This is the best episode of Heroes to date. There, I said it. Just amazing work all around on the writing, directing, editing and acting (yes, even Matt!). I loved the jump cuts and flash wipes they used for Matt's mindreading scenes, but I especially loved the smooth transitions between present day and the black-and-white flashbacks.
So let's start with the past. Our Mr. Bennet is "comfortable with morally gray"...or so he says. Did anyone see it coming (sorry...) that Claude was Mr. B's old partner? I'm curious about The Company, though...the show is making it very vague as to whether this is a private or government group keeping track of the "different." Did it all seem vaguely X-Men/Henry Gyrich to anyone else...the agency hunting down mutants?
So here are my questions posed by the past:
- It looked to me like Mr. Bennet's gun went off accidentally when he was on the bridge with Claude. He looked surprised, then anguished that Claude "[wouldn't] just..." Just what? Die? Turn invisible so that he can claim Claude died?
- Is Hiro really Mr. Nakamura's son, or just property of OWI? Does Mr. N know that Hiro has powers? Is he hiding Hiro, like HRG hid Claire?
- Who was Claude harboring so long ago? Someone we know now?
Matt's dark side didn't last too long, apparently. He had a sudden change of heart when things threatened to get violent and involve the family. Ted just went nuts; like they said, he's a man who wants his wife back. I wonder if we get Ted back, though, or is he slab-bound indefinitely?
Well, I was completely wrong about HRG being powered, since Matt could read his mind (right hook coming...). I loved the "shoot Claire" gambit to defuse the standoff.
Mr. Bennet is not ultimately a Company Man; he's a family man, trying to do all the right things, even if they are perhaps "morally gray." The fact that he would essentially blow Primatech wide open to save his family speaks volumes.
Do you think that the Hatian/Claire escape plan had been planned all along? I think that HRG knew he'd have to give up Claire someday, so he set up a contingency plan. It's interesting that not even Thompson (did they actually mention Eric Roberts' name in the show, or did I hear it on some podcast?) knew that the Hatian can talk. There must be one darn good reason for them to keep that secret.
From here, it just remains to be seen how malevolent the OWI really is. Are they tied in to Linderman? How many factions are using these Heroes? Can HRG be wiped enough to ensure Claire's safety? Will the Bennets be reunited? Will Matt really be HRG's new partner, marking the quickest change of heart in recent history? And what of our new "one of them," working with Thompson to clean up Mr. B's mess?
Don't touch that dial...Heroes will be right back.
