Heroes Episode Review: Season 2 Episode 4 (2.04) The Kindness of Strangers
By Sam | October 15, 2007 (10:21 pm) | More: Heroes Episode Reviews, Heroes Season 2 Spoilers/News
Previously on Heroes, HRG has discovered something very unpleasant — namely his death, as predicted by Isaac Mendez in one of his paintings. But our favorite ex-Company Man has other problems right now, such as being trapped in Heroes 90210. To wit: Claire desperately wants to slip the cheerleader uniform back on, flyboy West is getting pushy about dating, and HRG wants to talk about sex. Plus, the entire family is hiding secrets, with the exception of Mister Muggles. Then again, I never did trust that dog.
Meanwhile, Grizzly Adams — er, I mean, Nathan Petrelli — visits his boys at school, and we learn that Nathan’s split from the wife was not kosher, as he’s been barred from visiting the boys. They also tell him that his beard needs to go. Kids, they say the darnedest things, don’t they? Nathan’s beleaguered mom, meanwhile, has confessed to killing Kaito Nakamura to the police, but of course we know she didn’t do it. So why is she confessing? Matt Parkman would like answers, and so would Nathan. Can you say, “Team up”? Now if only Matt can extricate himself from his Two Men and a Little Lady scenario he’s got going on with Mohinder back at home. I swear, these two fight like an old married couple.
Somewhere in Mexico, Maya and Alejandro, aka the Wonder Twins, discover something very unpleasant on the road to America. One guess: Yes, it’s Sylar. Also, they’re driving around in Claire’s stolen car, snatched by Derek the thief, the gringo the Wonder Twins took with them when they escaped from the South American jail in the previous episode. This proves my point: Never, ever trust a gringo in South America. But in any case, what are the chances that Sylar would stumble across someone with powers he could steal? Oh, about 9 out of 10 in the world of Heroes.
In New Orleans, Micah passes his time watching cooking shows with Uhura and stealing premium cable for his bratty cousin. Kids, what will they think of next? We also meet the newest hero, Monica, a chef in a local burger joint. And of course by “chef” I mean she makes sandwiches for fat people too lazy to cook dinner at home. Monica dreams of being more and providing for her Katrina-ravaged family, but she has no idea how to go about making that dream come true. Hey, Monica, maybe you should use your powers? Just a thought.
Back to more important things. We finally see that photograph with all the former heroes, aka the old guard, back when they were still chums. Included in the picture are: Linderman, Deveaux, Kaito, the Petrellis, Bob, and someone who Matt Parkman knows very well. Unfortunately, he’s also someone Dakota Fanning — er, I mean, Molly Walker knows very well, too. Matt, you got some ’splainin’ to do, buddy.
MIA for this episode: Peter, Niki, and Hiro.
There is no doubt there is a lot of progression in “The Kindness of Strangers”, especially in the Matt and Nathan areas. The rest are still treading water, in particular the Wonder Twins, who, it seems, will never make it to America — at least not in our lifetime. Claire and her teen problems continue to clumsily rumble on, unperturbed by any semblance of original writing. I won’t go so far as to say that the entire Bennet In California storyline is going downhill fast, but I will say it’s really stinking up the joint.
But cheer up, kids. Next week’s episode promises a nice dose of fresh air: Kristen Bell makes her appearance as Elle, the hero with an “electrifying” power!
Notables from “The Kindness of Strangers”:
Two Men and a Little Unconscious Lady…
Dads are so gullible…
Nathan is still having issues…
Father figure?…
The old gang is back together (sort of)…
Wasn't HRG or Peter.
Peter has loves his brother why would he do it, yes he can be influenced but his ...
Guys, it was HRG clearly who shot Nathan, why the heck would Peter do it? 
Yay! They're doing more promos. 
i think that people should leave them alone . i mean that is their
personal lives . i mean , ...
311 on 15 October 2007:
*SPOILERS BELOW*
I have to say I was a little bit unsatisfied at the ending of this one. When will Sylar finally be in over his head for once? Why must we sit through Claire’s high school story? Why must the writers add in new characters nobody will like? I’m a huge Heroes fan but they really need to step it up a notch, more powers, more action, more good storyline; less drama.
