The Heroes Review 4.16

Posted by Michael Weyer on 01.19.2010

Hiro goes on trial and fights for his life, Sylar and Claire have a heart-to-heart and Samuel's heartbreak leads to earth-shaking consequences.

An hour of some nice psychological insight but also some major action.

Lessons: We open with Gretchen and Claire in the college cafeteria, Gretchen trying to talk to Claire and holding her hand, but Claire pulls away and leave. As soon as she does, Sylar pops up to ask if the seat is taken. Coming to a classroom, Claire finds Sylar waiting for her, showing the tattoo and saying he wants to understand why he’s been sent to her. Claire isn’t interested until she sees Gretchen’s bag and Sylar insinuates he’s holding her hostage. He tries to illustrate how alike they are, complete with a chart on the chalkboard (“we both had fathers who were stone-cold killers…”) but Claire shoots him down by snapping that the difference is she isn’t a psycho. She goes to leave again but Sylar holds her down with his powers and says he knows a way to tell what she’s thinking, courtesy of Lydia. “This might be a bit erotic. But hey, it’s college” and kisses Claire.

He pulls back, surprised at what he’s seen in her. He tells her how when he was tying up Gretchen in her room, he kept getting tells from her, pauses and now sees the subtext. He says that he and Claire really are alike, afraid of letting people in and being alone, summing up the irony of “the indestructible girl can’t put herself out there to get hurt.” Claire responds by jamming a pencil into his ear and running to find Gretchen.


Coming out of the Closet: Finding Gretchen tied to a chair in their room, Claire frees her but then the windows shatter and lights go out. The two rush to a hallway closet for a talk, Claire apologizing for all this. She talks to Gretchen about how she is afraid of being alone and pushing Gretchen away so much, that she doesn’t want to become Sylar. Gretchen encourages her to talk more and Claire says that she actually feels a bit sorry for Sylar, with how he’s always looking for someone to blame for his own problems, how much “a bunch of excuses can do to his humanity.” Gretchen suggests that it sounds like Sylar might be happier if he didn’t have any powers and Claire agrees. At that point, Gretchen morphs into Sylar and reveals he was never holding Gretchen at all. He actually seems a bit warmer to Claire as he tells her to take her own advice before leaving. Claire rushes to the cafeteria where Gretchen has been all along and talks about how she wants to open up, be together, hold hands and the rest. Gretchen smiles as the two leave together, hand-in-hand as Sylar watches in interest.


Fantasy Turned Nightmare: At the carnival, Samuel is still trying to get Vanessa back but she’s stand-offish. He takes her to the town the carnival is by, sharing milkshakes like old times, including how they wanted to build a cottage to live in together forever. Vanessa slowly starts to give in to him (“How do you do it? Every single time?”) sharing a kiss. Samuel then shows her what he’s been up to: The valley brought to life where their dream college sits, ready for them to live in. So, basically, his entire actions this year have been Samuel trying to win back an old flame. Samuel is jubilant at all this, his dream coming true…and then Vanessa brings it down. She tells him that this isn’t her dream, her fantasy, it’s his. “It’s beautiful and I’m happy for you…please don’t tell me this was all for me.” He’s jarred but smiles and tells her it’s not but he’s clearly lying. She kisses him but he backs up and coolly tells her she can go home.


The World vs. Hiro Nakamura: Suresh fixes the compass for Bennett and with Hiro and Ando there, reports it’ll work. He tells him he has to go back in India and fix things there (“I guess this is it.” “In our lives, is it ever?”) Just as he goes, Hiro passes out and he’s rushed to the hospital where the doctors prepare to operate on his tumor.

Hiro finds himself in the Texas diner where Charlie worked, the diners gathered like a courtroom. None other than Adam Monroe is nearby, still calling him “carp” and Hiro’s father steps up as a judge to call court in session for the trial of Hiro. Adam announces that Hiro has broken the code of a hero by using his time travel powers to serve his own selfish ends. Hiro demands a lawyer and Ando appears in a suit, ready to back him up. Adam calls his first witnesses, the younger versions of Ando and Hiro’s sister. They tell how Hiro changed time to get them to fall in love with Hiro saying that’s a good thing. Adam asks if that means breaking the code is fine as long as no one gets hurt and when Hiro confirms, Adam calls Sylar to the stand.

Sylar (in full smarmy season one mode) lists all the people he’s killed since the time-travel deal Hiro made with him earlier in the season (at one point, the cheerleader he killed back in season one mistaking her for Claire pops up with bloody scalp to chastise Hiro). Hiro fires back that he had to do this to save Charlie, that the world was a better place with her in it. Adam then calls Charlie but when she doesn’t show, points out how this wonderful person is missing in time thanks to Hiro. Ando calls Hiro to the stand (“Haven’t you ever seen an episode of Law & Order? That never works!”) and gets Hiro to tell how he didn’t use his power to rob banks or rule or even save his father’s life but to help people and the world. Hiro talks of how since he learned of the tumor, he’s done his best to amend things, leaping from life to life and striving to put right what once went wrong…”Objection, your Honor! He’s reciting the opening to Quantum Leap!” Hiro speaks of how he wanted to bring a bit of happiness into the world and if that makes him guilty, so be it. His stern father nods that the verdict is in.

Hiro goes into a tunnel with a white light at the end, followed by the “court’s” residents. He pauses and turns to change his plea to guilty, saying that if this is his end, he wants to meet it with honor, as a hero. His father shows emotion as he tells how proud he is of Hiro. A samurai sword appears in Hiro’s hand as his father tells him to fight for his life. The spectators part to the sides to show Adam standing at the other end of the hall with his own sword. A tour-de-force sequence has Hiro on the operating table going into shock as Ando shouts encouragement to him about never giving up while Hiro duels it out with Adam. Hiro finally stabs him through and heads to the light where the image of his mother is waiting. He says he tried to cheat death and beat science and is ready to go. She smiles and responds there are things bigger than science, like destiny and she’s here to heal him. She touches his head and gives him a kiss just as in the real world, he flatlines.


Samuel Snaps: Back at the small town diner, Samuel is staring at a milkshake dourly as a waitress comes up to ask if he needs anything. Samuel snaps at her, clearly speaking to Vanessa, his charm and calm gone as he snarls at how she’s looking down her nose at Samuel, thinking she’s better. “I’m tired of playing by your rules. From now on…you’re all gonna play by mine.” He brings up his fist and the entire building shakes with a quake that can be felt all the way at the carnival. The carnival folk race down the hill to stare in horror as the ground literally swallows up the entire nearby town in seconds.


Closing: Samuel, his face drawn and all humanity gone, returns to the carnival as his people shy away from him in terror; Vanessa drives home, sniffing a flower Samuel gave her, unaware of the monster she’s unleashed with her refusal to live in the past; Claire and Gretchen talk and laugh in their room; Hiro lies in his hospital bed smiling at Ando; and Janice has just finished feeding Matt Jr. when the doorbell rings and Sylar is there, claiming to be a cop looking for Matt. When Janice asks if they’ve met before, Sylar just smiles.

The 411: An incredible hour as the Hiro "trial" had some nice returning faces but also moving insight to Hiro's actions. The Sylar/Claire scenes were quite good (honestly didn't see the Gretchen morph coming) and will probably lead to changes for both. But the big one was Samuel as his dream comes crashing down and he's ready to finally step up his game with the amazing scene of the town destroyed hinting at the damage to come. The show is really stepping up its game and that means a great ride ahead.

Final Score:  8.9   [ Very Good ]