Review of ‘Heroes’ – Close to You

Some people will do anything to impress a girl and Samuel, unfortunately, is making all the wrong moves

Opening with Noah Bennett (Jack Coleman) despairing over his inability to reach his own daughter who was slowly being seduced into Samuel’s (Robert Knepper) carnival of freaks, Bennett noted with sorrow, “I have lived long enough to know everything is not as it appears – evil does exist. People do terrible things to one another. . . How do I protect [Claire] without losing her? How do I build a bridge between us when the distance seems too vast?” It felt rather Shakespearean as he pondered how to save Claire (Hayden Panettiere) from Samuel’s evil clutches.

This was the episode where everyone tried to reach out to one another and failed miserably in the process. Bennett avoided approaching his daughter and managed to push away Lauren (Elizabeth Rohm) in the process. Matt (Greg Grunberg) just wanted to make ratatouille for his family and ignore what was going on in the world, despite the fact that world would not leave him alone. Emma (Deanne Bray) just wanted to become a part of the world by playing beautiful music on her cello, which Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) destroyed in order to save the world. Hiro (Masi Oka) simply wanted to save someone before his time was up. And Samuel just wanted the girl of his dreams. But, as they all discovered, what you wish for is not necessarily what you get.

Bennett took off for Los Angeles in pursuit of the elusive Vanessa (Kate Vernon), Samuel’s former childhood friend and lover. With a bit of arm-twisting, he persuaded Matt to assist in using Vanessa as bait to lure and capture Samuel, but only after warning him of Samuel’s interest in recruiting those with abilities which posed a threat to both their children. Naturally, their well-thought out plan back-fired for Samuel had out-smarted them, kidnapped Vanessa, and did some impressive terra shifting in order to conceal his escape route.

It should be noted that the disappearing carnival is a magnificent trick. Is the carnival truly ever there to begin with or is it merely an illusion leading to a portal to where the carnival actually exists? Thus, requiring a magic compass to find it through one of the accessible portals.

Until this point, it appeared that everyone that Samuel had recruited had come willingly or by manipulation, but his outright kidnapping of Vanessa is stripping away one of his carefully applied masks and showing his true evil nature. Vanessa is clearly not a willing victim. She immediately began chafing under being held in captivity and was not quite buying all of Samuel’s promises that he will take her back just as soon as he shows her something amazing. However, after taking us to this juicy juncture, they left us hanging once again as we don’t know what exactly Samuel has in mind. Surely, it cannot be the oasis he is building in the desert. Would that be amazing enough to convince Vanessa to give up her music career and live happily-ever-after there with him?

What Worked

As zany as it may have seemed having Hiro and Ando (James Kyson Lee) embark on a fools-errand of trying to rescue “Dr. Watson,” this proved to be one of the funnier storylines in this episode. All the plays on words (such as calling the orderlies “storm troopers”) were delightful, especially as Ando tried to figure out what each word meant in deciphering Hiro’s “word salad” gibberish. The side-trip to the Arkum mental institution to rescue Dr. Watson aka: Dr. Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) was a nice break from the more serious and disturbing storylines as of late. It was with child-like wonder and delight that Hiro watched Suresh show off his Bruce Banner/Hulk like strength and Ando demonstrate his new-found ease as Electro-Boy with his ability to electrically zap through the security doors.

It was also impressive as the Frankenstein-esque scene played out with Ando using his electrical charge abilities to zap Hiro back into his normal speech patterns. While the references to Don Quixote may have flown over a lot of people’s heads, it was easy to interpret and connect the dots to the references to “Star Wars,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and “Frankenstein.”

It was also fun, when Suresh tried to scold Hiro and Ando was quick to jump to Hiro’s defense by telling Suresh that he needed to back-off because Hiro does not have much time left and yet Hiro chose to spend his little remaining time saving Suresh. This could have been a darker, more somber moment, but when Hiro glibly chimed-in, “The Reaper waits for no one,” we were all able to laugh with them.

What Didn’t Work

As intriguing as it was to watch Lydia (Dawn Olivieri) imprint a tattoo on Peter by simply thinking of him and watching the tattoo compass appear on his arm, it felt like a hanging-chad as Peter did nothing to pursue that obvious clue. Rather than pursue the compass, Peter heard Emma’s siren song and went to see her instead.