Also I assume Sylar has the virus and that’s why Maya and her brother are still alive…
Katie (Mrs. Sylar) on 16 October 2007:
No sylar is good now…except for the brick-overthe-head derek. He was in fact protecting Maya and Alejandro, doesn’t seem like he wants there powers and I quote ” What are you doing to me!!?” Well, kinda good. He looked at his watch and for once called himself Gabriel Gray and looked very proud of it! Except Gabriel you forgot something! You may have sorta murdered Dr Chandra Suresh. I think Gabriel may become good and save Maya, cause I definatly wouldn’t want that power!
Marcus on 16 October 2007:
Sylar is NOT good. Did you notice the cockroach next to Derek’s body? A recurring theme with Sylar, especially when he is down and out, but don’t forget Mohinder’s speech in the very first episode of the series, the cockroach is the epitome of evolution. Besides, in the first episode of this season we see a glimpse of Sylar with his mouth covered in blood having just taken a power, this has not yet happened. Sylar=Bad to the bone…
Nikki on 16 October 2007:
Yeah, Nathan IS having issues. You don’t think he’s pulling a Niki/Jessica on us now, do you? Hmm…
Regardless of how predictable Claire’s storyline is, and how dramatic everything else seems to be…I must admit: I have never watched a show that literally, actually, physically made my jaw drop until I found Heroes. And this week’s episode was no exception!
TJ on 16 October 2007:
Last night was the best show this season by far. It seems as if the story is actually going somewhere now. Still, I can’t help but get sick over the whole Claire/West “thing”. I mean, c’mon, the whole “I know you can heal, but I don’t ever want to see you hurt.”? Who’s writing that crap. He or she needs to be fired. AND LET’S HAVE PETER BACK!!!!
Emily on 16 October 2007:
Spoilers below, but if you are reading this, you obviously want to be spoiled, anyways.
Sylar is definitely being played in an ambiguous manner. Obviously, he was less than thrilled to discover that his powers are missing in action and even more thrilled to journey out of the “Lost”-esque middle-of-nowhere hut.
After journeying for, we can assume, days, and collapsing in the middle of the road, he may not be in the mood for brains just yet.
The entire scene, for me, reeked of the Mohinder and Sylar power team situation last season. Since Sylar cannot use his powers or obtain new powers currently, he is obviously not going to let good brains go to waste by killing Maya and Alejandro. Instead, he’s going to do what he can do naturally, act. Also, he uses the name Gabriel now, most probably because he is back to being an “unspecial” human.
Certainly, Sylar mentioned parallels to Maya and Alejandro’s run from authority after being “unrightfully” charged with crimes that were “uncontrollable,” and maybe he agrees and sympathizes with them in a small degree, but certainly that cannot change Sylar’s entire psyche. Obviously, if he wanted to be honest, he would have told the Wonder Twins that the man they seek is dead, though perhaps not that he was the murderer.
Once they get to the United States, who knows what will happen? Sylar cannot exactly take them to talk to the spirit of Mohinder’s father.
Heroes - Episode 4 The Kindness of Strangers (season two) « My Observations on 16 October 2007:
[...] not all is lost. Last night’s episode (The Kindness of Strangers) provide me a with slim glimmer of hope that Heroes has the potential to be once again a great [...]
Rob on 16 October 2007:
Wow, what a turn events!!! Best episode so for this season. I am now finding the show a bit interesting with the discovery that Matt’s father is “big bad” for season two and member what I call “League of Twelve.” I look forward to see where the writers/produces take us from here.
Kris on 16 October 2007:
LOL, Rob, I call it “The Order of the Helix”…. seems fitting, the Helix seems to be a unifying symbol…
I want to know who Joanna Cassidy is playing, shes in the pic of the Order between Matts dad and Bob (see the pic above). Shes a known actress so im sure shell be showing up sometime really soon.
Also, I think the reason we dont see Nathans dads face is becuase the producers dont want to reveal just yet that thats its Kensei/Kane. The reason he kept trying to stage his death was becuase he didnt want anyone catching on that he wasnt aging. He finally managed to do so and moved on to his next identity. Which makes me believe that Angela doesnt know that hes immortal and thats why Mr Nakamura was so surprised to see him.
