Elle Bishop is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
who appeared on the American
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting.
In terms of context and co ...
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
series ''
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'', which aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
from 2006 to 2010. The character was created by series creator
Tim Kring
Richard Timothy Kring (born July 9, 1957) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his creation of the drama series '' Strange World'', ''Crossing Jordan'', '' Heroes'', and ''Touch''.
Early life
Kring was born in El D ...
and portrayed by actress
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
. Elle was created by Kring to act as a contrast to the rest of the characters, who had all recently found out they had abilities, whereas Elle had known her whole life. Bell, who had previously starred in the then recently cancelled series ''
Veronica Mars
''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...
'', was a fan of the series and had met up with the writers that informed her they would love to have her on the show. While the character of Elle was created before Bell was cast, following her casting, the character was slightly altered to better resemble her. Elle was one of the new characters introduced in the
second season and according to contract, would continue on the series for at least 13 episodes into
season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
.
Elle is introduced in the episode "
Fight or Flight" as an agent of the Company, an organization whose primary purpose is to identify, monitor and study those individuals with special abilities. The daughter of Company head
Bob Bishop, she possesses the power to generate and manipulate electricity. Elle is portrayed as mentally unstable, which is attributed to extensive "testing" condoned by her father to research her abilities when she was young. During the third season, Elle's powers grow out of control but with
Sylar
Sylar (Gabriel Gray) is a fictional character and a primary antagonist of the NBC superhero drama series ''Heroes''. Portrayed by Zachary Quinto, he is a super-powered serial killer who targets other Superhumans in order to steal their powers. H ...
's help she regains control of them and begins a relationship with him. After finding out that Elle played a role in his transformation into a "monster", Sylar killed her and stole her abilities.
Critical reception towards both the character and Bell's performance has been positive. Praise was directed towards Elle's personality as well as her characterization and abilities. Her death in the third season was heavily criticized by reviewers and fans. Bell was nominated for both a
Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
and a
Teen Choice Award
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
for her performance.
Development
Concept and creation
In 2007, following the cancellation of ''
Veronica Mars
''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...
'', actress
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
had voiced interest in appearing on ''Heroes'' because she was a fan.
In July 2007, during a train ride back from the
San Diego Comic Con with ''Heroes'' actors
Zachary Quinto
Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' (2006–2010); Spock in th ...
and
Masi Oka
is a Japanese actor, producer, and digital effects artist who became widely known for starring in NBC's ''Heroes'' as Hiro Nakamura and in CBS's ''Hawaii Five-0'' as Doctor Max Bergman.
Early life
Oka was born in Tokyo, Japan, to Setsuko Oka. Hi ...
, and writers from the series, the writers had mentioned that if Bell "ever want
dto come on ''Heroes'', give us
ritersa call", to which Bell said she would love to.
Announced in August 2007, Bell was to portray Elle, a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power"
for a total of thirteen episodes.
''Heroes'' creator
Tim Kring
Richard Timothy Kring (born July 9, 1957) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his creation of the drama series '' Strange World'', ''Crossing Jordan'', '' Heroes'', and ''Touch''.
Early life
Kring was born in El D ...
and the writers had created the character of Elle with the idea that she was a "cautionary tale" of what could happen if the other characters had known of their abilities for the duration of their lives as Elle did.
Kring pitched Bell the idea for the character "which she loved" and soon they were "off and running." The casting of Bell, as Kring explains, "was not easy to pull off," but because of the large ensemble cast of the series and multiple story arcs, "we found a way to jump into a small window in
ell’sschedule."
Originally, Elle was only meant to be Bob's stepdaughter and
Meredith Gordon
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series '' Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
's daughter, making her Claire Bennet's sister, however this idea was dropped due to "lack of storyline and plot holes".
The character Elle was created long before Bell was cast; however, Kring noted "when you do cast an actor ... you try to tailor that character a little closer to who the actor is. So it's hard to know when one starts to influence the other".
Characterization
When Kristen Bell was cast, she noted that with Elle it would be "unclear whether she's good or bad".
