Plot

Claire attempts to destroy her first target, Stephen Canfield. Hiro attempts to become friends with Daphne.

Nathan is filled with self-doubt, not knowing if he's an angel or a monster. His mother, Angela, eventually tells him the origin of his abilities. Tracy Strauss is still having trouble coming to terms with the fact she killed someone with her super-freeze powers. Meanwhile, Claire decides to go after one of the escapees from Level 5, Stephen Canfield. She's in for a bit of a surprise however and she doesn't quite find what she was expecting. Noah "H.R.G." Bennett and Sylar are also after the same man. Also, Hiro and Ando unearth Adam Monroe who knows all about the stolen formula and, given his options, agrees to help them. Elsehwere, Daniel Lindeman tries to recruit Daphne for his cause, and Suresh continues with his experiments which start to take an emotional and physical told on him.—garykmcd

"Heroes" - "Chapter Five: Angels and Monsters" - October 12, 2008

We open on Nathan and Tracy in bed. Nathan, in a voice over, is worrying about his life moving like a speeding train. Even though he's been touched by God he's still plagued by demons and frightened about the challenges ahead. As he monologues we see: Peter holding Sylar against the wall from last week vowing to never be like him; Claire stashing a gun she bought in a pawn shop; Hiro and Ando digging up a coffin containing an annoyed Adam Monore; Mohinder perched on a stone in a park watching some dudes.

Nathan gets up for a midnight milk run and bumps into Linderman in his kitchen. He wants to know more about how Tracy is "his path" like Linderman told him last week when he saved her. Linderman blathers about it being a message from a higher power. Nathan scoffs at the idea of a dead mobster being a messenger from God. Linderman disappears as Tracy appears and wonders who he's talking to.

Back in the park a jittery Mohinder seems to be trying to buy drugs from a dealer to "take the edge off" but it turns out that he doesn't need drugs he needs the dealer himself. (This is apparently going to be some Dexter-like story where Mohinder takes the edge off his weird self-inflicted powers by hurting "bad" people.)

Sylar, on Level 5 still in a chokehold is repeating his whole "you're just like me, brother" speech. Peter breaks his necks and tosses to him the ground as Mama P runs in to tell him to stop. Peter uses his telekinesis to paralyze Angela and then tries to read her mind to obtain other secrets. He can't so he yells at her to tell him or he'll rip her head open and take them out. He starts to do just that- completely proving Sylar's point about becoming him- as Sylar rights his broken neck and whaps Peter against the wall, saving their mom. HRG arrives outside his cell and gives him a nod. Apparently, it's time for another installment of their buddy cop routine.

At the Bennett house Sandra has gotten wise to the fact that there was no cheerleading sleepover and Claire has rifled through HRG's villains files in order to help. She and Meredith go through the files. Sandra points out a dude who creates vortexes as being a particular threat to the "can't get hurt" Claire. Meredith's more concerned about another guy named Eric Doyle who lives nearby. Sandra wants to come but Meredith taunts her by saying "can you do this?" and then making her sweet hand fire. She promises to have Claire home soon and runs off. Sandra is obsessed with vortex man.

As she looks at his picture we cut to the real McCoy walking around an emptry apartment on the phone. Apparently he's having family problems because he's yelling at someone that he has a right to see his wife and kids. He gets so annoyed that he creates a vortex into which the phone and some nearby papers get sucked. He hears a noise, turns, and Claire tazers him.

In the graveyard Adam is choking Hiro. Hiro say he needs his help. Adam wonders, since Hiro buried him alive, why he would be inclined to help him. Hiro stops time in order to close the coffin lid. We hear Adam banging on it and swearing at him as Ando says they can't trust him since he's a villain. Hiro says as a hero he has to take chances and make sacrifices to save the world. They let Adam out and explain about the formula. Even he says he told them to destroy it. They offer him a nice cell with a window and a vent if fingers a culprit. He points ot Mama P. They say she's the one that sent them on the mission. Adam's out of ideas then, but when Hiro puts him back in the coffin, he claims to have a plan.

