The fourth volume of Heroes, titled "Fugitives," was set up nicely last night:
Nathan has received permission from the President of the United States to round up everyone with abilities. We haven't been given Nathan's full set of motives yet, but he made it clear that the goal is to lock up all powerful characters.
The elder Petrelli brother is being set up as the main bad guy, of course, but this raises a vital question: Does he have the right idea?
Hiro can time travel. In volume three, he used that ability solely to solve a problem he created in the first place!
Throughout two and a half seasons, have the Heroes actually helped anyone outside of their own sub-culture? Let's review the ways in which the Heroes have used their powers so far:
- In season one, the goal was to stop New York City from blowing up, a plan concocted by those with abilities;
- Season two was focused on the outbreak of a virus, one that was created by The Company;
- As we all just witnessed, the third volume of the show centered on a formula that, again, was created by those with abilities and would have a detrimental effect on everyone if ever released.
Therefore, with what we've seen to this point, it's impossible not to wonder: Wouldn't the world be a better place if there were no Heroes? What has Peter ever done, for example, that's focused on anything or anyone not associated within the universe of extraordinary abilities?
His goals may have always been to save mankind... but wouldn't mankind be better off if no one with abilities ever existed? Consequently, wouldn't this mean that Nathan is absolutely correct that all Heroes should be locked up?
While we're excited for volume four, and look forward to a contained/simple story line that hopefully doesn't involve the use of time travel, a problem is raised when the supposed arch villain (Nathan) appears to have the right idea:
Rid the world of Heroes and let everyone else live in peace.
Until the show gives viewers a reason to think that Claire regenerating, or Parkman reading minds, will have positive consequences for anyone outside the ability-laden universe, then why should we root for these characters to remain in the real world?
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17 Comments
December 16th, 2008 2:04 PM
Hmmm. Good point. The only one who has really done anything is Hiro. Also last season Bob mentioned that a Tsunami was headed toward Florida at one point...but was stopped. That would have been a good episode, you know saving people who don't have abilities.
December 16th, 2008 2:38 PM
Was Hitler also right in trying to rid Germany of the Jews? Would we be right if the US killed every prisoner? How about the poor? Would we be right then? No, because what we perceive as right, many would perceive as wrong... vice versa.
The real point that Heroes, albeit inadequately is trying to make is that any weapon (or formula) that seeks to do good, will always at some point do bad. Dynamite was a good invention, until it was used in bombs. Electricity was a phenomenal invention, and even that was used to kill. Guns to a certain extent are great inventions, for those who have more of them and are the "right" party in a disagreement (i'm being facetious). Peter's fear is that no matter what, giving people powers will always lead to some sort of catastrophic event, whether it be New York perishes or Costa Verde, or whatever other cooky scenario. Peter in trying to stop the future where Costa Verde is destroyed has inadvertently jump started some of the same things he feared in that future (such as the Claire led hit squad).
Right now i feel they are a little stuck, but then again they may not be showing everything. If they would've done a better job at presenting Arthur as a danger and Nathan's turn to be a little more sinister, I feel we as fans could get behind this. Then again, as an American, they are playing the Guantanamo Bay angle, and i really don't support that either.
December 16th, 2008 2:47 PM
the power that ando has could possibly give hiro back his powers seeing that it gave matt the ability to hear the whole city's thoughts and Daphne the ability to run back in time. but the one thing i dont understand is when we saw the future with ando killing hiro how come his power didnt kill matt or daphne.someone pease respond
December 16th, 2008 3:14 PM
D4-4-life
Well then I purpose to you that Future Ando DIDNT kill Future Hiro and you (as well as everyone else) are mistaken and only thought they saw something they didnt...
Like when Hiro "killed" Ando in the bar earlier in Volume 3 are you sure thats what you saw??
December 16th, 2008 3:16 PM
You know, I had thought about this, too. I don't remember the specifics of that scene from the future where it looks like Ando is killing Hiro, but maybe Ando wasn't killing Hiro. Maybe he was using his powers to send Hiro back in time to fix things or something else puzzling like that. Although, I think it might be possible that Ando has a different power from the one he just got. The "future" we always see never happens the way it might (they always see the future in this show in order to change it anyway, right?), so who knows if it's even the same power.
December 16th, 2008 3:24 PM
I'm a strong supporter of Ando's power. Once they used it in the graphic novels for D.L.'s mom and then killed her, I thought it was a terrible waste of a great power. I'm really happy that they brought it into play. However, this power makes him a prime target for someone like Sylar. I don't necessarily believe Nathan's plan is right. Everybody deserves the freedom they are born with. Just because they are more capable doesn't mean they have any less right to live their lives as they see fit.
December 16th, 2008 5:38 PM
Look at the x-men universe...people were trying to get rid of the mutants because most people's powers were 50x more powerful than any man made gun...
But does punishing someone because of how they were born really a righteous idea? Where would it end? Lock up people with abilities...then we would have to lock up highly intelligent "normal" people because they have the potential to conjure up an evil plan...oh, and you have to lock up "normal" people who are strong because they have the potential to overpower law enforcement. Let's not forget "normal" people who have great vision because they can aim a gun better than other people.
In other words, you can't punish people in a free society for crimes they haven't committed...based on the potential to commit a crime.
Nathan is wrong..and his philosophy is leaning towards that of a dictatorship.
December 16th, 2008 7:06 PM
I can't believe some of the things that have been written on this site by the people who confess to give the show 'tough love'. You either like the show or you don't.
I think the issue with Nathan and the formula is that of him playing god, and Peter wanting things to evolve naturally. Though his survival was clearly important in last night's episode (which hasn't been aired in the UK yet, so I haven't seen it).
I don't know how saving New York from a nuclear explosion is not something that will benefit the greater human need. Lets face it would you be happy if the Heroes started intefering in things that happen in real life, such as Iraq, Afghanistan etc. Then it would be even more absurd. At least now they are contained within their own universe.
December 16th, 2008 7:54 PM
Heroes are people, too, and should not be locked up solely because they have superpowers. and remember with ando how he had the red electricity thing and was channelling it through a sword to Hiro? that killed him? uhuh yea about that its the same power ando just got! i hope ando doesnt kill hiro! and i was glad sylar didnt die, i would miss him.
December 17th, 2008 4:54 AM
In theory yes getting rid of powers wuld be good, but there are positives also. And of course in regards to Nathan trying to rid the world of those with powers (as with Season One when Mohinder suggested it) Nathan has powers too, is HE going to be locked up? I this Hunter character has powers will HE be locked up eventually too? Still a stupid idea if you ask me. Nathan was almost cool (stading up to his Mother and Father initially but then he became idiotic) clearly some of Hiro's stupidity rubbed off on him the last time the two were together (fortuneatly Hiro's appears to be wearing off).