Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 6

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode Six: "Shades of Gray"

Note: This will be really short, as I didn't see the whole episode the first time around and have been busy since.


A quick rundown:

*Parkman had a bomb strapped to his chest by the Hunter (Danko); he was drugged and released into a crowded area around Congress. The SWAT team surrounded him, and Nathan quickly arrived (flew) at the scene, calming Parkman down. Matt was able to read a bomb tech's mind and defuse the device. He was taken into custody after being knocked out by Nathan (can't have him reading minds now, can he?).

*Sylar came to the end of his road trip, an old shack in the woods, and finally met his father, Samson Gray (played liver-spotted, in full beard and very grey by John Glover)...who turned out not to be the great white hunter Sylar expected. Dying of cancer, on oxygen, Samson also has the intuitive/absorption power. In fact, he "hunted" for a number of years before giving up on the big game, finding it pointless, and settling in with what powers he can still remember (including a lulling whistle [sedation] and telekinesis).

He stuffs animals now (not slang for anything, you pervs). Sylar chose not to kill him and instead sought answers, such as why did Samson kill his wife (as seen last episode in flashback). Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to his memory, and Samson didn't remember. But he did remember the hunger that drove him to kill for powers, that Sylar deals with, when he saw his son cut his finger and then heal.

Pinning him to the wall with arrows and sedating him, he moved to cut Sylar's head open and gain access to all his abilities, but was stopped. Sylar was playing possum (irony!) and proceeded to choke Samson with his own oxygen tube...before realizing it better to let this old, broken man die alone and in pain. He left, having only made one mistake: he told Samson where he got the healing power...a cheerleader in California

*Tracy got moved back into her heat room in Building 26, received a message from Rebel that hope is coming, and then Nathan said that he's her "only hope." Danko questioned her about Nathan, trying to get her to admit he has a power (she did say, "You're one of us!" at one point). She replied he's lousy in bed, and doesn't know anything about any power.

*Danko continued to press Nathan, but it appeared he pressed to hard. Nathan came back after the Parkman affair with a presidential order removing Danko from the task force. Catching the Senator in a glass (exterior) elevator, Danko shot the glass and pushed Nathan out. Of course, Nathan flew away after exchanging quite a look with our dear Hunter. "Tell me you didn't know about this," Danko whispered to a stunned HRG.

*Claire helped the Puppetmaster (Doyle) evade the agents and supplied him with fake IDs. While she was saving him, he actually resisted the urge to have a female agent shoot herself, instead forcing her to knock herself unconscious against a wall.

*Hiro and Ando got a message from Rebel telling them to save Matt Parkman at a certain address. They showed up, looking for "Matt Parkman" and are mistaken for babysitters...for the infant named "Matt Parkman." Hilarity is sure to ensue.

To be continued next week in "Cold Snap."


Heroes: Fugitives
Episode One: "A Clear and Present Danger"
Episode Two: "Trust and Blood"
Episode Three: "Building 26"
Episode Four: "Cold Wars"
Episode Five: "Exposed"


-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!

Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 3

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode Three: "Building 26"

What Happened:

Not much. An aside: Bryan Fuller, a creative force behind the show's first season, returned with "Fugitives" after it became apparent that his ABC wundershow "Pushing Daisies" was dead (hi-ohhh!). Responsible for the stellar "Company Man" episode about HRG's past, many say his return marks the show's return to good storytelling. Alas, we're not there yet.

This week, Claire is pissy with HRG, her mom and life. At breakfast, she gets a "Rebel" text. HRG now claims to be a "consultant" and he reminds Claire that the last time his real career was known to his wife, she almost died (so pipe down, blondie). She gets a "Rebel" text telling her to warn "Alex" that danger's on its way. Sylar continues his road trip with Luke "Hotplate Kid" Campbell and the boy has fun, testing Sylar's lie detector power and getting Peter Pan to admit he's a serial killer. They stop for lunch.

