The Racialicious Roundtable for Heroes 3.6

Hosted by Arturo R. García

This week, Heroes gave your humble panelists one of the choicest lines to work with in a stunningly out-of-character remark by Ando. Before we see what they have to say, though, let’s do the roll call. Roundtable – Assemble!

• Hexy!

• Mahsino!

• Erica!

Let’s go!

What the hell was with Ando’s “They all look alike to me”? Bad joke by him, or really bad joke by the writers?

Hexy: I found it really off putting. It actually jarred me out of what was otherwise an enjoyable Hiro and Ando scene. I thought it out of character for Ando… but then again, season one’s obsessive interaction with Niki showed that he’s less than evolved when it comes to his views on people-who-aren’t-of-his-gender, so maybe it wasn’t so out of character for him to have off views on people-who-aren’t-of-his-race. Either way, it seemed like a clunky line shoe-horned into an inappropriate racial frame.

Speaking of Hiro and Ando, while I was glad to see that Ando isn’t dead, I think they squandered the “Hiro did something you didn’t see!” card. I was expecting it, but I was hoping it would be used to show that Hiro hasn’t actually been a useless git all season, not just in the preceding episode.

Mahsino: Although I initially was amused by this joke (before realizing I’d heard it before in tv and movies), I have to say I’m really conflicted about it in a way that wouldn’t really make sense to delve too deeply in to. At most I can say, the whole Hiro/Ando storyline is starting to seem like a 21st century Kato, but instead of martial arts, they have humor. It’s getting kind of old and the writers are going to have to bring a lot more character development to those two before they have the right to inject them with dry, racially themed, humor- those are the kind of jokes you need context and character reference for- 2 things the writers haven’t deemed necessary to accessorize Hiro and Ando with.

On the flip side, I only had to pour out a little bit of cranberry juice for Ando since he came back- good thing because inflation is making juice expensive.

Erica: I think it was well intentioned, but not well executed. Here’s a tip for Ando (aka my guide to Heroes characters who are white with brown/black

hair): Matt (pudgy, carries a tortoise), Nathan (sleazy politician smile), Peter (Keanu Reeves), Sylar (big eyebrows), and Bennett (glasses). The tortoise is shaping up to be my favorite character this season…

Anyway, it was supposed to be funny but it ended up being one of those “um…” moments. Considering the overall sensitivity/diversity of Heroes, that fits; they seem to be trying, but are far from perfect (which gives us plenty of meat every week). Of course, at other times they don’t seem to be trying at all, so maybe I give them too much credit.

Let’s play Petrelli Family Feud! Is this a good direction for the show?

Erica: It depends on what you mean by “good”. The grand theories of evolution which seemed to drive Season One are turning into one guy’s conspiracy to rule the world. While this does provide a good level of detail and complexity — you definitely need to keep track of each week’s episode or you’ll be confused — it also causes serious frustration, because the Petrellis are JUST SO ANNOYING. With six billion people in the world, these crazy folks are the center of attention? (And a sinister character who absorbs other’s abilities? That’s just getting old.) On the other hand, watching the Petrelli family destroy one another can also be called “good.” I guess I’m ambivalent. Like when you really have to stare as you drive by a car wreck…

Mahsino: I’m willing to bet that, not only is Sylar Peter’s brother- he’s his EVIL twin brother. There’s no other quasi-logical explanation for it. I know Nathan’s a little slow, but you’d think he would of remembered mommy lookin’ a little preggers around 20-some-odd years ago.

Also, I don’t think the writers would be reaching the bar of ridiculousness they’ve obviously raised for themselves if there wasn’t a Petrelli triplet sister who could both give and take away, powers (and in season 4 her and mama Petrelli could slap each other while wearing Bob Mackie gowns in the Company fountain).

The only thing that could be better would be if papa Petrelli fathered an illegitimate Black Baby (who are Monica’s parents anyway?)

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