Broken Frontier

Fans might be saying farewell to Heroes for the very last time this week with “Brave New World,” the season four finale. The show with the incredible shrinking fanbase hasn’t exactly been tearing it up as far as ratings are concerned, and, as of this writing, NBC hasn’t picked it up for a fourth season.

And you know what? If it’s over, I think I’m going to miss it.

Like any longtime Heroes fan, I’ve had issues with the last three seasons or so, but the show has somehow remained wholly watchable in spite of its flaws. But when Heroes returned from a month-long hiatus in early January with “Upon This Rock”/”Let It Bleed,” the show stagnated more than usual, seemingly daring the audience to care about a season-long story arc that was growing more and more unclear. The season reached a low point last week with “The Art of Deception,” which might have been the worst Heroes episode yet. So, no, I didn’t exactly have the highest of hopes when I sat down to watch “Brave New World.” The good news is this episode is surprisingly good.

In this installment, Samuel Sullivan brings his carnival to New York City’s Central Park. With a little help from Doyle, the Puppetmaster, Samuel forces Emma to use her ability to draw thousands of innocents to the park. Once they’re there, Samuel aims to use his earth-manipulation power to open up the earth and kill them all. Samuel—and his followers—will have finally exacted their revenge on mankind. As is the case with every Heroes season finale, the main characters must work together to stop the bad guy and save the day. 
Unfortunately, all of our heroes are otherwise preoccupied at the start of the episode. Claire and Noah are buried underground in a trailer (thanks to Samuel), Hiro is recovering from brain surgery and Peter and Sylar are stuck at Parkman’s house.

Hold on, stuck at Parkman’s house? A few episodes back, Parkman trapped Sylar inside his own mind and imprisoned the former serial killer behind a brick wall in his basement. But since a vision informed Peter that Sylar would be instrumental in stopping Samuel (and saving Emma) the surviving Petrelli brother entered Sylar’s mind and rescued him. Parkman’s not too happy that Sylar is once again on the loose, even if he is, apparently, on the path to redemption. Parkman uses his ability to keep them put.

Wait, so Parkman left Peter unconscious in his basement for how long? And when we first see him in this episode, he’s rummaging through the fridge? Did he forget?

Anyway, after they defeat the Replicating Man—who might be the most ineffective henchman ever, by the way—Peter and Sylar convince Parkman to let them leave.

Meanwhile, Claire and Noah have yet another heart-to-heart while they’re buried alive. Since she’s invincible, she figures out that the reason Samuel buried them both was so she could watch her adoptive father die. Fortunately, Tracy Strauss rescues the Bennets in the nick of time.As for Hiro, it just so happens that Charlie—his beloved waitress who Samuel hid somewhere in time earlier this season—is at the very same hospital where he had surgery. But she’s aged 65 years since Hiro last saw her. Samuel had one of his now-dead lackeys drop her off in 1944.  She lived a full, happy life without Hiro, and while his first instinct is to time-jump to 1944 to bring Charlie back to the present, she’s content with the life she’s lived. Ridiculous coincidences aside (they’re at the same hospital?), this resolution, while not ideal for Hiro, is satisfying and downright touching.

So, in the end, our heroes wind up at the carnival. Sylar saves Emma, Claire convinces the carnies to abandon their leader and Hiro transports the “specials” away from Samuel, rendering him powerless so Peter can smack him around a bit for good measure. Even though he’s not in Central Park, Parkman plays a role in taking Samuel down, manipulating the Replicating Man to admit to framing Noah a few episodes back. All of the pieces fit together pretty nicely in this episode, even though the lead-up to the finale wasn’t as good as it should have been. Also, those hoping for an action-packed climax will be very disappointed.

At the end of the episode, we’re treated to an epilogue of sorts, during which Claire reveals her ability to some television news reporters by jumping off carnival’s Ferris wheel. Noah is heartbroken, but now that the world at large knows of specials’ existence, things will never be the same. If Heroes continues, it could go in some exciting new directions. If not, Claire’s free-fall in front of the camera brings some symmetry to the series as a whole, since she similarly tested her abilities in the first episode.

It’s been a rough ride, but if we have indeed seen the last of Heroes, then “Brave New World” is an appropriate, if imperfect, final bow.