Overview:

Peter learns to control his powers. Daddy Bennet starts firing tasers and Claude bails. Peter blames Isaac for messing everything up and Isaac accidentally puts a couple of bullets in Simone. In other news: Claire tells Daddy Bennet what a bad man he is, Mohinder and Sylar meet a mechanic with super-hearing, Hiro tells Ando to go back to Japan, and RadioTed and Matt team up to take down Daddy Bennet. I’d use words like ‘phenomenal’ and ‘jaw-dropping’, but it’s pretty much a given that this one’s a masterpiece.

Review:

Holy crap, Heroes, you just killed off Simone!?

It’s Thursday. I’m still devastated. I was never Simone’s biggest fan, but I didn’t think she deserved to die. She wasn’t that annoying. She wasn’t that inconsistent. She had her special place in the story, and in time I’m sure she would have become a well-written, likeable, sympathetic character who was central to the plot and indispensable to the devel-

Oh, who am I kidding. I hated her and I’m really glad she’s gone. I’m only sorry it didn’t end with Sylar scalping her and chomping on her brain.

What!? You were all thinking it.

There’s a line towards the end of the episode: Claire’s furious and grief-stricken after Sandra collapsed, and she tells Daddy Bennet, “You don’t just get to say you’re sorry and make everything go away.” It’s apt within the context of the scene because there’s no way Claire will forgive him anytime soon. But the line resonates within the show: nothing disappears, nothing goes away. There’s an undercurrent of continuity running through the series, meaning there are always consequences to a character’s decisions. There are always ramifications to a character’s actions. There’s always an impact.

Will Simone’s death have an impact on the show? My guess is no. Not because she was unpopular, but because she was a useless character who contributed nothing to the plot, and because a plot as fast-paced as this probably won’t waste time or dialogue on more than an occasional namecheck. Which, at this point, is all we can hope for when it comes to Charlie and Eden, who were stronger characters and served a constructive purpose when it came to advancing the story arcs.

But that raises a second question: will Simone’s death have an impact on the characters? For Peter and Isaac, yes, if only to make them hate one another or bring them closer together in a moment of solidarity. That’s the difference between a direct impact on the show and an indirect impact on the other characters. Even if Simone herself ends up forgotten, the change her death could bring to two of the character arcs is significant.

The episode begins with the Deal Or No Deal preview from “Godsend”. RadioTed’s in the Nevada Desert sipping coffee. Hana Gitelman shows up and works her wireless IM whammy. She also works the whammy on Otto, but that’s more to do with leather and a hot accent than the super-power.

The ability to intercept and tap into satellite signals and radiowaves is cool, not least because, as with Micah, it’s related to external technology rather than an enhancement of internal senses. It’s a twist on the theory that each of the heroes have had powers handed down to them over centuries, but it establishes that some abilities on the show will be technological rather than psychological or biological.

RadioTed’s weirded out by this ability. Between hacking into e-mails and turning grass to ashes, he knows which power he’d choose. Hana explains that she too was a victim of Daddy Bennet’s machinations. She shows him the double-mark imprint on her neck, and tells him they should go “nuke” the people responsible for it. So speaks the heroic heroine, acting heroically in the interests of heroism.

Ah, ambiguity. A hero with a cool power whose primary concern is revenge. The graphic novels portray her as an ultimately well-intentioned character, but when the ends-justify-the-means approach involves nuking installations and turning her objective into pseudo-terrorism, you wonder what happened to the good-natured waitress who wanted to use her power to learn Japanese.

Apartment of heroic collusion. Daddy Bennet and the Haitian show up after Isaac phoned to tell them Peter’s responsible for the destruction of New York. How Isaac made the connection between Peter and the painting of an exploding man is unclear, but identifying Peter as the guy who’ll explode gives Isaac a plausible motivation for wanting him dead.

What remains unclear is Daddy Bennet’s motivation and how far it corresponds with his organization’s. It might be explored next week, but it really wasn’t clear here whether he wanted Peter dead, whether he wanted to prevent the destruction of a city or whether he just wanted Claude back in captivity.

Opening credits. We return to Matt’s thread, which is about as interesting as rifling through sock drawers.

