Forgive me if there is already a topic devoted to this in another area, but I have come across a theory I cannot get behind being echoed by a surprising number of people. Also, a warning... This is a long post, so I request that if you are going to say anything to it, read all of it and become fully informed first. Thank you.

In episode 2x11, "Powerless", we are led to believe that Niki was still in the building when it exploded. For a brief play-by-play as I remember it, she summons the strength to move what looked to be one of the building's fallen support beams. I do not believe this to have been breaking of the Shanti virus as some have purposed, rather just the adrenaline-fueled strength referred to when people use the example of a mother lifting a car to save her child. I know Monica is not her child, but I see Niki as enough of a family woman that the same situation could apply.

Back to the point at hand. Being as Niki still has no powers, due to aforementioned virus, whether or not her strength gives her the passive (and predominantly obvious) subtext of a sort of enhanced durability is irrelevant. Let me recount what we know of Niki that is relevant to this topic, as has been confirmed in the show, and therefore in a canonical manner:

• Evolved human ability: Enhanced strength
• Has Disassociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder)**
• So far, has exhibited two personalities separate from herself, both based on events in her past (Jessica - based on her sister, who died due to their alcoholic father's abuse. Gina - based on a time where, while in Los Angeles, Niki pretended to be someone named Gina).
• Had a traumatic upbringing (aforementioned abusive father), a likely strong factor in the development of DID/MPD.

**If you are of the ilk that disagrees with the in-show assertion that Jessica and Gina are nothing but multiple personality disorder, I refer you to the following quote from Jeph Loeb, a writer for Heroes:
Link to interview

If you choose to disagree with not only in-show canon, but one of the writers himself, that is your choice. I respectfully ask, however, that you keep your theories and opinions on the topic at hand, and not insist on them being wrong due to the tattoo and such. Please keep all theories/arguments in fitting with in-show canon. Thank you.

Moving back to the point at hand...

As I said, Niki was shown last inside that burning building. After helping Monica escape and being unable to do so herself (on-camera and therefore in-canon), we see her look around the room, if I recall correctly. She was not shown to have escaped before the building exploded, so I will move on from there.

It has strongly been hinted that we will have Niki back for Volume Three, despite the opinion of viewers like myself that they ended her story well, and she has very little left to go. The part that is, to me, undesirable is that they are saying she will not be herself. Nor will she be Jessica or Gina.

By itself, this is not necessarily bad, although it is getting tiring. Another personality would be fathomable, as three "separate entities" is typically the minimum number in real-life cases of Multiple Personality Disorder (referred to from here on as "Disassociative Identity Disorder" or "DID", the current names for the condition).

The assumption, however, is what this third identity represents to some. I have seen more than a few rational people on here discussing the possibility of this new personality being virus-free and therefore able to access the strength and save herself.

I ask you all, what backing could there be to this idea? Regardless of which personality is in control, the same blood is flowing through the veins, and that blood carries Nicole "Niki" Sanders' HEB (Highly Evolved Being) DNA which is currently infected with the Shanti virus. Effectively, her powers should be blocked in any way, shape or form of use until she is given an injection of the Mohinder/Claire blood mix, known commonly among fans as "cure-all blood".

So, what do you all think, within canon and/also some sort of scientific backing (if you want)? Those of you who think she has indeed survived, I would love to hear your well-formed opinions and ideas as to how. I eagerly await your replies.

-Justin/RiddlerHanjinome

Hi Justin, I think you laid out the situation and question well and I focus on only the core issue; can one of Niki's other personalities be unaffected by the virus?

IMHO - no. As you describe and as the creators state, her disorder is not a power but a characteristic of the person, and so the virus should now be part of all of her personalities.

If I needed to I (and presumably the creators) could think of a way for the virus to affect one personality and not the other but it becomes a deus ex machina way out and very unsatisfying for the virus story.

So I guess Niki's strength in the fire scene was just adrenalin and the personality that survives still has/had the virus.

