The Way We Were

S01E17

It's Papa Bennet backstory time! What you need to know from the past: Eric Roberts, looking like a Madame Tussaud's version of himself, is Papa Bennet's boss. We don't learn much about him, but if he's played by Eric Roberts my guess is you don't want to fuck with him.

Papa Bennet didn't adopt Claire willingly, either; he was ordered to byâ¦George Takei. While Hiro played with a Gameboy nearby. He was also ordered not to get too close to Claire, because, Takei says, if she starts to manifest, they'll take her back.

Claude used to be Papa Bennet's partner; Papa Bennet was supposed to kill him, because Claude was protecting a Hero, which is against company policy; Papa Bennet probably would have skipped shooting Claude if Claude had told him who it was, but Claude doesn't, so Papa Bennet, who is a shitty shot, pumps a few rounds into him, but Claude winks out before Papa Bennet can confirm the kill.

We also meet Teen Haitian, whose necklace is a silver version of Jessica's tattoo.

Back in the present, Sprague and Parkman hold the Bennet family hostage; Parkman is trying to get to the truth by reading people's minds, and also trying to keep Sprague from flipping his shit and going all fusion-vengeance on the household. Claire is still pissed at her father and opens her mind up to Parkman to get back at him. After a bunch of Mexican-standoff misdirection that gets Claire shot, reveals her secret to her motherâ¦again, and makes us sit through a lot of speechifying about faith, Eric Roberts shows up in the present day to manage the situation. His idea of "managing" is to shoot at Ted. Nice work, Ambassador -- Ted gets so pissed that he goes nuclear and can't stop his own chain reaction, and Claire's the only one who can get close enough to him to administer a tranq. Everyone winds up with mild radiation burns and Casa Bennet looks like it's burning to the ground, but don't worry -- Mr. Muggles gets out alive.

At the end of the episode, Sprague and Parkman are drugged up and strapped to beds in the Primatech lab. Papa Bennet tries to blame everything on the Haitian (I thinkâ¦the web of finger-pointing got kind of confusing); Eric Roberts pretends he buys it, but obviously doesn't, and is like, "Okay, so, bring Claire in. Like now. So we can probe her brain and then kill her." That last part may have been silent. Cut to a tearful father-daughter scene in the car which culminates on the same bridge Papa Bennet "killed" Claude on, Papa Bennet ordering the Haitian to 1) shoot him (in the abdomen, not lethally) and 2) wipe his mind of everything so that Eric Roberts can't find Claire. Claire is bawling, I'm bawlingâ¦even the Haitian seemed kind of touched. Could have been pollen, though.

Couch Baron will take it from here on this ep. Don't panic, Erin's back week.

Oh my God, could I be more excited to recap this episode? No, I couldn't. Well, maybe if I drank twenty cups of coffee and snorted some coke, but even then, the difference would be marginal. Wheeee!

Okay. We open on a shot of the Bennet home. Oh, I should just mention that if you're interested in seeing a shot of Simone's cold corpse, you're going to have to wait until the previews for week. That blood is never going to come out of Isaac's floor at this rate. So from a low angle, we do a slow pan around the foyer to the stairs, down which Mr. Muggles comes with a bit of a growl. It's too bad he's too teeny to do any good in the upcoming situation, but you have to admire his instincts. Outside, we get an orgasmically cool shot of the episode title and number written in white letters over the house. If that's the show's way of currying favor by saving me from having to look up that information, it's appreciated but unnecessary, as I'm going to be geeking out for this episode so intensely that I'm afraid it's going to render me too dorky even to get into a Star Trek convention. So it turns out that we're starting a few minutes earlier than when we left the Bennet household. Mr. Muggles's growling turns to full-fledged barking as we hear a sizzling noise, and then flames appear around the door handle and lock, which melt away. Sprague quickly enters and scoops up Mr. Muggles, and Parkman's all, "Don't!" Yes, please don't barbecue Mr. Muggles, Sprague. I've grown attached to the guy, and besides, there's barely enough of him to make a single kebab. Sprague irritatedly says he isn't going to nuke the dog, although Parkman muses that it might be the most effective way to get at Bennet, since there are more pictures of dogs around his house than of his kids. Well, I'll admit I like Claire a little bit more than dogs. However, I like dogs a whole lot more than Lyle, so overall, the math makes sense to me.