Matt locates his pouch of diamonds and empties them out. You know, just to see how pretty and shiny they are. He gets this look of intense guilt. Don’t feel guilty, Matt! It’s going to support your family and pay for your kid’s college tuition! The only reason to feel guilty is if you’ve wasted a $40k diamond on a stupid ring that doesn’t even fit your wife’s bloated fing-

Oh, wait.

Janice walks in with laundry and finds the diamond ring. Matt’s all, “Surprise!”, and Janice is all, “What did you do?” I want the baby to survive, but could she please be next on the list of recurring characters to be killed off?

Matt tells Janice that he got the ring because he’s “got a guy.” A dead mobster guy. Janice doesn’t want to ruin the “beautiful gesture,” but she needs to tell him about a geneticist who phoned and wanted to talk about DNA.

And she didn’t think this was worth mentioning before she brought up the laundry? Or as soon as she got the call?

Nah, let’s leave it until Matt gives her a diamond ring! Because nothing promotes trust and honesty more than a diamond ring made from a stolen diamond!

You’ll also note that Matt shows absolutely no interest in returning this phonecall. It’s consistent with Matt’s wish this week to put this behind him, but for Matt to not even return a phonecall after weeks of searching for answers makes no sense.

Bozeman, Montana. Neat throw to Star Trek: First Contact? That, or a happy sci-fi coincidence. Mohinder and Sylar have traversed just short of two thousand miles and arrived outside a repair shop. Sylar tells Mohinder how thankful he is to tag along. Mohinder’s “glad for the company,” not realizing that he just led Sylar to his next murder victim.

They walk into the garage and find their superhero welding next to a car. Mohinder needs to shout pretty loudly in order to be heard over the rap that’s pounding out of the [PRODUCT PLACEMENT] Apple iPod earphones. The products placements this week are shameless, but if they finance such an excellent show they’re easy to put aside.

Mohinder says they’re looking for Dale Smither. Dale says they’ve found her. Mohinder gives this disappointed “Oh,” like, “Oh, so you’re not a super-skinny blonde like the others?” Dale asks who her visitors are. They’re the Geek Brigade! One of them likes scarves, one likes brains.

There’s a vague attempt to explain the Human Genome Project which Mohinder and Papa Suresh harped on about: blood samples gathered for a research program. Well, OK. It’s a stretch to say Papa Suresh identified individuals with such diverse abilities and narrowed down names and locations, but OK. It at least provides a half-rational explanation to where the list came from.

Dale tells Mohinder he “dialed the wrong number.” Sylar comes to his rescue, telling Dale he understands what she’s “going through.” And Dale’s like, “Yeah?” And Sylar’s all, “Totally! I can slide a cup of coffee back and forth along a counter all day long! And I can send locker doors flying! And remember lots of information! And my latest power is turning toasters to liquid! Wanna see?” And he liquefies her “best” wrench.

Dale’s rather happy to hear bad weather and sense a person’s mood. And Sylar’s very excited about the prospect of ripping Dale’s scalp open and acquiring this ability. Mohinder just wants to “help” Dale. But, see, Dale tells Mohinder that she “learned to control” her power. She basically explains why Mohinder’s trip was unnecessary. Mohinder’s trying to “help” people who don’t need his help, and it’s leading to their deaths.

Hotel of perpetual incarceration. Hiro’s again counting to three and trying to knock down the door to the storage room. Come on, Hiro, bust down that door and break out of this tedious sub-plot!

Gustavson opens the door, points a gun at Hiro and says he’s with the State Gaming Commission. And Hiro gives the Vulcan greeting.

Again.

Oh, for %*@#’s sake. THIS is what Hiro’s story has come to? It was bad enough last week, but to bring back the same moment that embodies everything that’s destroying the character? The prolonged slapstick comedy? the forced in-jokes? the cutesy-clueless naivety?

Why, Heroes, WHY?!

The sad part is Greg Beeman basically admits on his blog that this part of the episode failed:

“I don’t feel like I found a way into these scenes that was special or especially well planned like the others I’ve been describing. I feel I did let the comedy get a little too big. I’m not sure how you, the fans, felt … But I know that I have a sense of not having completely succeeded here and it makes my stomach turn in knots and has for weeks.”

