own – though for good reason. Without Nathan's protection, she's now just another target in the Metahuman Roundup, and Cristine Rose did a good job of conveying Angela's increasing desperation, not just in her restaurant conversation with an old friend, but in her quiet sadness and resignation about her capture. When Peter flies in for the save, her relief is palpable. And it should be noted that as more of the core characters goes on the lam, there's less people around in a position to take down Big Bad Danko. That'll bear watching as Volume 4 progresses.

But writer Bryan Fuller's best feat this week might have been to bring not just closure, but credibility to the not-romance between Big Matt and Daphne. Despite theirs being the least believable of the series' on-screen romances so far, Fuller's script not only let both characters address the flimsiness of their connection ("I took a Spirit ... Walk," Matt says, almost embarrassed) but gives them a graceful exit, as Matt mentally projects himself and the dying Daph into a romantic night in Paris.

Sentimentality aside, though, the series seems to be biding its' time before (hopefully) serving up a game-changing episode. That's par for the course, of course, but watching the show nowadays feels like just that: biding our time. And with the Rebel mystery solved and the Sylar/Samson duel a disappointment, there don't look to be many engaging storylines left to engage the viewer before whatever big resolution the writers say they have planned. Much like Tracy after her run-in with the feds, the show is treading water, but on thin ice.

The Racialicious Scorecard:
Hiro & Ando: Literally miles away from the action, Team Yamagato sets out to protect little ElianMatt Jr., who, it turns out has already begun manifesting his ability. "Toddler Touch-And-Go" subsequently triggers a re-awakening of Hiro's time-stopping power. Along the way, though, we're subjected to yet another One To Grow On moment with Hiro, as he comes to terms with his mother's passing. For what they're going through, I can only hope for some sort of payoff for the boys. But I'm not very optimistic anymore. By the way, how many sick days do you think they have left at work?

Mohinder: I'm of two minds about Suresh's involvement this week: while the shot of him silently consoling Matt as Daphne lay dying made me hope for the best from their friendship, on another level, Mo was there to enhance other people's storylines: he bore witness to yet another reminder of Danko's EEEEEVIL fiscal responsibility; and didn't figure much into the Parkman/Daphne struggle other than tell the viewers she was dying. It was tough for me to reconcile this discrepancy.


Micah: Now that he's officially Rebel, Micah's character is entering his own tough spot. On the one hand, he's savvy enough to hack government servers and get people together across state lines. On the other, he was still naïve enough to believe Tracy really did care about public service. And I can't help but be disappointed not to see any involvement from Nana Dawson. But, if Micah continues to be featured, in both of his identities, he might give the show a sorely-needed person to rally around.

Next Week: Claire & Nathan on spring break – it's Benetrelli Beach Blanket Bingo!
Previously: Racialicious Heroes Archive

Suresh image courtesy of Comic Book Resources
Micah image courtesy of StarPulse
All other images courtesy of HeroesWiki

Doctor Who: This Is Your (Tenth) Life?

More and more, the Tenth Doctor's farewell tour is taking on a Greatest Hits flavor.

SPOILERY STUFF AHEAD

Peter Pixie and I discussed this story last night on our podcast: basically, the band could be getting back together for another go-round with The Master. (If these episodes are set on Mars, as another rumor says, then so much the cleverer.) Peter speculated that instead of a full-on team-up, the three Companions may instead appear in a manner reminiscent of Tom Baker's making way for Peter Davison, as shown below (and, uh, sorry for the music):



And now, consider this item from Planet Gallifrey -- not only will Jessica Hynes be coming back to the show, but her new character, Verity Newman (inside joke), might be related/connected to Joan Redfern from the Human Nature/Family Of Blood two-parter. Looks like RTD wants to get in as much fan-service as possible before the Great Transition over to Matt Smith.

Live on BTR TONIGHT!

Tonight, on Hour 42!

* We talk BSG -- what was the big frakkin' deal?
* Clone Wars chat
* Mr. Pixie's latest convention adventure
* Doctor Who rumours
* We pick the comics we'd like to see on the small screen
* Plus your calls and comments at 646.716.4799

So join us at 11pm EST, 8 PST!