Run!

Chapter 15 in the Heroes saga, "Run!", was another great episode for the show. The one gripe I do have is regarding Hiro and Ando's plot. Hiro and Ando's bumbling antics felt pointless. It sort of made me dislike Ando and made me even more frustrated with Hiro for having what has now become a very prolonged crisis of confidence. I understand he needs his sword, but after last week's parley with Papa Nakamura, you'd think the guy was back on his game. I only complain because I love their story, and I'm tired of these two looking like buffoons. Ando, New York is going to disappear in less than two weeks, and you decide to run off with some woman? Shame on you! Also was the state gaming commission guy, the one from whom they stole the pink bag? I couldn't tell for sure. I just hope the writers link all this together with sword story. I also have to understand that there are still about 8 episodes left to tell the whole story.

Now on to the great parts. I'm glad they didn't feel the need to fit in all the characters in one episode, especially now that many plots are intersecting — Jessica and Matt, Nathan and Claire, Sylar and Mohinder. All in all, episode 15 saw many of our characters in moments of danger or disappointment or despair. Most obvious was Matt, who just cannot get a break. I mean, it's his first day as a bodyguard, and he has to protect Linderman's shady lawyer, Malsky (who apparently absconded with the money that he picked up from D.L.).

Learning at the last minute that the money-diamond exchange was a setup, Matt looked pretty competent there, until he got his ass handed to him by Jessica, who chucked him out of a window. Then his former colleagues arrived and, as usual, insulted him in their minds. Good for you, Matt — steal those diamonds. A man needs to feel like a man, and sometimes a criminal act is the only way to achieve that feeling. For once, I wasn't bored with his story. I also found it very interesting that Matt was able to hear Jessica arguing with Niki. This even surprised Jessica when he told her. Does that mean they can split into two people or something?

And how bold is Sylar? From a mousy watchmaker to a serial killer who can sit mere inches from his latest victim (donning his Ramones T-shirt seemed like salt in the wound) and straight-up lie to Mohinder — that's quite a character arc. It's like he gets a thrill from toying with people — Mrs. Bennett last week, Mohinder this week. It's frightening to think what's going to happen now that he seems to have persuaded Mohinder to take him on his heroes hunt. Is he going to string Mohinder along for as long as he can before killing him? And good luck to anyone who wants to try to put Sylar in a cage now that he can liquefy metal. H.R.G. is going to have to build some floating plastic prison, like the one they used to house Magneto in X2. That, or kill Sylar. Probably the latter.

And finally, poor Mrs. Bennett. The Bennett story line, as soap-operatic as it is, is also the most tragic. I mentioned last week how the Haitian's constant memory wipes on H.R.G.'s wife could not be doing her any good, and now it seems they've significantly deteriorated her mind. At episode's end, she was like an Alzheimer's patient, not recognizing her beloved Mr. Muggles or even Claire. I can't imagine H.R.G. doesn't love his wife, and it has to be killing him to know that he's done this to her. Just like it's killing Claire to know that her biological parents want nothing to do with her.

I had my fingers crossed that Claire and Nathan would meet this week and all three family members would reveal their powers to each other. Alas, Nathan — despite his mother's protestations — went to Texas to personally deliver a $100,000 check to Claire's real mother, though when offered the opportunity to meet Claire, he turned it down. I guess he knows that if he meets her, it would change his life completely. Well, Claire and Nathan might never get to meet if Jessica delivers on her second contract, which was revealed at the episode's end to be Nathan himself. That is going to be an awkward moment, Nathan coming face to face with the woman who gave him the best sex of his life only to have her try to kill him.

With less than two weeks in the show's time left until the explosion and 8 episodes left to show everything, I think things will slow down a bit until probably the final five episodes. We have to remember this is a show that needs to last for another 3 months so we should not get frustrated and just go though the motions. Next week looks great as "someone will die, and someone will fly." Hmmmm.