DVD Recommendations for the 2009 Summer

Summer is just beginning — and with it, the slew of summer blockbusters, flops, and everything in between. However, if you don’t want to pan out $10 to go to the theater, there are still movies that you can order from Netflicks or get at the video store. Here are just a few summer recommendations.


The Action: “Die Hard”

New York cop John McClane goes against the odds to rescue a group of people held hostage by terrorist in an LA office building.

Explosions, fights, nonstop action and a Bruce Willis that’s 24 years younger—what else do you need for a great action film? It’s the kind of film that when you watch it the first time, you’re on the edge of your seat—after that you’re still cheering for Willis’s character. What’s more, the film provides you with a few laughs as well. This popcorn film is just what you need for those boring nights.


The Comedy: “Without a Paddle”

Three friends take a hilarious misadventure down the river in search of famed airliner hijacker D.B. Cooper missing $194,200.

I’m somewhat picky in my comedy, but I can say I enjoyed this. It’s entertaining and does require too much thinking, and if you’re just looking for a good laugh sometime during the summer, this fits the bill.


The Romance: “The Notebook”

In a modern-day nursing home, an elderly man named Duke reads a love story from his notebook to a female fellow patient, about two young people who met one summer, were separated, and eventually come back together again.

Call it sappy, but most females can’t resist a good love story. The tale of Noah and Allie might have been told a thousand times over a number of different ways, but it doesn’t stop the emotion you get from watching it. You’ll laugh, cry, and sigh. It’s a great movie to for ladies to watch with their girlfriends.


The Classic: “The Princess Bride”

A grandfather reads a classic fairy tale—complete with “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chase, escapes, true love, and miracles”—to his ill grandson.

One of my all time favorite movies, this highlighted movie of the eighties can be enjoyed by both sexes. Men will like the fighting and intrigue and women will sigh over the love story. It’s the perfect movie for those nostalgic moments when you want a little of everything.

The TV Show: “Heroes”

Normal people find out they have extraordinary abilities. DC Comics meets NBC drama.

If you’ve never seen it before, summer is a great time to start. That way you can watch as many episodes as you want at your convenience (in my experience and the experience of people I know, once you start watching, you have a hard time stopping) —or if you have a responsibilities, it’s like watching a summer superhero flick all through the summer.


Have fun watching!
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"The Bachelor" Shocker

Wow, what a rollercoaster ride it has been watching this season of "The Bachelor".

On tonight's finale, Melissa and Molly got to meet Jason's family, Deanna came back to tell Jason she made a mistake and that he still has a chance, and Jason proposes to Melissa. On the After the Final Rose, however, Jason breaks up with Melissa and tells her he still has feelings for Molly.


Where oh where do I begin?

Let me start with how great Melissa was with Jason's family, especially with Ty. I could see them being a family together. Ty adored her. Melissa just had this motherly quality about her that made me know she was the perfect one for Jason. The one he truly needs.

Deanna came back on "The Bachelor" finale to let Jason know she made a mistake and she should have chosen him, but she didn't follow her heart or her head. She said she got caught up with someone she thought she was going to have fun with. Deanna advised Jason to LEAD his heart and to look further in the two girls. This was by far the smartest thing I've ever heard Deanna say.

I was happy when I saw Jason propose to Melissa, although I had a feeling my happiness was not going to last very long. Jason did seem genuine about his feelings for her because he tells her he is completely in love.

Well...on the After the Final Rose show, Jason told Chris Harrison that Melissa knew Jason felt differently. He also told Chris that he is still in love with Molly and that he would always regret not asking Molly "what if?"

When Melissa came out, she looked as if she had no idea what was going on. Jason proceeded to tell her that they aren't right for each other and that the chemistry is gone between them. He told Melissa he still has feelings for Molly and if he could control his heart and his head he would, but he can't.

What?! Jason, seriously? How could he tell Melissa he loved her, and then break up with her on television? How could this happen? Especially since he knew Melissa had always been the dumpee in her past relationships. Why would he put her through this torture?

