”Is there any warning for their arrival? A sign? A single event that set this chain into motion? Was it a whisper in God’s ear? Survive, adapt, escape. And if we could mark that single moment in time, that first hint of a prophesy of approaching danger. Would we have done anything differently?”
Before we begin to understand our potential, we must first learn there is potential to be harnessed. The above opening monologue by Mohinder questions whether anything would be different now, if in the past the heroes understood what was happening. This week ‘Heroes’ followed Hiro six months into the past, and subsequently revealed the origins of each hero’s power. We glimpsed the evolution of a sociopath, the frustrations of a cop, the escape of a politician, the rebirth of a lost sister, the strength of a cheerleader, and the futility of a time traveler. As the show revs up for the fall finale, a lot of back-story was laid.
After pulling over a longhaired Eden, Matt succumbs to her suggestive power by eating donuts. He once again fails the detective’s exam, and when telling his wife about it reveals that he’s dyslexic. This is why he’s failed twice now.
After pulling the Jedi stunt on Matt, the Eden encounters the Haitian. When we next see her, she’s sitting in front of HRG with her mouth taped over and the Haitian standing behind her. He removes the tape and she orders him to let her go but he doesn’t react the way Matt did. Instead, he casually offers her a purpose. “You know, with your ability you can get anything you want. You’ve created your own morality; there wasn’t a person in the world who could say no to you. Now there is,” he tells her as she glances at the Haitian realizing her Jedi powers are not working.
We pick up from last week with Hiro, six months prior to present day. He’s gone back to save Charlie from Sylar. Since she was still dead, we know he failed. But what went wrong?
Once he figures out it’s six months in the past, and not the day before, Hiro starts to realize the scope of his powers may be out of his control. Saying to himself, “If I teleport again I could end up anywhere. Lunch for a T-Rex. I’m stuck!” He doesn’t give up though. Hiro tries calling Ando back in Japan, but instead gets himself who is covering for Ando. Talking to his self elicits a, “Great Scott!” from Hiro.
Hiro takes up working at the diner, becoming friends with Charlie. He buys her the Japanese phrase book for a birthday gift, and suggests she get away to Japan. When he tells her she has a power, and so does he, she doesn’t believe him. Hiro attempts to prove it by instantly bringing her flowers and taking care of her food order. “Lynnette, you’ve got to see this. Hiro’s a magician,” she says of her new friend. Hiro frustratingly responds, “No, it’s not a trick. (in Japanese) You don’t understand. I’m trying to save your life.”
Hiro, using the sport score Biff Tannen method of time-travel-convincing, still can’t get Charlie to believe him. So he stops time to make a thousand cranes instantly. When reality resumes, there are origami cranes hanging from the ceiling all over the diner. This finally gets her attention, and he gives her a ticket to Japan. She agrees to go with him.
Charlie begins to have second thoughts. She tells Hiro that she doesn’t allow people to get close to her because there’s a blood clot in her brain. She is going to die, and once again Hiro can’t save her. No matter what he tries, he won’t be able to help Charlie. When she tells him this he heartbreakingly exclaims, “But I’m supposed to save you.” She tells him that he did, and that she loves him. As they go to kiss, Hiro accidentally teleports back to Japan. Desperately trying to get back to her, Hiro is unable to teleport. So he travels back to the diner via normal means, and Ando in present time.
He tells Ando he tried everything, but couldn’t save Charlie. Ando tells him to try again, but Hiro tells him that the power is bigger than him. No matter how hard he tries, the past can’t be changed.
Jackie, Claire’s now dead ex-friend, shows up to give Claire the good news about a spot available on the cheerleading squad. To “commiserate” the moment Claire doesn’t want to effusively run around in her new outfit, but just enjoy it quietly. This is something that Jackie doesn’t like, and being a bitch gives Claire a hard time. The resultant fight ends when Claire’s hand is gashed open by glass. The wound is severe enough for her to go to the hospital.
Mr. Suresh gives Mr. Bennett a call, indicating that he’d like to speak with HRG about Claire. So, we now know Mr. Bennett didn’t discover Claire’s power through the videotape. This is something many assumed, but is now confirmed.
Mr. Bennett visits Suresh and asks what Claire is meant for. Suresh tells Mr. Bennett about his daughter, telling HRG they can give people hope. This is Claire’s destiny. Later, Mr. Bennett tells Eden that her first mission is to visit Suresh and remove Claire Bennett’s name from a list.
