Heroes: Season 2, Episode 10 Review: Truth & Consequences

Truth & Consequences
Original Airdate: November 26, 2007
Writer: Jesse Alexander
Director: Adam Kane

This episode, like many this season, has been filled with subplots that work and those that don’t. When those that don’t sit out a week, we tend to get a better episode like the previous one. Unfortunately this is another uneven episode, where the storylines that don’t work bog down the episode as a whole. The strike’s impact on the writing is clear, as some threads get cut before they have any time to begin. One can hope the strike hiatus will strengthen the show as well.

Any idea that Adam is a good guy should be dashed by the end of this episode. Previous episodes established that The Company found him to be a threat for his near immortality. In this episode Hiro finds out he was locked up for trying to release the virus to the general public. Of course he thinks he’ll survive (and it’s likely he and possibly only other regenerators will) and perhaps hopes to rebuild the new society of survivors with him as the new leader. The centuries of life, likely propelled in part by Hiro’s betrayal, have lead him to believe that saving the world is to eradicate most of the people living on it.

Adam’s motives make Peter a patsy in his plan. Peter’s driven by a sense of destiny and saving the world. His thoughts are also on Caitlin, stuck in the possible plague ridden future. He feels guilty about bringing her there and being unable to retrieve her. So with Adam’s promises to save the world and Caitlin with it, in addition to the goodwill earned by Adam’s blood healing Nathan, it makes sense that Peter would be duped. Some have wondered why he wouldn’t just read Adam’s mind to know his motivations, but it seems out of character for Peter to be that thorough. Of course that leads to the showdown at the end of the episode between himself and Hiro.

Victoria is likely the biggest victim of the strike on the writing this season. The original plan must’ve involved a multi-episode arc at least for an established actress, but that was simplified, making her not more than a plot device to keep Adam and Peter from getting to the virus before the mid-way finale. Her story ends before it has any chance to begin, leaving Joanna Cassidy with little to do.

It almost would’ve been better just to keep Hiro’s sojourn to 1977 in the episode. It establishes Adam’s motives and why Victoria would want to be in hiding. Unfortunately the problem in this scene is the horrible actor they cast as the young version of Kaito. As ridiculous as it might’ve been, it would’ve been better to have Masi Oka do his George Takei impression. An actor playing his character’s father at a younger age worked on “The X-Files”.

One interesting point comes when Adam tells Peter that getting shot in the head or otherwise decapitated is the only way a person with regenerative abilities can die. The big question is how exactly does Adam know that? The only hint comes with the tie-in graphic novels (where he encounters a person who can clone himself), but his encounters with other people should be mentioned on the show, since that information shouldn’t be regulated to supplementary media.

The episode falters, as it has in the past, when the focus moves towards those not affected by the virus plot. Case in point: Monica and Micah’s adventure retrieving DL’s medals. Compared to avoiding the extinction of mankind, it’s really hard to care about this one. The Sanders are the most glaring example of the show’s original premise of featuring a different ensemble every season. Nothing they’ve done this season has justified keeping them around. Not even Monica and the underutilized Nichelle Nichols (just what purpose does she serve that couldn’t be served by Monica?) have helped move it out of neutral.

The plot is made worse by the lack of consistency in Monica’s powers, or at least her ability to know when to use them. Considering she knows martial arts and wrestling maneuvers and can replicate them exactly, the idea that she would climb to the ceiling and staying in a space between the supports rather than fighting the thugs is far fetched at best.

Also, the discussion on secret identities could’ve been useful, but is instead rendered pointless by Monica going in the worst disguise ever. Of course she cites Superman’s now infamous non-disguise of glasses, but come on! She couldn’t even find a mask at a party store or use make up to hide her looks?

Monica’s abduction serves ultimately to complicate Niki getting cured. However, with Sylar back in New York and holding Molly and clueless Maya hostage, that purpose is served, making Monica’s subplot even more useless.

Considering Alejandro isn’t credited as a lead character, his exit has been predictable, even inevitable. Also, with Maya able to control her power, Alejandro is no longer necessary to keep in the storyline. It’s also been building up as hostilities have grown between Sylar and Alejandro, who sees the serial killer as who he really is even before finding the article linking Sylar to his mother’s death (the fact that Maya has been developing feelings for Sylar isn’t making it any easier).

Unfortunately, like many hated new characters on established shows, his death is seen more to appease the unhappy than another step in Maya’s arc. Did anyone notice Alejandro speaking English outside of some “Heroes” blog saying so? Did anyone care to know how he learned to speak it and why he didn’t do so until that moment?

The growing problems between Bob and Elle continue as Bob chastises his daughter for making herself vulnerable to get shot. Last episode illuminated the differences between Bennet and Bob as far as parenting goes. Only now does Elle start to realize how horrible her father has been to her, placing The Company’s goals above her safety and well being.

The rift between her and her father seems to set up the major turn her character will undergo. It doesn’t seem likely she’ll deflect like Bennet considering her screwed up psychology. Whatever her motions are will be determined by self-interest rather than a greater good. She seems motivated to make nice with her father, but with his cards revealed, who knows where she’ll side ultimately.

Claire’s decision to go public with her powers may be more harmful than she thinks. Obviously the “death” of her father and her desire for justice have clouded her judgment. She needs to take notice of the secret identity discussion in the New Orleans storyline (the only worthwhile contribution it has in this episode), knowing that exposing her power makes her family, like superheroes in other franchises, vulnerable to nefarious agents.

Bennet’s survival appears to be keeping him out of the action of the story for now. Why they’d bring him back from the dead isn’t clear, as it seems like it’d be more reasonable for them to leave him the way he was. The Company also wants to perpetuate the myth that he’s dead to his family. So do they want him working in secret? Claire’s plans will have a major effect on that.

Overall, this episode is a great example of this uneven season. While those subplots connected to the main story work, those orphaned from the main action suffer. The strike also had a big effect on the storyline, causing some stuff to be rushed to a conclusion faster than they should have. If only they did that in the first couple episodes of the season!

Overall Score: 7/10