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Heroes episode 3.16 Building 26
Airdate: February 16, 2009
Heroes continues the chase for fugitives with tonight’s episode and it’s interesting how events turn out for some of the characters.
The heroes have been getting help from someone named “Rebel” who has access to information that keep them in the loop of government activities. Nathan’s operations at Building 26 also get a visit from the Homeland Security: Abby Collins (guest star Moira Kelly).
Abby Collins is skeptical about giving more funds towards Nathan’s activities and she doesn’t believe in the existence of those with special abilities. She questions the legality of everything in Building 26 and was riled when she saw Tracy Strauss being held captive. An unfortunate incident happens and Tracy escapes! She gets cornered and uses her freezing abilities to kill an agent. Collins was so shocked to see it that she gives Nathan full authority and funding to continue with the covert project. Later, Nathan finds out that the Hunter helped Tracy escape. Heartless military that he is, Danko believes the end justifies the means.
Nathan is now thrown deeper into this hole. As much as he tries to control Danko, the man is out eliminate every person with abilities, whatever the cost.
Meantime, Sylar continues the search for his father with microwave-boy Luke. The boy is feeling smug that a serial killer like Sylar is taking him, and he gets confident that withholding the exact location of Sylar’s father will spare his life. Sylar confides that he used to kill people for their powers, but all he wants now is to find his father and find out why he turned out that way. They stop to rest at a roadside store when agents barge in looking for Sylar. He easily overtakes the agents but leaves Luke behind. The agents take down the boy and bring him inside a SWAT van when all hell breaks loose as Sylar disguises as an agent and kills everyone to rescue Luke. Sylar could have left the boy behind, but he doesn’t. EGAD! Is Sylar getting soft?! Oh, how I miss the old ruthless villain! This whole Luke thing doesn’t endear Sylar to me, it just makes him look weak. You know, someone with a heart and conscience.
Another lame angle in tonight’s episode involved the story of Hiro in India. It’s a mystery how Hiro and Ando got to India! They obviously couldn’t have teleported, so they must have flown. How did they get past airport security and the scrutiny of agents who have cameras and information from 50 states (as the Hunter surmised)? Anyway, they did get to India… And for what?!
According to Matt’s drawing, Hiro was supposed to stop a wedding in India. Seeing just the drawing makes one hope that Hiro gets back his powers so he can teleport to India and rescue a damsel in distress. But that’s not what happened. Ando and Hiro just show up in that specific place in India in time to stop the wedding. But Ando beat Hiro to it by suggesting to the bride, Anna, to pull out of it if that makes her miserable. Ando shows her his powers (crackling hands, whatever they are) as the sign she’s been waiting for. Anna is so grateful to Ando that she treats them at her restaurant. But Hiro is pissed that Ando stole his show. Well, Ando counters that Hiro is only jealous of their reversed roles. The groom, a powerful and very angry man named Deepak, arrives at the restaurant claiming his bride. Ando tries to stop him when Deepak strikes him unconscious with a pan. A pan! I don’t know if that’s supposed to be hilarious but it looks stupid. So Deepak takes Ando hostage so that Anna will marry him. Why he didn’t just take the bride and marry her on the spot is beyond me, but there is a story here…
So Anna agrees to continue with the wedding but Hiro interrupts it and tells the guests how she’s being coerced into the relationship. Hiro gets to punches Deepak and the Indian gives up his claim on the girl. Yatta! Hiro feels like a hero again, even without his powers!
After the excitement settles, Anna remembers she received a message that Ando and Hiro were supposed to go back to California and rescue Matt Parkman. Huh? They go all the way to India so Hiro can punch some guy and feel like a hero, and still go away powerless. And then just to be told to go back stateside? I don’t get it. I hope this story has a sequel otherwise it would look totally pointless to bring Hiro to India for nothing.
In another story, Claire gets a text message from Rebel to help a target – someone named Alex (guest star Justin Baldoni), who works at a comic store. Claire goes to the store and helps Alex get away from the pursuing agent, none other than her father! Danko the Hunter tells HRG that Claire’s car in the same vicinity as Alex but daddy reasons out that his daughter has been doing errands around Costa Verde. Claire finds out Alex can breathe underwater and she hides him in her house. She also finally tells Sandra that HRG has been abducting innocent people and Sandra forces him to move out. It’s really not helping Noah to keep hiding things from his family. In his mind he’s protecting them from whatever perceived threat, but it would make his case better if he were to at least let Claire in on what his exact motives are. Obviously, he has a soft spot for her friends (Peter, Matt, Hiro…) but he knows they can be dangerous. And yet, Claire can probably help him more and cooperate better if she knew what’s going on. Besides, she just took down a plane! She certainly can take care of herself. But then, telling his family everything would end the story and suspense of HRG’s real intentions. And the heroes still has to make HRG their hostage and interrogate him, so I guess that’s how this story is played. (Oops! That’s next week’s spoilers!)
The final scene of the episode shows HRG inside a hotel bar. A spiked drink makes him pass out. Peter, Matt and Mohinder move in to carry him away.
How was Heroes episode 3.15 “Building 26”? I wish there was more. I think the writers could have done a better job at convincing us of the stories. There are just too many weak angles. Sylar’s behavior and the whole paternal issue. Hiro’s trip to India. HRG’s ineptitude of Claire’s role in helping him. The one story line that seems to move along is Nathan’s in Building 26. Now Nathan has more government to back him up and the funds to build a better prison and capture more people. But he has an unbridled agent who has agendas of his own and a potential for creating problems for the senator.
Next week, Heroes continues with episode 3.17 “Cold Wars” and it’s about the heroes taking HRG hostage. That ought to be good.
Images: NBC /Chis Haston
I, too, wondered how Hiro and Ando got to India. Neither would have a passport in his possession. They couldn’t use (Ando’s) credit cards. They’re technically in the U.S. illegally, so even if they’d had those things, they’d be flagged.
One answer would be that we missed the part where Peter flew them there, since he’s the only one with an ability that could get them to India, now. Alternately, Matt could have “brain mojo’d” them onto a plane. Since they were expecting to get Hiro’s powers back, they wouldn’t have needed to think about a way back. Now, how do they get back?
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The writers either need to give Hiro and Ando a storyline that actually has a point, or they just need to kill them off. They’re just wasting valuable time on the show. Also, I’m really liking Luke. I hope they don’t kill him off like they do all the new characters.
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