Emma is clearly delighted with her new found power. But it was short-lived for Peter, after stealing his mother’s premonition power, saw Emma playing in a house of mirrors grief-stricken as the world crumbled around her with Sylar (Zachary Quinto) in the background saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve come to save you.” Interpreting this in the most negative way possible, especially on the heels of Angela’s (Cristine Rose) warning that Emma’s “going to kill people – it’s going to be a blood-bath,” Peter broke Emma’s cello. While Peter acted solely to prevent the future he foresaw, he broke Emma’s heart in the process and perhaps made his nightmare come true. Thus, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy. For Angela had also warned, “People think dreaming the future is a gift – they are wrong.” Peter, Peter, what have you done?!  Surely, you know better than that.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Close to You’ was written by Rob Fresco and directed by Roxann Dawson. ‘Heroes’ stars Jack Coleman, Greg Grunberg, James Kyson Lee, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, Cristine Rose, Milo Ventimiglia, Robert Knepper, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and Zachary Quinto. ‘Heroes’ airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

“How I Met Your Mother” Celebrates Its 100th Episode at the Paley Center

Attending the special presentation and screening of “How I Met Your Mother’s” 100th episode at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills last week can be described in one word: HILARIOUS! The creators, cast, writers and producers in attendance were clearly a well-oiled comedy machine. They not only write, act and direct comedy, they live and breathe it. It is an integral part of who they are and it is nearly impossible to distinguish between their professional and personal personas. For the past six years, “How I Met Your Mother” has been home for this special group of gifted individuals. It was created out of a vacuum at a time when comedic television series were thought to be a thing of the past. So it was with an innocuous start that they landed on the television landscape with barely a splash, but it was not long before this little show that could, broke out and took the television world by storm.

As Neil Patrick Harris perfectly summed up, “It was always eggshells. For a good two and a half out of our first 5 years, we were considering cancellation. . .Television is such a weird medium. Shows that are lauded critically fail and shows that no one seems to like sometimes seem to stick around for a long time. . . We never had a lot of light shining on us. . . That first year, none of us felt secure enough although we were all proud of the show. . . I don’t think for the first year, we ever really celebrated.”

But even from their humble beginnings, anyone who tuned in knew instantly there was something special going on. This was not just a show content with 30 minutes of laughs. It was a show that had a heart. It was a story of a father sharing the story of the humorous journey he went through to find the mother of his children. Told with a distinctly comedic tone, the story unfolds as a series of fun-loving adventures against a poignant backdrop. It was not long before the five leading stars were major sensations as their one-liners melded with pitch-perfect physical comedy and their warm genuine friendship began to garner more and more attention.

So it was with earned confidence that the creators and cast sat before a select audience at the Paley Center for a screening of their 100th episode. It was a landmark night as they were clearly proud of their long-running and creatively original series. Never one to back down from a challenge, they chose to celebrate their 100th episode as a musical. On any television show it is risky enough to dare to step outside the box, but they embraced their wild-side and threw caution to the wind. Relying on the strong showmanship talents of Broadway-star Neil Patrick Harris, they wrote an episode set to showcase his immeasurable musical talents combined with the awesome comedy the entire cast is known for. The song, the dance, the irrepressible quick quips of comedic confection had the entire audience rolling with laughter and joy.

As the lights went up after the screening, creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays got up on stage along side their fellow comrades through this amazing journey: Josh Radnor (Ted), Alyson Hannigan (Lily), Jason Segel (Marshall), Cobie Smulders (Robin), Neil Patrick Harris (Barney), and Pam Fryman, who directed 93 of their 100 episodes. Their beaming faces spoke volumes about how happy they were to be celebrating this momentous occasion. It is rare for any television show, let alone a comedy, to make it to the milestone mark of 100 episodes. With television audiences proving more fickle and finicky (cat joke! – trust me, it makes more sense later), it is a remarkable feat to make it so far in this day and age.

Creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays are the first to admit that they were certain that “HIMYM” was not going to be a huge success and they continue to be surprised and delighted it did. Coming off a prior failed television sitcom, they decided to follow the best advice any writer can receive: write what you know. And what they knew was:  what it was like to be a single guy searching for the right woman. The concept was simple enough, but what really made the series shine from the get-go was superior casting. Being self-admitted huge “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” fans, they only had one person in mind for the role of Lily and they were delighted when Alyson Hannigan leapt at the chance to portray her. It was also a pure sign of the stars aligning that Alyson ran into Neil Patrick Harris at one of the auditions and, with her rooting for him, he too landed the part of Barney which would skyrocket him to international stardom. With those two wickedly funny performers locked-in, the show was then lucky enough to land in quick succession, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders to round out the stellar cast. It was lightening in a bottle. They all clicked from the get-go and became fast friends – something which reflected brightly through the television lens. Watching them all in the pilot alone, it simply felt like they were all life-long friends and the audience wanted to join them. So as the audience grew and ratings steadily rose, the sensation of “HIMYM” swept across the world.

