New Series INVINCIBLE

 Article first published as Amazon Prime's INVINCIBLE Review on Seat42F.

Amazon Prime has a new hour-long animated series coming next week called INVINCIBLE. Based on the comics of the same name by Robert Kirkman, the story follows a teen boy who begins to exhibit superpowers like his dad. This in a world filled with supers, both heroes and villains, with teams of powered people everywhere you look. But this particular boy is soon drawn into drama between several of them, and some dark secrets make things messy, indeed.

In preparing for this review, I not only watched the three episodes Amazon made available, but also read the first dozen or so issues of the comic. INVINCIBLE is a compelling tale that starts out looking like one thing but then becomes something almost completely different, yet at the same time holding onto a steady core. There are differences in the adaptation from page to screen, with some characters changing ethnicity and gender, and events are rearranged. Also, the comic seems to have more roles that are direct copies or parodies of existing properties from other publishers. But the changes seem to be good ones, mostly made to deepen the story and fit the episodic format length. If you were already a fan of the book, I suspect you’ll like this adaptation.

I can’t think of another hour-long animated show. The episodes, without commercials, come in at forty-some minutes, about as long as a broadcast drama, and double the length of most cartoons. The material in INVINCIBLE justifies it, though. Like Robert Kirkman’s other famous property, The Walking Dead, the story is complex and disturbing, at times graphically violent (as teased in the trailer). Yet, INVINCIBLE also has a cheery optimism because of its lead, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun, The Walking Dead), that keeps things entertaining.

The voice cast is stacked with huge talent. Yeun stars, and the other two leads listed in the credits are Mark’s superhero dad, Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons, Whiplash, Spider-Man), and ‘normal’ mom, Debbie Grayson (Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve). There’s a shady government type, Cecil Stedman, voiced by Walton Goggins (Justified). And among those playing other supers are Gillian Jacobs (Community), Jason Mantzoukas (The Good Place), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express), Mahershala Ali (House of Cards), Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Clancy Brown (Lost), Melise (The Vampire Diaries), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead), Chad L. Coleman (The Walking Dead), Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead), Khary Payton (The Walking Dead), Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), and Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walk-, er, Star Trek: Discovery). Not to mention other characters voiced by Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley), Andrew Rannells (Girls), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars). Believe it or not, this is not a complete list of recognizable names, and this list should give you an idea of how good the show is that so many pros wanted to be involved.

The world of superpowers has been done to death, and yet INVINCIBLE feels fresh. Partly because it leans on the tropes and familiar archetypes you already know and subverts them. Partly because it sometimes feels like its making fun of the genre it portrays, even while the characters feel grounded. This is a new take, and one worth watching.

As far as the story goes, I can’t say much. There are locks on spoilers, and I wouldn’t want to give anything away if I could because the shocks hit hard and fast. What I can say is this. The pilot starts out looking very much like a late 80s / early 90s cartoon of my youth, and that style never changes, lending an immediate comfort. But by the end of the first hour, this is disrupted, and each subsequent installment only continues the transformation. It is an artistically interesting production with an intriguing mystery and plenty of emotional-moving scenes. I both laughed and cried already. I definitely recommend it.

INVINCIBLE drops its first three episodes on Friday, March 26th, with weekly episodes streaming after that, only on Amazon Prime.

THE SLAP Stings

Article first published as THE SLAP Review on Seat42F.

Zachary Quinto as Harry, Thomas Sadoski as Gary | THE SLAP | Photo : Virginia Sherwood/NBC

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NBC’s new mini-series, THE SLAP, premiered last night. Based on the book of the same name, and following a successful Australian adaptation, this drama tells the story of a man slapping a child who is not his own at a party and the fallout from the incident. It will unfold over eight weeks, presumably showing us the varied lives of the group gathered who witness the encounter, as well as what happens to the man who slaps.

THE SLAP starts out interestingly enough. Narrated by the great Victor Garber (Alias, Titanic, Eli Stone), viewers are introduced to Hector (Peter Sarsgaard, The Killing, Jarhead), a man just turning 40 who is passed over for a major promotion at work. Hector is also frustrated with his wife, Aisha (Thandie Newton, Rogue), the type of woman who passes up a free vacation to Greece because she’s busy with her job, which leads to him fantasizing about the babysitter, Connie (Makenzie Leigh, Gotham). Hector is able to resist those fantasies until he finds out that Connie shares them, but even then, he’s not willingly to all-out cheat on his wife. Yet, anyway.

