Heroes: Wanted, Dead or Alive

Well, the fall finale is upon us, and the writer’s strike has managed to cut short a terrific turnaround for a season that had stumbled badly in the beginning.  It’s depressing to imagine what might have been - how this episode, instead of an overly busy, obviously truncated ending, could’ve been a terrific showdown with a nail-biting cliffhanger.  We’ll just have to hope that they get the next story arc right from the start.

When we last saw Hiro and Peter, they were facing off in a struggle over Adam’s motives.  The two of them have a tense fight/conversation, in which Hiro manages not to ever reveal the crucial information that Adam tried to release the virus once before.  He does, however, manage to expertly slice off Peter’s shirt with Kensei’s sword.  No, I’m just kidding about that part.  Luckily, Nathan and Parkman catch up to the two of them in time, and Nathan manages to convince Peter of Adam’s true intentions before it’s too late.  Peter destroys the virus just in time, and Hiro teleports Adam into a buried coffin, where presumably he’ll be trapped for eternity.  That’s a pretty horrific act from our favorite lighthearted character.

Meanwhile, Micah runs to Nikki after Monica gets captured during her first outing as a hero, but Nikki’s strength has been sapped by the Shanti virus.  Still, she agrees to help Micah trap Monica down, and once they find her, Nikki finds she has some strength reserves left - enough to beat up a thug and get Monica out of a burning building. But it’s not enough to save herself, and the building blows up with her in it.  Except that now that we know Claire’s blood cures the virus and restores life, will she stay dead?

The “dead or alive” question comes up again in this episode, when Nathan, intending to expose the Company and reveal the Heroes, is shot while holding a press conference and collapses in his brother’s arms.  Is he dead?  If so, will he stay dead?  And who was the shooter?  My money is on HRG - he came back to his family and told them that he had made a deal that he would keep them safe.  The Company would leave them alone if he came back to work.  If that’s true, how will his family feel when they find out?

However, as with last season, this season ends with yet another escape by Sylar.  Having fooled Maya, the World’s Most Gullible Woman, he shows up at Mohinder’s place and threatens Molly with harm unless Mohinder cures him.  In order to test the cure, he shoots Maya, but we’re all disappointed when Mohinder succeeds in reviving her with Claire’s blood.  Elle spots Sylar on one of the Company’s many hidden cameras and almost stops him, but misses the shot.  Somehow she can perfectly aim a bolt of electricity at a flying target 100 yards away, but she can’t hit Sylar as he’s limping across a room.  We’re left with the opening scene of the next arc, which shows Sylar getting his powers back.  Here we go again…

PG-Rated