Episode Report Card DeAnn Welker: B- | 216 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT Everybody Hurts
By DeAnn Welker | Season 4 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2009.11.30
There's a knock at the door, and Lauren instinctively turns off her Sprint-whatever-gadget that's helping her cross-reference files. It's Eli, of course, and he does introduce himself as such. He says he's an emissary from Sullivan Bros. Carnival and asks if he can come in. HRG says no, but his multiples are already all over the place. They don't want anyone to get hurt, so they'll take what they came for and be on their way. Lauren throws HRG a gun, but he shoots one of the fakes. They head to the bathroom, where she takes off her fancy shoes and he gets another gun from under the bathroom sink. She thinks that's awfully prepared. She calls Eli a multiplier and says something about how it took them two weeks to find the right one last time, so what's the plan. HRG says to shoot them all and hope for the best. If by "best," you mean someone bleeding all over your apartment. But as you've already figured out, Eli's long gone when they leave the bathroom, because the files were sitting out there, unguarded. They quickly put it together, too.
Backstage at the carnival, Samuel's telling a story to a bunch of kids, about an ogre. He's acting it out, and he would make a decent ogre. Which is sort of what he's presenting himself as in this story about a harmless ogre who scared adults, but kids knew better. Claire and Gretchen are discussing it from afar, and Gretchen thinks the con artistry isn't all that admirable, but Claire thinks doling out karma is okay. They're interrupted by Doyle, of all people, who Claire greets with a hug, of all things. I just don't think there's a situation where you ever hug the guy who forced your mom to shoot you, even if you do have healing powers. I know she helped him later and all, but still: It's not like it was ever warm. Doyle says he tried to stay under the radar, but it didn't work out until Samuel found him, and everything changed. He finally belongs and can be completely himself. Claire looks like she likes that, but this is Doyle, Claire. Do you really want to fit in where he does? He says he wants to talk to her about this if she'll be around awhile. She says she will. He leaves, and Gretchen wants to know how Claire's BFFs with a carnie. Claire explains that he kidnapped her and tried to get her mom to shoot her, but she got over it. Gretchen (and all viewers): "Excuse me?" But Claire's entranced, watching Samuel talk to the kids.