The first twenty minutes of the show, painting the portrait above, are actually interesting. They’re not wholly original, of course, a restless man in a mid-life crisis being a familiar archetype, as is the ingénue that catches his attention. But because Sarsgaard and Garber are involved, I liken it to a weaker version of The Affair playing out, and it’s good.

Unfortunately, the show goes downhill fast when everyone else arrives at Peter’s house for his birthday party. Suddenly, there are lots of people whom the show does a poor job of explaining the relationships between, mentioning a few connections, but mainly just tossing everyone together. There are also some very flat roles, and tons (and I do mean tons) of foreshadowing for the upcoming conflict. The party sequence takes what seems like a higher-quality, quiet drama and turns it into a predictable cartoon.

This is most obvious in the dynamic between fathers Harry (Zachary Qunito, American Horror Story, Star Trek) and Gary (Thomas Sadoski, The Newsroom), as well the behavior of Gary’s son, Hugo (Dylan Schombing, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce). Hugo is the epitome of an out-of-control, spoiled brat, making messes on purpose and endangering the other children. Gary and his wife, Rosie (Melissa George, The Good Wife, reprising the role from the Australian version), don’t punish Hugo, allowing the walking, talking kid to breast feed instead. This offends Harry, who has extreme anger issues, and Gary and Harry bicker often.

The slap itself is equally ludicrous. The kid is a brat, absolutely, and should be spanked (in my opinion) – by his parents. Instead, Harry slaps him not to stop an action being taken, but to get his attention and to punish. I know there are anger issues involved, but what kind of grown man hits a child in their face, hard, especially in those circumstances? Harry is a complete, irredeemable monster, and his lack of being apologetic is inexcusable, even among those who approval of corporal punishment.

I think all of the telegraphing of the event is worse than the slap itself because, not only is the series called THE SLAP, but promos for it heavily feature Harry smacking Hugo. I haven’t seen the Australian version and have no idea how it was marketed, so I’m judging the U.S. production purely on its own approach. I’d probably still object if I didn’t know Harry and Hugo were the two involved in the titular event because of the lack of subtlety in how the situation is presented, but if viewers weren’t aware of who slapped who, at least THE SLAP could trick us with teasing several possibilities instead of delivering something so ridiculously packaged.

I don’t blame the failure of THE SLAP’s first episode on the cast. All of those listed above are usually great performers (though Quinto seems miscast here), and they are joined by Uma Thurman (Smash, Kill Bill), Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl, Easy A), Brian Cox (Braveheart), Marin Ireland (Homeland, Masters of Sex), Maria Tucci (Law & Order), and Lucas Hedges (Moonrise Kingdom). This is a pretty strong ensemble, so if they can’t make a script work, that’s saying something, unfortunately.

Still, The Slap is not completely without promise. Like I said, I really enjoyed the first twenty minutes or so. If the other seven episodes can really focus on character development, using the actors’ strengths to tell a moving, personal drama, it could be worth watching. But the sheer shallowness and sloppiness of most of this first hour is disappointing, so while I’ll probably give the series a second chance, if it doesn’t clean up its act, it likely won’t get a third.

The Slap airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season’ on Blogcritics.

Calling this release American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season is a little confusing. FX’s American Horror Story is not a continuing series, but several stand-alone, 13-episode miniseries, a new one of which is presented each fall. Thus, while Asylum is, indeed, The Complete Second Season of American Horror Story, the installments on this disc tell a complete tale, featuring characters and plot that are not connected to the first or third seasons, even if some of the cast is the same.

Asylum begins in the present day, with a sex-crazed couple (Maroon 5′s Adam Levine and Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Witches of East End) exploring the run-down and abandoned Briarcliff. It’ll be quite awhile before Asylum really delves into the present again, fully explaining what happens to the pair, as well as moving past those events, but it does eventually get around to it.

Most of Asylum takes place in 1964 and 1965. Briarcliff is a mental hospital for the criminally insane, run by strict, judgmental Sister Jude (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven). Jude lusts over Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes, Camelot) and bullies the younger, meek Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story). She also hates the twisted Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell, Six Feet Under), and is cruel to her charges.

Into this environment, brave Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson), a closet lesbian and daring journalist, marches forth to expose Jude’s wrongdoings. It doesn’t take long for her to realize just how out of her depth she actually is, and Dr. Thredson (Zachary Qunito, Star Trek: Into Darkness) proves both friend and foe. But Lana does find some friends within Briarcliff’s walls.