I've come to the conclusion that Melissa is Deanna's Jason. Melissa is a warm, caring woman that Jason ultimately needs. The one that would have been perfect for him.

Molly on the other hand, is Deanna's Jesse. Molly is the sporty, exciting wild card, but I really, truly, can't see a future with them. Not a lasting one at least. I just can't.

While watching the After the Final Rose, I could tell that Melissa was really hurt. She asked Jason how he could put a ring on her finger, ask her to marry him, and then tell her it won't work without trying. Jason really did not try at all with Melissa. If you really love someone you will try your best to make things work and if that fails, you try again and again. Jason obviously didn't try with Melissa, especially since after he broke up with her he tells Molly he still loves her and that she is the one he wants to be with. How could he change his mind so quickly?

What Reality Steve said about Jason contacting Molly while engaged to Melissa makes TOTAL sense. If he really wanted Melissa and felt horrible about hurting her, he wouldn't bring Molly to the SAME show to tell her he wants another chance, then KISS her passionately when she says they can see where things go.

I really liked Jason before tonight. Like many fans, we watched the show because we supported Jason and wanted him to find true love. Okay, so maybe he will find "true love" with Molly, but we didn't expect him to break someone's heart on national television in the process! After he proposed to her!

After watching Melissa leave the After the Final Rose show, I felt disgusted with Jason. We thought Deanna was messed up for letting Jason get down on one knee only to reject him, but THIS? Breaking up with a woman you proposed to on television? We thought Brad not choosing any of the women in the finale was bad. Ha! THIS is bad. Jason could quite possibly be the worst bachelor...ever.

At least Melissa left the show with class and integrity. Before she left, she told Jason good luck in the future and good luck with Molly. She was obviously upset, but kudos to her for being extremely classy because if that happened to me, all hell would break loose.

Reality Steve was absolutely correct in his speculations about the outcome of the show. To the fans, how do you all feel about the After the Final Rose? Are you satisfied? Will you be watching future episodes of "The Bachelor"?

I pretty much think this season has done it for me. I don't think I'm emotionally ready to handle this show.
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Reality Steve Discusses "The Bachelor" Finale

SPOILER

This guy known as Reality Steve has been posting Youtube videos about "The Bachelor" finale. He claims that he knows the outcome of the Final Rose Ceremony where Jason dumps Melissa and dates Molly. Reality Steve says that ABC was behind this all along and told Jason to go for Melissa even though he already knew he wanted Molly.

As we know, "The Bachelor" finale is on tonight at 8 p.m. and the After the Final Rose will be on right after. Many fans have posted on "The Bachelor" community blog saying they believe Reality Steve's speculations about the final outcome. Personally, if all of this is correct, I will feel so lame for telling everyone how great Jason is and how sorry I was for him when Deanna broke his heart. If Jason really does break up with Melissa on T.V. and lets her know he is with Molly, I will lose so much respect for Jason and feel my excitement for this season was a waste of time!

If you think about it though, many fans knew Melissa was going to win. Reality Steve says this is correct. Jason does propose to Melissa, but breaks up with her on the ATFR. ABC probably knew fans would figure out it was Melissa, but why would they make it so easy?? Of course they would have a twist! It makes perfect sense.

But we don't REALLY know what happens until we watch tonight's show, so we'll just have to wait and see if Reality Steve has been correct all along.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Jason was really in on this? Do you think he dumps Melissa for Molly?

I am bubbling inside! I'm nervous about watching tonight's episode and the ATFR because I don't want Reality Steve to be right. However, like everyone else, I can't wait to see what will happen. Especially since Deanna comes back to talk to Jason.

Reality Steve has four videos posted. Here they are.

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"Heroes" Volume 4 - "Fugitives"

Another Heroes volume, another three months of twists, turns, and alleyways of what we call the morally grey. So far Nathan Petrelli, with the help of the American government, is rounding up heroes with plans to imprison them in a facility, and placing the heroes on the run.

