I'm not sure if I'm surprised that no one has made a discussion post about this week's episode of Heroes or not. Since I haven't given up hope that this season has a chance of redeeming itself, I figured I'd go ahead and write the post. I've gone ahead and given a summary of everything that happens, to save you 45 minutes of watching.

The episode opens with Samuel watching the film he had Hiro retrieve by going eight weeks into the past, before Mohinder burned it to ash. Outside, Hiro is banging on the door to Sammy's trailer, trying to get his attention. When Evil Butterfly Man finally deigns to notice the racket Hiro is making, he ignores Hiro's questions about where and when he put Charlie, and insteads talks about the destiny of the powered. He dares Hiro to freeze time and chop him into pieces- oh wait, Hiro can't, because he'll never get Charlie back.

Noah is buying Thanksgiving Day stuff, and Claire is an outcast at school, and moping in her own pariah-ness. (That's totally a word now, btw.) Noah is insisting that Claire come to a real Bennett family Thanksgiving. He begs her not to make him spend Thanksgiving alone with Sandra and her new boyfriend, Doug. After they hang up, who should appear but the walking, talking continuity error that is Lauren (Bennett's female Haitian that wiped her own memory of the affair they almost had.) Noah is on the opposite side of town, stalking her, so of course Lauren accepts this without blinking an eye, gives him advice on preparing dinner, and accepts his invitation to dinner.

Sylar's theme song plays as Nathan tosses and turns in bed. The camera pans over to reveal Peter watching Nathan, wondering who is in control. A knock sounds at the door, and Angela Petrelli barges in with a cadre of servants to set up Thanksgiving in Peter's one-bedroom apartment.

Peter confronts Angela with the truth about Nathan, she tries to avoid committing to anything specific, then Nathan joins the fray. When Nathan becomes insistent, Angela threatens to walk out of the apartment and out of their lives (is it Christmas time already?) and so they relent. For now. Nathan's face begins to shift before fading to black.

Noah is setting the table for Thanksgiving, and Claire comes in with something on her mind. Lauren walks in right after, and Noah prods Claire to remember someone that shouldn't exist. And as soon as Noah asks what Claire wanted to talk about, Sandra comes in with Doug, bearing gifts and dogs. Did anyone else find Doug's obsession with his dog a little on the creepy side?

Lauren gets a cold reception from the ex-wife, and Noah gets chastised for not telling Sandra he was bringing a date. (Lauren's not a date! riiiiiiighhhhht.)

Hiro is sullen as he sets the Thanksgiving table at the carnival. Lydia tries to console him, but it doesn't go over well. Samuel broke his promise, and is an evil man! Edgar (Super Speed Guy) wonders: if the past is fixed, where's Joseph? Dun dun dun!

Lydia takes Hiro into the private confines of her bead curtains (effective sound/visual barrier, apparently.) Lydia wonders what Hiro did for Samuel, but Hiro isn't saying. Samuel might get mad, and Charlie is at stake. Lydia goes into the privacy of her open trailer to change into her dinner outfit. She offers to use her ability to help Hiro (she says something about merging with their soul, but how this is going to help Hiro find out where Charlie is remains unclear. Unless she means to "read" Sammy.) Hiro accuses Lydia of trying to seduce him, but accepts her invitation to put his hand on her back. Lydia senses Hiro's desperation to save Charlie, but wants Hiro to take her back to when Danko came for Joseph.

Eight weeks in the past, Mohinder is leaving his conversation with Joseph. After he leaves, Joseph exits the trailer and is confronted by Sammy. They walk off, and Lydia follows them, ignoring Hiro's useless shouts to be careful before they step on a butterfly.

At Peter's apartment, the brothers again confront Angela. Mommy dearest asks Nathan to say grace, but he refuses. He's dead, Peter knows it, Angela knows it, so she should just put them out of their misery. Angela explains that she made Matt Parkman turn Sylar into Nathan, and that even though the physical shell is that of a mass murderer, the memories and the mind are Nathan, so that's who he is.

At the Bennett apartment, Noah proposes a toast, and is left hanging when he tries to get Lauren to clink his glass against his. Ouch, rejected! Doug tells the story of how he and "Sandy" met (Sandy?!) After Noah says that he and Lauren met while working at PrimaTech, it devolves into Lauren and Sandra exchanging verbal jabs.

At Doug's suggestion, everyone says what they're most thankful for. Claire, of course, has had a second helping of teenage angst, and isn't very thankful. She drops the bombshell that she's thinking about dropping out of school.

At the Carnival, Sammy is giving his toast, but notices the conspicuous lack of Lydia, and the resident master of time and space. (Question: Hiro can appear wherever and whenever he wants. Why doesn't he do what he does in the past, and reappear one second after departure? Give me a reason other than "because he's a loser" I know that already.)

Eight weeks ago, Hiro and Lydia watch Samuel confront Joseph. Joseph admits that he's been holding Sammy back, because of his abilities over the earth. Sammy has the power to kill millions, and Joey can't let that happen. Sammy wants to know how he can become that powerful, but Joseph refuses to let Samuel see the film. Joey also reveals that Danko is coming. Samuel feels betrayed, and shoots a rock into Joseph's throat, and is immediately remorseful. Not remorseful enough to try to save his brother, of course, just sorry that he did it. Hiro and Lydia disappear just as Samuel reaches the spot where they were hiding. Miraculously, Sammy didn't see or hear them through the corn/wheat/grain-type-thing they were hiding in.

