WRITER: Natalie Chaidez DIRECTOR: Greg Beeman
CAST: Ali Larter (Niki), Leonard Roberts (D.L Hawkins), Masi Oka (Hiro), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter), Jack Coleman (Mr Bennett), Hayden Panettiere (Claire), Santiago Cabrera (Isaac), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder), Zora Zehetner (Eden), Thomas Dekker (Zack), Colby French (Claire's Mum), Dean Napolitano (Claire's Dad), Ashley Crow (Sandra Bennet) & James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi)
Niki's fugitive husband D.L arrives home protesting his innocence, while Claire meets her biological parents...Finally, we focus on just a few stories without the relentless thrashing about from plot to plot. Indeed, Nathan and Matt are entirely absent, while others are given just a few token scenes, so the emphasis is on Niki, Hiro and Claire's adventures (coincidentally the characters with the most fleshed-out backstories.)
Ali Larter is far better than she gets credit for, and she's made Niki one of the most alluring yet vulnerable characters on the show. Of course, she also gets to show off her vampish side via her "alter-ego", which is also one of the show's most original and intriguing super-powers (bordering on plain dementia, if not for the incredible strength associated). A scene when the two "halves" finally meet at a wall-sized mirror is particularly charged.
Likewise, Hayden Panettiere has done great work with a fairly unremarkable character, ensuring Claire's dramatic scenes are affecting despite by-the-numbers writing. Here, scenes with her biological parents are nicely performed by all concerned.
Leonard Roberts makes his proper debut in the show as D.L Hawkins, Niki's criminal husband who can apparently pass through solid objects (like prison cells, handily). Roberts' performances is strong and he's more naturally charismatic than most of the other regulars. He should make a great addition to the show, and even prompts the first superpowered punch-up!
As mentioned, Natalie Chaidez's script pays dividends by choosing to stick with just three main plots, and the quality of her writing is also a cut above most episodes this season. In particular, the Niki and D.L scenes are very good and the Bennet family's relationships seemed more natural.
On the periphery, Sendhil Ramamurthy is sidelined again as Mohinder, while Santiago Cabrera remains woefully underused as precognitive painter Isaac. Milo Ventimiglia is also nudged out of the limelight for awhile, as is Greg Grunberg's mindreader Matt.
It's clear all the writers enjoy writing for Masi Oka as time-bender Hiro, for he's an enjoyable screen presence, although Better Halves treads water with his story. Yet again he uses his powers to win at poker (move on already) and consequently his journey to save New York seems to be lacking the spark and energy of earlier episodes. It was also strange to notice that he's back to his usual English language skill level, coming after his near-fluency last week!!
It's also disappointing to see the Sylar serial-killer subplot go unmentioned yet again. It appeared that Matt would be heavily involved in his own side-plot with Clea Duvall's FBI Agent, while Hiro and the Petrelli brothers deal primarily with the bomb (the two plots possible converging) but the Sylar element is being neglected so far. Shame.
But, as usual, Better Halves is another entertaining installment of Heroes that prods a few stories along, while ignoring others. There's such a lot of material building up now that once the season begins to hit its stride, things should become very interesting.
That's the beauty of Heroes; there's the sense that things will evenually come together quite quickly because the show is more interested in immediacy. The downside is that most episodes are quite undisciplined in its lust to provide weekly thrills, lacking the measured pace and sure-handed tone of shows like The X-Files or Lost. But, for a weekly dose of unbridled entertainment, Heroes is the hot ticket this year.
