TV Review: Heroes – An Invisible Thread

Posted by Adam Sweeney (adam@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 28, 2009

Heroes, NBC, Airs Mondays 9/8c

Episode: “An Invisible Thread” (Season 3, Episode 25)

Synopsis: Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) faces off against Sylar (Zachary Quinto) to keep him from meeting the President (Michael Dorn). Sylar has his own plans for his new partner. Meanwhile, Hiro (Masi Oka) learns that there are repercussions to regaining his ability. Elsewhere, Matt (Greg Grunberg) is forced to go to extraordinary lengths to protect his future with his family.

Review: Thank you, Bryan Fuller. Your return to the Heroes‘ staff has brought life back to the show, and I can say with a straight face that I am interested now. What a season finale it was, nothing like the end of the third volume.

The chapters of the “Sylar for President” story arc felt completely different than the rest of the 3rd season, and that’s ok. We finally are seeing stories with direction and actions that that have real consequences. If only George Lucas had been able to do the same thing with the prequels of Star Wars. Tell me that you all wouldn’t have cheered if he would have showed up on-screen during the opening crawl and said, “Ya know what? I am sorry. Jar Jar IS a bitch and was the result of a night of bad acid and a stale Pop Tart. Here’s the real movie.”

Someone pinch me. A main character in Heroes actually died. Without giving too much away for those who didn’t see the episode, the loss of such an important character changes everything and raises the stake, even for the villains. It was awesome to see Matt Parkman actually influence others long term, as opposed to the usual, “Hey, You don’t see me. Doesn’t it remind ya of the Jedi mind trick,” kind of way.

Please let us see a showdown between Claire (Hayden Panettiere) and Sylar. The scenes where Sylar manipulated her by showing showing the futility of their battles were awesome, but it only makes us want to see what would really happen if the two threw down.

The biggest issue to be had with An Invisible Thread is that the climactic battle was a letdown as Nathan and Peter fought Sylar out of sight. What is this, Transformers? Heroes used to have actual fights that we saw, not heard, and we loved the show for it. Don’t try to be like the series finale of The Sopranos and make us guess what is happening. It’s the season finale, so give us the goods.

Season 5 has the chance to really turn the tide for the series, but it won’t happen if we continue to see Ali Larter’s 57 different characters. Just saying. It’s nothing against Larter, the character is just weakly written. We have time now to reflect on the past season. It wasn’t a great one but the end brought hope that the show is getting back on the right track. Isn’t that all you can ask for in a comic series, the ability to hope?

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TheGreenMalice

Sorry, but I disagree. This was a horrible episode. And yes a main character does die, but he immediately returns in another form. The fight behind the door was extremely weak sauce. Absolutely nothing has changed. In fact all of the same ole characters, are back to being the same ole routine. This episode put the final nail in the coffin for me.

Isamu

It was okay for me to watch since it was a great Heroes episode to end up this season which was the best season ever!

Cookie_Garris

The last few episodes are why I will tune in to next seasons opener. This season could be split in half, pre and post Bryan Fuller. I want to what happens when he has the whole season to write for the show.

reaiser

I agree with ''TheGreenMalice''. This last season of heroes was just horrible. We didn't go anywhere and almost half of the season was bland and uninteresting. I love Sylar, been loving him since day one but now he is too powerful so now we know he can't be killed and of course even if he had his little switcheroo we know too damn well that he's not gonna stay like this forever. When the main character died was i the only one that thought : meh! he'll comeback, they always do. And i was right! And Adam, you were spot on with Ali Larter's character. It feels like she wanted to take a break to do Obsessed and asked the writers to kill her off thinking one more one less death, what's the difference. It was just cheap writing from start to finish on this fourth volume. I mean what's the deal with rebel? All this hype and it ends up being completely underused and that's a shame because that was something i hoped would become a big story arc of the show. Not to mention all the plot holes. I mean come on, you can throw a rock at the whole thing and hit a plot hole. It's all very disappoint, Heroes was the underdog of prime time television and i was really hoping it would succeed. Right now it feels like the little show that could but didn't.

aaron

THANK YOU. Someone who also believes that the rebel thing was handled terribly. The rebel plot was the only good thing going for the show, and it was underused.
With the death, I completely agree, there is no real emotional impact because noone dies on this show. Come on, everyone knows Sylar will never die. It's pathetic for the writers to think I can actually be excited for a new season because theres a hint that Sylar will return.

Andrew

The offscreen fight actually reminded me of the future episode in season one where future Peter threw down with future Sylar, all offscreen and apparently awesome.

I really wish they'd have the budget to do an all-out fight like that, even if it was all fireballs in our eyes.

That said, I wish they hadn't depowered Peter either... it's okay having one awesomely powered character in Sylar and all, but I would have thought they'd be able to manage having Peter have several powers somehow, they just decided they were writing into a corner and all powerful characters had to go.

Except Sylar.

Although now he thinks he's Nathan, I guess he's only got one power too!

Kangaroo Be Stoned

Not showing the fight is very reminiscent of the horrible episode "Five Years Gone" from season one. I'm glad I stopped watching this show after season two. Though I hear it makes an excellent comedy so I may catch up.

Mrcaliche

Just a note, that wasn't another of Ali Larter's characters, that was Tracy after she broke to pieces in "Cold Snap", they stated Tracy would be making a comeback in this episode, and there she is.

MediumRob

Ali was filming Obsessed and Heroes simultaneously (seven days a week for two months). Originally, they were just going to kill Tracy with a bullet to the back of the head and introduce Barbara, but Bryan Fuller decided that was too similar to Nikki's death and decided instead to follow through the effects of Cold Snap on the character. The idea isn't that she'll be the big bad but be more like a Magneto character - a goodie with ruthless tactics trying to help others like her, after Micah inspired her to be more heroic. The volume's called Redemption, after all.

The possibility that Tracy was weakly written surely stems from the fact she had zero screen time for most of the volume. Perhaps with some actual on-screen time, maybe she'll get some better writing, characterisation, etc, although I liked her from the beginning.

Conor

Its was a good episode but didnt have the blockbuster ending everyone was expecting but i think they set up a nice story arc for the next volume, sylar being nathan is a ticking timebomb and i`am sure that we will see a showdown between peter and sylar, one that isnt hidden from view (season 1 + last episode) or isnt doinated by one character (peter villains)

TV Review: Heroes – An Invisible Thread

Heroes, NBC, Airs Mondays 9/8c

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