Jack Myers - Heroes - Heroes: Daddy Issues

Published: November 20, 2007 at 08:23 PM GMT
Last Updated: November 20, 2007 at 08:23 PM GMT

Last week, I didn’t comment on the previews at the end NBC’s Heroes, because I assumed they encompassed the next three episodes (I listen to that voiceover; it’s very authoritative). So I was pretty shocked that the standoff between Mr. Bennet, Bob and Mohinder at the beach happened this week and not in the mini-finale we have coming up. This episode had me biting my nails, on the edge of my couch cushion, and even getting a little teary. Writer Tim Kring sure didn’t waste any time making up for the first six episodes, just like he promised.

Hiro is finally back in the present where he belongs, but he doesn’t stay there for long. At his father’s funeral, he refuses to give the eulogy and instead goes back in time one week to try to save his father. Kaito doesn’t want to let him; he says just because they have the power of gods doesn’t mean they can play God whenever they want.

Hiro takes him back 17 years to Mrs. Nakamura’s funeral, to get his father to understand the grief Hiro will feel if he doesn’t save him. After speaking with a young version of himself, Hiro realizes that his father has taught him valuable lessons about strength, responsibility and justice, and he gets an idea. Hiro then brings his father back to the moment before his death. They have a very touching moment as they say goodbye, and Hiro spirits himself away. He doesn’t go far though; he sticks around to find out who killed his father. I’d figured it already, but it blows Hiro’s mind when he sees it was Kensei.

Side note: I loved the shots in some of these scenes, with silhouettes of Hiro and Ando and then Hiro and his father in the cemetery. Very comic-book-y without hitting the viewer over the head. Same goes for the later scene with Mohinder in Mr. Bennet’s car. It’s a subtle way to remind the audience of the show’s roots.

Parkman learned a handy little trick this week. Remember how his dad told them their power is so much more than reading minds? He was right. After a little experimentation with Molly, Matt figures out that he can actually control people’s thoughts. He puts a thought in someone’s head and they do what he says. His boss at the police station agrees to let him talk to Angela Petrelli one last time to further investigate Kaito Nakamura’s death, and he forces her to cave and tell him the truth: She didn’t kill Kaito; Adam Monroe did. She explains that after a while, with cellular regeneration, you stop aging, and Adam is out for revenge on every member of the Company for keeping him locked up for 30 years.

Parkman asks one more question. He wants Angela to identify the only woman in the picture Parkman doesn’t recognize. Parkman presses her but Angela won’t spill it. She delivers the ultimate blow to make him give up: “If you take this secret from me, you’re not just like your father–you are him.” I still want to know what Angela’s power is, and why she doesn’t seem to use it, but she’s always on the brink.

The big story this week was the Bennets vs. the Bobs. Claire refuses to miss her pep rally and also doesn’t want to move again since she thinks her dad is a crazy kidnapper. He does little to change her mind when he calls Mohinder, asking him to get Molly to locate West, so Mr. Bennet can change his daughter’s mind via boyfriend brainwashing.

Mohinder, Bob and his daughter, Elle, took a trip down to Costa Verde to more easily access Claire’s blood. Mohinder, who for some reason thinks he has power in the situation, manages to convince the father-daughter duo to set a trap for Bennet by giving him a false location.

Things go slightly awry when Bennet has already found and tackled West and Mohinder calls with a different location. Bennet meets him and finds out Mohinder has “gone native”–all he wants is a little of Claire’s blood, but Bennet has a problem with them sticking needles in his daughter.

Just as Elle is about to zap Bennet, West swoops in and takes her out (there’s father-boyfriend bonding for you). Mohinder and Bennet slap each other around a little bit and we see Mohinder with the gun pointed–just like the painting–but Bennet gets it away from him. He’s about to shoot but West speaks up, and instead Bennet just growls, “No one’s taking my little girl.” Man, he got tough.

Meanwhile, Bob shows up at the Bennet house, yanks Claire out of there and takes some of her blood. Mr. Bennet comes home and we learn that every hero has a weakness; in Elle’s case, it’s putting her feet in a bucket of water. Ouch. Bennet mentions that Elle used to be normal when she was little, but the Company did “tests” on her and “the human brain isn’t meant to take that much electricity.” So does that mean her power isn’t natural? Interesting. I wonder if the Company “created” any other heroes, or if Elle was their only experiment.

The Last Five Minutes: The two dads arrange a daughter exchange at the beach. Bob releases Claire and Bennet releases Elle. Claire barely gets to say goodbye before West flies her away–but Elle gets off a shot of the juice, causing them both to fall. Claire starts to heal herself as Bennet shoots Elle in the arm. Bennet has his gun pointed at Bob–if he takes out Bob, he takes out the whole Company. Mohinder takes his stance, just like in the painting… but wait! I thought they showed that before! He can’t really… he shot him! Mohinder shot Bennet in the eye! And he’s dead? Claire runs over (this is where I got teary), but West stops her (and there’s the last painting) and they fly off.

Hiro returns to his father’s funeral and delivers the eulogy. The main message is that his father is not dead because his lessons live on in Hiro. Also, though certain things are in God’s hands, God has also given us the power of choice.

And the choice of how to use power–Parkman sits in front of the Company picture, and the mystery woman is marked “Victoria Pratt.” He did it. He pushed Angela–how hard did she push back?

I’m definitely glad Mr. Bennet is alive. Despite his recklessness of late, I was surprised at how sad and shocked I was when Mohinder shot him. In the previews for next week (and the week after), Claire is shown spreading ashes–so either she still thinks he’s dead or she has to pretend he is. Also, Claire and Elle appear to have a blonde-off, Hiro surprises his old friend Peter, and Sylar welcomes Mohinder back to Brooklyn.

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