Justin,

In reality (in a realm without super heroes), disassociative disorder personalities would certainly share other than psychosomatic disorders (i.e., true physical illnesses).

Having said that, I agree with Wrath22 when he suggested, quite creatively, that in the Heroes-verse it could be possible that Niki might escape her shanti-viral and burning building fate by assuming another identity...one free of the virus and super strong.

Creator

Creator, having not seen Wrath's post and not knowing how his creative suggestion went, I would appreciate it if you could either quote itor give a summed-up version for me. I would like to know the reasoning behind this theory, and who knows, I could be swayed. If nothing else, it'll make for interesting reading at work tonight. For now, though, I take my leave to go home and sleep.

-Justin

Justin,

I'll try to restate Wrath22's argument. Wrath22 referred to how, in the real world, a Disassociative Identity Disorder individual might experience a disabling psychosomatic disease or physical disability in one personality and yet, with another of their personalities, effectively shed these psychosomatic related dis-abilities or diseases.

Now, in the Heroes-verse, a HEB DID individual might present with an actual disease or disorder (not psychosomatic) and yet shed that disease or disorder when 'jumping' to another of their personalities.

We already know that going from one personality to another, Niki has demonstrated actual physical differences (the tattoo). This would not happen in real life either and yet we've never had a problem with it.

So, it's entirely possible that Niki's super fine, super strong character could escape certain death by assuming another persona among the several which may be available to her, using rules that we have already seen the evidence of (her tattooed persona Jessica) and found acceptable.

Now, get ye yonder to thy waiting bed where you might alas rest thy weary head...

Creator

That's truly Lamarkian ! If Niki lost a limb would that mean Jessica could still have it?

FM,

Stop being a playa hater! Think advance "adaptation".

Creator

The Tattoo is a change that, admittedly, I always used as an argument against DID. However, the writer's have revealed her power to be Strength, and the Jessica/Nikki/Gina switch to be nothing but a case of Multiple Personality.

Now, the Tattoo is still tricky, but can be explained in that people who suffer DID have been known to display, among other physical alterations, changes in pigmentation.

However, despite everything, Jessica still had only 1 ability, Strength, and was still bound by physical limitations.

Although switching to another personality is certainly a possibility, there is no believable way they could have said personality Virus free. It is still the same body in all ways. If Nikki had changed while pregnant, the personality would also have been pregnant. If Nikki switched while beaten and bloody, the secondary personality would still have been beaten and bloody.

Synch,

I'm not saying that there are no problems with having another personality manifest from DID Niki, but it would be something that I could imagine the writers doing in order to successfully resolve her unfortunate situation.

The fact that one persona presents with a physical manifestation not found in the others, also suggest that the writers have 'paved the way' for this possibility. Would you be terribly surprised if this turned out to be their strategy for saving Niki? How else might they cause this? Do you (or FM) have any other suggestions?

Creator

Ya want suggestions, we got suggestions.
As I said earlier, I can think of ways for the virus to affect one personality and not the other. We know the genes and the personality interact to generate the HEB manifestation, hence no two HEBs are the same, even if they have the same power.

If HEBs can be distinguished by personality then presumably a DID can have different HEB manifestations too.
Now, hold on to your 'shrooms; imagine the interaction of genes and personality at the level of neurobiology. The personality modulates SG gene expression - so why can this not also happen to the virus (which I propose is just more genes). Thus Niki and Jessica could regulate the virus activity differently and maybe even one can switch it off.

This is not fantasy; stressed mice induce plenty of genes that laid back mice don't. And they can also activate latent viruses that have integrated into their genomes.

(Justin will kill me for posting this )

This is more so a question than a response.

Is it true that in some cases of DID, some patients' eye color can change with every personality?

And if so (as much as I hate going back to the subject) would this apply to her tattoo (just being overly dramatic for the show) ?