As they head into Bennet's study or whatever, Sprague opines how unlikely it is that Bennet left anything incriminating in the house, especially given that he recently got raided by the FBI at work. Parkman starts manhandling the computer, saying that it's worth looking. I guess Parkman doesn't know that Zach already checked the thing out and said there was nothing on it. Or maybe, understandably enough, he just doesn't trust the word of an ex-gay. Speaking of which, how awesome is it that Jack Coleman played Steven Carrington on Dynasty? Related to Joan Collins and going out with Billy Campbell? That's a life I could get behind having. Sprague suggests Parkman simply read Bennet's mind to find out what they want to know, and Parkman says he intends to do just that. "We're gonna bag the smug son of a bitch at his paper factory." Ooh, shouldn't have taunted Parkman like that, Bennet. Just then, however, the Bennet family pulls into the driveway, and Sprague suggests they take him right there and then. Parkman is initially insistent that they not involve innocents, but Sprague points out that the family's presence will be a powerful motivator for Bennet to be tractable, and asks how many times Parkman's going to let Bennet slip through his fingers. Despite the fact that he takes another look at Claire touchingly helping her mother toward the door, Parkman steels himself and draws his gun. A new camera angle gives us a shot of a clock in the foreground reading about 6:25, and then we focus on the Bennets coming in the front door. (I almost typed "family" instead of "Bennets" in that last sentence, but I was suddenly stricken with the coldest chills I've ever experienced. Can't imagine why.)

By Couch Baron

We then relive the scene from last week, which continues past where we left off, as Mrs. Bennet asks what's happening, a question Claire accusingly parrots to her father. Sprague, hands starting to sizzle, inwardly tells himself to stay calm, which Parkman hears via his power and loudly repeats to the room. Good idea. Bennet, not ready to give up the ghost, introduces Parkman to his family, although he doesn't tell them how they know each other. Which is understandable, given that I don't think the story of how Bennet abducted and studied these guys is going to do much for the whole "remaining calm" stated goal. Parkman snaps that he's formerly of the LAPD, thanks to Bennet, but Bennet does his best paper-salesman voice and asks what Parkman and Sprague mean by busting into his house with guns. Sprague tells Bennet that he doesn't need a gun after what he did to him. Bennet, a hard edge in his voice, says he doesn't know Sprague, but Sprague suggests he not piss him off, as "I get very bright, and very hot." No offense to the actor, but that would be a welcome change on both fronts. Parkman nervously puts away his gun and says Sprague won't get upset, but Bennet has to help. Bennet tries again to tell them he's a paper salesman, but Sprague intensely is like, "No. You're not." The Sprague Alert Scale is currently at yellow.

By Couch Baron

Oh, this is so awesome. So we focus in on Bennet's left eye, seeing Sprague's image in his glasses as we get close. When we're past them, the image suddenly turns black-and-white, and then we pan back out to see Bennet without his specs. We then get a superimposed "15 Years Ago," and we're on a side view of Bennet and another guy in an office, presumably at Primatech. The guy asks Bennet how he feels about paper. Bennet, in kind of a deadpan: "Wildly enthusiastic." Heh. The guy says that's good, because as far as his friends and family are going to know, paper is Bennet's life. When the guy stands and shakes Bennet's hand, I see that he's played by Eric Roberts, whom I actually recapped once, when he played the serial killer Richard L'Italien on Oz. If it turns out that his character's power is extreme creepiness, it'll mean they sure did a good job casting the role. Bennet laughs that his title of Regional Manager is a nice cover, and Eric Roberts ("Thompson" is how I've seen his character's name listed, but until that's officially mentioned on the show, he's "Eric Roberts" to me) says he's sorry to make a liar out of him, but no one outside the organization can know what they do. Bennet agrees with that modus operandi, as he thinks people are fragile. He can be forgiven for thinking that, since he doesn't know Claire yet. After an allusion to their species being in a state of flux and their mission being to keep people safe, Eric Roberts tells Bennet that he may be asked to do things that fall in a morally grey territory -- things that most people would find cruel, but men like them know to be necessary. Bennet smiles big and says he's "comfortable with morally grey." I don't know how you can be comfortable with anything this close to Eric Roberts. I'm lying in bed with four pillows and a down comforter and I'm about to jump out of my skin. Eric Roberts tells Bennet that he's going to have a partner, and that said partner is going to be one of them, as that's how they all stay honest. Bennet grins and says that's cool, and asks when he gets to meet him. Eric Roberts says he's already there, prompting Bennet to look behind him. Claude then appears in the chair to him, and I'm glad the show didn't duck the effect by cutting away there, because that was really cool-looking. Bennet turns back and jumps up like he just sat on a hot poker. See what I mean about not getting too comfortable? Bennet's too flummoxed to form coherent words for about five seconds, but to his credit, he busts into a "Wow, that kind of rocked" smile. Eric Roberts is mildly amused at Bennet's temporary aphasia, while Claude smoothly sticks out his hand and tells Bennet it's a brave new world. Bennet smiles even bigger and takes Claude's hand, then turns his headâ¦

