Summary
Before the recap begins, a quick refresher on the characters:
Niki - the woman who takes off her clothes and sees
herself in the mirror
Peter - the nurse who thinks he can fly, Nathan's brother
Isaac - the druggie who can paint the future
Hiro - the businessman who can stop time
Claire - the indestructible cheerleader
Simone - the dying man's daughter
Micah - Nikki's genius son
Nathan - a politician and Peter's brother
Mohinder - the professor whose father was killed for
his research
Matt – the police officer who hears voices
After a neat overview of the series to date narrated
by Super NBC Narration Man, we find ourselves at Claire's
high school, where Claire and Zach get a few nasty looks
from the other cheerleaders as they make their way up
the concrete seats to eat lunch together. Zach notices
that the principal is about to post the homecoming queen,
which Claire is up for. He urges her to go see if she
won.
Reluctantly, Claire joins with the rest of the cheerleading
squad. Jackie reminds her that she is an outcast ever
since she put the quarterback in a wheelchair. According
to Jackie, Claire does not have a chance to become homecoming
queen. Not that Claire seems to mind. After all, homecoming
queen is only a popularity contest.
As the cheerleaders gather around the announcement,
one of the girls turns to Jackie and tells her not to
freak out. The school's homecoming queen is Claire. And
nobody is more shocked than Claire. Zach and his buddies
applaud. Jackie tells them to shut up, calling them freaks.
Nathan busts open the box with the painting his brother
was so keen on seeing. Simone explains that Peter thinks
he needs the painting to figure out how to save the cheerleader
and, in turn, save the world. After asking if the canvas
in front of them is the only copy Nathan puts on a pair
of rubber gloves and splashes a can of paint over the
painting.
He thinks he is helping his brother. Simone is disgusted.
A gunshot. And another gunshot. Jessica Sanders (who
looks remarkably like Niki Sanders) tries out a powerful
sniper rifle while an unkempt man watches. He tells her
how powerful the gun is. She just wants to make sure
it will help her get her son back. It costs two grand
but Jessica simply pulls out a wad of bills and tosses
it to the man. She glances in his rearview mirror and
sees Niki looking back at her, a look of concern and
disgust on her face.
Parked in front of a dusty Utah, D.L. and Micah argue
over Niki. Micah thinks his mother needs him. D.L. admits
that he still loves Niki but she is dangerous, she has
changed. It is only going to be the two of them from
now own. Like Batman and Robin, only without tights.
D.L. gets out of the truck to gather supplies but soon
spies a police car pulling up. A
***
In India, Mohinder talks with a fellow professor about
the dreams he has been having about Shanti and the boy
with the soccer ball. This boy was apparently identified
by Papa Suresh in the past as someone who can enter dreams.
They need to find this boy.
Simone shows Peter the ruined painting and explains
what Nathan did to it. He begs her to describe the painting
to him. He has to at least try to save the world. Simone
pulls a snapshot of the painting out of her purse. It
came with the painting. The snapshot reveals a body lying
in front of Union Wells High School. It looks like Peter.
He is going to die at 8:12 that night. She begs him not
to go. But he has to.
Ando's cell phone rings. He picks it up hoping it is
Hiro. It is Peter, who asks for Hiro, but then tells
Ando that the two of them have to get to Odessa, Texas
as soon as possible. Ando explains they are already in
Texas, which Peter takes as a good sign. He promises
to catch a plane as soon as possible and hangs up. Ando
never let slip the fact that Hiro has disappeared.
Inside the diner, as waitresses comfort themselves over
Charlie’s death, the photograph of Hiro and Charlie
stares out at the world.
Mr. Bennet looks at the painting Isaac crafted. It is
useless. Eden tries to explain that Isaac is only human
but Mr. Bennet ignores her. He tells her to have him
paint another painting when Isaac wakes up. She says
no, so Mr. Bennet shows her a few snapshots of Sylar's
victims. He tells Eden to go to the high school, using
the painting as a guide, and wait for Sylar.
While Eden (and help) take out Sylar, Mr. Bennet will
keep Claire safe at home. Eden attempts to object, reminding
Mr. Bennet it is homecoming. But Mr. Bennet is certain
he will keep his daughter safe.
