Heroes Volume Five: Chapter Five

405 – Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa means blank slate, which describes both Sylar’s mental condition and the attitude the writers have approached this episode with. Put simply, this is the best Heroes has been for a very long time.

The main bulk is spent with the always watchable Sylar being toyed with by his new masters at the circus, leading to several excellent confrontations – Sylar trapped in a house of mirrors that replay all his old murders while he screams for mercy, a brilliant – though far too short – first clash between Sylar and Edgar, a spectacularly cataclysmic showdown with the pursuing police officer in the hall of mirrors and the final baptism washing Sylar free of all his guilt.

The other parts of the episode are just as good and entertaining – Claire once again has no classes to attend and shows up at Bennett’s house, but before you can say plot drag, Hiro is pulled to Peter, who absorbs his power and takes Bennett on a quest to find a healer. Slight annoyance – Claire’s healing will not stop Hiro’s tumour, yet a healing touch will? This raises more questions than it answers, but it sets up an absolutely jaw-dropping freeze-time sequence where Peter stops time at the exact moment a bullet passes through his body. The trigger-happy healer who can give and take life is a great character on his own and gives Bennett a chance to play the good guy and make up for his past mistakes, which is always nice.

Elsewhere, Emma tries to talk to Hiro about her desire to turn her potentially dangerous power off, but the delighted geek wants instead to prove to her what a good thing it can be, setting up another outstanding CGI freeze-time sequence, this one involving a room of clapping people and those beautiful sound wave colours.

All in all, a fantastic step forward for the show. It loses a star for only teasing a Sylar/Edgar smackdown and for dismissing Claire’s healing power, but the cliffhanger suggests that the next episode is about the go off the rails in terms of quality. More, please.

4 stars

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