Sylar... not a Brain eater?

[Silent Kal]

Suresh learned that the abilities may be related to adrenaline. Norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) is a similar chemical in the body that is also a neurostimulator (chemical in the brain) released by the nervous system to stimulate the "fight or flight" response (aslo name-dropped by Suresh).

Perhaps Sylar is "studying" the part of the brain that kicks off this chemical process--the part that releases the hormone/adrenaline-like chemical that is involved in triggering fight-or-flight--which triggers the abilities.

[Yoshua]

Suresh learned that the abilities may be related to adrenaline. Norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) is a similar chemical in the body that is also a neurostimulator (chemical in the brain) released by the nervous system to stimulate the "fight or flight" response (aslo name-dropped by Suresh).

Perhaps Sylar is "studying" the part of the brain that kicks off this chemical process--the part that releases the hormone/adrenaline-like chemical that is involved in triggering fight-or-flight--which triggers the abilities.

The abilities are activated by heightened adrenaline. The abilities themselves are created by a genetic mutation in the brain. When given flight or fight the brain kicks into instinct mode and the powers manifest.

[jimmyolsenblues]

sylar is a brain eater just not claire cause she special.

[GottaLoveHotSuperHeros]

Claire: Are you going to eat my Brain?
Sylar: Claire... Thats disgusting

Haha he delivered that line so well.

Maybe he's changed and doesn't have to eat brains anymore, but he did before. I fee like he's different somehow after his second chance. Like maybe he doesn't kill people anymore, just takes their abilities with a special part of the brain.

Maybe her brain was a bad flavor...?

[Randy G.]

Yeah, that part was hilarious.

But I still think BS.
I can still see him munchin' on a noggin.

[Cychotec]

I read that the original concept for Sylar was to have him eat the brains and ingest the power... but to avoid the comparisons to zombies, they came up with the intuitive aptitude ability and left what was done with the brain ambiguous.... well I guess up until now.

[The Ninth Doctor]

I loved this scene. Firstly because I've always been a proponent of the "he just studies them" theory, secondly because it was the most brilliant Jossing of a fan theory I've ever seen, and thirdly it was hilarious.


The odd thing was I remember quite a few of the writers saying that it was left up to the imagine of the viewers because they didn't think they could do brain eating non-cheesily, and they themselves thought he ate brains.

[last man of krypton]

I loved this scene. Firstly because I've always been a proponent of the "he just studies them" theory, secondly because it was the most brilliant Jossing of a fan theory I've ever seen, and thirdly it was hilarious.

Ditto.

[Lex'sLover]

Well, I'm Happy to know that he doesn't Eat the Brains of his victims. I also think that Claire really asked that question because so many of us fans asked it. Tim Kring was answering us, IMO.

I'm thinking that maybe what Sylar 'Removed' from Claire's brain was Too Small for us to see. Remember that Sylar's first Ability was 'Being able to See How Things Worked'. I think he looks at the human brain the way he looks at a device and his Ability shows him what's different about it, so he removes that portion to use it. Now, I don't understand what he does with it after he removes it. I read somewhere that it would be revealed to us at some later date.

I'm Not a 'Sylar' fan. I Hate the creepy crawlies, and I Hated that no one could stop Sylar. Every evil villain should have a weakness that facilitates a way to stop him. I Hate Unstoppable evil.
***
Sorry, I didn't see your post, Jon, when I first started writing this response including how Sylar had the Ability to "See how things worked".

Exactly.. he liked to see how things 'Worked' and i never really thought he ate the whole brain.. just that small peice.. but hearing that he doesnt eat them at all is even better. IMO.. like you said.. he is still unstoppable. And I know alot of people think hes lost something by not eating brains, but I don't think he is any less intimidating. I mean... I always found it a little over the top really that he devoured full brains. that just seemed like a little much. I kind of convinced myself that that wasnt the case, and thank God, I was right in keeping faith in that. The fact that Syler is still unstoppable, now with Claires powers, still keeps him scary... I don't think he needs to eat brains to keep you on edge.

But honestly.. like you sais.. you hate the fact of unstoppable evil. I'm pretty happy for itactually. Because .. yes.. every villian has a weakness.. which I'm sure we will find he does at some point, but for now... I think its good that he cant be stopped.. cause it means that he isnt going anywhere. and that makes me happy. You also have to think.. somehow Peter.. who can heal... has that big scar across his face. How did he get that? Maybe the same way they can kill Sylar.

----- Added 1 Minutes later -----

well, now what? This episdoe brought down Sylar's awesomeness by several points. There are some things about a villain that should remain mysterious they give the character their all-important unique flavor; I didn't mind them giving him an origin, I even thought it was cool that he seemed virtually unstoppable, you just didn't know what it would take to bring him down.

Now, not only was the brain-eating myth debunked, but they gave him a new mother? Lame... This dog has lost his bite and it's going to be very hard to get it back.

I was terrified of Sylar in S1 he was a real demon. Now that he's immortal and not a cannibal, he's something less I can't be scared of him anymore.

