(S02E18) "Company Man" last week gave us many dimensions of one character. This week's awesomeness gives us many events snowballing throughout the Heroes universe. New characters, new secrets about old characters, and in anticipation of a month-plus hiatus, some tantalizing cliffhangers.
If this episode had been a football game, then I would say it was remarkable for its extraordinary number of turnovers. Time after time, when one character thinks he or she has the drop on another -- surprise! It isn't so.
I'll get the Niki/Jessica stuff out of the way first. Niki manages to gain a modicum of control of her body back from Jessica. First she leaves the photo of Nathan -- Jessica's next intended target -- on D.L.'s pillow as some kind of warning. Hm. A written note might have helped: "Dear D.L.: My evil dead twin has taken over my body. She has a gun in her bag and is planning to kill this politician. (See photo, attached.) Take steps to ... " etc. But nah, and D.L. thinks Jessica is being paid to "entertain" Nathan or something, so he just warns her to just watch her step from now on.
Later, Niki breaks through again. She's too late to save the FBI agents, but just in time to warn Nathan himself about Linderman's plot.
Speaking of Nathan, the flying politician's fingers are in many a pie this week. Before heading to Vegas, he drops a dime on Isaac attempting to handle the tragic events at the Artist's loft and help Peter. Agents of the paper company intercept that call, naturally. When Nathan gets to Vegas he encounters Hiro, and helps him past Linderman's gate-keeping goons. "When I first met you," Nathan tells Hiro, "I thought you were crazy." 
"That's okay," says Hiro, "I thought you were mean." Like Hiro, we have been given the idea lately that, yeah, underneath his power-craving exterior, Nathan really is one of the good guys. It looks even more like that is the case tonight, for awhile anyway. Nathan is revealed to be an FBI informant, working to take down his "father's good friend" Mr. Linderman all along.
But there's more. Nathan confronts Linderman with the intention of killing him. Linderman's not especially surprised by this wrinkle. It would probably take quite a lot to surprise Mr. Linderman. Not only does he know about Nathan's ability to fly, and Peter's and Claire's abilities, he also has a pretty good grasp of future events from his collection of Mendez paintings and possibly other sources. Or, maybe I should say, possible future events. Without going into details, Linderman reveals a plan for fast-tracking Nathan to within "a heart beat of the Presidency," in two years: "a life of meaning" but not happiness. That gets Nathan's attention, and he lowers his weapon.
Among many other roles in his distinguished career, Malcolm McDowell has in latter years played Ari Gold's antagonizer and James T. Kirk's killer. In his initial Linderman outing, he plays it clever, cool, calculating, charming, and sardonic. Just the traits I like to see in a decent megalomaniac.
Nathan either intends to align himself with Mr. Linderman, or to just play along to see what happens. It's too early too tell. But if Linderman had really wanted Nathan dead, where would that leave his plan for placing Nathan in the White House? Maybe Linderman knew the outcome of sending Jessica after Nathan in the first place. Or maybe he has detailed plans to achieve his goals under many different scenarios.
Soon we will head back to the future alongside Hiro. But first, Ando, it turns out, was not that easy to get rid of. He surfaces disguised as one of Linderman's security guards after Hiro finds the sword and the curator sounds the alarm. Ando infiltrating the highly-paranoid Linderman security force may not be the most believable twist we've seen, but I'm so happy that Ando is back that I'm not going to dwell on it.
Anyway, Hiro uses his powers to transport Ando and himself to safety. Okay, maybe not to safety per se, as they end up on the roof of the Deveaux building -- post nuclear disaster. Hiro immediately interprets this to mean that he will fail to stop the bomb. However, it could be only one of many possible futures.
One interesting thing about the skyline is that there is construction going on amid the Manhattan ruins. It looks like at least three new skyscrapers are being built. This might just be normal rebuilding the could occur after any disaster, but the significance of including this particular detail, along with hearing Linderman's intended future for Nathan, makes me wonder if the nuclear disaster is part of a plan by someone (Linderman? Nakamura?) to take over the world, a plan which also entails rebuilding a new city, a sort of Lindermanopolis if you will, from the ashes of NYC.
How about that Candice? I hated her from the moment she patted a strapped-down Matt Parkman on the head. Like many a metamorph before her, she's obnoxious as hell. I guess that's what comes from being able to take on anyone's form. (Update: Most commentators state that Candice is an illusionist, not a shape-shifter. This makes sense as the entire background shimmers and changes when she comes out of an illusion -- not just her body. She's still an a-hole though.)