Chief among them is Kit Walker (Evan Peters, American Horror Story), a man framed for killing his wife, Alma (Britne Oldford, Skins), who soon takes up with murderess Grace (Lizzie Brochere, R.I.S. Police scientifique). Kit and Lana’s lives are not completely intertwined, with the two traveling very different paths for awhile, but they interact quite a bit over the run.

Asylum is full of twists and turns, with plenty of surprises popping up when they are least expected. Among the more strange developments are human experiment subjects, alien abductions, artwork made from dead people, a truly creepy patient named Pepper (Naomi Grossman), and a son violently reunited with his mother. It’s not as overtly scary as the first season, but its dark tone and sick minds definitely make it disturbing, with a very unexpected last couple of hours, which take the show far beyond the walls of the hospital.

Why the miniseries works so well, though, is mainly the character development. It’s hard to think of one character who ends up anything like the person they started as. I won’t get into specifics, because you really should watch these episodes for yourself, but bad guys can be good and good guys can be soured into villains. There’s a lot of grey area in the middle, and it can be argued whether a few of the main players ended up on the side of right or wrong. What is certain is that each is changed by the experiences we bear witness to, which makes the story that much deeper and richer. And, as in the first season, guest stars pop in and out in memorable turns.

There are a quartet of featurettes and some deleted scenes on this three-disc set. One of the extras is called “What is American Horror Story: Asylum?” which will hopefully clear up the confusion I mentioned in the introductory paragraph. “The Creatures” is fascinating because the makeup and effects of AHS:A really are top notch, though it could remove a little of the fear factor if viewed before the series.

Blu-ray is definitely recommended for Asylum. There are lots of blacks and shadows, Briarcliff being a dreary place. You’ll want to catch those layers and detail as much as you can, though some are obscured purposely for effect. The score is also excellent, with undertones that reinforce the style of the piece, and a certain song played repeatedly will start to make you feel a  bit like the inmates. The blu-ray experience here adds a lot, both visual and auditory, and the result is beautiful, in a macabre manner.

You may have noticed a lack of complaints in this review. That’s because, while I do consider Asylum weaker than the first go ’round, it’s still a very strong presentation, with remarkable acting and production, and they did a pretty good job on this release. American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season is available now.

"Dark Cousin" visits American Horror Story: Asylum

Overall, I have been disappointed with season two of FX's American Horror Story, subtitled Aslyum. Season one had awesome characters that I really cared about, the Harmon family. They were what drove the plot, and kept me returning week after week, even as all the craziness went on around them, constantly adding new players to the story, much as this season is doing. They were decent people (for the most part), who didn't deserve what happened to them.

By contrast, the characters that populate season two make much of their own trouble. I'm not saying that Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) deserves to be kept in the basement by Dr. Thredson (Zachary Qunito), or that Kit (Evan Peters) should be in Briarcliff at all. But, the characters this year are more flawed, do not always do the smartest thing, and put themselves in danger. They are also less relateble than the Harmons.

That being said, the deeper we go into the season, the more I begin to appreciate them. Sister Jude (Jessica Lange), who started out the season looking like a villain, almost cruel in the way that she ran the "hospital," is now almost as much a victim as the others. Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) has become so much more intriguing when possessed by the devil.

This past week's installment, "Dark Cousin," was fantastic! A lot of the credit should go to Frances Conroy as the Angel of Death. Here is this character dressed in black that can kiss you and take away your life. And yet, she is kind, non-judgmental, and is here to bring relief, not cause suffering, a stark contrast to the others around who have power over people. As Briarcliff dissolves more and more into chaos, and there doesn't appear to be a happy ending possible for any of the characters, death may be the best release. Coming at the midpoint of the season, "Dark Cousin" offers a desperately needed ray of hope, even if the result is permanent sleep.

It is also cool to see Death clash with Satan, as he lives inside Sister Mary Eunice. Clearly, Dr. Arden (James Cromwell) doesn't realize what he is dealing with in Mary Eunice, and Sister Jude is in no position to save anyone. This has made Briarcliff a sort of playground for Satan, and Death may just be the only one who can stop her.

This is good, because Lana's plot is pretty depressing in "Dark Cousin." She escapes from Briarcliff, ends up somewhere worse, and then escaps back to the asylum. Even should she get out completely, her lover is dead, and her secret homosexuality, a major scandal in the 1960s, could hurt her professionally. While she is the one I most want to see get out, and I would hope that she gets to publish an article blowing the lid off of the facility, I could also see her dying instead, and that might actually be a blessing.

