Heroes: Parasite

[norwich36]

I finally got to watch this episode streaming from the NBC site, but of all the episodes not to have recorded! I want to rewatch this one a million times, because I suspect there were lots of hints and clues to things, especially in Lindermann's collection.

I have so much love for this show. Do I say that every week? I think I say that every week, but I can't help it. I spent about ten minutes after the episode just squeeing and flailing and cursing that we don't get a new episode until the end of April. We've had cliffhangers before, but never, I think, for every single person's plotline. Damn.

Ok, I have to begin with my reactions to the Bennetts' plotline, because after last week they are my favorites, so they BETTER NOT BE DEAD. I'm not too worried about Mr. Bennett, despite the cliffhanger, because the Company still has his son's life to blackmail him with, but I'm quite worried about Mrs. Bennett, for two reasons. (A) She got to have her emotional resolution with Mr. Bennett, telling him that she knew how to play dumb (*loves her times a billion*) and when he said "I can never love you enough" (*loves him times infinity*) she said "you do fine (*heart breaks into a million pieces*)--but that sort of emotional resolution generally presages death, if I know my genre TV. (B) So far, the only other person we saw shape-changing girl imitate was dead, so that may possibly mean that Mrs. Bennett to be dead for her to take her form. And even if that's not true, where *is* the real Mrs. Bennett? It seems very possible to me that they've already killed her, to show Mr. Bennett they mean business, and they're going to keep his son hostage.

Please tell me I am wrong about this! I want them both to come out alive. I love that with his memory wiped, Mr. Bennett was still so passionate about finding Claire.

Moving on to Nathan's plotline: Nathan! You've been secretly working with the FBI to bring down Lindermann? Oh, just when I thought I couldn't love you any more. And wow, are the writers *deliberately* feeding the Petrellicesters, or what? Could that scene in his office with Peter have *been* any slashier? Only if there was actual kissing involved, I think. It's hard for me to decide whether I loved Nathan's scenes with Peter, Hiro, or Niki more. Ok, I lie. The scene with Lindermann was definitely for the win. I knew Lindermann was going to be Malcolm McDowell, but I didn't know he was going to be quite as awesome as he was. The cooking! The pot pie! Totally turning his back at the end, as if inviting Nathan to shoot him!

I also thought the whole "life of meaning" v. "life of happiness" discussion was very interesting. I'm trying to decide which of those we, as the audience, are supposed to be favoring. I assume the Heroes are all on a quest for the life of meaning? The point about those in search of the life of meaning live in the past or the future could certainly apply to a number of the plotlines tonight: Mohinder trapped Sylar to get revenge for his actions in the past, and also because of his quest for knowledge, which is future-oriented; Mr. Bennett's whole storyline is about atoning for his actions in the past and changing the future for Claire; Hiro needs to claim a relic from the past in order to literally move into a different future, though we found out that he does not in fact change the future, both from the appearance of the post-apocalyptic landscape he and Ando sees and from the fact that Isaac is still painting his own death; and Peter has also been on an unsuccessful quest to change the future.

Is anyone living the life of happiness? Claire is certainly trying to keep hold of her life, throughout the episode, but really the life she's trying to hold onto is the past. Jessica is, I suppose, living in the present, but she's depicted as evil, as is Lindermann. I'm trying to decide where Sylar would fall on this continuum, and failing: is eating people's brains present-oriented since he's focsuing on his own aims in the moment) or future-oriented (since he sees himself as representing the evolution of humanity)?

I have other thoughts on parallelism in the episode, and Mohinder finally getting a clue, Ando coming to Hiro's rescue, and Mrs. Petrelli turning out to have been protecting Claire, etc., but they'll have to wait since I am late for work.