I have a minor concern about the attitude of many characters on the show. It seems to me that they stereotype too much. Many "specials" seem to have this "holier than thou" attitude, and seem to think of non-powered individuals as chimpansees. Why? For some reason they all think having a power is a big deal. "They don't understand me", they say, but really - what's to understand? It's not like it makes you any different that other people, apart from the fact that you have one trait they don't have. The self-pity many of the powered characters have was bearable at first, but after five volumes it gets a little old, doesn't it?
To make their point that humans are dumb chimps, the writers include "normal" characters who act in exactly the way the negativistic "specials" expect - by labeling them as freaks and utterly rejecting them without a reasonable motive (honestly, where you truly convinced by Gretchen's motive to leave Claire? If I was her (she had a crush on Claire), I would certainly not do that - it just seems unreasonable. Which is why I was never very fond of the activities of the Company and Samuel's carnival. They think that secrecy (the company) or living seperately without dialogue between powered and non-powered individuals would ever solve anything. In my opinion, both groups should man up, get rid of those prejudiced black & white opinions, and learn to deal with each other's presence. I'm all for an "exposed future". Some people think this would be bad as the "evil normals" would want to imprison them, but try not to forget that the times when this actually happened it was only because governments found out about it first and labeled them a threat. I don't believe that a witchhunt as portrayed in the dark futures would happen in a time when other "races" or people with different sexual preferences are steadily being accepted.

Ok, long rant, but what's my point? The show should show the "shades of gray". Sure, there are idiots on both side - but there needs to be less stereotyping.

Discuss!

roflmao

Do you really think there would be shades of grey on this in the real world? It took centuries for people to accept each other...and the only difference between them was a shade of melanin.

The way the series has shown it is actually pretty much exactly how it would really be. Some would accept the HEBs, though not very many. Most HEBs would want to blend in. Some HEBs would go crazy.

It's not like they've been trying to get accepted before the modern age. The reason why nothing even changed about that hostile attitude towards everything "different" was because too many of them shut up instead of make a stand. Yes, I believe there would be shades of grey. Certain powers are dangerous and should be contained at all costs. It's like fighting cancer - cancer is our enemy, not the people suffering from cancer. Other people with harmless powers wouldn't be bothered too much, I think. After all, having a power doesn't change your behavior, unlike some other "anomalies" in the human race.
And if they would indeed get rejected, then I think open conflict is the only solution. Hiding under a rock never did anyone any good. I'd ally with them

But the things is that some people will classify ALL POWERS as dangerous. And some people, like Samuel, who would be "relatively" harmless without a power become overwhelmingly dangerous when it manifests or they try to increase it. Think about it like Hitler. He was helpless and had no real power. But when people started to listen to him and gave him power he almost took over the world with it and caused so much devastation that the world still hasn't totally recovered from it 70 YEARS after he started.

Cancer is a (semi) treatable illness.

These powers are who they are. They aren't simply genetic, but written into the DNA.

And they're different. In this world (both the world as seen on Heroes and the real world) Different=Hated. (Wars have been fought over less for centuries.)

In reality? There would be a large group of people going "RABBLE RABBLE RABBLLE" and all wound up that there are people that have differences. There would also be a decently sized group of people, not even HEBs mind you, protesting for "special's" rights. There would be people who thought it was cool, and a lot of people who were scared.


But I do understand a littttlle of what the OP is saying. I miss a character like Zach, who was just totally onboard from the getco. I thought we had that in Gretchen, but then she just totally turned around and changed her mind. I think we saw it more in Season 1 actually then we see it currently, but that has part to do with it being one of the themes of this season IMO: Can I fit into normal society? Should i just run off with people of my own kind? In ANY situation of difference people have to face that dilemma. It is comfortable to be with people who are like you.

Well, in all fairness, Gretchen left only because her life was threatened. I mean, who's to say that Zack wouldn't have done the exact same thing? Actually, I think most people would have had the exact same response that she did, whether they were special or not. People who aren't used to having their lives in danger, I'm sure take it a little harder than those who do

As far as the OP, I have to agree with Synch. I think that the show does a very good job of portraying the world in response to Special people. I mean, we can all say we'd be cool with, but that kind of makes sense. most of us like that kind of stuff (comics, super powers, super heroes, ect) hence the reason we watch the show. The majority of people however, don't have the kind of exposure that we do (though with the new wave of scifidom, this number is increasing I'm sure.)

My point is, people don't like change. They don't like things out of the ordinary, and they don't like things that are different than themselves. Super powers fit into all three of these categories.

I also just want to throw out there that if I saw a woman freeze and shatter a cup of hot coffee, I'd probably freak a little. Just sayin'!

If you ever end up being a "weirdo" in this world, I'm pretty sure you'll understand why characters in Heroes behave that way. This is a typical "it did not happen to me so it does not exist" attitude. It's actually the way it is. Happy people will never notice but I find Heroes something I can relate to a lot better than a drama about "normal" people. It's the main reason I watch the show, actually. It even mildly reminds me of the current situation with Asperger's Syndrome.

There may be normals who will understand. They'll also be a heavy minority. That heavy minority is filled in by HRG and maybe some other people in Heroes for me...

But she didn't just sit Claire down and be like "Look dude, I think it would be best if I stepped out of down for a couple of ays/weeks. Just till things cool down. I don't want to die boo."

She sort of stormed out, suggesting that Claire and the life she lived was freakish. She did it in this cruel, accusing way.

I found that very realistic.
Seriously, you never did something weird in front of a person and got that very same reaction?

I'm not saying it was an unrealistic reaction, nor that it never happens. I am saying that lately is seems to be happening too often on Heroes. That is the point I kind of think the OP was getting at. Like I said, I understand they are working towards a theme of alienation here, but it does get a bit tiresome. Especially when you are from a weird and accepting populace and are just like, well where am I represented in this?


Maybe when we get past this story arc, if we do ever get passed it, we can move on from the everyone-and-their-mother's-freaking-out-over-powers. For now it feels like we are in for a whole lot more of people being cruel.