Episode Report Card Couch Baron: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT ...And I Don't Care
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 24 | Aired on 04.20.2009
Out in a park somewhere, Danko comes across Sylar and upbraids him for being in his true form, even telling him one of his people reported seeing him. Danko then sits next to him as Sylar shifts over like a guy whose boyfriend is lecturing him on responsibility, which is pretty much what's going on. Rather patiently under the circumstances, Danko points out that the only way their plan will work is if Sylar stays dead, but Sylar whines that he's starting to lose some control over his shapeshifting ability, as he went to bed as himself and woke up as the agent, and even produces the bloody "extra" tooth and snaps, "Where did that come from?" Props, I'm guessing, and they did a pretty good job with it, too. Danko suggests that maybe staying as the agent for a while instead of shifting into twenty different people a day might be wise, and points out that as the agent, he can do whatever the hell he wants, but if he's Sylar, Danko will have to hunt him down. Sylar sees the wisdom in this and shifts back into the agent's form, which will last until a persuasive three-year-old or a well-written radio commercial suggests he do otherwise. Or until he uses his telekinesis to carve "I AM SYLAR" into his arm, which then heals, but not before the chyron reading "Chapter Eleven" appears over it. So the dramatic appearance of the title card is heralded by the revelation that Sylar is Sylar. It's not like this show's been long on subtlety at the best of times, but this is ridiculous.
Our first stop after the break is the home of a "Tom Miller," a middle-aged man from Richmond, VA, who's just making a cup of something when he gets a text message from Rebel suggesting rather strongly that it might be a wise course of action to vacate the premises posthaste. But alas, even though he uses the far more brief "Get out now!" to convey this sentiment, he's apparently not on his game, as out in the hallway, Sylar's shifting from his agent form to his true self. And he may be complaining about his power, but I'll point out it's evolved further in his favor as it now extends to his clothes as well. He then uses that other wonderful ability of his that allows him to go through doors without opening them or making a sound so he can magically appear on the couch singing the praises of hot cocoa. You'd imagine said ability would also enable him to drink the cocoa without slurping, but you'd be wrong. Mr. Miller, who right off does not seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, cautions Sylar that it's unwise to startle him, but Sylar merely talks for a while about something or other before Mr. Miller asks if he's Rebel. Sylar replies that he's "a rebel," which just goes to show that even after everything that's happened he can still sometimes make me laugh, and says that their kind is being hunted because people are afraid of them. This scene reveals nothing about Sylar's character, and it's not like it would matter even if it did because it would be changing within three minutes anyway, so let's stick to the facts: Mr. Miller demonstrates to Sylar that he has the power of disintegration, and also says that he trusts Sylar more than the agents, and Sylar responds to these confessions by, and I know it will surprise you to hear this, slicing his head open. Danko and his agents hear Miller's screams from the hallway, but by the time they get inside, all they see is his corpse and "I AM SYLAR" written in blood on the wall. Sorry, show, but it's not going to be the next "REDRUM" no matter how hard you try. Danko is none too pleased, and gets even less so when Sylar, back in the agent's form, notes to him, "The guy's got some ego." Seriously, are the other agents that brain dead that they didn't notice this guy wasn't with them when they went in? For his part, Danko looks like he could use a vacation, not that I blame him...