Heroes: Shades of Gray

Phew! Parkman is still in one piece, Nathan and Claire finally join their other comrades on the run, and Sylar confronts his real father.

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble

Nathan’s dropped the ball. He’s kind of proven once again that he’s really not the best leader, and he’s no JFK. When he realizes what Danko’s done to Matt, he tries to help him by basically yelling at him until he clears his mind of the drugs and pushes far enough into the mind of a nearby police officer to help deactivate the bomb. It doesn’t really matter because even though Danko pushes the big red button, someone’s already dismantled it. (Noah or Rebel or someone else?) Nathan then takes him down with a mean hook and takes him in.

Things are boiling up quickly, a little too quickly for Nathan to handle. Noah tries to advise him without sticking out to Danko. He even sets up Danko to go after Angela and tells her to be prepared. (What are these two up to? Are they Noah’s plans as well or is he just following orders?) But nothing can slow down the inevitable head-to-head of Danko v. The Petrellis. Danko finds the perfect opportunity when Tracy is caught on camera screaming that Nathan is one of them. Though Nathan gets to her in time to convince her that maybe he’s the lesser of the two evils. Having lost that battle, Danko goes after Angela who we know is always one step ahead of her opponent. She’s already used (ew…dirty socks) to catch some glimpses of Danko’s not so clean past that she uses to back him into a corner.

It looks like the Petrellis won until Danko goes a little crazy and turns a gun onto Nathan. Danko shatters the glass window behind Nathan, and then pushes him out the window. Choosing to out himself rather than splat on the concrete below, Nathan falls, hovers in mid-air (so awesome!) and then zips away. Looks like Danko’s got the concrete evidence he needs to finally get the President’s ear for good.

Like Father Like Son

Sylar finally reaches his destination where he finds his father, the taxidermist and also the man dying of cancer. He’s visibly disappointed by his pop’s inability to fight back. His father sees it simply; he’s dying anyway so when doesn’t really matter. Maybe even the sooner the better. Zachary Quinto kicks some screen butt here with his shock, disgust and confusion over what he’s found.

The two realize they are basically one and the same, though Sylar’s father continues to point out his weaknesses. They both have similar powers, but he especially doesn’t like the fact that Sylar seems to go after the small beans, the ones who can’t truly fight back. Things seem all hunky yet creepy dory as they chat and kill a rabbit, but when Sylar cut his hand and heals, pops can’t help but feel that hunger. (He gave up his son, murdered his son’s mother and now is willing to pin his son to a wall with some arrows.) Sylar’s father does this whistle thing that paralyzes him and/or puts him under, but not for long. He overpowers his father, pointing out that a true predator should know when its ‘prey is playing possum.’ You’d think he’d kill him, even take that crazy whistle, but he leaves him to possibly a worse fate. To suffer and die, knowing he was so close to invincibility.

I’m A Barbie Girl

In the ‘burbs the Puppetmaster tries everything from pleading to controlling. And, awww, even a little tear rolls down his cheek. Seeing as he tried to kill her and her moms, Claire’s not too keen on helping him regardless of what Rebel says. But once he’s gone, she can’t escape the nagging thought that she shouldn’t turn her back on her hunted comrades.

She takes a “fake” job, replacing Alex at the comic book store where the nerds all LOVE her. With some advice from her dad, she realizes this may be the first step in deciding who she wants to be as a person.

After receiving another text from Rebel, she runs off to help the Puppetmaster who’s cornered by the agents who’ve been stalking her. They escape, and with Rebel’s help, forge a new identity for the Puppeteer. When Claire asks if he’s really changed, all he leaves her with is a creepy smile.

Later that night, Lyle and Sandra are shocked when agents bust through to take Claire in. Apparently, her free pass is up. However when they enter her room, it’s as empty as can be, and they don’t notice Claire hovering in her floating dad’s arms right outside her window.

The Final Act

In the last scenes, we see Hiro and Ando show up at a home looking for Matt Parkman. Turns out, Matt is a baby and the babysitter thinks they’re there to relieve her. (Could this be the baby Janice and Matt were supposed to have together?)

We also see Sylar, in waiting, as Danko returns to his apartment. Is Danko’s death or torture in the near future? For an opponent, he definitely wouldn’t be considered small beans which could be the reason why Sylar went there out of all the places he could go.

Next week’s being touted as a “classic” episode, and Fuller is back at the production helm so I’m foreseeing good things. Until next week!

Season 3, Episode 19: Shades of Gray (originally aired March 9, 2009)

For another take on this episode, check out Father Facts & Figures by Paul Secrest.

For more on Heroes, click here.

Mondays at 9/8C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal, Trae Patton