Heroes Episode Review: Season 2 Episode 3 (2.03) Kindred
By Sam | October 8, 2007 (9:17 pm) | More: Heroes Episode Reviews, Heroes Season 2 Spoilers/News
If last week’s episode “Lizards” taught us anything, it’s that the famous Takezo Kensei is not living up to his legend. And oh yeah, he apparently can’t die. Which, it would appear, comes as a total shock to our drunken faux hero, but a complete delight to Hiro. Is this, then, the first steps toward Kensei living up to the legend? From zero to hero, if you will?
“Kindred’ begins with a series of quick hits, picking up with our characters where we last saw them: Peter in Cork, Ireland with the Irish gangsters, who have an indecent proposal for him; still on their way to America, Maya and Alejandro are separated by the beefy arm of the law; and Micah and Niki finally make their first appearance in Season 2 — by visiting D.L.’s grave! I guess that puts to rest the “Is he dead, or isn’t he” rumors regarding D.L. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that he’s dead.
Helllllllo Sylar. Welcome back to the party, pal. Lounging on a beach in Maui with Candace, the Illusionist Girl — sort of. Of course Candice Wilmer is no longer played by Missy Peregrym, and the writers cover up the change of actresses with a good enough excuse. Candice can, after all, change her appearance at will. Also, now we know how Sylar escaped Kirby Plaza unseen at the end of last season. Oh, Candace, you wench. But you better watch out, Sylar has been known to — Awwww, nevermind. You have it coming.
Meanwhile, back at The CW — er, I mean, back in California with Claire, our perennially angst High School cheerleader is even more angst than usual. Not only has West spied her cutting off and then growing her pinkie toe back (if spying on pretty girls through their windows at night is wrong, I don’t wanna be right), she’s afraid telling HRG about West may mean moving yet again. And West proves to be more than just annoying, he’s also persistent. Oh, teen love. It was just as inconsequential and whiny as I remembered.
Back in the past, Kensei realizes that the emergence of his power means one thing — money! A guy who can’t be killed, whose wounds heal instantaneously, can make a lot of money in a land where Samurai warriors go around challenging each other for cash. Of course Hiro has other ideas, as he relates to Ando via a nifty time-travel device, and that includes pitting Kensei against some unsavory fellows called the 90 Angry Ronin, who are, apparently, angry. Plus, they have swords, which is never a good thing when angry people have swords. Good luck, Kensei!
But we’re forgetting about Peter. (Get it? Forget? Because Peter has amnesia? Ahem.) He’s still stuck in Cork, Ireland, trying to deal with the brutish Irish thugs who want him to help steal some cash using his powers. Powers that Peter can’t seem to call at will, which is probably why he’s allowing these doofuses to blackmail him into helping them in exchange for the box that, supposedly, contains his identity. Try “Up, up, and away!” Peter.
Down South, Maya is desperate to get Alejandro out of jail. And as we all know by now, Maya doesn’t handle separation anxiety very well.
Tonight’s episode features the return of two favorites — Sylar, the villain, and Niki, the schizophrenic wunderkind. We also meet, for the first time, Nichelle Nichols as Nana, a New Orleans resident who Micah has been taken to live with while Niki is off doing…stuff.
The beginnings of “Kindred” had me a little concerned. Peter’s storyline, in particular, seems to be quickly devolving into a series of Soap Opera-level plot contrivances. First the amnesia, and now Peter conveniently forgets how to control his powers, thus the Irish thugs are able to blackmail him for the box. The explanations work on some level (no memory means no knowledge of how his powers work), but on others, well, it’s getting a tad ridiculous.
The whole Claire-West storyline is also heading dangerously toward CW-level writing, but a number of progressions in the plot that conveniently (though very logically) links West to HRG is satisfying enough that I won’t bemoan the whole MTV vibe of the plotline too much.
All in all, a serviceable episode, one of those building blocks to something better in the near future, with a great re-introduction of Sylar.
Some notable events:
This is how I picked up girls in High School, too…
Uhura cometh…
We hardly knew ye, D.L…
See, I told him those glasses would be the death of him one day…
Wasn't HRG or Peter.
Peter has loves his brother why would he do it, yes he can be influenced but his ...
Guys, it was HRG clearly who shot Nathan, why the heck would Peter do it? 
Yay! They're doing more promos. 
i think that people should leave them alone . i mean that is their
personal lives . i mean , ...
Noah on 8 October 2007:
CW? Though mostly I like this article.
Shadowesque on 8 October 2007:
CW as in the channel the CW
http://www.cwtv.com/
Basically…crappy melodramatic teen-oriented shows. (That’s my perception of it, because it’s full of stuff you couldn’t pay me to watch.)
