Heroes: Truth or Consequences (Episode # 210)

Evil Sylar's back to mess with Mo

So is next week's episode the season finale season finale? Or the first half of the season season finale. I mean, obviously the strike is going to make shooting and air dates wonky, but surely NBC is planning for more than 11 episodes of Heroes....

THE SHANTI SEARCH: Peter and Adam are after the Shanti virus -- Peter, because he wants to save the world (but mainly Caitlin...remember her? I just can't bring myself to be worried about her...), and Adam because he, as Midas Man mentioned, wants to unleash it and kill everyone. Of course, Peter doesn't know this.

Hiro, on the other hand, does. Because he saw Kensei/Adam kill his father, he and Ando get researching and discover that Mr. Nakamura had Adam locked away in the 70s. Hiro winces his way back to the day when it happened, and sees his father and heretofore unknown company woman Victoria Pratt arguing over a strain of virus that Adam had hoped to let loose -- Shanti. Victoria wants it destroyed, but Nakamura sends it to the Primatech facility in Odessa.

Back in the future, Adam tells Peter that Victoria is the one who knows where the virus is, and they need to talk to her. Peter goes in alone and though Victoria is hesitant, she tells him the virus is in New Mexico. Which, happily for her, is a lie, because when she follows Pete out, she sees he is in cahoots with none other than Adam. She shoots them both.

After healing, Peter knocks Victoria out and brings her inside to question her. She tells him Adam is no good, but Peter reads her mind and gets the Odessa info anyways. When she goes to shoot Peter in the head, Adam kills her. He explains -- there's no healing from a head wound (what about when Claire had that branch in her? or how HRG heals from a shot through the eye?).

Peter and Adam go to Odessa, just in time to meet Hiro. Hiro says he must stop Adam, but Peter gets a ball of Elle-powered electricity ready to stop him. Undeterred, Hiro starts running at his nemesis with his sword drawn....and we'll find out the rest next week.

A BENNET GOODBYE: Midas Man brings the Bennets HRG's ashes in an urn. Or at least, someone's ashes in an urn. In reality, HRG is with Mohinder, getting healed and getting a lecture on the greatness of the company. He, like Peter, is operating on some misinformation and bad judgement when it comes to the Shanti virus.

Back in Costa Verde, the Bennets are mourning and packing. Claire is bummed the last words she told her father were "I hate you." West is supportive. Aw. Boring.

Midas Man assigns Elle to track Claire and the Bennets, despite having promised them their freedom as "Noah's dying wish." He chastises Elle for her poor work earlier, letting her guard down and getting captured. She is so due to turn on her dad and the company before dying a heroe's death, y'all.

When Claire and her family spread HRG's ashes at the beach, they catch Elle looking on. Claire goes over and threatens her, showing off her power and being particularly badass. To what end, though? Seems like a lot of talk, and I'm not clear on what the future action may look like.

Speaking of Claire, though, her blood kicks ass. Combined with Mo's, it can cure the Shanti virus. Mo packs up a vial and heads off to cure Nikki.

TICK TOCK AND THE TWINS: Sylar has gotten the black oil twins to Virginia, and he and Maya are flirting. He convinces her that Alejandro resents her or killing his wife, and that she doesn't need him...she can learn to control her power on her own.

And sure enough, she can! Gosh, that was easy!

Maya tells Alejandro the good news, and tells him to go back to Mexico, because she did want to kill his wife after all. Alejandro shows her that Sylar killed his mother, but that only endears him to her -- they're both murderers! Sweet.

Unable to reason with his lovestruck sis, Alejandro confront Sylar and ends up dead. Sylar distracts Maya from his lifeless body with the cunning use of his wet bare chest. They're kind of a good couple. Maybe they'll do it before he kills her and mysteriously acquires her powers through heretofore unexplained methods.

With Alejandro out of the way, Maya and Sylar make the last leg of the trip to NYC and Dr. Suresh. They wait in Mo's apartment for him to get home, and Sylar makes a creepy call to let the good Doc know. They're there with Molly!

Seriously, Maya has to know this is weird.

Mohinder, who gets the call on the way to cure Nikki, has to think about turning around. Where is Parkman?

MICAH'S MISTAKE: Because she thinks she's dying, Nikki heads to New Orleans to see Micah. They have a touching reunion, where Micah talks about the medal that D.L. was given.

The medal, however, is in Micah's backpack full of expensive comic books, which his thug cousin decides he wants to try to sell. The bag gets stolen, and Micah is crushed. Wah-wah.

Micah and Monica deide to get the bag back with their super powers. Unfortunately, one of them is not super smarts. Monica gets caught in the thief's lair and is beaten and thrown in a van. These comic book thieves are harder than I thought.