Heroes – “Exposed” S3E18 (airdate 3/2/09)

Costa Verde. Claire sneaks a sandwich to Alex who’s still hiding out in her bedroom. She’s got some money for him and there’s a train leaving town tonight … but Alex doesn’t want to go. His family and friends are in Costa Verde, plus he figures that he’s just going to get caught anyway – “you’re not Harriet Tubman, Claire.” Heh. Sandra pokes her head into Claire’s bedroom – scarcely giving Alex enough time to hide – wondering where her house money went. While Claire ‘fesses up to taking the cash, Mr. Muggles finds Alex’s sandwich under the bed (and amazingly, the dog-actor doesn’t eat it!). Then there’s a noise from Claire’s closet; Sandra opens the closet door to find Alex looking sheepish. Sandra turns back to her daughter, not amused.

Building 26, Washington, D.C. Danko informs his team, Bennet included, that Peter has joined up with Parkman and they are now considered Bad Guys At Large. Nathan interrupts, saying that no lethal force is to be used in apprehending Peter. Danko rolls his eyes. Nathan then asks Bennet to keep an eye on Peter and Bennet is forced to remind him that his brother and Parkman kidnapped and drugged him - he’s liable to shoot them himself, frankly. One of Danko’s agents notifies his boss that they’ve got a lead … in Manhattan.

Manhattan, Isaac’s studio. Peter drags Parkman away from his obsessive painting. Over and over again, it’s an apocalyptic scene of Washington D.C. (Didn’t we already have an apocalypse on this show? Is this Buffy, where we get one every season?) Peter tries to get Parkman to leave but Parkman insists on getting Daphne back, rescuing “one life at a time.” As the boys try to figure out where she might be from Parkman’s mind-rape memories from Bennet, “Rebel” sends them an email, giving them the address at which Daphne is being held and also telling them to get out of the studio NOW. The boys run out one door just as Danko’s agents burst in another. The agents don’t bother to check the other door and so P&P get away. One of the agents sends a picture of Parkman’s D.C. painting back to Danko who grins, realizing where the boys are headed.

Costa Verde. Claire introduces Alex as her “new boyfriend.” And why was he hiding in her closet? Claire: “We’re having sex. I know it’s very, very wrong.” Sandra points out that Claire is only 17, and then Alex backpedals that he’s scarcely made eye-contact with Claire, much less touched her, and soon the kids just admit that Alex can breathe underwater. Sandra is furious: “He has a power and you brought him here? Do you realize how dangerous this is?” Plus, Claire lied to her and Sandra has just about had enough of her family lying to her.

Sylar and Luke road show. Luke is a little bored, whining about how much parents suck and why does Sylar want to find his father anyhow. Sylar gets annoyed and TKs the kid’s face up against the window. Heh. Suddenly, he pulls over and gets out of the car, staring at “Big Jim’s” derelict hot dog stand. He starts pulling the boards off the windows while Luke just stares at him like he’s lost his mind. Which seems entirely possible.

Costa Verde. Claire is trying to explain that she’s saving Alex and lying is part of it, particularly to protect her mother. Sandra is all “I’m much stronger than you think I am, and I know more than you think – in fact, I know that there’s a van parked across the street and they’re here keeping an eye on you.” Sure enough, there are agents staking out the Bennet house from the van. Sandra tells the two kids that she’s got a plan.

Building 26. Peter says they’ll go in, Parkman can do his mind control thing, and they’ll get Daphne and get out. Parkman pouts that he can only control so many minds at once so Peter grabs his arm and borrows his power. Great, snits Parkman, now you can’t fly so there goes our rooftop escape plan. They enter the building and tag-team everyone they meet, clouding minds and bending wills. At one point, Peter cutely grins that he loves doing this stuff and Parkman replies, I know, right? They make their way into a computer room and Peter starts searching for Daphne’s location.

