Heroes: Better Halves

Claire: "My cheerleading career is scissor-kicking off the field, as we speak."

This episode was big on the blonde. Lots of Claire and Niki.

Unspeakably awkward visit with Claire's lame "bio-parents". Except they weren't. Whoever Claire's real parents are, Bennet wants Claire to stop obsessing about them. And Claire is completely clueless. She thinks her Daddy is a really simple guy who won't be able to handle the knowledge of her special powers. Claire's mother mentioned that there was something wrong with Claire when she was a baby. What?

I've realized lately that Niki's story, compelling though it is, isn't doing much for me. The addition of DL, who isn't the villain that we've been led to believe, might help. They make an attractive couple. Plus, he walks through walls. (Does that make him Kitty Pryde?) And he has nerve, hiding inside a house with cops outside looking for him, and even making love with Niki most of the night. They still love each other. I hadn't expected that, either.

Is DL stronger than Mirror Woman? He brought her down by putting a hand inside of her chest. Mirror Woman is definitely not on DL's side; she stole the two million from Linderman and framed DL for it. (Was this the two mil that was supposed to go to Nathan's campaign?)

When they weren't in mortal danger, Hiro and Ando had a long discussion about the nature of heroism. Hiro, upset that the didn't save the guys that Mirror Woman tore to pieces, realized that heroism involves danger and physical action as well as bending the space-time continuum. (Hiro acts so much like a real sci-fi geek would in this situation that I totally identify with him.) Hiro talked about a "do-over." Claire talked about a do-over in the previous episode. Lots of echoes and parallels.

Big-eyed, helpful woman finally has a name: Eden McCain. Mohinder was telling her all about the mutants. And kissing her. This can't be good. Especially since she's working for Bennet, like the as yet unnamed black guy. Do the three of them work for the Department of Mutant Affairs? Does Eden have powers, too?

Bits and pieces:

-- With the addition of DL, we now have ten gifted people in our story: Claire, Niki, Hiro, Isaac, Nathan, Peter, Matt, Sylar, and the black guy in the bar.

-- The fact that both of his parents are mutants raises the obvious question about Micah. Is Micah going to be a superstrong monster who walks through walls?

-- Isaac and Peter were looking for a missing panel so they will know what's going to happen. The panels fit together like pages in a comic book. Like Hiro's comic book.

-- Niki actually had a conversation with her alter ego, who appears to love Micah as much as Niki does. Not so much with DL, though. Mirror Woman sees DL as a threat.

-- Hiro was still wearing one of Nathan's campaign buttons.

-- Ando does not have a poker face.

-- Leonard Roberts, who plays DL, is a Buffy season four alum.

-- Claire's mother's name is Sandra. And she doesn't want to breed her show dog, Mr. Muggles, to a poodle.

-- Micah had a "9th Wonders" comic book.

-- During one of the poker game's freeze scenes, Hiro dealt two of the cards right back into the air. Fun.

-- I saw the helix symbol on Mirror Woman, but not Niki. And on Isaac's painting of Mirror Woman. And is there a black mark on Peter's neck?

Quotes:

Hiro: (smugly) "I had a sword."

Sandra Bennet: "This is so awkward, I've got lip sweat."

Hiro: "Future me was afraid of causing a rift in the space-time continuum."
Ando: "You're talking out of your ass. You don't know how any of this works."

Ando: "It's a journey. You don't start at the end. Otherwise they can't make a movie about it later."

Two and a half stars,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

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