Thanksgiving at the Bennetts has turned into a free for all, with Claire defending her decision to drop out, Noah confronting her about why she's doing it (Gretchen broke her heart, Samuel's offer is attractive), and Sandra is completely in the dark as to everything. Doug is just sitting back with a bemused look on his face. After he tries to reassure Claire that her feelings of not fitting in will blow over, Claire responds in the her MO: she slits her wrist. Everyone else rolls their eyes, and Doug faints.

Hiro and Lydia pop up in present day, and Lydia insists that they have to stand up against Samuel. Of course, as soon as Sammy asks if anything is going on, she glances at her feet and mumbles, "No." (not really, but that's what it felt like.)

Sandy tends to an unconscious Doug, and Lydia tries to thaw the ice between them, and almost succeeds. Cue to Noah's study, and a corkboard of newspaper clippings of Sammy's path of destruction. Claire thought Noah had given up that life. Noah replies that the compass that almost got him killed belonged to the strange man in her dorm room, so he's back in the biz. Claire wants to join the Carnival so she can stop lying about who she is, and so people will stop fainting around her. Before Noah can respond, who should be the next to interrupt a conversation? Surprise, surprise, it's Gretchen! The looks that pass between them are so sweet and tender, I almost "awwww"ed.

At Peter's place, Angela is about the cut the pie, but NathLar stops her. He takes a sick pleasure in causing her and Peter discomfort because everyone knows his true identity. Nathan? Guess again. OMG, Sylar?! Pete rushes to save his mom as Nathan turns into a Christm-I mean Holiday tree (festive! string up some lights, and put him in a planter.)

When NathLar comes to, Sylar is back in control. He unfolds a napkin, tucks it in, and sits down at the table. What's for dinner, he's starved? He seems rather...insistent...that his "family" join him.

At the Carnival's Thanksgiving dinner, Samuel is making another toast (the guy likes his speeches) and remarks that there's a traitor sitting at the table. Edgar confronts Sammy, but Hiro refuses to back him up (apparently, being a Hero means watching out for Number One before watching out for Numbers 2 and down.)

Hiro sorta redeems himself as he stops time for him and Edgar as Samuel throws a rock to kill Eddie. Edgar wants to go ahead and finish Samuel, but since that would end the season early, he's convinced to wait. He runs off, Hiro lets time start again, and everyone is confused as to what happened.

Sylar finishes off a pie all by himself, the pig. And his table manners? Simply atrocious. I can tell you, he's not invited to MY Thanksgiving dinner. Sylar thanks Angela for raising the bar of evil incarnate to new heights (gives him a new goal) and kisses her. Mmmm, turkeylicious. He then starts to slice her head open (guess he doesn't feel like using the power of his empathy to copy her power) but goes through an existential crisis as Nathan's spirit fights to stop him. Nathan wins the fight (for now) but Peter has to go chasing after him (WHY has Peter survived this many seasons? The man's a moron for danger.)

Claire and Gretchen share a sweet and tender moment. Claire offers to let Gretchen move back to the other side of the dorm (whether she'll actually USE that side, well, we can hope not.) Claire hugs her dad goodbye, says, "thanks" and rides off into the sunset with Gretchen. (okay, not the sunset, since its nighttime, and they're actually headed towards the carnival which is east. So sue me.)

Evil Butterfly Man accuses Hiro of saving Edgar. How noble. Hiro finally tries to stand up for himself, and Sammy has the Jamaican Haitian mindwipe Hiro. Hiro teleports away, off the save Watson.

Peter tells Angela that he's going to go after Sylar, and find a way to kill Sylar and keep Nathan alive.


It was an okay episode. Far from the worst, but far from the best so far this season. I continue to hate Lauren with every fiber of my being. She shouldn't exist, since Noah was partnered with the Haitian while they were gathering the powered in Season One, well before Homecoming, and he was partnered with the Haitian after Homecoming. Unless partners are assigned on a day-by-day basis, there's no room in continuity for Lauren.

I also continue to nurture a vain and useless hope that Claire and Gretchen will repeat their liplock. Ah, dreams.

How can Nathan's memories overpower Sylar? Sylar and Matt switching control of their body is understandable, two souls in one body, but Nathan's spirit is gone. Only his memories remain. Were those memories strong enough to create a whole new soul that is capable of battling Sylar? I don't think so, but I'm wrong on occasion.

I think Samuel could have spun a better web when Edgar accused him of killing Joseph. I continue to root for Sammy, I think he's one of the better villains in the show.

Hiro Haters Unite! I don't really hate him, but if he keeps insisting that saving Charlies takes precedence over stopping Sammy's plans, I might just start. Seriously, what is so special about her that she's worth doing Sammy's bidding?

What are your thoughts/complaints about the episode, or the season in general?

For those that observe it: Happy Thanksgiving, and a speedy recovery from your turkey-induced coma.