Superheroes: it seems they’re around us everywhere we go. With that said, I find it interesting that a show like ‘The Tomorrow People’ has never truly told the story of those who, if they had the powers of telepathy, telekinesis and teleportation, would play the part of hero…until now.

It starts when your average run-of-the-mill business man is stalked and then beaten down by a tomorrow person, ensconced in a mask and hood. When she searches the closet to find a trussed up woman, it looks like the guy’s not so average after all.

Stephen tells the gang about the key and how it could help find his father

Back at their own personal hidey hole, John and Cara continue to get reacquainted and, when they make their way back to the Lair, Stephen hits them with the idea (based on TIM’s theory) of using the key to find his father. Cara’s not ready to commit resources to the mission and tells Stephen that he’s on his own. When John leaves with Cara—despite the former leader leaning towards helping—Stephen’s left with Russell who believes a night on the town is what the two of them need. Their night out is interrupted when Hillary texts Stephen about lil miss super hero and her red rose calling card. The mention sparks a memory with Russell…

Four years ago, he’s winning big at the casino when a beautiful woman screws up his would-be winning roulette wheel, saving him from a beating.

When he arrives at ULTRA, Hillary has a conspiracy theorist Avery Fletcher, a guy who’s been tracking this Red Avenger, cuffed up and ready to do a bit of good cop/bad cop. Though the interrogation goes nowhere, Stephen finds a surveillance picture with the woman in it and everyone’s favorite Kwon in the background. Stephen confronts his friend about it and finds out that Russell and the Avenger—whose real name is Talia—go way back to their time together in Vegas four years ago. Based on Avery’s info and Russell’s memories, TIM extrapolates that this Red Avenger gets her roses (Red 16) at the Rockefeller garden and will keep an eye on things.

Morgan and Jedikiah say ‘hello’ in the most personal of ways

After Morgan goes to John with the idea of going double agent on her Jedikiah, TIM wakes Stephen and Russell to let them know he’s caught the Red Avenger in the rose garden and she’s headed to Little Saigon. They arrive at the club and trace her downstairs where she’s putting a beat down on some criminals, ones that get away when the two gents interfere. Russell’s taken by surprise when the Avenger unmasked is not Talia, but Mallory, a disciple of Talia, who’s “still out there, doing what you taught her to do.” Russell can’t believe how Talia’s made him a part of her lore but can’t rest on the good words as Mallory asks the two boys if they’d like to join her to finish up the missing. She’s been tracking a Vietnamese gang who will stop at nothing to prevent their leader, Ong Lam Chung from getting set free, even threaten a Federal judge and his family. Her surveillance alerts them of the baddies going for the judge and the three tomorrow people jump to the house and take the gang out with no problem. Cara and John arrive a bit later, the former catching Stephen’s brain waves participating in a bit of superhero fun. They quartet plus one get out just before ULTRA agents, led by Hillary, arrive. Unfortunately for Stephen, he’s left his arm band behind and his partner finds it.

Back at the Lair, Cara lectures Russell and Stephen about their crazy actions, something Mallory is less than impressed by. Before leaving to tell the long, sordid tale of their little merry band to Mallory, Russell suggests that now may be the time they reconsider their options and the way they do things. Cara’s not too happy and her mood sours even more when John admits to helping Morgan try to infiltrate Jedikiah’s mind. Of course, he didn’t know she was preggers.

Speaking of the ULTRA Director and his paranormal lover, the two have said their “hellos” and lie in bed with Morgan openly wondering if Jed’s ever thought of the future. He admits that he’s done so but is also realistic about raising any child they would have. It’s not the answer she wanted and tries brushing it off, allowing him to relax long enough to infiltrate his mind. He catches her and attacks but John teleports into the room before Jedikiah can kill her. Surprised would be an understatement for Jed’s reaction when John tells him “Congratulations, Jed. You’re going to be a father,” before he and Morgan teleport out.