ALSO… on that note, I think Angela scratched herself becuase she was being attacked by insects, which goes back to the reveal that Kenseis/Kanes powers have to do with insects.
frank on 16 October 2007:
I think Sylar sees something for him in the whole trip to New York otherwise he would be helping them. And just so you know Mexico it’s not part of South America.
Tony on 16 October 2007:
I get frustrated with the show. I like it, but we wait a week for the show, and what did we get last night? NOTHING! Maya and her brother get too much screen time. I get the point, they’re trying to get into the US. But they waste part of the 45 min showing how her eyes turn black, people die, and her brother can reverse it. I got it! Don’t waste anymore time with this please. The burger chick..I picked up real quick what her abilities where. But they waste time letting her show the trick again. And then all the drama..it’s just a waste of time. They’ve got a good thing going and enough material to fill the show up with something meaningful instead of throwing drama in.
As far as Sylar, I think he chose the name Gabe because he picked up the religious faith of Maya and wanted to capitalize on having that name.
The show is great, but it’s frustrating to watch them drag the show out.
Tony on 16 October 2007:
who took the photograph of the gang? i counted and it looks like 11. whos the 12th?
bert on 16 October 2007:
we watched all of season1 on dvd, having missed the first part of last season. The commercials are killing the show! It totally loses continuity! Either that, or season 2 is a snore so far!
chris on 17 October 2007:
i liked Monicas ability; i think we needed to see it a couple times. I saw it spoiled on the internet so after the tomato-rose scene I knew what it was; nevertheless the wrestling move was a good way to show the extent of her abilities to us and also to herself.
I mean can she replicate any physical motion. It’s interesting, much more than ‘I see dead people’ Maya and her annoying brother.
Impatience on 17 October 2007:
Kindness to stangers is an ok episode. i giv it a 6/10. its irriatating to watch that dramatic boyfriend-girlfriend-snak-out-at-night thing b/w claire and west. i mean shouldnt they be better off usin their powers for betterment rather than making out?
i’m gettin bored of this boogeyman business too. okay, its matt’s father..so nathan-matt, go & find him fast, kick butt, come back. peter saga is howevr, interestin now- elle v/s peter(i guess). And sylar has to kill & survive by stealin powers…so either maya & alejandro kill sylar fast or sylar somehow beats around the bush for a very long time, until he regains his powers & then kills ‘em. i’m guessing nikki-suresh & monica-micah combos are also on their way so its a no-bummer. another aspect is hiro- when does he come back from fantasy feudal japan and start helpin the other guys back in usa? okay we goddit.. hiro is like kensei( i heard kensei has something to do w/ claire too )
Yiros on 17 October 2007:
Why is Mr. Petrelli the only one not focused in the photo of the 12? Is he saying something to someone? or Is he some sort of a speeding flash too fast for the camera? The person who drew the kaijin ‘S’ sign on the individual photos and strategically put them where they would be found must been able to locate people really well really quick. I was also thinking Sylar would like to make the two newfound travelmates comfortable with him perhaps so he could use them as dummies to get back to Mohinder and stir up a spark and try to work his powers again. Molly can see Parkman’s Dad and that ‘S’ symbol too. What is the connection? This really makes me think that Parkman’s Dad either carries that symbol with him or connects with other heroes through that.
LordFireFly on 17 October 2007:
Tony,
Sylar uses Gabriel as his name because that’s his real name. Nothing mean, Just a FYI.
LordFireFly on 17 October 2007:
Tony,
I see what you meant. My Bad. Me thinks he uses Gabriel because the name Sylar actually meant something to him. Now he’s back to regular old Gabriel. For now.
Heroes ep2.04 analysis, thoughts and theories « Apropos of Nothing on 17 October 2007:
[...] etc. That old gag. I can’t take credit for the description of this storyline. Sam at HeroesTheSeries came up with it. It just fits so well I had to borrow [...]
Snuttie on 18 October 2007:
Didn’t Sylar said he’s been walking for 3 days? At least it was less then a week?.. how did he managed that from the middle of nowhere which looks really really nowhere without using his ‘assume to be gone’ powers???
Every episode should have Peter and Hiro.. feels like something missing without the two. Want them BACK!
I say it again.. Maya’s power is weird!