You want to know how we feel, Greg? I can only speak for myself, but I’m pretty sure I’m voicing the general feeling here:

The problem is not the character.

It’s not the actors or producers or directors.

It’s the simple fact that Hiro’s story arc has ground to a halt and been replaced with weak comedy. We’ve had one sub-plot after another since Charlie’s death. He’s being used as a comic interlude week after week, to the point where everything that made his story epic and everything that made the character sparkle has been lost. It doesn’t matter how the jokes are written or how the scenes are directed and edited. If Hiro’s story doesn’t regain focus soon, the fans who adore him are going to start flipping channels as soon as he appears on the screen.

You guys don’t want him to find the sword or get his powers back? Fine. But give the character something to do besides cracking Star Trek jokes, dressing up as a hotel employee and sneaking into rooms for a pink bag. ‘Cause frankly the character deserves better than that.

Rooftop of Pigeonly Delight. The pigeons are in a flurry of excitement. They’re happy to hear the bearded man hitting Milo with a stick. He feeds them AND provides entertainment. He’s just … fantastic.

Peter takes a stab to the groin which would hospitalize most guys. Peter staggers a bit and then gets back up. He really is the Superman of this show. Claude’s about to bring down his stick over Peter’s head, likely splitting his head open. Peter channels Sylar’s telekinesis and snaps the stick in half. Awesome effect, but also potentially a breakthrough when Peter realizes what it could mean. He may never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

Gah! Simone’s looking even angrier than usual when she shows up at Isaac’s apartment. Isaac hasn’t obeyed her orders and painted Peter. Simone is outraged! What kind of an imbecile is this clairvoyant artist? He couldn’t follow an instruction which she delivered in person!

Isaac lies that he thinks Peter left New York. Simone gives a sarcastic chuckle and says he’s sporting the same look he gave her when he lied about using. It’s not clear whether she’s trying to read Isaac’s expression, but somehow she evinces his dishonesty. Her smug smile reveals how proud she is of her astounding observational skills. Sadly, they haven’t led her to the gun lying on a table a few feet away.

“I can’t willingly throw you into another man’s arms … he’s dangerous.”

Which is true. If this episode proves anything about Peter, it’s that. However, Simone, the Great Authority who always knows what’s best for everyone, decides to forget the meaningful glances she and Isaac shared on the Rooftop of Pigeonly Delight and return to the boy who’s about to explode.

“I would do anything for you, Simone … Anything.”

Would you put a bullet in her? Please?

Meanwhile, somewhere between Las Vegas and Primm, Hiro and Gustavson are on a road trip. It seems that Hiro eavesdropping on Hope’s conversation last week supplied him with a lead on her whereabouts.

Hiro’s humming like an idiot, even though his best friend just abandoned him and he just had a gun put to his throat. Gustavson wonders why he didn’t install an ejection seat in his car, but he makes a mental note while he’s giving his speech about how partners “drag you under or screw you over.” They make nice eye candy, though, and they tell you you’re cute!

Where is AudreyClea these days?

Ando pulls over at a bus depot. He wonders how this fits with the journey to visit Hope’s mother, thereby winning the Gullible As Ando award for a second week.

Now here’s a decisive moment. Which of the following should Hope’s bag have contained to make the plot more interesting:

(a) $2m of Linderman’s money (because Hope works for him),

(b) the key to a gallery containing Kensei’s sword (because Hope runs his antiques gallery),

(c) a stash of poker chips (because Hope cheated at the casino and was in league with a member of the State Gaming Commission),

(d) a selection of jars containing fresh brains for Sylar (because Hope’s one of Sylar’s accomplices).

Don’t tell me you didn’t choose (d), because that would totally have redeemed this plot.

Snowy motel of color TVs. Mohinder tells Sylar his skepticism about their partnership faded after the “difference” his liquefaction made. I’m not sure how true that is; I mean, he convinced Dale they weren’t insane, but Dale didn’t seem keen on taking part in Mohinder’s research. She probably would have found an excuse not to answer his questions the next morning.

