TVSquad

(S02E10) For the second to last episode of the season, I found tonight's show a bit slow. It had it's cool parts--I even have dedicated a section to them at the bottom of the post--but I looked at my watch a lot throughout the episode.

Overall, I think Heroes has come a long way since the beginning of the season. I think many Heroes viewers are just spoiled from the novelty and plot twists of the first season so they are critical when stories/characters aren't up to snuff.

But, that said, I am looking forward to the season finale. As the ads keep saying, "It all comes down to this."

Peter and Adam (in New York then Texas):

We begin with Peter in a dream or flashback (or flashforward?) in the future. He remembers that for a few episodes there he was falling in love with an Irish girl named Kaitlin. He wants to help her (apparently he lost her in the future--ah, the difficulties of time travel).

Adam explains that in order to help Kaitlin they must find the Shanti Virus and destroy it before it kills just about everyone (strain 138 to be exact). So they go to Maine where Victoria (the biological engineer who harvested the virus) is living and basically waiting to die.

When they get there, Adam says she too dangerous (uh, dude, you can regenerate) so he stays behind. Peter hears Victoria's whole side of the story and doesn't get the answer he really wants--where is the virus now? The two heroes are about to leave when Victoria (who is a better shot than Parkman and Suresh combined but not better than Nah) shoots Adam and Peter. She goes to shoot Adam in the head because who can regenerate from getting his/her head blown off but Peter disables her. She thought Peter was just a time traveler but no, we know he can regenerate because he is a sponge (that's my word for Peter's ability).

They all go back inside and Peter reads Victoria's mind to get the location (the sponge strikes again). Adam then unties her because he knows she'll go right for her rifle again. He shoots her and tells Peter that she was going to shoot his head off. Peter seems to be realizing that Adam is not as good as he once thought. It was gratuitous to kill this woman but they have work to do so he can't worry about it now. (Just a sidenote about these conversations between Peter and Victoria: I liked that she kept bringing up his parents. It made the dialogue more interesting that Victoria once knew Peter's family quite intimately.)

Finally, Peter and Adam end up in HRG's old workplace. They are about to look for the virus when Peter (or HIro?) stops time. Hiro wants to exact revenge on Adam but Peter refuses to step aside. Peter gets an electricity ball ready for a fight (the sponge strikes once more).

Claire / Her Family / West:

Bob brings Noah's ashes to Claire's house and makes some fake apology about Noah's death (the kind of apology where it's really not an apology at all because as Bob explains her father brought this on himself). Bob does try to make amends by telling Claire that as per Noah's wishes she will be left alone to lead a normal life.

Claire's mom tells her to get her things so they can leave tonight. West comes in and the two share a poorly-written dialogue. When she talks about how much it hurts to lose her father all he says is that he hates seeing her feel like this. How about "I'm so sorry your dad is gone" or something like that. I don't know. I just thought it was a dumb thing to say. And I'm one of the few people who actually like West.

Back to the recap: Claire wants to hang the chimes in the window so the Haitian will come (where is this guy anyway?) and take away her memories of her father. West talks her out of it and instead she sprinkles his ashes into the ocean after apologizing for not heeding his advice. I was puzzled that Claire's mom and brother were not more involved in the memorial service.

The family is about to leave when Claire spots Elle and goes to confront her. Claire threatens to go public with her abilities and says that the tables will be turned when that happens. She then punches the car window to show Elle that she can heal. Elle knows this already so it was just for dramatic effect.

Elle / Bob / Suresh (in California and New York):

After Bob hands over the ashes, he tells Elle (who is complaining of her gunshot wound) to keep watch on Claire. Very interesting about their conversation is that Bob blames Elle for her own wound saying it was her negligence that got her in trouble. Then, in an attempt to manipulate her emotionally, he tells her that she will have to regain his trust. Elle obediently answers but there is something more going on in that crazy girl's mind.

Meanwhile back in Hartsdale, NY, Suresh tells Noah that it was Claire's blood that brought his eye back and that he will use Claire's blood to help Nikki. Suresh also fights with Bob later in the episode. He tells Bob he wants all the strains of the Shanti Virus destroyed and Bob agrees (yeah, right). Suresh has been acting dumb almost all season and this episode proved no different. I am not spending anymore time on him.