Back in...India?, Ando and Hiro find a random wedding they are supposed to interfere with (did I miss something specific about their target in that painting?) and Hiro determines to stop the wedding/save the bride from the marriage. In related news, Ando glimpses a familiar looking woman, follows her and they talk. She admits that the wedding isn't her idea of a good time, but she wanted a sign not to go through with it. Ando then uses his sparky red powers to convince said bride that he is a sign from above that she's not to get married. Hiro (and the fiancee) are (separately) PO'ed. Fiancee knocks Ando on the head, absconds with him and demands the wedding go forward.

In Washington, D.C., specifically Building 26, the Hunter uses several large boards to map out the various heroes (by power or just at random?) and we see little pictures of far more than we've been introduced to. Hunter derides Nathan, who then slaps back and gives a pep talk ("I'm requesting our budget be doubled."). Guest-star Moira Kelly, last seen in 1992's The Cutting Edge, rolls in, says she's with the Department of Homeland Security and all this black-ops nonsense needs to be justified. And the illegally detained US citizens on US soil? Trouble, Sen. Petrelli.

Clair manages to track down Alex, and he turns out to be a comic book store employee (thin, though with glasses) who can breathe underwater. He is doubtful of her warning, but after a healing demonstration, he believes. They dodge HRG, black-clad goons (during which he opens up about his power) and she hides him in her closet.

Back at Building 26, Cutting Edge tells Nathan the gig is up; powers just aren't real. As if destiny were itching to prove her wrong, Tracy at that moment breaks the chain holding her, escapes her cell and its heat lamps, and takes an analyst hostage. With guns trained on her, and both Cutting Edge and Nathan watching, Tracy freezes the analyst and shatters him, looking an awful lot like angry "Jessica." Tasered, she is returned to her cell where she tells Nathan it was awfully convenient her door was unlocked and the chain was loose. He pretends not to understand...or does he? After Cutting Edge agrees with Nathan that yes, powers are real and he's got all the funding he needs, Nathan confronts the Hunter, giving him the analyst's name and family story. Wife, two kids. So the Hunter knows what his "demonstration" cost, as he obviously engineered Tracy's escape attempt, for the "greater good." Casualties of war, and what not, he claims. Tensions rise.

On a roadside diner, Sylar and Luke chit chat about stuff, the past. Samson Gray went fishing with Luke, trucking along a red wagon, treating him like a son and even admitting that he'd sold Sylar to his brother Martin for money. Sylar reaches back and remembers that red wagon, being pulled in it. Not the monster his traveling companion is, Luke writes down the location of Samson's hideaway, casually hoping Sylar won't kill him. As they bond, some suits enter the diner and it's apparent the Hunter's men have acquired their target again. In another well-staged fight, Sylar defeats the suits, an undercover agent and some commandos. Luke pretends at first to be an abductee, but only to distract the undercover agent so Sylar can TK him across the restaurant. Sylar flees, locking Luke (who then gets tasered) out of the car. Ah, but he returns a short time later and messes up the van-full of commandos, stealing their hard case laptop...and Luke. The obvious question (that Luke then poses, once conscious) is why Sylar rescued him. Why indeed....

The wedding back on in India, Hiro now takes the opportunity to interfere, claiming the bride is being forced to marry and his Ando is being held hostage by the groom. The groom protests; the bride agrees this traditional marriage isn't for her, as she catches the eye of a eager gal in the back row. The groom threatens, but Hiro grabs a novelty/decorative sword and takes a stand (bringing Parkman's painting of Hiro to life...which in no way looked like a wedding on my TV. Just saying). Seeing defeat, the groom relents, leaves and Ando is freed. Hiro understands the powers don't make the hero; the person does.

After hiding Alex, Claire talks to her mom and can't take the lies, telling her that HRG's new "consulting" job is a bit more secret police-oriented than first described. Stopping by her bedroom, HRG gets teary and says the Mrs. wants him to move out for now. For the best, right, Claire-bear? She gets weepy, they hug and he leaves. "Aqualad" is seen in her closet.

HRG heads to a hotel and has a few drinks, getting far tipsier than anticipated. He collapses and his buddies offer to take him home. Parkman, Peter and Suresh prop him up and exit stage left.

To be continued next week in "Cold Wars."