The last few episodes bring up the big question on whether “the greater good” is worth everything. Within the last few weeks, we’ve seen Nathan’s plan to contain those with abilities bring the destruction of lives and the imprisonment of innocents — including his own brother, Peter. He truly believes in what he’s doing but his actions are — at best — questionable. What’s worse, he’s enlisted the help of “the Hunter” a former military man who is like a wild dog on a leash just waiting for the chain to break. Despite Nathan’s call for no bloodshed the Hunter obviously lusts after it. That alone makes him beyond dangerous. Nathan, for all is political power, will not be to control this man for long.

To protect his daughter Claire, Noah Bennet — aka Horned Rimmed Glasses (HRG) — agrees to help Nathan after the Company is destroyed. This is no surprise there. Since the beginning of the show, we’ve questioned about how far he’s willing to go to protect his daughter. He’s kidnapped, murdered and tortured people for her, and yet we accept it because of the bond between father and daughter. We will definitely see how far he is willing to go to “prove his loyalty” to Nathan and the Hunter, and I think sometime this season he’ll have to make the ultimate sacrifice for her: this life.

Scared, vengeful and determined to fight back, Mohinder, Peter and Matt kidnap HRG to figure out what’s going on. Matt, torn up by the kidnapping of his girlfriend Daphne last week, is more determined than any of them to “do whatever it takes” to find out what’s going on. Using his mind-reading powers, he interrogates Noah in a way that’s almost torture — threatening to mess up the man’s brain if he has to. His actions lead him and Peter to be caught and Mohinder to be captured.

Each of these characters made choices because of a number of different reasons: for the greater good, for truth, for protection. They are willing to forgo what we might call “human mortality” — good/evil and right/wrong — to get what they want. Is it worth it? On the one hand, things get done, outcomes are made. On the other, people get hurt. Badly. These heroes see themselves in a time of war. In times of war, hard decisions are made. I’m almost positive that soon they will have to make even harder decisions before too long. Continue Reading>>

"The Bachelor". Only two roses left.

SPOILER

In tonight's episode, bachelor Jason Mesnick brings the remaining three bachelorettes -Molly, Melissa, and Jillian to New Zealand!

Date #1 with Jillian:

Jason and Jillian go on a helicopter ride overlooking snowy mountain tops and New Zealand. Jason is glad Jill is with him to experience this moment. They sit on a cliff that overlooks New Zealand and discuss their relationship. Jillian says she has never connected with anyone more than she has with Jason. She says she is looking for someone who can be her best friend and thinks Jason can be that best friend. How cute... Jason says he is looking for someone more than just a best friend. Hmmm.....hint hint?


He wants to find out if him and Jill have PASSION. If they have romantic chemistry.

So Jason brings Jillian to a winery. Jill tells Jason that when she is with him, she gets butterflies. She never expected them to have so much fun and have such a great connection with each other. It's something different that she has never had. She tells Jason she is crazy about him. Jason smiles at what he hears and invites her back to "The Fantasy Suite" where they can stay the night as a couple.

She hopes Jason can handle all her "fire." Whoa Jill hoooooold your horses!

Then they head over to the hot tub where things get pretty heated. Passion? Yes. Romantic chemistry? Yes. Best friends forever? I don't think so......

Date #2 with Molly:

Jason covers Molly's face and to her surprise, they are on a bridge and their date consists of bungee jumping! Molly is scared, but they count to three and fall...Molly screams "Let's do it again!" Molly says her parents love Jason (they didn't love or like her last boyfriend). Molly has a list of questions to ask Jason such as, "What is your favorite ice cream?" "Or..What is your favorite place in the world?" Etc, etc, etc. She saves one last question for their evening date.

Jason says he adores Molly and can picture her as his wife. He needs to know that she cares about him the way he does for her. He is scared she'll shy up. Molly says she wants to let her guard down for Jason. Molly finally breaks down her wall and admits she is falling in love with him. Woo. Kudos for Molly letting her guard down. Molly's last question was to ask Jason to stay the night with her. He still insists to show Mol the "Fantasy Suite" and thanks Mol for opening up to him.