Too bad it didn't occur to HRG after he discovered what Candace's power that he wouldn't be able to trust another living soul as long as she's around. This brought about one of the saddest reversals of the episode. HRG feels the relief of finally being able to talk openly with his wife about his secret life. Back from his New York mission, he tells "her" the company "has to be stopped -- for good" in order to ensure Claire's safety once and for all. Just like that, his plan, which were necessarily concocted in a hurry last episode, is uncovered by these much more sinister agents of the company: Candice and the boss, Eric Roberts' character.
Claire pulls a fast one on the Haitian at a New York airport, and seems to escapes him. She wants to stay in the city and look for Peter. Earlier, she kept asking the Haitian to tell her when she could see her family again. I don't understand that. After what she witnessed last week, how can she hold out the hope that this is an option? It's easy to forget sometimes that she's really a kid, and I guess this is a reminder.
Claire goes to the Petrelli family home. Nathan and Peter's mother turns out to be yet another character who knows more than she has let on, and has been working behind the scenes since forever. I was pretty blown away by this one. I never suspected her of being anything but a minor character placed there to make Peter feel like an ineffectual younger son. But no, Claire has a new French-speaking grandma who reveals herself as an ally of the Haitian and part of some greater scheme.
Mohinder shines for a moment when he, having discovered Sylar's true identity, tricks and drugs the serial killer. That moment, and the tuning-fork torture, almost make up for his extended naivety lately, chumming around with Sylar of all people. But, poor Mohinder has severely overestimated his ability to control Sylar. That is difficult to understand given Mohinder's knowledge that Sylar has absorbed a large number of abilities. Mohinder really should have taken the sample he needed and killed Sylar immediately after the drugged tea took effect. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
Anyway, Sylar's death would have deprived us of a Peter/Sylar showdown.
Contrary to spoilers I've read, no one actually dies in this episode. I'm not saying Peter or Mohinder won't die, say ... oh, five seconds into Chapter Nineteen. Mohinder is pinned to the ceiling, but still breathing. Peter is having his skull opened. The healing ability Peter absorbed from Claire might yet kick in as it did when Claude chucked him off the Deveaux building. Isaac's new paintings might sorta show Mohinder and Peter de-skulled Sylar-style. But who knows with those paintings. (Note: Commentators below see the paintings as being of Isaac himself. After looking at them again, and adding more screen captures, I'm inclined to agree.) Okay, I'm out of theories. 
By the way, concerning previews and clips that will surely appear between now and late April: as it was with "Simone" this time, any character that is shown alive when they should be dead might actually be Candice. I'm just saying ...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-06-2007 @ 7:11AM
Kurifurisan said...
i'd like to think that linderman had a hand in bringing ando and hiro back together. i feel bad for parkman...he's going to be under thompson's nail for awhile it seems and perhaps even risking his unborn child (if it's his). I'm also anticipating Hana's return to the story. Perhaps to rescue Ted from the "company". God...i friggin love this show!!!!
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3-06-2007 @ 7:16AM
margot said...
Exactly! I was wondering if "Peter" was really the shape-shifter. I'd have thought there'd have been more of a fight between Sylar and Peter.
And a fantastic fight it would have been!
Two months is too long....
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3-06-2007 @ 7:32AM
Bill said...
Michael: I think you meant Mohinder severely *over*estimated his ability to control Sylar.
I liked this episode a lot. Except for NBC's moronic promos. I'm very careful to avoid all the promos for the shows I really care about (Heroes, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars) because the idiots who make the promos inevitably ruin a surprise. So I spend all week avoiding the promos, and people's discussion of the promos, and what do they do? They run ads promoting the Spider-man 3 footage that feature a shot of an upcoming Heroes scene in the very last frame of the commercial break. So unless I want to skip past the break, missing part of the show, I have no choice but to watch it.
Seeing Malcolm McDowell's head when they said "Linderman" wasn't so bad, but showing Simone alive and saying "are you going to shoot me again?" really bugged me. It made me assume it must have something to do with Candice's powers, and I came to the conclusion (like I'd bet many of the people who did watch the commercials) that she was a shape shifter of some sort, which ruined the fun when that reveal ended up happening.
I will never ever understand why networks run promos for an episode of a show that I'm already watching.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com
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3-06-2007 @ 7:38AM
Walt said...
It's an understatement to say that this show is everyone's favorite. I know people who haven't watched TV in years (as in no cable, no TIVO) making a point to watch HEROES.