In Character Development...:

First off, nothing happens on screen with Angela, Suresh, Parkman or Peter. Next week, for the latter three. Daphne is still dead.

Claire & HRG (and Alex)
She's a whiny brat, and that needs to change. While going against her father has put her in the good graces of "Rebel," it keeps her character growth tamped down. Still the victim and unwilling (or unable) to make mature choices, she needs to be put on the back burner for a while. HRG just needs to pick a side and start the freaking fight. He's more dangerous than his fellow agents.

...and we needed an Aqualad?


Sylar & Luke Campbell
Cut the road trip junk and we'll be cooking with gas. As it is, the driving, reminiscent (as one reader said) of Season 2's South American extravaganza, gets old. Have at least some better adventure on the way. There was no "real" development with these two, though we were reminded that Luke isn't a wholesale devil like Sylar, has feelings and can sympathize.

Hiro & Ando
As I said, Hiro learns that powers aren't a requirement to consider yourself a "hero." Just standing up for what's right, the helpless, the distressed can do it. Ando, take note. It's been said that Ando's a better character than Hiro, as he isn't so dreamy and flighty, but there's a resentful streak running through him that doesn't allow for logical reasoning. Really, with either of them. They tend to leap to a conclusion and if it brings conflict, get upset like a dog that's knocked its ball under a couch.

Tracy
You gonna get it, girlie. She never learns and will ideally be killed off, paving the way for Triplet the Third who, if all goes according to plan, will be a rounded character full of complexity. Instead of voicing her opinions to the gathered commandos, before she froze the analyst, she just makes a face and does the deed. No explanation. Seeing "Cutting Edge" in the back, knowing her escape was a set-up, what not come out and say that?


Thoughts:

A slow, uneventful week. Do you have something?

*The writers won't be the same in a few weeks as they are now, and the hope is that the new blood (Fuller) takes out some of the artificial roadblocks to good storytelling. You don't have to keep Sylar away from the other heroes, but if you do, is road tripping with a sidekick the best route? Better to have him find his dad earlier and let their story play out over more than a few episodes. Maybe...they talk! And argue without killing each other.

*Not shoe-horning in Parkman, Suresh and Peter into this week's stories worked wonders. Honestly, not every episode needs to feature every character. The best old episodes left us guessing week on week what Character X was doing while Character Y narrowly escaped peril. Or learned of a new power.

*This week was called "Building 26" but it focused more on other people than the Hunter, Nathan and their crew. Shouldn't this have been look at who they are? A missed opportunity.


Looking Ahead:

*So...no John Glover/Samson Gray next week? Double drat.
*Daphne? I'll take a body, but I need to know.
*Will we get a bigger glimpse of that board? Lotta heroes on there...
*Does HRG really truly no-backsies choose a side next week?

Heroes: Fugitives
Episode One: "A Clear and Present Danger"
Episode Two: "Trust and Blood"

-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!

Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 2

A week late and a dollar short, but here's the next review, all spit-polished for your enjoyment.

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode Two: "Trust and Blood"

What Happened:

The story is told in flashbacks, as Nathan talks on the phone to a mysterious, silent individual. He's at "Building 26" and it's forty-eight hours after the plane crash. Everything...didn't go according to plan.

Well, the plane crashed, and that could hardly have been on the flight itinerary. Anyway, the plane goes down and "some" of the heroes escaped. Commandos busy themselves hunting through the Arkansas woods and do a poor job. Clarie briefly tries to escape with Peter, but HRG steps in and says, Nuh uh, Claire-bear...but he lets Peter get away. Meanwhile, Ando's bummed that he can't get a plane ticket to Arkansas (a mythical place to his Japanese travel agent) when in a flash (ahem) Daphne jets over and whisks them both to the crash site. Parkman, Suresh, and Hiro link up, Parkman goes all Isaac-eyes and rushes into the woods where he demands drawing material. The other two get some clothes at the sedentary trailer/hill-folk dwelling they find while Parkman sketches some stuff out. Meanwhile, Tracy and Peter pull the old prisoner-running-this-way-as-distraction-while-other-prisoner-karate-chops-the-commando-on-the-back-of-the-head maneuver (the ol' PRTWADWOPKCTCOTBOTH Maneuver, as I learned it).

