a pair o' ducks

I am a freak for time travel shows and movies. I don't know what it is about them, but when time travel is involved, I almost always have to see it. This kind of weakness has forced me to view movies such as "The Butterfly Effect", "The Butterfly Effect II" and "Millennium". So I was really excited about last night's "Heroes." The teasers all week promised a "what if" style of episode, that is, what if the explosion in New York wasn't stopped. What if the bad guy doesn't get caught. In essence, what if Isaac Mendez's visions come true. And it was everything I had hoped it to be.

Basic premise is, Hiro found his sword, grabbed Ando and transported both of them 5 years in the future. New York has been devestated. Nathan Petrelli is the Prez. Hiro heads to Isaac Mendez's studio not knowing that just before he transported, Sylar opened Isaac's head and had a little snack. While in Isaac's studio, Hiro runs into....Hiro.

WARNING: If you TIVOed this, or if you watch it Fridays on SciFi network, don't read any further.

Most time travel stuff deals with people from the future heading into the past. These actions can create a paradox. The problem comes because one never really knows what actions lead to other actions, which lead to other actions which lead...you get the picture. It is called the butterfly effect (not the movie). It is the notion that a butterfly beats it's wings in China, causing air
movement. This air movement causes some other action, which cause something else to occur, and the next thing you know, you have a monsoon in Hawaii.

So here is my paradox for this time travel adventure that I am guessing will never be answered, and that the writers are hoping doesn't get brought up much (yeah, like geeks don't watch this show. puuuuhleeeeeze). Ok, so future Hiro recounts his battle with Sylar, and how Sylar didn't die because he had the cheerleader's regenerative powers. But as we know the Claire was alive and well and working in a diner in future-Hiro's timeline (at least until Sylar - in the guise of President Nathan Petrelli - kills her). That means that Sylar did not kill the cheerleader in the past, and did not have her regenerative powers during his battle with future-Hiro. So in the battle with future-Hiro, Sylar should have died. But he didn't because he had killed the cheerleader and had her powers, but he didn't kill the cheerleader and take her powers because past-Hiro caused Peter to save her, thereby denying Sylar her powers, but he had her powers because future-Hiro could not kill him.

See how that all works into a nastly little loop? That is the paradox created when the cheerleader did not die. So by saving the cheerleader, it should have allowed future-Hiro to kill Sylar. Still would not have saved the world because it was Peter that destroyed New York and not Sylar. But that is something different completely (probably, future-Hiro did not know it was Peter and not Sylar that was the destroyer).



Technorati Tags: Heroes, Time Travel, Paradox, Hiro

NNNNNNOOOOOOooooooo

April 23rd? April 23rd? What is up with that?!?!?! Just as Heroes is getting kick-butt good, and builds up all kinds of suspense...they go on hiatus until April 23rd? Crud. That is almost two stinking months! Man, Mondays just got a lot worse.





Technorati Tags: NBC, Television, Heroes

HRG and Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy Pull A Fast One

One of my favorite characters from the NBC show Heroes is who I originally named "Horned Rim Glasses Dude." He turned out to be Claire Bennett's father (I still can't remember the character's first name though).



We learned a lot about HRG's past in the latest episode. We saw him first get his job with "The Company" (still uncertain if it is a government entity or not - they kept that kind of vague). Saw how he obtained Claire, and some about his past with Mr. Invisible Pigeon Fellow.



What I don't fully understand is what happens towards the end. Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy is at the house when everything goes nuclear and Claire saves the day. HRG's boss is there.



1) Why didn't Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy suppress Nuclear Man's powers like he does other peoples' powers? This would have kept him from going...well...nuclear.



2) Why couldn't Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy take the memory of the event from HRG 's bossman?



I suppose this would be to further the story, and get Claire to New York where she can hook up with Peter Petrelli. It looks like The Mind Reading Copper is going to work for The Company and HRG Dude in particular.



This is one of those shows that makes one wish it was Monday, so they could see the next episode.





Technorati Tags: Television, Heroes, NBC

Most people want to do good.

Growing up, who didn't sometimes imagine what they could do with some sort of super powers? Each of us would imagine saving the world, or doing good. I didn't know anyone who, if granted some sort of great power, would dream of doing evil.

The NBC show Heroes examines what people do and how they react when they discover they have special powers. Of course, the writers are, I imagine, fairly typical folks who as kids also dreamt of being heroes with super powers. Deep inside, I truly and honestly believe that man is a decent creature who wants to do good. That he does not set out to do evil. It happens, but I believe it is usually the unintended consequences of man doing what they believe to be a good deed.

Sure, there are those that are simply evil. There are those that are - for wont of a better word - flawed. That have no desire to do good, or just don't really care if what they do is good or bad.

What got me thinking about this is the TV show Heroes. In it there is one guy aptly named 'Hiro'. He is Japaneses and a comic book sci/fi fanatic. When he discovers he has powers, there is no question in his mind. He can't sit by and ignore he has the powers. He can't pretend he doesn't have them. He is compelled to seek out a mission and use his powers for the benefit of the world.

Then there is Sylar. Sylar is the big baddie. He goes around finding other people with special abilities, killing them and eating their brains. By eating their brains, he absorbs their powers. The show gives me the impression that Sylar doesn't care if his actions are good or bad. Doesn't care what other people think of them. He wants the power, and he will do anything to achieve it.

In between these two polar opposites are the rest of the special ones. In this week's episode, three of them got together in an attempt to find out what the mysterious Mr. Bennet has done to them. Two of them got together, and recruited a third, who is an ex LAPD officer whose power is the ability to read minds. They tell him "we can be heroes." Which seems to be a common theme. Most of the folks with powers in this show it seems genuinely want to be heroes. So far there are only two that don't seem to actually want to go the hero route.

Anyway, it is a show worth watching - for many reasons.

Heroes TV Show on NBC: NBC Official Site