Heroes Review: Ink

Well, well, well, if Heroes continues to churn out episodes like this, I'll be a very happy viewer. It isn't perfect, but it's maybe one of the five best episodes to air since the first season ended. The episode focuses on just a few characters: Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), Claire (Hayden Panettiere), Matt (Greg Grunberg), and the new villain Samuel (Robert Knepper). A few other characters get pulled into these story lines, but we have no appearance from Hiro, Ando, Nikki, Angela, or Nathan. This makes for some well developed scenes. Peter is being sued by a man from a bus crash, but the man is not who or what he claims to be. His story line also introduces us to another new character, Emma (Deanne Bray). She's deaf but is discovering that she can see sound. It's yet to be determined how she will fit in, but she was very interesting in the episode.

Claire must now deal with Gretchen (Madeline Zima) discovering her ability. She's hesitant to tell the truth, and when Noah (Jack Coleman) visits for lunch, she finds herself between her father and new friend. There's some interesting tension in the restaurant, capped by a great moment where Noah realizes Gretchen knows Claire's secret. When asked what he does, he says that he's retired but always finding new reasons to go back to work. Knowing how her father plans to handle the situation, Claire must step in, call him off, and finally trust Gretchen. It's a risk we know will probably backfire on her, but for know it's the right move.

Finally, in the best third of the episode, we have Parkman. As disappointing as it was to see Sylar (Zachary Quinto) back so soon, these thoughts are quickly fading. The dynamic of having Syler in Matt's head is causing massive repercussions in his life. As much as we should know how Sylar operates by now, I still found myself fascinated and mildly surprised by the outcome of the story line. It was a really good moment, one that I won't spoil, but I hope that things continue to happen this way.

Verdict: Two more episodes like this and Heroes can re-cement itself as a true powerhouse show again. The episode keeps things simple, following only three story lines, and the developments are all well done and very promising for future episodes. ☆☆☆☆