Episode Report Card Erin: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Dawn Of The Dead Dads
By Erin | Season 2 | Episode 9 | Aired on 11.18.2007
Sure enough, just seconds after Claire makes it into her father's arms and he shoves her to West, nodding at him to head for the skies, Elle sparks through her bindings and shoots a few bolts up at the kids. They immediately fall to the ground, Claire cushioning the fall so that she can save West and regenerate herself. Elle gets ready to shoot some more bolts Bennet's way, but he shoots her in the right arm before she can aim. Tobby calls out for his daughter and runs to her. Bennet walks toward them, saying, "No matter what I do, I'll always be running. But if you die, [Tobby]? The Company dies with you." He takes aim as Claire and West come to behind him. Mohinder begs Bennet not to do this, but his mind's made up: Tobby has to die. He cocks the gun and a shot rings out, only...it's come from Mohinder's gun. Bennet's left lens shatters as the bullet goes directly into his eye and he goes down. Claire screams, "Dad!," and runs toward him in slow motion as West tries to stop her from getting there. He pulls her away, embracing her, and in a final tableau, it's clear that after all of Bennet's efforts, he couldn't avoid making the Death Painting come to life. Everyone, including Tobby, looks shattered. West flies off with Claire as Mohinder looks down at what he's just done.
The episode wraps up with West and Claire arriving at her house. She tearfully says that her last words to her father were "I hate you," and now she'll never be able to let him know how much she really loved him. She goes inside to give her mother the news. West watches from a distance as Mrs. Bennet falls to her knees.
Cut to Hiro at his father's funeral. He says that he refuses to eulogize his father, because to do so would be to admit that he is dead. And he's not dead. He lives on in the advice and lessons he gave his son. He taught Hiro right from wrong, and what it means to be a hero. As Hiro continues to talk about his father's lessons...
...we see Mohinder in the back of the van looking down at the gun that killed Bennet. Elle drives the vehicle, her arm bandaged up; Tobby gently tries to touch it as if to say he's sorry, but she shrugs him off, clearly feeling that he's not winning Father of the Year any time soon.
Hiro's speech moves on to how certain things are in God's hands, but for everything else, we have the gift of choice. Matt looks down at the photo of the ElderHeroes, and we see that the mystery woman now has a yellow stickie above her head with the name "Victoria Pratt" written on it. So it would appear that Matt has become his father after all. Hiro says that his father gave him the tools to fight the battles ahead: every hand he extends in kindness is his father's hand, and every blow he strikes for justice is his father's fist. Hiro turns and starts wiping the red painted name of his father off the tombstone, as is the tradition. Mrs. Bennet is plopped on the floor in front of the fridge, her eyes dry of tears. Mr. Muggles runs up and jumps into her lap as Hiro says that as long as Kaito's lessons stay with him, and so long as he lives on in Hiro's heart, his father is never truly dead.