- Peter is forced to travel into Sylar's mind to ask for him to save Emma and the two of them find themselves in a limbo state-like deserted city where they try to find a way out. Meanwhile, Samuel tries to further manipulate Claire by showing the past of Noah's in image flashbacks showing his first wife, and the reasons why he came to work for The Company. Also, a wounded Lauren meets with Emma for medical treatment and to try to get her to listen about Samuel's nefarious plans.—matt-282
- "Heroes" - "Chapter 17: The Wall" - Feb. 1, 2010
We open where we left off, Peter running around an empty metropolis yelling, "hello!" His real body lies in front of the now finished brick wall Parkman was building to contain Sylar in his basement. We go into the wall and see Sylar and then go inside his head.
Sylar sits toiling in the Gray and Sons watch store and hears a noise. He stands and suddenly he is in the empty metropolis screaming, "hello!" Peter has been slamming a pole into the street, calling him out. He confronts Sylar and says he came to get him out. Sylar touches him and says he thought he was alone and everyone was dead. He wonders why Peter's there. He says he came to get him out. Sylar says there is no way out, he's tried for three years. Peter says he's only been in there for three hours. Sylar thinks this vision of Peter is a trick of his mind. He says he will kill Peter if he follows him. He does anyway and explains about Matt Parkman and that this world is a dream. Sylar says it's real. He can't believe Parkman trapped him there. Peter asks the last thing he remembers. Sylar says he remembers wanting his life to change but he didn't think it meant spending his life alone. Peter says he has Parkman's power and he can take him out. Sylar wonders why he would do this since he killed Nathan. Peter says he needs his help that he had a dream that Sylar saved his friend Emma. Sylar says Peter knows he's not the savior type. Peter says he saw it and it will happen. Sylar tells him to give it a try. Peter puts his hand on his shoulder and closes his eyes to concentrate but nothing happens. Sylar says they're trapped there forever.
A tantrum-throwing Claire confronts Samuel in the trailer where she's being held captive. She wants to see her dad. Samuel says he's safe and unharmed which is more than he deserves for shooting people. Claire says he didn't, and if he did shoot into the crowd, Samuel would be dead. He says it's time for her to open her eyes and see her dad for who he is. She says nothing he tells her she will change her mind about her dad. He says he's not going to tell, he's going to show.
They go to the house of mirrors where Claire hugs her Dad. Samuel calls on Damien, who has the ability to show people's memories. Noah says to let her go. He seems nervous about this concept. Damien touches Noah's head and we see his memories, in black and white, in one of the mirrors.
First we flash back to L.A. in 1985, when HRG was apparently just plain old Noah Bennet, a used car salesman. (How awesome would it have been if instead they showed him as his alter ego Steven Carrington, living the high life on "Dynasty" which is what Jack Coleman was actually doing in 1985.) Back then he apparently wore cool shades instead of his signature horned rim glasses. It turns out he was a real softie though and he turned customers away and sent them to cheaper dealerships, as someone looks on with a scowl (presumably his boss, but we never see him again). A black woman named Kate shows up to surprise him with a game of "guess who?", to which he replies "Candy?" It's his first wife, to whom he admits he's bad at his job. She says he should be home writing plays and that they can live on love. They kiss. She has some unexpected news and confesses she's pregnant and worries since he likes to be the man with the plan and this wasn't planned. It turns out he's thrilled.
Back to the house of mirrors, Claire is shocked at this revelation of a previous family. He apologizes. She says it doesn't matter and tells Samuel to let him go. Samuel asks if she's not a little curious about that first family. She says no, if he wanted her to know she would. Samuel leaves and tells Damien to keep it up. Noah tells him not to do it.
Back to 1985, Noah and Kate excitedly talk about impending parenthood. They kiss. When they think their Chinese food arrives, it's actually a robber who has telekinetic powers. He throws Noah against the wall and pins him. Noah tells his wife to give him her purse. The robber is disappointed in how little they have. Kate asks "what are you?" The robber tosses her across the room with his power and onto the glass coffee table, impaling her on the metal leg, killing her. Noah is devastated. Back in the house of mirrors, Claire is shocked.
