Heroes: Digging up the past

Last week’s episode (smartly) focused on just a portion of our Heroes, so this week we got to see how the other half lives.

And if you’re Noah, you live a lonely, pathetic existence in which the week’s big adventure consists of you switching things up by ordering a pasta dinner.

This episode was called “Acceptance”, and, yes, there were many emo-esque musings (unfortunately, this show’s specialty) about denying one’s true nature and destiny before eventually coming to grips with it. However, there were also enough lively scenes and performances to keep things interesting.

The Noah/Claire scene in which she tried to encourage him to get a job (and a life!) was funny. I loved her running down his resume, and Noah gently reminding her that all that stuff was a sham and his real skills don’t extend too far beyond abducting people. You could tell Noah was down in the dumps because (for only the fifth or sixth time) he wasn’t wearing a suit.

Whether he wants to or not, things are about to get more interesting for HRG as he appears to be Samuel Sullivan’s next target. The most interesting thing for me about the brief Samuel scene wasn’t that there is dissention in his ranks (courtesy of Edgar), but that he appeared genuinely afraid of Noah. I didn’t expect that from a cool cat like Samuel.

We also caught up with Tracy this week, who was angling for her job back as an aide to New York Governor(/sleazebag) Malden. Apparently her brief death last year resulted in a bout of amnesia because she seems to have forgotten the fact that Malden thought of her as little more than a glorified hooker. She sought advice from Noah, but her character so far appears as aimless as ever (I want revenge! Ok, I’m over it) and the writers have done little to change my opinion that she should’ve stayed dead.

On the other hand, they managed to not make me COMPLETELY roll my eyes at every scene involving Hiro.

Yes, they’ve explored the futility of his time traveling before and more successfully (his failure to save Charlie the waitress in season 1). Also, the fact that he can travel back in time 47 times to save some office drone without creating any sort of major paradox is confusing given how much attention was paid to the butterfly effect in earlier seasons.

However, the fact that Hiro finally seemed to accept that he’s going to die (even if I haven’t — don’t buy it) and opened up to his sister about everything was encouraging. For the first time in a while he behaved like a grown-up. More of this please because, through all this, Masi Oka has remained one of the show’s most appealing performers.

Speaking of going back in time, remember when Angela briefly met with her mysterious friend Millie last season and asked her for help? Me neither. Ok, I barely remembered because Millie was played by Swoosie Kurtz in season 3’s “Cold Snap” and I thought she could have some excellent scenes with Cristine Rose down the line.

Last night’s episode certainly delivered in that regard.

Angela, up to her old manipulating tricks, brought some of Nathan’s old trinkets knowing Sylar possessed the ability to know the history of an object just by holding it. (Shame on me for thinking that power was useless last year.) Unfortunately, with Nathan’s memories came the fact that Nathan had been responsible for the accidental death of Kelly Houston, Millie’s daughter.

Overcome with guilt, Nathan confessed what he did to Millie who tearfully sent him away only to have him kidnapped, thrown in a ditch and shot by a henchman. In the show’s best sequence (other than the chilling shot of Kelly’s head hitting the side of the pool) Millie sat and smiled in Angela’s face during dinner as we simultaneously saw Nathan get abducted and murdered. Cold (Snap!)

But we weren’t done there kids. Apparently, the death of “Nathan” also allowed for the return of Sylar to his old body. My favorite thing about him rising from his shallow grave (pictured, left) was the fact that, even though his entire face was covered in dirt, Zachary Quinto’s eyebrows were still CLEARLY visible.

So what’d you think of this episode? Happy to have Sylar back to his old self again, or will you miss him harassing Parkman? Have we seen the last of Adrian Pasdar on this show? Finally, is there any way this show really kills Hiro off?