Meanwhile, a woman and her teenage son (Luke Campbell) pass the taxidermy shop, surrounded by ambulances and cop cars; she knew it would come to this, what with that nut living there. The boy, by the by, is dark-haired, morose and recently got in a fight at school. No dad in the picture. Upon entering there house they find the commando Sylar was questioning, duct-taped to a chair with screw drivers pinning his hands to the armrests. They freak, Sylar appears, TK's them into chairs and says he'll torture them to get the commando to talk. Ooo.

Back at the crash site, Daphne and Ando have arrived. Parkman, Suresh and Hiro look at Matt's drawings: one of Hiro & a blond (Claire?) in India; one of Daphne getting shot in the shoulder in front of the plane wreckage. The second has Matt nervous and he starts back to the crash site and the others reluctantly follow. Claire gets the third degree from HRG and Nathan, giving some fire back, too. Daphne and Ando, the sidekicks, meet up with Parkman, Suresh and Hiro. Daphne acts impulsively (hah! that's two!) and dashes into the camp to get Claire. And here's where things get bad.

While standing, for a moment, in a plain view of the every eye in and about the crash site, Daphne takes that fateful shot in the shoulder as a squad of commandos crests the ridge behind the group's hiding spot. She then takes another, and several more for good measure before collapsing in blood and dust. Claire leaps forward and gets shot, shrugs it off and gives her best Wolverine I'm-a-pissed-off-unkillable-psycho look while Parkman cradles Daphne's lifeless (?) body. Much happens in slo-mo. Parkman now looks up at the soldiers and concentrates, forcing the main shooter to kill his other fellows until he is killed by the main commander, the Hunter. The heroes (Suresh, Hiro, Ando, Parkman) run away as Claire struggles to heal. Hunter takes Claire captive and threatens to put a bullet in the the back of her head, her Achilles' heal, but Nathan steps in, giving her to HRG to ferry back home. HRG promises to her he'll not be such a jerk to her friends. Claire returns to Costa Verde and gets a text message from "Rebel," who promises revolution against Nathan's people.

Tracy, after calling Nathan and promising Peter in exchange for her life, and Peter meet up later that night with Nathan...who did not come alone as promised. Peter holds Nathan at gunpoint, HRG and Hunter have their sights on him but HRG claims he "doesn't have the shot" (that's for you, Claire-bear). Peter flies away; Tracy is captured and taken to Building 26 where she's bound and drugged. For the greater good. Peter finds the other guy heroes and they plot to save their friends and counterattack.

Back to Sylar. He starts to choke the mother after the commando lies, claiming Luke wants it anyway, that they are hindrances to each other, basically putting all his own angst on the kid. Surprising us all (or, not at all), the kid has powers! He uses them to boil and burst the cup of coffee in Sylar's hand. He and Sylar have a pow-wow in the other room while the mother recuperates and the commando frees himself. But, Luke sees disaster (for who?) and microwave blasts the commando in the chest (the effect is like air rippling above a hot road), killing him. Sylar agrees to take Luke with him after the boy says he knows where Samson Gray, the taxidermist, lives. The head off in the Campbells' car.

We find out that Nathan's been telling the story over the phone to his mom, Angela, and she will not absolve him of any guilt over the tragic events. She will have no part of it and hangs up as she looks over the files she has of the Hunter...and others.

To be continued next week in "Building 26."


In Character Development...:

Peter and Nathan
Aside from reiterating that Nathan's a jackhole, there's not much on him. He is protecting Claire, but he's not learning from his mistakes. The "greater good" spiel might've worked circa Season 1, but characters grow. I guess not enough.

Peter, on the other hand, has grown. Showing determined leadership and realizing not all will turn out right with the world, he's made the decision to be forceful. Making a decision in general is big, but to take the lead and not appear wishy-washy floppy-haired Peter is a grand development. The power limitation also forces him to be practical where he's been spacey and relied on a bevy of crutches in the past.