I can understand people feeling that way, though I don't agree. But with the Angela being his mother thing.. there is no certainties on that. It could be her just manipulating her way in... you never know.

----- Added 4 Minutes later -----

I was actually a tad disappointed he didn't eat brains. Mind you, he was pretty scary the whole time he was in Claire's house. (Though it was odd seeing Heroes go all I know what you did last summer on us.)

Wonder what'll happen next?

Exactly! He was still scary right? Its not the fact that he eats Brains really.. I never thought of it like that.. I think its the fact that he is a scary unstoppable stalker.. who can creep in and get you when you least expect it.. and will cut off the top of your head and kill you just so he can 'Examine' your brain. And when he was in the house.. and he was almost just like a shadow he was so quick and quiet.. THAT is scary.

----- Added 5 Minutes later -----

I remember back in season 1, Noah telling Sylar "I think that so many alterations to your DNA has made you insane."

Maybe when Sylar examines the brain, when he sees the brain variation (power signature) his base power (original) allows him to shift his DNA to include that new unique variation.

ooooh! thats a very cool Idea and I like it! With each new power he just gets more and more insane...very nice!

----- Added 7 Minutes later -----

... plus it gave me my favorite line from the premiere: "That's disgusting, Claire!"

lmao!!! I kkknooow! My favourite line too!!! lol

----- Added 9 Minutes later -----

I think that since he's more like a creepy mad scientist that it adds extra flair to Sylar. It doesn't matter to me whether he ate the brains or not - he's still cool. Even more cool now - aside from his mama's boy need that is still hanging around.

EXACCCTLY!I totally agree with you.. and I was thinking the same thing.. with the whole mad scientist comparison... He really seems more crazily interested and devoted to power... the brain eating thing.. ruins nothing! Soooo happy you agree!

----- Added 10 Minutes later -----

That was a great moment where Claire asked if he were going to eat it.

I've given up on Sylar dying a slow and painful death. Now I'll just wish for him to be tortured with straight pins for eternity.

awww! that makes me sad

----- Added 12 Minutes later -----

Haha he delivered that line so well.

Maybe he's changed and doesn't have to eat brains anymore, but he did before. I fee like he's different somehow after his second chance. Like maybe he doesn't kill people anymore, just takes their abilities with a special part of the brain.

Maybe her brain was a bad flavor...?

lol.. I know! When he said that i was just like.. *shivers* his voice in the show is just so... soothing in a very non soothing way... which makes him so... I dont even know which word to use!

ya but I think he has to kill people.. I mean.. when you cut off the top of someones head and start freely touching their brain ... they are most likely going to die am I right? Blood loss or something... or you know.. their heads being cut off.. or at least they would go into shock or something. I think the only reason Claire lived at all is cause.. well.. she's Claire.

----- Added 15 Minutes later -----

I loved this scene. Firstly because I've always been a proponent of the "he just studies them" theory, secondly because it was the most brilliant Jossing of a fan theory I've ever seen, and thirdly it was hilarious.


The odd thing was I remember quite a few of the writers saying that it was left up to the imagine of the viewers because they didn't think they could do brain eating non-cheesily, and they themselves thought he ate brains.

ya.. I always loved that Theory myself.

That is weird.. but maybe they figured it was too.. I don't know... cheesy after all. Cause alot of people were probably making fun of the fact that he eats brains, and maybe they wanted Sylar to be taken more seriously.

[citizenlen]

Sylar's lines was just not consistent from S1=S3. S1, they showed empty plates like he doesn't eat, whole brains missing, he's famous lines "I'd like to sink my 'teeth' on that", "I look at things and take them apart." His lines were not consistent that we're left to think is he Hannibal Lecter or not. Then there's the whole he's DNA were messed up by HRG which can lead some to believe that he digest the brains, now it looks like he fondles the brain and digest their neuroadrenaline.

He probably does take the whole brain at first because he wasn't skilled at dissecting them, but I hope their consistent on the next victims that he has become skilled at taking only the part he needs.

[Lex'sLover]

maybe the whole plate thing.. like you said... it was at the beginning.. maybe he just kind of put them on a plate and really dissected them.. but never ate them.

[citizenlen]

But the empty plates, the graffiti on the walls kind of suggest he does eat the brains. Hence , he has lost all appetite for food because the brains have sustain him. Yet, we saw him eating an ice cream, which btw my favorite Sylar scene. The villain likes ice cream.

[Lex'sLover]

ya that is a little confusing .. hmmm

lmao!!! ya i know! I love that scene with the ice cream.. the cutest! lol

[Sweetie]

I knew this since the first season.I'm glad that they finally made it clear.His first ability was to understand how things work just by looking at it,he didn't actually eat it.

[The Ninth Doctor]

But the empty plates, the graffiti on the walls kind of suggest he does eat the brains. Hence , he has lost all appetite for food because the brains have sustain him. Yet, we saw him eating an ice cream, which btw my favorite Sylar scene. The villain likes ice cream.

Well, the grafiti on the walls didn't imply anything except he was doing some extremely horrible things and actually felt guilt for them.

What was also in that apartment was a textbook on brain dissection, so the clues were laid that far back to go either way.