It is two weeks after Peter collapsed and he is still unconscious in the hospital as Nathan and Angela watch over him. It’s kind of strange how Angela has changed from the first time we met her. She’s come a long way from shoplifting socks.

It is obvious that Jessica likes to play with the guards as they all flinch everytime Niki moves. She is taken to see her lawyer. The quicker the better and off screen with her. Are you sensing a trend in my reviews with regards to this storyline yet?

Claire, meanwhile struggles with her returning to normalcy. It shows what a strong character she has. In an absolute furthest from normal lifestyle, to be able to push on. Bennet tells her that she doesn’t have to do or say anything.

Bennet continues to view Sylar like an animal in a cage. Hank, Claire’s “father” is there telling him that they have been unable to find much out about him. If they continue in the direction they are going Sylar won’t last very long. Bennet says he deserved it for what he did to Eden, but he does it in his usual detached manner. The way he’s chosen to play Bennet is risky. It’s very close to the chest, straddling that fine line between someone who can’t act and therefore is not engaging and someone who is extremely mysterious and carries a great spark. Luckily Bennet is the latter in spades. His presence only heightens any scene he’s involved with.

In fact he makes the next sequence. As Matt and Audrey lead a sting on Primatech, they come up with nothing, as Bennet is too good at hiding his tracks. Bennet versus Parkman is an enjoyable confrontation, especailly with Bennet’s snarky, “Oops” towards Parkman.

The Hiro story is really starting to bog down a bit. The need for Hiro to get his sword to help with his powers, while intriguing as far as the workings of the gifts, slows down the tale and gets it off into an unwelcome tangent. It’s almost as if Hiro’s tale was moving too quickly and they needed an obstacle to throw at him so everything else could catch up.

Peter’s plight hasn’t improved and neither has his storyline. He’s sick on overload from the powers but because it doesn’t really make much sense, it doesn’t feel engaging enough. Nathan vs. Simone is a dull confrontation, although Nathan himself remains intriguing. It was truly at this moment that I thought the story was going to definitely require a Nathan redemption.
Without Jessica/Niki around, DL and Micah are living, but they too live in fear of Linderman and his reprisals. Wait what? Oh, I thought now would be a good time for a bathroom break. it’s nice Heroes writes in these sequences just for me!

Mohinder finally has an FBI agent looking into his claims and of course their first suspect was Mohinder himself, luckily his alibi was strong being in India and all. It is from the agent that he learns that Eden was not who she said she was. To me their storyline was not developed as far as it could have been. They had connected and kissed, but in reality they still only met not that long ago, so her “betrayal” or even her “redemption” don’t mean a whole lot.

Thayer and Bennet talk and soon enough Audrey and Parkman are off the case and reprimanded. Parkman is furious and lashes out at Bennet who takes it simply and connivingly.

At high school, Claire reaches out to Zach again, because she needs a friend to confide in. It’s a great move and perfectly in character that she does so. Amazingly though she is subtle about it, leading him to the right places so that they can pick up without missing too much.

Back in prison, Niki and Jessica fight for control. Niki wants to serve her time in peace, Jessica wants out and she’ll use Linderman to get what she wants if that’s what it takes.

Hiro steals the sword in an attempt to be able to focus his powers again, but it turns out to be a replica…provided by Linderman. Yay for more interconnectedness.

And it continues and is even pointed out.

Simone and Nathan make it back to Isaac’s and she sees that his paintings are back. Isaac comes out and says that he’s back. He’d been in a clinic, cleaned up his life, and now he’s can paint without being high. Nathan sees Peter in a lot of Isaac’s painting, including the exploding man and simply can’t believe how connected everything is. He even comments that “the world doesn’t work that way.”

The response? Hiro and Ando walk into Isaac’s and upon seeing Nathan, Hiro joyously proclaims “Flying Man!”

Claire asks the Haitian if he can restore Zach’s memory, but he claims that it doesn’t work like that.

Hiro and Nathan look at the painting and pontificate about what could happen and what should happen, with Hiro theorizing that someone has exploding powers and they’ll need to stop him.

Unsubtly we jump to Ted doing practice sparks.

In a humorous sequence we revisit Claire’s video project, again as the best way to bring Zach back into the fold. It happened once, so why not again…and luckily for Claire it works.

Bennet goes to see Mohinder and asks for his assistance. Knowing what Mohinder knows about Bennet, he tells him that he’d rather warn those with powers about him first. Bennet, to his credit doesn’t get angry, he simply leaves his card for when Mohinder, “changes his mind”.

Matt and Janice have more difficulties so he finally comes clean about his ability. Of course she doesn’t believe him, so he asks her to pick a number between one and one million.

Peter has more visions of exploding including a laughing bearded man, and Nathan and Simone being killed. He checks out of the hospital and disappears.

Simone offers to help Hiro get in touch with Linderman regarding the sword.

Peter makes a few phone calls about a destination in Nevada where they do nuclear testing, when he sees a man stealing. He confronts the man who is shocked and angry telling Peter that no one can see him. This is the introduction of Claude, one of my favorites.

Overall there is more meh than muscle this episode. Not much happens truly especially in non-Bennet sequences and what does happen is usually sloppy and not well conceived.

C

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Next – 1.13