Broken Frontier

As its title suggests, “Tabula Rasa” (which means “blank slate” in Latin), is all about characters wiping their pasts clean and starting anew—which is pretty much the case every week on Heroes. Despite this thematic repetition, Heroes is heading in the right direction this season, whether or not its once-massive audience is still around to notice it.

Let’s start with Sylar, who, after losing all memory of his former self, has taken refuge with the Sullivan Bros. Carnival led by the mysterious Samuel. Bringing him into his makeshift family, Samuel attempts to unlock Sylar’s memories, reminding him of his murderous past. Sylar is reluctant to accept who he once was, even after one of the carnies, Damien, uses his power to show him his true self. But Samuel is persistent, even going so far as to lure the police officer that arrested Sylar last week (played by Ernie Hudson) directly to him, presenting the former murderer with an opportunity to kill him. Sylar refuses, leading Samuel’s knife-wielding henchman Edgar (Ray Park) to finish the job. While he’s not the Sylar Samuel wants him to be, he is welcomed into the carnie fold in a bizarre baptism ceremony.

Zachary Quinto deserves credit this season for making the amnesiac Sylar’s moral and psychological conflict thoroughly convincing. Heroes probably isn’t a series that will be remembered for its quality acting, but Quinto consistently does an excellent job. Tim Kring and his team may not have intended for Sylar to be the most interesting character on this series when it premiered in 2006, but he’s a clear fan favorite—and deservedly so.

The other primary plotline in “Tabula Rasa” concerns Hiro Nakamura, who has unwittingly teleported to New York. Peter Petrelli rushes Hiro to the hospital and learns that he is dying from a brain tumor. Determined to save him, Peter teleports to Noah Bennet, who he hopes will be able to track down a healer. Claire, who is visiting her adoptive dad, offers to use her blood’s regenerative power, but her ability would only make Hiro’s condition progress faster. With Claire’s healing ability often feeling like a cure-all whenever a character’s life is at stake (much like Hiro’s time-traveling power), it’s great to see the writers address that issue head on. Instead, Peter and Noah must visit a young boy, Jeremy, whose power enables him not only to heal, but to kill as well. The plan hits a snag, however, when the boy blasts Peter in the chest with a shotgun. Noah convinces Jeremy to save Peter. Peter acquires Jeremy’s ability and returns to the hospital to save Hiro. But Hiro’s gone.

While Peter and Noah are visiting Jeremy, Hiro is helping Emma Coolidge understand her new ability which enables her to see sounds as colors. She is confused and a bit frightened by her power, but Hiro urges her to embrace it, inviting her to a magic show he is putting on for children in the hospital. Hiro’s scenes with Emma are genuinely sweet, and it’s encouraging that the show’s writers finally have something in mind for this character, save from saddling him with a terminal illness. At one point, Emma asks Hiro how he can stay so optimistic even though he knows he is dying, and he says he is inspired by Charlie Andrews, a waitress he had met in the first season. Hiro had developed a crush on her, and learned that she was slowly dying from an aneurism. She would later become one of Sylar’s first victims. Before Peter and Noah return to heal him, Hiro travels three years back in time, and finds himself in front of Charlie’s diner. He intends to save her.  This will certainly drag out the “Hiro is dying” storyline, but this idea of Hiro selflessly using his power to right past wrongs in his life opens up a lot of exciting possibilities. Now that Hiro is interesting—and fun—again, here’s hoping the writers keep him alive and well.

For those keeping track, “Tabula Rasa” is the second quality episode in a row. Keep it up, Heroes!