Heroes recap of episode 206: The Line
by Racialicious guest contributor David Zhou
Yes.
It finally happened.
Hiro Nakamura got some action from the girl we’ve come to know as Yaeko… and was then screwed over by a double dealing white man named Takezo Kensei. (I’m joking, but…)
There were, though, many peculiar little things about this kiss scene. (I’m not going to complain too much about them because I’m still getting over the excitement about Hiro getting some play.) They didn’t actually show them kiss. None of the lip-locking, spit-churning face sucking that you see in other such scenes. They did show their heads coming together, the back of their heads slowing gyrating to weird “Asian” music… But I wonder if there was anything of the actual sensuality and physicality of a first kiss between two people. Should this kiss even count? Are Masi Oka and Eriko Tamura just bad kissers/kissing actors? I don’t know if this was all what I was hoping for, but then again not every kiss scene in the typical television scriptbook has our protagonist stop time first and wonder: “But the space-time continuum…” I have every reason to be happy for now that an Asian male on television had a substantial romantic encounter. Goal number two: massive sexual innuendo… and after that, a sex scene. (I know you can do it, Hollywood!)
Another amusing part of Monday’s show was the encounter with “civilian border patrol”, or what we know in real life as the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps/Minutemen Project. (We at Columbia had an interesting encounter with these guys last year, but that’s an aside…) As the Nissan Rogue from Mexico crosses an unfinished border fence, they meet up with these civilian border watchers. Maya kills them quickly with her lethal superpower and drives into the States, leaving the cowboy hat-wearing, shotgun-toting vigilantes dead in the desert with black tears running from their faces. If that’s not a political message, I don’t know what is.
And still, Maya refers to America, New York, and the supervillian next to her as the “salvation” in which they must “poner el fé” (put faith). I ask, please, no more Christian-Latino stereotypes!
There has been talk about the psuedo-empowered blonde women on this show, who are still pigeonholed to roles as cheerleaders and strippers on Heroes. I think, however, that in this episode there was a sideways attempt to address the issue. People who watch the show will look at me and say, “Huh? How?” … I’ll say that as Claire joins the blonde-brigade, they seem to make a point of emphasize a black-haired cheerleader… just to complicate the blonde-cheerleader correlation. (Big deal!) In the meanwhile, Claire continues her inane high-school games and Nikki/Jessica still uses her superhuman strength (almost sexually) for harm.
All in all, this episode was not too bad. None of the trying-to-pronounce-Mohinder Suresh or the geisha fantasies that we’ve seen before in other shows. Basically in this episode, Maya and Alejandro cross the border with Sylar, Claire dupes the lead cheerleader, Monica is used as a lab rat, and Noah shoots a man. But you could’ve gone to heroesrevealed.com for that.
That’s all. Until next time!
To read past Heroes recaps, click here.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Carmen Van Kerckhove wrote:
The actress who plays the black-haired cheerleader is mixed Asian - I’m curious to see if she’ll be Asian on the show too.
So… Adam Monroe? Any theories as to who that might be?
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 8:18 am ¶
Paul wrote:
Was the Monica “cure” injection scenario a reference to Tuskeegee or am I reading way too much into this show?
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 10:31 am ¶
hoo_boy wrote:
Had the tint and contrast controls turned up to “snark”, no?
Sylar’s story will prove more ticky than you think. The “faith” line you keep knocking I’m betting is a setup for her turning into a killer in arms with him. They’ll become partners or lovers, as she’ll be the first “mutant” to withstand if not keep him line. The brother dies.
Agreed about Claire but disagree about Nikki/Jessica– Company’s found a way to flick her switch permanently and will make her the new Bennett.
Why do you leave out the Haitian Sensation? Geez! Man, he’s gonna have some threads popping up later…
You also keep missing the Ando (who’ll never get a power) and Bennett link. Not only do we get an Asian “Batman and Robin” emerging, where Robin actually matters (from last week), but with scroll ripped and faceoff foretold, those two need to be talking and soon because my guess is he’ll be the only one who’ll be able interpret the paintings (bad stereotype, but plot twist ahead).
And the Company may not be evil, raising doubt about the ElderHeroes and who was actually “rogue”. Suresh and Matt are still dipsticks, proving dipsticks no know color boundaries.
Adam Monroe = Kensei = Elle’s dad (also the hooded figure) He’s one of the Company founders, with power to regenerate. That’s why the experiment to find a non-lethal way remove powers. His bloodline will prove complicated. (-:
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 11:04 am ¶
Carmen Van Kerckhove wrote:
hoo_boy, ohhhh I like the Adam Monroe is Kensei theory! That would make sense if he becomes this season’s arch-villain.