Linderman shows up at a place called "Pinehearst Com-something (it looks like it might be community college) to speak to Daphne about recruiting an organization for a new world order. She is talking to him but as others walk by it looks like she's talking to herself. He says they're on the precipice of inhabiting a world where people with special powers will indeed be special. She's in as long as she gets paid. He gives her a stack of file, that we see her hold. It includes some of the Level 5 escapees as well as Mohinder. She declines, handing the files back saying the people seem nasty and she doesn't want to get her hands dirty. Linderman says they've just lost their way and it's time for himself and Daphne to give these people purpose.

In the car Sylar, eating an apple, fiddles with the radio to HRG annoyance. HRG says if it was up to him he'd have left Sylar to rot given that he terrorized Claire, killed lots of people, yada, yada, yada. Sylar points out that rehabilitation takes time. HRG says he understands killing is just in Sylar's nature.

Vortex man awakes, confused.Claire says she's taking him back to Level 5. VM says he needs to see his family, the company dragged him away and held him for two years and they left him. Claire says since he killed someone he's a monster and gets what he deserves. VM says it was one mistake and that Claire is just like all the other company peeps, a Judgy McJudgerson. He vortexes away her tazer as he says she needs to listen. Claire, understandably, looks worried.

At his lab, Mohinder drags his prey into a back room. He feels his scaly back and then looks at it in the mirror. Maya arrives and wonders why he didn't come home last night. She's brought in a flyer that was stuck to his door with a picture of his neighbor, the wife beater who Mohinder beat up. It's a missing persons flyer. Mohinder hugs her and kisses her neck from behind saying he's close to figuring out how to de-power her. She's all turned on until she sees the dragging trail of blood on his floor. She diplomatically disentangles and says he should get back to work and flees. Mohinder walks back into his back room, drops the flyer, and we see the neighbor attached to the wall in some kind of goopy cocoon very similar to the way the people were trapped in the "Alien" movies before implantation.

At Vortex Man's empty apartment Claire sits on a chair as VM explains he never meant to hurt anyone. Her phone rings and he grabs it and throws it and asks if it's her partner. She says she doesn't have one. He scoffs knowing that company policy is "one of us, one of them." He realizes she's not from the company. He pulls out a card that reads "Pinehearst Company" and asks if she's with them. She says she's not. He wonders who she is. She says she read his file and is all indignant that he killed his neighbor. He says it was an accident, they fought, he got upset and the next thing he knew his neighbor was gone. (Like the others apparently, he hadn't yet learn to control his power.) He sits and is tearful saying he didn't want to hurt him. He complains about the lack of due process and laments missing his wife and children, he wants to see them again and hold them once more even if it's for the last time. He just wants to be normal and says she couldn't possibly understand. He tells her to leave. Amazed that he's letting her go, our young Claire finally realizes that just because her daddy said so doesn't make this guy a villain. She decides to help him instead.

Nathan and Tracy are getting dressed and he wonders how he can be sure she won't try and kill herself again. She says she can't talk about it and who will understand better than him. She tearfully turns around and explains that she killed that reporter who was threatening to expose her as Niki by accidentally freezing him. Nathan points out it was an accident. She says she needs to turn herself in. He points out that that's not a good idea, because who's going to believe her. She says she'll show them. He grabs her arm and says she can't. He explains how he was going to tell all at the press conference, got shot, died, found God. She explains that God didn't give them these powers, a doctor in Reseda did. He's confused and troubled.

Claire has pulled out Vortex Man's file and gives him the number of his family, they haven't moved far. VM makes plans to meet his family when the phone abruptly cuts off. HRG bust in and is freaked to see Claire. VM thinks Claire set him up. HRG tells VM to freeze when Sylar busts in. Now Claire is confused that HRG is with Sylar. What a comedy of errors! Except that VM doesn't care about the particulars. He tells Claire to hold on to something, creates a vortex in the middle of the floor and flees. Everything starts getting sucked into the black hole as HRG, Sylar, and Claire hold on to stuff. Just as Claire loses her grips and goes flying, Sylar catches her arm. She angrily lets him hold on to her.