Sylar gives a smile of gratitude for the vote of confidence. Mohinder turns away, and Sylar gets his Evil Expression, then switches back to the neurotic Zane persona. It’s like the scenes he had with Sandra, only the contrast between the assumed persona and the ‘real self’ is even sharper. Zach Quinto rocks at these scenes. He must be so thankful that the character’s not still walking around schools like a geriatric zombie.

Mohinder tells Sylar that Papa Suresh was murdered. Sylar acts horrified, then tells Mohinder that it’s their “destiny” to find every individual with an ability. Is Mohinder the dumbest character on the show this week for not connecting Dale and Sylar’s headaches and the corpse at the repair shop? I’m not sure Mohinder could have made the connection without knowing more.

Rooftop of Pigeonly Delight. The pigeons get moved around the cages by the bearded one. Peter wants to know why Claude hates everyone and everything but likes fondling the birds. Claude rambles about Darwin and “maximum potential.” Then he gets this look of compassion when he says Darwin was talking about Peter. Even though Darwin was talking about birds. Whatever, maybe the pigeons will start bending space and time and snap sticks in half. But it’s the first time Claude refers to Peter as a “friend,” and it’s the first time Eccleston played Claude as compassionate and thoughtful instead of caustic and untrusting.

Daddy Bennet and the Haitian show up on the rooftop with thermal sensors. We get the moment that for many was the coolest of the episode. Bennet and the Haitian fire taser guns. Claude gets it in the neck, but Peter slows down time and forces the second set of taser probes to fall to the ground. He then throws Claude off the rooftop, flies down to catch him, lifts him onto his back, soars upward and flies up, up and away.

Smallville? I’m looking at you. Don’t give us that crap about budget constraints and Clark not yet being Superman. If this show can pull it off and make it look awesome, so can you.

Daddy Bennet and the Haitian look equally awe-struck by this stunning visual feat. Peter’s now pretty much this all-powerful kick-ass superhero who can find his way out of any situation. It’s thrilling to see. As a lot of you pointed out, though, it’s also a major creative drag when it comes to introducing a villain who can compete with this.

Daddy Bennet’s brought back to reality when he gets a call on his cell from Canine Central. Claire tearfully tells him Sandra blacked out. And didn’t remember her daughter. Or dog. And is now lying on the kitchen floor in a puddle of milk which Mr. Muggles is heartily lapping up. Hayden’s helpless sobbing is heartbreaking, but the way she needs to push the dog away from the milk is morbidly amusing.

House of diamond love. Matt’s inspecting his pouch of goodies for the millionth time. Janice recounts how she took the ring to be widened, and that she found out the ring is worth $40k. Matt gets this look, like, “Yeah, neat, huh?”, then insists that can’t be right.

Matt reveals his stash of diamonds came from the guy he was paid to protect. Only he’s dead. Matt reasons that he can’t take the diamonds back to a dead guy. That’s not strictly true, it’s just they’d sit on a gravestone instead of being made into diamond rings and sitting in a sock drawer.

What comes to light here, though, is that Matt evidently hasn’t told Janice anything about his first day in private security. The cut he got above his eye when he was thrown out of the window by Jessica has healed, but we can assume it was visible when Matt returned home. So either he lied to Janice about the injury or didn’t say anything. Either way, it reaffirms why Matt’s not only the dullest character on the show but also the most inherently dishonest.

Matt defends his decision to steal the diamonds: he was “trying to figure out how to take care of [their] family.” Somehow, diamond rings play a part in this. Matt agrees to take the diamonds to the precinct and hand them in. Janice darts out of the room. We’re given to understand she’s getting the phone, but it’s probably to hide the diamond ring. Because she really does want to hold on to it.

Fortuitously, Matt gets a call from RadioTed. Matt walks out on his pregnant wife without telling her who called or where he’s going. She only knows he’s meeting someone. This not long after she cheated on him and they agreed that the only way to save their marriage was to be honest.

