meta/liveblog: Episode 3.22: "Turn and Face the Strange"
OK, who's the Bowie freak on this show? Or are they all Bowie freaks? I know Wendy & Lisa are Bowie fangirls from way back, but who else? Kring? Beeman? Chuck Kim? Who is it?
Anyway, I think our Lord Bowie would enjoy this episode quite a bit. I certainly did.
Mohinder gives the Previously On. In the previouslies they deny me another look at Angela popping Peter across the face. YOU GIANT TEASE, SHOW!
In Building 26, Fake Sylar's in a body bag. So it's a different ability than the one Candice/Betty had, because once she died, she was back to her original configuration; she was a reality distorter, whereas this is a classic shapeshifter. OK then!
Hiro and Ando's baby-napping caravan continues across the country. The baby actor did finally cry when needed; I wonder how they made him do it? Told him what the ratings for Dancing With The Stars were?
Big Matt and Mohinder in a cheap hotel room! Oh yeah. Mo wants to leave on a slow boat to India, but Matt's just too bitter and vengeful to consider a Chennai vacation. He wants to go "hurt" Danko. Oh, this is going to turn out well. They hug. It's tender! And then he leaves. TEASE!
Sandra shows up! HRG is psyched, until she starts yelling at him. He tells her about The Less You Know™ and why that's a good idea. He tells her that he doesn't believe that the dead Sylar is really Actual Dead Sylar (because he's an intuitive genius, after all) - and Sandra's like "OUR DAUGHTER IS MISSING YOU ASSHOLE!" And she hands Danko's ass to him, too. HRG tells her to go home, but she isn't going anywhere until HRG finds Claire. Oh, this is also going to turn out well.
Oh, and it wasn't even Danko right there. Sylar is Danko-shaped now, menacing the real McCoy in the men's room. TEASE! Danko is pissed, so Sylar snarls himself back to his original hot configuration, and vows to destroy HRG. Oh, this is... you know.
Angela calls HRG and tells him that she and Peter are headed to Coyote Sands. He tells her about Fake Sylar, and she tells him not to worry about it - but of course he doesn't roll like that.
Mohinder, in a very cute pageboy cap, goes to his old apartment and breaks his own lock. The place is deserted (like that apartment could go unrented in this market!) and the old bitchy punk rock landlord shows up (what is that actor's name? He's a recurring character now!), still sporting the muttonchops, and tells Mo that Chandra left some stuff in storage. Oh, do tell!
Tha Babynappahs are hitchhiking and get picked up by a Japanese trucker from Lubbock Texas. Oh what a melting pot is America! Yee-haw! Convoy! The truck is noisy and the baby doesn't like it - so the truck stops. Figure it out, y'all.
Matt is menacing. He is reading Danko's mind (his name is EMILE? How awesome!) and feeding him psychic suggestions. Danko follows them without question.
HRG runs to the superhero crematorium to stop them from destroying the bodies. He pulls the metal spike from the back of Fake Sylar's head... and nothing happens. He tells the agents to send the spike to a lab for testing, and to not cremate the body. "Who are you?" he asks the body curiously.
Danko goes to a swanky little house, and receives a warm embrace from a total babe. Way to pull, Danko man!
HRG gets a visit from Sandra to his new (PETER'S, REDRESSED) apartment. She's heard from Claire, who is fine, and serves him the D-I-V-O-R-C-E papers. Ouch. They argue and it's ugly and Sandra bursts out "I don't love you any more!" Oh, my heart. Oh, I can't bear this; oh, fucking hell. I mean, go Sandra, but still, I really depended on their love to remain true. It was a ray of hope. Oh well, that's life - oh no wait, THAT'S SYLAR. Oh my God, I want to see that scene with Zachary Quinto playing Sandra. Oh how fantastic. Wow, Sylar wasn't kidding about wanting to destroy HRG, was he? Now I guess he's going to go to Costa Verde and shoot Mr. Muggles and leave a note on his furry corpse that says THIS IS BECAUSE YOU'RE INFERTILE - NOAH.