The vortex closes, Claire falls, Sylar asks if she's okay. Peachy, apparently. Sylar reports the target is gone. HRG asks where VM went. Claire says he should be left alone, that he's not dangerous like HRG thinks, she wonders how he could be working with Sylar after what he did to her. Sylar begins an earnest apology and HRG cuts him off saying he's not allowed to talk to her. Claire won't give up VM's location saying he's just having problems like she once did, and he has no one to help him like HRG helped her. HRG says okay and says he will talk to him and if he agrees he promises not to send him back to Level 5 if he doesn't deserve it.

Adam, Hiro, and Ando go to a saloon. Apparently, it's the bar where people go to find for "specials-for-hire." He tells Hiro and Ando to look tough. They fail. The bartender is mad Adam has come back. Adam didn't know "she" was his wife. The bartender jumps the bar and swings at Adam but hits, and knocks out, Hiro. As Ando tries to revive him both the bartender and Adam escape.

On Level 5, Nathan and Tracy arrive to find that Mama P has put Peter in a medically-induced coma because he tried to kill her and took Sylar's ability. Nathan introduces Tracy but Mama P knows all about her and Dr. Zimmerman. He worked for the company many years ago. Tracy thinks Mama P can help her. Mama P says she can't. Tracy threatens to go public. Nathan wants to know what Mama P is hiding. Mama P exposits that Dr. Z gave people "synthetic' abilities including Tracy, sisters Niki and Barbara, and ...Nathan. Nathan is troubled and confused.

Maya returns to Mohinder's lab. It's night, and spooky. She walks into the back room and sees the cocooned peeps. She's troubled and confused. She approaches one, the wifebeater. Like in "Alien," he wakes up and she starts trying to cut him out. She hears Mohinder return. He hears a noise and goes into the back room. He sees a chair in front of the wifebeater and the cut in the cocoon. Maya is hiding under the table, hears Mohinder approach and starts to work her power, hurting Mohinder and wifebeater. Mohinder upends the table and says she doesn't want to be a killer again. She turns off the bloody eyes and releases him from pain. She looks at him and calls him a monster. He tells her he wishes she hadn't said that. He advances toward her.

Hiro and Ando race out of the bar. They think Adam is gone. He emerges from a nearby dumpster. As he makes his escape Knox knocks him out and drags him into a van as Hiro and Ando walk the opposite way. Knox makes a call, saying it's done and wondering what he should do with Hiro and Ando.

In an office Tracy, Nathan, and Mama P look over the old experimentation files. Nathan says "oh my god." And Mama P says they were trying to be better than god. He's disgusted. Mama P explains that Papa P was disappointed Nathan was born without the genetic code but they figured with his lineage he could handle being given a power. They were right. Tracy wonders about herself, since she had no one to protect her. Mama P concedes what they did to her was wrong, which is why they split and hid the formula. Tracy points out an innocent man is dead now because of what they did. Mama P prevails upon them for help to find the formula since the people who have stolen it want to fill the world with dangerous people. Nathan tells her to go to hell. She appeals to him saying this is why Peter took Sylar's ability, sacrificed himself, because he knew what was going to happen. Mama P knows he doesn't want that and that Nathan doesn't understand. Nathan says he understands plenty, she coma-ized Peter, used himself and others as guinea pigs and wonders who else, Claire? Peter? Mama P appeals to his back as hea nd Tracy walk out. Nathan apologizes to Tracy and says he knows a scientist who can help, plus, "he's harmless."

Cut to Mohinder cocooning Maya.

At the carousel where Vortex Man was going to meet his family Claire calls out to him and says her dad is willing to listen. VM is crying, his wife and kids never showed up, he thinks they're afaid of him. He wonders if he is indeed a monster. HRG arrives with a gun and points it at VM. Claire is troubled and confused. HRG makes VM a deal, he says if he makes his partner disappear- Sylar, standing several yards away- HRG will let him go. Claire tells him he doesn't have to do it. VM says he's not a killer and he can't. HRG says his partner is and he can't kill him so VM must. Claire appeals to HRG. Sylar, out of earshot and apparently no longer possessed of that awesome hearing power, is confused by the tableau. HRG says he's doing it for Claire. VM cries that "you people have taken everything from me." HRG continues to threaten him. VM says he won't be a monster, creates a vortex and sucks himself into it.