In "
Four Months Ago...", Elle admits to being diagnosed as a
sociopath
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
and previous to that, she had displayed
sadistic
Sadism may refer to:
* Sadomasochism, the giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation
* Sadistic personality disorder, an obsolete term proposed for individuals who derive pleasure from the s ...
behavior as a result of testing done to her as a child. Bell explains, "Bodies are not able to take that much electricity and pain, and so Elle's psychologically a little off her rocker."
She is able to kill without apparent
remorse
Remorse is a distressing emotion experienced by an individual who regrets actions which they have done in the past that they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or wrong. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment. When a person ...
, although in one instance, she reacts defensively when Mohinder asks her how many have died by her hand.
During an interview with ''The Scifi World'', Tim Kring described Elle as "a little off", and Bell added that Elle is "a little messed up in the head" and a highly conflicted individual who does not have the ability to decipher between right and wrong.
Because of that, Bell explains that Elle comes off as more of a victim.
Bell also explains that Elle is one of the few characters with abilities that embrace their power and is almost on the verge of being addicted to her ability. Elle "enjoys the emotional power it gives her over other people".
She is described as one who is "always out to get what she wants" and someone who "doesn’t have many boundaries".
Bell describes Elle as a
vixen
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
who "feels like she has a romantic connection to everybody",
and in a few episodes, Elle is shown displaying a great deal of affection to men and flirting with both Peter Petrelli and Mohinder Suresh.
Bell noted the similarities between Elle and the character Claire Bennet, saying that they "relate to each other" and "are two sides of the same coin" because, while Elle's father sanctioned testing on her, supposedly causing her mental instability, Noah kept Claire hidden, preventing Claire from experiencing the same childhood that "really messed
lleup".
Bell has said in interviews that in later episodes of ''Heroes'', "You'll find out that Elle holds the key to Claire's future" and that Elle has "a
resent
Resentment (also called ranklement or bitterness) is a complex, multilayered emotion that has been described as a mixture of disappointment, disgust and anger. Other psychologists consider it a mood or as a secondary emotion (including cogniti ...
with Peter and a past with Claire's dad and a future with Claire".
Powers and abilities
Elle has the ability to generate and manipulate
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
, discharging and directing it as
electrical arcs. She has been shown being able to
weld a lock, blast objects, knock people unconscious, and even kill a man. She is not entirely immune to the electricity she produces, however, as shown when she is drenched in water and attempts to create electricity—she gives herself an
electric shock
Electrical injury is a physiological reaction caused by electric current passing through the body. The injury depends on the density of the current, tissue resistance and duration of contact. Very small currents may be imperceptible or produce ...
, causing great pain.
Elle has endured a series of testing by the Company during her childhood that measured the extent of her power. Bob had stated that Elle was in a "different league" when comparing her to Claire.
When inquiring about her abilities, Elle was able to learn from Noah Bennet that the Company had wanted to record the extent of her abilities (whether she could power a flashlight, a street lamp, or an entire city block) and Bob had often prompted to continue the tests further, even after Elle had passed out.
Her ability is shown to respond to her emotions. After Bob's death, mourning Elle loses control over her ability and her body starts to produce electricity at any time (''
Sum Quod Sum graphic novels''); this makes Elle unable to stay close to electrical devices such as computers and even a plane. She claims to live in constant pain (''
Eris Quod Sum
"Eris Quod Sum" is the seventh episode of the third season of the NBC superhero drama series ''Heroes'' and forty-first episode overall. The episode aired on October 27, 2008. "Eram quod es, eris quod sum" is a Latin phrase that is often found on ...
''). This ends when Sylar helps her forgive herself (''
It's Coming
"It's Coming" is the ninth episode of the third season of the NBC superhero fiction, superhero drama series ''Heroes (U.S. TV series), Heroes'' and forty-third episode overall. The episode aired on November 17, 2008.
Plot
Following on from the V ...
'').
