Heroes - Trust and Blood

Heroes has gotten much darker and edgier for Volume IV. I'm liking it...

Volume I had Sylar and Linderman as the baddies. Volume II was Adam Monroe. Volume III Arthur Petrelli and Volume IV has Nathan taking up Daddy's mantle as the new badass in town.

Oh, and Sylar's still a baddie as well--but with his new-found Daddy issues and a neophyte taken under his wing, it's hard to hate him anymore. It's like a buddy road trip now with the two of them off to find Sylar's dad, but eventually Sylar the mentor will probably slice newbie Luke's head open and steal his microwaving melting power in the next episode or so. (Luke: "You should see what happens around pacemakers!)

Zachary Quinto was pitch perfect in last night's episode. I love the way he delivered this line in response to Agent Simmons (later melted by microwave boy--R.I.P.) taunt: "You gonna torture me in front of them?" Sylar: "No...I'm gonna torture them--in front of you."

After the plane crash in rural Arkansas--which all the kidnapped Heroes survived--government military agents attempt to round up the prisoners. They scatter trying to escape. The M&M team (Matt and Mohinder) is reunited--along with Hiro. Peter and Claire take off, only to be stopped by Noah. Claire bats her big doe eyes at Daddy, who relents and lets Peter go.

Matt goes into a trance and Mohinder and Hiro follow him to a trailer where he breaks in to steal some drawing paper and colored pens.

'Cuz people who have t-shirts that read "Rednecks Make Better Lovers" hanging on a clothes line always have art materials laying around their trailers.

Matt's drawing of the future shows Daphne getting shot, so he heads back to the crash site much to Mohinder's dismay.

The speedster and accelerator (Daphne and Ando) show up at the crash site after Ando traces Hiro's GPS there. Daphne manages to rescue Claire, but the reunion with Matt and company is short-lived when Danko and the goon squad show up and start shooting. Matt manages to use his mind control so that the shooter turns his gun on his own men, but not before Daphne bites the dust--just like in his vision.

Claire is captured by Danko--who is about to put a bullet in the back of her head when he's stopped by Nathan. Danko threatens Nathan who tells him, "We're all replaceable. Some more than others." Noah takes Claire and sends her back home to Costa Verde, but promises to do what he can for the others.

Nathan receives a call from Tracy who wants to negotiate with him. "You don't have anything I want," Nathan coolly tells her. "I have Peter." Tracy counters.

But the meet-up is a set-up with the goon squad prepared to take shots while Peter holds a gun to Nathan's head. Peter absorbs Nathan's flying ability and jets at the last second. (Peter still has the ability to absorb other abilities, but he can only hang on to one at a time.) Nathan tells Noah he knows that he had a clear shot of Peter and thanks him.

Casualties:

Agent Simmons (eh, we didn't like him much anyway...)
A bunch of military goon redshirts
Tracy (captured)
Daphne (killed)

The remaining Heroes: Matt, Mohinder, Ando, Hiro and Peter (No females? Really? What's up with THAT?!!!) regroup in order to plan their next move.