‘Heroes’: ‘Into asylum’ with the Petrellis and Sylar

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Many have called last week’s episode of ‘Heroes’ one of the bestsince Season 1. I have to agree that a lot of the dialogue was more engaging and funnier than it’s been in a long time. We all bow down to Bryan Fuller, but he can’t write every show, and this ‘Into Asylum’ episode may not have had the witty words of last week’s, but it did offer some character bonding that we haven’t seen.

Peter and mom Angela. Claire and dad Nathan. Danko and ... Sylar? Yep, they’re all buddy-buddy now after Sylar gave Danko a gift (puppet master Doyle) and promised to help him rid the world of powered people. It was spooky watching Sylar create their profile of the shape-shifter. He’s easily one of television’s most calculating figures/villains. Both character’s are smart enough not to trust the other, so this strained relationship will be fun to watch as it develops and remains hidden. At the end of their sojourn this episode, Danko told Sylar that he’d be the last one standing. Sylar: ‘Funny how that works out.’ Great line, but I did have one question: When did Sylar get the ability to teleport? I’ll have to go back and look, but he was out of Danko’s backseat and on top of an adjacent building in the blink of an eye.

Peter’s devotion to his manipulative mom is only touching because we know that there are worse people out there than Angela. Their bonding in church didn’t really reveal any secrets, unless you count Angela having a sister as a secret. She’ll most likely have powers, but what kind? And Peter’s talk with God or the Virgin Mary (I believe?) could’ve been shorter and more to the point, but at least the whole encounter let us know that Noah/HRG is still, to some extent, on the side of the heroes. His discovery of Angela could have turned in many different directions.

I always wonder how people DON’T see Nathan when he comes down after flying. There were some cool moments between Nathan and Claire as they hid out in Mexico for a night while figuring out what to do. Just as I was irked at Claire for her ‘I’m going to go take a walk’ line (What?!?! Stroll down the street in Mexico just because ... ?), she came in with a great gesture, selling her necklace for cash. The bonding done between Claire and Nathan is the most poignant of any this episode, maybe this season. Claire’s always had this chip on her shoulder when dealing with Nathan, and we got to see why. Letting Claire be a teenager instead of a crime-fighting know-it-all is a great move sometimes, and the moment she and Nathan shared in the hotel was nice.

Character development is one of the first things that go when a television series that’s viewed as ‘struggling’ tries to regain its footing. Even as we applaud last week’s episode, this week’s was pretty brave, though a bit boring. Though it didn’t give much of a hint as to the show’s direction -- which is both good and bad -- it did add a sense of anticipation for the Petrelli reunion and for Sylar’s eventual confrontations with other people with abilities. Hiro, Matt Parkman and Rebel are also still on the back burner.

Tidbits

-- ‘Heroes’ for Autism is gearing up for a fundraiser. The Band from TV and the show’s music composers (and former Prince protegés) Wendy and Lisa all perform, teaming with the group Autism Speaks. There’s also a silent auction of photography and art from autistic artists.

-- A lot of you don’t believe that Tracy Strauss is dead, some equating her survival to an Iceman-like ability to control her atomic structure and actually become ice. Ali Larter’s return or departure hasn’t really been announced, but the third sister, Barbara, is still out there even if Tracy is shattered.

-- Jevon Phillips