Appearances
''Heroes''
Generations
Elle's first chronological appearance is in "
Four Months Ago...". During this time, the Company made
Peter Petrelli
Peter Petrelli, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia, is a fictional superhero on the NBC superhero drama series Heroes. He is a hospice nurse-turned-paramedic in his mid-20s with the power to absorb and mimic the powers of other people with special ab ...
their willing prisoner and in those months he was held, Elle seems to have developed a cute crush on him. Peter confesses that he likes the little jolts which Elle gives him as a tease and kisses her. She confides in Peter that she has lived in the Company's holding facility for 16 years. She also admits to being diagnosed as a
sociopath
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
; she explains at age six, she accidentally set her grandmother's house on fire and, at age eight, caused a major blackout in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. She also says that she spent her ninth birthday in a glass room with an
IV of
lithium
Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...
in her arm. She also explains that she has never been on a date and has never been swimming. When he escapes from the facility, Elle is upset and angry to the point that she blasts Peter, setting him ablaze during his escape. She then chases after
Adam Monroe
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', the List of Heroes graphic novels, ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In i ...
while
the Haitian
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
goes after Peter.
Elle first appears in the episode "
Fight or Flight" searching for Peter in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Peter has no recollection of his past and is staying with the owner of Wandering Rocks Pub,
Ricky Ricky may refer to:
Places
*Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic
*Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic
* Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...
. Elle questions Rick about Peter's whereabouts and when he pretends not to know Peter, she kills him with a large bolt of electricity on her way out the door. Later on, during a telephone conversation with
Bob Bishop, her father and Company head, she dismisses the murder as trivial and insists she can find Peter. However, she is pulled off the assignment, much to her frustration.
In "
Cautionary Tales
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore to warn its listener of a Risk, danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some a ...
", Elle comes back to the United States. Former Company employee
Noah Bennet
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
captures Elle for collateral, as Bob had captured his daughter, Claire. He ties Elle's hands to a chair and ties her bare feet together and puts them in a metal dog bath which is full with water. Elle tries to use her abilities while in the dog bath, but she shocks herself. During this time, Noah tells Elle that Bob allowed the Company to perform tests on her which had begun as early as the age of seven. This included subjecting her to high doses of electricity, which scarred her emotionally for life. Elle has no recollection of the tests, and Noah suggests
the Haitian
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
had a role in causing Elle to forget her experiences. After an agreement is made, she is reunited with Bob and Claire momentarily reunited with Noah. However, Elle attacks Claire and
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
as they leave. She tries to attack Noah, but he shoots Elle in the arm before she can hurt him or anyone else. As it seems Noah is going to kill Bob,
Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh is a fictional character on the NBC drama ''Heroes'', portrayed by Sendhil Ramamurthy. He is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and is a genetics professor at the University of Madras holding a PhD in parapsychology. He is attemp ...
, a scientist working with Noah and the Company, shoots and kills Noah. Elle leaves with Bob and Mohinder, giving Bob a look of distrust.
In the episode "
Truth & Consequences
"Truth & Consequences" is the tenth and penultimate episode of the second season of the NBC superhero drama series '' Heroes''. It aired on November 26, 2007. On its initial airing, it received 11.89 million viewers.
Plot
Peter Petrelli and Ada ...
", Bob chastises Elle for allowing West and Claire to escape. He then assigns Elle to perform surveillance on Claire and her family as they prepare to leave town. Claire, however, spots Elle from a distance, leading to a physical confrontation, which leads Claire to threaten to expose the Company
Elle's last appearance in season two is in "
Powerless". Her father reprimands her for her mistakes; to redeem herself, she attempts to re-capture the now powerless
Sylar
Sylar (Gabriel Gray) is a fictional character and a primary antagonist of the NBC superhero drama series ''Heroes''. Portrayed by Zachary Quinto, he is a super-powered serial killer who targets other Superhumans in order to steal their powers. H ...
for the Company. She uses her ability to confront Sylar in Mohinder's research lab, but Sylar is armed with a gun and shoots at Elle. Sylar manages to slip away, leaving Elle unharmed. She comes out somewhat defeated, but is informed by Mohinder that if not for her arrival, Sylar would have killed him,
Maya Herrera
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast o ...
and
Molly Walker
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
. He says the three of them owe her their lives, to which she replies, "Cool".