Date #3 with Melissa:

Melissa runs and jumps into Jason's arms. In last week's episode, Jason did not get to meet Melissa's parents because they weren't comfortable with the public-ness of it all. Melissa knows she can get hurt but is willing to put her heart out there for Jason because he is worth it. Their date consists of going to a hot pool/tub where they discuss Melissa's parents. Jason is disappointed he didn't get to meet Melissa's parents. Apparently, she has not yet spoken to her parents since last week's episode. Melissa wishes they could be a part of her experience with Jason. Jason says he can fall in love with Melissa without meeting her parents but it can only go so far. In their evening date, Melissa tells Jason she was terrified to tell him he would not be able to meet her parents. She asks him if it's a big deal and he responds with, "it's hard because I met everyone else's families and it's really important to meet your parents." However, he got to see Melissa's friends, which he wasn't able to do with the other girls. Jason gives Melissa the "Fantasy Suite" card. Of course she says "ABSOLUTELY." In the "Fantasy Suite" Melissa tells Jason she has never felt like this before and that she has fallen in love with him.

Jason meeting with Chris Harrison:

When Jason goes to talk to Chris Harrison, Chris tells Jason the three women have made personal video messages for him. The girls' last plea! Jason watches the videos and gets emotional. He doesn't know how he will send anyone home.

In the Final Rose Ceremony:

Jason gets choked up once again. He tells the girls he has fallen for all three of them but has to send one home. Jason gives his first rose to Melissa. He gives his last rose to...dun dun dun...Molly. And then there were two.

My thoughts: I absolutely love Melissa. She is adorable and anyone who watches "The Bachelor" can tell they have sparks flying everywhere. Melissa is the most genuine when it comes to her feelings. I think Molly is cute, bubbly, and goofy, but I don't think she's right for Jason. I think they have great chemistry, but he has more with Melissa. Jillian I liked as well, but I'm pretty much betting on Melissa. Actually, I KNOW it's Melissa. I've read it on Jason's Myspace, I've even seen a video of it! According to the website The Hollywood Gossip, some guy posted up a video of his evidence to support his conclusion that Melissa does in fact win "The Bachelor."

Here's the link and the video:

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/videos/the-bachelor-spoiler-melissa-wins/




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"Heroes" Episode 11

Chapter Eleven “The Eclipse – Part 2”

Spoiler Alert

Summary: The eclipse is still messing with everyone’s powers. With Nathan captured, the Haitian and Peter make plans to rescue him from Baron Samedi. Hiro tries to get his memory back with the help of a couple of comic geeks. Furious with their part in Claire’s struggle to survive, Noah goes after Gabriel and Elle with plans to destroy them. Matt must come to terms with Daphne’s condition. Mohinder tries to escape confinement.

• The eclipse goes away a little more than halfway through and everyone gets their power back. I personally would have wanted them to be powerless until at least the very end of the episode. I would have wanted to see their vulnerability go on longer, but perhaps with the volume coming to an end before the six-week hiatus, that wouldn’t be a good idea.

• I really liked Hiro’s scenes in the comic store with comic geeks Sam and Flack . Some are complaining about the “Hiro-thinking-he’s-10” arch, but I think he’s adorable. The Masi Oka does such a good job at portraying a both childlike wonder (examining a box full of comics and chanting “Best. Day. Ever.”) and vulnerability. Hiro locking himself in the bathroom because he doesn’t want to grow up was very touching. What child can look at what his adult self has done as a hero (remember that the Hiro’s story was seen ahead of time by the precog who died in the first season, Isaac Mendez, and he drew it all in the “9th Wonders” comic books) and not wish for them to not happen? Sam’s speech about the Hiro giving people hope really echoes what fans love about the series in general. After examining the very first “9th Wonders” issue, Sam and Frack realize that Hiro must take Claire to the past, and does so without hesitation.