Elle, still trying to regain Daddy's trust, is in California dutifully watching Claire. When Claire spots her, she tries to to get her car started but her bum arm flubs her attempts to get the key in the ignition. Not a good episode for Elle. I was sad she didn't electrocute anyone or blow anything up this time.

Micah / Monica / Nikki (in New Orleans):

Micah, Monica and the other cousin (I don't know his name but he's not a hero so who cares? He's like Danny DeVito in Twins) walk in with more St. Joan comics. They talk a bit about the comics and heroes but then Micah realizes that his mother is back.

Nikki tells Micah that she is better (no more Jessica) but she also has a virus. She assures him that Dr. Suresh is will find a cure for her and they can go back to being a normal family. I hate this go-back-to-being-a-normal-family stuff. You're not a normal family. You married a guy who could walk through walls and had a son who "talks" to electronics. Get over it.

Micah wants to show D.L.'s medal to his mother but realizes his backpack is gone. We find out that the other cousin took it without Micah's permission and it was stolen (good job DeVito). Monica wakes Micah up in the middle of the night to tell him she knows where the backpack is and that she will help him get it back.

When they get to the thugs' headquarters, Monica watches a quick video on how to jump fences and climb up walls. Apparently, she should have watched a few videos on how to kick some butt because after she found the backpack, the thugs beat her up and threw her in a van. I bet Nikki is going to have to drop some people next episode.

Sylar and the twins:

So we are finally rid of one of the annoying twins. After Sylar romanced Maya (with wine and a picnic lunch), he convinced her that she could control her own power and therefore she didn't need her brother. He also convinced her that Alejandro must hate her because Maya killed his wife.

Maya goes to tell Alejandro the good news that she doesn't need him to stop the black mascara plague. Instead of being happy for her, he is concerned about Sylar who he has found out killed many people including his own mother. (Looks like he got the common sense and she got the ability to murder people just by getting angry. Nothing like a dip in the shallow end of the gene pool.)

Maya "kind of" confronts Sylar but believes his sob story right away and thinks that they are even more connected. She tells her brother to go. Did anyone else feel like (1) Sylar was super creepy in this scene putting his hands on Maya's shoulders and (2) the dialogue was a bit "soap opera"?

Later on, Alejandro comes back to confront Sylar by himself but Sylar kills him. At this point, we hear the infamous ticking in the background. I think Sylar is regaining his power. Who knew it took killing somebody to do it? Maya knocks on the door as Sylar is finishing up the murder of her brother. Sylar pretends to be just getting out of the shower and they share a creepy kiss.

Hiro and Ando:

After these two figure out that Kensei has been alive for the past four hundred years, Hiro and Ando start looking through files for a paper trail. Hiro even finds a picture of his father and Kensei and finds out that Kensei now calls himself Adam Monroe.

Hiro goes back to November 1977 when his father had Adam locked up forever at Primatech Industries. He also witnesses a conversation between Victoria and Kaito: Victoria wants strain 138 destroyed but Kaito refuses saying it will be safe in Odessa.

Hiro goes to Odessa to kill Adam. He confronts Peter Petrelli after Peter doesn't want to step aside and let Hiro have his vengeance. He then runs at Peter with a sword and the show ends there. Good ending, I must say.

By the way, Hiro is still the best character on this show. Just had to throw that out there.

Cool Moments:

• Claire punching the car window was sublime. Claire's not really that tough so it struck me as a little amusing that she would threaten Elle who has proven to be nothing other than a sadistic psychopath (and way tougher than Pom Pom). It was still a good moment though. After all, Claire is one of the good guys so I like seeing her stand up for herself. So, I included it in my "cool moments" section.
  

• Monica finally became St. Joan (though it didn't last long). I loved when she came into Micah's bedroom to tell him she would help. Monica is essentially kind at heart so I find it easy to like her.

• Sylar killed Alejandro then answered the door as if he just jumped out of the shower. I missed the bad Sylar. He has been way too restrained these past few episodes. I have wanted his power to return since he killed that girl that was babysitting him in the jungle.

• Hiro told Peter that he was on the wrong side and ran at him with a samurai sword. That was bad-ass. I have no other way to describe that