Review: Heroes Reborn (Season 1, Episode 10)

This episode starts straight where we left off last week, as Noah and Malina leave the ice cream parlour determined to save Tommy. Poor Luke follows them and begs to help, claiming he owes Malina his life. Understandably, Noah is suspicious of this stranger, who somehow knows both of his grandchildren. However, the clear dislike that he shows will, for the first time ever, make you dislike Noah. This amplifies after Luke follows them despite Noah’s coldness, imploring that he be allowed to make amends, but still Noah refuses. While the audience understands Noah’s protectiveness, there is something about someone laying themselves bare like that which earns the audience’s respect. So for Noah to treat him so unkindly makes you angry on Luke’s behalf. As such, the directors are making things difficult for the audience, by smudging the lines of good and bad and pitting favourite characters off against each other.

Unsurprisingly, Erica is up to her usual tricks, however she is now even more dangerous, as she holds Tommy captive, and without him our heroes can’t save the day. Erica proves yet again that she is the most evil character in the show, as she twists and turns the truth, manipulating Tommy until the audience doubt whom he will side with.

Last episode, fans fears for Matt became a reality, as despite letting Noah go earlier on in the season, he is still on the wrong side. In episode 10, he gets even worse, as the hero we once knew is nowhere in sight and in his place is an evil, manipulatory puppet who will do anything to keep Erica happy. The way he tortures Farah means that despite being happy to see her alive, we are also horrified to know she has been in his hands the whole time. Matt forces Carlos and Farah against each other to try and gain information on Malina’s whereabouts, in what has to be one of the most disturbing scenes so far. So much so, that a warning must be given to all fans of Heroes, stipulating that the Matt Parkman you knew and loved no longer exists. 

As ever, the scenes with Miko irritate, as the action fails to impress and the overflow of emotion seems fake and insincere. While her interaction with her ‘father’ has improved and become slightly more natural, there is still something about her character that just doesn’t work and her scenes just fail to compare to the others in the show.

In one of the most upsetting scenes yet, Malina risks her own life to stop a storm which would have killed everyone in its path, only to be blamed for causing it in the first place. As humans turn on her with their guns and claim that “people like her need to be stopped”, Malina and Luke must flee the scene in fear for their very lives. However, as they flee, the audience are left asking one key question; where is Noah? This scene is particularly poignant and powerful due to the current attitude towards immigrants fleeing war torn countries, as the similarities are impossible to ignore.

This episode successfully builds tension, as the show comes towards its grand finale. Audience members still don’t know what to make of many of the characters, as they switch between the right and wrong side throughout the season. As such, they are left to wonder who will end up on which side and whether the world can really be saved. Next week’s episode certainly can’t come soon enough, but will most likely just end with more questions.

Heroes Reborn airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on 5STAR.