Is Nathan Right?
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?
Write in. Let us know your thoughts!
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17 CommentsRelated Posts
- A Recap of Volume Three
- Wait, Aren't Abilities a Good Thing?
- A Series of Heroes Complaints
- A Critical View of Heroes
- Heroes Commentary: Let Them Die!
December 21st, 2008 4:49 PM
Do we know for sure Ando killed Hiro? We saw him knock him down but could he just have been knocked out, Hiro didn't have the best view, I mean he couldn't even lip-read what they were saying correctly (they did not say what the subtitles were, they ACTUALLY said, for anyone not lip-reading in which case go back and check for yourself,
Hiro: It/This is MY mission
Ando: Then you have failed!)
I love Adrian Pasdar but his character is an idiot, to go from the two ideas of give everyone powers to take away everyone with powers in a matter of minutes (I know in the show it was meant to be longer but it's the same as Elle encouraging Sylar to be bad one episode and then the next saying they could start again and he needn't be evil) was just bad writing. I think the writers' strike severely damaged the writers on the show. They all think it improved them but it didn't.
December 18th, 2008 12:26 PM
Nathan has good intentions at heart but the way he's going about it couldn't be worse. First of all, criminals with abilities like Sylar, Knox, and Flint should definitely be imprisoned and kept away from society. There's nothing wrong with that; the problem is he has classified every single person with abilities dangerous and that they should be separated away from society. It's persecution and that's not good.
Nathan, if anyone, should know there are plenty of people with abilities who are perfectly good individuals. This BS assumption is just bad writing, an attempt at making a shocking twist and setting up a new plot. I sincerely hope he gets axed by the end of next volume because his character has become useless since the end of Season One.
December 18th, 2008 11:52 AM
I think since Ando's power did kill Hiro, Hiro had no powers at that point we think because he would've stopped time and apparently not even daphne is faster than Hiro. So Ando's power didn't supercharge Hiro's ability, maybe it gave him a heart attach or sped up his brainwaves or something else as he was a normal person.
Nathan is only doing what he's doing because he's pissed off, locking everyone up because of their potential to do bad obviously isn't what he really thinks or he wouldn't have tried to give a single person an ability, his vol3-vol4 theories are opposites.
December 17th, 2008 5:19 PM
I think this is where Nathan is coming from - as he told Knox Peter always disappoints and than Nathan comes in and fixes it. The best laid plans of mice and men. All the reasons the world blew up was people with powers that can't control - that's the impression Future Peter gave. And all Nathan is doing, on a larger scale, what his parents we're trying to do - police the unpoliced putting away people, even good people like Stephan Caulfield, not because HE was dangerous, but because his power was.
The question is now will Nathan be out in the open about his power, or hold it under raps. Its reminding me a lot of Nazi Germany, with what can happen, and as the poem goes "I said nothing and than they came for me (and my family). At some point, like in Peter's future, the plan is going to be out of Nathan's control - and what happens when they decide to come for his kids, his family and him.
Nathan is very angry right now and he thinks he's doing the right thing, as much as the 12 and Adam started the company. And as we have learned the good side and the bad side is relative. Its a very adult and dramatic argument and will be interesting to watch.
December 17th, 2008 10:36 AM
I think you make an interesting point. Peter hasn't been a "Hero" in the sense of saving people from natural disasters, criminals etc. But then, he hasn't really had the time has he?
From the end of Season One, he's just been on the go. He was locked away by the company, sent to Ireland with amnesia before being taken by Adam on that quest. And as soon as Season 2 ended, Peter was locked away inside the body of Jesse and then unleashed into Season 3. When will the poor guy be able to simply put his feet up and relax, and then go out and fight crime later?
Thats what I want to see. If Season One concludes in November, and Season 2-3 stretch from March to June-ish on the following year, then Peter technically hasn't been home in months. Hows the rent being paid? Surely there's an eviction notice on his door now?
I just think the series is neglecting the characters personal lives a bit, that's all.
December 17th, 2008 9:50 AM
This is relating now a bit to the X-Men universe when the US Gov't was getting involved in collecting Mutants because they were deemed a "Threat" to mankind mostly in part by "SENATOR" Kelly...ahem "SENATOR" Nathan Petrelli..hint hint!!
They unleashed their sentinels to round them up...built concentration camps..harrassed and discriminated them...killed them.. I like the focus on Hitler with the Jews...excellent comparison. Does building a thought in your head telling us to hate people with powers give us the right to strip them of their lives...destroy them? Arent you doing the same as a "Villain"??
December 17th, 2008 9:48 AM
that is a good point jason nevr really thought about it and in the future how did hiro know that ando had kiled future him instead of just knocking him out
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).
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 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.