Heroes 1.14: "Distractions"

Written by Michael Green
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Despite all of his socially unacceptable choices, Claude clearly has enough experience with his abilities to understand what Peter needs to control his own talent. Fifteen years of experience, in fact, which confirms that the superhumans have been around for at least one generation, and long enough to think of himself as something above and beyond normal human society. His training methods also leave something to be desired, even if one can’t argue the results.

While it’s still not entirely clear how Peter’s ability works, it’s definitely similar to what Sylar has accomplished by other means. Peter seems to have the ability to establish an underlying rapport with other people with superhuman abilities, and that connection never entirely fades. This would explain why he was able to control Nathan on the night of the accident, several months earlier. Peter’s control over an ability is more than simple mimicking.

Sylar, on the other hand, seems to physically, on a genetic level, alter himself to allow each new ability to be “absorbed”. He either needs to study the brain chemistry to see how it works, not unlike his clockworks, or he ingests the genetic material more directly. This would appear to give Peter the edge over time, because Peter could work in concert with a group of others and take on new abilities more quickly. On the other hand, Sylar seems to have control over each new ability much more quickly and thoroughly.

Isaac and Simone continue to be the least interesting character on the show, despite Isaac’s purpose as a touchstone on the progress of the effort to stop New York’s destruction. I have absolutely no interest in the supposed love triangle between those two and Peter. Peter’s a lot more interesting with Claude than around either of them.

Niki’s therapist may not have a clue what she’s dealing with, but she is correct. Niki’s best chance of survival is integration with Jessica as a well-adjusted whole, regardless of Jessica’s origins. Unfortunately, Jessica is less than enthused at the idea. It also seems Linderman is more interested in keeping Jessica around and, perhaps, available for manipulation. That said, Jessica should be a lot more interesting to follow around, given her unpredictability.

Without his resources in hand, Mr. Bennett has no chance of stopping Sylar. And of course, now the whole “save the cheerleader, save the world” question comes back into the equation. It’s great to see Sylar in action, using his acquired abilities and his keen mind. He’s quite good at pouring on the charm, at least as long as it serves his purposes. Mr. Bennett’s arrival was a bit too convenient, and quite frankly, it doesn’t make much sense for Sylar to reveal his abilities before that point. He couldn’t have known that time was short, so why not maintain his relatively low profile?

Claire’s gambit may have been too easy, but given how quickly Mr. Bennett was sidelined, it’s not particularly surprising. Claire needs to get away to make it more difficult for Sylar. Claire’s discussion with her biological mother is revealing, especially when they reveal their abilities to each other. One has to wonder if Claire’s birth mother was responsible for the fire that supposedly took her life.

It’s about time that Hiro’s decision to leave work for weeks comes up in the plot. His father, played by the always enjoyable George Takei, has a very traditional set of expectations. Clearly his sister is more than happy to manipulate the situation within the same boundaries and definitions of honor and duty. It provides Hiro with a strong and meaningful challenge to his own sense of destiny. Hiro’s solution is hardly surprising, and it does seem a bit too easy, given some of the cultural issues involved.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10