Y'know? God, I'm such a sucker. I really am. The show leads me around by the ring in my nose. And I love it.
Baby Matt is screaming his face off. Just check his diaper, okay? Really, sometimes they go twice in sixty seconds. I KNOW. Hiro and Ando make stupid faces, which don't work until Ando makes an exceptionally silly face... And then their Scion starts again. Yay. Chalk one up to trial and error - and somehow making the unflappable actor babies cry.
Danko's babe is a hot Russian bride! Oh my God, it's the chick who plays Lilith on Supernatural! WHOA! Two shows in one week - not bad for a chick with a big face and really bad skin. Her body Will Not Quit, though, and she has some talent - well besides the body, she manages to come across as stunningly beautiful even with a big schnoz, that skin, and the general weirdness of her face. I think I like her. Matt breaks into the house, gun drawn, and sneaks up behind Russian Babe. He can't shoot, though, because really, what did she do? She thinks he was sent by the escort company that she works for - because she's A WHOOOORE. Matt Jedi-Mind-tricks her into thinking that he's from Danko's company. She's excited about that, and tells him to sit down and visit.
HRG investigates the fake divorce papers and sees that Sandra's signature doesn't match her actual one. He's starting to catch on - what a smart smart guy! The lab returns the results that Fake Sylar is actually James Martin, and the pieces fall into place. He's so happy - Sandra isn't dumping him! (As far as he knows.)
Russian Sex Worker is really sweet and friendly, and thinks that Danko works for a children's textbook publisher. And that he has a wife and two kids. And... thinks his name is Jacob. Uh... Matt can't stand this, and tells her that he's a liar and she should get away from him, and will show her why.
Hiro rings up Mohinder asking after Matt. "Matt's changed," Mohinder says sadly. Hiro has to go save him, but first, Ando has to make the silly face again so the baby doesn't sabotage the car again. As they pull away from the gas station, Nathan and Claire are there right behind them, looking up Coyote Sands on a map. They fly off toward it! Cool!
Mohinder looks at his dad's files. They also lead to Coyote Sands! Hmmmm!
Sandra returns to her hotel room - only to have someone pull a gun on her. It's Noah, making absolutely sure. AND BREAK! Back from it, Noah yells at her, roughs her up slightly, and makes her scream and plead with him to be cool. The phone rings; it's Lyle. Who always saves the day. He needs to give Mr. Muggles his antipsychotics, and verifies that it's actually Lyle, it's actually Sandra, and that the Bennets' roleplay has officially gone over the top. He lets her go, crumpling sheepishly, knowing he might have just genuinely fucked everthing up. She straightens up and tells him to leave. He tries to plead his case, but really... this is one of the last straws. She does believe him, but it's too late; she really needs him to get the fuck out. Now. So he goes, and stands in the hall, and feels like a supreme asshole. OK, heart, it's OK to break now. Shit just got real.
Alaina, the Russian "escort" (see how she's totally softening me up? Sheesh), shows up to Danko's place... with Matt, and his gun, in tow. He herds them inside and starts telling a lot more truth than Danko actually wants aired. "Your boyfriend kills people for a living," Matt says. Alaina is dismayed, and is even more so when Matt forces Danko to tell the truth. He confesses that he was afraid that Alaina would never love someone who does what he does. (Well, it's kinda true, and yet, I still love Nathan, so there's that.) And then Matt turns the gun on the woman... threatening to make Danko feel the same way as Matt felt about Daphne being killed (Oh Brea, I miss you!). Danko is cold as ice and tells him to shoot her; it won't change his mind. Matt drops the gun, because he's got feelings, and tells Danko to go ahead and finish him. He fires... but the bullet stops in mid-air - because Hiro arrives just in time. WHEW. Everyone stands still while Hiro dumps Matt into a rolling chair and wheels him away. Time starts again, and Danko has to look at Alaina as she calls him a monster, and tells him to stay away from her. And dare I say it?... Poor Danko.