Meanwhile, Bennet and Danko have found P&P on the building’s CCTV. Danko gets all fired up to kick some infiltrating ass, gathering a team to go after the boys. Bennet warns that maybe he oughtn’t go out there but Danko ignores him … until two agents, under Parkman’s control, walk into the room with their guns trained on Danko. On the CCTV Parkman gives a smug grin, dimples flashing.

Costa Verde. Sandra confiscates Lyle’s driver’s license and he doesn’t even put up a fight about it, too busy with his videogame to care. Then, in the kitchen, Sandra totally switches out Lyle’s license photo for one of Alex, all the while reminiscing about how she doctored her own ID back in the day to sneak into a Def Leppard concert. Claire: “!!???!!” Alex goes upstairs to change. Claire apologizes to her mom for making everything harder, saying that sometimes she wishes she were normal. Sandra thinks that silly. Claire asks if it was her fault that Sandra and Bennet are now separated but her mom assures her that it isn’t – that things were rough long before Claire’s powers manifested. “Are you going to get a divorce?” Claire asks, sad. Sandra isn’t sure.

Road trip. Sylar and Luke walk into the abandoned hot dog stand. Luke wants to know “What are we looking for?” Sylar says that something happened here – he’s been here before. He flashes back to a black and white memory of coming to the restaurant with his dad in 1980. We don’t get to see Dad’s face. But Sylar is positive he was here. Ugh – so boring.

Costa Verde. Claire catches her breath when she catches Alex with his shirt off. Anyone notice that he looks a lot like a cross between Peter and the new Superman? Blah blah blah – she’s not into relationships, he thinks it’s worth it. A potential smooch is interrupted when Sandra bursts in to say that the agents are heading towards the house. Alex hides in a secret compartment in the pantry that Bennet used to store stuff in – and didn’t know his wife knew about. The two agents come in to search the house but don’t find Alex – it’s a close one though. Once they’re gone, it’s time for Alex to head for the train station. Claire is uncertain, saying that it’s too risky for him to go by himself. Sandra, however, has yet another plan.

Building 26. Peter learns that Daphne has been transferred to a medical facility elsewhere. Just then, “Rebel” hacks into the computer Peter is on – um, how? – and shows them video of when the Heroes were bagged and tagged and loaded onto the plane. Peter starts copying the files, saying that they’ll be able to use this as leverage against Nathan. Parkman just starts to pace, a little wild-eyed.

Upstairs, Bennet tells Danko, Nathan and the agents that although Parkman is a telepath, he gets nervous and strung-out when he uses his power too much, and they can probably exploit that. He pulls the fire alarm and Parkman immediately screams in pain, unable to concentrate. The boys head out, only to be met almost immediately by armed agents. The lights and sirens dim – is this Rebel helping out? – and P&P exert their mind-powers, forcing the agents to turn their guns on Nathan, Bennet and Danko who are running up behind them. Parkman tells Peter to go and he’ll hold them off, but as soon as Petrelli leaves the siren starts up again and Parkman cringes, allowing Bennet to slam him up against the wall. Perhaps earplugs next time, Matt.

Hot dog stand. Sylar breathes that something terrible happened here in 1980 – his father did something to him that he’d forgotten. Flashback: a man hands Papa Sylar a big wad of money. Papa pats his boy on the shoulder and walks out, leaving him behind. Young Sylar cries out and runs after his dad, watching him get into a car. There’s a woman in the car already and we can see through the window that she’s upset about leaving the boy behind. Papa makes an abrupt slashing motion with his index finger and a splatter of red hits the back window. The passenger side door opens and Papa pushes the woman out. She’s dead, forehead cut into. “Mama!” cries Young Sylar. “Mama,” whispers Grown Sylar. Luke’s like: um, issues much?

Washington D.C. Angela is meeting with Nathan. He tells her that Peter got away and that he’s being helped by someone called “Rebel.” He asks his mom if she is Rebel and she scoffs at him, saying she’s terrible with computers. (Who’s good with computers? Little forgotten Micah, that’s who.) Nathan whines that he doesn’t know if he can protect Peter from the nasty people he’s working with; Angela points out that she knows all about working with nasty people. Then Nathan’s phone rings: it’s Peter and he wants to trade the video files he stole for Parkman and Daphne.

