October 17th, 2006
Heroes Episode Review: Chapter 4 (1.04) Collision
Episode Title: Chapter 4 (Episode 1.04), “Collision”
Best Line: “Niki’s not here right now.”
Best Moment: The final scene on the subway.
Rating: 5 out of 5
The new fall drama “Heroes” continues to surprise me. After only four episodes, it is my favorite show on television. And it just gets better and better. With chapter four, titled “Collision,” the diverse characters are finally beginning to cross paths � in some very unexpected ways.
At the end of chapter three, things looked grim for Claire (Hayden Panettiere) who apparently received a deadly blow to the head. Luckily for our indestructible cheerleader, she doesn’t let a little thing like fatal head trauma slow her down. The scene in the morgue is grotesque, but wonderfully so. Claire holds herself together amazingly well, all
things considered, even when she runs into the quarterback who tried to rape her and then left her for dead. It may seem that she is in denial, but it only takes the confession of one girl (Ashlee Gillespie) at school to make Claire angry again.
Matt (Greg Grunberg), the telepathic cop, wakes up to find himself in an undisclosed location, bound to a table. The wires and machines are not particularly menacing, but Mr. Horned Rim Glasses (Jack Coleman) isn’t known for his bedside manner. We learn that HRG is part of an organization that “doesn’t have initials” and that they want to learn
about these special people. So why don’t I feel good about that?
Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) has a brief run-in with Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), who tries to warn Nathan about the man named Sylar and the things seen in Sylar’s apartment. He asks if Nathan has noticed any unexpected changes in his physiology, but Nathan isn’t talking. Believing that his brother sent Mohinder, Nathan tells Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) to disappear for awhile.
While Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) make their mark in Las Vegas, something else is happening in Sin City. Niki (Ali Larter) has been “persuaded” by Mr. Linderman to entertain a visiting politician to help obtain some leverage. Niki runs into everyone’s least favorite Petrelli and begins to seduce him. She is unable to go through with it, however, until “Mirror Niki” takes control (after putting the beat down
on Linderman’s thug!).
The key story this week, however, is the introduction of Peter to Mohinder. Peter confesses to the scientist that he has special abilities. Most surprising is his revelations that he can only fly in the presence of his brother and that after being around Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) he could paint the future. The revelation he makes is surprising, but it fits. Apparently Peter is a mimic, inheriting the powers of the “heroes” around him.
As the story progresses, “Heroes” has made a point of showing people reacting to their abilities in very real ways. While Hiro seems to be the only one with a hero’s code in mind, Claire has shown her willingness to help those in need. But how far is she willing to go in the name of “justice”? Niki is trying to survive and make a better life for her son. Although her aspirations are noble, she must rely on “Mirror Niki” to handle the nasty details. Surprisingly, it is Isaac who wants to be a “hero,” and he is willing to sacrifice his own health to his heroin addiction in order to keep painting the future. Perhaps one day Peter will show him how to unlock his potential without the need for drugs.
“Heroes” has made a name for itself by ending each week with a huge cliffhanger that would seem like a season closer for most television shows. As with the revelation at the end of “Don’t Look Back” (when Hiro watched New York explode in the future), “Collision” ends with an awesome surprise involving this underdog character. Hiro is easily my favorite hero.
Until Next Week,
