Heroes 4-13 “Let it Bleed”
Sylar tells Samuel he returned with only one thought on his mind – feast. He pins Samuel to the wall, and Samuel tells him that he has big plans. If Sylar kills him, he’ll never know. Sylar’s not won over by that bluff, so Samuel creates a sandstorm in the trailer and flays the skin right off Sylar’s face. That? Was really cool.
We go right from that to a scene of Claire putting on makeup. Sigh. Bennet swings by for a visit, and offers to “give her a lift”, but Claire says she’d prefer that he didn’t come. She’s mad that he lied about Nathan’s death. Hey, do you know who that should be all about? Probably not Claire. And yet, there we are. I have to say, Jack Coleman is such a good actor – these scenes can’t be easy to pull off (OK, so this week, you’re apologizing to Claire again because issues of national security made her feel unloved.), and he still makes it seem like it hurts every time Claire berates him. Even when the writers let me down, there are a few actors who keep on rocking this show, and he’s one of them.
At the post-funeral gathering, Ma checks in with Peter. She wonders how he’s handling things, but she also brings up that he probably wants to pound Sylar, but he totally shouldn’t. I like how she brings it up, and then shoots it down. Claire shows up, which means it’s an awkward conversation about their feelings and how everybody is such a jerk to them. Claire cuts her finger, and it doesn’t heal, because Nathan has the Haitian’s power. He offers to “turn it off”, which we’ve already established that even the Haitian can’t do, but Claire is happier bleeding. Hey, they’ve alluded to the title! They actually mention Season Two’s annoying supporting character West, the Flying Boy. Yeah, he hasn’t been referenced in a good long time. Well, apparently he and Claire are Facebook friends. Oh man, you just know Claire’s one of those people who posts every thought she ever has as a status message, and all her friends respond with “Too true! LOL”. Also, I like the idea that forgotten characters have been consigned to being “Facebook friends”. Claire is also friends with Monica Dawson, Micah, the six villains who escaped from custody but never even got introduced before they started ignoring that arc, Hana Gittelman, Peter’s Irish girlfriend, Nathan’s wife and kids, Special Agent Pretty Lady, Lyle, that kid Sylar hung out with last year, and about a million other characters. They even have their own Facebook Group – “Kring Couldn’t Find a Second Plotline for Us!” Not as many members as “People Who Were Killed Off to Emphasize How Powerful Somebody Else Is”. Adam Monroe, founder.
Bennet returns to his apartment, and we see a shadowy figure outside the window. He opens the window to let the plot in, and Knife Guy springs into action. Bennet is ready, and he fires a taser at him. Yeah! Bennet says “Won’t get fooled again”, and between that and the title, I think we have a classic rock motif going on.
Bennet then talks to the Chinese cook with whom he has an arrangement – Bennet needs to use his restaurant, and also his freezer. Did they establish that his apartment is over a Chinese restaurant, or am I thinking of Flight of the Conchords. Bennet’s partner shows up, and I can not think of her name right now. Until they use it, I’m calling her Lady Plothole. She’s delivering truth serum to Nathan. He also reminds her that speedsters don’t like the cold. I like that detail – doesn’t necessarily make sense, but the way that he makes these broad statements paints him as a man who has seen it all about a dozen times over. He’s got Knife Guy stored in the freezer, and they’re going to get some answers.
At the carnival, Lydia wonders why Samuel put Sylar in her trailer. He wants her to help Sylar – Samuel knows that Sylar could have killed him, but didn’t. Something is wrong with him, and he wants to know what it is. Lydia’s mad, but she follows orders. And she interprets those orders as “Mount Sylar in his sleep”. So she’s going to hump the truth out of Sylar while Bennet drugs a frozen speedster to the same end.
As they go at it, Lydia starts to see flashes of Sylar’s memories. OK, remember when everybody had one power? Now they just throw extra powers at us without explanation. Not cool! She tells Sylar that he’s lonely, and is afraid that he’ll die alone. Sylar is intrigued by this power of hers, which is usually a bad sign. He figures out that she’s trying to manipulate him to kill Samuel – he says he can take her power without killing her. The killing is just a bonus. She says he can’t anymore “You’re impotent”. Sylar storms out, and the psychosexual map of this episode goes all weird on us.
Back at the funeral, Claire actually whines to Ma Petrelli that she isn’t in any of the pictures. Yeah, being the illegitimate daughter of a public figure is rough. Oh, also, you’re at a funeral! Guess what, Claire? The funeral ain’t about you! Claire grieves by telling other people how much they suck. Remember back when she was likeable? It’s been a long time. Ma actually suggests that Claire can help Peter grieve. Yeah, that’s who you bring in to help somebody else with their problems. Cripes. She says Peter’s on the roof with a police scanner, looking for justice. Sure enough, we hear a report of a hostage situation in an office building, and that’s where Peter’s headed. He uses his power to put the cops to sleep, and runs towards danger. Peter’s idea of helping is neutralizing the police and then seeing what he can do instead. This will not end well.
