February 6th, 2007
Heroes Episode Review: Chapter 14 (1.14) Distractions
In Chapter 14, “Distractions”, the order of the day is distractions. Hey, you can blame Tim Kring and company for a lot of things, but these guys know how to title an episode and keep the theme going throughout. And speaking of which, the world will probably never know the first name of HRG, aka Mr. Bennet, if his driver’s license is any indication. Is HRG’s first name, then, becoming the equivalent of “Home Improvement” next-door neighbor Wilson’s face? Possibly. And yes, if you were wondering, the identity of Claire’s biological father is revealed — but judging by the responses to our last Heroes poll, it won’t be a surprise to a lot of you.
“Distractions” picks up in New York, with Hiro’s quest to save the world sidelined by the appearance of his father (guest star George Takei), while sidekick Ando thinks Hiro’s sister is hot (and really, we don’t disagree). Still attempting to control his powers, Peter is having doubts about Claude the Invisible Man’s mentorship, but a literal leap of faith may dispel all that. As Peter struggles with his responsibilities, Simone enlists Isaac’s help to find Peter, but Isaac’s paintings keep coming up empty — or is that invisible? Meanwhile, down in Texas, Sylar has escaped the custody of HRG, and continues his obsession with acquiring Claire’s powers at the Bennet household, where he entertains Mrs. Bennet and intrigues the tastes pallet of Mr. Muggles. As for Claire, she has snuck off with Zach for a reunion with her biological mother (guest star Jessalyn Gilsig), with the two girls falling into a relieved embrace after a session of you show me yours, I’ll show you mine. Back in Vegas, Niki/Jessica continue their tussle for control.
An all-around excellent episode, “Distractions” benefits from tight pacing, breezy writing, and a slew of in-jokes. (Who knew Texas issued driver’s licenses with only a person’s last name on it? I need to inquire the next time I’m at the DMV.) Standouts include the well-acted reunion between Claire and her pyro mother, with both Panettiere and Gilsig striking the perfect balance of anxiety, anxiousness, and guarded caution. Both women do a tremendous job, and bravo to whoever cast Gilsig, whose Texas accent ain’t all bad, if I do say so myself.
Back in New York, Claude the Invisible Man continues to entertain, with his methods in regards to Peter worthy of a couple of laughs a minute. After days on the streets of Manhattan with the disgruntled superhero, what has Peter learned? “People suck”, says Claude. Oh, and they’re also gassy. Claude’s solution to helping Peter learn to control his powers so he doesn’t go nuclear on New York? He’ll teach the kid how to do it, or kill him trying. I like this guy! Covered in facial hair and the grime and dirt of New York’s streets, Christopher Eccleston is barely recognizable from his “Doctor Who” days. We also learn that Claude was not always invisible to the world, if HRG’s comments toward the end of the episode are any indication.
An all-around excellent episode, delivering on just about every area — action, character progression, and most of all, it continues to put the screws on the upcoming nuclear plot. At this point, I’m sure every “Heroes” fan is feeling the same pent up anxiousness that Peter feels about the finale of the Nuke New York first season storyline. What’s going to happen? Will the heroes finally team-up? Will Hiro finally find that sword? And more importantly, who didn’t love it when Jessica showed up and kicked the bejesus out of that annoying shrink? Oh heck yeah. Toss her around the room once for me, Jess.