Sorry if I get off subject but reading these posts had me asking myself questions I thought one of you smart people can answer, cause lord knows I had to use a dictionary for half the words you people type,lol.

They stayed with, albeit exagerrated, confirmed cases of DID for the physical change. Nothing as major as a Tattoo has been seen, and will not be seen in real life for a variety of reasons.
Eye color and skin pigmentation, however, have been confirmed. Thus, the tat is an exagerrated version of what has been seen.


Yes, I would.
I have already listed ways to save Nikki- the easiest being one that is almost guranteed. There is never only 1 way in or out of a building.


The problem with this suggestion is fairly simple. Jessica displayed strength. Nikki displayed strength. It's the same person, albeit with a fractured personality, that is using a power.
The only people with multiple powers are those like Peter and Sylar. You will not see a single person naturally manifest, in any way, multiple abilities.


Not really. Nikki's body, regardless the personality in control, has already manifested an ability. That is, for lack of a better term, "locked" into her genetic code.

Now, if you take a DNA sample from Jessica, and one from Nikki, and even one from Gina, you're going to find that they're the same DNA. That means it's the same person- regardless the persona in charge.

That means they're going to have the same ability.

That, in turn, means they all suffer the same physical weakness.

Basically, the Shanti-Variant doesn't affect the personality. It affects the body. It also doesn't give a rip about what the ability is. It targets and shuts down all of them. (Sylar couldn't use any abilities, and couldn't aquire new ones, while infected.)

Frankly, going that route would destroy the show.


Eye color and skin pigmentation have both been noted to change.


Yeah. As much as I hated them using the standard DID out for Nikki, that's what it was.

Thanx Sych, it's making more sense now.

The "Nikki spawns a new personality that has some unusual power and is unaffected by the virus" will be sloppy writing on par with the original Superman comics. (Back when he manifested a "power of the week" to get out of whatever odd situation he was in- including "super-ventriloquism")

Agree, they both have the power from the same genes, just different personalities. And that is key.

Same DNA but not necessarily the same outcome.
It depends on how the DNA is expressed and this can be different if the personalities are different. Obviously there's no proof of this for DIDs with superpowers, but twins show different patterns of gene expression from day 1 depending on how much attention they get, left breast or right breast, and all that. So personality can affect genes - and maybe Shanti.

Maybe, but the question is not whether Shanti affects personalities differently, but whether the personalities can affect Shanti.

Why would they? The ShantiVariant is not dependant on Personality. It's purely physical. It affects the ability to access powers, nothing more. (Unless it's one of the deadlier strains, of course, where it causes...well..death...)

Well, we don't know that. If the virus has genes it will still need the cell machinary to make proteins so that it can do it's job, stopping the HEB powers. If it needs the cell then anything that influences the cell status may stop Shanti from working. I suggested that personality could do this because personality is known to affect the cell's workings.

FM,

Are you...agreeing with me?! Keep throwin' down those 'shrooms!

Creator

Creator, is it Sunday? Then I must be agreeing.
Just throwing out a rationale for how one of Niki's alter egos could switch off Shanti. It's perfectly reasonable in terms of gene regulation but I think it would be seen as a deus ex machina way out for the writers. A case of truth being stranger than fiction.

I lol'd.

Really, people, this is a pretty 'out there' idea. I'm not saying it doesn't possibly be where they are going, but it's just dumb and a cop out. Super ventriloquism it may not be, but c'mon. Pigment or eye color is one thing, but utterly wiping out a virulent virus that affects the central nervous system(and thus the brain,) by switching personalities...not just implausible, but hard to explain to an audience.

Also, The Company had her under investigation not just in their hospital, but for presumably years before(she, Micah and D.L. were a pet project of Linderman, after all,) so wouldn't they know that removing the virus by switching personalities was a possibility and mention it to her/investigate it/try to induce it in their efforts to understand Evolved Humans and how they work?