Tracy
She screwed. Politicking doesn't get you out of "heroes" Guantanamo, where/whatever that might be. Betraying Peter (or was it Nathan?), constant hedging, ignoring moral choice - these don't help in this fictional world. Good or bad, you have to come down on a side.

Suresh, Parkman and Daphne
So Daphne maybe dies; no body bag is seen. If she is worm-food, not great loss...except her power and what she does for Parkman (happiness). Speaking of, Parkman takes a big leap forward this episode by actively using his power in a combat situation. It's not the psychic knives or brain blast many of us (X-Men) fans desired, but "commandeering" still works. The psychic/seer stuff might get old fast; hopefully, he just gets flashes of insight and not full-fledged plot foreshadowing (ala Isaac Mendez). Suresh runs around.

Hiro and Ando
Not entirely a hero yet, Ando follows Daphne, another sidekick, and avoids death. Is he seeing what it takes to be a hero and, therefore, how best to use his abilities? In combat, I'd imagine his boosting would make Parkman an engine of mental destruction or Suresh a Bombay Hulk. The learning curve Hiro discovered in the first and second seasons plays out again, but with Ando.

Not one to sit by and not complain, Hiro laments his loss of power and says he needs to be a hero again. Parkman's painting supports that theory. Ideally, if he is to get his power back, it'll be an added bonus of heroism, not the direct benefit. Get a sword.

Claire and HRG
She's a victim who wants to take action against her abusers. HRG is a good solider with a conscience. See previous seasons. It's not that I don't like their characters (he is still my favorite), but until Claire realizes she's not Invincigirl all duded-up with the martial ability to combat evil, her story will be repetitive. Perhaps - and this goes against contact, popularity and wisdom - she needs to sit out half a season or so. Rest the character, save the plot.

What to do with the Company Man? I like his moral quandaries, but I think he's had enough now to realize that "fighting from the inside" doesn't work. Instead of derailing the Hunter by not killing Peter or keeping Claire free, maybe he should be in the field terrorizing this new fascist black-ops commando unit. Give him the Invisible Man, the Haitian and a few other "acquaintances;" I'm sure his hero team would boost the ratings.

Sylar (and Luke Campbell)
Of all the characters, Sylar is moving forward. By giving him a Maltese Falcon/MacGuffin (in the guise of his biological father) to hunt, we can see him interact with people differently than if he was on a killing spree. Already he has a sidekick, the mentally unwell Luke Campbell. I smell future betrayal. Luke brings a new power to the fore, microwave emission, and a random character dynamic. Is he evil? Misguided? A normal teen rebelling? And what's his (blood?) relation to Sylar's father?


Thoughts:

*Sylar plays Peter Pan, picks up a Lost Boy (Solar Lad? Hot Plate Boy?). Positive. The best part of Season 2 was the "team-up" between Beard-O Nathan and Parkman as they hunted the latter's father.

*Daphne goes the way of the dodo...or does she? Speedesters, in comics, are notorious for both dodging death and healing quickly. I don't count her out.

*HRG isn't a total bad guy, as we all knew. However, he's not interesting enough anymore. I want less "new company, same as the old company" and more "I do have a particular set of skills..." bad-assery.

*Peter's powers? Perfect for him. It forces him to make difficult choices, making him grow up at the same time. Limiting him to one-at-a-time also allows for less arguments of "Why doesn't he just go ballistic on these people with lightning, TK, ice, telepathic assault, etc.?!" when faced with conflict and impediments. I like this quite a lot.

*Claire needs to heal Hiro so he gets his powers back. Maybe Peter, too. Mandy (wife) seems to think this is the best course of action. Linderman's ability healed brain damage by the Haitian. Suresh's formula could give powers and gave Peter almost his original one. Adam Monroe's blood healed people not him.

*Parkman using his powers aggressively? Finally. Finally. Now he needs to use them for espionage.


Looking Ahead:

*Is Daphne Dead?
*Where is John Glover/Samson Gray?! How long will this be dragged on? Road trips are fun; fantasy-novel style Walking Without Destination less so.
*Does the Hunter have a power we don't know about?
*Does Tracy make a deal?