Million-dollar apartment of the hospice nurse. Claude’s scared out of his mind that Daddy Bennet’s tracking him. Claude has a scarred and mutilated-looking version of the double-dash imprint on his shoulder, and his reason for becoming the invisible hermit is established as fear rather than personal preference.

Eccleston nails this scene. He made the transition from callous to kind-hearted flawlessly this week, but he brings a terrified demeanor to this scene which hints how scary Daddy Bennet was back in the day. He probably softened up a bit after adopting Claire.

Claude turns invisible and leaves the apartment, leaving Peter to work on his Anakin impression by tilting his head down and looking ahead with narrowed eyes. Oh, he’s EVIL.

Petrelli HQ. Fresh from issuing orders to Isaac, Simone storms into Nathan’s office and demands to know where Peter is. Because if anyone can sway Peter from turning nuclear, it’s Simone.

If Nathan wrote Simone a check for $100k, would it keep her quiet?

Nathan tells her he hasn’t seen Peter since he “flew out a window.” Simone gives this weird laugh. I can’t figure out if it’s a nervous reflex because she’s freaked out or a sarcastic response because she can’t believe it. Either way, Simone’s not deterred from issuing her latest order: Go public! Call a press conference! Tell everyone about Peter’s condition!

Nathan gets this look that’s like, “Uh, sure! You wanna write the speech for this one?” Simone’s all, “Hey, on second thoughts, tell the world EVERYTHING! Tell them about Isaac painting and the apocalyptic premonition and Hiro stopping time and you flying and … But leave me out of it, OK? ‘Cause I’d like a life to go back to when you’re done.”

Put your hands together for this, folks. Seriously. Just take a moment to embrace Simone as the adorable character she was right until the moment the show killed her off.

Nathan explains that a congressional candidate outing a dozen super-powered individuals wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interests. The public would “drop a collective brick” and put them in “a lab in some island in the middle of the ocean.” (Lost shout-out?) Simone’s response: “You’re a pessimistic oaf! All you see is disaster! I’m voting for the other guy! Nyah!”

At the depot, Ando’s still packing up the poker chips in the back of his car. Gustavson and Hiro show up, and Gustavson demands his share of the poker chips. Ando takes a bullet to the arm, and he and Hiro take cover in a luggage compartment of a bus. And seriously, could we care any less about whether Hope and Gustavson blow one another’s brains out? I guess it’s funny how bullets are flying while Hiro and Ando discuss the meaning of life. But the shoot-out could just as easily have happened in the hotel kitchen, and Hiro and Ando could just as easily have had this conversation under a table in the hotel. The entire set-up with Ando driving off with Hope and ending up at a bus depot was unnecessary.

Even Hiro rewinding time and reversing the bullet from Hope’s gun could have been condensed into a fast-paced one-episode event instead of dragging across two. It was a cool effect, but it confirms that Hiro still has his powers and can’t use them purely because it doesn’t serve the larger story. That’s not so much rewarding as it is exasperating, because it reminds us that this medley of mini-adventures is superfluous. Hiro still has his powers. It’s just that, for whatever reason, he’s unable to tap into them.

Sylar shows up at the repair shop and scalps Dale. Another likeable, well-written and well-acted super bites the dust. And Sylar will now be able to hear Mohinder packing his bags and sneaking away when he figures out that Sylar’s masquerading as Zane.

The problem here, and one I can’t figure out how the show’s going to get around without making Mohinder look incredibly slow, is how Sylar can pull this off again. How can Sylar scalp another victim and write it off as coincidence when Mohinder wonders why all of the individuals he tracks down keep dying?

As it is, Mohinder’s already being branded the dumbest character on the show for not connecting the dots. You could argue that Mohinder doesn’t know anything about Sylar using his victim’s brains to acquire their powers, but the fact that WE know it means Mohinder’s ignorance will get old very quickly.

Macabre superhero convention. Matt meets up with RadioTed and Hana to discuss how they could be heroes …

… just for one day.

The double-dash imprints turn out to be more than markers. Daddy Bennet’s organization injects its test subjects with radioactive isotopes which can be used to trace them.

What?

WHAT?!?