The tattoo thing is most likely on the level of Peter's supposed Eden voice - a cool effect, nothing more.

Much more likely for the next season is for them to reveal that Jessica never really died and have the actress come back that way, or rescue her from the fire in another way.

The problem is it's not a perfectly reasonable explanation. It requires far too many leaps of "faith."

You have to accept that the Virus actually gives a damn about personality as opposed to power.
You have to accept that, somehow, personality can stop the virus.
You have to accept that the genetically "locked in" power of Superstrength somehow changes based on Persona. (Once an ability manifests it doesn't change, it's "locked in" and permanent. It can grow and strengthen, but it doesn't change.)

And, you run into the further problem I already listed earlier. The so-called "Superman syndrome." Nikki/Jessica/Gina/Whoever suddenly becomes what people have been afraid Sylar and Peter would become. Unbeatable.

Hey, Synch nobody will prove it one way or the other. I'm only attepting to provide some real info that may be relevant to the possibility. None of the leaps of faith you listed are leaps for me as a biologist. I find quantum physics quite unreal but there is proof, apparently.

"You have to accept that the Virus actually gives a damn about personality as opposed to power."
No - the virus is just a machine but the machine must be operated. Different personalities can operate differently and maybe stop it.

"You have to accept that, somehow, personality can stop the virus."
Yes - see above. But this is not a leap. It has been shown that e.g. mood can change gene expression.

"You have to accept that the genetically "locked in" power of Superstrength somehow changes based on Persona."
No - I'm not talking about the SG genes only the virus. Although I guess the same argument can be used for both.

Not saying that this is the way it will go. Molecular biology is not for general consumption and I prefer to see a better story. Nevertheless a fair rationale can be proposed that personality could stop the virus.

The problem is the virus doesn't care about any of that, at all.

The Shanti-variant that Nikki injected herself with was the same one used on Sylar (non-lethal, but power blocking) and, most likely, related to the inhibitors that Peter was taking.

3 seperate people. 3 completely different personalities. 3 completely different primary abilities. 2 of them with multiple abilities.

Yet, the virus worked the same way on all of them- and none of them could use any of their abilities.

ETA:
If the Virus were to affect Nikki differently than Jessica, and Jessica differently than Gina...it would follow that it affected Nikki differently than Peter, and Peter differently than Sylar. After all, N/J/G/Whoever Else They Add inhabit the same body with the same power. Peter and Sylar are completely separate people. But the effects were the same in all 3.

(I could accept Peter being dropped from the list, since he was using the Inhibitor Pills which were, apparently, temporary. Sylar and Nikki, though, were both given the injection. And it had to be the same injection, since the cure Moh whipped up for Nikki worked on Sylar.)

As I said, the virus is just a machine to be operated. Different personalities may do this differently. I can put a virus in identical cells and treat the cells to make them destroy or replicate the virus. Same cells different result - they take on different personalities depending on the treatment.

Very good arguments for proposing that it should work on all HEB's the same (and probably why the creators will not make N/J/G react differently). But this doesn't make it any less possible.

If you read my first post in this thread, I said that N/J/G should be equally infected by the virus (being the same physical person). But Creator asked for suggestions of how to get around this - so I suggested one. I do not like the idea one bit, but the biological facts make it a possibility that doesn't require leaps of faith.

Different treatment- outside influence having nothing to do with the cell, or even the person involved. It's specific and deliberate treatments.


Based on those arguments, IMHO anyway, it makes it not only implausible but also impossible.


I read that...but I have a slight problem. There is little I love more than a good debate- and I guess I just couldn't let it go without answering the points.

Well in the case of cells the treatment substitutes the personality. A real personality creates its own "treatment", so one person gets het up while another is just cool. This internal presonality chemistry could switch off the virus by acting in genes at a biochemical level.

Yay, long live the great debate.

Synch,

I have no problem with an alternate escape route as the survival solution for Niki. I have much more of a problem with the change of persona solution but can imagine the greater possibility of the writers going here.

