HEROES: Unexpected

I meant to write about last week's episode, but I was so annoyed by it that I never bothered. An absolute waste of time. A filler episode, introducing distractions to keep the characters from pursuing the main story line. It was very Lost-like in its frustration levels and refusal to actually get on with it, which I do not count as a good thing where Heroes is concerned.

Thankfully, with the episode "Unexpected" the writers get back to actually moving the narrative along. The super-powered chickens come home to roost for Mr. Bennet, as Cheerleader Claire calls him out after her mother falls into a coma after all the mental whammies she's taken over the years. To top it off, the Alias Mind Reader, Fallout Boy and a new "Wireless" chick descend on the Bennet household looking for answers. Finally! People being proactive!

I'm starting to wonder if Mohinder Suresh is the stupidest person on the planet. Maybe that's his superpower--extreme density. Here we have ultra-creepy Sylar following the same M.O. that led to Mohinder's father's untimely demise, and Mohinder isn't batting an eye. Idiot plot alert.

Ando gets shot so Hiro breaks up the team, sending his non-powered buddy back to Tokyo, out of harm's way. Yet it's obvious to all the viewers that Hiro still has his powers--that he's mentally creating obstacles impeding their use. Oh well, at least he gets to ride the bus with Stan Lee.

The one person who doesn't seem to have trouble using Hiro's powers is Nathan Petrelli, who stops time in order to rescue the Invisible Man from a Bennet ambush. But Invisible ditches him, so in anger he goes to have it out with Future Junkie, and non-powered Simone ends up shot full of holes. Oops. Can't say that was entirely unexpected (her untimely demise, that is) but the staging of the lead-up to her shooting was deftly handled. I like that the characters are finally back to taking action, and that their actions have consequences.

Definitely looking forward to Bennet's "Secret Origin" story next week.

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