Towards the end of “Shadowboxing” there is a moment that had me pumping my fist in the air. Could it be that the show is pulling a major surprise on its audience, killing off a main character in a genuinely meaningful sacrifice? It seemed too good to be true.
Of course it is too good to be true. This is Heroes. A show that on multiple occasions has saw fit to resurrect characters once the dramatic impact of their deaths has been felt. Will the character stay dead this time? Not a chance. Heroes will make an effective dramatic moment toothless by hitting a reset button.
This episode also gives a blank slate to Claire who two weeks ago was seen healing by two of her sorority sisters. Those hoping to see some repercussions for this will be sorely disappointed as she explains away what they saw with the unconvincing claim that the bottled water was laced with hallucinogens. You know, the sort that affects you only for a few seconds an hour or so after you drink it and leads to you sharing a clear, collective vision.
If they had any doubts at this masterpiece of deception from Claire there is no time for these to be explored. The Haitian turns up to wipe the girls’ memories. Blank slate achieved.
Now, a show like Heroes will use a plot reset from time to time. I appreciate that it is part of their formula. But increasingly it feels as though the writers are trying to get us to feel something then, after we have felt that emotion, immediately hitting that reset button. It is not only frustrating for viewers to be repeatedly played in this way; it also risks reducing the impact of major moments in the future. Sure, a character may appear dead but can we trust the writers not to just find a way to bring them back in the next episode?
There is one consequence from the events in the abandoned warehouse however – Gretchen, scared for her life, chooses to run back home to her parents. While this does mean that those awaiting some resolution to their relationship will be kept waiting a little longer, Claire’s inability to tell Gretchen why she wants her to stay is as telling as any conversation the two might have had. Also, should the series choose to use it, there is now somebody who remembers what actually happened and who Claire is whose memories remain intact.
It will come as little surprise that the minute Gretchen leaves Claire’s side, Samuel shows up with his recruiting pitch. It is becoming something of a formula in recent episodes, yet here it works well because the character cleverly targets his pitches to the characteristics of those he talks to.
With Hiro he appealed to a sense of heroism and honor. When speaking with Peter he portrayed himself as a victim that could be saved. Here he recognizes Claire’s desire to have somebody be honest with her and tells her the truth. Well, something approaching the truth. Enough that she will be given cause to doubt her father, Noah, and be reminded of his past.
The reason that Samuel works well as a recurring character is because he does not dominate each episode but rather complements it, reinforcing the themes of each episode and slowly bringing each of the heroes’ storylines together.
One storyline that needs to be drawn into the main body of the plot at some point soon is that of hospital file clerk Emma. We are now nearing the halfway mark for this season yet she remains on the periphery of events, seemingly disconnected from everything else that is going on.
This episode at least gives her some background, explaining precisely what led to her dropping out of medical school. It is a good scene, played well by Deanne Bray, leading to a decision that is significant for the character. Yet her powers are still relatively unexplored and it remains unclear how she will interact with the ongoing storyline, making this plot thread feel like a distraction. Hopefully something will happen soon to give this a stronger link to events elsewhere.
The other plot thread “Shadowboxing” explores is that of Matt Parkman, whose body is now under the control of Sylar’s consciousness. Well, sort of. This episode shows us that even if Sylar controls the body, Matt still controls his power and is able to use it against Sylar.
Spending much of the episode trying to best each other, Matt uses his power to frustrate Sylar’s efforts to find his own body while Sylar uses brute force against an innocent bystander to try to force Matt to cooperate. Ignoring the logical questions that this raises about why Matt can control Sylar’s movements in some cases but not in others, this battle of wits actually is quite enjoyable and leads to what appears to be a satisfying payoff towards the close of the episode.
Unfortunately all is not as it seems.
This year Heroes needs to prove it can make tough decisions. That it will kill off characters for good when the plot requires it. That the show is about more than just providing sensational twists simply to elicit a response from its audience.
Up until this point in the season, the show has been doing a good job of exploring its characters and maneuvering them into what could prove interesting situations. In some ways “Shadowboxing” continues this trend yet also contains worrying signs that the show is about to return to its reset button-smashing ways.
Had NBC not followed the episode with a spoiler-heavy trailer confirming my worst fears I could well be giving this episode the benefit of the doubt and a strong recommendation. I might have been saying phrases like “at last Heroes is maturing into the show it always promised to be.” Unfortunately, as entertaining as “Shadowboxing” is in places, it seems the show is going to fall foul of the same problems that have dogged it over the last two seasons. It is just taken this fourth season a little longer to get there.
– Aidan Brack