It is only 11 in the pic… someone is missing..! ‘Bogeyman’ aka ‘cameraman’ must the the 12th. Don’t think Mr Parkman Sr is the bogeyman. Got the feeling the New Orleans grandmother is one of the 12th.
Dean on 18 October 2007:
Spoiler Alert
So the 12th guy is in the picture. He is sitting just to the right of the latin looking guy (maybe related to the twins?) in the lower half of the picture, directly below Nightmare man. At first view of the pic, Parkman obstructs view of the 12th with his hand as he is picking out known characters. Later on in the episode however, Parkman shows the picture to Mohinder and for a split second (thank you pause and slo-mo) you can freeze it and enjoy an unobstructed view.
sneaky writers… : )
The mystery person is a white man, late 50’s maybe with grey hair, if i had to venture a guess he looks British, or Irish kindove’ UK limey type.
This makes me think that if Kensei truly remains alive into the present, the producers would hide him away to be revealed later, even if he is in the picture they tease us with. Maybe he just ages at a slower rate.but who knows, I don’t think invulnerable necessarily means immortal anyway. But i do sort of remember hearing somewhere that there was some 3000 year old guy in ireland…?
Maybe Kensei is still running the company and sent the new girl after Peter.
Dean on 18 October 2007:
To the whole Sylar / Grey thing.
When asked his name he says Gabriel… and pauses as he looks down at his watch, the one he lifted the name sylar from when he first lied to Surresh, and he realizes that his watch, like his powers are broken, so he relents and uses his regular mundane name.
Just wait he will fix the watch and his powers will return
t0m on 18 October 2007:
wots up with nathan dose his face actually look like that and someone is disguisng him? or is it just him bein weird?
311 remote on 19 October 2007:
let me just say this, Sylar DOES want Maya’s power. Think about it, he could easily kill everyone with it. Even Peter Petrelli would be in trouble facing Sylar. Of course we don’t know how it would work against someone with healing, but we know how deadly Maya’s ability is and so does Sylar. If he got Maya and her bro’s ability he would have full control over both powers instantly. I hope that instead of just killing off more characters they do some better writing and make us anticipate something even greater. The bomb for example, they tried to throw us fake info, will Sylar explode or Peter? Things like that are what I enjoy about the show. Look how quickly Candice and DL were erased… or even Linderman… I liked all three of those characters
311 remote on 19 October 2007:
one more thing, I don’t like how they brought New Orleans’ into the show and I don’t like the burger flipping character at all. It seems like they are using things to get more popularity. Just like Maya and her brother were brought in to improve the number of Spanish speaking fans.
drot biscuit on 20 October 2007:
The Spanish and Japanese speaking parts of the show are dope! They really make the show stand out, and really go toward emphasizing realism. These parts should stay to maintain a level of real world accuracy. What they do need to get rid of are the katrina montages, and sappy emotional romance stuff.
311 remote on 20 October 2007:
It’s a show based on human evolution, extraordinary abilities, not realism.. but I do agree that they should do away with the Katrina montages and sappy emotional parts…
Blair on 22 October 2007:
I cant wait 13 more min…..but i still have a question wat is Nathan moms power does anybody know…..
kirsten isnt goin 2 try 2 kill peter…..
If she does she better hope that peter isnt back at full strength cause unstopable
and hope that sylar kills ajleanro and mya there starting 2 get on my nerves
and im tired of new heroes every episode
its way 2 many
and i wonder wat mikas grandmother can do
I know she can do something she looks like she has a great power
Ill come back at 10 on the east coast
NZ Watcher on 23 October 2007:
I like the montages of Katrina. It reminds those who may be from other countries and reminds those who did nothing about it too like certain Administrations. I think the native language speaking is a tribute to the makers of the show, shows a degree of respect. How dumb would it be if everyone spoke English in feudal Japan. Anyway, love the show. It just sucks that there’s so much waiting to be done in between each episode. The escapism doesn’t last long enough.
Sonian on 31 October 2007:
What happened to the scriptwriters from series 1? Did they get the sack of a new brief from the marketing department along with the people over in ratings analysis? This series had all the makings on an original non x-men serial. Now we’ve got every second character being outed within two sentences and a script full of the most inane woffle. Such a pity.