Done well, with imagination, finesse, and with a creditable, acceptable explanation, I can live with either.

Would you (or anyone else) have any other solutions that you might offer? For example, is her favorite fireman still alive?

Creator

First off all, it's no secret that Niki (or whatever she will be called) will return next season. Now, how she survives is currently a mystery. But, sticking to this theory, I will argue both sides.

I believe that a normal virus given to a person with DID would show symptoms of the virus in all aspects of the person's personalities.

BUT, the way that the abilities work, and the way the virus works may make it possible for Niki to survive had she switched personalities. I will explain; Niki's ability resides in the brain (think back to Chandra Suresh) and the Shanit virus was made to shut down a person's ability. So, I think it's safe to say that the virus affects the brain, specifically in the part where a person accesses their ability.

Now, POSSIBLY (very slim chance though) Niki's struggle in the burning building could've triggered another personality, and this new personality somehow is able to bypass the virus-affected portion of the brain, and access the ability through another part of the brain (The ability might reside in more places than the virus affects).

This theory does indeed require many leaps of faith, and is very unstable.

MY ACTUAL theory of how she survives is that she simply ducks for cover, and only recieves minor to less-than-life-threatening injuries. More than likely, the company takes her in, and patches her up (much like they did Sylar) and all is well with the world.

And we have a winner.

Always remember, the first rule of good writing, K.I.S.S.

1) Having read your rephrasal and FutureMuggles' biological evidence of it being potentially possible, I can accept that it may be a possibility. However, I stand by my thoughts as to it not being what they go with.

2) As I have said before, I still maintain that the tattoo is either (as Dezzie mentioned) for "coolness" factor, like the Peter and Sylar voice-changes, or (my personal thoughts) the remnants of an idea that they decided to scrap. If you'll notice, Gina displayed no physical evidence of the change, only Jessica, and we haven't seen the tattoo since season one.

3) Rofl at "Super strong, super fine."


Actually, FM, I appreciate the logic behind it. I knew, from reading as much in previous debates and conversations, that you would likely be the one to use total and complete science to play the devil's advocate and argue for the sake of both sides, regardless of personal opinion. Your take on both sides of this is phenomenally informative and appreciated. I was actually not aware of the "stressed mice" example, or that cellular changes can be affected by the personality, albeit subconsciously. Thank you for the informative and factually-based replies. THAT is what I was looking for from those who follow the "new personality = saved" theory.


1) Well, despite personally knowing a few buildings that there is only one entry/exit for, I agree with this. Since they're having her survive (despite a perfect out for her, being as her storyline is sufficiently done and was ended well, IMHO), This is the theory I hold onto and find plausible.

2) Agreed.

3) Same.

4) And this is where I was coming from in the OP.

5) 110% agreed.


Interesting assertion. I was not aware that the personality was so powerful in respect to potential development/occurence of genetic anomalies.


Dezzie, I agree almost completely, although the last bit is still reach. I'd still rather she put her head between her legs and kiss her aesthetically pleasing arse goodbye, but since the writers are bringing her back... I argue the back door/window theory.


Ah, I love having a biologist handy. Your continued input makes me grin, Shroom King!


As FM said, very good arguments for this route of thought.


For some reason, I feel I would love to see this experiment performed.


Joe, your input is a surprise and pleasure. I am glad you are willing, as are FM and Creator, to consider both trains of though, as well as facts. I do like your "very slim chance" theory of the new personality managing to bypass the virus-affected portion, but I still stubbornly hold that it is in the DNA as well, and not just the brain. I prefer your actual theory much better.

And all of that out there now... I'd've preferred they just ended her story. As I said above, it was a perfect out, and her storyline has little movement room for where to go next. Personal opinion though. I like the character, as I like them all, but she revolves around family. Hence it being a good out for her.

Considering the fact that, according to Kring and Ali, the original concept (scrapped early on, apparently) was to have them be literally 2 different people, I tend to agree.

