Peter should never have had amnesia
4:42 PM 11/28/07 · Peter had amnesia due to the Haitian manipulating his mind but he didn't take away the memories. Fact of the matter is I never thought he did because my understanding of the Haitian's ability isn't quite on track with what most seem to think it is. I say he can manipulate the minds of others through either direct contact or being in their general vicinity. It's not telepathy in the technical sense so much as literally manipulating the brain, similar to telekinesis but he can only effect the mind.
That's why when Claire's mother was hospitalized they observed bruising on her brain. She had lost her memories from his specifically pinching off the pathways that led to them. This is also how Peter was able to use that regeneration ability to get his memories back...because they were never gone he just didn't have access to them.
What I'm wondering is why that was?
The regeneration ability on its own is a tad confusing. Under Adam's direction Peter was able to focus it to regain his memory. It seems to repair general damage on its own but sometimes specifics are seemingly outside its influence. When Claire cut off one of her toes as a test it didn't start to grow back immediately and I think it's because she conciously chose to remove it. It wasn't until she really focused on getting her toe back did it regenerate.
Even though the regeneration is one of many powers that Peter possesses it continues to function automatically anytime he's wounded. That he had to concentrate to get it to restore a specific part of him isn't entirely implausible but because that damage was done to him by someone else I don't see how the regeneration didn't begin on its own to restore his memories...
...aside of the fact that he has another power that should not've made that necessary.
The waitress Charlie had eidetic memory, the ability to recall anything she ready, heard spoken, anything and everything she encountered. This would give her complete and total recall of everything in her head probably as far back as even before her power kicked into gear. While Peter never encountered her personally...he does have every power Sylar has and he killed Charlie for her ability. Now, I know a lot of people think that when Hiro went into the past he changed events so Charlie wasn't killed by Sylar but I kinda doubt that. She was still dead and while we do know that she had an innoperable brain tumor it wouldn't've killed her so quickly.
When Hiro got back to Ando everything was as it had been before he left, minus travel expenses as he was dealing with confidence issues at the time. Charlie was still dead and for the same reason as before. So, Sylar had her power and that means Peter does too.
I'm still a bit fuzzy on this aspect of Peter's absorption ability...for wont of a better thing to call it. Used to think that a power had to be in active use when Peter was around that person but given he had DL's ability kinda threw me for a loop. Now it's just a matter of figuring out what's his range because, no matter how many times I replay that scene, it doesn't look like they were ever more than 50 yards apart at the closest point.
Regardless, from either the regeneration or the eidectic memory Peter should never have been amnesic for more than a little while; much less time than he was by more than ½. His recall should be perfect but even without that...the regeneration should've started repairing the damage the Haitian had done from the moment he'd done it.
I just don't get it.