Costa Verde. The stakeout agents get all excited when the Bennet garage doors go up. A car screeches out and the agents converge on it: it’s just Sandra and Lyle, heading out to a movie. Meanwhile, Claire and Alex are escaping over the fence in the back. They make too much noise, though, and the agents give chase. So Alex and Claire hide at the bottom of a neighbor’s swimming pool, and when Claire starts to panic for breath, Alex gives her a big ol’ open-mouthed kiss, giving her more air- because he can breathe underwater, remember? It doesn’t take more than a few seconds, however, before those kisses are more than just life saving.

Washington, D.C. Danko and Nathan are preparing to make the exchange with Peter. When Nathan asks if Parkman and Daphne are ready for transport, Danko’s like, um, no – we’re not making this deal. Nathan protests, saying that their whole operation will be exposed if Peter goes to the news. Danko: “The U.S. government does not make deals with terrorists.” He heads off with his agents. Bennet turns to follow and Nathan grabs his arm, reminding Bennet that Peter can hear his thoughts. Bennet gives him a look like “Thanks, you useless spineless twit, I had totally forgotten that - only not.”

Bennet drives to Peter’s rendezvous - a parking garage - getting out of the car when he sees Peter lurking behind a column. He thinks to Peter that Parkman and Daphne are not here and that Danko is setting him up. Peter is as slow as he usually is and doesn’t quite pick up on the fact that Bennet is trying to save his life until Danko shoots at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Peter falls over the side of the parking garage and Danko and Bennet run over to take a look. Suddenly, someone flies right up past them: you can’t tell who it is, but I’m guessing it’s Nathan having rescued his wounded brother. Both Danko and Bennet gaze up into the sky after them, Bennet unable to contain a smile.

It was Nathan and he’s brought Peter to see their mother. Peter is still grumpy, asking why Nathan is doing what he’s doing, killing Heroes. Nathan pouts that he’s trying to save the world. Angela thinks that there might be a better way and Nathan agrees that everything is out of hand, and this is not what he had wanted, but he can fix it. OH MY GOD – Nathan is doing another fricking flip-flop. These writers don’t know WTF they’re doing with him. Peter is not buying what his brother is selling, however, and steals Nathan’s power, flying away. Angela stops her older son from following, telling him that things have changed – she’s seen it. And then she whispers something into his ear that gives him a pensive expression. Meanwhile, back at Building 26, Danko watches as the news plays the footage Peter stole. He grimaces and turns to look at one of Parkman’s paintings: Parkman with explosives strapped to his chest.

Hot dog stand. Luke is ready to go; Sylar’s all, but my father killed my mother; Luke says he didn’t know, plus, sort of, whatever. Sylar is sick of this kid’s bullshit and TKs him up against the wall. He doesn’t kill him, though, but tells Luke to go home to his mother. Sylar, on the other hand, is going to find his father and kill him himself. I liked Sylar better in S1 when he was evil and out to take over the world. These oedipal issues are just not that interesting.

Danko has Parkman in a van. Parkman seems dazed, maybe drugged, muttering that he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Danko says that he looks exactly like a terrorist and injects him with something. The van stops and Danko pushes poor Parkman out of it in what looks like the middle of the Mall. He’s got on a vest wired and blinking with explosives but I don’t think he realizes it yet.

Costa Verde. Claire is back at home, her hair drying. Her mom comes up to check on her, jokingly asking if there are any more cute boys in her closet. They decide to watch a movie together and Claire runs downstairs to get the popcorn out of the microwave. When she gets to the kitchen, however, that icktastic Puppetmaster guy is there. “Hi, Barbie,” he says as she backs away from him. He holds up his cell phone: Rebel has sent him a text, which says, “Claire will save you.” He’s here to be saved.

Previously on Heroes / next time on Heroes