Claire, practicing cheers, talks with her father about Jackie. She wonders if being a cheerleader means she could be a bitch like her friend. Mr. Bennett imparts Dumbledore wisdom by saying, “It’s your actions that make you good or bad. Not being a cheerleader.” Removing the bandage with her father there, the cut is completely healed. HRG comments that its “healing nicely” (the wound is completely gone) and walks away.
Niki is at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting when she spots her father Hal. He tells her he wants to be a part of his grandson’s life, and hers. When he apologizes, she tells him he has nothing to apologize for. “You weren’t awful, you just weren’t there. You can’t be awful if you’re not present,” she tells her father. He becomes frustrated by this, not understanding how she could say that. His reaction and desire to apologize leads us to believe that Niki may not know everything. So, I wonder who might know…
Niki visits the grave of Jessica Sanders (1976-1987) who was killed at the age of 11. D.L. shows up and she tells him that she used to not be able to go an hour without thinking about Jessica (her sister) and that its important not to forget. She then goes on to tell him that Hal is visiting and that he might be able to help with Micah and getting him into private school. D.L. says that if he wants to help, then they should let him.
Micah is given a new laptop by his grandfather. He then agrees to pay for Micah’s private schooling. Once again trying to apologize, Niki brushes it off. He tells her, “You’re only as sick as your secrets Nicole.” However, when he walks in on his grandson dissecting the new laptop, he becomes enraged. After being dragged out of the room he apologizes, saying he shouldn’t be there, gives Niki a check and leaves. She asks, “What did you do that was so bad I can’t have my father back?” He responds, “You really don’t remember. Do you?” No she doesn’t, but when she looks in the mirror we see that Jessica does.
Hal is sitting on the bed reading when Jessica comes in to visit. She begins choking him, telling her father that she’s Jessica. He doesn’t believe her. Jessica tells him that he doesn’t need to apologize to Niki, but to her. It was Jessica he killed. And afterward whenever he laid his hands on Niki, it was actually Jessica who was there taking the blows. So, it’s quite understandable why she’s so hard and cold.
Peter has just graduated to become a nurse. Nathan shows up at his party, with his wife who is not yet in a wheelchair. Nathan talks with Peter about the DA wanting him to prosecute Linderman (their father’s mob client). Nathan is torn about the idea of betraying their father, but it’s a chance to redeem the family. Peter tells him, “He’s still our father, no matter what he’s done. You go after him, you’re never going to forgive yourself. Ever.” Nathan then goes to dance with his wife for the last time.
Nathan is driving home with his wife when a truck begins bumping them from behind. As they both start to panic about the situation, Nathan flies up out of the car as it careens out of control into a divider. This is the accident that Nathan blames himself for, and his uncontrolled flight helps us to understand why he’s so adamantly against having a power.
As Peter and Nathan prepare for the deposition on the Linderman case, they are informed that their father has died. Nathan is no longer going forward with the prosecution.
A watchmaker’s son is visited by the elder Suresh. Gabriel Gray is enthralled with Suresh’s book after reading it. He is obsessed with having a power. Are suspicions that this creepy man is in fact, Sylar, are later confirmed. From his first conversation with Suresh, its clear that Sylar had the tendencies of a sociopath even before he discovered his powers. Gabriel tells Suresh that when he was a kid he wished someone would tell him his family wasn’t really his family. He thought they were insignificant people. This is a strong indication that what motivates Sylar is not having the powers themselves, but proving that he is superior to everyone else.
Gabriel is able to look at something and figure out what’s wrong, and where it needs to be fixed. Not a great power to have by itself but he quickly learns to use it for his own gain.
When Suresh runs tests on Gabriel he cannot find any trace of a power. This news enrages the watchmaker’s son. When Suresh tells him he has other things to focus on, Gabriel gets frustrated and upset. Gabriel grabs the files and looks at them, asking if Suresh will just toss them aside as well. Suresh throws the man out.
Gabriel calls up one of the men, Brian Davies. When the man shows up, he demonstrates his telekinetic power. But the man doesn’t want the power, he’s afraid of it. When the man asks Gabriel what his name is, Gabriel looks at a watch he was fixing and sees the word “Sylar”. He introduces himself as Sylar and tells the man he’s broken, but he can be fixed. Sylar, seeing the power and realizing that it is in the brain, hits the man over the back of the head, killing him. He takes Brian’s abilities.
Sylar demonstrates his newfound telekinetic abilities for Suresh. Sylar tells Suresh that he feels like he has a new purpose, a new identity.
What did you think of the episode? Who is going to die in next week’s episode?
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