Heroes 1.22: "Landslide"

Written by Jesse Alexander
Directed by Greg Beeman

This episode picks up right where the previous installment left off, with things coming to a head on several levels. Sylar is still a major threat, Linderman’s plan is still on track, and destinies are in question. What better way to start a finale for the most impressive freshman series of the season?

With Nathan trailing the polls, Linderman is ready to take matters into his own hands. Or rather, into Micah’s hands, which was somewhat predictable (though in a good way). It all serves to put Nathan in the hot seat, especially when Linderman hands him a restored wife as something of a bribe. His scene with Hiro was particularly telling. At this point, Nathan seems to agree that the ends justify the means.

Nathan’s victory is almost an afterthought, especially since his plot involving Jessica and DL begins immediately thereafter. Out of all the scenes in the episode, I think this is the least effective and most poorly acted, just because the build to this moment has not been as steady. For all the faults with those characters, however, the showdown with Linderman was quite interesting. DL’s contribution to the arc now seems to be revealed, beyond his influence on Niki and Jessica (if Linderman is indeed dead).

The intersection of Mr. Bennett and Matt with Mohinder and Molly is just another example of a clever plotting move and a nice bit of symmetry. It makes sense that Sylar would want to take the abilities of a natural tracking system for superhumans. It also should allow the heroes to track down Sylar. That aspect of her ability could give Mr. Bennett a reason to let her live.

The scenes between Micah and Candice were interesting, particular the hint that Candice is really larger than she appears. In fact, that’s not surprising, in retrospect, because someone with the ability to alter their appearance would naturally choose a personally-pleasing aspect. (And if she really is an overweight black woman, that certainly opens a number of interesting doors for exploring social perception issues. Not to mention criticism for the message it might send.)

In keeping with the generational theme that has emerged in the latter half of the season, Hiro must once again face his father to achieve his destiny. As expected, Hiro’s father was one of Linderman’s allies in the past. However, the interesting twist is that Hiro’s father has been working against Linderman from within the system, waiting for one of his heirs to emerge as a true hero. This is some of the best material for George Takei in his entire career, and the growth of Hiro’s resolve is more than worth the wait.

Watching Peter, Claire, and Ted walk around figuring out how to be a team was a lot of fun. That’s the kind of scene that fans have wanted to see since the pilot! And Sylar’s clever takedown of Ted continues to demonstrate how strong a villain he really is. He’s not just powerful; he’s also intelligent. My impression is that he sees opposition as another system to be understood and solved, and he acts accordingly (which probably works best on a thematic rather than literal level).

The episode was all about the final stages of setup, and while much of it depends on coincidence, that’s practically a comic book staple and more than appropriate for a series such as “Heroes”. In fact, if nothing else, this episode demonstrates how completely the writers and producers have embraced the conventions of the genre without apology, and the finale to come has definitely been earned.

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

Final Rating: 8/10