Punch In The Face Index: S2E7

[bryant]

This is the seventh PITF Index for Season 2 of Heroes, the superhero TV show where punching people in the face is what it’s all about.

Face-punch count: 2. No quips. Badass episode.

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. Kensei, who is taking a grudge a little bit too far. Yeah, we didn’t punch him last week, but killing people and conquering Japan is in no way an appropriate response to a regrettable breakup.
2. Fine, I’ll call flyboy by his name, since he’s been texting and all. West. West West West. Dude, you’re getting a creepy stalker punch!
3. Maury, who snivels. It’s OK to be evil but enough with the sniveling. Also, your nightmare is a prime example of bad interior decorating.
4. Mohinder, who wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he wasn’t on the list. For a while it looked like he was getting off scot-free, but obviously that wasn’t acceptable to him, so he decided to trust the most manipulative person in his life. Nice save.
5. … crap. Our writers just went on strike.

This was indeed an episode light on people who needed punching. Not coincidentally, it was the best one in a while. Looking back on it, we might have punched the swordsmith’s daughter in the face last episode for being awfully fickle with her affections — it’s not like all the time with Kensei was a lie or imaginary or anything — but that ship has sailed, and we’re left without a fifth punchee and with nothing but obvious topical jokes.

Next episode will go up soon! Since we have ice cream and are about to watch it.

Originally published at Imaginary Vestibule.

Comments

[death-by-monkey.livejournal.com]

I agree with West and Mohinder, and Maury to a certain degree, although I think Claire needs to be up there for the same reasons this week as last week - I'm glad to see that the safety of the lives of her family should in no way interfere with her love/social life. Not to mention being stupid with her dad about the newspaper article.

I'd actually put Jessica up on the list for continuing to be pushed around by the voices in her head - even if they're not actually from her head, but someone else's. I also felt Caitlin was a contender as she hasn't really provided much value-added to the Peter storyline. That being said, though, my number 5 spot goes to Bob for being a pushy, manipulative bastiche who's just out to save his own hide.

I'd also like to point out a couple characters who were notable for -not- being on the list.

#1 - Parkman. While he was visiting Molly before he told her he loved her I thought he was headed for the list again, and when he started to throw a fit in his dad's nightmare apartment I started considering it again, but in general, I really dug what Matt did this episode.
#2 - Mama Petrelli. It felt a little contrived that she didn't tell Peter who she was and made him remember, but at the same time I was glad that she made him work for it.

[kodi]

I was willing to punch Claire for making that same face she always makes, in the kitchen with her mother and West. But she made up for it by actually conveying an emotion other than elemental whininess when she was freaking out at West about the newspaper article.

As for Kensei, I cut him a little slack. From his perspective, it wasn't just a regrettable breakup, it was Hiro manipulating him into risking (and losing, but for...) his life, just so Hiro could get the girl. Plus, isn't conquering Japan more "evil" than "Mohinder"?

[shiffer.livejournal.com]

People don't go on the list for being evil.

I think Kensei (which in my mind I continue to refer to as Mr. Sark) might have overeacted, but in his mind he was utterly betrayed, so I'm leaning toward cutting him more slack.

[bryant]

See, I just can't buy "she kissed another guy so I must kill her" as a reasonable response to betrayal.

I'm shading a little because it's part and parcel of the fairly irksome Heroes attitude towards women.

[shiffer.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more Hiro's betrayel then Yaeko, but yeah, definitely not an "appropriate" response. Well, it's totally appropriate for the 15th century, but we're not going to start pretending that Heroes in general, or it's portrayel of 15th century Japan in particular, is anywhere close to realistic (and I'm not talking about the superpowers AT ALL).

[bryant]

No. No we are not. ;)

[kodi]

But it's not an emo, whiny kind of unreasonable response, it's an eeeevil kind of unreasonable response. He even has two "I'm a villain, therefore I must lay out my plans for the future in explicit detail" speeches. I don't see it as "she kissed another guy so I must kill her" so much as "she kissed another guy, so I'm going back to placing no value on human life other than my own."

It's kind of commendable, really - he falls in love and quits his job (being evil), but as soon as he's dumped he just goes right back to work, and gets a promotion.

[bryant]

Ah, but we don't actually have any reason to think of him as evil (as opposed to roguish) other than that we know about him from spoilers.

[kodi]

"I give him a fair wage, if he lives" moved him into "evil" territory for me, but now that I think about it more I guess deliberately getting a mercenary killed is more roguish than evil. However, I still think, in the comic book world context, the fact that he spouts off for more than two sentences about his plans for conquest means he must be evil.

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

However, I still think, in the comic book world context, the fact that he spouts off for more than two sentences about his plans for conquest means he must be evil.

HA. Awesome observation. I'm now thinking of a mathematical correlation between word count and evil.

[death-by-monkey.livejournal.com]

While I agree that he may not be evil, I wouldn't say that he or his actions have been snarky, useless, whiny, smarmy, petulant, emo, or Mohinder.

[bryant]

Nothin's more emo than conquering Japan because your girlfriend left you for a time traveler.