Numbers in brackets are keyed to footnote editorial comments.
Volume III: Villains
Chapter Seven: Eris Quod Sum (trans: "Will Be and To Be," I think, or possibly "What Will Be, Will Be.")
Africa: Hiro and Ando argue about going back in time to change some of the paintings the Guide has on his walls. Hiro refuses until Ando points out that in the future they've seen the world is destroyed. Hiro can't make things any worse. The Guide insists that Hiro choose.
Suresh Lab: Tracy and Nathan, free, confront Mohinder about his cocoon gallery. Mohinder pleads for another sample of their synthetic powers, but they refuse. Mohinder tears open Maya's cocoon, grabs her, then exits through the skylight with a leap.
Pinehearst Corp: Peter wakes up handcuffed to a gurney. Arthur, who's been reading a book nearby, apologizes for pretending to be dead, and for taking all of Peter's powers permanently. Peter's furious about the future his father's creating, about Arthur's gathering a gang of supervillains. Arthur tries to explain, but Peter's having none of it. Peter vows to stop his father with or without powers. Arthur leaves him chained to the gurney.
Bennet House: Claire and Sandra share a mother-daughter moment in the car, then get out to discover all the lights in their house flickering strangely. They enter and find Lyle lying on the floor and Elle sparking in the kitchen. She's twitching. Claire demands she leave, but Elle won't go until she's got what she came for. Elle tries to fry Claire, but Claire heals too fast and can no longer feel pain so she's unaffected. Instead, Claire grabs her to throw her out. They wrestle, and Elle tries to fry Claire, until Lyle throws a bucket of water on her. Elle collapses. She's wants to find Noah because she's lost control of her power, and she has nowhere else to go.
Pinehearst: Mohinder looks in on Maya, who's lying on a gurney in a lab, unconscious. Arthur comes up and introduces himself to Mohinder, who recognizes the name. Mohinder explains that Maya thinks he's a monster[2], but he'd do anything to remove her power. Arthur enters the lab and takes Maya's power away. She's relieved. Mohinder enters to celebrate with her, but she demands he get away from her. As Arthur and Mohinder walk away, Mohinder wonders if Arthur can do the same for him. Arthur knows that what Mohinder really wants is to stop his transformation but retain his abilities. They enter a lab where scientists are working on the formula. They've taken it as far as they can and need Mohinder's help. Mohinder questions Arthur's motivation, but when offered the chance to leave, stays and requests test subjects.
Primatech Facility: Angela dreams. So does Sylar, strapped down and drugged. She appears to him and orders him to go rescue Peter. Sylar resists. He belongs in a cage, and besides, he can't do anything with the drugs blocking his abilities. Angela points out that if his abilities were truly blocked, she wouldn't be there. He doesn't know just how much he is capable of. She demands he show everyone why he's Angela's favourite. Sylar wakes up, telekinetically unstraps himself and tears the door out of the wall. He goes to his mother's room and promises to save Peter before kissing her goodbye.
Bennet House: Claire keeps watch over Elle, who keeps overloading. She can't eat or sleep. She pulls out a Pinehearst card and wonders if she should go there. She had come to talk to Noah because he always seemed to be a man with answers. Claire wonders if what's happening to Elle is happening to all of them. Pinehearst might be able to help them both, and they should go together. Elle's surprised by the gesture of camaraderie and agrees.
Pinehearst Office: Daphne enters to find Arthur, Maury and Knox waiting. They're upset that she didn't get Matt to join up. Daphne tries to explain, but they're suspicious. Knox feels her fear when she denies she was thinking something that would make Matt want to avoid becoming involved. When Daphne wonders how she can fix things, Arthur tells her to find Matt again and kill him. Daphne blanches, and Maury explodes. Maury traded his loyalty to Arthur in exchange for Arthur's ensuring Matt's safety. Daphne protests, and Maury demands Arthur not follow through. Arthur finds Maury's usefulness at an end, and backhands him, breaking his neck and killing him. Daphne begs for there to be another way.
Bennet House: Sandra protests Claire's decision to go to Pinehearst. Claire doesn't know anything about them, and Sandra wants to call Noah for advice. Claire begs her not to. Claire's broken, and although Noah loves her, he can't fix her. Maybe Pinehearst can fix both her and Elle. Claire doesn't trust Elle, but for the moment, they both want the same thing. Sandra relents, letting Claire go.
Apartment, Brooklyn: Matt calls Mohinder, but Mohinder's not answering. Matt's turtle is in a terrarium nearby. There's a knock on the door, and when Matt answers it, he finds himself face to face with Daphne who holds a gun on him. She explains that Pinehearst will kill her if she doesn't kill him. Matt insists she shoot him if it's the only way to save her life[3]. She makes him turn around, and he does. He tells him about them in the future, and she drops the gun, crying and apologizing that there was nothing she could do to save Maury. Matt reads her mind and discovers his father's fate.
