Heroes: History Repeats Itself

Welcome once again, ladies and gentlemen, for another installment of Heroes Flashback Theater, this time brought to you courtesy of Usutu’s magic dung paste.  In case you had forgotten in all the hype and excitement of election week, we last left Hiro in the capable hands of season 3′s favorite African mystic where, unwilling to use his own powers to leap backwards, he found himself high as a kite and suddenly privy to the recently bygone activities of the Petrelli family tree.  If you had been wondering how Arthur “died,” why Sylar has a softer side, or just wanted to know more about Meredith, then this was the episode for you.

18 months prior to the now legendary pilot episode, we find Arthur addressing friends and family, including the infamous Linderman.  Seems that former ADA Nathan is on the verge of launching a full investigation into Mr. L’s shady ways, a prospect that makes his dad justifiably nervous to the point of considering son-icide.  Perhaps the strangest aspect of this scenario is seeing Angela playing the role of doting wife, thanks to a little psychic manipulation from hubby.

Deep in the heart of Texas, Meredith was living a life of crime with a little help from Flint, villain of the blue flames, who – surprise! – turns out to be her baby brother.  Is there anyone on this show who isn’t related to Claire?  Eric Roberts continues his banner year by returning as Company agent Thompson, who deputizes Mer as his “one of us, one of them” partner after proving herself in a confrontation with an ill-tempered hobo with metallic limbs.  She winds up on the run from the Company living the trailer life when she helps Flint escape, but Thompson takes pity when he realizes whose mom she is.

Up north in Queens, a sad and profound story unfolds when the old H.R.G. returns full of menace and cold-hearted Company loyalty.  Partnered with Elle, Mr. Bennet pays a visit to Gabriel Grey.  The watchmaker is on the verge of hanging himself, consumed with guilt over his hunger and the murder of his first power acquisition.  Elle shows up in the nick of time to play the part of innocent girl next door and over a few days the duo seem to develop genuine feelings for each other.  But Noah has bigger, more twisted plans for Gabe and demands Elle bait his cravings to see what he’s capable of.  And with the death of an innocent goth who fires mind bullets, Gabriel cements his transformation into Sylar.  But with the recent rediscovery of his humanity, maybe there’s hope for Gabe & Elle yet.  Somebody’s got to be the future mother of his child, right?

After Arthur tries to kill Nathan in the car crash that paralyzed his wife, Linderman offers to heal Angela’s brain damage so she can see her husband for the monster he really is.  With the blinders removed, Angela’s parenting style takes a profound shift from Leave it to Beaver to The Manchurian Candidate.  A Haitian-assisted poisoning leaves Arthur poisoned and presumed dead, but now we all know he was playing possum and waiting for his moment to strike.

A much wiser Hiro snaps out of dreamland to a profoundly rude awakening: Arthur in the savannah and Usutu minus a head.  But wait, it gets worse.  Hiro’s grief-stricken distraction gives Art a window of opportunity to power suck the time tripper.  I don’t know when or how the forces of good will take down this scary S.O.B., but they better come up with something quick lest he declare himself king of Earth.

Season 3, Episode 8: Villains (originally aired November 10, 2008)

For another take on this episode, check out Villains by Inisia Lewis.

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Photographs courtesy of NBC