Grace (Lizzie Brochere) actually did die this week, and I'm conflicted as to how I feel about this. On one hand, I don't know where else her character should have gone, and she was the most expendable, in my opinion, of the series leads. On the other, I was somehow rooting for her, even once she has been revealed to actually be a murderer, and she has sex with Kit after telling him that his wife, Alma (Britne Oldford), is still alive. This kind of makes her despicable.

What will be more interesting than Grace's death is what the effect of it will be on Kit. I honestly can't predict this.

So, despite a rocky start, American Horror Story: Aslyum is finally picking up the pace, and making itself worthy of the title. It's not that the first part of the season wasn't good; it was still better than most shows. It just didn't live up to season one. With a third outing already ordered, hopefully season two will only grow from here, continuing the trend of improvement.

American Horror Story: Asylum airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

This article first posted on TheTVKing

American Horror Story celebrates "Halloween"

     This week and last, FX's big horror drama, American Horror Story, pulls out all the stops for a two-part "Halloween" showdown. Because of the holiday, the walls between the ghost world and the "real" one are thin, and the house's previous residents manifest more than ever. What's more, they can leave the property, and they do. This provides trouble for Ben (Dylan McDermott) when Hayden (Kate Mara) insists on telling Vivien (Connie Britton) the truth, and possibly microwaves her dog. A gang of teenagers come after Tate (Evan Peters) as he tries to enjoy his date with Violet (Taissa Farmiga). And feuding gay couple Chad (Zachary Quinto, Star Trek, Heroes) and Patrick (Teddy Sears, Torchwood, Raising the Bar) try to help decorate their former home.

     When a series hinges on the creepy, as American Horror Story does, it makes total sense to celebrate "Halloween" in a big way. As such, the series brings in a ton of guest stars for this episode. Not only do Chad and Patrick, the most recently deceased residents, pop up, but so does virtually every ghost seen in the first few episodes, including Nora (Lily Rabe), Charles (Matt Ross, Big Love), Angie (Missy Doty, Shameless), and Maria (Rosa Salazar, Parenthood). As if that isn't enough, the gang of teenagers that chases Tate boasts some recognizable faces, such as Alessandra Torresani (Husbands, Caprica) and Ashley Rickards (Awkward.). One would think that this means "Halloween" is just a stunt episode, but it's not. Each extra performer is used sparingly, but importantly. They enhance the plot without distracting from it. Good thing American Horror Story gets a full two hours to tell this tale, because there is far too much going on for a standard episode length.

     Of course, horror stories are not nearly as scary without death. "Halloween Part 1" delivers a significant, and unexpected, one when Adelaide (Jamie Brewer) is hit by a car. Desperate to save her, her mother Constance (Jessica Lange) pulls Adelaide frantically towards the property where the haunted house sits. This seems to support what has been suspected, that people who die on the property do not follow the same rules as the ordinary dead. Sadly, it looks like Constance doesn't quite make it, and so Adelaide will be absent for the remainder of the series. Unless the creators are just trying to trick the audience, a possibility they could choose to utilize right away, or save for years from now. Or she can still return next Halloween, either way.

     There are further rules revealed for the ghosts in "Halloween." It is already known to viewers that Moira (Frances Conroy) is dead. But it seems that she cannot normally leave the property, except on Halloween, when the barriers are down. She uses this opportunity to visit her mother in the hospital, and ends her mom's life. Her mother asks Moira to come with her to the other side, but Moira says that she can't. Why not? What holds Moira back? The house must have a draw that not only lets the dead speak to the living the dwell there, but also keeps them from crossing over to peaceful bliss. It's evil as well as scary.

     Of course, Hayden causes the most trouble by far. Upset that Larry (Denis O'Hare) kills her, and Ben builds a gazebo over her body, she is determined to let Vivien know that she has Ben's unborn child in her belly. When Vivien doesn't want to listen, Hayden grows more and more upset. It is unclear if she actually microwaves Vivien's dog, making it now one of the house's many ghost inhabitants, or a tomato, as she tells the security officer, Luke (Morris Chestnut, V). I suspect the former. But learning that Vivien is also with child seems to change things for her. She thinks that might be why Ben didn't leave Vivien, though in reality, that's hardly the only reason. Either way, it appears that Hayden may stop causing trouble, at least for now.

