It’s a new year, and with it comes a new volume of “Heroes”. Two of our favored heroes, Hiro and Peter, are powerless, while the formerly powerless Ando is now a supercharger. Hiro finds an abandoned firehouse to use as a lair for Ando, creates a Spandex costume and give him a motorcycle, but Ando thinks his power is useless and leaves Hiro.

Claire is living with her grandmother, Angela in NYC. She suspects Sylar is still on the loose and her father is after him. But, after some less-than-sly snooping, Claire discovers that her biological father, Nathan, and Angela are up to no good, planning to kidnap Peter and Matt.

Speaking of which, Matt convinces Daphne that they need to live without powers. Daphne disagreed at first, but soon realizes that it is not fair if they do use their powers. They need to be like everyone else.

After Claire contacts Peter about Angela and Nathan’s plan, Peter takes an ironic and familiar (I.e. just like in season one) cab ride with Mohinder. Afterwards, Mohinder is kidnapped by some men in black uniforms. These same men kidnapped Tracy. At first is seems like Bennet is on Mohinder’s side, but we soon learn that is not the case.

Meanwhile, guess what? Sylar’s not dead. He pays a visit to a man in Maryland. This man is his father, or so he thinks. After some questions, Sylar’s “father” reveals the truth: he is not Sylar’s dad, his brother is. His brother could not care for Sylar, so he gave him up. Using his abilities, Sylar can tell the man is sincere and truthful. Sylar raises his finger, as if to cut off his skull-cap, but then puts it down and leaves, presumably to find his real father.

Usutu visits Matt in hallucinations and tells him that he is chosen to be a prophet, that he will paint the future. Matt says he cannot draw, yet shortly after he goes into a trance to illustrate his first image of the future.Even though they are not brothers. Peter and Sylar have something in common: they were both set up by Nathan and walked into traps. So did Hiro. Except, Sylar has powers, so he turned the tables around on his captors.

Interestingly, Nathan’s men capture Claire, but Nathan demands her release, even though he kept his other family member, his brother. All of these capturer heroes are being flown away to a secret location.

Spoiler Alert!

The beginning of this episode did not seem like much would happen. It was a little of this, a pinch of that: nothing new and exciting, but watchable. It got intriguing and nostalgic when Mohinder was Peter’s cab driver again, and even more so when Bennet was after Mohinder afterwards. I’ve got to say, the fact that Bennet is “bad” again holds great promise for the episodes ahead.

I don’t understand the purpose of Nathan thinking he released Claire. Does it have to do with Bennet, since one of the final scenes showed that Bennet and Nathan are in cahoots?

Per usual, Sylar brought the entertainment. It was especially amusing when he had sympathy, or maybe it was pity, on the man whom he thought was his father.

The cliffhanger ending, however, is what brought this episode from mediocre to jaw-dropping. With Peter losing grip on Mohinder’s hand, viewers are unsure whether they will stay connected or whether Peter will fly right through the hole in the plane wall.

Quote of the week: “I don’t know what you’re up to, but if it is what I think it is, I’m gonna fight you with every last breath that I have. I swear to God.” – Peter, to Nathan, smelling something fishy

Rating: A