Heroes 4.3: “Ink”

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but tonight continued Heroes streak of not being terrible. That being said is there anything else I can say? Standard fanboy physics all but denies me the ability to offer up a good review. Generally the shortcomings are all that stand out when discussing one’s favorite topics as the love for the material is only increased by the hatred of it.

Fear not, I have a few problems with the episode. Actually, only one and we’ll come to it. But I can’t complain about it. I really can’t.  

We pick up this week with screen time being split between 5 stories: Peter being sued by someone he saved, Parkman trying to handle the day to day routine of being a cop whilst simultaneously being mind****ed by Sylar. We meet a new power as she discovers that while she can’t hear, she can see sound.  Samuel takes himself a trip down memory lane, and  Claire decides to try to take her plotline in a new direction as she tries to find someone to confide in about her powers. This completely new duty falls to her new best friend Zach, West, The fish boy from Season 3, Gretchen.

With some part of Sylar being inside of Parkman’s brain, Parkman has been made relevant again. For some reason, he’s determined to NOT use his powers. (It’s like the writers want us to hate him.) But Sylar has other plans for him. My one regret is that when Sylar makes the split, that we’ll end up with regular Parkman again. My only hope is that he dies in a really heroic redeemable way because I don’t think there’s going to be room for a man refusing to use his power. (More than likely it will increase his screen time.)

I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll leave Peter’s stuff alone and just say I’m happy to see him at the forefront where he belongs. He’s using –if not abusing– the talents he’s been given and making it merge with his every day life. Samuel is the one to watch. He’s slowly reeling them all in, tying them together, inevitably to string them all up and make them dance for him. I’m looking forward to what his story ends up being.

Not sure where the seeing sound story is going. Stay tuned for that.

Claire. Ugh. Claire remains the means by which to push product –with her super sweet SPRINT phone!– and something to slow down the pace of the show when it gets too action packed or event filled by other characters. And they’re definitely working the lesbian angle.

Tonight, Claire finally got sick of “not being able to be herself” and revealed everything to new BFF Gretchen. This wouldn’t be that bad –yeah it would– if this were the first time she’d been able to be herself. Like I said previously, we’re retreading old territory. In fact, I can’t remember a time outside when they first moved to California, that Claire WASN’T herself. That’s my entire argument with her character, she’s not going ANYWHERE. She’s doing the same fish out of water, all alone sad sack  trying to find someone to understand her routine she started in the pilot.

She continues to be the lagging point. Depending on how Samuel brings it all around, I don’t see her getting any stronger.

But like I said, I can’t complain about this episode. It wasn’t terrible. I don’t call it good because as my friend Bryan pointed out, this show could turn at ANY moment. But for now…for now we’re moving along at a good pace.

Aside from Claire.