By Faith McQuinn
I love HEROES. I have to preempt with that because I’m going to complain about this week’s episode.

I enjoyed it enough, but I’m ready for something to happen! First week—Mr. Nakamura (George Takei) is pushed from a building, but that didn’t happen until the last two minutes of the show. Second week—Mrs. Patrelli (Cristine Rose) gets attacked, and Claire (Hayden Penettiere) cuts off her toe. Once again, that didn’t make up for most of the episode.

I was so excited this week because Sylar (Zachary Quinto) was returning, and I always look forward to seeing Hiro (Masi Oka) do his thing. I have to say, though, I was a little disappointed. There was a whole lot of character development, but not a lot of character action. Heck, even on its worst week, HEROES is better than most of the stuff on television.

Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) is still in Cork, Ireland. He still doesn’t remember who he is or what he can do, but this doesn’t stop the powers from emerging. While discussing the heist he’s been suckered into, Peter overhears one of the guys thinking about double-crossing Ricky (Holt McCallany). When he reveals this, Ricky doesn’t believe him and says that his “brothers” are trustworthy. Well, of course the guy double-crosses Ricky, and after Peter oozes out some bullets, he channels Darth Vader and throws the double-crosser against a wall while choking him. I think Peter absorbed a little of Sylar’s hate when they fought last season.

Speaking of Sylar. He’s sitting on a beach in Maui with Michelle, formally Candice (Missy Peregrym). Well, he’s not really sitting on a beach. Michelle just has that cool power of making him think he’s somewhere he’s not. He’s actually in a dingy, concrete hut with gaping wounds in his chest due to getting stabbed with Hiro’s samurai sword last season. With the wounds, Sylar can’t seem to channel any of his powers. I believe someone’s a little angry about this and takes it out on poor Michelle/Candice by bashing her head in with a happy face mug. (I just love the irony.) But when Sylar does whatever it is he does to regain the power, nothing happens. Wow, maybe Kensei’s sword really has special powers.

Over in California, Claire is trying to cover up her toe removal, but West (Nicholas D'Agosto) isn’t buying it. After upsetting her in class, he makes good by taking her on a romantic flight.  The scene was so close to SUPERMAN that I was waiting for Claire to say, “You’ve got me. Who’s got you?” The flying trick works, and now Claire and West are an item. As they talk about their powers together, Claire finds out that her father was responsible for rounding up West a few years back and tagging him with that interesting equal-sign mark.

While Claire discovers a dark secret about Noah (Jack Coleman), he finds out his own fate when Mohinder (Sendhill) sends him a painting by Isaac Mendez. In probably the most predictable and, simultaneously, the most interesting moment of the episode, Noah studies a picture of his own death with is daughter painted in a dark corner kissing someone. Is it West? Did they kill Noah? I really wouldn’t put it past HEROES to kill him off. They’re not afraid to do it.

Hiro is still in Japan hanging out with Kensei (David Anders) trying to make the man accept his gift of healing. Kensei finally accepts his fate as a hero when he fights the 90 Angry Ronin and gets the fire scrolls he needs to save Princess Iako’s (Erio Tamura) father. It’s time for Hiro to leave, and Kensei and Iako wish him to stay. After watching the woman he’s fallen in love with smile and laugh with another, Hiro decides he can stay a little longer. Maybe Ando (Jason Kyson Lee) will read about his friend in ancient stories soon.

The episode ends with Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey) and Niki (Ali Larter) being welcomed to New Orleans by Uhura. OK, not Uhura but Nichelle Nichols who is playing Micah’s great aunt. First Takei, now Nichols. When is Leonard Nimoy going to show up as Sylar’s long lost dad?