Tactical Advice for Isabelle
Sep. 20th, 2007 09:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sinanju[Announcer Voice]: In our last exciting episode, Sinanju ranted about the poor tactical sense displayed by a couple of characters on the penultimate episode of this season of The 4400. Having seen the finale, he now has a couple of comments to address to Isabelle. Let's listen in....
So, Isabelle, you're the proud owner of not one, not two, but multiple 4400 powers. The bad guys are holding your father hostage for your bad behavior. If you don't do as they say, they'll kill him. And the bad guys have implanted a "kill switch" in you. Frankly, I'm not clear on whether that was an actual implanted device of some sort or what, but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is your appalling lack of common sense.
Only one of your masters appears to be capable of activating the kill switch. For sure she's the only one who actually has, if only briefly to teach you a lesson about defiance as you fall down and writhe in pain. Having decided at the last minute that you were unwilling to kill (again) on their behalf, you returned to their base of operations intent--apparently--on smiting your enemies. Maybe you always intended to die in the process, in which case I suppose I should congratulate you on a job well done. Mission accomplished!
However, on the assumption that you hoped to survive turning on your masters, a couple of suggestions that might have made all the difference.
Yes, it's all very dramatic to drop the two outside guards with a thought and then slam the door open telekinetically as you approach the house. It's very dramatic to stop bullets in mid-air and then throw the goons into a wall one by one as they attack you. But they're not the ones you should be worrying about. It's Boss Lady, who has the mental kill-switch control in her head. Alerting her by taking out the guards one by one so she has time to recognize the threat and deal with it is just...stupid. Criminally, fatally stupid, however, is failing to smite her instantly when she does confront you. Trying to choke a bitch like Darth Vader, or whatever slow motion attack you were using while she killed you instead of slamming her against a wall like everyone else you attacked was, well, criminally, lethally stupid.
Why didn't you just walk into the house to report to Boss Lady. "Is he dead?" Boss Lady would ask. "Yes," you would say, "he is"--just before you drive her through the wall like a nail with your telekinetic powers. THEN you worry about the armed guards who are, after all, merely mortal and can't hurt you.
This is the same critique I've had with many of the characters on Heroes, frankly. Someone or something gives you these amazing powers and you fumble around with them like morons. Sounds like the screenwriters need to hire the Evil Overlord's five year-old assistant to explain to them what you're doing wrong. (And, yeah, the screenwriters may be aware of what you're doing wrong. But that only makes it worse; they're writing you stupid because it's easier than writing you smart enough to deserve the powers they gave you.)
So, Isabelle, you're the proud owner of not one, not two, but multiple 4400 powers. The bad guys are holding your father hostage for your bad behavior. If you don't do as they say, they'll kill him. And the bad guys have implanted a "kill switch" in you. Frankly, I'm not clear on whether that was an actual implanted device of some sort or what, but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is your appalling lack of common sense.
Only one of your masters appears to be capable of activating the kill switch. For sure she's the only one who actually has, if only briefly to teach you a lesson about defiance as you fall down and writhe in pain. Having decided at the last minute that you were unwilling to kill (again) on their behalf, you returned to their base of operations intent--apparently--on smiting your enemies. Maybe you always intended to die in the process, in which case I suppose I should congratulate you on a job well done. Mission accomplished!
However, on the assumption that you hoped to survive turning on your masters, a couple of suggestions that might have made all the difference.
Yes, it's all very dramatic to drop the two outside guards with a thought and then slam the door open telekinetically as you approach the house. It's very dramatic to stop bullets in mid-air and then throw the goons into a wall one by one as they attack you. But they're not the ones you should be worrying about. It's Boss Lady, who has the mental kill-switch control in her head. Alerting her by taking out the guards one by one so she has time to recognize the threat and deal with it is just...stupid. Criminally, fatally stupid, however, is failing to smite her instantly when she does confront you. Trying to choke a bitch like Darth Vader, or whatever slow motion attack you were using while she killed you instead of slamming her against a wall like everyone else you attacked was, well, criminally, lethally stupid.
Why didn't you just walk into the house to report to Boss Lady. "Is he dead?" Boss Lady would ask. "Yes," you would say, "he is"--just before you drive her through the wall like a nail with your telekinetic powers. THEN you worry about the armed guards who are, after all, merely mortal and can't hurt you.
This is the same critique I've had with many of the characters on Heroes, frankly. Someone or something gives you these amazing powers and you fumble around with them like morons. Sounds like the screenwriters need to hire the Evil Overlord's five year-old assistant to explain to them what you're doing wrong. (And, yeah, the screenwriters may be aware of what you're doing wrong. But that only makes it worse; they're writing you stupid because it's easier than writing you smart enough to deserve the powers they gave you.)
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-20 06:05 pm (UTC)My guess is that either the writers think the viewers are that dumb, or that an exec told them to have Isabelle be stupid.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-21 08:39 am (UTC)Really excellent work there. This man can fly, turn himself invisible, heal from any injury, dream and paint the future and goodness knows what else, and he STANDS STILL.
Silly man. At least Hiro tries. He's not very good at the results, but he does try.