Back at Building 26, HRG (sans glasses! SO NOT HIM) walks in smirking (nice one, Jack; if this is his Zachary Quinto impersonation, it's both accurate and hilariously campy - he LISPS for God's sake! Listen to the way he says "They've been racking up a loooot of wins lately") to Danko's office, proudly brandishing Noah Bennet's Primatech files. HRG whips out a gun and waves it around limp-wristedly, and... yeah, it's not Sylar, either, because Fake HRG wants to be taken to Sylar. Hm... Danko tells Fake Bennet the whereabouts of whatever body Sylar's in. Then Fake HRG dons a pair of horn-rimmed glasses... huh whuh? Did he stop at a vintage optometrist's on his way over?
Hiro lectures Matt on ethics as they walk outside, approaching Ando and Baby Matt sitting on a patch of lawn. Instant Something To Live For! Ando unites Matt Parkman père et fils.The kid grins, obviously madly in love with Grunny, as we all are. Sparkles and rainbows and toy cars running by themselves over jewel-green lawns!
Enough of that. In a dank basement. Fake HRG approaches the "fake" Sylar-in-an-agent's body, who is just some schlub agent who has no idea what the hell is going on. He gets shot... and Fake HRG thinks that he should heal, but he doesn't. Dead Agent, gushing blood. Fake HRG looks around in panic, and grabs Danko to cover his escape. Action Jack Coleman! Running through the streets like a very tall panicked dog! Knocking over pedestrians right and left! And I am extremely, extremely confused, but loving it.
Later, after the other agents in the room have been dispatched to take down anybody who looks like HRG, Danko explains his extremely twisted and convoluted motive for all of this to "shot-dead" Agent Redhead, who IS actually Sylar, who just bleeds to death and then revives, puking up a bullet. "How can you bleed like that?" asks Danko, fairly grossed out. "I squeezed out a little extra, just for show," Sylar says.
All right, as of now, Heroes has officially confused me. Don't be harsh in your explanations; my brain is in bad shape right now, so please have pity on poor fool me.
Bennet is walking, out of breath, calling Sandra, leaving a voicemail.
Mohinder works on a string map, drawing everyone to Coyote Sands.
Matt kisses the baby and grins and I am wildly envious of Grunberg's children. I miss being kissed by my daddy like that. Sure it was decades ago, but still, I remember.
Danko calls Alaina to apologize. Alaina doesn't listen to his poignant message, juming into a cab instead. Be great if she had a power, but she's gotta be on Supernatural, making eyes at Sam Winchester.
Peter and Angela arrive in the dusty dusty ghost town, Coyote Sands. Apparently they drove, instead of taking Petrelli Airways the entire way. "This is where our story really begins," she tells him. Really? Not with Adam Monroe? Really? Nathan and Claire swoop in, and Peter starts walking away. "Let him vent," Nathan says. Peter and Claire walk up and warmly, er, grab arms. (So broken up at this point; that was some very professional acting happening right there. *sigh* In character they would have absolutely clung to each other, at least for a moment; those two? C'mon. Whatever; keep it moving, we've got momentum to maintain.) "You want answers? Then you'll have to dig. I shoplifted these shovels from Barney's; don't let them go to waste, and no, I won't dig with you. Get a move on, slaves."
Nathan has the TOP GUN aerodynamic haircut - makes sense, and is still fairly hot, but it does make him look like he's on shore leave from the F-14 Blue Angels. As usual, I love Claire's chunky sweater with the buttons, and am impatient with her wig-with-bangs. Peter looks fucking amazing and fantastic and his muscle-man days are pretty much only a memory; he's back to being terrier-like and intense and elegant and wild like a mustang! and.. oh... excuse me. I had a moment there. He really does look good though.
