Heroes Reborn sees the EPIC head, Erica Kravid (Rya Kihlstedt) as this series’ Nathan Petrelli, although she does not appear to have any powers, “Evo style” like Petrelli, older brother of Peter, it would not be too surprising if she does. The thing she shares with Nathan was his perceived “needs of the many” spiel that was initiated by “mother” Petrelli. Erica also shares something with the first show’s big bad, Skyler. While she does peel open the heads of Evos to snare their power, via brains, like Zachary Quinto’s power crazy Evo, she has figured out how to harness the evolved’s gifts for her own ends.
This episode starts right after the “t-bone” accident that left Tommy and his gun toting mother hanging upside down in their crashed car. The kid puts himself in danger to save mom and the show ends, like last week’s, with Tommy in trouble while Erica instructs her Clone-making second in command to get The Shadow (a pretty freaky looking kid in a hood with glowing eyes) in order to find Malina.
In The Needs of the Many, we learn what the girl in the frozen wastes has to offer the world, Malina (Danika Yarosh) creates life, either from death (as in the frozen stiff butterfly) or from, apparently, an inert seed (as in the tree just before her mentor smacks an intruder unconscious and breaks his walkie).
Noah Bennet turns Erica’s daughter Taylor and she helps him and Quentin Frady to get into Renautas. The plan is to save Molly and find Frady’s sister Phoebe. The trio find Walker but she takes Noah’s gun and, before shooting herself, tells him to stop living in the past. She tells him to find the girl before it is to late, she also reveals that Erica Kravid’s gameplay includes killing seven billion people.
Ren and Miko also go to Renautas at Midian, the gamer “legend” gets fans of Katana Girl (Miko) and Evernow to meet at the company in cosplay costumes. This is to allow Otomo access to the building and her father’s (Hiro’s Kensei) sword.
Meanwhile, the new El Vengador, Carlos (Ryan Guzman) tries out his new Vengador vehicle while Jose and the priest are captured by Captain Dearing. The ebony and ivory assassin couple, Joanne and Luke Collins finally go their separate ways, but not before Joanne kills one of the “names” on the list. For a split second it looks like she might just put a bullet in her husband’s evolved brain, but after declaring that she “did love” Luke, she leaves.
In keeping with the first series, Heroes (2006 season one) the Japanese storyline provides the most humor and personality. The interaction between Miko (Kiki Sukezane) and Ren (Toru Uchikado) is priceless and the two have an excellent chemistry. While these two are the most amusing and have the best presence, Jack Coleman and Henry Zebrowski are a pretty impressive odd couple pairing that also provide some amusing moments.
Bennet is the all-knowing expert on so many things dealing with Evos and Frady is the nerdy geek who believes more than he knows and is continually surprised by these new evolved people. Erica, who lied enough to her daughter that Taylor allows Noah access to the inner sanctum, loses her offspring forever when the young woman discovers mother has her lover Francis hooked up to EPIC.
It seems that all roads lead to Midian and Renautas, but there is the whole Aurora Borealis thing going on with Malinda and her mentor. The implication is that the world is going to have something catastrophic occur that needs the creation girl and all other Evos to save it. Erica tells Taylor that she must save mankind and that the Evos harnessed power will make this possible.
Thus far, Heroes Reborn is maintaining a high level of interest. Perhaps not as high its predecessor’s first season, but close. Each Evo has been appealing in their own way, even Luke, who had his doubts about executing evolved humans before his ironic change into “sun guy” was a sympathetic character. Of course anyone would be when compared to his psychotic murder machine of a wife, Joanne.
This couple, now estranged, separate despite their mutual grief over the death of their son Dennis at Odessa. But…
The last shot of the episode is of a child, that looks, despite the hood covering its shadowy countenance, like a boy. Is this Dennis? Was the boy’s evolutionary gift the polar opposite of his father Luke (the sunshine man who can now set fire to water)? Is this boy “The Shadow” taken by Erica at Odessa on June 13?
Before the end credits rolled, Molly killed herself, Tommy is about to be captured, Luke reveals his Evo self to Joanne and she leaves, Harris Prime has three clones of himself turned into piles of “kosher salt” by Noah and Malina has left the frozen North and ended her training.
It appears that Noah may be key to the fate of mankind, this catchphrase this go around is “save the future” and not “save the cheerleader, save the world.” Molly tells Bennet that if she tells him the location that she refused to give Erica, he “will not go back.” This sounds like a definite cue for Hiro to step in and help Bennet to set things right.
Heroes Reborn airs Thursdays on NBC, tune in and try to keep track of all these new Evos while keeping an eye out for the older ones.