Back in the empty metropolis, which is now clearly shown as L.A. Sylar and Peter confab on a graffitied rooftop. Apparently, a month has passed. Sylar has brought Peter a couple comic books, which he knows Peter likes, but he couldn't find any Doc Savage or Flash. Peter tosses the comic off the ledge and says he's not going to spend his life alone with Sylar. Sylar says it's no great dream for him either. Peter says Sylar needs to focus. Right, says Sylar, so they can go rescue Emma. Sylar says that's Emma's destiny and everyone's dead. Peter says the only thing that's real is them. They walk and talk. He says it's all just a dream, regardless of what Sylar thinks. Sylar can't believe it's a dream since there are books in it he never read, like "Pillars of the Earth", questioning whether Matt (who's dyslexic) put them there. Peter thinks he forgot he read them before, which Sylar denies, never having read Isaac's "9th Wonders" comic, which he throws at Peter. Peter realizes Sylar doesn't actually want to be freed from this nightmare. Sylar says maybe he earned this punishment. Peter says he didn't and he needs Sylar to help him. Sylar says he wants to help. They look down the street and see a brand new brick wall in the middle of the block. Peter recognizes it as the wall from Parkman's basement. He says it's their way out, they have to break through. We pull up to an overhead shot that scans the city and we see that the wall borders it on all sides.
Lauren surreptitiously walks through the carnival to a first aid type area. Emma stumbles upon her and helps her out. Lauren tries to explain that Noah never fired his gun and that Samuel is responsible. She explains the whole "get his people on his side" thing. Samuel arrives and Lauren goes to hide. (She has a gaping shoulder wound from Eli shooting her the night before.) Samuel signs to Emma asking if they are alone. Emma signs what Lauren said about shooting his own people. Samuel says she's "misinformed" and asks to talk to her. Emma jerks her head in Lauren's direction. Samuel approaches her and says he just wants to talk.
Back in the house of mirrors, Claire is taking in that her dad's first wife was murdered by a "Special." He's teary and apologizes for never telling her. She understands. But, she says that must be how he went to work for the Company and became "Mr. Bag and Tag." Damien rolls his eyes back and commences with another b/w memory.
Noah has come home with a bag of supplies and we see him begin the first of his many wall maps with pins and strings, photos and clippings.
We are told it's "one year later" as Noah puts pictures on his map of specials and their locations. He finds one and pins him down in a stairwell with a gun. He asks for information from the man, he wants to find the man who killed his wife, he assumes they all know each other. This guy can't believe there are other people like him and says that he doesn't know this man, Richard. Bennet says he doesn't believe him. The man uses some kind of pushing power and Bennet falls over before he turns and shoots the man dead. He seems panicky. He wipes the prints off his gun and leaves it with the body. Back in the house of mirrors, Claire is horrified.
HRG says it was an accident and he was scared. She realizes that was the first time he killed anyone. Now she's intrigued with what happens next in the story.
Next we see Noah back on the lot trying to sell a car to a young couple. He approaches another potential customer, it's Thompson. He offers Noah a job, saying they've been watching him and they saw how he killed that special. "They" are impressed with him and want him to work for them. Noah is confused and asks who he is. He says his name is Thompson, his associates and he can help Bennet find his wife's killer, and then he can help find more.
We flash to two years later and Bennet and Thompson are having dinner. He asks how the "one of us/one of them" arrangement is working out. Noah says it's been an adjustment. He's working with Claude, the invisible man, who he's not sure he trusts since he's abnormal. Thompson says it's only natural he might harbor a grudge against Specials. He notes that Bennet worked 17 cases and 3 died. Noah says they were all accidents. A waitress, who clearly has Sandra's voice, drops off their food. Thompson says they've invested too much in him to cut ties but they want him to "take a wife" and start a family. Noah wonders if it's a joke. Thompson says it will give his life balance and calm. Noah says he can't get married again. Thompson says he can and that the "cute number" who brought the sandwiches will do just fine. Noah looks over at Sandra (far enough in the background we can just see it really is Ashley Crow) and asks what happens if he refuses. Thompson says he won't. Claire can't believe it was a Company-arranged marriage. HRG protests they chose her but he did love her. He says they used to make decisions for him but that's all in the past.
We go quickly to a much more recent memory of this past Thanksgiving weekend, "Two Weeks Ago" (which contradicts Sylar's comment of being in Matt's head was "so two months ago" last week). He visited Gretchen in their dorm room looking for Claire. Gretchen lied and said she didn't know where Claire was. HRG says he knows she's at the Carnival but wants to know why she didn't come back with Gretchen. HRG yells at Gretchen about encouraging Claire to investigate the carny people who are dangerous. Gretchen says Claire needs to figure out stuff on her own and HRG needs to let her. He says she needs to have a normal life at college. But Gretchen asks what if that's not enough. HRG says it has to be. Then the Haitian walks in and Gretchen wonders what he's doing there. She's worried they're going to erase her memory. He says they won't if she does what he says. Claire is outraged that he threatened her friend. He says he was panicked trying to find her. Claire says she doesn't trust him. He says he doesn't trust Samuel. Claire is unmoved and stalks off.