Pinehearst: Accompanied by two bodyguards, Arthur enters Peter's cell. Pete's freed himself by dismantling the bed railing. As Arthur enters, Peter charges him, swinging the rail[4]. Arthur stops him with telekinesis. Peter protests that Arthur thinks he's better than everyone, that he knows what's best, but Peter's seen the future and how terrible it becomes. Arthur doesn't believe he's better. He knows it. Regardless of Peter's feelings, he will help Arthur with his plans. The bodyguards strap Peter to the gurney and wheel him into Mohinder's lab. Peter's surprised to see Mohinder, who's readying an injection. Since Peter's body is already primed to accept a power, he's a perfect test subject for the new formula. Peter tells him about future Mohinder, and Mohinder's horrified to hear of his transformation but it's too late. Just as Mohinder's about to administer the formula, the syringe flies out of his hands. Sylar stands in the doorway. He telekinetically throws Mohinder aside, then tosses the assisting scientist[5] into a wall, where he's impaled by a hook. Sylar frees Peter, who can't believe it. Before they can escape, Mohinder throws himself on Sylar and begins knocking his head against the ground. Peter tries to stop Mohinder, but Mohinder just tosses him aside. Arthur enters and fires a few electrical bolts at Peter, who escapes down the hallway. Arthur then stops Mohinder's single-minded souping of Sylar's skull. Sylar may be a mass murderer, but he's also Arthur's son, and Arthur's been waiting for him for a long time.
Suresh Lab: Nathan and Tracy sit and wait. Nathan's called the company, and they're sending someone over to help the people cocooned around the walls. Tracy worries they can't breathe, and tries to free one of the men. He awakens suddenly and grabs her neck. Nathan tries to free her, but can't until Noah shows up and tasers the cocoon victim. He told them not to touch anything. Meredith enters and notices that Nathan still has a thing for blondes.
Aeroplane: Claire and Elle sit through the flight, Elle sparking occasionally. She's a nervous flier. Claire makes fun of her and her attempts to be an agent. Elle grows upset, and her electricity, which she's barely controlling, disrupts the plane's systems. The plane starts to dive until Claire offers to absorb her extra electricity. They hold hands until the plane steadies again, then let go, clearly embarrassed. Claire watches her burned hand heal, but doesn't feel anything and that leaves her upset.
Parkman Apartment: Knox listens outside the door while Daphne and Matt argue about what to do next. Matt can't believe his father tried to protect him. They were never close. Daphne insists they leave because Pinehearst will send someone to clean up after her. Matt refuses. He can uses his mind tricks to stop them, and there's no need to be afraid. Knox shakes his head and busts down the door. Daphne tries to run past him, even though Matt tells her to stick to the plan. Knox clotheslines her, breaking her neck and killing her. Matt uses his power to get into Knox's mind, trying to seize Knox's fear and use it to destroy him. Unfortunately, Knox isn't feeling any fear. Matt is, and it makes Knox strong. Knox drives his fist through Matt, and leaves he and Daphne dead on the floor. After he leaves, the images of Matt and Daphne melt away. Matt walks in from the back room with Daphne, both alive. She kisses him, overjoyed that they got away with it, then looks away awkwardly. She wants to run away, but he wants to stop Pinehearst. He can't do it alone, not even with Daphne's help. Matt figures Primatech might be willing to assist.
Pinehearst: Flint enters Arthur's office. The building's sealed up tight. Peter can't escape, and Flint wants to barbecue him. Arthur insists he be captured alive. Sylar, hanging in mid-air, figures Peter's already long gone. Arthur can't believe Sylar didn't accept Daphne's offer to join them. Sylar came because Angela's in a coma. She's not the woman Sylar thinks she is. She sent him to save Peter, but to her Sylar's just a blunt instrument. Sylar protests, but Arthur reveals that when he was born, she had one of her dreams. What she saw scared her into trying to kill Gabriel. Arthur got to the bathroom just in time to keep her from holding him at the bottom of the tub. Arthur releases Sylar, who crashes to the floor, looking horrified. Arthur holds out his hand. It's time Sylar learned the truth about his mother.
Pinehearst: Peter studies an office listing on the wall for a moment before walking around the corner to the elevators. He catches sight of Mohinder and ducks into hiding. Mohinder spots Maya and goes to join her. She's examining money and a passport provided by Pinehearst, and stops him before he can come very close. She might be able to forgive him someday, but not yet. His feelings for her are real, but she can't deal with them right now. She wishes him well, then leaves by the front door.
Pinehearst: Elle and Claire walk toward Pinehearst's offices. Elle has an attack and Claire helps her through it. Elle reluctantly thanks her. Claire returns the appreciation. She was ready to give up before Elle came along.
Pinehearst: Peter finds Sylar sitting calmly in a chair. He tries to convince Sylar to come with him as he busts out, but Sylar declines. Peter tries to convince him that their father is up to no good, but Sylar has to stay and hear the truth. Arthur appears from around a corner, insisting that the world Peter's afraid of won't come to exist. Sylar decides Peter's leaving, and telekinetically throws him through a window several storeys up. Peter falls to the ground just as Claire and Elle are approaching the doors. He's bloody and not healing. He begs Claire to help get him away. She hefts him up and asks Elle for help. Elle refuses. Peter's said they took away his power, and she wants the same thing for herself. She runs into the building. Claire helps Peter to the car. He doesn't know how he fell so far (more than five floors) without dying.
