October 31st, 2006
Heroes Episode Review: Chapter 6 (1.06) Better Halves
Episode Title: Chapter 6 (Episode 1.06), “Better Halves”
Best Line: “You came from the future and told them to save the
cheerleader. And you had a sword.”
Best Moment: D.L. and Niki’s showdown
Rating: 4 out of 5
The Heroes storyline took a few wonderful and interesting turns this week. Overall, the week’s episode seemed like a connecting story, with several transitive issues occurring in the lives of our heroes. While some characters like Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) and Matt (Greg Grunberg) were overlooked this week, Niki (Ali Larter) continues to be a major player. Important developments occur for her, but most of the storylines remained unresolved.
As Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) puzzle over their paintings in an effort to discover the identity of the cheerleader, they make contact with Hiro (Masi Oka). Through Ando (James Kyson Lee), they tell him about Peter’s visit from future-Hiro. As expected, Hiro finds the story exciting.
There’s something about the character of Hiro that makes him not only infinitely likable, but also wonderfully heroic. He worries constantly that he has taken a wrong turn on his heroic journey, but Ando is there to give him support. Of all the storylines in the series, Hiro and Ando always manage to make me smile.
Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is returning to India to scatter the ashes of his father. He claims he is leaving for good, but Eden (Nora Zehetner) seems to believe he will return. If that kiss is any indication, I think he’ll be back.
As the title of this week’s chapter suggests, we get our first introduction to D.L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts), Niki’s “better half.” But the surprises waiting for Niki are nothing compared to the surprises coming for D.L. The “Mirror Niki” finally emerges with a voice, talking to Niki in an insane discourse that suggests Niki is not a victim of a darker side. Her culpability in the actions of her mirror image is evident, despite her rationalization for any violent action. Whether Niki has finally given full control to Mirror Niki or whether she will be able to reassert her persona is still up for debate.
As Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is introduced to her biological birth parents, it appears her father Horned Rim Glasses (Jack Coleman) has orchestrated the meeting for his own agenda. More importantly, HRG has a connection to another minor character which is likely to cause problems for our heroes down the line.
Sides are beginning to form, and it appears that some of the characters we assumed were heroes may be villains. Could the reverse also be true? HRG seemed parentally concerned when he hears the phrase, “Save the cheerleader.” Could it be that he’s trying to protect Claire, not unlike how Clark Kent’s parents tried to protect him in his youth?
HRG’s shadowy investigation into those with special abilities may be unconstitutional but it also may be part of a “homeland security” initiative to assess a potential threat. It doesn’t take a conspiracy nut to imagine the government ignoring some civil rights in the name of national defense. Still, that doesn’t necessarily make HRG the enemy. Perhaps he’s a neutral observer. Maybe he’s trying to find a way to stop Sylar. Or maybe he created Sylar. It’s still too early to tell.
Like a puzzle with a million pieces, the storylines in Heroes continue to intersect in imaginative and unexpected ways. Unfortunately, much remains uncertain. New pieces added this week only made the overall picture bigger � like individual paintings forming panels of a comic book. Mohinder has left for India. Peter and Isaac still need to identify the cheerleader. Hiro needs to find her. Isaac is in peril. D.L. and Micah are on the run.
I have always assumed that Heroes, though an excellent series, would not be able to maintain the level of suspense it has been generating on a weekly basis. It is nice to know, however, that even when an episode is transitional, it still manages to be satisfying.
Until Next Week,