The episode marked Bell's previously expressed interest in performing in scenes with the character Sylar, as she and
Zachary Quinto
Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' (2006–2010); Spock in th ...
had been good friends for almost ten years. Bell had said that she "would love to see him and Elle face off one day".
In November 2007, Bell and Quinto filmed scenes at a restaurant in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, which was set as a "
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
Diner" and had involved police and paramedics. The filmed scenes are part of the untold stories which are a special feature of the season 2 DVD set.
Villains
Returning in the episode, "
The Butterfly Effect
''The Butterfly Effect'' is a 2004 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. It stars Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, William Lee Scott, Elden Henson, Logan Lerman, Ethan Suplee, an ...
", following her failure to stop
Sylar
Sylar (Gabriel Gray) is a fictional character and a primary antagonist of the NBC superhero drama series ''Heroes''. Portrayed by Zachary Quinto, he is a super-powered serial killer who targets other Superhumans in order to steal their powers. H ...
, Elle seeks assistance from Noah Bennet. He is detained in Level 5, a high security ward for the Company's most dangerous prisoners. However, Sylar is already there, having killed her father. He attempts to take her ability, but the pain of being scalped causes her to involuntarily release a massive electrical surge. This knocks Sylar out, but also disables security for the entire facility, allowing the prisoners to escape. Elle is later fired by
Angela Petrelli
''Heroes'' is an American superhero drama television series created by Tim Kring that aired on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006, to February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover that they have supe ...
, the new head of the Company, who tells Elle that the only reason the Company kept her was because of her father's influence.
In the episode "
Eris Quod Sum
"Eris Quod Sum" is the seventh episode of the third season of the NBC superhero drama series ''Heroes'' and forty-first episode overall. The episode aired on October 27, 2008. "Eram quod es, eris quod sum" is a Latin phrase that is often found on ...
", Elle makes her way to Claire's house to seek help from Noah, having lost control of her ability. She attacks Claire out of anger, but is subdued when Lyle throws water on her. She is told that an organization called Pinehearst could help her with her condition, so Claire agrees to escort her there. They reach Pinehearst just in time to see Peter Petrelli thrown from a seventh story window. Claire takes him away from the building, but Elle refuses to leave after learning from Peter that they can take her powers away.
In the episode "
Villains
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
", Elle's life a year earlier is explored, revealing that she had been partnered with Noah Bennet at one point. The two are assigned to watch Sylar (still Gabriel Gray) in order to discover how he transfers abilities. Elle saves Gabriel after he attempts to kill himself out of guilt for killing his first victim. She is told to befriend him, and Gabriel develops an attraction to her that suppresses his hunger. Using a list of people with abilities Gabriel had compiled, Noah arranges to introduce Gabriel to one of them to see his power in action. However, Elle does not agree with the plan, revealing she has developed feelings for Gabriel. She reluctantly goes along with it when Noah threatens to fire her. They then introduce Gabriel to Trevor, an evolved human with a kinetic projection ability. Her repeated references to Trevor being "special" anger Gabriel, and he orders her to leave while he kills Trevor. Elle is left with guilt as she caused an event that helped to create "Sylar".
In the following episode, "
It's Coming
"It's Coming" is the ninth episode of the third season of the NBC superhero fiction, superhero drama series ''Heroes (U.S. TV series), Heroes'' and forty-third episode overall. The episode aired on November 17, 2008.
Plot
Following on from the V ...
", set in the present,
Arthur Petrelli
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', the List of Heroes graphic novels, ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In i ...
, head of Pinehearst, arranges for Sylar to speak with Elle. His aim is to have Sylar use his latent empathic abilities to take powers, rather than doing so through killing. Elle is chained to the floor in a metal room, still in pain from her ability. She repeatedly attacks him, furious at Sylar for her father's murder, eventually begging him to kill her so that her pain will go away. He forgives her for turning him into a monster and convinces her to forgive herself for her crimes, wanting to take away her pain without killing her. At that moment, Elle's pain disappears and she regains control of her ability. Likewise, Sylar is able to absorb her power. The two appear to rekindle their old feelings for each other as Elle teaches Sylar how to use her ability.