Claire and Zach walk through the school, with several
people congratulating Claire on her win. Zach explains
that the unpopular vote helped her win. He even campaigned
for her. He tries to shrug it off by showing her a book
on evolution. Claire is shocked at how nice Zach has
been.
Jackie and her fellow popular cheerleaders gather around
Claire and Zach in front of Zach's locker. Jackie sarcastically
asks if Zach (or, as she calls him, "gay boy")
will be Claire's date and then reminds him that only
one of them can wear the tiara. Claire gives her a dirty
luck and then punches her in the face. Jackie collapses
and the other cheerleaders frantically rush to their
wounded queen.
Claire is distraught after he father lays down the law
and tells her she is not leaving the house that night.
Mrs. Bennet is certain their daughter will
Back in Utah, D.L. catches up with Micah. He wanted
his father to know what it felt like when he left. Micah
tells D.L. about Jessica and how his mother is sick and
unable to control herself. He does not think she knows
about Jessica. D.L. promises to help Niki.
Mohinder and the other professor wander the streets
with a picture of the boy from his dream. The professor
wants to go back to the university to discuss things
rationally but Mohinder ignores him. A man rushes up
insisting he knows where the boy is and, for one hundred
rupees he will tell Mohinder. Mohinder hands him the
money and points to a gang of boys playing soccer.
The boy is there. He explains that he does not go to
people, people come to him. He also says a few other
cryptic things and runs off, leaving Mohinder just as
confused as he was before.
At the diner, a waitress pours Ando another cup of coffee.
He gets up and walks towards the bulletin board where
he notices the picture of Hiro and Charlie. He takes
down the photograph and brings it to the counter. The
waitress says it was taken at Claire's birthday six months
ago. And she knows Hiro. But he disappeared weeks ago.
Claire gets a text message from Zach. He tells her he
is throwing rocks at her window. She opens the window
to find Zach climbing up a ladder promising to rescue
her. He reminds her that nobody can ground a queen and,
if she does not show up, Jackie will become homecoming
queen. They both degree she deserves it and Claire asks
Zach to be his date for the dance.
Zach's response is not exactly what Claire was expecting.
Rather than being excited, he seems upset. At first,
she thinks maybe Jackie was right and Zach is gay, but
Zach is only worried about Claire. He just wants her
to be comfortable with herself. Thankfully, she is starting
to realize who she is, who her friends are, and who she
wants to be. Zach seems pleased.
Ando stands on the side of a street. Peter pops out
of a car and greets Ando. He brings Peter to the diner
and explains that Hiro went back in time to save a girl
(and Ando warned him not to go because Peter might call).
Peter still has to try to save the cheerleader and shows
Ando the snapshot of the painting.
Peter explains that, like Hiro, he also has a power.
But his power involves absorbing the power of people
around him. Without anyone else he is nothing. But he
is going to try to save the cheerleader anyway. Likewise,
without Hiro around Ando is nothing. So he is going to
wait at the diner. As Peter leaves Ando calls after him, "But
Peter, you die."
Mr. Bennet rushes into the living room and asks his
wife where Claire is. Mrs. Bennet is not worried, having
seen Claire and Zach run off
***
Mohinder and the professor talk about the boy and Mohinder
realizes the conversation they are having they already
had. The boy walks into Mohinder's office and realizes
he is dreaming. He finds himself outside in a street
and watches his father and the other professor talking
about Papa Suresh's quest to find people with strange
abilities.
Suddenly, he is in his father's office watching himself
argue with his father. Although his son is excited about
evolution, Papa Suresh waves him off. It is not his path.
Waking up at his desk, Mohinder knows it is his path.
And he knows his father was only trying to protect him.
He turns to his father's computer and tries to get through
the password. After a few tries, he figures it out with
the help of the imagery from the dream. The password
is Shanti. The computer begins listing names. Names of
people Papa Suresh found.
Peter stands inside Union Wells High School looking
down at a display proclaiming Jackie the town hero. A
girl walks into him, dropping her bag (the girl is Claire).
Peter picks up the bag and asks the girl if she knows
Jackie. The girl explains Jackie is a cheerleader and
will be out on the field at half-time.