During the moderated portion of the panel, the cast and creators were quick to point out their mutual affection and respect. They also took every opportunity to demonstrate their snappy wit by making cat references whenever possible. Alyson Hannigan started the shenanigans by letting it slip that one of their favorite past times during filming is coming up with puns. She explained, “We’ll just spend hours doing cat puns: like how can you work cat into a sentence?” With that invitation for mischief hovering in the air, none of them could resist and, without a second thought, the puns came fast and furious. A few of the notable puns were: Neil Patrick Harris, “Jason that was a purrrfect answer.” Alyson Hannigan, “Were their any cat-amarans?” along with Jason Segel’s, “I just hope you didn’t litter” referring to a day they spent filming at a Malibu beach. Josh Radnor, “Thinking about that season, wasn’t that episode nine — nine lives?” Jason Segel, “Makes you take a second and paws.” Jason, “Sometimes it feels like the entire kitten-kaboodle.” Neil Patrick Harris, “We’re now able to play in a bigger sand-box.” With pun-sters like these to work with, it is obvious why Craig Thomas and Carter Bays feel so inspired to write for them and relish doing so.

Despite all the antics, they were all quick to admit that it is the whimsy behind the show that initially drew them in and keeps their hearts tied to the show. As Josh shared regarding his character Ted: “I find that I’m a little bit charmed by him. He’s almost like an aggressively nostalgic guy. He’s a good friend. He wants his friends together – to create memories and there’s something very sweet about it.” Carter Bays also explained that, “[Ted] is the Dad of the show. We like the idea that he doesn’t have kids, but he’s already a dad.” Josh further elaborated with an observation that, “One of the great things about the show is that there is a sweet optimism — that the world will be alive in 2035.” And perhaps most tellingly, Pamela Fryman shared, “When I met Carter and Craig at a Starbucks, having read the script and loved it, it was like a great first date.” For the show had set the bar high and made everyone fall in love with it upon first sight.

As for this season, Carter Bays happily shared, “This season has been like a box of candy . . . from a writing standpoint just getting inspired by how amazing this cast is . .  It’s just so fun to discover the new superpowers, to have the time to discover the superpowers of this cast and like we started writing this show . . . So it’s great to sort of dig deeper and discover who they are comedically and emotionally.”

To cap-off the celebratory love-fest, Jason Segel sagely noted: “This is the longest I’ve ever been a part of anything, besides my immediate family. It is longest relationship I’ve ever had. . . We know each other really well and have kind of grown up together which is really cool . . . Watching us all grow up together and sort of achieve our dreams has been my favorite part. Like, ‘Wow, we really did it!’”

For a show that only wanted to share the beautiful story of a father telling his kids how he met their mother, the show has become something much, much more. It has become an integral part of television history and set a new bar on what it means to be a comedic television show. It has also invited us on an extraordinary journey and we are savoring every minute of it.

“How I Met Your Mother” airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. on CBS and its 100th episode will air on January 11th.

Related article:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2010/01/11/how-i-met-your-mother%e2%80%9d-celebrates-its-100th-episode-at-the-paley-center/

Spotlight on Candace Cameron Bure

Currently co-starring in the ABC Family Channel hit series Make It or Break It, Candace Cameron Bure has had a long television and film career. Candace started off as a child actor in the 1980’s working on such TV shows as Alice, St. Elsewhere and T.J. Hooker. This quickly led to work in feature films like Little Spies with Mickey Rooney, Some Kind of Wonderful with Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson and Punchline with Tom Hanks and Sally Field. With those actors as role models and the encouragement of her brother, Kirk Cameron, Candace continued to take the comedy world by storm, with guest appearances on Growing Pains and Who’s the Boss.

Then in 1987, she landed the role of a lifetime as D.J. Tanner on the family comedy Full House. Working for 8 years alongside Bob Saget, John Stamos and Dave Coulier, Candace only continued to shine and garnered six award nominations for her finely-nuanced portrayal of the eldest Tanner daughter. In 1994, she also won a Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards as Favorite Television Actress for her role on Full House.

Before the former Disney pop-starlets took over in a flash of paparazzi lights, Candace was the go-to girl of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. She was a fine example of clean, exemplary young adult life and won the hearts of millions of fans. Seeking to continue making a strong role model for young women, Candace followed-up her work on Full House with cutting-edge, female empowering roles in such made for television films as No One Would Tell, She Cried No, and NightScream.

After an extended break to focus on her family commitments, Candace returned to television in 2007 with a quick appearance in That’s So Raven. She then did two films, The Wager with Randy Travis and Moonlight and Mistletoe with Tom Arnold, before landing the role of Summer in the ABC Family series Make It or Break It.

Make It or Break It focuses on the lives of four young Olympic hopeful gymnasts, with Candace playing the former fianceé of one of the girls’ fathers. While her role was initially constrained to being the “other woman,” as the show continued, Candace’s character become more of a mother-substitute, mentor and friend. Candace’s natural grace and strength of character won out and she continues to portray a strong role model for young women today. She is a pleasure to watch and fun to root for and we can only hope that the series continues to exploit all of her natural talents.

Make It or Break It airs on Monday nights at 9/8c on ABC Family Channel, returning for the second half of its debut season on January 4, 2010. You can also follow Candace on Twitter.

Related article:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2010/01/04/spotlight-on-candace-cameron-bure/