I think the best part about the show is the same with the best comic books -- you can pick up the story with any episode and still enjoy what happens on the screen.
And props to the show for using Malcolm McDowell. Well done.
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3-06-2007 @ 8:02AM
Scott said...
April 23rd??!! That's ridiculous and totally unfair. They can't make us wait like that twice in one season. Absaloute torture.
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3-06-2007 @ 8:11AM
Brent Todd said...
"Isaac's new paintings seem too show Mohinder and Peter de-skulled Sylar-style"
I could have sworn that the new paintings were of Isaac's own demise. If you remember back to the first episode when Hiro transported himself into the future he ended up in Isaac's place when he had just died.
Additionally we now know where the famous "Scar" is going to come from that Peter will have. Damn 7 week break.
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3-06-2007 @ 8:18AM
birney1975 said...
As noted in "The Fix:"
http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/30/heroes-the-fix/2#c3288357
sound effects may be hinting at some greater transportation abilities of HRG and his crew. Just as the scene switched to HRG arriving home to his wife the first time in last night's episode, there is a very clear "Whoosh," which may be the sound of some kind of teleportation event.
Clearly some kind of transportation better than airlines, or even private jet, is needed to allow HRG to then get from TX to New York City in a matter of minutes to intercept the FBI in Issac's apartment.
This show is such a treat every Monday night.
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3-06-2007 @ 8:44AM
mrkorb said...
Nah, it won't be Claire's healing factor that saves Peter, since that apparently doesn't leave scars (although perhaps he has an imperfect copy of that power and so he won't be able to heal it fully?), not to mention that's the most OBVIOUS way for Peter to survive this unwanted brain surgery. Probably he'll be saved by Claude, as he seems to enjoy stalking Peter to some degree. Let's not forget that Peter also met Future Hiro, so maybe he's got some time traveling/teleporting tricks up his sleeve. Oh, and he's met Sylar, who's a whole pile of powers that Peter might be able to draw upon. Lots of different ways this could go.
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3-06-2007 @ 8:53AM
Violeta said...
I agree with mrkorb: Peter's probably going to be saved by someone, probably Claude because he is invisible, but could be his brother or even someone from The Company. In the preview there was a shot of him with a cut on his head but not being held up by Sylar, and he looked kind of breathless and suprised, as if he'd just been unexpectedly saved.
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3-06-2007 @ 9:05AM
margot said...
I take back my shape-shifter as Peter theory. In ep4, future Hiro says Peter looks different without his scar. So unless he gets it another way...
Either way, I can't wait to see how it turns out!
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3-06-2007 @ 9:05AM
JohnH said...
Candice is not a shape shifter, she is a psychic. Her power is that she can manipulate minds, hence the backround changing in Isaac's apartment when the cops left.
I would also like to know why you're so sure that it is Peter and Mohinder in the painting since I checked frame by frame and saw a goatee on one of the frames. Since the man in the painting had long slightly curly hair, I would assume that Isaac starts letting his facial hair get sloppy and grows a goatee. Also, considering the way in which the camera quickly went from the frame of Isaac's face to the frame of the face in Isaac's painting, I would assume that they are hinting at the victim being Isaac.
Did anyone else think that the position in the White House was Vice President? Considering Linderman's choice of words being a heartbeat away from being President, I would assume that Linderman would groom Nathan to become Vice President so that once the President is assasinated, Linderman will have his very own President. Maybe Linderman is working for the Company, or, is LEADING it and this will be the Company's biggest power grab.
http://myspace.com/novumoculum
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3-06-2007 @ 9:09AM
LC said...
I agree with Brent. I too thought the paintings were of Isaac's halved melon. It would make sense, since Hiro first discovered Isaac, sans brain, when he teleported into the future early this season.
I also think you left out one possibility for Nathan not killing Linderman. It could just be a simple matter of him not being a murderer despite how badly he may have wanted to.
Peter is just learning to control all of his new powers. He used Sylar's while under duress with Claude. I think when we see them again, he will snap to and use TK against Sylar and escape with Mohinder.
I feel really bad for HRG, despite his wanting Isaac to kill Peter, the man who saved his daughter.
BTW HRG was not back in Texas when he saw Candice posing as his wife. She clearly stated, as he entered the room: " I finally convinced the hotel to allow me to keep Mr. Muggles in the room". Apparently his wife was to meet him in NY. As for him getting to NY to meet up with Isaac, well no time reference was given, so it is not unlikely that HRG's bosses use private or chartered jets for transport for the several hour one way trip.
