No Future For You: TIC v. Heroes 3.4!

WARNING: Here There Be Spoilers


“Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.”
-- Dark Helmet

... Four years later, “I Am Become Death” shows us yet another future scarier than a Palin re-election: Metahumans everywhere! A super army being activated! Presidential fratricide! Costa Verde detonated! Dogs and cats, living together! ...

Sorry, got carried away there. Anyway, this episode expects us to feel bad for doe-eyed, dunder-headed Peter Petrelli. No matter what he does, it seems, the future gets f'd up. The episode's primary plot flings him into the future, where, for the second time in two seasons, things are jacked – despite his preventing Nathan's outing the metas to the world earlier this year.





In the re-revised timeline, everyday schmucks are super-schmucks, thanks to the Suresh serum, while Suresh himself has apparently devolved into a spider-entity, warning our Peter, “I got the formula wrong.” In a nice touch, present-day Mohinder is discovering much the same thing, telling his trusty voice-recorder, “I cannot reverse the process ... It's a part of me now.”



In an odder touch, Peter's new timeline matches the one Parkman beholds in a vision while “in Africa.” In this latest timeline, Future Pete is considered a terrorist, hunted down by the team of Knox, Daphne (revealed as Matt's latest baby-mama), The Haitian and Evil Sexy Claire Bear. ESCB out-and-out shoots and kills Re-Pete, to the delight of recappers who won't have to differentiate between the two of them anymore. The murder of his future self sends our One True Peter on his usual stumble-bum quest to put the pieces together.

A tip from Spider-Suresh leads Peter to the former Bennet residence, now inhabited by a rehabilitated Syl-uh, Gabriel Grey. Now a doting father to a son named Noah (awww), Gabriel confesses to Peter his belief that they're siblings. Peter, unfortunately, doesn't respond to Gabriel's news with, “Who told you that, my mom? News flash, Spock – she's a dirty liar.”

Peter does, however, learn to ape Gabe's tinkering ability, just in time for a catastrophic run-in with Evil Claire in company, leading to Sylar's finally going nuclear and destroying all of Costa Verde. Pete wakes up in the custody of the presumed new Company, where now-President Nathan reveals his plans for a superhuman army doing “God's work.” Naturally, Peter decides it best to slice his brother's dome open like a can of cat food before retreating back to the present and attacking our Sylar in Level 5. And here's where we should step back a bit.

Imagine you're Peter Petrelli. Your Facebook contact list, at this point, should presumably include the following: a politically-connected brother; a super-spy; a brilliant (if stupid) scientist; and a guy who can travel through freaking time. How do you not call or message any of these people at the slightest hint of trouble? Wouldn't a simple e-mail solve anything at this point?

Hey, Noah, long time no hear. You still slinging copy toner?

I kid. Listen, I think my mom's screwing with us and The Future Of All Mankind again. And Nathan's acting all “Praise the Lord and pass me the Niki Sanders lookalike.” We should talk. I cc'ed Hiro and Mo on this. Wanna do lunch at the mall? Best to C-Bear.

Peace,
Pete


Speaking of Mrs. Petrelli, we wrap up the episode with her latest manipulation, as she convinces the still-bickering Hiro and Ando that they hold “the key” to the whole mystery, leading them to, naturally, dig up Adam Monroe, who only wanted to destroy the world just days ago. Maybe Hiro shouldn't be cc'ed on that e-mail.

The Racialicious Scorecard:
Knox: Solid outing for Knox, as we see him in the thick of the latest dystopian future, leading Daphne and Claire into battle against Gabriel and Peter. In a pervertedly smart move, Knox feeds off the fear he instills in the younger Gray and gains an early advantage – until Gabe beats him up for inadvertently causing the kid's death.

The Haitian: We see him as part of Knox's team in the future, but otherwise he only appears in the present-day to deliver Hiro and Ando to Mrs. Petrelli.

Hiro + Ando: Their imprisonment in Level 2 leads to a reconciliation, for now, as Hiro promises to renew his trust in his sidekick. As Mrs. P attempts to pin the blame on them for losing the formula, Ando sticks up for Hiro. We last see them working together again to dig up Adam.

D.L: Still ... oh, I give up.

Mohinder + Maya: Maya appears briefly, attempting to convince Mo to either go out on a date or break her off another Arachni-piece. But Suresh, increasingly desperate to find a cure for his condition, brushes her off. Mohinder does find time, however, to save a white neighbor from being beaten – and, perhaps, to devour her husband. Ew.

Usutu: Still playing window dressing for Parkman's “vision quest.” We don't find out what was in his Discman to make Matt see the future, but he does get one good moment: when Parkman asks if his advice – find his “totem” -- is “mystical African mojo,” Usutu calmly tells him it's actually Jungian theory, before asking, “You don't read much, do you?” Zing! Now, if the writers would actually give him a character ...

Next week: Who could ever surprise Mrs. Petrelli?

Previously:
* Heroes 3.3
* Heroes 3.1 + 3.2
* Heroes Season Preview