Assuming this is true, WHY ARE CLAUDE AND SYLAR STILL LOOSE? Why is Daddy Bennet wasting time with thermal cameras and clues in Isaac’s paintings when he could just track the isotopes in Claude’s system and taser the guy a million times? Why not hunt down the man who nearly scalped his family and get him locked back up?

Yet-to-be-resolved plot point or plothole? My feeling is the detail shouldn’t have been introduced without explaining why it wouldn’t apply to two characters on the show who could have been tracked down and apprehended much faster and more easily because of it.

To be fair, there’s an easy explanation for Claude: his injection was so long ago that the isotopes faded, or he’s found a way to mask them. Equally, it’s not been established that Sylar got the same injection, although why he wouldn’t have when he was unconscious and lying on an operating table makes no sense. You could argue that Bennet’s organization never intended to let him be released and didn’t think it worth injecting the isotopes, but it wouldn’t have hurt as a precaution.

Daddy Bennet doesn’t have time to ponder this, though, because he’s busy flying back to Texas to be by his wife’s bedside. Claire tells her doctor that Sandra’s subdural hemorrhage came from a man who can make people forget things. The doctor throws doctor-patient confidentiality to the wind and tells Daddy Bennet that his daughter’s talking crazy.

Hayden and Coleman deliver an extremely poignant scene. Every aspect of the performance rings true, from Claire’s contempt when she shouts at her dad to Daddy Bennet’s defense that he only wanted to protect his family. Claire’s betrayal and despair are made real. Daddy Bennet’s guilt and desperation to undo everything he caused are made real.

What makes them real? Well-crafted dialogue and believable responses from the characters, good direction from Beeman, and then just extraordinary acting from Hayden and Coleman.

Bus depot of melancholy exits. It’s now day, but Gustavson and Hope have only just been arrested. Conveniently, Hiro and Ando aren’t implicated, even though they were accessories to the heist and would be part of the investigation. Let’s be thankful it doesn’t lead to another mini-adventure that lasts for three episodes.

Ando’s arm is in a sling, so he suggests that Hiro drives. There was a time when Hiro didn’t know the ignition slot from the petrol cap, but apparently Hiro learned to drive the Nissan Versa. He turns down this product-placement-friendly opportunity so that Ando can take the car back to the airport in L.A. and fly home. Because bringing Ando along for this adventure was “a mistake.”

The rationale behind it makes sense. It’s the same one Niki used when she put herself in jail, when Peter wanted to hide out in Nevada, and in a twisted way when Daddy Bennet wanted everyone’s memories wiped: the underlying motivation to protect loved ones.

The problem is what leads Hiro to this realization. The shoot-out at the depot wasn’t terrifying so much as farcical. For this to be the catalyst that persuades Hiro to put his friend out of harm’s way is ridiculous when they’ve found themselves in a bunch of life-or-death situations that would have justified the decision much more believably. Getting beaten up and driven into the desert in “Hiros”, the murder of the poker players in “Better Halves”, even the chase in the parking garage in “The Fix” had a sense of more imminent danger.

My point isn’t that this doesn’t make sense. Hiro abandoning Ando and telling him to go home is tragic because the characters undoubtedly made up the best pairing on the show. The banter between them often reflected the heroic ideals and normal-person apprehensions that the show’s premise is based on.

But when Hiro’s decision comes about because of one conversation; when it’s set up by a sub-plot which was played for laughs and felt like it was only here to pad the story out; when it seems like a thinly-veiled attempt to separate two characters so that the more important one can move into a darker and less humorous phase of his story arc … that’s where the denouement feels contrived.

Stan Lee’s cameo, on the other hand, was beautifully subtle. It’s not like it had any impact on the plot or couldn’t have been done by anyone else, but the fact that it was Stan Lee makes it special. It’s like Takei playing Papa Sulu; the importance of the person in the role is such that you step out of the story to appreciate it.

Canine Central. The family returns home. Claire tells Daddy Bennet through gritted teeth that she’s not even sure she’ll remember what happened by tomorrow. RadioTed and Matt have apparently flown down from L.A. overnight. That’s some serious last-minute booking, especially when it seemed like they met up at the cemetery in the middle of the night.

