A Chance In Hell?

by Unlikely Hiro

Out of Time marks the first time in thirty episodes that this show has really disappointed me. The show has for once given us something that actually was exactly what it seemed, missing the opportunity to tell a wonderfully complex story.

I liked Kensei. He was a nice guy, if a bit self-centered, but he had been turned from his path to one of heroism by the aptly named Hiro. His legend was coming true, even as he betrayed everyone around him and sold out to the enemy. He had "cut out his own heart," if you will. As The Line came to an end, I could feel the rug about to be pulled out from under us. Takezo Kensei, I confidently predicted, would return to save the day.

No dice. Kensei is suddenly beyond vengeful, so completely and utterly beyond redemption that Hiro had to leave him to be incinerated. Where did this come from?! Whatever happened to foreshadowing? He showed capacity to be inconsiderate, showed himself to be an alcoholic, and showed less-than-pure motivations, but come on!

I’ve never liked literalism. The best stories have been riddled with metaphor and symbolism, something that, in the past, Heroes excelled in. They had the perfect opportunity, the perfect bait-and-switch, and they blew it!

Furthermore, I am sick of immortals who hate life, the universe, and everything. The lovable goof-off Kensei (LGOK) would have been the perfect person to break this stereotype, a person who would look at an unending life as an unending adventure. Instead, we are given yet another vengeful immortal.

I guess I will have to settle for a good Kensei in my "Years Gone" story, which I shall now shamelessly plug: http://www.the-owi.com/FICTIONYG1.html. Goodbye, LGOK. You shall be sorely missed.

Wait a second.

This did come from nowhere. A suspicious nowhere. I’m not entirely ready to except Kensei the Supervillain (KTSV), though there’s a 99.9% probability he exists. There is, however, a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery slight chance, a chance in hell, if you will, that LGOK is still around in 2007. A chance made up of the old legend, a crazy off-the-wall theory, and a lack of trust.

According to the Legend of Takezo Kensei, once Kensei tore out his heart, the Dragon (Hiro?) breathed "fire-life" back into him. Hiro kinda did this, when he incinerated him. Which brings me to the off-the-wall theory.

It was mentioned on the boards that Kensei’s personality seemed to change after he "died" in Lizards. Thus, the theory states, Kensei is a different person after each "death." Assuming this is true, Kensei could have been "reformed" by the fire.

Which brings me to trust. Why, oh why, are we suddenly trusting Bob Bishop? Why are we believing him when he says that the 11/8 Spectacular was Adam’s idea? Bob is an expert manipulator, albeit a passive-aggressive one. He won Mohinder’s trust by siccing Niki on himself. He will win Nathan and Matt’s trust by making Adam the apocalyptic mastermind. It was Bob who tampered with the virus, creating the Niki Strain; it was Bob who insisted on its, shall we say, tactical use; and it will be Bob who releases it into the world, killing 5.8 billion people. Bob is, pardon the language, covering his ass. Adam and Peter are the ones who are trying to save the world (remember, the Linderman Clan was in charge when Adam was imprisoned).

Admittedly, this is a long shot. But until we see him in Four Months Ago, I still hold out a tiny scrap of hope, that there is a chance in hell that Adam Monroe is indeed out to save the world.