Back in the walled off metropolis, Peter is banging at the wall with a sledgehammer. He is making no progress. He doesn't know how long it's been, at least weeks in this dream world. Sylar tries to get him to eat. No need in this world, says Peter. Sylar says he knows that look of determination and recalls one of Nathan's memories of him and Peter as a child, racing each other because of some other kid beating Peter. Peter gets in his face and tells him to stop bringing up Nathan's memories. Sylar apologizes, apparently for the umpteenth time, for killing Nathan. Peter says he's tired of his "sorry"s. Sylar says he's finally had enough of this world and this punishment. Peter looks at him meaningfully as if this means that perhaps a little Vulcan mind meld will work this time since Sylar is willing.
Samuel and Lauren confab. She asks him to release Bennett, as a means to keep his family from being hurt. He says he knows how to take care of his family and the time has come to reveal themselves and take what they deserve including respect. She says they have no right to take anything. He disagrees. She says he will hurt people though. He wonders if she expects him to be a carny forever. She says he's been happy for years. He calls them wasted years, unfulfilled years (does he know Samson Gray?). He explains if he brings all the Specials together he'll be unbelievably powerful, able to literally move mountains. She says she hopes they never find out if he can really do that. She wonders what the world ever did to him. He says it should've treated him better. She begs him not to do this. Eli arrives and says Claire left the house of mirrors. He tells him to inform the family it's time to pack up and move on to bigger and better things. He thanks Lauren for her help and asks Eli if he and his 'friends' (duplicates) could take care of her.
Peter asks Sylar what he's going to do. Sylar says he's going to end this. He says he can't bring Nathan back but he can sure as hell swing a sledgehammer, and they both start swinging away at the wall.
Samuel finds Claire. She says he was right and her dad is bad and Samuel is her hero. She asks if that's what he wants to hear. She asks why he didn't show her the memory of him shooting Lydia. Samuel says Bennet might not have pulled that trigger but he has pulled one plenty of times. He says he lies to Claire to this day. She says she would never turn on her dad. He may call these people his family, but really they don't love him, they're afraid of him. She says to hand her dad over so they can leave. Samuel says no and that he needs Claire to do what needs to be done. Claire wants to know what's going on. He says he was talking to Lauren and loved the fear in her eyes and he wants to see that a thousand times over. So he's taking the Carnival to Central Park in New York City do their biggest show ever and reveal themselves. Claire protests he can't do that. He says he knows that some lives will be lost but people will fear and respect them and they will rule the world like they've always wanted. Claire says she never wanted that. He says it will be awesome and she will be the storyteller long after he's gone because of her indestructibility. She calls him desperate and small and that she will never be part of his family. He says she sounds like her dad and he hopes one day she'll change her mind. He says her dad is in the souvenir trailer.
Eli returns and tells Samuel that the cat and mouse game with the government lady resulted in the mouse getting away. Samuel says not to bother with chasing her. Now he wants to give Claire some time to think about his offer and he's going to give it to her. Claire runs to the souvenir trailer to unchain her dad and Samuel drops it into the earth, covering it up. He says next stop NYC. Eli says it sounds fun. Samuel says fun will have to wait. Lydia prophesied before she died that there were people who wanted to stop them, he wants Eli to kill them.
It's night at the wall. Peter and Sylar didn't get far with the sledgehammers. Peter drops a package in Sylar's lap. It's a new version of Sylar's very favorite book of all time, "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. He points out Sylar's copy was worn. He appreciates Sylar being patient with him and keeping him sane. Sylar thanks him.
Peter picks up the hammer. Sylar says it's weird but every time Peter picks it up he thinks he's going to hit Sylar. Very hard. Peter says he does consider hitting him. Very hard. Sylar wonders why. Peter replies Sylar is who he is and if he forgives Sylar he's not doing right by Nathan. Sylar realizes that if Peter lets go of his anger he'll lose Nathan. Peter says he feels the anger slipping but ultimately he took his brother from him. Sylar says they've been there for they don't know how many years and that he's changed, repented and will never hurt anyone ever again. Peter keeps swinging at the wall. Sylar says he's not that guy anymore and Peter knows it. Peter agrees. After he says this he swings the hammer again and actually breaks a chink in the wall. The two of them go at it and finally break through. Peter wakes up in Parkman's basement and puts his ear to the wall. He runs away right before Sylar busts through. They look at each other disbelieving. Sylar wonders how long it's been really. "At least half a day," Peter replies. Sylar says it felt like years. He wonders if that makes it any less real. Peter wants to go save Emma. When they turn to go up the stairs, they run into Eli who says he's there to make sure that doesn't happen.
We cut to the upturned earth above the souvenir trailer, the Carnival is long gone. We plunge down into it with Claire and HRG. They're both okay but there's no cell signal. She's using her cell phone light to see as she unties him, but he spots a lantern ten feet behind her in the dark. He realizes they're buried, at least 40 or 50 feet. They yell for help....
To be continued...
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