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3-06-2007 @ 9:14AM
LC said...
"In the preview there was a shot of him with a cut on his head but not being held up by Sylar, and he looked kind of breathless and suprised, as if he'd just been unexpectedly saved."
Looking at it frame by frame, it only looked like a streak of blood, so Peter most likely healed himself, but like Claire, the blood that is already spilled stays there till he wipes it off.
It also shows Peter, as he is pinned, moving his hand and Sylar with a surprised look on his face. Apparently Peter must have healed and it shocked him. You also see a body being picked up and and suspended, which appears to be Peter using TK on Sylar. It isn't so much of a surprised look on Peters face as it is a look of someone who has just discovered he has the upper hand.
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3-06-2007 @ 9:30AM
Bill said...
LC: They would not still be living in their house in Texas (I don't recall if it actually burned down, or if it was just filled with tons of radiation, but either way it's uninhabitable). So moving into a hotel for a while makes perfect sense.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com
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3-06-2007 @ 9:53AM
Kevinc said...
Why hasn't Nikki been killed off already? Does anyone like this character? I'd rather see her husband and kid.
"Agents of the paper company intercept that call, naturally." - Huh? Nathan called the police. The call wasn't intercepted. Claire told HRG that Isacc had called and had a dead girlfriend to deal with.
What you can't get spinal fluid from a dead or dying body? Why do these people have to be so stupid?!?
"Isaac's new paintings seem too show Mohinder and Peter de-skulled Sylar-style" - I gotta agree with Brent, I thought it was Isaac's body and head in the two paintings.
Birney1975 - Who could the teleporter be?
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3-06-2007 @ 10:07AM
Chris said...
Another great episode, and the quote of the episode is when Nathan pulls the gun on Linderman and he says" Oh, your not getting any of my pot pie" I was killing my self laughing. The real shocker in this episode was at the end, a freakin month and half hiatus! WTF!?
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3-06-2007 @ 10:10AM
Elliott said...
I also think that Candace has the ability to create illusions, not shape shift.
I hope Isaac dies. I can't believe he used heroin again. Ugh.
I'm interested in seeing Peter fight Sylar. Are the days when Peter was overwhelmed by being around new powers behind him? Granted he's already met Sylar once, but the superhearing and turning solids into liquids thing might be kinda hard to control at first.
Poor HRG. If any of those rumours about him having a power are true, now would be the time for him to use it.
Once again, Hiro did not teleport until Ando closed his eyes. Just sayin'.
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3-06-2007 @ 10:35AM
Bus said...
Linderman talked about a "series of unfortunate events that lands" Petrelli in the white house. How could the nuclear explosion in NYC not be the unfortunate event?
I honestly loved McDowell as Linderman and feel that he plays a great intelligent villan. I did wish that he would die and still do a little bit, but it adds the Lex Luthor twist to the show (whom should have been knocked off long ago in the comics).
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3-06-2007 @ 10:42AM
Toymao said...
I don't think Sylar-fighting Peter was anyone else, but Pter himself, 'cause ramamber guys: at the very beginning of the show, when future-Hiro revisits Peter (and the forzen-in-time Mohinder) on the subway, he opens like this (with flawless English and almost perfect accent): "Peter Petrelli? Sorry, you look so different without YOUR SCAR." And so far, he haven't had any scars on his face. So I think, this is the time for the scar to be created.
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3-06-2007 @ 11:18AM
Chris said...
"...Before heading to Vegas, he drops a dime on Isaac attempting to handle the tragic events at the Artist's loft and help Peter. Agents of the paper company intercept that call, naturally."
Actually, Candance and HRG are responding to Isaac's phone call --- not because they intercepted Nathan's call to the NYPD.
As for the nature of Candance's ability, it hasn't been revealed whether she is mentally creating an image or maybe she actually casts an optical illusion.
And I agree with Bill, the Bennetts are staying in a hotel after their house was destroyed in the last episode. The scene with Candance, HRG and Thompson is in their hotel room in Texas.
The timeline is a little weird. Isaac could have called Primatech, Peter spends an hour or so tracking down his brother Nathan, Nathan waits an hour or two before calling the NYPD, the NYPD takes an hour to respond. In four or so hours, it's conceivable that Candance and HRG get to NYC via private aircraft and are helicoptered to Isaac's place. It's stretching, but it's possible. Though a cool potential scene would have been to seen both Claire and HRG at the airport just missing each other.
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