Acceptance (Heroes)

Plot

The episode opens with Tracy Strauss getting ready to meet with Governor Robert Malden to get her job back. However, she wonders if it's time for herself to change, and after meeting with Noah Bennet, decides she wants to play a more active role in helping people alongside the governor. When she meets with Malden about this, he dismisses it, causing Tracy to excuse herself to the bathroom due to her anger. While inside, Tracy seems to lose control of her water powers while she's angry, though she forms back together when she calms down. She then coldly leaves Malden in the restaurant.

Hiro Nakamura is happy to discover that his sister, Kimiko, and Ando Masahashi are engaged, and agrees to send Kimiko off. Ando is worried, as the wedding isn't for another year, and Hiro may be dead by then. Ando urges Hiro to accept his fate and tell Kimiko the truth. However, they are then interrupted by a phone call for their "Dial-A-Hero" scheme; a former accountant at their company named Tadashi says he's on the roof of the building and is preparing to commit suicide. Hiro talks with him, learning that he wants to kill himself because he was fired from his job due to an embarrassing incident while intoxicated at a party. Hiro decides to travel back in time to prevent Tadashi from doing so, and afterward, returns to the moment right before the phone call. However, he receives the call from Tadashi, learning that Tadashi had a similar incident at another party. Hiro travels back in time again to correct Tadashi's mistake, but upon returning, Hiro still receives the call from Tadashi. Hiro again talks with Tadashi, telling him they must each accept their fates, and that Tadashi should find another job and has so much to live for, revealing his terminal illness to him. Tadashi finally seems convinced and climbs down. Hiro decides to tell Kimiko he is dying, but during their conversation, he begins to have a headache and seems to be frozen in time. He reverts to normal, assuring Kimiko he is fine, but then vanishes right in front of her.

Peter Petrelli meets with Noah, and attempts to show him the compass tattoo from the previous episode, but finds it gone. Noah tells him he doesn't want to have anything to do with it anymore. Peter understands, and leaves, and Noah is immediately after visited by Claire Bennet. Claire is concerned her father doesn't have a job, suggesting he take a position in sales, though Noah is unsure. Meanwhile, Edgar begins to doubt Samuel's plan in finding other people with abilities. Samuel then uses Lydia to find another person, though she shows him an image of Noah. Samuel asks why she's showing him as he is retired, but Lydia says that he may have changed his mind. Noah is then shown beginning to investigate the compass and his encounter with Edgar.

Nathan Petrelli begins having disjointed visions of his past after Angela Petrelli gives him a box of items from his childhood in an effort to rekindle his memories and prevent Sylar's personality from emerging. One troubling memory is that of a former girlfriend, Kelly, Nathan once had, where he remembers her dead, floating in a pool with blood coming from her head. It was believed that Kelly had run away from her family, but Nathan believes otherwise and visits her mother, Millie; she happens to be the same woman Angela met with in "Cold Snap." Millie affirms she has never heard from Kelly since, and Nathan decides to investigate the pool area. By touching the poolside bench, Nathan recalls that Kelly had slipped off the diving board and died by hitting her head against the bench. Nathan confronts Angela about this, who confirms she had died; she then says she took care of the body and made it look like she had left home, and had Nathan's mind erased by the Haitian. Angry at this, Nathan attempts to tell Millie the truth, though she doesn't appear to believe him and tells him to leave. Nathan thinks of reporting the death to the police, but is soon after knocked unconscious by a man. Millie meets with Angela and tells her about Nathan's meeting, though Angela dismisses it as Nathan being overly dramatic. Nathan is then shown being dragged to a pit, where he is shot several times, then buried. It is then revealed the man was hired by Millie, who calls her to tell her the job is done. Millie acknowledges it, smiling back at the unknowing Angela. As the man drives away, Sylar erupts from the ground, having survived by use of his healing ability. He is no longer in the form of Nathan Petrelli.

Critical Reception

Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club rated this episode a D-.

Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode 6.5 out of 10.