• Nathan gets captured by Baron Samedi, aka the Haitian’s brother. I have to tell you, I give the writers props for writing such badass villains this season. Samedi has just the right amount of arrogance and brutality to make you hate him without overdoing it. Peter’s character does a fine job at expressing why he came with his brother: to prove that he could be a hero without powers. He and the Haitian manage to rescue Nathan, and with the Haitian’s powers (taking memories and making powers ineffective), the Baron, who called himself a god, is vanquished. In only one of the week’s many “wth” moments, Nathan decides to join his dad, saying that with Formula H they can give powers to good people and keep bad ones from getting them. I’m sorry, as much as Nathan wants this to be true, it’s extremely naïve. The fact is it’s not whether your good or bad that determines whether you get something, it’s those who have the money. If someone has the money, they’ll get powers, I guarantee it. My hope is that Nathan will see the light before it’s too late.

• Turns out before Daphne got her powers, she couldn't walk, and with the eclipse, she has to walk on braces again. She’s scared that Arthur did this to her, and thinks deserves it. She tells Matt that he can’t help her, and to stop trying. Once the eclipse is gone, she has her powers back and she disappeared. Matt has his powers back, so he realizes her dad thinks it’s his fault she left, and hears Daphne’s thoughts in the cornfield. In a really touching scene with Daphne, Matt, and a scarecrow named Ray (Daphne made him when she was 13 to save the cornfield), Matt convinces her that powers or not, they’re all flawed, but where it counts she’s a good person. He tells her she needs her father’s forgiveness, and Daphne goes back to the house to hug her dad. It’s funny how amongst all the drama, fights, rescues, etc., the Daphne/Matt arch can still be sweeter than a jar of honey and not seem out of place.

• When Matt and Daphne go to the comic book store, Hiro has disappeared. Sam tells Matt, Daphne, and Ando that the latest issue is the last one Isaac Mendez created, but that he “heard it from a dude, who heard it from a dude, who heard it from another dude at a convention somewhere” that the day Isaac died, he gave is sketch book to a delivery boy. Find the sketch book, and they can find the last story. I’m really interested about this. It should be really interesting to see where this goes, because I don’t think they would have mentioned this if they weren’t taking it somewhere. My question is though, are they going to show it this volume or the volume that states in February?

• Claire is taken to the hospital after the gunshot she received last episode causes her to have an infection in her body. (A shot out to the make-up people who did a great job making Claire look like absolute crap.) Her body overcoming to the wound so quickly might point out that her power’s are blocking off something wrong with her body (or more likely that the wound was worse than her dad made it out to be). She eventually dies, but once the eclipse is over, she comes back to life. When her dad returns, she’s angry that he wasn’t there for her. Then Elle and Gabriel turn up, powers now a-blazing, to take Claire to Pinehearst. Hanging from a wall, Noah shouts that Gabriel is NOT a Petrelli. Another “WTH” moment. I don’t buy it. Sorry, but Noah has a history of being a notorious liar, so unless otherwise proven, Syler's still a Petrelli. Then Hiro interrupts, and takes Claire to the past, where it looks like he and Claire will be working together for the first time next episode.

• Elle and Sylar are getting it on, but are interrupted by Noah, who’s not happy at them for shooting his daughter. I’m sorry, as good as the intentions of Claire’s dad are, it kind of proves he values vengeance over his daughter’s life. His daughter’s in the hospital and he decides to go man hunting? It’s no wonder Claire is ticked. Noah follows the two of them to the storage room of a grocery store, and while Gabriel locks Elle in a lift, he fights Noah. Obviously he looses, and Noah slits his throat. But once the eclipse is gone, he comes back to life (remember that he has Claire’s invincibility power) to chase after Claire. Hiro interrupts the fight in Claire’s house. The look on Gabriel’s face when he appears, along with Hiro calling him “Bad Man” before taking him and Elle to a beach somewhere, is hilarious. In perhaps the biggest “WTH” moment, perhaps because what Noah yelled to him about not being a Petrelli or because his powers came back, he decides that his “good guy” personality was just temporary, and starts his head-slicing trademark on Elle. The writers took a big risk getting rid of Elle. She has a massive fan base and the writers can't afford to loose anymore viewers. Personally, I can do without her. What I've a problem with is the sudden turn around. (I'll explain more in "Complaints.")

