1.09 Homecoming

Claire wins the homecoming queen competition, despite Jackie’s protestations.

Nathan asks Simone about the signigicance of the painting he purchased from Linderman (and is hiding from Peter). He destroys the painting, ostensibly to save Peter’s life. When Peter arrives, Simone shows him a digital photo of the painting. It appears to show Peter, staring a dead, sprawled on the floor of the homecoming venue. His watch reads 8.12pm. Simone asks him not to go, but Peter says he must.

Niki tries and buys a big long range sniper gun for her husband.

D.L. and Micah park outside a shop, as D.L. tells him that they cannot turn back, that it’s "…you are me." When D.L. gets out to grab a paper and avoid a cop, he turns around and Micah is gone. D.L. catches him, and Micah tells him about Niki and Jessica. Micah thinks that Niki is unaware of Jessica. He tells D.L. that his mom is sick and they must return to help her. D.L. agrees.

At an open market in India, Mohinder and Nirand discusses the boy from the file that he sees in his dreams. The boy is a spirit guide, able to enter people’s dreams and communicate. Mohinder searches for a finds the boy, despite Nirand’s skepticism. The boy tells Mohinder that he already knows which path to take. Further dreams reveal that Mohinder’s father was protecting his son. Realizing that he must finish his father’s work, he answers ‘no’ to the computer program, and enters a password to reveal a list of people with superpowers.

Peter calls Hiro but gets Ando and tells him that they must all get to the homecoming at Odessa. Ando doesn’t mention that Hiro is missing in time. Ando notices a picture of Hiro and Charlie. He finds out that it was taken six months ago.

With no clear clue from Isaac’s first painting, Mr Bennet demands that Eden make him paint another. Eden refuses, so instead, Mr Bennet says he will take care of Claire and asks Eden to get to the Homecoming and ‘neutralize’ Sylar.

Zach reveals that he campaigned to help Claire win Homecoming Queen. He has also purchased Professor Suresh’s book off the internet for her. Claire suddenly begins to look at Zach differently. Jackie then picks the wrong moment to insult Zach, and she is rewarded with a punch from Claire.

Bennet grounds Claire, much to her disgust, but Zach sneaks in to help her escape. Ten minutes after she leaves, Bennet finds out and heads off in pursuit.

Peter arrives at the Burnt Toast Café to find Ando but no Hiro. Peter leaves Ando to wait for Hiro while he continues on to the Homecoming – with only 40 minutes to go.

Peter arrives at Homecoming and bumps into Claire but has no idea that she is the cheerleader he is supposed to save. Sylar traps Jackie and Claire in the locker room but kills Jackie by mistake, then pursues Claire while Peter tries to stay between them. But Peter has no powers without other heroes around him. At 8.12, after Claire has safely gotten away, Peter and Sylar plunge to the cement in a pile of blood. Claire rushes to Peter, which gives Peter the ability to fix his body and live. Mr Bennet insists on taking Claire away, which leaves Peter to look like the suspect and to get arrested for the murder of Jackie.

In the woods, an injured Sylar is met by Eden and the Haitian and is easily subdued.

Mohinder tells his mother that he is returning to New York to find and warn the heroes of the perils they face. She asks who will protect him.

Six months earlier, we see Hiro, entering Charlie’s life at her birthday party, informing her that he is here to save her.

Micah tells D.L. that Niki already knows where they are. D.L. hurries to get into the car as Jessica, hidden and far away, takes aim.

Comments

Despite it’s humble television roots and relatively inexperienced cast, the acting is very good. In this episode, I took special note of Hayden Panettiere (Claire). Her scenes with Zach are very good.

Nits

Jackie’s blood is very red; why was Charlie’s blood so black in the last episode?

Memorable Moments

• The Homecoming scene is fast, scary, gruesome, and well choreographed

Quotable Quotes

"Look, everybody who’s like Jackie voted for Jackie, and everybody who isn’t voted for you. And in this school, the unpopular vastly outnumber the popular."
- Zach, explaining to Claire why she won Homecoming Queen

Claire: You are being completely unreasonable. Do you have any idea what it means for me to miss this game?
Mr Bennet: You’ll survive.

"I know who I am. I like whom I am. I like who you are. I just…I just wish that you…liked who you are."
- Zach to Claire

Chandra Suresh: Well, all great thinkers were said to be madmen in their time…Darwin, Einstein, Ghandi.
Nirand: Darwin was not ridiculed by his university’s biology round table.