In "
The Eclipse Part I", she and Sylar are sent to retrieve Claire who is revealed to be the catalyst, the unknown part of the formula that would allow someone to produce abilities. On assignment, Elle challenges Sylar and he shows her that he can still be a killer, and not just a "daddy's boy" by killing a rental car assistant. Eventually, they find Claire and Noah, and a fight ensues, however, Elle and Sylar find themselves powerless; the result of the eclipse. Elle aims a gun at Noah but Claire jumps in and takes the bullet. Noah knocks Elle out and dislocates Sylar's arm, while he escapes with injured Claire. After awakening, Sylar explains to a shocked Elle that losing his abilities is a bit of a relief. She tells him that they can't just take what they want anymore, then Sylar retorts and grabs Elle, kissing her passionately. Outside, Noah aims a rifle at them.
In "
The Eclipse Part II", Sylar and Elle sleep together but then are confronted by Noah. Elle is shot in the thigh in the ensuing struggle. Both Elle and Sylar flee while Noah follows Elle's blood trail to a grocery store. There, Elle and Sylar plan to ambush Noah in the rear of the store. Sylar pushes Elle into a cargo elevator, in an attempt to hide her from Noah. Elle watches as Noah slits Sylar's throat with a box cutter. When the eclipse ends, their abilities are returned and Sylar is revived. He and Elle go to the Bennet residence and overcome Noah and Claire while holding Claire's mother, Sandra, hostage. Suddenly, Hiro teleports in and takes both Sylar and Elle to Costa Verde beach, leaving them there before disappearing. Sylar and Elle kiss, and he explains that he and Elle are "damaged goods" and that they will "never change". Sylar then begins to slice Elle's skull open.
In the following episode "
Our Father
The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...
", Sylar, covered in Elle's blood, is shown pouring lighter fluid on Elle's body. He painfully says, "Goodbye Elle," then sets her ablaze with the electric ability he inherited from her.
Redemption
In the episode "
Tabula Rasa
''Tabula rasa'' (; "blank slate") is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content, and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. Epistemological proponents of ''tabula rasa'' disagree with the doctri ...
", Elle is seen in flashbacks as Sylar witnesses his real memories reflecting in the ''Hall of Mirrors''.
In "
The Art of Deception", Matt reverts Sylar's memories of his kills, including the ones of Elle.
Literature
Elle also appears in the ''Heroes''
webcomics
Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.
Webcomics can be ...
.
Her appearances in the online series occur before her introduction on the television series. Elle's first webcomic appearance is in "
Elle's First Assignment, Part 1", which reveals her first assignment for the Company. Elle monitors Claire Bennet, posing as a student at Union Wells High School. After following Claire home, Elle ends up confronting
Eden McCain
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
. The incident is broken up by Noah Bennet, who informs Elle that he doesn't "want
llehanging around
isdaughter any more".
In
Part 2, she finds out about the tape of Claire testing her power and tries to take it from Zach. She is stopped by the Haitian and Mr Bennet, who find out about the tape as well. Elle also appears in "
The Man With Too Much Brains" to recruit the original webcomic character
Matt Neuenberg to the Company. She also was teamed up with Thompson Jr. to capture
Donna Dunlap, a woman with enhanced vision in "
Donna's Big Date, Part 1", and she was among the agents that try to capture
Echo DeMille at Lake Arrowhead, where he managed to convert Elle's electricity into soundwaves, in "
Going Postal
''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his ''Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided into ...
". She is also referred in "
Faces, Part 1" to have helped Thompson Jr. and
Penny Logan taking down The Croatian.
In "
Sum Quod Sum", it is revealed that she has lost control of her ability since leaving the Company, so she has gone to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
to find help from
Claude Claude may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People and fictional characters
* Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Claude (surname), a list of people
* Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682), French landscape painter, draughtsman and etcher ...
. After she tracks him down, he confronts her but then runs away. It begins raining, and Elle decides to take advantage of it. She releases an electrical charge, which travels through the water on the ground and into Claude, but she, too, is knocked unconscious in the process. Claude and his friends,
Abigail
Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married ...
and Lee, carry her to his place and he begins to show Elle the source of her problem. Things get ugly when Elle accidentally shocks Abigail, which leads them to fight each other; Abigail's force field redirects Elle's lightning towards Lee, so Elle stops and then is asked to leave the place. Although Claude asks her to stay, she prefers to look for the help of Noah, so she goes to Costa Verde and attacks Lyle while waiting for his father.
