Heroes episode 1.16: “Unexpected” review
Yup. Totally unexpected, is what this episode’s all about. If you haven’t watched Heroes, don’t go further. Instead, watch it online first.
We’ve seen previews of last night’s episodes here, here and here. But nothing prepares you for the real thing.
Mindreader meets Wireless
The show opens with Ted meeting Hanna Gittelman via wireless internet connection. She has the ability to “connect” to the internet from her mind. She showed Ted the mark on her neck and asked his help to get back at HRG for capturing them.
Matt and wife Jan are having domestic troubles when he gives her a stolen ring from the stash that Mr. Malsky left. Jan told her husband that Suresh was looking for him, asking for his DNA. Later, when Jan had the ring appraised and was accused by the jeweler of stealing it for $40,000, she tells him to turn in the jewelry to the police but Matt suddenly leaves when Ted calls him in his cell.
Matt meets with Ted and Hanna. Hanna says the marks on their necks are from a needle that injects a radioisotope for tracking viruses. A shipment of needles had gone to Primatech Paper and they need Matt’s help to stop Bennet. “If we can save ourselves, we can help others. We can be heroes.”
Maximum potential
Peter and Claude have the weirdest training session! Claude is beating Peter with a stick to get him to do something unexpected and “dig into that cabinet of yours and get something out! Fly! Stop time! Paint me a pretty picture!” Peter breaks the stick with his mind - by telekinesis! He has just harnessed the power he absorbed from Sylar in Odessa. COOL!
Isaac tells Mr. Bennet he has “found” Peter - he painted his footprints. Bennet realizes Peter’s in the company of someone they thought was long dead. Bennet gives Isaac a gun in case Peter gets there before they do.
Peter watches Claude caring for the pigeons and Claude explains that Charles Darwin used pigeons to test his theory of evolution on pigeons - breeding them to get the “maximum potential”. Claude points to Peter as one of those with maximum potential abilities, when suddenly Claude gets hit with a dart. Mr. Bennet and the Haitian associate have been watching them using a binocular. The next two darts go for Peter, but he stops the bullets midway, picks Claude up and flies away! SUPERMAN! Mr. Bennet is left behind, and there’s actually a hint of a smile and fascination on his face.
In Peter’s apartment, Claude wakes up and punches Peter for bringing HRG back into his life. Claude suspects HRG got to Isaac and used him to track them. Apparently Claude’s been abducted before and has a burnt scar from the same mark as the others. He probably took the tracking device out and the reason he’s gone AWOL was to get away from HRG. So Claude tells Peter to leave him alone as well.
In bad company.
Hope has trapped Hiro in a closet and a gaming commissioner, looking for Hope and Ando, gets him out. Hiro insists on tagging along and help the man find the pair.
Ando and Hope stop by a motel and when the lover boy offers to carry the pink bag, gambling chips spill out of the bag and Hope points a gun at the distraught Japanese. Hiro and the commissioner catches up with them and a shoot-out happens between Hope and the fat guy, grazing Ando in the arm from a bullet. Hiro gets his bestfriend to safety by bringing him into the open cargo hold of a parked bus, where they watch everything like shocked teenagers. Hope finds them and shoots a bullet at them! Ando cries, Hiro squints and the bullet ricochets back. With both their eyes closed, neither Hiro nor Ando realize what just happened. Hiro’s powers are still at work after all.
The next day, Hiro tells Ando he will be going on this mission alone because this has gone too dangerous for his friend. Hiro boards a bus, with Stan Lee driving, no less!
In the face of evil.
Mohinder and Sylar/Zane visit Dale Smither, a mechanic who has superhearing powers. She was skeptical of them both until Sylar, as Zane Taylor, shows his melting-metal powers. Zane/Sylar was quite convincing and sympathetic, “I know you think you’ve got nobody to talk to and understand what you’re going through. That’s not true, I understand.” She sensed Sylar’s speeding heartbeat and questions his mood as “nervousness”. Ugh. You can sense anticipation and victory in the killer’s eyes as he looks at his prey.
Mohinder thanks Zane/Sylar for helping him convince Dale. Mohinder tells him that he may be able to help people like Zane with a chemical inhibitor that helps them control, understand or eliminate their abilities. Mohinder shares to Sylar/Zane that his father’s murder was his motivation for helping others. And this is where it gets scary - Zane/Sylar moves closer to Mohinder, like he’s ready to pounce, and asks more about Chandra’s killer - this Sylar. Mohinder admits he doesn’t know more and it doesn’t matter. Sylar/Zane’s (killer instinct) admits he can sense other heroes, innocent and unaware, and he tells Mohinder that they will find them, all of them, because it is their destiny. Later that night, Sylar pays a visit to Dale. She scared out of her wits when she didn’t hear his footsteps but sees him appear. Dale again asks what his heart is beating and Sylar in a different voice says, “murder”.
The next day, Mohinder drives back to Dale’s shop with Zane/Sylar. Sylar now has a headache from hearing everything so loudly. Suresh finds Dale’s head sawed off and in a panic goes to call 911 to report that Sylar has done it! Sylar/Zane reasons out that they have no business in the area and the police will suspect them. As they speed away from the place as Mohinder hints that they will have to warn the others about Sylar’s intentions of killing eveyone in the list.
Domestic trouble.
Trouble was brewing in the Bennet household when Mrs. Bennet gets a memory lapse and Claire panics. A few seconds later, mom is as normal as anything. Later, Mrs. Bennet opens a conversation with her and Claire says the reason for her mom’s headaches maybe someone was erasing her memory. Her mom dismisses it and the next minute she blacks out and Claire calls her dad. In the hospital Claire talks about her mom to a doctor, who suspects domestic abuse. Claire tells the doc about the Haitian’s ability but the doctor thinks she’s also crazy. When Mr. Bennet walks in, Claire confronts him about messing with her mom’s mind and he learns that his daughter’s memory hasn’t been erased after all. He tells Claire that Sylar invaded their home last week and he only wanted to protect his family.
When they get home, the Bennet family is suddently hostaged by Ted and Matt. (and we’ll have to wait what happens next week in “Company Man “)
Death of a hero .
Simone confronts Isaac about Peter’s whereabouts, and knew instantly he was lying when Isaac told her he’s left New York. She was about to hand back the apartment key but he asks her to keep it. “I would do anything for you, Simone. Anything.” “Find Peter, ” was her only reply.
Simone goes to Nathan looking for Peter and tells the big brother to come out to the press with their secrets. Fearing that they’ll become mab rats, the ever cynical Nathan asks Simone not to take anything public.
Isaac is painting a sketch of an angry Peter, standing at his doorway, when Peter appears out of nowhere. A confrontation ensues and Peter in anger, throws Isaac around with his new telekinetic powers. Isaac points the gun at his rival but Peter becomes invisible so Isaac starts shooting. BAM! BAM! ISAAC ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS SIMONE! She falls on Peter’s lap… a key falls from her hand and she takes her last breath…
Tags: Heroes, episode 1.16, Unexpected, recap
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2 opinions for Heroes episode 1.16: “Unexpected” review
Superhero Profiles » Heroes 1.18 “Parasite” Recap
Mar 5, 2007 at 8:39 pm
[...] Peter and Isaac cradle dead body of Simone, whom Isaac mistakenly shot in "Unexpected". Peter takes her to the bed. Isaac turns on Peter, saying it’s Peter’s fault. He shoots at Peter, and it looks like he hit him. But Peter turns invisible and runs from the loft. Isaac breaks down. [...]
Met
Apr 18, 2007 at 3:50 am
nice blog. good photo.
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