As she turns to leave, the girl tells Peter that Jackie
is not all that special. But Peter thinks she is, walking
into a fire to save a man and all that. The girl half-heartedly
agrees. Peter insists that life will get better after
high school, sensing that the girl has deep emotional
problems stemming from her school's social system.
Later, Peter stands outside the high school, having
found the scene depicted in Isaac's painting. He watches
as the school's massive clock strikes 8:01.
A man with a watch stands in the shadows in front of
Jackie's display.
The cheerleaders prepare for half-time. One of the girls
points Claire out to Jackie. She is shocked at the nerve
of Claire, who was supposed to be grounded. The two have
a verbal throw down culminating with Claire admitting
she was the one who saved that man, not Jackie. And she
has it on tape.
After Jackie gets off one final insult the power cuts
out. Jackie makes a quip about the quality of their high
school.
Mr. Bennet arrives at the school.
Peter looks worried.
Jackie is getting upset with Claire. But Claire is not
listening. She senses something is wrong. Suddenly, something
grabs Jackie. It is the shadowy man. He has his hand
around Jackie's neck and thrusts her against a row of
lockers. Jackie dangles a foot off the ground, struggling
but unable to free herself.
Claire cries out and rushes at the man, jumping on his
back. He tosses her against a wall. Claire crumples to
the floor.
Mr. Bennet yells out Claire's name and runs off.
Peter runs.
A ribbon of blood appears on Jackie's forehead. It drips
down her face, down her shoes, onto the floor. Things
do not look good for Jackie. Claire picks herself up
and snaps her arm back into its socket. Her bruises quickly
heal. The shadowy man notices her. Jackie whispers for
Claire to run. She does. And she runs right into Peter,
who takes one look at her and tells her to keep running.
Peter confronts the shadowy man, who telekinetically
pulls locker doors from the walls and tosses them at
Peter, who fends off a few and then runs off.
Mr. Bennet rushes into the locker room and sees a cheerleader's
bloody body. At first, he thinks it is Claire, but as
he gets closer he realizes it is Jackie. In any case,
the girl is dead.
Claire rushes out the front doors screaming at the top
of her lungs. Peter is right behind her. They run up
the stairs. Claire wants to know who this guy is. Peter
tells her to run to the stadium because the shadowy killer
man does not want to be seen. She rushes off and the
man grabs Peter. With one final glance at the clock,
Peter and the man fall to the ground, a few dozen feet
below.
Claire, rather than running to the stadium, ran back
into the school and then runs back out of the school
to find Peter in a heap on the ground. His face is bloody
and his body is broken. But he start to heal. Claire
is shocked. The shadowy man is gone. Peter sends Claire
for some help. They exchange names and Peter asks if
she was the one. Has he saved the world? Claire has no
idea. She is just a cheerleader.
As Claire runs for help she hears her father calling
her name. She runs to his arms. She wants to go back
for Peter but Mr. Bennet will not let her. Mr. Bennet
tells Claire she is lucky to be alive (she is covered
in blood but otherwise fine). But Claire knows it was
not luck. She has something to tell her father.
The shadowy man runs through the brush. Eden is waiting
for him. He reaches out his hand but stops when Eden
tells him not to. She tells him he is going to tell her
everything he knows. And she tells him he is going to
fall asleep. The Mysterious Goon covers the shadowy man's
mouth.
Several police squads pull up in front of Peter. His
is quickly surrounded by armed officers. They think Peter
is the bad guy (a janitor saw him inside the school earlier).
The officers are shocked at the amount of blood Peter
is covered in and ignore his pleas of innocence.
Mohinder stands in front of a sunset. His mother walks
up, telling him that Mira told her he turned down the
job. She knows he is going back to New York. Mohinder
knows who his father found but does not know why his
father never told him. He is going to find the people
In Utah, Micah and D.L. head to their car. D.L. is planning
on going to Vegas. But Micah called his mother and told
her where they are. This worries D.L., with good reason.
Jessica has her sniper rifle trained on him. She pulls
the trigger. There is a gunshot.
***
Ando sits alone in the diner. A waitress pours him another
cup of coffee.
And suddenly, Ando is replaced by Hiro. And the waitress
is replaced by Charlie. It is six months earlier and
Hiro has arrived to save Charlie's life. It is her birthday
and she has to make a wish. Hiro smiles.
Return to top
