Cult Spy Icon #5: Mr Bennet from 'Heroes'

Mr Bennet is a proper legend. So much so that he doesn’t even need a first name. Bathed in ambiguity, his presence commands our attention as we never quite know which way he will twist and turn next. What exactly is his true agenda?

Bennet embodies the whole ethos of Heroes within his intriguingly sculpted character. Although lacking any special powers himself, his flitting between good and bad mode perfectly demonstrates the recurring theme of duality within the show. Most visually conspicuous through the Niki/Jessica character, duality is a constant presence in relation to the ‘heroic’ powers themselves, as they often prove to be as much of a curse as a blessing.

The cheerleader’s surrogate father is a compulsive fusion of both your stereotypical villain and the classical everyman hero. The paper firm boss often comes across as a sly snake, coiling around with Haitian in tow to further his own fiendish plans. That’s what we’re initially led to believe anyway, through his attempted imprisonment of Nathan Petrelli and capturing of psychic cop Matt, with Bennet later thwarting his investigations.

But is there a pussycat lurking behind those horn-rimmed glasses? His concern for Claire’s safety when Sylar hits town for the ‘Homecoming’ seems very genuine indeed. Furthermore, we encountered Eden prior to meeting Bennet, when she was a very disturbed lady to say the least. It’s made clear that he played a crucial role in putting her back on the rails.

However, are his dealings with Claire and Eden the acts of a benevolent, caring man? Or has he been using them for malevolent reasons? His deployment of the Haitian to wipe the minds of his family reek of a typically villainous act within the framework of the genre – an attempt to bury the truth. But the argument can be made that he’s doing it for their own protection and wellbeing. There’s that double edged sword again.

Working out how to interpret Mr Bennet’s actions is one of the joys of watching Heroes. “Together we can make a difference,” he ominously tells Mohinder when he proposed an alliance to track down those on Chandra Suresh’s list. With no end game in sight just yet, it looks like we’re destined to keep guessing whether this difference would be for the greater good of humanity or not…