So Doctor Invisible is really giving Peter some major trial-by-fire education in maintaining the super powers he borrows from other people. First, the Doc swipes a purse, hands it to Peter, and leaves ol’ Pete to either step up and stay invisible or get stone cold busted. (It’s the latter.) Then, he throws Peter off the roof of Isaac’s apartment, down several stories, and onto the roof of a taxicab. Ouch. But, dammit, it works, and Peter survives. He also proceeds to almost fulfill his destiny and explode, an event the Doctor nips in the bud, along with offering one the episode’s best lines. (The Doc also made me laugh when he tells Peter that he’s spent a lot of time around people when he’s invisible and, for the most part, they’re all “selfish, deceitful, and gassy.” Hee, hee.)
Niki’s therapy begins in earnest, though it’s none too surprising when she clears her mind and is immediately thereafter taken over by Jessica, who promptly breaks free of her chains and tasers the living shit out of her therapist. “Take me back to my cell!” screams Niki, after she comes to and realizes what’s happened…only to get a baton upside her head. Can’t really blame the guard, though…so you can imagine how pissed off he is when, despite her actions, she’s basically thrown out of the asylum, courtesy of Mr. Linderman pulling some strings. But who’s this guy on Death Row who’s supposedly taken the blame for Niki’s / Jessica’s crimes? Whatever the case, by episode’s end, Niki’s still imprisoned…in her own mind, with Jessica taking the reigns.
Claire’s dad get a whuppin’, Sylar-style; it’s an unexpected move for Sylar to leave Daddy alive…until you realize that he’s doing it to make him suffer. Sylar proceeds to head over to the homestead, claiming to be delivering paper to the house. Claire’s mom falls for his ruse, making me wonder if Brother Voodoo has done her synapses permanent damage with all the time he must’ve wiped her clean. After Sylar knocks the living hell out of Claire’s mom, Daddy bursts in with Brother Voodoo in tow, screaming, “HE DIES!” Predictably, Sylar gets away…and Brother Voodoo burns off another layer of Mom’s brain.
Isaac gets confirmation from Simone that their relationship is definitely over…in almost the same breath that she asks him to find Peter for her. A bit later, Isaac paints the taxi cab…the one Peter later falls on…but he also paints a picture of he and Simone kissin’, which comes true while Peter and Doctor Invisible are standing nearby, unseen. Of course, Peter’s soon too busy plummeting to worry about being jealous…
Claire sticks with her manatee-report story for another week, setting the stage for her and Zach to sneak off and meet her birth mother. The meeting between her and her mother begins rather anticlimactically, mostly because our concern’s mostly for what Sylar’s doing back at her adopted parents’ house. (I must admit, I really thought for sure Claire’s birth mom had slipped her newfound daughter a mickey.) But it was a really nice moment when Claire revealed her powers and her mom smirked, said, “Some family,” and lit a fire in her palm.
We do finally find out exactly how Hiro’s gotten away with being away from work for this long: his dad owns the company! Hiro’s dad “always looks angry,” according to Hiro, but, damn, George Takei’s looking fierce. Ando’s right, though, Hiro’s sister is hot. Hiro ends up soul-searching because he’s presented with a concern that no good Japanese son can ignore: family honor. His solution, however, is to pass the buck to his more-than-worthy sister to serve as his father’s successor…a suggestion which makes his father growl and grumble, though he agrees to the premise.
How about that closing shot? Nathan is Claire’s real dad…?!?!?
Holy shit.
I totally didn’t see that coming. Not at all. Not even remotely.