As Voiceover Mohinder narrates the Greek myth of Icarus, the youngest of the Petrelli family digs together. Angela stands by looking elegant even though her beehive looks like it's seen much better days. MUCH. They unearth a skull. Angela is shaken. "I knew all of them," she says. "All of them? *blink blink, moue* Exactly how many of them are here, ma?" Nathan asks. "Keep digging," she replies enigmatically. Claire tries to comfort her with a gentle touch (Aw, she's such a good kid sometimes; but no sugar for Uncle Pete?), but straightens up as a car approaches. HRG shows up, and Claire stares at him, and we're all, "IS IT REALLY HIM?!?!".
Graves. All over the place. Nathan looks at Peter for some kind of explanation, or at least a "WTF? Are you seeing this, man?"
TO BE CONTINUED!
An exposition-heavy episode, also an emotion-heavy episode, a convergence of necessary players, and the sudden arrival of a new, horrible mystery - why yes! I'll take it! Still, this is an episode that will need rewatching and will undoubtedly reveal even more awesome things on closer review.
Still, though, what's with the title besides "We love Bowie so so much"? I mean, sure there are a dozen handy fanwank explanations, but even "Into Asylum" made more logical sense than this. I dunno, maybe I'm just tired...
At the risk of repeating myself, I loved it. And yet, it's a setup episode; not filler, because there ain't no filler this season. Oodles of angst and bewilderment.. why yes, that's the show I come back to, week after week.
Next week looks amazing.
A sad note: Y'all, I have to miss the season finale by a day. You know I wouldn't do this without good reason - My Bloody Valentine, who has been one of my favorite bands for a very, very long time and who I never thought I'd have the chance to see, are playing in Seattle on that same night. I'll be back home the next day, and will be watching that shit as soon as humanly possible, but I have to miss it on the night itself, and it's going to be very, very hard. I have to go experience that combination of hearing loss, fight-or-flight levels of primal-fear adrenaline, and slow-burning eroticism of My Bloody Valentine, though. I paid a lot of money for the privilege. It's just... weirdly, supernaturally unfair. Oh well; a sacrifice is meaningless unless it's something that tears out a part of your own heart. I love Heroes but it does not own me entirely; 17 years of desire trumps six months of it. And thank God for the internet, so I only have to go without for 24 hours or so (unless I am staying with a nerdy friend with TiVo, in which case I can watch it that same night! No, no, don't... patience is a virtue...)
Anyway, I think our Lord Bowie would enjoy this episode quite a bit. I certainly did.
Mohinder gives the Previously On. In the previouslies they deny me another look at Angela popping Peter across the face. YOU GIANT TEASE, SHOW!
In Building 26, Fake Sylar's in a body bag. So it's a different ability than the one Candice/Betty had, because once she died, she was back to her original configuration; she was a reality distorter, whereas this is a classic shapeshifter. OK then!
Hiro and Ando's baby-napping caravan continues across the country. The baby actor did finally cry when needed; I wonder how they made him do it? Told him what the ratings for Dancing With The Stars were?
Big Matt and Mohinder in a cheap hotel room! Oh yeah. Mo wants to leave on a slow boat to India, but Matt's just too bitter and vengeful to consider a Chennai vacation. He wants to go "hurt" Danko. Oh, this is going to turn out well. They hug. It's tender! And then he leaves. TEASE!
Sandra shows up! HRG is psyched, until she starts yelling at him. He tells her about The Less You Know™ and why that's a good idea. He tells her that he doesn't believe that the dead Sylar is really Actual Dead Sylar (because he's an intuitive genius, after all) - and Sandra's like "OUR DAUGHTER IS MISSING YOU ASSHOLE!" And she hands Danko's ass to him, too. HRG tells her to go home, but she isn't going anywhere until HRG finds Claire. Oh, this is also going to turn out well.
Oh, and it wasn't even Danko right there. Sylar is Danko-shaped now, menacing the real McCoy in the men's room. TEASE! Danko is pissed, so Sylar snarls himself back to his original hot configuration, and vows to destroy HRG. Oh, this is... you know.
Angela calls HRG and tells him that she and Peter are headed to Coyote Sands. He tells her about Fake Sylar, and she tells him not to worry about it - but of course he doesn't roll like that.