Matt points a gun at Sandra and Lyle. Presumably to scare the bejesus out of Daddy Bennet and force his cooperation, which will likely be the result next week. Regardless, the sight of an ex-cop holding a mother and son to gunpoint lowers Matt even further in my eyes.

Apartment of dramatic confrontation. Isaac gets the glazed-over eyes and paints Peter visible. It’s a minimalist effort, but you can tell it’s Peter because of the emo-bangs, the steel jaw and the severely p**sed off expression. This painting isn’t terribly helpful because Peter shows up right now to fulfill it. It’s like the moment on Angel when Cordelia gets a vision of demons creeping up behind her about five seconds before they actually do. It’s hilarious because it’s so useless.

So Peter’s all, “Why’d you betray me, Isaac? Money? Drugs?” And Isaac’s like, “You’re dangerous! You’re going to turn into a nuclear bomb that destroys a city!” Peter: “I was on the case! Dr. Fantastic Eccleston had my back until you brought in some unknown organization I’ve never heard of but seem to suddenly have some inkling about! Anyway, show me the imprint they put on your shoulder!” “It’s nothing.” “DON’T LIE TO ME!”

There’s a case to be made for which character has changed the most since the start of the show. I would say Hiro or Claire, which is largely why they’ve been my favorite characters since the start. But here, Milo shows why he’s rightfully playing the central character of the show. He’s gone from playing an absent-minded dreamer to an obsessive believer to a self-sacrificing hero to a thwarted antagonist. The remarkable part is he plays all of them equally effectively.

Here, it’s not just the angry look and the deep roar and the super-powers that make him scary. It’s Milo’s ability to convey blind rage that makes him genuinely scary. When he sends Isaac flying across the room and bellows that Isaac’s break-up with Simone had nothing to do with him, he becomes a different character.

Is it a rushed transition from noble and idealistic to embittered and vengeful? Yes, if it’s not established that channeling his powers caused Peter to lose control like this. No, if you’re willing to accept the transition as the result of Claude’s disappearance and Isaac’s betrayal. Would that have been enough to enrage Peter two or three episodes ago? My guess is no, which is why I think the guttural roar here was intended to link Peter’s actions with the same deep voice Sylar used in Peter’s dream in “Fallout”. The implication is that absorbing several powers has corrupted Peter to a point where he’s beginning to resemble Sylar. It doesn’t make the character evil, but I think signs that could lead to him turning evil are definitely brought out in this scene.

Simone’s on her way to Isaac’s apartment. I want to say kind things about the character in her final scene, but you know she was only going to return her key and flip crap at Isaac about how he’s been lying to her and doesn’t know what’s best for her and isn’t a guy she wants in her life.

Imagine her surprise when she hears tins of paint crashing in the apartment and two voices arguing loudly. In this week’s Unsolveable Predicament, Simone needs to decide whether to

(a) walk right in, as per her usual meddlesome self, so that she can decree that all arguing shall immediately cease,

(b) knock on the door and ask Isaac what’s going on before she enters,

(c) realize this is a heated confrontation involving a former drug addict which should be handled by the police, or

(d) leave the key in front of the door, hop on a plane to Las Vegas and help Hiro retrieve his sword from Linderman’s antiques collection.

Your call. Two of them make total sense. One of them’s what should have happened. And one of them’s what actually happened, and Simone’s prize is two bullets to the chest which leave Peter looking devastated and Isaac looking like he’s about to bore holes through Peter with his eyes.

A sign of eventual reconciliation and shared regret? It doesn’t look that way to me. It looks like this is the start of a feud that’s going to get very ugly.

Would it have turned out that way anyway? By the look of it, yes, if only because Peter would probably have seized Isaac’s gun and pointed it right back at the shooter. But Simone’s death gives Peter and Isaac a personal hatred beyond blank heroism and a sense of betrayal.

But that seems to have been the aim in every thread of this episode: unexpected events changing the direction of the show and the development of the characters. In spite of another slow week for Hiro and several shaky scenes for Matt, this episode achieved that with distinction.

4.5 out of 5

This entry was posted on Friday, February 23rd, 2007 at 9:29 AM and is filed under Season 1. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.