     Is Tate a ghost? This is a question that lingers throughout American Horror Story. The teenagers that chase him at "Halloween" claim that he killed them. They also say they would be in their thirties if he hadn't. Since Tate still looks like a teenager, that means he must be dead, too, not aging. A brief cut scene also might back up their story. Unless they have the wrong guy, as Tate says. Since Tate is only seen on the property, except in "Halloween," and he can easily get in through some unknown way, he may very well be a ghost. The teens might only be able to appear on Halloween, not having been killed on the property. Did Tate then go there, maybe because he might live in the house, and kill himself?

     Equally interesting is the revelation that Tate is Constance's son. Constance worries what the news of Adelaide's death might do to him. This would lend credence to the ghost teens' story, showing that Tate has a temper, and can act violently. As such, Constance's conversation with Violet lends as much support to the Tate as a ghost theory as the teenagers hunting him do. Whatever is real or not, Tate is a vital part of the house's story, and thus, an important thread of American Horror Story.

     So what might change, now that Vivien hires Luke to help with security? Clearly, he lends a hand with the angry Hayden, and can cart her away, at least temporarily. But now he's going to suspect some stranger happenings, considering that Hayden disappears from his patrol car as morning breaks. It doesn't make a lot of sense that a security guard can provide much protection against the dead. But if he knows what's really going on, maybe he could be some sort of help. If nothing else, it will give Vivien some peace of mind.

     She'll need all the peace of mind she can get once she's in the house alone without her husband.  Now that Vivien has kicked out Ben, it makes her all the more vulnerable. True, Vivien is a tough lady, and can take care of herself. But when facing off against ghosts, the more help one has, the better. Without Ben around, that is one more protection that she doesn't have. Or maybe she's safer without Ben, considering what the house drives Larry to do when he lives there.

     Larry must be permanently changed by the house, unable to leave it, unwilling to stop interacting with the current owners. Larry is probably not a ghost, because Ben interacts with him outside of the home in a previous episode. But he still looks like he's from another time, and is heavily involved in the goings on there, like Constance. Thus, Larry is likely to keep going after Ben for money, if for no other reason than to stay involved. How soon until his continued presence tips off Vivien about Hayden's fate, and Ben's part in it?


     For anyone who likes a good scare, or a decent mystery, American Horror Story is a series to watch. Having just been renewed for a second season, like its ghosts, it is not going anywhere.

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Article first published as TV Review: American Horror Story - "Halloween: Part 1 & Part 2" on Blogcritics.

Heroes begins a brave new chapter

     Last night NBC's Heroes completed their fourth season, fifth volume.  While it was a good ending to Samuel's (Robert Knepper, Prison Break) carnival, the most interesting parts of the episode had nothing to do with this season's new characters.  Instead, Heroes will continue to fuel a new creative resurgence by making its core characters interesting again.  For example, Hiro (Masi Oka) also got a bittersweet ending to his quest, finding his beloved Charlie (Jayma Mays, Glee) had already lived a full life without him. She helped Hiro understand what Ando (James Kyson-Lee) had been hinting at, that Hiro would only interfere more with her for him own sake, not hers.

     Sylar (Zachary Quinto, Star Trek) appears to finally be ready to make amends and become a full fledged hero.  This plot has been toyed with before on the show, but the writer's threw circumstances and obstacles at him to drag him back down.  Despite some bad choices (his plot for the entire first half of the season), leaving him and Peter (Milo Ventimiglia, Gilmore Girls) alone in a mind trap for five years, to their perspective, led to acceptance and forgiveness I never thought possible.  It allowed Sylar the time, free from distractions, to come to grips with who he is versus who he'd like to be, something he was already grappling with before his entrapment.  And Peter, who is often dull, got to deal with the death of his brother, and proved that he is a real hero in how he relates to others.

     The best part of the episode, however, though I never expected to write these words, was Claire (Hayden Panettiere).  She came to terms with the dark side of her father, Noah (Jack Coleman, Dynasty) and grew up enough to make her own life choice.  In fact, this development made the Volume Six teaser at the end not only Heroes's most exciting one, but also more stunning than the actual Volume Five finale.  Deciding to reveal who she was to the world at large, and that there are people with gifts walking among us will rock the Heroes universe in a way that no other plot twist has.  Again, this direction was played with earlier in the series, but abandoned.  It's nice to see it embraced.

     Sadly, there was no similar fitting revelations or triumphs for one my favorite actors, Greg Grunberg, (Alias) who plays the character of Matt Parkman, and seems to have run his course at present.  Hopefully, that will be corrected early next season.  Heroes will likely return to NBC in the fall, though the decision to renew it is not yet final.  However, if this was the end, a lot of fans will be very angry at the giant cliffhanger and enormous potential left untapped.