• Through out this whole thing, Mohinder, who was turning into some scaly thing from the Black Lagoon, lost his ability and went back to normal, and made attempts to escape Pinehearst (he’s being held there against his will). He does by beating the crap out of Flint, only to come back again when the eclipse leaves and he gets his powers and scales back. Now the scales are growing on his face. His ability to beat up Flint even without his powers perhaps shows that he’s not only turning into a monster, but that there’s an emotional monster inside him. I’m interested in seeing the full effect of his transformation, but on the other hand, I’m not.

Praise: Like I said, I really was interested in the whole showing the heroes in their most varable, and I think Papa P got it right when the eclipse showed them who they really are. Some appeared to pass the test, while some didn’t. It’s all apart of the heroes journey.

Complaints: This whole ending was my only complaint about the whole episode. I actually liked “Good Guy Gabriel” vs. “Evil Sylar” (though I’m sure the “Evil Sylar” fan base are having a party about now), and I’m not quite sure what caused the sudden change. With two more episodes, I hope they explain this properly, because I don’t like this flip flopping when it comes to him. Is he a Petrelli, or isn’t he? Can he be a good guy or is he doomed to be evil? We'd like to know!

Favorite Part: Lot’s of good ones, but I have to say my favorite was the scenes that took place in the comic books store. Sam and Frack were really enjoyable and I hope we’ll see more of the in the future.

Grade: B+

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"Heroes" Episode 10

“Chapter Ten: The Eclipse - Part 1”

Spoiler Alert

Summary: The global eclipse brings huge changes for the heroes. Papa P draws a bunch of pictures showing the future. Peter and Nathan go to find the Haitian. Hiro, Ando & Matt follow Daphne to Kansas. Papa P sends Gabriel and Elle to find Claire.


• If fans will remember, many — if not all — of the heroes’ powers manifested after an eclipse in the first season. Well, another eclipse flies onto the scene and does the opposite. Now the heroes have to deal with being normal again. Perhaps the most artistic scene of the whole episode was a montage showing the pictures that Papa P drew and the heroes who starred in them, and the eclipse. It brought back a lot of memories of the show’s pilot.

• Tracy, who’s joined Papa P, informs Papa P of Nathan’s mission. When Mama P finds her talking on the cell phone, I’m sure she knew what Tracy’s doing. (She’s an ambitious string-puller herself, after all.)

• Mama P sends Nathan to Haiti to find the Haitian — the man with the ability to stop powers, and in this case, the only person who can stop Papa P. Peter wants to come, and reluctantly Nathan lets him. After the eclipse, Nathan can’t fly, and he gets him and his brother lost. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen some good Nathan/Peter brotherly interaction, and I enjoyed seeing it again. Peter, who’s been acting like a moron most of the season so far, really put Nathan in his place for once with his “you’re dad’s puppet,” and “you’ve always done what dad wanted” comments. I think hearing that will really have an effect on Nathan in future episodes.

• The brothers run into the Haitian, who won’t leave until he’s captured Level 5 escapee and Haiti warlord, Baron Samedi. Also known as the Haitians brother, it turns out. While the three of them wander in the jungle, they get shot at by Baron’s men, and Nathan gets captured. There’s an obvious parallel between the Haitian and his brother and Peter and Nathan. The Haitian is perhaps an extreme version of Peter (they both seem to have the tendency to “jump first, ask questions later,” anyway), while Baron is perhaps the extreme version of Nathan (both are natural leaders and somewhat arrogant, but Nathan is not nearly as blood-thirsty).

• Claire’s dad, Noah, takes Claire to a safe house (remember last week it was discovered that her blood was the “Catalyst” part of Formula H — the only way to make it work correctly). Claire’s sulky that she’s not fighting, but Noah gives her a reality check: that she’s indestructible, but it’s made her careless and puts others in harms way. So, he begins to show her the proper way to fight. Gabriel and Elle arrive, suddenly without their powers, and Noah easily overtakes them. When Elle tries to shoot Noah, Claire gets in the way. But without her power, she’s just as helpless as anyone else. Noah takes her home, and while he goes after Elle and Gabriel, Claire starts to bleed out. It’s been a while since Claire and Noah have been in a “heart-to-heart” scene. I think Noah was saying a lot of what audience members are thinking about her attempts to fight back. She needed to hear them, and as mad as she has been at him lately, I think he’s the only one who she would listen to.

