Claire: "Do you have any idea what it means for me to miss this game?"
Bennet: "You'll survive."

So Peter Saved the Cheerleader. But did he save the world? I don't think so, Dave. Maybe Claire is going to save the world, and Peter saving her will make it happen.

This was my favorite episode so far. Peter was wonderful: all double oh seven in his trench coat, deliberately going to the place where he was supposed to die and waiting for it. I knew, the moment they showed Peter's broken body in the missing painting, that he would absorb Claire's gift of invulnerability and survive it, but hey -- Peter himself didn't know. That's heroism.



I also really enjoyed Peter and Claire finally meeting. They had a little moment in the hallway at the high school, didn't they? Very sweet. Maybe when she's a little older... never mind. I also loved that Zach got out the geek and freak vote and made Claire homecoming queen. Even if it almost killed her.

Nathan got the missing painting from Linderman... and destroyed it. Was he honestly only trying to save Peter from dying at Union Wells High School? But that's not possible, because Nathan doesn't believe in this stuff. It was like Nathan thought he would be supporting Peter's mythical mental illness if he left the painting intact. Nathan is kind of fascinating, in a frustrating sort of way.

Meanwhile back in India, it took Mohinder three episodes to arrive at the obvious answer. I'm sorry, Mohinder is outrageously cute and all, but this plot thread has been outright tiresome. Make the decision and move back to New York, Mohinder. We all know it's what you're going to do.

Bits and pieces:

-- As suspected, Eden is indeed one of the Gifted ones; she can tell people what to do, and they do it. (That makes thirteen.) Eden and the Haitian guy captured Sylar. That was cool. I also liked what Eden tried to do for Isaac.

-- Hiro finally showed up in Charlie's life, but six months ago. Oops.

-- Climbing a ladder up to her window? Did Zach seem romantically interested in Claire this time? But hasn't it been (sort of) established that he's gay?

-- Loved the look on Claire's face when she punched out Jackie. Although later, it didn't seem as much fun after Sylar killed Jackie. Jackie taking credit for Claire's heroism came back and bit her, didn't it? A lesson for us all.

-- We got about a minute of Jessica, DL, and Micah, somewhere in Utah. Did Jessica just kill DL?

-- I wonder what Mohinder's little boy spirit guide has written on his shirt. I've sort of been wondering if the dream thing that's happening to Mohinder has to do with a possible Gift. Is Mohinder Gifted? Is it the boy? Sort of amorphous.

-- Zach gave Claire a copy of "Activating Evolution." What, is it a bestseller now? If Mohinder comes back to New York, maybe he wouldn't have to drive a cab any more.

-- The big, eerie clock at homecoming was probably meant to evoke Sylar, his broken wristwatch, and the whole ticking thing.

-- This week's most obvious symbolism, and rather gruesome: Jackie talked about getting that homecoming crown right before Sylar started taking her head off.

-- I have to say something about the photography. The real life recreation of the painting in particular, with Peter sprawled crumpled and lifeless in a pool of blood was chilling.

-- I transcribed what I could see of Mohinder's list. It's at the bottom of this review.

Four out of four stars,

Billie Doux
Billie Doux's Review Site

First column:
Felipe Acerra, Deceased
D.L. Hawkins, Las Vegas, NV
Byron Bevington, Marshfield, VT
Niki Sanders, Las Vegas NV
Daniel Buzzetti, Greeley, CO
Isaac Mendez, New York, NY
Tracy Chobham, Frostburg, MD
Nicholas Datre, Deceased
Paula Gramble, Monteith, IA
Curtis Hovsepian, Grant Pass, OR
Nathan Petrelli, New York, NY
Noel Menzies, Deceased
Penkala Burton, Albert Lea, MN
Teresa Hue Pham, Shreveport, LA
Matthew Parkman, Los Angeles, CA
Hiro Nakamura...

Second column, only partially visible:
David Berman, New York, NY
Leonie Pinkham, Deceased
Adam Soo Hoo, Kailua, HI
Linda Tavara, Deceased
Norman Ventris, Deceased
Sparrow Redhouse, New Mexico
Amid Halebi, Los Angeles, CA
Michelle
Candace
Harry Fle
Ethan Ki (in red -- deceased)
Abu Aswar
Frank Ca... (in red -- deceased)
Diego Vel (in red -- deceased)
Jess Murp (in red -- deceased)