In "
From the Files of Primatech: 1991", the childhood's background of Elle is further explained: how she started a blackout in
Athens, Ohio
Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio. The population was 23,849 at the 2020 census. Located along the Hocking River within Appalachian Ohio about southeast of Columbus, Athens is best known as the home of Ohio Universit ...
that took out three other counties. Elle's mother sent her to her father,
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname) ...
, to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to deal with her. Bob asked the help of
Charles Deveaux, who recommended taking a fatherly approach, but ended up taking
Dr. Zimmerman's advice: treat Elle as any other posthuman and test her abilities. During one of these tests, Bob tried to calm the weeping Elle turning her drinking straw into gold, but this backfired as it allowed Elle to accidentally shock her father. After this, Elle escaped and Bob enlisted
Noah Bennet
This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes.
Main characters
Character duration
In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...
to go after her. Noah eventually found Elle at an arcade and anticipating her attack, he wore latex gloves. Elle quickly electrified a machine making it toss balls at Noah, so she could escape. When Noah followed Elle through a mini-golf course, she electrified a mini-windmill, making it throw blades at Noah. Finally, Elle was cornered; Noah promised her Bob would be proud if she came back with him. Once back at Primatech, Bob locked Elle up while discussing the situation with
Kaito
Kaito (written: 海斗, 開士, 魁斗, 海翔, 海人, 快斗, 凱斗 or 海都) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese footballer
* Baruto Kaito (born 1984, surname Baruto), ...
and Noah.
Angela brought a young
Haitian to mind-wipe Elle to forget what just happened and enjoy her 9th birthday cake.
Reception
Bell's performance was highly anticipated as she had gained popularly within her starring show, ''
Veronica Mars
''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...
''. Ultimately, Bell's performance was critically praised, along with the character of Elle, who became very popular among viewers. Elle was ranked #44 on
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's "Top 50 Chicks Behaving Badly".
With the cancellation of ''
Veronica Mars
''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...
'', ''Variety'' reported that attaining Bell was a "major, major coup for NBC" because of how in-demand the actress was.
Universal Media Studios
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predeces ...
' Katherine Pope noted that "many studios
erechasing
ellin both film and TV" and that Pope was happy that Bell "chose to star in our show."
When Bell was cast, Tim Kring explained that because she had known several of the cast members for years as well as some of the writers, it "was already like part of the family by the time we cast her."
In an interview with Bell, Eric Goldman of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
commented on Bell's "eagerly awaited debut" on the series. Matt Roush of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' reported on Bell becoming a series regular on ''Heroes'', and stated he "like
her more and more, especially as we see the tragic dimension of how Elle has been so cruelly used by her 'daddy,' Bob, and is much more than the flirty assassin we first met." Bruce Fretts, also of ''TV Guide'', said that Bell's portrayal of Elle was responsible for "sparking ''Heroes'' to life."
He explains that "
just a few scenes...
ell is able tojuice up the slumping sophomore drama" and her "live-wire performance turned Chapter 5 into this season's strongest episode yet."
However, because of the large ensemble cast, Matthew Gilbert of ''Slate.com'' commented that Season Two of ''Heroes'' was "even more overpopulated than the last, expanding from a rabble to a veritable global riot of Dubiously Gifted Ones."
Her death in the season three episode "
The Eclipse Part II" was criticized by media outlets with
E! writing that the show offered "the redemption of electric Elle, an Elle-Sylar romance, an Elle-Claire friendship, HRG mentoring Elle
nly to takeit all away".
Accolades
In 2009, Bell was nominated a
Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
for
Best Guest Starring Role on Television and a
Teen Choice Award
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
for
Choice TV Actress Action.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop, Elle
Heroes (American TV series) characters
American female characters in television
Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities
Fictional murderers
Fictional female secret agents and spies
fi:Luettelo televisiosarjan Heroes hahmoista#Elle Bishop