Mohinder, in a very cute pageboy cap, goes to his old apartment and breaks his own lock. The place is deserted (like that apartment could go unrented in this market!) and the old bitchy punk rock landlord shows up (what is that actor's name? He's a recurring character now!), still sporting the muttonchops, and tells Mo that Chandra left some stuff in storage. Oh, do tell!
Tha Babynappahs are hitchhiking and get picked up by a Japanese trucker from Lubbock Texas. Oh what a melting pot is America! Yee-haw! Convoy! The truck is noisy and the baby doesn't like it - so the truck stops. Figure it out, y'all.
Matt is menacing. He is reading Danko's mind (his name is EMILE? How awesome!) and feeding him psychic suggestions. Danko follows them without question.
HRG runs to the superhero crematorium to stop them from destroying the bodies. He pulls the metal spike from the back of Fake Sylar's head... and nothing happens. He tells the agents to send the spike to a lab for testing, and to not cremate the body. "Who are you?" he asks the body curiously.
Danko goes to a swanky little house, and receives a warm embrace from a total babe. Way to pull, Danko man!
HRG gets a visit from Sandra to his new (PETER'S, REDRESSED) apartment. She's heard from Claire, who is fine, and serves him the D-I-V-O-R-C-E papers. Ouch. They argue and it's ugly and Sandra bursts out "I don't love you any more!" Oh, my heart. Oh, I can't bear this; oh, fucking hell. I mean, go Sandra, but still, I really depended on their love to remain true. It was a ray of hope. Oh well, that's life - oh no wait, THAT'S SYLAR. Oh my God, I want to see that scene with Zachary Quinto playing Sandra. Oh how fantastic. Wow, Sylar wasn't kidding about wanting to destroy HRG, was he? Now I guess he's going to go to Costa Verde and shoot Mr. Muggles and leave a note on his furry corpse that says THIS IS BECAUSE YOU'RE INFERTILE - NOAH.
Y'know? God, I'm such a sucker. I really am. The show leads me around by the ring in my nose. And I love it.
Baby Matt is screaming his face off. Just check his diaper, okay? Really, sometimes they go twice in sixty seconds. I KNOW. Hiro and Ando make stupid faces, which don't work until Ando makes an exceptionally silly face... And then their Scion starts again. Yay. Chalk one up to trial and error - and somehow making the unflappable actor babies cry.
Danko's babe is a hot Russian bride! Oh my God, it's the chick who plays Lilith on Supernatural! WHOA! Two shows in one week - not bad for a chick with a big face and really bad skin. Her body Will Not Quit, though, and she has some talent - well besides the body, she manages to come across as stunningly beautiful even with a big schnoz, that skin, and the general weirdness of her face. I think I like her. Matt breaks into the house, gun drawn, and sneaks up behind Russian Babe. He can't shoot, though, because really, what did she do? She thinks he was sent by the escort company that she works for - because she's A WHOOOORE. Matt Jedi-Mind-tricks her into thinking that he's from Danko's company. She's excited about that, and tells him to sit down and visit.
HRG investigates the fake divorce papers and sees that Sandra's signature doesn't match her actual one. He's starting to catch on - what a smart smart guy! The lab returns the results that Fake Sylar is actually James Martin, and the pieces fall into place. He's so happy - Sandra isn't dumping him! (As far as he knows.)
Russian Sex Worker is really sweet and friendly, and thinks that Danko works for a children's textbook publisher. And that he has a wife and two kids. And... thinks his name is Jacob. Uh... Matt can't stand this, and tells her that he's a liar and she should get away from him, and will show her why.
Hiro rings up Mohinder asking after Matt. "Matt's changed," Mohinder says sadly. Hiro has to go save him, but first, Ando has to make the silly face again so the baby doesn't sabotage the car again. As they pull away from the gas station, Nathan and Claire are there right behind them, looking up Coyote Sands on a map. They fly off toward it! Cool!
Mohinder looks at his dad's files. They also lead to Coyote Sands! Hmmmm!