I would have to some research to back it up, but I've heard and read several times how people suffering from DID not only may have a different self-perception (meaning Niki might just not have realised she's got a tattoo as her mind "declines" seeing it when being Niki) but also sometimes show different physical attributes, as incredible as it sounds. For instance there might be a personality who is blind.

Of course assuming a different personality might not be infected is beyond normal - but then it's Heroes we're talking about. I actually like the idea.

I've heard so, but I really would have to some research on this. It might as well be an urban legend.

OK, when I answered this morning, I hadn't read all of the thread an was disturbed before I could finish - so sorry for coming up with something that had been widely discussed already. ^^


I'm really starting to like this theory - actually a lot more than the lame "rush of adrenalin" explanation or the possibility she might just have found a save place.

It doesn't feel deus ex machina to me at all, it feels like something that fits well into a superhero environment. "She ducked somewhere and only got some scratches" to me seems so much more an easy way out.

I think the possibility of a personality change allowing access to her powers is defendable - I don't see how it stretches believe further than the tattoo (a split personality causes pigment changes in the form of a well known symbol? yeah, that's believable ). The question is wether you like it. I do. Synch and Riddler don't. I'm excited what they'll do.

oliveFoxx,

Welcome aboard!

Creator

<--- thanks, you just found my new member title

FM,

I like it!

Creator

Not here to rain on a parade or anything, but for those arguing for gene expression and what not, can you give me a good (preferably medical journal) source for this stuff about eye color and what not?

I've searched high and low on google and google scholar for anything that seems to be proof and it's looking like an urban myth.

Yes and no, it's not a myth but it's often overinterpreted. Eye color changes slowly in all of us, with age, with illness, even with stress. This can be caused by degradation of eye pigments (like after sun or ultraviolet light exposure) or deposits of fats from the blood. For eye color to change in DID, it would have to be rapid and reversible. Increased or decreased blood flow could do this (could turn blue to bluish-green but not to brown).

In the contrext of this thread it is important to say that these changes are NOT due to switches in gene activity. Changing eye colour is like changing skin colour, there are many reasons but not because you have new genes activated. The only place this happens is in genetically modified fluorescent animals where you can make the eyes and skin glow in the dark.

Whoa, interesting stuff, FM.

So I'll restate my question - can I get a source for the science(or pseudo-science) behind Niki being able to cure herself of the virus by switching personalities? That's the gene expression stuff, right?

P.S. Now I want a fluorescent cat!

So, yeah, I didn't really answer your question did I .
You won't find anything scientific linking personality switches to altered gene expression. Problem is you can't really get DID suffers to become experiments (like donate samples before and after a switch) and lab rats don't have enough distinguishable personality (sorry lab rats) to be useful.

So it's all a collection of tiny hard facts joined together with elastic and arranged in the form of a theory. Personally, it's been a fun exploration, but I'll stick to the idea that Niki's personalities are all infected and a switch won't cure it.

PS. Cats are not yet for sale but fish you can have

I've found this, it's a presentation of the psychological derpartment of the University of Cologne, Germany and it's based on a variety of literature (see bibliography at the bottom).

As it's in German I will sum up the most interesting points for you (I could of course make up something, but propably G7 is willing to back me up and confirm my translation ).

• personalities of a DID patient differ in name, age, gender, social dates, abilities, intelligence, habits and physiological characteristics
• their senses may be developed to different degrees (for instance perception of pain, sense of touch, eyesight, ... )
• personalities may have a picture of themselves that differs a lot from their actual appearance: one personality might see herself as an attractive blonde woman, another one as young, red-haired, chobby girl
• the different personalities manifest different skills and also cognitive abilities - whereas some might be very gifted in crafts, others might be clumsy
• the reaction on medication may differ: one personality may be calmed down by a sedative, another on the contrary may be vitalized by it
• the activity of vegetative nerv system differs
• there are cases in which one personality suffers from migraine but the others don't. Similar cases refer to only one personality having certain allergies or diabetes
• different personalities show different levels of cerebral activity when exposed to the same stimulus. Tests with people not suffering from DID, who were asked to act as different persons, showed, how the cerebral activities of these people kept stable even when posing as someone else. So effect is not copyable.

