Heroes: Monsoon Wedding Crashers

Oh, for the love of all things genetically enhanced, why can’t the overpaid typewriter monkeys in the Heroes writers’ room come up with plotlines for Hiro that don’t absolutely blow chunks? Ever since he inexplicably lost his powers way back in season 1 and felt the need to go on a mishap-laden road trip to find a special sword, the man with the potential to bring comic relief and optimism to the show’s often dark world has brought little more than idiocy and frustration. And you can’t blame Masi Oka. He’s always doing the best work he can with what he’s given. Languishing in feudal Japan for half of season 2, trapped in the mind of his 10-year-old self, or, in the case of this week, poking around at a wedding in New Delhi in an attempt to fulfill Matt’s annoying new drawings. Each one feels a little more tedious than the last. If not for my stern sense of journalistic integrity, I would have fast forwarded every one of Hiro’s scenes, since the rest of the episode was actually quite good. The only lasting contribution to the series in any way was the final act reveal that the still unidentified “Rebel” somehow knew Hiro & Ando would be in India when he sends the sub-dynamic duo a fax. Seriously? Would it be so hard to just text them like Claire? Seriously?

At Hero Hunter HQ, Nathan & Danko’s mission receives a potential stumbling block in the form of Abby, a bureaucrat with a disbelief in superpowers and a pesky insistence on observing things like due process and human rights. Unfortunately, Danko stages a cruel bit of theater by allowing the incarcerated Tracy to escape just long enough to freeze a guy to death in front of Abby’s eyes. Problem solved, Abby’s on board, system of justice tragically circumvented.

Claire’s dealing with a unique set of problems at home when concealing everything that went down back east during her “college tour” forces more lies to come between her and her mom. And the fact that Rebel starts sending Claire on search and rescue missions ensures rocky relations with daddy as well. The mysterious texter’s first assignment leads Claire to a comic shop where she meets Alex, an impossibly-hot-for-a-comic-book-salesman lad with the power to breathe underwater. Yeah, that represents a serious threat to society, Nathan. She escapes with the fishman and avoids dad’s thugs, but the lifestyle of constant evasion and deception finally proves too much to handle and she spills the beans to mom. In one of the most grounded and realistic family drama twists to hit Heroes in a very long time, an understandably pissed Sandra kicks Noah out of the house. The episode ends with a crowd pleasing cliffhanger when a despondent Noah gets slipped a mickey at his hotel bar by the otherwise absent fugitive dream team of Peter, Matt, & Mohinder. Can’t wait to watch Matt further engage in the art of psychic interrogation.

For all you Sylar fans out there (myself resoundingly included) I’ve saved the best for last: With Luke at his side as a villain in training slash road map to dad, we get to see Sylar have a casual conversation with an ally for the first time. Even considering all the time wasted watching him debate whether he’s good or bad earlier this season, never have I seen Sy grow as a character as much as he did with Luke. Whether being humorously forced to admit that he is indeed a serial killer or showing a spark of humanity by rescuing Luke from the hunters, this episode made me enjoy Sylar even more than before. In a just world, Zachary Quinto would be staring down a supporting actor Emmy nod.

Season 3, Episode 16: Building 26 (originally aired February 16, 2009)

For another take on this episode, check out Inisia Lewis‘ review here.

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Mondays at 9/8C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal, Chris Haston