• Gabriel is trying to be a good little agent while on the hunt for Claire, but Elle encourages him do and take what he wants. When the attempt to catch Claire fails, he seems like he’s genuinely happy he doesn’t have them anymore. Elle, on the other hand, is upset that “they can’t take what they want anymore.” Gabriel says “Said who?” and out of blue starts kissing her. As they’re making out, Noah’s aiming at them outside the window with a sniper’s gun. It’s interesting that Gabriel doesn’t mind not having powers. It shows him coming a long way from him wanting to be “special” in the first season, to just wanting to live without the hunger of his ability. If there’s one thing we know about Noah, it’s don’t mess with his daughter. Now that Gabriel doesn’t have his ability, he’s just an ordinary person — and a rather weak one at that. I’m predicting a lot of pain and suffering on Elle and Gabriel’s part at Noah’s hands.

• Ando and Hiro, who still thinks he’s ten, arrive at Matt’s apartment thanks to the “9th Wonders” comic book that Ando and Hiro have been using as their guide. Matt can’t seem to help him. Daphne, scared of what Papa P could do to them, the fact that their shot at saving the world thinks he’s ten, and that Matt may not trust her, runs away. Matt uses his mind power to find out she lives in a corn farm in Kansas. The comic book says that Ando and Hiro are supposed to go to Kansas, and so the three of them teleport just before the eclipse. Matt can’t read Daphne’s Dad’s mind when he tries to get in. He doesn’t have his power anymore, and feels he can’t save Daphne without his “mind-thingy.” Hiro convinces Matt not to give up, and later that evening, once Daphne’s dad leaves, Matt tries again. She calls him in, and in the weekly “wth” moment, it turns out that without her power, Daphne is a cripple. I think this moment has a lot more than the “surprise!” factor we’re used to. This answers a bunch of questions: why Daphne always chickened out when Papa P talked about sending her to her old life, and why she seems to value freedom so much. It’ll be interesting to see how Matt takes it next episode.

• While Matt’s tries to save Daphne, Hiro and Ando go to a comic book store to find the latest issue of “9th Wonders.” Where they find a couple of comic geeks (Seth Green and Breckin Meyer from “Road Trip”) who recognize them from the same comic. I’m a big fan of both Green and Meyer, so I’m really excited to see them in the next episode.

Praise: This episode is really monumental in terms of the true relationship between the heroes and their powers. Like Peter when he lost his abilities, most of the characters have come to value their powers a lot more than they care to admit. Nathan wishes he could fly to make their search easier. Matt thinks he can’t save Daphne without his powers. Elle feels like she has no control on getting what she wants. As much as they gripe and complain about how much the abilities are a bother, they have come to really depend on them. It’s like a person who grew up without a microwave. He/she finally gets one, only to have it taken away shortly afterwards. In a hero’s quest, there’s always a point when the hero must be vulnerable and show their worth as a hero, not just a person with heroic abilities. This is that moment for all of them, and I’m looking forward to seeing who it ends.

Complaints: The constantly going back to the eclipse every five minutes was slightly tiring after a while. We know it’s a bad thing without having to be constantly reminded. And there is a little confusion about the whole eclipse/powers connection. First the abilities are because of the genes in their adrenalin, now it’s because of an eclipse? I’m not sure what’s going on and I'd wish the writers would make up their mind.

Favorite Part: When Hiro tries to convince Matt to save Daphne and “fulfill his mission,” powers or no, there’s an amusing scene where Hiro tosses corn at Matt and yells that the “corn will keep coming” and “only you can stop it.” Afterwords, when Matt finally does, he looks really pissed and Hiro gives him a funny “please don’t hurt me” look. I thought the thing was really funny, and it involved three of my favorite characters, so that made it even better.

Grade: B+
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