||SPOILERS|| An episode of identity crisis for the eponymous villain, as we jump back in time 18 hours before the climax of "1961", where Sylar was seen in the guise of Nathan Petrelli giving a televised speech. Sylar (Zachary Quinto) is still in cahoots with Danko (Zeljko Ivanek), but discovering his recently-acquired ability of shape-shifting has a few flaws -- as he's regularly waking up in the shape of Agent Taub and discovering extra teeth in his mouth...Truth is, Sylar's not too happy about abandoning his own identity (having faked his death to better facilitate his killing spree) and being asked by Danko to exist as Agent Taub, so he can operate freely without arousing suspicions. Danko, who confides in Sylar that he's similarly had to assume different identities these past few years, suggests his accomplice find an "anchor" to give him something to relate to and focus on. Sylar chooses to occasionally assume his dead mother's form, leading to a series of creepy sequences where Sylar essentially talks to himself, but editing gives the impression that Virginia Grey (Ellen Greene1) has returned from beyond the grave to forgive his matricide.
"I Am Sylar" also makes some headway with the search for Rebel, with Danko's team tracing the insurgent to an abandoned warehouse, killing the power to cripple his ability to communicate with electrical equipmeant, and then storming the place. But, Sylar gets there first, discovering Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey) is the troublesome brat who's been helping fellow "specials" escape capture.
Rather infuriatingly, Sylar once again has his loyalty subverted very easily -- after Micah's pleads with him to help his own kind. It appears to work, as Sylar morphs into Micah to lead Danko's team away from the warehouse and stages Rebel's death after being tazered and falling off a jetty into the river. Later, the real Micah's taken to Sylar's apartment and suggests he change into Nathan to get the President to call off Danko's manhunt. Although I'm a little confused that Nathan's status as a fugitive doesn't appear to have trickled down the grapevine.
Meanwhile, Matt (Greg Grunberg) travels to his ex-wife's home to deliver their baby safe and sound, with renewed determination to rebuild their marriage. Man, in was only a few weeks ago that poor Daphne was his "soul mate". Remember her, Matt? Anyway, Matt senses Danko's men are outside, but decides to leave and help Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) destroy Building 26 for good, as the Parkman's will otherwise have to survive as fugitives forever. And that's no way to raise a baby.For the aforementioned Hiro and Ando, they plan to gain access to Building 26 by using Ando as bait. They discuss their plan in Isaac Mendez's loft (the place to hangout if you want to catch "specials", clearly), and sure enough Danko's team soon have them surrounded. Hiro manages to stop time (and discovers that Ando's able to move freely with him, as they were touching when time froze.)
This means their agreed tactics can be altered, but Hiro thinks their original plan is still the best option, so he unfreezes time, allows Ando to be captured, then re-freezes time and replaces one of Danko's agents as they transport Ando back to Building 26. Funnily enough, nobody notices one of their men has suddenly decreased in height, although they do spot Hiro's glasses... eventually. A struggle ensues, but Hiro and Ando manage to escape with a GPS tracker that takes them to Building 26, only for Hiro find he's unable to freeze time because using his power now results in a painful headache and bleeding nose.
My abiding thought with this episode was how they finally seem to be introducing more downsides or limitations to superpowers, which should prevent characters becoming too omnipotent. They've already reduced Peter's power-leeching to one ability at a time, and now Sylar's overuse of his shape-shifting is jumbling his DNA (and messing with him psychologically), and Hiro may not be physically able to freeze time too many times a day. All good developments, many of which should have been factored into Heroes from the very start to avoid many of the storytelling problems that dogged season 2 and 3.One thing I didn't particularly like was the flip-flopping of Sylar's loyalties -- yet again. It's clear that the writers prefer Sylar being evil, so it's a drag whenever they temporarily make him semi-benevolent. By the end of "I Am Sylar", he's decided to become Nathan Petrelli as a means to makes contact with the President2 and become the most powerful man on the planet; a threat that will doubtless feed into the season finale, along with the obvious need to shutdown Danko's operation.
All that doesn't feel like a big enough end to me, but I guess we've had our fill of exploding cities, so maybe a small character-based face-off will be just the tonic. Incidentally, I think we can chalk up the "splitting planet" motif as something to be answered next season, or perhaps it's the ultimate end-game for Heroes as a whole (if only because I can't see how they'd ever top saving the planet from total destruction.)
20 April 2009
NBC, 9/8c
Writers: Adam Armus & Kay Foster
Director: Allan Arkush
Cast: Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Masi Oka (Hiro), James Kyson Lee (Ando), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan), Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah), Elizabeth Lackey (Janice), Ellen Greene (Virginia Grey), Zeljko Ivanek (Danko), Hayden Panettiere (Claire), Cristine Rose (Angela), Jack Coleman (Mr. Bennet), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter)
1. Heroes is full of Pushing Daisies actors recently! Counting the days 'till Lee Pace or Chi McBride show up. Not so sure Anna Friel would be lured, somehow.
2. And it's been a poor oversight of Volume IV to not bother using Michael Dorn as the President after introducing him at the end of Volume III.
