Punch In The Face Index: S2E4

[bryant]

This is the fourth PITF Index for Season 2 of Heroes, the superhero TV show where punching people in the face is a normal form of social intercourse.

Face-punch count: 0. We had our second shout-out — yo, Monica!

PITF Index after the cut.

But first a quick recap of the rules. Being evil does not mean you need to be punched in the face. Being punched in the face is a direct result of being snarky, useless, whiny, smarmy, petulant, emo, or Mohinder. People not appearing in the episode are not eligible for being punched in the face, except in extreme circumstances like we run out of people to punch. Dead people are immune, probably, unless they appear in flashback or something. Previous performance does influence current placement.

This week, our list looks like this.

1. Flying kid, who has finally reached #1 after actually a pretty short rampup, you creepy little schmuck. Susan says, “BIG PUNCH scum scum scum scumsauce.”
2. Maya, for being an overly trusting completely boring piece of subplot. Susan says, “PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH it is your fault if your brain gets eaten.”
3. Parkman, who has not yet mastered the basic social nicety of not letting your pre-teen ward get her brain eaten by your psychic and scary father. Dude. Susan says, “PUNCH ‘We’re going to protect you’ JERK JERK JERK.”
4. Monica’s boss, for illegal hiring practices. Susan says, “PUNCH burnsauce.”
5. Monica’s friend, for failing to say anything nice for an entire hour, and also for her inevitable death in a refridgerator because we can see that coming, duh. Susan says, “MINOR PUNCH.”

Angela Petrelli remains unpunched for taking some responsibility for her actions, etc. We thought about Claire but she’s just seventeen and it’s kind of like punching the victim in the face, which we are against. Sylar, as is his wont, skims the line between evil and worthy of face-punching: he does it with smarm.

Originally published at Imaginary Vestibule.

Comments

[touchofwinter.livejournal.com]

Monica is an addition to the cast that I kinda like. And I dig her ability. It reminds of me a cool Marvel Comic villian named 'The Taskmaster' who was never trying to conquer the world, he just trained lackies. Brilliant. And he had the same photographic-reflexes.

I agree with your punch assessments - even though I really love Parkman. The poor slob, we finally found out why he left his wife. D'oh!

[touchofwinter.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I did note that we finally had a character representing New Jersey (the guy who helped the brother and sister drive across Mexico)... who was summarily removed from the picture. Dammit.

However, the Boogey-man lives in Philadelphia... we'll accept that as a viable substitute.

[kodi]

The Cameraman has overtaken The Writers on my list, this week. Flying kid actually didn't bug me as much as Maya, based purely on this episode's performance. Flying kid left me saying "I eagerly await the episode where he finally stops pretending that he's not evil." Maya left me saying "GET HER SYLAR! Please, before the end of the episode!"

[kodi]

Parkman IS a lovable slob! I particularly dug Mohinder calling him out on the "we'll figure something out." Aww, poor Parkman, it's only been 4 months and Mohinder is already anticipating your every mannerism.

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

Flying kid got to me because of his "If you just give me one date I promise I'll stop hanging around your house watching you through windows without your permission!" I'm a creepy stalker, but I can stop anytime I want!

PUNCH

But Maya drove me nuts, yeah. Her "Gabriel! Like...the angel!" is what made me grab the computer and start typing PUNCH PUNCH on our preliminary notes. What an idiot.

[ratmmjess.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to think that Stalker Boy is actually working for the bad guys. The way he keeps pumping Claire for information has gone beyond stalkerish and is now in plot device territory.

I think he deserves, not just Big Punch, but Two By Four Across The Face.

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

A future Heroes drinking game will include every time Flying Boy says "horn-rimmed GLASSES" in that tone of doom. Dooom.

[shiffer.livejournal.com]

Stalker Boy is totally a bad guy. And even if he's not, he's tagged! The company knows all about him and probably has him under surveillance. Only they don't, because he's working for them.

In my book he earns his punch more for being a terrible spy then for being a black hat.

[bryant]

We're being set up to think he's evil. See also the Isaac painting, oooh, look how he's distracting Claire, ooooh. But he'll really turn out to be good. Sigh.

[shiffer.livejournal.com]

Next episode better has an extra amount of Hiro with a side of Kristen Bell. 'sall I'm saying.

[kodi]

The one thing that gives me hope that he really is evil is this: there seems to be a convention in Heroes that if someone gets their way by talking instead of by blundering, they are evil. Angela: talker, evil. Parkman: blunderer, good. Sylar: talker, evil. Mohinder: can never ever make things better by opening his mouth, good. I'm sure I'm overlooking some counterexamples, but I think the fact that flying kid's boneheaded attempt to hook up with Claire works can only signify evil.

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Y'know, if I'm on the run and trying to illegally cross borders, the first thing I'm going to do is say, "Yes, yes, I have family there" when questioned about my destination. ebonlock said it best in wishing for a flaming fireball to take out the car, Sylar and the Wonder Twins.

MOAR HIRO!

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Not fair to put Parkman in there. Plus, she offered.

The plague twins are annoying and they're going nowhere.

The thing last episode with Takezo Kensei's "ZOMG IM A HEROE NOW LOL" conversion was really obnoxious, and Peter's Irish kiss was so friggin shoehorned it wasn't funny. At least this episode was better, but the show is losing me.

[bryant]

I'm not sure the writing is any worse than the first season, but we're invested in the first set of characters; splitting them up and spreading out screen time to accommodate a slew of new characters -- or old characters acting in entirely new ways -- is displeasing.

Irish gangster Peter is OK, but I'm invested in younger brother Peter. Flying kid is probably livable, but I miss the guy Claire used to hang out with. Etc.

[bryant]

Hm. HRG was supposed to be evil originally. But you make an excellent point.

[bryant]

I need a base screen cap for a PITF icon. Hm.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure the writing is worse, especially the plotting.

[solarmus.livejournal.com]

She deserves a punch for 'me and my brother are totally uninteresting and a waste of camera time...and dumb'

[death-by-monkey.livejournal.com]

Doh! Where's the PITF Index for last night's episode? I just finished watching on my lunchbreak and need to vent about who needs a PITF.