By Couch Baron

â¦and then we're back in the past, as it's now fourteen years ago, and Claude and Bennet are looking through a pane of a greenhouse. Claude is wondering if their bosses knew about "Little Orphan Annie" (Claire) when they sent them over to "bag a bloody firestarter" (Firemommy). Turns out we're on a roof that just so happens to be the same roof Claude frequents in the present. Bennet and Claude head out of the greenhouse onto the roof, where Eric Roberts is talking to a man. Eric Roberts takes Claude and heads back inside, leaving Bennet with the man, who turns toward Bennet to reveal that he'sâ¦George Takei. That would be awesome enough if a little Hiro weren't also present, playing on a Game Boy or whatever. George Takei certainly bought little Hiro some chic glasses and a nice natty little suit. I wonder if his current appearance is his little stab at rebellion. George Takei has little Claire in his arms, and he asks Bennet in Japanese if there was any sign of the mother. Bennet answers in what's supposed to be fluent Japanese that they think she died in the fire. Of course, we were reminded in the previouslies that Firemommy is impervious to fire, but I can't believe it wouldn't at least occur to Bennet that imperviousness might be part of her power. Of course, he could be totally lying, which is always a possibility. George Takei tells Bennet that he understands he has no children, and observes that having children changes a man. If Bennet has a secret superpower, it must have something to do with withstanding anvils, because he didn't even flinch at that one. Instead, he tells George Takei that he can only imagine, but George Takei tells him imagination won't be necessary, as he's going to adopt the baby as his own. Bennet thinks that's not a great idea, but George Takei informs him that it's not a request. George Takei is kind of intimidating here, you all. I wonder what he was like before he had kids. They talk for a moment about the fact that the Bennets have unsuccessfully been trying to conceive. Hmm, I wonder if Lyle could be adopted too? And if he might manifest at some point? Anyway, George Takei shoves the baby into Bennet's arms, and as Eric Roberts and Claude look on, he tells Bennet not to get too close, as he's only the surrogate father -- she belongs to them. He adds, "If she manifests, we'll take her." Of course, that's according to the subtitles. For all I know, he might be saying, "I know it's wrong of me to have these thoughts, but you're even sexier with that baby in your arms." It's certainly a line George Takei could sell. Anyway, Bennet agrees, so George Takei leaves, ordering the adorable kid Hiro to join him. When he's gone, Claude, also in Japanese, wishes Bennet a happy Father's Day. Heh. We get a close-up of the cute babyâ¦

By Couch Baron

We also meet Teen Haitian, whose necklace is a silver version of Jessica's tattoo.

Couch Baron will take it from here on this ep. Don't panic, Erin's back week.

Oh my God, could I be more excited to recap this episode? No, I couldn't. Well, maybe if I drank twenty cups of coffee and snorted some coke, but even then, the difference would be marginal. Wheeee!

By Couch Baron

Back in the present, Bennet and Claire pull onto the same bridge as the one from seven years ago, where the Haitian is awaiting them. So just to get it out before I start crying again, it seems like Bennet and the Haitian worked it out so Bennet would point the finger at the Haitian for protecting Claire. Eric Roberts would have no trouble believing that, especially with Claude providing precedent for one of their pet Heroes betraying him. Bennet then takes Claire to the Haitian, who, as you'll see, erases certain parts of his memory. When Eric Roberts hears about it, he'll assume the Haitian intercepted and overpowered Bennet and took Claire from him, thereby covering Bennet's complicity. Clear enough? Can we all get back to crying now? Okay. The Bennets get out of the car and look miserable, while the Haitian looks impassive as ever. Bennet takes a long look around, and then turns to Claire and says this is goodbye. Yeah, I'd say so. That is, if my throat weren't almost completely closed already. The Haitian draws a large pistol as Claire tells Bennet he doesn't have to do this. Bennet's close to losing it completely as Claire says there has to be another way, but the Haitian opines that this is the best way, as there can't be any doubt cast on Bennet. Bennet points to a spot around his abdomen and tells the Haitian that's the target. "Two inches higher, and I'm dead." Hmm, did he shoot for a similarly non-lethal spot on Claude? I kind of doubt it, and yet the close range makes me suspicious. Maybe Bennet needed glasses a lot earlier than he thought. Bennet manages to tell Claire to turn around and cover her ears, and being a good girl, she does. The Haitian makes no mistake with his shot, and Bennet staggers back and settles against the guardrail. Claire tries to go to him, but the Haitian puts an arm in front of her. When he's recovered from the initial impact, he tells the Haitian to go deep, and to take anything that would lead them to Claire. Of course, it's hard to say exactly what this means -- certainly it doesn't seem necessary for all of Bennet's memories of Claire to be erased. Plus, I'd point out that the Haitian is still something of a wild card. I'm not even convinced that I believe he can't restore people's memories. But the "go deep" part is very troubling, not least because it's making it hard for me to see the screen. Continuing in that vein, Claire pushes past the Haitian and throws her arms around Bennet, whimpering like a wounded animal. He strokes her hair, and she tells him she loves him. She hangs on for a few more seconds, and then lets go. Bennet: "I love you, Claire Bear." Oh, my God, the tears. That's going to leave a mark, and not the kind Claire can heal, either. The Haitian approaches and stretches out his hand to Bennet's head, and we get a last shot of Claire crying before the trusty "To Be Continued... " card appears.