Jess on 9 October 2007:
Yeah!!!
Niki is back!
Great!
Happy!
Happy! Happy!
Noah on 9 October 2007:
Well thanks.
also nit seems that Noash will be wearing plaid when he is killed, so he stays away from that and it’s all good.
TJ on 9 October 2007:
I agree that the show is starting to take on a more soap opera feel. It was totally ridiculous to make Claire and West a couple after he was stalking her, because we know how often stalkers wind up together with their “eye candy”. Also pissed that Peter didn’t open the “box”.
Bernardo on 9 October 2007:
My guesses:
1. Claire will be pissed with Noah, because he wasn’t so good with everybody in the beginning. This is why she is making out in the painting, even with his dad dead on the floor.
2. HRG in the painting could be Sylar, with Candice/Betty powers.
3. This painting won’t happen, like the painting of the bomb. (although this would be lame)
My doubts:
1. Who is the so called “devil”, that is in Molly’s dream?
2. Is Takezo alive nowadays and has hundreds of years, like Wolverine in the comic books? My guess is yes.
3. Where can we see the “Kane - 1000 years man” story?
4. Where is the invisible man? Is he one of the 12 heroes from the past? (This is getting almost like “It” from Stephen King…)
What I know that can’t happen:
1. Peter have the haitian ability - haitian blocks the abilities of other people, including Peter sponge ability, as we saw on the future Hiro episode.
DL on 9 October 2007:
This is quickly becoming the worst-written show on television.
andres on 9 October 2007:
so you guys think is noah whos going to die…hmmm houw bout the other guy thats with suresh…he also wear hard rim glasess….who says it has to be him they both wear the same kind of glasess!!! sum to think bout….hehehe
Katie(Mrs.Sylar) on 9 October 2007:
I think they are going to make it better…and I know hate Peters girlfriend. Didn’t anyone else notice that tatoo fade in during the kiss and then fade out when he was done. She has her own power, maybe sylar should go around kissing people with powers!
Speaking of sylar He is trully insane now. Killing his own source of survival! idiot.
Kris on 9 October 2007:
Katie(Mrs.Sylar) Peters tattoo faded becuase his body healed it. Just like it pushed out the bullett, it rejected the ink… Although it looked more like his skin absorbed it to be passed in other ways, it would have been cooler to see his skin reject the ink as it ran down his arm…
And Andres, you may be right, maybe thats Bob, not Noah.
Patty on 9 October 2007:
In another great nod to Star Trek tradition—are their any leading actors from the original series who aren’t going to be in Heroes?—there was the beguiling “Red Shirt”, the one who dies before you get to know them. Who was the actress who played the red-headed image which Candice (”Michelle”), the shape-shifting illusionist, used with the recuperating Sylar before he stupidly decided to have her brains for breakfast. Her face is very familiar but I can’t put it with a previous role or name. HELP someone out there, you know her.
Katie(Mrs.Sylar) on 9 October 2007:
Kris, I wasn’t commenting on Peter’s new tattoo. The girl had the ‘godsend’ company logo just a little altered in appearence more england styled. They did a close up on it. It’s gonna be important.
She didn’t seem very shocked about his powers. Nor did she want him to open his box when he got it. She needs him apparently…I feel like jumping through my TV and going up to Peter and yelling “Peter your such an idiot, Nathan your brother is drinking himself to death, your mom is being hunted by some mystery, and now this girl is up to know good…Open the freakin box so you can go back to your life!!”
Katie(Mrs.Sylar) on 9 October 2007:
Oh and Sylar is being an Idiot but he’s my idiot! =)
jojo on 11 October 2007:
wow, what a terrible show! too many pretty people… is there an “uncool” character who i can relate to?
TxChef on 12 October 2007:
I’m wondering if perhaps the blonde in the picture is nikki…at the end of the episode, bob did say they would need something from her…maybe they know that suresh and noah are scheming and they’re sending her to assasinate him….i doubt it, but you never know…also, PETER NEEDS TO OPEN THAT DAMN BOX!!!
311 on 12 October 2007:
You people who are flaming heroes don’t belong here, this site is for true fans of the show. I’d also like to add that I disagree with the soap comments. When I see parts of the show I get chills because of how awesome it is.
gee on 23 February 2008:
West!!!!! You’re so cute!!!!!!
I LOVE U SO MUCH!!!!!
Agaba Jude on 23 February 2008:
Mmh, Heroes keeps me expecting more I just can’t wait to see what else is in store for us.