"Heroes" Cast Gets a Taste of the Dark Side

By Courtney Jones
ReporterWhen we last saw "Heroes," those ordinary humans with extraordinary abilities were battling an atypical foe: a writer's strike that cut the NBC drama's second season short. However, after watching the premiere of season three, it is safe to say that the writer's strike gave the superhero series an inadvertent creative boost. Luckily for fans of the show, the premiere lasted not one, but two whole hours.

"Villains" is the title of volume three in the "Heroes" saga, with the first chapter entitled "The Second Coming." In typical "Heroes" episode fashion, the episode begins in with an event that occurs at the end of the episode without spoiling the ending. In this case, Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) is running down an alleyway in Manhattan four years in the future. After ducking into a warehouse to avoid his pursuers, Peter encounters an evil, leather-clad Claire (Hayden Panettiere) who pulls a gun on him and fires. Peter then freezes time and takes the gun before teleporting back to present day, demonstrating his ability to absorb other heroes' abilities.

Peter's brother Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar), a congressman, is giving a speech where he is about to reveal his ability to fly when future Peter shoots him with Claire's gun. In the first five minutes of the episode we have learned the answer to the main cliffhanger of last season: Who shot Nathan Petrelli? Apparently future Peter did. Policeman Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) with the ability to read minds, and real Peter chase Future Peter, but he teleports both of them to remote locations. All of this intense information came before the first commercial break.

Suddenly, Tokyo comes into view which can only mean that we are about to be treated to the comical nature of Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) and his ability to bend time and space. Last season, Hiro's sacred duty was to save a cheerleader to save the world. This season he discovers the heroes must save themselves to save the world. There is also a secret half of a formula that Hiro must protect, which of course gets stolen immediately by Daphne (Brea Grant), a new hero with the ability to move extremely fast.

Across the Pacific Ocean we find present-day Claire in her house relaxing until super villain Sylar (Zachary Quinto) enters her room, once again attempting to cut open her forehead and steal her ability of spontaneous regeneration. He succeeds in doing so, but Claire does not die; Sylar explains to her that she is special.

In the series finale, Niki Sanders (Ali Larter) was trapped in a burning building with none of her multiple personalities to save her. For those of us keeping track, she is Las Vegas stripper Niki, super strong and evil Jessica and now Tracy Strauss, a congressional aide who can shoot ice from her hands and freeze people to death. Cut to Nathan recovering in the hospital, where he believes that all the heroes are angels sent by God, especially once Future Peter explains that he had to shoot Nathan to prevent heroes from being hunted and captured in the future.

Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is the Indian doctor who is trying to discover where the heroes got their powers to avenge his father's murder. Mohinder enlists Maya (Dania Ramirez), a young woman who makes people bleed to death when she gets mad at them, to help him find a cure for the heroes if their ability is dangerous. He realizes that the abilities of the heroes are originating from their adrenal glands, which are affected by their emotions.

After extensive tests, Mohinder creates a syringe full of a serum that can give anyone powers, which he takes under dramatic pretenses to discover an endless amount of energy. However, when he awakes the next day there are bumps under his skin and he can peel it off. Finally the show has given us a question to which we also do not receive an answer.

As it turns out, many years ago, The Company captured a dozen deadly villains who used their abilities for death and destruction. Sylar learns of these dozen villains and goes to The Company to unleash them, which he does at the price of his own capture. Then the big cliffhanger comes. Angela Petrelli (Cristine Rose), the mother of Nathan and Peter, enters the room where Sylar is being held and reveals that she is his mother. The screen then goes black as the shock sets in.

As far as "Heroes" episodes go, these two did not disappoint. There were times when I was screaming at my television set, completely shocked by the information I had just witnessed. Niki has a new personality who shoots ice. Future Peter shot Nathan. Mrs. Petrelli may or may not be Sylar's mother. However, it seemed like too much information was given out. Yes, a show that has been criticized for not giving out enough information gave out too much. We could have been left wondering what Niki's new ability was. Or why Angela Petrelli entered the room where Sylar was held. Instead, the only real reason I have to tune in next week it that fact that I am a loyal "Heroes" fan.