'Heroes' S03E09: 'It's Coming'

Unsurprisingly given its title, 'It's Coming' feels very much like a holding episode with the mission of putting various plotlines and character developments in place before the 'it' in question arrives. As such, much of the events are underwhelming but certainly not without artistic merit.

In particular, the prison cell scenes between Elle and Sylar are beautifully filmed, with a real cinematic quality that ramps up the dark tone, occasionally pierced by the light of the electric bolts. Their blossoming relations reek of emotional earnestness due to the fine performances from Zachary Quinto and Kristen Bell and the theme of empathy is fascinatingly brought out.

This narrative strand works well alongside the tangled love between Matt and Daphne. Just like Elle has to overcome her desire for vengeance, the Speedster has to conquer her inclination to obey Arthur's orders and kill the former cop. The nightmarish scenes in the hospital are reminiscent of David Lynch's work, which can only be a good thing. At one stage, it wouldn't have been a surprise if a backwards-speaking dwarf turned up.

Away from the captivating coupling though, there is a distinct lack of meat on the bones of the plot. Peter and Claire's plot is the televisual equivalent of a dog chasing its own tail, while the ongoing attempts to create intrigue between Nathan and Tracy yet again fail to arouse interest. Finally, Hiro's reduction to a 10-year-old never really delivers the goods, and simply isn't diverting enough despite his bowling alley naughtiness.

This episode of Heroes only delivers a half strike, but the mystery surrounding the solar flares is highlighted well and provides another reason to remain glued to the series.

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