Heroes: Season 4 Episode 16: Pass Fail -TV Review
By Krystal Clark
The latest episode of “Heroes” entitled “Pass/Fail” took us on a trip to an alternate reality, or rather Hiro’s subconscious thanks to his brain tumor. We saw a lot of familiar faces from previous season’s including George Takei’s return as Kaito Nakamura, and like most of you I too couldn’t get the Star Trek connection between him and Zachary Quinto out of my head. Speaking of Quinto, he returned after his blink and you missed it appearance from last week, and spent the majority of his scenes with Claire. Between multiple cameos and bad monologues this episode of “Heroes” was less than extraordinary…
The Players:
- Director: Michael Nankin
- Writer/Creator: Oliver Grigsby/Tim Kring
- Actors: Zachary Quinto, Robert Knepper, Kate Vernon, Jack Coleman, James Kyson Lee, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Hayden Panettiere, David Anders, George Takei, Tamlyn Tomita
The Shows Plot:
“Heroes” follows a group of regular people who discover that they have special abilities that separate them from everyone else in the world. Some choose to hide their gifts, others try to use them for evil, and a rare few choose to use their powers for a greater good.
Title of this Week’s Episode: “Pass/Fail” Season 4: Episode 16
Hiro’s brain tumor causes him to slip into a coma, where he “awakens” in a dream state that features many important characters from his past. He’s put on trial for his previous transgressions, and must deal with the fall out from the decisions he’s made regarding his powers. Meanwhile, Sylar pays Claire an unexpected visit to get answers as to why he isn’t quite himself, and Samuel’s plan to impress his long-lost love, Vanessa, doesn’t go according to plan.
The Good:
- David Anders: David Anders’ return as Adam Monroe was a definite plus for last night’s episode. He was an amazing villain on the show’s previous seasons and unlike Sylar he had some sort of direction. It was great to see him pop up as a prosecutor in Hiro’s dream, and how hilarious was it when he called Hiro out for reciting the opening to “Quantum Leap?”
- Hiro and His Mother: The reunion between mother and son was beautifully done with dialogue and visuals. It was such a sweet moment between the two, and we finally got to see some acting range from Masi Oka.
The Bad:
- Hiro’s Brain Tumor: The entire storyline surrounding Hiro’s tumor sounds like it was ripped from a bad soap opera. It’s an attempt to make Hiro less annoying and more valuable, but he still rubs me the wrong way. All of his quirks that used to be charming, have become simply irritating.
- Samuel’s Seduction: Samuel’s attempts to walk down memory lane with his pseudo-girlfriend Vanessa was uncomfortable to watch. His obsession with her is unhealthy and unnatural. That’s why it was extra weird when she gave in and shared a milkshake with him. If I was her, I’d check to make sure it wasn’t laced with some type of drug.
- Claire Bitches About Her Power AGAIN: Claire has been singing the same sad song about being “special,” since season one and it’s getting old. The conversation she had with Sylar-Gretchen was one big cliche. Her character refuses to show any kind of growth or development. They need to give her something better to do than whine every episode.
Overall:
“Pass/Fail” didn’t really serve a purpose for the overall story arc of this season. Sure, Hiro’s health was restored but was there any doubt in your mind that it wouldn’t be? Samuel went all Avalanche from X-Men and showed that he’s mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, and Sylar went all Dr. Phil on Claire. He ended up giving her some type of closure, but still didn’t find any for himself.
Rating: 5/10
Show Airs: Mondays at 9pm on NBC
Photos:
What did you think about this week’s episode? What are your theories for next week?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 7:36PM
I really disliked last nites episode and i'm a huge Heroes fan.. It was a waste of time.. they need to kill off some characters!!! SOMETHING!! it was the same thing as usual.. It was great to see Adam once again.. come on guys. don't let me down.. if this will be the last season, at least give us a good ending…
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 7:07PM
I actually throught the episode was pretty good. It has helped lead the volume into a hopefully badass fight between the carnival and the heroes in the end. Samauel, possibly the best villain on the show so far, is going to finally unleash some carnage after being crushed by the love of his life. I thought Robert Knepper did an amazing job in the episode, particularly when he was shut down by Vanessa, and when he went ballisitc in the diner. Robert Knepper expressed his character’s feelings beautifully. I agree with the whole boring Claire thing. She just goes on and on. She really does not need to be in every episode for someone that can’t even really fight. I though the whole court room in Hiro’s head was well done, primarially due to the return of Adam Monroe, and Hiro’s mother. The interation beteen Hiro and his mother wasn’t overacted and made a really nice moment between the two. Sylar, who was my favourite villain, really needs something to do. He has absolutly no objective. I mean it use to be to become more powerful, but why? He needs an objective, something he wants. And something interesting other than not being lonely. If he cared about not being lonely so much he wouldn’t of killed Elle in volume 3. Sylar’s father talked about hunting big game in season 4. What i think needs to happen is that rumors or something should spread about 5 or something extremly powerful heroes located in different places around the world, all said to be the most powerfull people with abilities. Sylar should then seek to track them down, kill them, and take their powers, in order to be declared the most powerfull being on earth. This is obviously something however that should be done next season. What I really like about Samuel as a villain is that he doesn’t have heaps of powers and barely uses them. Samuel has one power which he uses to its full extent. Sylar needs to start using more of his other powers, other than telekinesis, and needs to use them to their full extent. Peter will hopefully learn to be able to hang onto more and more powers as the show progresses, maybe up to like 4 or 5 at a time. Then it could become his objective next season to obtain the five best powers that will alow him to finally kill Sylar or whoever the next villain is. I’m really hoping Sylar’s father makes a return in the next season as the new badass villain. Hopefully he gets himself healed somehow, but hopefully not by taking Claire’s ability, I’m sick of people dying a million times. It would be cool if he can die, but is just insanely hard to kill due to his skill with his abilities. I was also thankful that Noah wasn’t in the latest episode. He is in way to many episodes and he is adding to the repetitive boredom of some aspects of the show. It’s always the same; hide some secrets, Claire finds out, Claire gets angry, Noah trys to make amends. As a whole I really like heroes. It has really stepped up since volume 2,3 and 4, making it the second best volume so far, in my opinion. I’m really hoping for a next season, and that thing’s I’ve suggested are somewhat put in place. I know the Heroes team are capable of ending the season in an amazing way, as long as they don’t get all stingy with their budget and special effetcs. Give us some cool fight scenes that last longer than a few seconds! Anyway thats all from me. Later
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 3:20AM
I enjoyed the episode.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:44AM
Season 4 had potential but unfortunately, it has become a big let down. The writing is the problem. The characters are bland as saltine crackers. Once this season is completed, I am finished following the slow, undirected story line and pathetic acting. NBC should cancel the show…………