Episode 12 - Our Father
11 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: Claire follows her parents and warns Noah not to put the catalyst into his new baby. Hiro stays with his parents and his mother heals his memory before giving him the catalyst. But Arthur arrives to steal the catalyst and Hiro’s powers, leaving him stuck in the past. Arthur uses the catalyst to create a marine with super strength. Sylar uses Elle’s phone to track down a human lie detector and take her power. Peter and the Haitian arrive to kill Arthur. But Sylar stops them and asks Arthur if he really is his son. When Arthur lies Sylar kills him. Daphne, Ando and Matt track down Isaac’s sketch book.
The Good: Hiro has easily the most emotional moments of the season with his mother here. The writers do a great job of drawing out how he would feel. The ten year old Hiro runs to her for help and comfort as any child would. Then once she restores his memory he is only momentarily happy because he remembers “how much I miss you.” She has been gone so long that these emotions are perfectly understandable and make Hiro likeable on yet another level. His mother plays the role with great warmth and her delight at seeing the grown up Hiro is a really nice touch. Naturally she sees it as a gift to see him all grown up when she is about to die and miss it all. Hiro’s story has come somewhat full circle. In 301 his father asked him to guard the formula but he was too irresponsible to do that. Now his mother entrusts him with the catalyst and he finally realises that defending something is quite heroic after all. Not that he defends it for very long.
The marine is hardly the greatest actor in the world but he gets across the sense of consequence their would be for a normal person about to receive powers. His sudden fear and apprehension is spot on when Mohinder approaches with a syringe.
The Bad: With Sylar back to being his evil self and Arthur dead you have to ask what was the point of these last ten episodes? Arthur’s death seems like an anticlimax because he was so in control and powerful, yet his death is swift and easy.
Sylar, in flippant Heroes fashion, has shed all pretence of guilt and enjoys murdering innocent people. The writers look like they are giddy with delight to be back scripting inappropriate lines for him. His “Cake!” line feels like it is out of some campy Batman story. Then his bloodstained elevator ride seems to be an attempt to recreate the funny scene from Spider-Man 2. But Sylar is covered in people’s blood. There should be nothing funny about that. This isn’t a comic where red ink distances you from the reality of what is being portrayed. This is a simulation of real life and the writers are asking you to laugh along at a man terrified of a serial killer. It couldn’t be more tone deaf or indicative of why this show is devoid of drama.
How exactly Arthur found Claire and Hiro in the past isn’t explained at all. If he can guess where people are using all his knowledge then why didn’t he jump to where Sylar was to bring him to heel? Or indeed track down the Haitian and kill him long before this day would come. The Haitian’s power has never been adequately explained either. Here it is made clear that he focuses his power on blocking one individuals abilities. So focussed in fact that Sylar can use his powers only a few feet away. Yet we know that in the past his mere presence has shut down the powers of those in the vicinity, where he knows about them or not (see 303). If the writers explained these things specifically then they would be more dramatic to watch, instead of looking like they were made up on the spot.
It’s not clear to me what Claire achieved in the past. By not being the catalyst she may save her own neck but how does that help anyone keep the catalyst from Arthur? Her dialogue with Noah feels pretty out of place. He received the child that day. Most likely he would still be shocked at the change of events in his life and not bonded at all with baby Claire. Yet she talks to him as if it has been a year or so – “You’re trying so hard but you can’t let yourself love her.” Again the company told him to look after this child that day, yet this strange girl tells him to disobey their next order and he does. It makes no sense and goes against his character.
Why does no one ask what the catalyst is? You would think a magic glowy light would raise some questions from Hiro or Nathan or Mohinder but no. It’s another of those moments when you realise the writers just want to get from A to B without much thought as to how their own characters would genuinely react to such developments.
The Unknown: Where does the catalyst go once Arthur passed it into the formula? Is it gone? Does part of it leave him when he dies?
Best Moment: Hiro crying into his mother’s arms. Some real emotion is so nice to see.
Epilogue: Sylar takes the powers of a woman who can sense when people are lying. He says to her “I’m sure it’s hard seeing the ugly truth at every turn. It must make it hard to trust anyone.” Doesn’t that sound like an amazing show to you? A woman who can tell when people are lying. Imagine every facet of her life, every conversation she has, every lie everyone tells exposed to her in all its cruelness. It’s the type of deeply personal and fascinating story which Heroes should be telling. Matt Parkman should still be dealing with the consequences of hearing people’s inner most thoughts. But no, the scene is more about Sylar saying “Cake!” That sums up Heroes pretty well.
Having said that and the usual critiques, this is a better episode than much of what this season has produced. At least all the characters are pursuing clear logical goals here.
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