Episode 4 - The Kindness of Strangers
30 March 2012
Synopsis: Maya, Alejandro and Derek find Sylar lying in the middle of the road. Maya shows him her book and he tells her that he knows Dr Suresh. Derek discovers a newspaper with details of the murders and Sylar kills him in order to stay close to Maya’s power. Angela Petrelli confesses to killing Kaito to avoid the police discovering anything more. Parkman and Nathan share information to try and find out who really did it. Nathan has the full photo of the company founders and Parkman sees his own father in it. He asks Molly to find him but she says he is the man who haunts her nightmares. When she does find him he traps her somehow and her body goes into shock. Claire and West go on a date and she begins to trust him. She tells Noah that she has started cheerleading again in order to cover her lies. Micah is living with another hero in Monica Dawson who has the ability to copy other people’s actions.
The Good: The more serious tone of Parkman and Nathan is a refreshing change from Hiro and Peter’s plots. They were the standout characters from series one and here they remind us why with a more gritty, tragic presentation of their situation.
Angela Petrelli’s logic is good when she “tells” Parkman that he should let her be arrested or else the police will find out what they can do. The discovery that his absentee father is one of the company founders is a good twist. As is the news that his wife is pregnant with another man’s baby. That revelation helps explain why he is no longer involved in her life. But the revelation that Molly’s nightmare man is Matt’s father should lead to some important developments in the story. It also makes us wonder how many of our heroes parents are connected to the company. The final scene where Molly tries not to get caught is dramatic and well filmed. Nathan is still haunted by an image of himself with a burnt face but seems determined to do something about the mess he has become. Their stories feel significant and should lead to discoveries which help us unravel the bigger mysteries of the show.
Monica Dawson makes a pleasant debut here. Setting her in New Orleans (recently devastated by a storm as in real life) is an interesting choice. Just as season one saw glimpses of a future where New York was being rebuilt (echoing the events of September 11th 2001) she is cast as the hero for a community which could use one. Her boss gives a good answer to why he can’t promote her. He points out that she is looking after her family and so he can’t give her a job which would require her to move around. That kind of logic is good but it also helps us sympathise with her as she is trapped by her sense of responsibility for her family.
Unlike Maya and Alejandro she is given a domestic setting so that we can get to know her character. Her hopes and dreams seem more relatable than two people on the run who are scared the entire time. Not that their meeting with Sylar is a bad idea. It brings their story into the wider arc of the show and we can already see the tensions which will develop between the three of them.
As sickening as you may find the scenes between West and Claire on their date, it effectively establishes why she would lie to her father. Having someone who is going through exactly what she is is a justifiable temptation for her.
The Bad: Again some predictable and annoying tensions look set to develop. We already have the transitory love stories for Peter and Hiro. But now we have Maya trusting Sylar, while Alejandro looks on suspiciously. His lack of English is a convenient wedge dividing him from his sister. Doubtless he will see Sylar for what he is while his sister ignores him. If it plays out like that then it is irritating by its sheer predictability.
Meanwhile we have Noah Bennet, who should know better by now, playing games with Claire. If he showed her the picture of him dying I am pretty sure she would confess and tell him about West. Instead he lies to her and his demands that she doesn’t date come off as pretty unreasonable.
Sylar suggests Derek call the police and he does so. As he only just broke out of prison you would think he might be a bit reluctant to do so.
The Unknown: Who are the other people in the photo? Who have they illegitimately conceived over the years? What powers does Parkman’s father have exactly?
Best Moment: The final scene with Molly trying to find Parkman’s father. She locates his apartment in Philadelphia. Dramatic jump cuts and Matt and Mohinder’s fear make this very effective. Molly’s screams also sound real and Matt caps it off by looking genuinely desperate as he hears her thoughts screaming for him.
Epilogue: One of Heroes selling points is the huge ensemble cast and multiple stories to enjoy. If some are annoying the hope must be that the other stories will catch viewer interest. That is very true of this episode where the choice of characters gives us a more dramatic story to follow. Parkman and Nathan working together gives us a sense that maybe answers will come and we will start to see some progress in the overall story arc.
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