Sandra returns to her hotel room - only to have someone pull a gun on her. It's Noah, making absolutely sure. AND BREAK! Back from it, Noah yells at her, roughs her up slightly, and makes her scream and plead with him to be cool. The phone rings; it's Lyle. Who always saves the day. He needs to give Mr. Muggles his antipsychotics, and verifies that it's actually Lyle, it's actually Sandra, and that the Bennets' roleplay has officially gone over the top. He lets her go, crumpling sheepishly, knowing he might have just genuinely fucked everthing up. She straightens up and tells him to leave. He tries to plead his case, but really... this is one of the last straws. She does believe him, but it's too late; she really needs him to get the fuck out. Now. So he goes, and stands in the hall, and feels like a supreme asshole. OK, heart, it's OK to break now. Shit just got real.
Alaina, the Russian "escort" (see how she's totally softening me up? Sheesh), shows up to Danko's place... with Matt, and his gun, in tow. He herds them inside and starts telling a lot more truth than Danko actually wants aired. "Your boyfriend kills people for a living," Matt says. Alaina is dismayed, and is even more so when Matt forces Danko to tell the truth. He confesses that he was afraid that Alaina would never love someone who does what he does. (Well, it's kinda true, and yet, I still love Nathan, so there's that.) And then Matt turns the gun on the woman... threatening to make Danko feel the same way as Matt felt about Daphne being killed (Oh Brea, I miss you!). Danko is cold as ice and tells him to shoot her; it won't change his mind. Matt drops the gun, because he's got feelings, and tells Danko to go ahead and finish him. He fires... but the bullet stops in mid-air - because Hiro arrives just in time. WHEW. Everyone stands still while Hiro dumps Matt into a rolling chair and wheels him away. Time starts again, and Danko has to look at Alaina as she calls him a monster, and tells him to stay away from her. And dare I say it?... Poor Danko.
Back at Building 26, HRG (sans glasses! SO NOT HIM) walks in smirking (nice one, Jack; if this is his Zachary Quinto impersonation, it's both accurate and hilariously campy - he LISPS for God's sake! Listen to the way he says "They've been racking up a loooot of wins lately") to Danko's office, proudly brandishing Noah Bennet's Primatech files. HRG whips out a gun and waves it around limp-wristedly, and... yeah, it's not Sylar, either, because Fake HRG wants to be taken to Sylar. Hm... Danko tells Fake Bennet the whereabouts of whatever body Sylar's in. Then Fake HRG dons a pair of horn-rimmed glasses... huh whuh? Did he stop at a vintage optometrist's on his way over?
Hiro lectures Matt on ethics as they walk outside, approaching Ando and Baby Matt sitting on a patch of lawn. Instant Something To Live For! Ando unites Matt Parkman père et fils.The kid grins, obviously madly in love with Grunny, as we all are. Sparkles and rainbows and toy cars running by themselves over jewel-green lawns!
Enough of that. In a dank basement. Fake HRG approaches the "fake" Sylar-in-an-agent's body, who is just some schlub agent who has no idea what the hell is going on. He gets shot... and Fake HRG thinks that he should heal, but he doesn't. Dead Agent, gushing blood. Fake HRG looks around in panic, and grabs Danko to cover his escape. Action Jack Coleman! Running through the streets like a very tall panicked dog! Knocking over pedestrians right and left! And I am extremely, extremely confused, but loving it.
Later, after the other agents in the room have been dispatched to take down anybody who looks like HRG, Danko explains his extremely twisted and convoluted motive for all of this to "shot-dead" Agent Redhead, who IS actually Sylar, who just bleeds to death and then revives, puking up a bullet. "How can you bleed like that?" asks Danko, fairly grossed out. "I squeezed out a little extra, just for show," Sylar says.
All right, as of now, Heroes has officially confused me. Don't be harsh in your explanations; my brain is in bad shape right now, so please have pity on poor fool me.
Bennet is walking, out of breath, calling Sandra, leaving a voicemail.
Mohinder works on a string map, drawing everyone to Coyote Sands.