Heroes: Fugitives
Episode One - "A Clear and Present Danger"


-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!

Hooper Reviews Heroes: Fugitives - Episode 1

If you haven't watched the previous two and a half seasons of Heroes, I can catch you up right quick.

Concept! Heroes walk among us, ordinary people with powers far beyond those of mortal Man. Some want to be left alone, others want to help the world while yet more desire power, control and to be feared. Periodically, they clash. Rarely do they stay dead.

Ok? Now to the first episode of the second half of Season 3 (also called vol. 4. Whew!): Fugitives.

***

I will be breaking the reviews up into four parts: the episode summary, main characters development/activity, my thoughts, and questions for next week. Please use the comments section to add your wild theories, because we all know you have them.

Heroes Season 3
Volume Four: Fugitives


Episode One: "A Clear and Present Danger"

What Happened:

When we left our heroes, they had scattered after taking down Arthur Petrelli's "villains" and destroying Pinehurst, a front company in reality founded to artificially develop "powers."

Several months pass.

Nathan, using his post, is planning on rounding up all those with abilities to protect the regular citizens. He starts the episode giving an interview that vaguely refers to his plans to help protect America. What he will do - remove their powers, imprison them, force them to train and work with the US gov't - is up in the air. As the episode progresses, we see his black-clad squads capture Tracy, Suresh, Hiro, Parkman, Claire and Peter. The only one they have trouble with is Sylar, now on the hunt for his biological father. After he seeks out "Martin Gray," his adoptive watchmaker deadbeat dad, he gets the address of the main Martin claims is his real dad. While there, the goons attempt - and spectacularly fail - to capture him. Then he starts "asking" some questions....

Taken to an airport hanger with other captured heroes, blindfolded and manacled, our protagonists are led onto a plane bound for parts unknown. Except for Claire. Nathan, her biological father, packs her away in a car and tells her to forget all of this. Of course, she doesn't. Instead, she knocks out the driver and sneaks aboard the plane.

In mid-flight, Claire unhooks the imprisoned heroes from some chemical nose-plug thing that obviously inhibits powers. Peter awakens, sees the situation, absorbs Suresh's strength and begins to fight the guards. Pandemonium ensues, causing him to get Tracy's cold touch, which he unfortunately uses on the tail end of the plane...now a gaping hole sucking out nameless people we don't care about. Claire goes to the cockpit and sees her father, HRG. "Claire?!" She looks stunned. The ground rushes up through the cockpit as they lose cabin pressure and control. The episode ends.

***

In character development...:

Here's what they did before they got on that plane (no, this isn't about LOST).

Peter & Nathan Petrelli
Peter Petrelli is an EMT now, his brother Nathan a powerful Senator on the Homeland Security committee; the death of their deranged father is behind them. Peter had his abilities stripped from him partway through the "Villains" arc but, using Suresh's super-serum, got them back...or did he? Unable to save the life of an accident victim, he laments to his co-worker that he could've saved him, if he had more power. Throughout the episode he runs into Claire, who warns him of Nathan, and Suresh; they just catch up before reminding each other to be careful. He also seeks out Nathan after Claire's warning, and confronts him not once, but twice (though, the second time, Nathan is in his apartment, waiting). The greater good is brought up, and each has clearly different views of what that really means. Nathan asks Peter, when they first meet at their mother's mansion, what powers he currently has. Flight, Peter replies, as he hasn't seen any of the other heroes since Pinehurst. When Nathan surprises Peter at the apartment, he maneuvers him into a trap and captures him with his chief "hunter's" help.

While Peter struggles to be a hero, Nathan has bullied his way into a very powerful post. He's giving interviews, talking about the greater good, the larger struggles against unseen threats. We know he means "heroes," but the average American can just think he's after terrorists. Good cover, because regular citizens would flip if they knew he was masterminding a program to round up all those with powers and shuttle them off to an undisclosed facility...for everyone's own good, of course. He defends himself and reiterates to his mother that Claire is to be kept away from the others and in the dark. There is a small part of him that cares for his daughter, even if he's never really been a father to her. When everyone is aboard the plane and it taxis for take-off and flies in to the night sky, he stares after it...regretting? Scheming? Mentally rubbing his hands together in evil glee? Or is it resignation, as he knows what he's done to these people is a violation of our freedoms, but in his "greater good" mentality these actions remain the best course to keep the country from ruin? Hm....

