Heroes: Whose Side Are You On?

I always hope that a show, with a million puzzle pieces and a hectic pace, won’t take too long to put some pieces into place.  We’re five episodes in, and Heroes is holding up their end of the bargain.  This episode answered some questions, but left us with some more.  There’s a clearer painting of how the future is formed, and I’m intrigued to see how it’ll play out.

We catch up with Claire, who has tracked down Stephen Canfield, an escapee.  He’s upset that he can’t find his wife and kids and can create “I’m angry” vortices.  Claire sneaks into his house and tasers him.  She really does need some training if all she has is a combat taser.  He confesses that he argued with his neighbor and, inadvertently, sucked him into a vortex.  Understanding more of his circumstance, she believes she can help. (This episode really delved into the heart of this arc: what really constitutes a villain and what constitutes a hero.  Who judges?)

She uses information from his file and phones his family, however, team Noah-Sylar appears.  Everyone’s surprised to see each other, especially Stephen, who thinks he’s been duped.  He opens a vortex and runs.  Claire tells her dad that Canfield is not dangerous, unlike Dad’s new partner.  Sylar begins to apologize, but Noah barks at him to never speak to her.  Claire finds Stephen, distraught because his family never showed.  Noah appears, and at gunpoint, commands Stephen to use a vortex to kill Sylar.  Both Claire and Steven are too moral for this, and feeling utterly lost, he sucks himself into oblivion.  Outside the Bennett home, Noah states he did what was necessary to protect his family, but Sylar won’t let him off that easily.  He knows what Noah intended to do and says that he’ll never see Claire’s humanity.  Or that Clairebear is no longer a child, Papabear!

Linderman, who we thought only Nathan could see, enlists Daphne to recruit Knox and Mohinder to join an organization that will allow people to accept those with powers.  Elsewhere, Hiro and Ando have unburied a not-so-happy Adam Monroe, who chokes Hiro.  Hiro says he came back because he needs help.  Ando obviously doesn’t trust Adam, but Hiro knows they need him to find the formula.  Adam takes them to a bar, but in a fight Adam starts as if by design, the bartender knocks Hiro out and Adam escapes.  However, Knox finds him and loads him into his van.  Later, Daphne and Knox show up in the bar where Hiro and Ando lament their lack of hero skills.  Knox says there’s no need for Ando, and to prove Hiro’s strength and to join the team, he must kill his friend.  How many of you thought he was going to use a cool time trick here?  Uh-uh.  Hiro believes in sacrifices to save the world and stabs his sidekick in the chest.  Way to frontstab, Hiro!

Daphne meets up with Linderman who gives her a new target: Matt Parkman.  She doesn’t like that Ando died, and she doesn’t like that she can’t sneak up on Linderman.  She speeds right through him, proving he’s not real and exits just as we see the real man behind Linderman, Maury Parkman.  Maury returns to a sterile room with a big bed and a man hooked up to a lot of medical equipment.  He has a conversation with the man, but the man doesn’t speak.  He reports that the team is coming together and calls him Mr. Petrelli.  So we now know how some of our heroes become villains, and we’ve, in part, seen how some villains become heroes.  Tonight’s set-up is killer!

Elsewhere in Heroes-verse:

Meredith starts her search for Claire at Eric Doyle’s house, another escapee.  He captures her and seems to have the power of persuasion.

Mohinder is taking a walk through a park and spots a drug dealer.  He returns to his apartment, dragging the dealer behind him.  He has stuck his neighbor to his lab wall much like Spider-Man does to his enemies.  Maya returns to the apartment and finds the victims “webbed” to the wall, and while hiding, begins to use her powers.  Mohinder knows who’s to blame and calls her to withdraw, but then, traps her like the others.  Mohinder is now officially bonkers and has crossed over to the dark side.

In Level 5, Angela tells Nathan what’s happened to the restrained Peter.  She also confesses that she knows about Dr. Zimmerman and his development of synthetic abilities for Tracy, Niki and Barbara.  Apparently, Nathan was also a guinea pig since his father was unhappy that he was the born without the genetic code.  Nathan and Tracy want nothing to do with her and are off to see Mohinder.  Later, Angela has a vision where Tracy, Nathan and Peter are dead at the hands of Mr. Petrelli whom she vows to stop.  Angela, who also seemed villainous, is now being basked in the light, but she’s lost Hiro.  Will he become a mole?  And how will she make due without the Petrelli sons on her side?  I guess we’ll find out next week!

Quotables:

Am I an angel or a monster?  A hero or a villain?  Why can’t I see the difference? – Nathan

You little Japanese Nazi! – Adam

He said to look tough.  Not like Mr. Roboto. – Hero

This is my tough guy walk. – Ando

Season 3, Episode 5: Angels and Monsters (originally aired October 13, 2008)

For another take on this episode, check out Evil League Of Evil by Paul Secrest.

Mondays at 9/8C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC