S01E21: 'The Hard Part'

Building up towards what promises to be an explosive climax, this 21st episode epitomises what makes Heroes superior to the vast array of other shows out there. - the fusion of visceral thrills and emotional involvement.

Thanks to the veteran John Badham’s superb direction, the narrative strand between the monstrous Sylar and his anxiety-ridden mother becomes a real tour de force, pulling at our heartstrings without any hint of contrivance. We feel real pathos for Sylar, despite his history of horrific brain-devouring, and suddenly understand a great deal about what shaped his current predicament. It seems nurture, not nature has compelled his malevolent actions. As he begs for his mother’s understanding, it feels like we’re watching an innocent young child rather than the show’s principal baddie.

Elsewhere, cheerleader Claire’s narrative strand with Peter occupied a lot of screen time without a great deal happening apart from the odd revelation. As for Molly and her worthiness to the show, we’ll have to wait until she’s up and out of her sick bed before judging the poor girl.

The episode’s ending is well paced and leaves the various character arcs in various states of disarray, especially now that Peter has The Power courtesy of Senor Sprague…