Episode Report Card Erin: A | 48 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Save the cheerleader. Save the -- wait, how does it go?
By Erin | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 2006.10.23
Peter moves into the loft and starts looking at the canvases. He sees Hiro and Ando with blood hanging over them, Claire looking panicked, a guy in a coat running up some stairs, and the eclipse. He pulls back the eclipse painting to see the one of Claire being chased by the monster/daddy/Sylar or whatever and he snorts in disbelief. "It's her," he says. "The cheerleader."
Nathan and Hiro arrive back at the hotel in their dusty car. Nathan gets out and actually opens Hiro's door for him and says something to him in Japanese and Hiro gets out and shouts at the top of his lungs, "Vote Petrelli!" "Early and often," Nathan chuckles. Heh. He genuinely gets a kick out of Hiro, which is kind of charming. They shake hands and Hiro leans forward to whisper, "Up, up and away!" Nathan smiles and says, "Absolutely." Hee. It's like he knows that no one will believe Hiro anyway, so it's kind of okay that they talk about the flying and the hero stuff. Hiro grabs his suitcase and heads off to the garage to retrieve his car.
Once there, he loads his luggage and gets in behind the wheel, honking the horn, going "Vroom Vroom!" and shouting at imaginary people to get out of the way. Yeah. The cuteness is wearing a bit thin. I'd like to see the progression from Cute-but-Dippy Hiro to Cool-and-Calm FutureHiro. And I'd like to see it soon, please. Hiro puts the key in the ignition and "Woo hoos!" at being able to figure that out, but then he stalls because he's never driven a car before and has no idea what to do next. He hits a button and the wipers start going. Some people have commented that this is an idiot move and totally unrealistic, but I just did that last week in my own car and I've been driving that damn thing for a year and have driven pretty much consistently since I was seventeen. But then people have often remarked upon how "special" I really am. I always thought they were being complimentary, but now I'm not so sureâ¦
Hiro digs for some "instructions" and finds a car manual in the glove box. Unfortunately, the "instructions" are in English. He looks totally dejected. Because, of course, one minute he can't speak any English at all and can't even leave a simple message on Isaac's machine explaining about the whole world blowing up, the next he can carry on a rather extended conversation with Nathan regarding flying and heroism and big explosions, and right after that he can't figure out how to start and drive a car which would indicate that not only has he never driven a car, HE'S ACTUALLY NEVER EVEN BEEN IN ONE. Because even someone who has never driven may still have BEEN in a car at some point and may have, I don't know, NOTICED WHERE THE KEY GOES AND SOME LITTLE PEDALS ON THE FLOOR. All I'm saying is, while it's entirely realistic that Hiro doesn't know how to drive, this entire scene makes him look like the village idiot. He's cute and I adore him and everything, but he's not stupid and having him not know the first thing about what to actually DO in a car is just ridiculous. Also? Decide whether or not he can speak-o no Engrish and stick with it, Goddammit.