Heroes: "Cautionary Tales"
It's official..."Heroes" is BACK, baby! There were so many crazy plot twists, defining character moments, and "WTF/FTW" sequences in this one ep than in all of the season prior! Where to begin?
* Should we start with the awesomeness that is Matt Parkman and his devolution towards evil? I loved the subtlety of showing how he brain-raped Angela Petrelli by showing the Post-It with Victoria Pratt's name next to her picture. Just like Darth Vader, it's the small steps down the dark path, rather than any one big event. From brain-bullying Molly to making Angela's nose bleed, Matt is rapidly learning the Way Of Bennet, and may soon surpass the master.
* Angela Petrelli rocks once again. Even completely apart from any scenes with Nathan or Peter, she is rapidly becoming a fascinating and pivotal character in her own right. So cold and pitiless, yet sympathetic at the same time. When the hell are they going to get her out of jail?
* Speaking of the Master Cylinder, this episode belonged to Jack Coleman completely. No one else can nail that strange balance between paternal devotion and brutal ruthlessness so perfectly. I'm truly glad his death was a swerve--the show would genuinely be poorer without him. Everything from his interactions with Claire to the exchanges with Suresh (including the boot to the head) are just gold. And now I wonder--did Claire's blood just heal him, or is he now a genuine invulnerable Power, like Claire and Adam?
* So Claire's not aging either? Great, because we really need a permanently petulant and whiny 17-year-old. In all seriousness, she was grating right until the "death" of Bennet, then, once it hit her, she was much more serious and mature. Also, mad props to Ashley Crow for continuing to imbue Mrs. Bennet with lots of hidden depth and substance.
* West was still kind of whiny and annoying at first, but once he came firmly under the tutelage of Papa Bennet, he began to not suck. I love his "flying tackle" attack mode, and I can't wait to see him tear up the skies against Nathan in their inevitable showdown.
* It wasn't much of a surprise to see that it was Kensei who killed Kaito. I wonder if he knows who Kaito's son is--that Kaito, the guy he worked with in the proto-Justice League, was destined to father the guy who ruined his life. Perhaps not, given that he was in prison for most of Hiro's own life.
* If you didn't tear up at the extended farewell between Hiro and Kaito, you support terrorism. Hiro has fully evolved from wannabe admiring hero-geek to true hero, and now it's time to swing that sword for great justice.
* Poor Mohinder...always fated to make stupid decisions. How can such a smart guy be so dumb? While I can understand why he would switch sides after seeing Bennet's behavior, surely he realizes that Bob is no better, and in fact, may be worse, thanks to his brainwashing of Elle into an amoral sexpot killer?
* Kristen Bell in a bikini. Mmm, tasty. No one can pout quite like her. :)
* The best episodes this season have been those that resonated around a central theme, and "Cautionary Tales" is no exception. Each of the main stories revolved around the consequences of actions taken. Matt crossed the line by turning his telepathy into outright mental domination. Mohinder sold out what may have been his best ally. Claire didn't trust her dad and lost him (or so she thinks) as a result. This time, it was Hiro who stuck to his guns and didn't take the shortcut, even though of all the characters, one could argue that he had a right to.
* The visual effects this episode were fantastic--much more like we've come to expect from the show. Undoubtedly they were saving the budget-busters for the last few episodes of the midseason arc (now season-ender), but everything from West's flying off with Bennet to the shot through Noah's glasses was choice.
* Next week--Peter vs. Hiro! That could be an interesting fight. While Peter has all of Hiro's abilities and many more, Hiro's more experienced in using what he's got, and is a better fighter to boot. Of course, it probably won't happen, but it underscores an interesting fact that whereas last year's conflict--the heroes stopping Sylar from blowing up NYC--was generally black and white, this season's conflict is much more grey. Given what the proto-JL Powers have seemingly done, is Adam unjustified in killing them? Is Peter on the wrong side this time? And was that Sylar's voice we heard greeting Mohinder on his return home...?