Big revealing episodes are tricky. After a lot of mystery and hype it’s often time hard to satisfy everyone. “Company Man” handles the charge with aplomb.

The episode is completely focused around revealing more about Mr. Bennet, in a series of flashbacks to his past and to the present, tense hostage situation brought about at the end of “Unexpected”

In a flashback we see Bennet join the Company, being brought in by Thompson. They discuss the ideals of having a normal partner with a superpowered person. We quickly discover that Bennet’s partner was Claude. It’s a great reveal — more of the interconnectedness that makes the show click. Despite the episode being primarily about Bennet, it is also nice to finally get some information about the Company

As we jump to the present time, Bennet is quick to ascertain that Claire remembers much more than she should. Matt and Claire have an instant bond as she realizes what he can do and they begin to confide with each other.

In another flashback, we find that Hiro’s father is the one who gave Claire to Bennet, who was at first not interested. They tell him point blank that if she develops powers, than she is going to be taken back. So obviously Bennet is hiding her powers from everyone. I like the simple use of black and white for the flashbacks. Some people believe it’s overkill, but I think it’s a nice easy way to showcase what time frame we are in visually.

Back to the present, Ted is losing control of his emotions and if that happens, he’ll lose control of his powers. Matt realizes that it was a mistake to go this far and starts working with Bennet to regain control of the situation. Bennet has to get Ted out of the room, so he leaps for a hidden gun which Ted confiscates. At one point Ted gets ready to shoot Sandra. Both Claire and Bennet think at Matt to have him shoot Claire first.

They move Claire out of the room and into her bedroom, so that Ted doesn’t see her heal. It’s a slow but subtle realization for the audience that while not perfect, Bennet is not as evil as he first appeared.

Back in time we see the first time Bennet uses the Haitian to wipe his wife’s mind. We also see that there are no other options, that the Company would have killed her. Thompson appears to be the new Bennet. It makes you wonder how evil he truly is. But for now, he’s the baddie behind the curtain.

Matt and Bennet go to Primatech where Bennet can get Ted’s file so he knows exactly what they did to him. While there Bennet brings the Haitian in and laces into him about Claire, but the Haitian says that he answers to someone higher than Bennet in his daughter’s life.

Flashback we learn that Claude hid someone from the company, and Bennet was given the order to kill him. Claude understood this and was actually in the room when the order was given but he believes that Bennet isn’t a bad guy. Bennet does hesitate, especially when Claude mentions Claire, but he does pull the trigger, and Claude turns invisible.

Back to the present, Claire has disobeyed orders and snuck downstairs to get her mother and brother out who are shocked to see her alive. Ted finds them and grabs Claire. Her mother sends Kyle but Sandra returns to get Claire. Claire and Sandra have a heart to heart where Claire tells Sandra about all the lies her father has told and Sandra surprises her by not wavering in her love or devotion, or even her trust. It makes Claire reexamine her father and further helps the audience to as well.

Ted remains, watching them but quickly realizing that since Matt can read minds it only makes sense that Matt knew she would heal. He begins to lose control again as Bennet and Matt arrive back, with Ted’s binder. There is a moment of tenseness, but the Haitian comes in the back to spirit away the Bennets and Ted calms down and takes the binder.

Bennet begins to betray the Company by telling him what he did now, and of course Thompson shows up, hearing everything. Thompson aims a gun at Ted and Bennet screams at him that it will cause him to set off, but Thompson fires anyways.

Ted begins to lose control over his power and he starts going nuclear. The house gets set on fire. Bennet attempts to tranquilize him, to shut him down, but he can’t get close enough. With little hope, Claire reappears and tells Bennet to let her do it. Matt and Bennet leave and Claire moves forward to Ted. There is an explosion, but it’s nowhere near nuclear and Claire walks out skin burnt to ashes, but she recovers step by step.

Thompson looks on ominously as the family hug.

Bennet and Thompson meet at Primatech, and Bennet is obviously selling the story that the Haitian hid Claire’s powers, not Bennet. Thompson appears to accept it, as long as Bennet is going to give Claire up which he promises to do today. It’s a moment of sadness for the audience as the show has now been successful with making you want to believe in Bennet.

Mr. Bennet drives Claire down the same road he shot Claude on previously. There is a little conversation between the two where Claire asks where she’s going and when she’ll be let out. Bennet appears distraught but controlled as he says simply that he doesn’t know.

We get one last flashback that is the most important and touching. Three years ago, Claire is helping Bennet pick out glasses. She asks him if she’ll need glasses since her grandfather needed them and her father needed them. He looks a little distant but tells her that she’s adopted. He slowly waits for her to reply but she simply picks out a familiar pair of horn rimmed glasses which he puts on his face. He asks how he looks and she simply says, “Like my dad.”

We jump back to the present and they stop the car where Claude was shot and we see the Haitian waiting. Just as slowly we begin to realize the truth. After telling Claire to turn around and cover her ears, Bennet tells the Haitian to shoot him in a specific area where he won’t be killed. The music swells in an emotional way as Bennet tells the Haitian to “go deep” and to take out any memories that would lead the Company to Claire. Heartbreakingly he tells Claire that he loves her, and the Haitian does his trick.

It’s an evocative sequence where everything comes together right to make for good television.

One of my favorite episodes of the whole run, “Company Man” lives up to the hype.

A

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