Ando & The Haitian

[el rojo]

Let me take a moment to say that "Five Years Gone" was another stellar episode...I love it when they show Nathan flying, easily one of the coolest effects on the show...he's like a rocket. I also loved the brief conflict scene between Peter & Sylar at the end...that was rad (how long since you've heard anyone say "rad"?).

I want to talk about two characters here: 1) The Haitian. IMO, he is still the most mysterious mutant...and we all love a good mystery. I had specualted previously that he could interfere only with mentally-oriented powers (Parkman & Eden)...but after Monday's episode it is clear he can do more than that. I was thrown off by the fact that Nathan was able to fly away from HRG and The Haitian earlier in the season. Perhaps, the Haitian has to know what your power is in able to block it...do we think that HRG knew Nathan was a mutant when they grabbed him?? I got to thinking...The Haitian can remove your memories, so perhaps he can block/erase the portion of your mind which knows how to actuate your ability...but that didn't really seem to track. Then I thought, what if his power isn't the erasure of the things but the creation of "voids". He can create voids within your mind, resulting in memory loss...he was able to create psychic voids that prevented Parkman from mind-reading...he was able to create some kind of energy voids that prevented various Heroes from using their abilities. There are two contextual clues that also leads me to feel this way...1) He doesn't have a name, just a description "The Haitian"...everything about him is shrouded in minimalism and secrecy, he rarely speaks or displays emotion 2) He is a black guy, and what is the color black associated with in many cultures...a void. Darkness or Blackness is the opposite of light, Space(which is largely a void) is black. Is his power simply creating the absence of things??? I think his ethnic identity, being of African descent, is a metaphor for his power. What do you guys/gals think????

2) Second character of interest: Ando. I have decided he is my favorite...he is the most human, the most flawed, he has no special power, but he bravely dives in to this destiny...now that's a true hero. Just like Tim Dekay's character "Jonesy" from HBO's "Carnivale"...Ando is a regular guy surrounded by people with extraordinary abilities, but that doesn't phase him at all. Ando is the heart of the show in many respects...and a bit like all of us, watching unbelievable things unfold right before his eyes.

[kaleidoscope_eyes]

Yeah, I think Ando, despite his lack of ability, is really important to the show because he allows the writers to address the theme of friendship. With future Ando dead, Hiro is driven to try to change the past. As with all of the "heroes," Ando has his part to play in the grand scheme of things rather then just being a sidekick.

The Haitian still confuses me. I expect him to take an active role in promoting Claire's interest like he did previously when deciding not to erase her memory. However, this may change depending on what Mama Petrelli's got up her sleeve. The void thing sounds pretty cool. But could people, such as Mr. Bennett concerning Claire's location, recover the "voided" knowledge over time? Additionally, we know that Mrs. Bennett's mind went wacko after one too many visits from the Haitian. How would this fit into your theory?

[el rojo]

Additionally, we know that Mrs. Bennett's mind went wacko after one too many visits from the Haitian.

Well certainly, none of us can be entirely sure. However, perhaps when The Haitian creates those voids in the mind he removes parts of the brain as a result. It makes me think about how Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease works, this is the human form of "Mad Cow". I guess we'll all have to wait and see.

I love this show!!!