WRITER: Christopher Zatta DIRECTOR: Kevin Bray
CAST: Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Jack Coleman (Mr Bennet), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Ali Larter (Niki/Jessica Sanders), Ashley Crowe (Sandra Bennet), Santiago Cabrera (Isaac Mendez), Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian), Eric Roberts (Thompson), Missy Peregrym (Candice Wilmer), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli), Leonard Betts (D.L Hawkins), Tawny Cypress (Simone Deveaux), Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi) & Malcolm McDowell (Mr Linderman)
Mr Bennet's deception continues as Claire goes on the run, Mohinder uncovers Sylar's true identity, Isaac deals with Simone's death, Hiro finds his sword and Nathan meets Mr Linderman...Heroes begins its sprint for the finishing line with Parasite, written by Christopher Zatta, who has been a writer's assistant on the show since it began. Zatta now gets his chance to pen a full episode and the result is a a great episode that only slightly disappoints because it follows the sublime Company Man.
As usual, the half-dozen plotlines are of varying quality. Ali Larter, as Niki/Jessica, remains stuck in a serious narrative rut with Micah and D.L. This family unit doesn't work and the writers clearly have no idea what to do with Micah and D.L. Why not give D.L a job? Can we see Micah at school? Still, Jessica's recent role as a contract kiler for Mr Linderman is a plausible and exciting use of the character, particularly now femme fatale Jessica seems to be more dominant than whiny Niki.
Claire and the Haitian are now on the run, about to leave the country to escape The Company, until Claire has a change of heart and decides to find Peter (who's actually her uncle, but she doesn't know that yet). Is Heroes becoming a soap? Is it only a matter of time before Nathan's taking a paternity test on national TV? Claire's storyline may be a loose thread, but it's one that leads to a surprising conclusion.
Hiro's presence is similarly loose, with the good-natured nerd finally within reach of the Kensei sword he hopes will return his powers. Masi Oka is typically fun to watch, but it's actually a good sign the show is relying on his cheery personality less and less. The search for his placebo hasn't been the best use of Hiro's character, but the writers are clearly in a tight spot because Hiro's time/space control is perhaps too powerful. An attempt has been made to suggest Hiro can't change the past already (remember Charlie the waitress?) but freezing time and teleportation alone makes Hiro a demi-God compared to everyone else.
The parasite of the title refers to Sylar, a good description of the character, who literally drains victims of their special abilities like a brain-slurping vampire. Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) breaks expectation to quickly uncover Sylar's real identity and uses his intelligence to hold his father's murderer captive. Ramamurthy remains one of the show's least interesting characters, but he redeems himself with his actions here. Well, temporarily...
Jack Coleman is again excellent as Mr Bennet, now suffering from self-imposed amnesia to protect Claire from the shadowy Company he works for. The recent use of his wife Sandra (Ashley Crowe) has been a brilliant 180-turn from the writers, leaving behind the mom with a dog fixation and turning her into an enjoyable partner/accomplice for her husband.
The most revelatory moment of Parasite concerns Nathan, who is ordered to meet with his financier Mr Linderman in Las Vegas. The mysterious Linderman has been an unseen constant in the show since the beginning. We finally get to meet the enigmatic man himself, beautifully played by legendary actor Malcolm McDowell (the casting agent deserves a pay rise). McDowell is excellent, totally subverting your expectations of a cigar chomping mobster, in scenes that find him cooking in a kitchen!
Parasite is a great episode that continues to push the show into new territory as it answers long-standing questions. It's refreshing to have a show that's genuinely happy to give its audience straight answers, verging on overeagerness at times! Heroes constantly introduces fresh elements (Nathan for President?), new characters (a woman who can create illusions) and unexpected relationships (the Haitian's allie).
It all makes for another enjoyable, fun and revelatory experience that culminates in another trademark jaw-dropping scene...
