Heroes
NBC, Monday, 9PM
“Shades of Gray”
Written by Tim Kring and Rob Fresco
Warning: this review contains some spoilers. If you’d rather not know what the story is going to include, bookmark this page and read it after viewing.
Heroes is back on track. With the start of the second half of season three, some real changes have been made in the storytelling, which have helped to get the struggling series under control. The changes have made the show stronger, and they have made story line more believable and entertaining. Clearly, pulling Tim Kring back as a regular writer has made all of the difference for the show.
The most recent episode, “Shades of Gray”, is just one of several recent episodes that have succeeded in focusing the story on a few characters at a time. The result is that every episode feels like something is happening, characters are no longer moved around the world like chess pieces waiting for their chance to act. Even better, the storylines within each episode are cohesive and help to build the story arc for the season. These are all excellent signs that Heroes will only continue to get better throughout the rest of season three.
The primary story line within “Shades of Gray” answers Sylar’s questions about his father by finally bringing the two characters together. “Father” is a loose term, since Sylar’s father not only sold him when he was a child, but he also killed Sylar’s mother. So, it is no surprise that he has daddy issues that turn murderous the more he learns about his father.
The twist comes when Sylar learns that not only do they share the same ability, but his father is also dying of cancer. During a bonding moment, Sylar’s father tells him that having all the power in the world isn’t worth it, if he leads an unsatisfied life—something which he guesses Sylar has already managed to learn. However, when Sylar’s ability to heal is revealed, his father changes, trying to take his son’s ability without realizing the true strength of Sylar’s power. In the end, Sylar finds the closure he sought and leaves his father to die a long, painful, natural death.
The questions that we’re left with are many: What will Sylar do next? Has his reunion with dear old dad shown Sylar that acquiring power is an empty goal? Will Sylar seek out meaningful connections with others, or will he up the ante by choosing victims who are offer more of a challenge? Will he become a hero or a villain?
Meanwhile, Claire learns that Rebel is continuing to send people with abilities her way. Unfortunately, not all of them are warmly welcomed, such as Eric Doyle, the puppet master who made Claire’s mother shoot her in a previous episode.
Now, however, Doyle has turned a new leaf, and wants to go back to living his old life as a puppeteer who made people happy. He even manages to shed a tear to convince Claire of his sincerity. When she sends him away, he goes without causing any trouble. However, he does question her sense of honor, turning her back on her own kind while she gets a free pass from the government goons who are hunting them.
It’s not long before Rebel contacts Claire again, letting her know that Doyle is about to be captured. Being Claire, she can’t help but to save him and set him up with a new identity. How she manufactures all of the necessary paperwork for a new identity is a mystery, but still she manages it. When he walks away, she asks if he’s really changed. Instead of answering, Doyle smiles and continues walking. Perhaps Claire should have asked that question earlier.
The third storyline in the episode features a showdown between Nathan and Danko, the slimy government goon who would like to see everyone with abilities wiped out. As these two face off politically, Nathan works to get the President’s approval to have Danko removed from the project, and Danko tries to prove that Nathan has a power.
Noah Bennett, who is secretly working with Angela Petrelli to limit the damage caused by Nathan’s project, steers Danko away from the Petrelli brothers and toward Angela. Unfortunately for Danko, Angela Petrelli is far savvier than he, and easily manages to keep the power position during their confrontation. However, once Nathan succeeds in getting the President’s approval to pull Danko off the team, Danko pushes Nathan out a window. Instinct takes over and Nathan saves himself, floating in mid-air, and the truth of Nathan’s ability is captured on film. He flies off, disappearing into the night, leaving Bennett and Danko staring out the window.
The episode ends with Nathan saving Claire as government agents break into her house, her free pass revoked. Meanwhile, responding to Rebel’s instructions, Hiro and Ando arrive at a non-descript house to save Matt Parkman only to find that it is Matt’s son that they will be protecting.
“Shades of Gray” is a great episode and it appears to be the standard type of episode that viewers can expect when tuning in for Heroes season three. For those of you who have strayed away from the show, next Monday’s episode, “A Clear and Present Danger”, is a repeat of the opener for the second half of season three. This is the episode that turns the show around. Heroes has, once again, become a show to watch.