But Elle is Peter Petrelli’s love interest right? I don’t remember anything about her dad - can you fill us in?
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 11:10 am ¶
hoo_boy wrote:
Whups, had to go for a second. Adding: Monroe also did it with Mama Petrelli…
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 11:25 am ¶
Theora wrote:
Monica’s “cure” can’t have been a reference to Tuskeegee. The writers have shown time and time again that they aren’t that clever.
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 12:54 pm ¶
hoo_boy wrote:
CVK: nah, Elle = your girl Veronica Mars, “lightin’ chick” (-:
Caitlin = Peter’s girl, the Irish chick.
Remember how Elle got the “mysterious phone call” at the last minute in Ireland not to find Peter after killing Ricky, and she was pissed? Who’s her daddy now? lol
I’m also guessing Hiro got yanked back into the past on purpose to muck up “his destiny”. Peter’s getting yanked around just because he can.
That the Elders are getting picked off and that “S” and the eclipse symbol is starting to make more sense (notice it’s popping up more frequently– it was above Monroe’s door, Peter was there before he time warped or whatever and Hiro time warped after the eclipse– also involving a Petrelli).
I hate this damn show, but will keep watching indeed!
P.S. Micah = Monroe same # of syllables…
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 1:10 pm ¶
imdeep wrote:
Paul and Theora: My first thought was “Mengele” then “Tuskeegee”.
The writers can be that smart. Think some of those names (i.e. “Noah”, “Isaac”, “Peter”, “Adam” etc.”) aren’t allusions for starters? They know their references…
I do think the writers did a better job with Suresh and his father, questions and doubts about the ethics of their work. Maybe it’s because of this annoying brat Molly (along with Micah, ugh!), but we’ve not seen the same amout of conflict this season or it’s just been cheapened. Do think/hope there will be more about genetic ethics the more we see others “helped” of their powers, learn of Suresh’s dad, etc.
I did like how the “work” of The Company and it’s actual goals isn’t any clearer now. Did you catch the line about it’s “new goals” this episode? So who’s pulling the strings? And will Bennett come back on board? Are we going to learn his power (or does he know)?
Claire’s friend is a Company plant. Sylar will get his soon (I do think there’s a “legion of baddies” forming). Peter is the “threat” the Company’s been alluding too however– he keeps blowing his, um, heroic wad too soon.
Other keen thing of note: a lotta French connections: Canada, New Orleans, Haiti, France (where they were going to stash Claire), Neat to trace geographic/cultural ties along other characters as well.
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 2:37 pm ¶
jd wrote:
I agree that the Tuskegee-vibe was probably unintentional, but it sure was strong!! (If it was intentional, I’d like to think that Monica would have made a comment; she seems like a smart girl.)
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 2:40 pm ¶
imdeep wrote:
jd: this was one of the few episodes I have watched. Monica indeed made a comment.
The sequence went something like this: Bob asked Mohinder to inject her with that virus thing. Mohinder points out that virus will be incurable and will spread. He also calls up that Bennett guy who says, gotta do some bad stuff sometimes man.
Then Mohinder relunctantly comes up to Monica with the syringe. She looks at hime and says she doesn’t do needles. He says it’s all SOP. As she turns away and closes her eyes, he says he can’t do it and confronts that Bob guy. Bob says cool, they’ll get someone else. Mo bashes the storage shelf with the vials with a chair and says he’s taking his brat out the hell out of there…
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 11:27 pm ¶
bygbaby wrote:
I did not get the Tuskegee vibe from Monica’s story this week but I am happy that they let her be. God for Mohinder standing up.
Bygbaby
Posted 01 Nov 2007 at 11:01 am ¶
Lisa wrote:
“The actress who plays the black-haired cheerleader is mixed Asian - I’m curious to see if she’ll be Asian on the show too. ” Hey, maybe she can be the love child of Kaito and Angela?! …nah, too young, but we can still hope one will surface eventually!
Ando so needs his own plotline already.
Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 1:43 am ¶
JC wrote:
Asian Male sex scene? How about that Asian guy/white girl relationship on Bionic Woman? They had sex and the guy was hot too. Doesn’t that count? So you all get all hot and bothered about Hiro getting kissed while ignore the fact that Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff was rolling in the bed with an Asian dude and calling him honey all the time?
Posted 04 Nov 2007 at 3:12 am ¶