'Heroes': I want a hard target search ...

I have two immediate thoughts about this week's Heroes: First, it sure is hard to find good fugitive-hunting help these days. Where's Tommy Lee Jones when you need him?

And in the same vein, where's the Haitian when you need him? Because I think if I could have had the memory of most of "Villains" wiped from my mind, I would have enjoyed this episode more than I did.

These spoilers come to you direct from Russellville, Arkansas.

On the plus side, tonight's episode -- written by Battlestar Galactica veteran Mark Verheiden -- worked reasonably well as an action episode, with Peter, Parkman et al trying to get away from the plane crash site and Nathan and his goon squad hunting them down. Intercutting Nathan's phone conversation with Angela was also an efficient way to provide exposition and let us know that Nathan may have bitten off a little more than he can handle with his Round 'Em All Up* plan. There were, however, a couple of other things -- including what felt like a huge continuity gaffe -- that prevented me from full enjoyment.

(*Except me, of course.)

The wide shot of the plane's wreckage at the beginning of the episode made me think of the bus-train calamity that sets The Fugitive in motion, but visuals aside, there are some key differences. Harrison Ford, for instance, knew enough to get moving and not look back, and I don't recall Tommy Lee Jones ordering an airstrike to clean up the debris field.

And, somewhat unfortunately for everyone involved, Parkman feels the need for art supplies soon after the crash, so he, Hiro and Suresh high-tail it to a trailer so he can draw Daphne getting shot at the crash site, Hiro in New Delhi and a few other panels we didn't get to see as clearly. The first one in particular makes Matt distraught, since Daphne isn't there yet. She instead is tracking down Ando, who's finding that his and Hiro's GPS Friendship Chips are handy after all, and they're off to Arkansas to try to rescue their friends.

And sure enough, all our good guys get together briefly, but unfortunately for Daphne, the four seconds she slows down to assess how she can speed everyone away are the four seconds in which she gets shot (so long, presumably, Brea Grant, since you were a guest star) by Danko the Hunter's men. Parkman then goes a little mind-control crazy -- which was actually pretty interesting, given how hard he tries not to abuse his power most of the time -- on the soldiers and has one kill his mates before Danko steps up and kills him.

Claire gets caught in the crossfire, and once again her two dads convince Danko to let her go. The advice takes this time, and it's back to Costa Verde, where she tells a relieved Sandra that she thinks she'll be sticking around a while (uh-huh. Sure you are). HRG tells her yet again that This Thing Is Far Bigger Than You Could Possibly Know, and I get a little sad hearing what was once the show's most compelling character repeat his one-note, I-just-want-to-protect-you litany yet again.

Also on the plus side, Ali Larter gets more to do this week than she has in quite some time, going on the lam with Peter for a bit before reverting to her angle-playing, deal-making self and trying to work a deal by which she gets her old life back, assuring Nathan that she'll deliver Peter to him and vice versa.

Nathan may be a lot of things, but he's not so dumb that he'd really show up without backup. The exchange naturally goes sideways, and while HRG hems and haws and doesn't take out Peter when he has the chance (at Nathan's behest, it turns out), Peter takes his brother's ability and flies off, and a peeved Nathan has Tracy taken back into custody.

The episode ends with Peter giving his fellow escapees a rah-rah speech about doing whatever it takes to survive and being ready to fight when the day comes, which given the BSG connection tonight I can't help but think would sound a lot more convincing coming out of Laura Roslin's or Bill Adama's mouth. We also see Angela telling Nathan, basically, to suck it -- he's cast his lot with Danko (who according to the clipping Angela is holding has a thing for collateral damage), so he's got to live with that.

We close with Tracy hooded and cuffed again. She's spitting mad that Nathan has reneged on their deal and finally call him out on his hypocrisy. It's all on tape too, so you can figure that someone Nathan would rather keep his power secret from will see the video.

Meanwhile ...

Sylar is still looking for his father somewhere in the swamps of Jersey (or, OK, Newark), and he somewhat randomly decides to decamp with Agent Redshirt to a house across the street. It's the home of single mom Mary Campbell and her son, Luke -- and wouldn't you know, young Luke has an ability too. It seems he's something of a human microwave (as in a microwave oven, not Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson). Luke saves Sylar from Agent Redshirt, and as a reward he doesn't immediately slice the kid's head open. Instead, they head out on a road trip together to look for Sylar's dad (who, by implication, may be Luke's father too. Cue Star Wars music).

I liked Dan Byrd a lot in Aliens in America, so it wouldn't bother me to see him stick around for a little while. But is there a way he doesn't end up with a giant zipper across his forehead? I am very much not engaged in the Sylar stuff these past couple weeks.

Odds and ends from "Trust and Blood":

• About that continuity snafu: When they arrive at the crash site, Daphne tells Ando that Hiro has to be alive, because Ando kills him in the future. My notes at this point say "[wait ...]," with the "oh sweet Jesus" implied by the ellipsis. We dispatched of that future last arc, 'member? When the formula was destroyed and everyone doesn't have superpowers? Anyone?
• A more minor head-scratcher involved Parkman's latest white-eye adventure. I think this is the first time we've seen a character fuzz out like this and still be able to move around and do something other than just draw his visions. That's fine, but I had to chuckle when Matt rushed into the trailer and then rushed out again to do his artwork. Dude, you're a wanted man on the run from some highly trained government operatives -- d'you think you might be able to do your little project inside, where you're less, you know, visible?
• Peter took time to explain to Tracy that he can only take on one ability at a time, so I guess that's officially put to rest.
• I'm assuming the stuff Nathan's people put up the supers' noses deadens their powers and is the same thing used to subdue Sylar and others at Level 5. After all the mumbo-jumbo about the formula in the last arc, though, it's almost comforting not to hear an explanation of what it is.

How'd you like this week's Heroes? Are you able to put the show's past out of your mind, or is there too much baggage at this point?

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