Hillary is a bit pissed at Stephen, working off some steam when she shows him the band he left behind. She’s upset with the drive by ULTRA to catch the Red Avenger. “If we can’t get behind a superhero, then what are we doing.” It’s a very personal thing to her and she shares with him the home invasion that took her entire family away from her. Helping people is why she’s so hard and dedicated to her work. She leaves but not before telling Stephen to never leave her hanging again.

After the little sharing hour with Mallory, the two learn that Ong Lam Chung’s trial has been moved up and suggests Russell help her. He’s not too sure about going against Cara but she reminds him that, with powers like this, they should be helping. “We were born great so that we may do great things.” It’s as superhero-y a line as you’ll ever hear and sparks Russell to confront Cara’s regime. “There are dragons to slay,” he shouts to the Lair, “we were given swords. I say we choose greatness.” No one volunteers and Russell leaves out to combat things on his own but there is a glimmer of something in Cara’s eyes, as if she may truly get it.

The guy that got away from the judge’s house leads a group of gang members into the courtroom where they take everyone hostage. TIM relays the information to John and Cara with the new leader telling her beau that she has a plan. In the courtroom, Russell and Mallory take down the submachine gun toting baddies with ease before John teleports in to warn them they need to get going. When ULTRA arrives, they unknowingly chase Cara who acted as a decoy for the Red Avenger.

Job well done, Russell and Mallory say their goodbyes. “Be great,” she tells him and teleports off when a surprising face pops in. It’s Talia; her and Russell reacquaint themselves and he’s all about wanting her to stay but she sees that he has his own partners. “It’s up to you to find your next mission,” are her last words to him before she disappears from his life one more time.

Stephen returns to the Lair to get the news on Morgan’s failed mindreading attempt. When she mentions the deli, it triggers a spark in John’s mind but he couldn’t say where it’s located. Cara suggests reading his mind and he agrees. She glimpses all the things he wanted to hide from her but is able to find the deli’s location in Brooklyn. Stephen dips out to find it while she stays with John. She asks him if he’s okay and he is, promising her “No more secrets.”

Ready to find more information on his dad, Stephen’s stopped in his tracks when Hillary shows up in his room. She realizes he wasn’t there to catch the Avenger and also to excuse herself for being so open and vulnerable with him. He dares her to report him but instead she kisses him hard and fast. They make out for a few moments before she breaks away and tells him there’s a debrief at HQ in 90 minutes. When he suggests they have a little post-debrief meeting, she leaves him with the promise of “I’m gonna debrief you so hard.”

Key in hand and pushing thoughts of Hillary to the back of his mind, Stephen finds his father’s cryogenically frozen body but Uncle Jed steps into the room as well. When Stephen accuses him of lying Jed tells him “Looks like we both have some explaining to do.”

Tomorrow’s News

  • After so long searching, Stephen’s finally found his father’s body. Of course, it’s complicated by Uncle Jed being there as well. What does that mean for Stephen’s cause and Jed’s own? There’s some stuff going on here that goes beyond Jed’s work with ULTRA, I can only wonder what that may be.
  • One of the signs of a good writer is creating back story for a character that can explain his or her actions. ‘The Tomorrow People’ writers have done a fantastic job telling the stories of Cara, John, and Russell but though we don’t see Hillary’s own past, we get it from her mouth. It tells so much about why she’s the way she is and that she’s not just some cold, heartless bioytch. Sharing that personal experience with Stephen has created an intimacy with him, one she seems unfamiliar with handling and methinks, if they are given the chance, the two partners are going to have some very passionate and personal debriefings. Whether that will last remains to be seen.
  • “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s the famous line trotted out by Uncle Ben to Peter Parker in the ‘Spiderman’ mythos. It speaks to the entire belief of the tomorrow people to stay hidden and under the radar. Though they want to protect their species, is it really worth it if you have the power to help the helpless and don’t do so? More to the point, now that they have touched on the greater good, will we see our heroes be more active in doing what they can to be heroes? After all, like Russell said, there are dragons out there to slay and they were the ones who won the genetic lottery and were born with the swords.