“Unexpected”
Suck that, Sylar! In this episode we’re treated to good things happening, some good cliffhangers, and one stupidly contrived episode ending.
Plus Stan Lee! Excelsior!
Spoilers!
Rather than doing a chronological list, I’ll try using a mysterious technique that tackles the characters in one hit.
What I’ve always liked about Claire’s adoptive family is that they’ve always genuinely loved each other. Claire did not crack out the “you’re not my real dad” line until she discovered that Mr. Bennet had been systematically erasing her friends and family’s memories and viewed her as an experiment; an experiment worth loving, but an experiment nevertheless.
Now, I’ve nothing against adoption, but I do have something against adopting people because they’re a novelty. I can understand perfectly Claire’s apprehension, especially considering the value that we all place on memories. I believe I’ve said before that Mrs. Bennet has always been innocent (except when she lost her memory she at least temporarily appeared to have forgotten how to act).

The Sylar stories are getting stupider and stupider as Mohinder appears to be hemorrhaging intelligence at an alarming rate.
“Wow!” he says to Dale, the female mechanic. “You can hear stuff!”
And Sylar’s all “Darn tootin’.”
So naturally Sylar kills her off and then gives incredibly faulty logic to Mohinder: “we’re just two guys in a car … what possible reason could we ever have for going to a garage?”
It was important that now Sylar has a power he can’t control, and he is haunted by the telltale rap, but seriously? Come on! It was interesting to note that an iPod can work in a pool of blood. Is Apple trying to tell us something?
My friend Ajay has suggested that Peter uses his empathetic powers to crack out “Lose Yourself” on Sylar, disabling his listening power and presumably his other powers, and then a beat down will take place. I suggested another song, but it’s a sound theory. Or as sound as any theory can get on Heroes in this day and age.
Now, in theory watching Peter Petrelli cut loose is a good and exciting thing to watch, but in practice Peter Petrelli has degenerated into a whiney bitch. He can get strong when he’s angry, in a feat of super originality! It’s the common character arc for any major character for whom great responsibilities around the corner. I miss the days when he was just “I think I can fly!”
The Claude material was great, and I love that Claude can be so violent with Peter. The Isaac material … far less good. The end of this episode was the stupidest shock ending Heroes has ever thrown at us. Killing a character to make two other characters hate each other and blame each other for the rest of eternity is too contrived for words.
I’m looking forward to the next ep, though (although it’s already shown and I’m way behind). I expect it to end thus:
Claire: I’m pregnant … with your child!
Peter Petrelli: Oh! Then I’d better introduce you to my brother … Nathan Petrelli!
Nathan & Claire: Holy crap incest!
Ohhhhhh yeah.