Tracy (triplet the second)
She's getting back in with the Governor of NY, or at least still has her political contacts to fall back on after being on the losing side in the PrimaTech heroes vs. the Pinehurst villains fight. The episode - in general - starts with Nathan giving an interview/stump speech about protecting America; Tracy watches while assuring NY's governor that she has no leash on him anymore, that he's climbing the ladder under his own steam. And then she gets taken. She is the first to be kidnapped, and here her attackers show their preparedness. As we know, she can freeze things by touch, and tries to do so when the first attacker closes in on her, grasping his arm and icing it up...but it thaws. Yes, they have built in to their uniforms some measure of "power repellent" against some of the easier-to-block abilities. She is still taken after they use a powerful taser device against her.

Mohinder Suresh
Suresh drives a cab again. After chatting with Peter, a gaunt man gets into his backseat, pulls a gun and tells him to drive. We see his face and it's Nathan's chief black-clad hunter. Driving to the top floor of a parking garage, Suresh stops the cab and finds himself facing a ring of goons with rifles and a waiting fan to whisk him away. The hunter tells him to get out, and he does...but he doesn't go quietly. Gripping his open door, he pulls it off the hinges and batters the chief hunter away (so they have armor on those suits; otherwise, he'd be pudding). He uses the door as a shield against the goons, who fire taser rounds (about the size of sidewalk chalk) ineffectively and with stormtrooper-quality aim, until reaching the downward ramp. Sprinting around the spiral ramp, he stops as...Noah Bennett (HRG) pulls up in his stylish black crossover SUV, urging him to get in now! To save himself! He does, foolishly (why does Suresh always make the wrong choices? He knows Bennett has frequently worked at odds to the heroes, both good and evil, to keep humanity safe from super-humanity). Bennett asks if he's been in contact with any other heroes, Bennett skids to a halt as gaunt hunter appears, Suresh gets confused and apologizing, Bennett tasers and delivers him to the goon squad.

Claire Bennett
Struggling with the mundane real world, Claire wants the action back. Something to keep her from being just another kid. Her biological grandmother, Angela Petrelli, pushes her to choose a college and therefore a normal life. Claire wants to hunt down Sylar, knowing that the "trips" her dad is always away at are related to special people. They have to be, in her mind. Angela tolerates her, at best, saying that Sylar is dead. End of discussion. Later, Claire picks up the phone and hears an agitated Angela talking to Nathan about the future abductions of Peter and Matt Parkman. Nathan tells Angela to keep Claire away from them. It is then that Angela looks up...and sees Claire on an extension.

So later, Claire tracks down Peter and warns him that Nathan's coming to get him. Being who he is, Peter believes her right away and goes off to confront Nathan. Claire, meanwhile, heads to Parkman's apartment. She knocks and they talk, but Matt's more interested in these drawings he's made (see below) that show he and Claire...looking at the drawings. Another shows something sticking out of Matt's neck. What is that, Claire asks. And then Matt is shot with an electro-tranq dart, commandos burst into the room and she's taken.

Hiro & Ando
Hiro, now without his powers since Arthur Petrelli stole/blocked them, is trying to make Ando (who still retains his artificially granted ability to augment others' power) a hero and instill in him a sense of responsibility. This...isn't working so well. Hiro has bought an old firehouse and has converted it to a sort of Ando-cave for his superheroing. To keep tabs on each other, he injects Ando with a GPS tracking device, saying he did the same to himself. Hiro even got an "Ando-cycle," complete with two-way communications to base. Ando is skeptical and views this as Hiro's attempt to live through Ando now that he's powerless. He leaves.

