Heroes Recap - Volume 3: Chapters 1 and 2

Each week, Comicdom Wrecks! (whose staff consists of three Heroes-loving nerds) will be recaping the most recent episode of Heroes. Lost somewhere in the season? Forgot something that's taken place? Check the Recaps to find what you may have missed.

HEAVY SPOILER ALERT!

9/23/09 - Volume 3: Chapters 1 & 2 (The Second Coming, The Butterfly Effect)

Wrapping Up – Who Shot Nathan?
Most of the themes of this arc are set up immediately with the answer to who shot Nathan in last season’s finale. Peter (the scarred one from the future) travels back in time to stop Nathan from announcing the existence of superhuman powers to the world, thereby preventing his timeline. The problem is that the longer he stays in the past to make sure the job has been completed, the more of what was supposed to happen is disrupted.

Story 1 – Villains Escape (Peter, Angela, Sylar, HRG, Claire)
Claire gets a visit from Sylar who cuts her head open and studies her brain, gaining her healing. When she heals from the attack, she can no longer feel pain, which she begins to associate with the loss of her soul. While with Claire, Sylar finds a file on Level 5 of Primatech, which houses some of the most dangerous prisoners ever dealt with by the company. He kills Bob, gaining his transmutation, but is confronted by Elle and HRG, both of whom he quickly dispatches. As he tries to cut open Elle’s head, she instinctively unleashes a torrent of electricity that shorts out the building’s security and sets the prisoners free. Unbeknownst to them, one of them is possessed by Peter, whom his future alter-ego locked within the mind of a prisoner. Angela, now in charge of the company with Bob’s death, fires Elle and warns the future version of her son that he had better get to fixing this mess he made. Sylar, who was knocked out by Elle’s attack, is held prisoner in a Level 5 cell. At the Bennet house, HRG prepares to go after the escaped prisoners, and leaves Claire in the care of her birth mother. The escaped villains, unknowingly joined by Peter, kill two people and escape in their car.

Story 2 – Hiro’s Formula (Hiro, Ando)
Bored out of his mind after becoming majority owner of his father’s company, Hiro is excited to receive a video recorded by his father before his death. The video tells of half a formula locked away that could possibly destroy the world. As soon as Hiro opens the safe, the formula is stolen by Daphne, a speedster who is not completely subject to Hiro’s abilities. Unwilling to travel back in time, Hiro travels forward to discover what the formula could possibly do, but witnesses his own death at the hands of Ando, who seemingly possesses lightning powers. As Tokyo explodes, Hiro returns to the present, doubtful of Ando and determined to get his formula back. A private investigator discovers the name and address of the crook. Hiro and Ando travel to France and set a trap for Daphne, allowing Hiro to plant a tracer on her. They follow her path, planning to get the other half of the formula before she can.

Story 3 – Nathan in Congress (Nathan, Linderman, Tracy)
Doctors rush to save Nathan’s life, but are ultimately unsuccessful. As Peter looks over his brother’s body, his wounds heal and he regains consciousness. As he convalesces, he is visited by Mr. Linderman, who begins telling him of what he is capable of. Nathan travels to the hospital chapel, and before news cameras, gives a monologue about how he has been blessed by God, no longer willing to reveal his secret. This change of heart prevents Peter (future) from shooting him again. The news coverage brings Nathan to the attention of the governor of New York Robert Malden, whose assistant Tracy recommends that Nathan be appointed as the replacement for the recently deceased senator from New York. When Tracy visits Nathan, he mistakes her for Niki Sanders and is skeptical of the offer, but eventually accepts it under the advice of Linderman, as long as Tracy serves on his staff. Tracy herself is confronted by a reporter who accuses her of being Niki Sanders, and even produces hotel security footage of Niki and Nathan together during Nathan’s campaign. As Tracy lays a hand on the reporter, his entire body freezes and shatters, causing her to run in fear.

Story 4 – Parkman in the Desert (Parkman)
Parkman finds Peter in a storage closet, apparently searching for the gun that was used to shoot Nathan. When he questions Peter about it, unaware that he is actually a version of Peter from the future, Peter transports Parkman to Africa and leaves him stranded there. After walking for some time, Parkman collapses. He is visited by a large turtle, who points him to a water-enriched root. As he thanks the turtle, he is found by a man who knows his identity, but is unnerved that the transpiring events are not how he painted them.

Story 5 – Suresh’s Formula (Suresh, Maya)
Having sent Molly to a secret location to keep her safe, Suresh begins working with Maya on locating the source of the superhuman abilities. When she tells him that her powers manifest when she becomes upset and fade when she calms, he succeeds in creating a formula that theoretically can manifest powers in any human. She tells him that it should be destroyed, but instead he injects himself with it and manifests heightened strength, speed and other senses. He becomes uncharacteristically aggressive and sleeps with Maya, before waking up to find that a piece of his shoulder seems to be peeling off.

Extras
Knocking out the future – Peter’s presence disrupts key events in the future:

• When Claire calls wanting to help, he tells her to stay put, leaving her home alone when Sylar comes knocking.
• Sylar’s presence in the house gives him access to the Level 5 file, which sends him in that direction and leads to the villains’ escape.
• Sylar’s attack leaves Claire unable to feel pain, which has her questioning her humanity.
• Nathan’s wounds lead to his spiritual revelation, which gains him the attention that leads to his nomination.
• Parkman is sent to Africa, where he is told he is not supposed to be.
• The Peter of the present is locked in the mind of one of the Level 5 inmates when they escape.

Debuts

• Tracy Strauss (Ali Larter) – Advisor to Governor Malden, she is seemingly identical to Niki Sanders, though she apparently does not know the woman. Seemingly possesses freezing abilities.
• Daphne Millbrook (Brea Grant) – Speedster and master thief, her stealing of Hiro’s formula has made her his declared nemesis.
• Flint (Blake Shields) – A prisoner of Level 5 possessing pyrokinesis.
• Jesse Murphy (Francis Capra) – A prisoner of Level 5 possessing sound manipulation abilities. The host body of Peter Petrelli.
• The German (Ken Lally) – A prisoner of Level 5 possessing magnetism manipulation.
• Knox (Jamie Hector) – A prisoner of Level 5 possessing fear-based powers.
• Robert Malden (Bruce Boxleitner) – Governor of New York looking to fill a vacated Senate chair.
• Usutu (N’Tare Mwine) – An African man who discovers Parkman in the desert. Apparently possesses the ability of precognition, represented through paintings (perhaps like Isaac Mendez).

Deaths

• Bob Bishop (Stephen Tobolowsky) – killed by Sylar for his abilities.

Revelations

• Angela Petrelli’s power is revealed to be precognitive dreaming. This was hinted at in the first season, as Peter first began envisioning his and his brother’s powers in dreams.
• With Bob’s death, the only surviving founders of the Company are Angela Petrelli, Maury Parkman and Adam Monroe.
• Sylar has gained the abilities of healing and transmutation.