S01E16: 'Unexpected'

What a phenomenal ending. The poignant images of love rivals Peter and Isaac cradling the dying Simone in their arms would have struck a chord in many a viewer, with the shock twist the culmination of yet another intricately structured episode.

‘Unexpected’ is also notable for exposing the fallibilities in the character of Matt, previously portrayed as an everyday decent guy. Alas, he succumbs to the lure of the filthy lucre when he opts to keep the diamonds for himself, fearful that his uncertain employment future will cause a financial crisis for his family. The family unit is also fractured in the Bennet residence, with Claire finally revealing to her father that she avoided the mind-wiping. Mr Bennet claims benevolence for his actions, but both we and Claire are unsure about his real motives. What a fabulously ambiguous character he is.

Interspersed between the emotional content are several superbly executed action sequences that take your breath away, with not a Tom Cruise in sight. The tense sequences of Hiro and Ando evading Hope’s bullets and Peter’s rooftop flight with Claude stand out in particular.

As ever, the presence of the brooding Sylar gives the episode added menace, making us wonder how many more brains the malevolent character can ingest before he’s found out. Overall, another episode that demonstrates how remarkably consistent Heroes has become after a wobbly start to the series.