At another bar Hiro and Ando drink. Hiro says every hero hits a slump now and again. Ando says they are the worst heroes ever: they lost the formula, the speedster, and now Adam. Hiro says not to lose heart, since the world is depending on them. Ando says the world is screwed and at least it can't get worse. Enter Daphne and Knox who are looking to recruit them. They jump a little too quickly to the other side and Daphne is unconvinced. They claim they are "badasses" now. Daphne says they have to prove themselves. Knox goes to the wall and grabs a sword and tells him to kill Ando. He and Daphne simultaneously blurt "kill Ando?!" Knox says that will prove Hiro's bad-assness. Hiro takes the sword and apologizes to Ando saying he needs to make a sacrifice to save the world. He stabs Ando in the heart.

HRG drops Claire off at home, explaining he did what he had to do "for us." Sylar, in the backseat, says she doesn't believe a word he's saying, she knows exactly why he didn't take VM down when he had the chance and sees him for the user he is. Sylar says that to HRG he's just a monster and that HRG will never see "our" humanity. Claire gets out as does HRG saying that she shouldn't believe Sylar. She calls him a monster and HRG says that's true but she's his daughter and, like Bryan Adams, everything he does, he does for her.Claire says she understands that but looks troubled and confused as he tells her it's all going to be okay. Claire runs in and Sandra says she's glad Meredith found her.

Cut to Meredith not eating spaghetti and meatballs with the bad guy, Eric Doyle, she went after. His power seems to be making people do his bidding physically by making them mirror his movements. He makes her kiss him. A wide shot reveals that, appropriately, he make marionettes/puppets.

In Mama P's office she's reading a file. She looks troubled and confused...and sleepy. She falls asleep and hears a scream. She goes to the hall and Tracy is lying dead on the floor her throat slashed. Nathan is slumped nearby his head with the tell-tale cut. She sees Peter with bloody hands and she asks him to tell her that he didn't do this. He face plants showing off a blunt instrument embedded in his skull. (Clearly, we now know that this is a dream sequence). She turns to see a man that we don't and she exclaims it can't be him. He advances and says hello and that he can't have her walking around all alive and what not since she can see the future. It's too dangerous. She says she'll stop him. A bloody hand with a unique ring touches her shoulder and he says that's ridiculous since she won't be able to move. (It's blurry but the dude is Robert Forster.) She wake up wide-eyed at her desk, his voice ringing in her head and the file of the man on her desk open.

Daphne speeds up to Pinehearst. Linderman says she's late. She says she completed her task and that even Hiro signed up. She's mad about Ando though and insists she didn't sign up to be a killer. Linderman says that's part of making the world a better place. He says he has another recruit for her and that it will be her hardest yet. She filps open the file and it's Parkman. He describes Parkman's power not as mind-reading but of altering people's minds by putting thoughts in people's heads and making them see things that aren't there (So is Parkman behind all of this, is he making people see Lindeman? And isn't that his dad's power?) Speaking of which, Daphne has finally realized what's been bugging her about Linderman. She can't sneak up on him. She flings the file at him and it flies through his body. She says she knew he wasn't really there. He says it's not her concern and to just bring him Parkman. She says she guesses she doesn't have a choice. She speeds off and Parkman's dad peeks around a corner checking the coast, realizing it's clear he strides off. (Is he Linderman? Projecting Linderman? He's not wearing Lindeman's suit.) He walks into a room with a massive bed where someone is hooked up to all kinds of medical equipment and a doctor is standing by. Parkman pere tells the patient that the team is coming together and he's been appearing to Nathan as Linderman just like the patient asked. We get a glimpse of the patient's eye- it's Forster- who is apparently communicating to Parkman pere with his mind because he speaks as if he's answering questions. He says they're building an army just like the patient wanted. (I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess the patient is the supposedly deceased Papa Petrelli.) Adam Monroe will be there tomorrow. Ding-Ding-Ding Parkman pere says "whatever you say goes Mr. Petrelli" and we pull back to see Forster, looking extremely unhealthy with a tube connected to his throat.