When we rejoin Peter, the suspect is nowhere to be seen, but there’s a woman who’s been shot. He’s getting all paramedic on her, and I think we can agree it’s a good thing he knocked out the cops, since they would probably just have poked at her wounds with their fingers. Claire also enters and yells at Peter for being stupid. The injured woman, Wendy, tells them that the shooter’s name is “Adam”, and Peter heads after him. Even Claire realizes this is stupid, since Peter is the paramedic and Claire’s the invulnerable one. Dude, when Claire points out the flaws in your logic, it’s time to make some changes.
In the Chinese freezer, Bennet is working Knife Guy over. He’s covered in blood, but won’t give up any information. Then Bennet finds a knife and savors the irony. Just before he starts cutting, Lady Plothole interrupts. She tells Bennet that torture doesn’t work, and it’s suddenly a mini-episode of 24. She convinces Bennet to stop punching and start talking. And then Bennet realizes that Knife Guy doesn’t have a compass, and wonders why.
In the office, Adam finds Claire and Wendy and points his gun at Claire. Peter shows up to draw fire from the invulnerable girl, and starts in with his sob story – he tells Adam that he just came from his brother’s funeral, and also, he helped to stage his brother’s death. It does make for a pretty compelling story, I have to give him that. Peter almost talks Adam into handing over his gun, but Adam shoots him instead.
Later, the actual professionals arrive, and Peter’s on a stretcher complaining about the pain. To Claire. The girl who regenerates. Oh, if only Peter’s power were to copy the powers of another. Wait a second… Yep, Peter puts two and two together, and picks up invulnerability. He totally could have done that before he got shot, just to be safe. Claire tells Peter that he’s being a jerk and Nathan would be upset. Peter’s trying to avoid thinking about Nathan at all, so he’s taking stupid risks instead. Awww. They’re actually doing a good job here, but it’s still this weird disconnect, since we as viewers have had almost a year to deal with Nathan’s actual death.
Bennet takes Lady Plothole’s advice and offers Knife Guy some tea. He asks Knife Guy why he didn’t kill him when he had the chance, and reasons that Knife Guy needs him for something. Knife Guy finally admits that he’s been exiled, and can never return to the Carnival. Bennet wonders what Samuel’s plan is, but Knife Guy doesn’t know. He thought that if he could take down Bennet, Samuel would take him back. Bennet decides that they can work together and put a stop to Samuel’s park building.
At the Carnival, Sylar is freaking out because they’re out of ink. Samuel says that Sylar destroyed the last batch. He then says something about how Sylar must want a tattoo to figure out where he’s supposed to go next. So wait, the ink was magic all along? That seems out of place on this show, actually. Samuel shows him the Magic Ink drawing from earlier, and says it’s a picture of Vanessa. He says that love and forgiveness and acceptance are possible, whatever Sylar’s misdeeds. Sylar tells him to prove it with a tattoo.
In Bennet’s apartment, Knife Guy enjoys some miso soup while they work on a plan. They sort of indicate that Knife Guy can’t find the place without a compass, but the carnival has patrons, right? People do get there, right? I’m kind of confused now. I don’t even think we’ve seen them move the carnival once since it was introduced. Samuel thinks Lydia can help them, but if they can reach her, why don’t they just ask for directions? I feel like I missed a scene or three. Bennet and Lady Plothole promise that they will try to find homes for all of Samuel’s followers, but Knife Guy says the carnival is their home, and Samuel is the only problem. Bennet says they’ll only be safe if they’re separated. Knife Guy grabs his knife and runs out the door, saying this was a mistake.
Tattoo time! Samuel injects Sylar, and the ink zips around his body. Damn, Sylar’s got some hairy arms. When it finally coalesces, Sylar tells Samuel that he was wrong, though we don’t get to see the tattoo. Sylar says he doesn’t belong there and leaves.
On a rooftop with Claire and Peter. Peter asks Claire if she could call West for him. No! I hate that guy! Of everybody who could show up again, they pick that doof?
Bennet’s upset that he blew it with Knife Guy. He made off with all of their information when he ran, so they’re back to Square One. He thinks about calling Claire, and then thinks better of it.
Back to Peter. He’s flying, so apparently he had Claire call West so he could copy his powers, and did it all offscreen. Hey, kids! If you get a message on Facebook from a girl who wonders if you’ll come to a rooftop so her uncle can touch you, you should unfriend that girl right away. Just a little tip. Peter flies off into the night.
At the Carnival, Samuel is looking at his many, many pictures of Vanessa. Claire returns to her dorm to find a note from Gretchen, saying she’s at the library. Her phone rings – it’s Bennet, but she doesn’t answer. Instead she lays down on the bed and thinks about how the world revolves around her.
Then we see Sylar waiting outside, and we get a look at his tattoo. It’s a woman’s face – contextually, it would seem to be Claire, but it’s not a great likeness. Sylar looks in her window and says to himself “Hello, cheerleader”. Man, Sylar manages to be creepy and awesome all at the same time!
Next week, Hiro and Ando spring Mohinder from a mental institution, and Emma is fixing to kill hundreds of people with music. Does this mean she’s joining Dethklok? Also, the credits thank DC Comics for “promotional consideration”. For that copy of Arkham Asylum? Did they seriously hit up DC for a freebie so they could show it onscreen for a second? Hey Kring, next time just let me know. If you need a Batman book, I will happily lend it to you. Just don’t let Pasdar near it – I don’t want him rolling up my copy of Year One and beating the writing staff with it.