Suresh Lab: Tracy tries to straighten out the family relations between Nathan, Noah and Meredith as men carry out Mohinder's victims. Noah wonders if Mohinder injected them with anything, and looks disturbed when he hears Mohinder did. Mohinder was building a nest, maybe laying eggs. Nobody knows for sure, but Tracy and Nathan should come back to Primatech for testing. He leaves them alone. Nathan's phone rings, and he walks away to answer it. Meredith warns Tracy about Nathan, but Tracy insists they're not together. Claire is on the phone, but Nathan promises not to tell anyone where she is.
Pinehearst: Sylar contemplates the broken window. Peter's never going to give up. Arthur knows, but it's okay: they're going to take the fight to the enemy. Arthur wonders how Peter survived a seven storey fall, but Sylar doesn't know. Arthur smiles. His cell phone rings. It's Daphne. She tells him Matt believes she's on Matt's side. If he reaches out to Primatech, she'll let Arthur know. Arthur's pleased, but if she messes up, he'll put her right back where they found her. She hangs up and joins Matt, who's tending to his turtle. They hug, and when he turns away she looks both sad and wistful.
An Apartment: Claire tends to a bloody Peter. He can't stop thinking about the fall. Maybe Sylar threw him through the window to get him out of Pinehearst. Maybe he used his power to slow Peter's fall. Claire can't believe it. Nathan and Tracy enter. Claire's apprehensive, but Nathan vouches for her. He steps past Claire and wonders about Peter. Peter explains. Nathan can't believe their father's alive and demands to know where he can be found. Peter warns him away, but Claire drops Pinehearst's name. Tracy recognizes it as a biotech firm. Nathan promises he'll call up the Justice Department[6] and get some help. Tracy and Nathan leave. Tracy knows Nathan's not going to stay away. She's been a consultant for them for a while. She can open doors. Nathan doesn't need doors opened. He's going to kick them down.
Africa: Hiro still refuses to time travel, so the Guide cooks up the same yellow paste he gave Matt. The recipe's been in his family for thousands of years[7], and his family has used it to help them spirit walk. Hiro eats some. It's good, and he's ready to begin his journey. Spirit walking seems safer than time travel. The Guide explains that he's already begun by eating a past mixed from tree roots and hyena dung. Now he just has to wait. A moment later, Hiro's eyes go white and he falls onto his back. Ando kneels over him, trying to wake him up, but failing.
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1. Peter actually says, "supervillains." Use of that word on screen moves this scene from drama into parody.
2. PIS. Most people would realize that beating people up, kidnapping them and cocooning them to a wall does not qualify them for membership in the good-guy club.
3. The reversal in this scene makes no sense. At first Matt insists she shoot him, then a moment later, he's hesitant to let her get on with it, then he's trying to save himself by telling her about their future together.
4. Apparently, Peter has the remaining ability to remove handcuffs, since there's no sign of them on his wrist. This is a power the police would no doubt find verrry interrresting...
5. Who looks a lot like the ill-fated scientist who wanted Harry Osborne to take the supersoldier serum back to formula in the first Spider-Man movie. Same actor? Maybe. If so, given his fate here, I suggest he give up science. It's dangerous.
6. Actually, he should call the Justice League. Or even just the Super Friends.
7. I've got a meatloaf recipe that goes back four generations. Tastes like sawdust. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's good.
Okay, we've all heard by now about Mr. Loeb and Associate, who are now less employed than they were in September. We've also heard Mr. Kring pledge, again, to return quality to this show we all started out loving. We've heard, and maybe contributed to, complaints about the soap-opera nature of the storylines, the tangle of illogical plot twists and the inconsistencies of character. I've heard it said that they want to return the series to its comic-book roots and good vs. evil themes.
My gosh, I hope not. I've read superhero comics, and the things I hate most about them are the soap-opera stories, illogical plot twists and inconsistent characterization... the very things from which Heroes has come to suffer. If they're going to return to any roots, let it be to the roots of a good story: flawed, sympathetic characters with recognizable wants and desires who find their pursuit of these things challenged by other people or conditions. It's possible that Kring and Co. will appeal to the comic book crowd with the kind of stories we've seen so far. However, they definitely aren't going to appeal to the larger television- or movie-watching crowd, which wants greater depth and richness in return for the hour they tune in each week.
"Company Man" was a great episode because it told a great story. Significantly, the same story could have been told without any reference to superpowers at all. That's one reason it was great. The superpowers were just a nifty bonus that made the whole thing more fun.
I'm more than a little concerned about what I've seen so far this season. I'm not enjoying this much. I'm not engrossed in it. I'm not hooked. When I started doing this two years ago, I told Heroesfan that I wasn't a "fan" of the show. I liked it, and I love me some superheroes, but the show had to prove itself worthy of more than a passing interest. The first season did that, although only sporadically. The second season squandered the first season's good will by building up the promise of good stories, but never getting to deliver. This third season, well, I'm finding I don't identify with any of the characters anymore, and the plot twists and coincidences are beginning to remind me of the 10th season of Dallas, where the audience discovers that the 9th season was a dream.
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