Time was designed to move in one direction…ever forward. Allowing our lives to be a series of choices—threaded—one after another.

These choices define who we are. Whether it’s to protect the family we cherish, the truth we know and the memories we hold onto. The past we cannot leave behind. Or the search for the answers to our own private mysteries. But mettle with the laws of time. Twist it, bend it and even the smallest of butterflies can alter history itself. Turn friend into foe, causing the most unexpected of consequences and the greatest tidal wave of change.

The single most overriding aspect in the Heroes universe has always been the concept of destiny or fate. How able are we to accept the hand we are dealt versus fighting to change it? Heroes Reborn has continued that question and, for two weeks at least, did a marvelous job telling that tale as our protagonists traveled back in time in order to prevent the events that triggered one of the biggest death tolls on U.S. soil. This week, our white hats discover that even the noblest of intentions can have far reaching and decidedly unforeseen results.

As Mohinder’s voice over provides the above context, our Heroes are on their way to their separate destinies, some of which are more interesting than others.

Parkman is playing with the black hats now…the bad guy role doesn’t suit him

Starting with Carlos, with the help of Diering, he’s made it to the inner sanctum of Sunstone Manor in search of his nephew Jose and Father Mauricio. It’s not the most planned out or executed incursion but he eventually finds his targets. Sadly, both have been given the Kool-Aid, if you will, blissful in their desire to stay put. It doesn’t take long for the jig to be up for the two Evos and both Diering and Carlos are captured and sent to the Director, the man who can get into anyone’s head. From the ability standpoint, it’s no surprise of the Director’s identity—Matt Parkman—but this is a man who’s changed precipitously since he was first introduced years ago.  He’s quite cozy in his partnership with Erica Kravid and finds no qualms about screwing with people’s heads. He does it to Diering and it doesn’t end well for the policeman. Carlos is a bit luckier; forced to relive his failure in war, Parkman gets the name of Farah Nazan from Carlos’s memories, deeming the non-Evo a possible asset.

Taylor gets contacted by a mysterious entity after posting about her mother. She’s quite trusting about their identity when they offer up a meeting. She is nabbed and it seems like her mother’s behind it but no, it’s Renee the Haitian. He is a part of a movement started by Micah Saunders—the Evo that can manipulate anything digital—and is being held by Renautus, though they cannot pinpoint the exact location. But Taylor recognizes one particular location compiled by the movement; it’s the first property her mother ever purchased after making it big. Sunstone Manor…it’s where they’ll find Micah.

Tommy–nee Nathan–finally learns the truth of his story

After dropping Emily a gift, Tommy goes to see his mother, ready to listen to what she has to say. He discovers his true lineage as well as his true name: Nathan. While he’s getting briefed on his true purpose, Emily gets a visit from Casper who, for a moment looks as if he’s ready to wipe her memories but decides against it. Enter Joanne. The psycho woman has a real obsession with taking out Nathan. She calls him and holds Emily’s safety over his head; before Nathan arrives, Casper is this close to talking Joanne down but Nathan’s arrival reignites her hatred. And that’s when Luke enters the picture.

Traveling the road with Malina, Luke has slowly started to embrace his new abilities. There is still the sadness of his lost family in his eyes but Malina’s strength and sense of purpose seem to have renewed the goodness inside of him. So much so that, when he arrives at the ice cream parlor, he tells Joanne that he will not hesitate to take her down. It’s here that all hell breaks loose. Casper flings pennies everywhere in an attempt to be-spell Joanne; he gets a bullet to the head for his troubles. Joanne turns her evil intentions to Emily and as she fires the gun, Luke unleashes his power towards his wife and Nathan stops time.

Joanne is tied with Erica Kravid as most unlikable character…and not in a good way

Shocked at what he’s able to do, Nathan removes Emily from danger as well as Joanne from being hit by Luke’s flame-on. When time returns, Nathan and Emily are gone, Joanne jets out (and subsequently offered a ride by Harris) and Luke runs after her. Malina is left to answer questions by the magical expedient response from local law enforcement and meets her grandpa Noah for the first time. This, of course, is after Nathan returns to the hospital with Emily in tow and is captured by the least intimidating pair of henchmen known to man, the brother/sister combo of Quentin and Phoebe. The two take Nathan to Erica Kravid where she tells him just how he’s going to save to world.

“No matter the unforeseeable consequences of our actions. When all seems lost and the future remains uncertain we take solace in the knowledge that the sun will rise again and what is destined will remain.”

In a desolate landscape, nearly eight-thousand years in the future, Miko awakens and traverses the wasteland until she comes across a city in the distance…

Herospace

  • Perspective is everything. When I watched this episode, I raged at its terrible-ness. Now, after a night to sleep on it? Yeah, it’s still bad: Erica Kravid is a terrible villain, Quentin and Phoebe getting the drop on Noah and Nathan is laughable considering their bumbling behavior, Joanne is an irredeemable figure, and let’s not get into the other inconsistencies in storytelling…
  • Having said that, it did present us with some interesting developments. Even if it’s out of the blue, Micah Saunders as the Movement’s leader being held by Renautus could fire things up for the second-half of the season. Parkman as the bad guy though insensible now may provide future dividends as well. And while Kravid is a terrible villain, I will be curious to see the pitch she gives young Nathan on this who saving the world thing…
  • Miko’s not dead! Though how she ends up nearly eight thousand years in the future where Kravid and Company appear to have been sending everything is still a mystery.
  • All in all, “Sundae, Bloody Sundae” (nice play on words, by the way) wasn’t the worst episode of the year but fails to deliver the more sensible and well-constructed storytelling from the previous two hours. My hopes for Heroes Reborn to become anything more than a middling curiosity is almost nil but, as our heroes note, even a sliver of hope is better than no hope at all.