By Couch Baron
So while we were out in Coyote Sands last week, Sylar was having yet another stupid identity crisis from which Danko, of all people, had to try to talk him down. It doesn't work, though, as Rebel warns some guy in Virginia to run from his place, but he's too late, as Sylar shows up and, after the guy demonstrates his power of disintegration, kills him and leaves the episode title in blood on his wall. Sylar then kvetches some more about his shapeshifting and losing his identity and whatever, and Danko tries to play Sylar-whisperer some more and it's so, so boring. Sylar then uses his agent identity to check into the murder of his stepmother, which you'll remember he committed, so he can... sniff her bloody sweater? You'd think it would be creepy, but it's just pathetic. He then whines to the ghost of his stepmother about how he never fit in, and then it turns out he actually is shifting into her form so he can have a conversation with himself, and good God, what is this show doing?
Danko turns up and reports that they've found Rebel, but Sylar breaks off from the team and gets to Micah first, who tells him he knows how special Sylar is, and that he can save them all. Hey, Micah's been pretty awesome lately, so I'm willing to believe this could go somewhere interesting, especially when Sylar takes his form and gets shot and falls into a river, giving the impression that Rebel is dead. Later, Micah witnesses the conversations between Sylar and "his stepmother," and Sylar shoos him out of there, but not before he suggests Sylar take Nathan's form so he can make a difference. Because Sylar is more easily convinced than an eager-to-please third grader, he complies, leading to the scene we saw at the end of last episode (and the beginning of this one), but from the "conversations" Sylar's had with his "stepmother," we know that he's planning to take the President's place. Nathan takes it upon himself to stop Sylar, but you know the rest of his family isn't just going to sit still and let him do it alone. Nathan heads back to his office to find Sylar there, and then Danko tranqs him and takes him into custody.
Matt checks in with Janice and learns she was released, so he decides to take his son home to his mother, despite Hiro and Ando's wish for Matt to come with them to Building 26. Before Matt leaves, he does them the favor of pointing out they don't have any sort of plan, so they hatch an ill-conceived one and bicker about stuff that's even more tired than Sylar, but eventually get it together in spite of the fighting and agree to be equal partners right as they get to Building 26 -- but unfortunately, something untoward happens to Hiro for reasons unknown.
When Matt gets home, he realizes there are agents parked down the street. Janice invites him to come away with her and their kid, but he realizes that although he wants to reconcile with her, he needs to contribute to the fight to preserve their way of life. Agents then swarm the house, and it's nice of them to give him his big chance, I guess.
In the end, Mohinder (?) gets captured, as do Bennet, Claire and Angela, Matt uses his powers to befuddle the agents, Hiro's nose bleeds (?), and Danko stabs Sylar in the back of the head – but Sylar recovers. It's just going to be him and the cockroaches – lucky thing I won't be around to see that.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see how vlogger Sean Crespo would end this season in No Prior Knowledge! And check back later this week for the full recap!