Of all the things to love about the two-hour Heroes season 3 premiere last night, its Cristine Rose’s performance as Angela Petrelli that made me truly love the episode. The actress owned every moment of the second hour, from her stunning dream sequence to taking control of the Company to her chilling final scene with Sylar.

Since the Emmys are now over, it’s also my duty to begin campaigning for next year’s ceremony, and while there are still many shows and actresses left to premiere, I have already decided to support Cristine Rose for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Simply put, Rose elevates Heroes. In the first two seasons she added gravitas and complexity to the show by manipulating and confusing viewers. This seemingly frail old woman was full of surprises, and fans never knew if she was pure evil or the greatest hero. Her motives were clouded in secrecy, and Rose played it so perfectly that fans had no clue what side she was on.

Now in season 3, the Heroes producers made the smartest decision yet by promoting Rose from a guest star to a series regular, and that definitely came with a big bump in storylines. The premiere told and showed us Angela’s power and, perhaps, finally revealed what side she’s on.

The Emmys so often recognize distinguished older actresses, and Rose would be the perfect addition to their ranks. Just this year Dianne Wiest and Jean Smart won the Supporting Actress awards. Also, the complexities of dealing with her sons and good vs. evil help to give Rose the kind of material perfectly suited for awards shows.

Perhaps the best reason for why Rose deserves some recognition is that her performance is so layered that even now, fans are not convinced she’s evil. After Angela untied Sylar, promised to nurture him and admitted she’s his mother, there is still hope that she’s fighting on the side of good. Given her dream and the knowledge that Sylar and his Evil League of Evil will kill the heroes, maybe Angela is manipulating him in an attempt to avoid that future.

Whether or not that’s how it plays out, Rose’s performance in last night’s premiere remains a masterpiece of complex, emotional acting that the Emmys would be foolish to overlook. It won’t be easy for an actress on a sci-fi series such as this to break into the pack, but if Angela Petrelli’s storyline continues to be this intriguing throughout the season, I can’t imagine how she could be denied.


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)