Matt kisses the baby and grins and I am wildly envious of Grunberg's children. I miss being kissed by my daddy like that. Sure it was decades ago, but still, I remember.
Danko calls Alaina to apologize. Alaina doesn't listen to his poignant message, juming into a cab instead. Be great if she had a power, but she's gotta be on Supernatural, making eyes at Sam Winchester.
Peter and Angela arrive in the dusty dusty ghost town, Coyote Sands. Apparently they drove, instead of taking Petrelli Airways the entire way. "This is where our story really begins," she tells him. Really? Not with Adam Monroe? Really? Nathan and Claire swoop in, and Peter starts walking away. "Let him vent," Nathan says. Peter and Claire walk up and warmly, er, grab arms. (So broken up at this point; that was some very professional acting happening right there. *sigh* In character they would have absolutely clung to each other, at least for a moment; those two? C'mon. Whatever; keep it moving, we've got momentum to maintain.) "You want answers? Then you'll have to dig. I shoplifted these shovels from Barney's; don't let them go to waste, and no, I won't dig with you. Get a move on, slaves."
Nathan has the TOP GUN aerodynamic haircut - makes sense, and is still fairly hot, but it does make him look like he's on shore leave from the F-14 Blue Angels. As usual, I love Claire's chunky sweater with the buttons, and am impatient with her wig-with-bangs. Peter looks fucking amazing and fantastic and his muscle-man days are pretty much only a memory; he's back to being terrier-like and intense and elegant and wild like a mustang! and.. oh... excuse me. I had a moment there. He really does look good though.
As Voiceover Mohinder narrates the Greek myth of Icarus, the youngest of the Petrelli family digs together. Angela stands by looking elegant even though her beehive looks like it's seen much better days. MUCH. They unearth a skull. Angela is shaken. "I knew all of them," she says. "All of them? *blink blink, moue* Exactly how many of them are here, ma?" Nathan asks. "Keep digging," she replies enigmatically. Claire tries to comfort her with a gentle touch (Aw, she's such a good kid sometimes; but no sugar for Uncle Pete?), but straightens up as a car approaches. HRG shows up, and Claire stares at him, and we're all, "IS IT REALLY HIM?!?!".
Graves. All over the place. Nathan looks at Peter for some kind of explanation, or at least a "WTF? Are you seeing this, man?"
TO BE CONTINUED!
An exposition-heavy episode, also an emotion-heavy episode, a convergence of necessary players, and the sudden arrival of a new, horrible mystery - why yes! I'll take it! Still, this is an episode that will need rewatching and will undoubtedly reveal even more awesome things on closer review.
Still, though, what's with the title besides "We love Bowie so so much"? I mean, sure there are a dozen handy fanwank explanations, but even "Into Asylum" made more logical sense than this. I dunno, maybe I'm just tired...
At the risk of repeating myself, I loved it. And yet, it's a setup episode; not filler, because there ain't no filler this season. Oodles of angst and bewilderment.. why yes, that's the show I come back to, week after week.
Next week looks amazing.
A sad note: Y'all, I have to miss the season finale by a day. You know I wouldn't do this without good reason - My Bloody Valentine, who has been one of my favorite bands for a very, very long time and who I never thought I'd have the chance to see, are playing in Seattle on that same night. I'll be back home the next day, and will be watching that shit as soon as humanly possible, but I have to miss it on the night itself, and it's going to be very, very hard. I have to go experience that combination of hearing loss, fight-or-flight levels of primal-fear adrenaline, and slow-burning eroticism of My Bloody Valentine, though. I paid a lot of money for the privilege. It's just... weirdly, supernaturally unfair. Oh well; a sacrifice is meaningless unless it's something that tears out a part of your own heart. I love Heroes but it does not own me entirely; 17 years of desire trumps six months of it. And thank God for the internet, so I only have to go without for 24 hours or so (unless I am staying with a nerdy friend with TiVo, in which case I can watch it that same night! No, no, don't... patience is a virtue...)