Later, Hiro tracks down Ando and calls him, demanding to know why he isn't saving the world or being a hero. But I am, Ando says. Then why are you in a strip club, Hiro replies. Ah, Ando. As they continue to bicker, Ando hears sounds of a struggle on Hiro's end and we see our pudgy protagonist carted off, unconscious, by the Hunter's commando squad. Ando races back to the firehouse and is able to track Hiro...to the US.

Matt Parkman and Daphne
They are trying to live normal lives, if their powers (and Daphne's impulsiveness) can let them. She's working and he's a security guard, but neither is really happy. But better being normal than in danger. It's while arguing about what they should be doing that Matt gets a vision of Usutu, the dead African seer. Daphne agrees to be normal, and heads out. Matt's turtle later escapes and in putting in back, he sees Usutu again who tells him he'll be a great prophet and gain the ability to draw/paint the future (like Isaac Mendez). And sure enough, his eyes get all cloudy and he begins to draw. And several hours later, Claire appears, they talk, get taken, etc. You've read that before.

HRG (Noah Bennett)
... is, as always, an enigma. He's working for Nathan, co-leading the round-up of heroes and yet...I don't believe it. See Suresh and Claire for his part in this episode.

Gabriel "Sylar" Gray
Oh, and Sylar, thought dead in the fiery demise of Pinehurst, is healed up and back in the game, searching for his biological father. Sylar tracks down his adoptive father, the watchmaker Martin Gray. At the watch repair shop, Martin pulls a shotgun on Sylar before realizing who he is. To our great surprise, he doesn't lie to Sylar and admits that he wasn't a good father and walked out because he couldn't stand Virginia, the snow globe collector; they should never have had a child together (small lie). No, Sylar's father is the watchmaker's brother, Martin explains after light (verbal) pressuring. The brother, Samson Gray (named later), needed money and gave his child to Martin and Virginia who wanted a kid but couldn't have one. Martin gives Sylar the address; there is no violence between these two, just some regret and resentment.

Going to the address given him, a taxidermy shop, Sylar enters and pokes around. A small picture of a young boy with black hair and glasses (little Gabriel "Sylar" Gray...?) is seen, as is a snow globe and a smoldering cigarette. Suddenly, one of the better action scenes of the series starts. The black-clad commando squad attempts to capture Sylar, shooting electro-darts in him, noosing his head and arms with those contraptions animal tamers use (metal noose at the end of a pole). To no avail. Using his telekinesis, he literally moves the house he's in, shaking everything, throwing his attackers all over the place (with a little electrical assist) until they're down for the count. One remains conscious. Shaking off the restraints, Sylar levitates him off the ground and informs him there will be a Q & A session following this beat-down.


Thoughts:

*Sylar returned too early; I was hoping he'd sit out most of the season and come in towards the end as a repentant savior figure. Following his end-of-the-episode appearance, the next ep would detail where he'd been all season, what he'd learned, done, etc. But that was my fantasy version of the story. As is, I look forward to John Glover giving his impression of Father Knows Best to a bratty superpowered psychochild.

*I want HRG to be good. I think, at the core, he is. But to side with Nathan? Eh...I hope there are wheels within wheels.

*Suresh's super-strength in demonstration was terrific. In fact, the use of powers, the crack detainment squads, the action in general - big fan of all of that.

*I think the direction is better now than it was before. It's not as...average. The producers have realized this show needs a visual flair to match the storytelling and whoever is in the director's chair agrees. Technically superior to the last two "volumes."

*I don't know how Nathan would know about Ando having powers, as they weren't part of the same plot group at any point last "volume." So unless he shows himself off, I think he's clear to act.

*Forcing Peter to touch heroes to get their ability adds a degree of vulnerability to his character, instead of just passively absorbing them through proximity. That was a cop-out to make him this God-like hero.


Looking ahead:

*Looking forward to the plane crash and how they survive.
*Will HRG emerge more heroic after his fellow commandos/goons are knocked out in the crash?
*Where's Daphne? Did she dodge capture?
*Is Angela a plotter, maybe with something on the side with HRG?
*Do we meet John Glover/Samson Gray next episode? They can't get him in soon enough.

Until next week!

-Hooper

Read on, faithful few!