Heroes finally finding footing

     Way back in October when I last wrote about NBC's Heroes, I lamented that the show was struggling, but celebrated a few bright spots on the horizon.  After having just viewed Monday's two-parter, I am happy to report that Heroes has found it's stride again.  If you had written Heroes off, now is the time to get back on board.  Catch up online, then read on.

     As before, there has only been limited Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee), who used to be just about the only part of the show worth watching.  As their names did not even appear in the latest installment's opening credits, one must assume that the plummeting ratings forced the main characters down to limited episode counts.  Not that Hiro has become uneccessary to the show.  He still should have a hand in the showdown, and he has not yet resolved his plot to rescue Charlie (Jayma Mays, Glee).  However, I am gratified to see Heroes mess with time travel and changing the timeline, but not have things go disastrously wrong, as is the norm for science fiction, and have to have it put back.  Ando's new standing is welcome.  There has also been very little seen on Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy), who popped up only briefly in the fall, before disappearing again.  Similarly, another less popular character, Tracy (Ali Larter, Final Destination, Varsity Blues) has appeared in just five of the first thirteen episodes this year.

     Meanwhile, while Claire (Hayden Panettiere, I Love You Beth Cooper) has not gone into lesbianism, as I thought she might, she has gone through a lot, being lied to by her adopted father, loosing her biological father, and almost falling prey to a cult.  She is staying interesting and relevant to the plot.  Speaking of her biological father, it appears that Nathan's (Adrian Pasdar, Judging Amy) plot, months after his death, has finally played out and he will no longer be a part of the show.  This is mostly welcome, though he had gotten more engrossing last season.  The character I most miss at this point is Matt (Greg Grunberg, Alias), who had a hell of an episode battling the villain in his brain, but hasn't been seen since.

     Speaking of villains, has Sylar (Zachary Quinto, 24, Star Trek) finally met his match in newest main cast member Samuel (Prison Break's Robert Knepper)?  Their showdown this week gave me chills, and made me yearn for more.  If the two ever fought head on for long, or teamed up, it would be quite a show.  Samuel is easily the most complex, compelling enemy to grace television screens in quite some time, and his carnival slash cult has given much drive to Volume 5: Redemption, the title for this fourth season.  The place had introduced a slew of new heroes with unusual abilities, and brought a few old ones back out of the woodwork.  Plus, what the heck was up with Sylar's new tattoo of a familiar face?  With only six episodes left, Heroes doesn't have much this spring, but what it does offer will surely be worth tuning in for.

Heroes down but not out

    Many fans of NBC’s Heroes have fled, claiming the show will never be as good as it was in the first season. Truthfully, I feel the first season was ok, but the second season was the zenith. That was when Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) and David Anders (Alias) joined the cast. They were signed to become full time characters, but a shortened season, because of the writer’s strike, and failing ratings interfered, and both ended up leaving early in season three. I agree, that the show has floundered unevenly since then, but don’t give up hope yet.

      This week’s episode, “Strange Attractors”, proved that the show can be good, and not just when Hiro and Ando are the focus, as the popular Japanese duo sat this one out entirely. Look for more of them next week when Hiro goes back in time save his love, Charlie (Glee’s perky guidance counselor, Jayma Mays). Anyway, Claire has FINALLY become interesting, trying to lead a normal, college life and possibly falling in love with the wonderfully understanding Gretchen (Madeline Zima from The Nanny and Californication). I hope Gretchen sticks around, and Claire goes for it. The comparisons between her and one Buffy Summers have been quite evident, but unlike Buffy, Claire’s lesbianism should stick.

      Nathan and Peter have had much reduced plots, which is welcome, as they both tend to make the plot drag. As the real Nathan is dead, one can only hope that the actor will be leaving the show soon as well. Of course, Zachary Quinto’s Sylar, living in two different places at once, is richly enjoyable. That show will never shortchange that actor if they know what’s good for them. Plus, I am really digging Robert Knepper, fresh off a fantastic four year stint on Prison Break. It’s not certain what is going on with him and his mysterious circus, but he is acting the hell out of the role.

      Unfortunately, not all is clear skies. HRG is actually trying to do good, and not doing very well at it. He has always been a favorite character, and after the dissolution of his marriage and the loss of his job, does he keep having to get beat on? Also, Mohinder has been missing for quite awhile, though word is he will be back soon. But will he be back full time, or just as a guest star? Lastly, the less they focus on Ali Larter’s character(s) the better. I think it’s time she leaves for good, though I wouldn’t object to her son, Micah, returning to the show.