Of course not.
But why would we talk about genes? Viruses work on a cellular level, as far as I remember (but then I skipped biology a lot... ).

Wow, nice find oliveFoxx (und ick konnt' allet versteeh'n; those years in Berlin paid off at last ).
I'm amazed at some of the personality differences, especially asthma and diabetes. That would be just like switching off Shanti.
Now I must get some of the references to see how they actually did those studies. Thanks for posting that.

I'm hoping the writers don't go the "a new personality is not affected by the virus" route. Unless they spin it really, really well, I just think it's lazy and a cop out, even though there is some evidence that makes it plausible. Though, I'll take it cause I love Ali.

I tend to think she is going to find another way out or perhaps a place to somewhat protect herself during the explosion and fire. Or maybe she does die but somehow gets either Claire, Adam or Peter's (assuming it's magical too) blood. This might explain a totally new persona. Or perhaps someone with a power that could help her intervened off screen. Or maybe fHiro or fPeter come back in time b/c Niki's death needs to be prevented to prevent some greater "evil" (maybe after his mother's death, Micah goes to the dark side).

Ok, I'll stop now.

oliveFoxx: Interesting! As with so many things in the Heroesverse that seem illogical, I always thought Jessica's tattoo was just a plot device. Interesting to know it might be possible.

If anyone deserves credit for suggesting the possibility that Niki may be saved by the emergence of a new "Shanti-free" persona it would be Wrath22. That was an awesome suggestion (even if wrong) that lead us to this consideration.

Creator

But would it be necessary for her to emerge Shanti-free? Worse things have been healed - if she is still in contact with the Company, they'll have means to get help to her very quickly without using up a lot of plot.

I missed this whole discussion.. but I appreciate the back up.

I'm not 100% sold on the idea myself, of a new personality bypassing the virus and accessing the power, but it's not an unplausible scenario. Blocking powers is just the first "stage" of the infection, so if physical changes are possible in an HEB with DID, it could be explained that way. Or the adrenaline rush (excellent suggestion) could have her accessing the power if just for a split second.

And I think the assertion that such a thing would "destroy the show" is an egregious exaggeration.

But there are certainly other means to save her. I'd rather see Peter or Hiro pop in and stop time, and/or pop out with her. Or maybe another phaser like DL would save her. Like DL's brother. Ha. Just kidding.

I'm just going to jump in here and say that I dont mind the idea of a new personality not having the virus, as long as the show does a good job with it.

With that being said though, if they get as in depth as people here have, is the general audience going to get and buy it? I'm not trying to call America dumb, but most people, if it isn't explained well enough, is going to think that the show made something up, or is going in a wacky direction.

Just thought I'd throw that out there. The writers, if this is the route they decide to choose, need to map it out carefully and find a way to explain it in an easy, understandable, quick manner. I wouldn't like to see the reason for her survival be dragged out over five episodes. For me, I think they should get it out of the way as soon as shes on screen, or in that episode and then move on with the hopefully amazing storyline that she deserves.

Good post Brennan. I think we would all be more satisfied with a well told story and wobbly science than with layers of theoretical biology (I'm thinking ST:Voyager and the endless physics technobabble).

Blocking powers is not the "first stage" of the variant she's infected with. That is the virus she's infected with. (It's the exact same one Sylar had.)


Actually, it's a legitimate concern- not an exaggeration and by no means egregious. You would be bringing in extremely shaky "science" to explain what every viewer would see as a cheap way to keep Ali in the show. As much as I love Ali and the character she plays, I'd rather see her dead and off the show than have them go there.