Heroes/Homecoming

Homecoming
Season 1, Episode 9
Airdate	November 20, 2006
Production Number	109
Written by	Adam Armus & Kay Foster
Directed by	Greg Beeman
Stream
← 1x08 Seven Minutes to Midnight	1x10 → Six Months Ago
Heroes — Season One

Homecoming is the ninth episode of the first season of Heroes.

Starring: Santiago Cabrera (Isaac Mendez), Tawny Cypress (Simone Deveaux), Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders), Ali Larter (Niki Sanders), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), Leonard Roberts (D.L. Hawkins), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli)

Guest Starring: Nora Zehetner (Eden McCain), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi), Ashley Crow (Sandra Bennet), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Erick Avari (Chandra Suresh), Jayma Mays (Charlie Andrews), Thomas Dekker (Zach), Sakina Jaffrey (Mrs. Suresh), Shishir Kurup (Nirad), Matt Lanter (Brody Mitchum), Clay Wilcox (Sharpshooter), Jimmy Jean-Louis ("The Haitian"), Danielle Savre (Jackie Wilcox)

And: Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet)

Co-Starring: Karl T. Wright (Principal Marks), Danielle Morrow (Everyday Girl), Brent Tarnol (Male Student), Ossie Mair (Vendor), Sally Champlin (Waitress), Josh Clark (Sheriff), Tiffany Hines (Cheerleader), Ryan K. Smith (Deputy), Javin Reid (Sanjog), Alan John Evrard (Utah Highway Patrol)

Plot Overview

Jessica stalks D.L. and Micah in Utah. Mohinder searches for the boy he saw in his dream. The pieces come together for Homecoming as Sylar and Peter Petrelli both search for the Cheerleader.

• Mohinder Suresh Voiceover: "We are, if anything, creatures of habit. Drawn to the safety and comfort of the familiar. But what happens when the familiar becomes unsafe? When the fear that we have been desperately trying to avoid finds us where we live?"

• Union Wells High, Odessa, Texas. Claire and Zach have lunch in the amphitheater. She's somewhat of a pariah after crashing Brody Mitchum's car and injuring him. Jackie is particularly snippy with her. The winner for "Homecoming Queen" is posted, and to everyone's astonishment, it's Claire. Zach and his friends wildly applaud, while the popular kids stand there fuming.

• Isaac Mendez's studio, Lower Manhattan, New York. Nathan Petrelli and Simone Deveaux unpack the Isaac Mendez painting Linderman shipped back to New York at Nathan's request. Simone tells Nathan that Peter told her that he needed the painting so he can save a cheerleader, and that would save the world. Nathan is skeptical. He thinks the whole thing is crazy, and Peter is delusional. What he sees in the painting convinces him that he should stop Peter from pursuing this. He grabs a can of black paint and splatters it all over the painting, ruining it. Simone is angry with him. Nathan tells her he's trying to save Peter's life.

• Nevada Desert. Jessica Sanders is testing a sniper rifle from an arms dealer. She tells him that she's going to kill her husband because he stole her son. The cops can't catch him. Satisfied, she buys the rifle. Jessica looks into the mirror. She sees Niki there shaking her head no, trying to tell Jessica not to do this. Jessica grins and says that they're going hunting.

• A motel along Highway 12, Utah. D.L. Hawkins and Micah Sanders stop for supplies. D.L. tells Micah that he still loves Niki, but she's changed. It's him and Micah from here on out. Micah asks if he means like Batman and Robin. D.L. says exactly like them, but he's not wearing tights. He goes to get supplies, but when he turns around, Micah has run off.

• Marketplace, Chennai, India. Mohinder Suresh is searching Chennai for Sanjog Iyer, the boy who appeared in his dream. His friend Nirad is accompanying him, trying to convince Mohinder to drop it, telling him it was just a dream. Mohinder tells him that the dreams told him things that he didn't know, like a sister. He mentions that the articles on Sanjog say that he appeared in people's dreams and he acted as a kind of spirit guide.

• Isaac Mendez's studio. Simone has called Peter Petrelli over. She tells him Nathan had the painting shipped here, but destroyed it. Peter asks her if there's another copy. Simone asks him if he really believes in the "save the cheerleader, save the world" business. Peter tells her that for reasons he can't understand, people are counting on him to do this. Simone retrieves the photograph of the painting and shows it Peter. The painting shows Peter Petrelli's twisted and broken body dead on the ground beneath a banner reading "Union Wells High School Homecoming". A clock on the wall shows the time is 8:12 PM. Simone says that if the painting is true, and he goes, he will die. Peter says that he has to take the chance. Simone already looked up the school. It's in Odessa, Texas and Homecoming is tonight. Simone tells him to please come back alive. Peter calls Ando Masahashi's phone. Ando tells Peter his name, and that that Hiro is "away". Peter tells Ando to get to Odessa, Texas. Ando says that he's in Midland, at the Burnt Toast Diner, which is near the airport. Peter knows that's the airport he'll be landing at and tells Ando he'll meet him there.

• Primatech Paper, Odessa. Mr. Bennet is exasperated. the painting Isaac did doesn't help identify Sylar or his whereabouts. It shows a humanoid figure wreathed in flame walking down a street. Eden tells Mr. Bennet that Isaac isn't a vending machine, you can't just make a selection and get what you want. He tells Eden McCain to use her power to make Isaac to paint another. She tells him no. He says she's getting too emotionally involved. She says so is he. Mr. Bennet shows her pictures of Sylar's previous victims - including Charlie. He tells her that's what Sylar is going to do to his daughter if he isn't stopped.

• Union Wells High. Claire is puzzled - everyone who wasn't her friend voted for her, and everyone who were her friends didn't. Zach told her she won the "unpopularity contest". He campaigned among the unpopular people to get them to vote for her. Zach gives her a copy of Chandra Suresh's book and tells her he ordered it over the Internet and it has a chapter on spontaneous cellular regeneration. Claire asks him why he's being so nice to her. She's never been that nice to him. She's been nice, but not THAT nice. Zach suggests that maybe she could try it. Jackie comes up, still in a mood. She asks Claire if she's taking the gay guy to the dance. Claire punches Jackie out.

• Bennet house, Odessa. Mr. Bennet tells Claire that she's grounded for punching Jackie and can't go to Homecoming. Claire is pissed off and storms up to her room. Sandra Bennet tells her husband that Claire's going to be angry at him for a very long time. Mr. Bennet tells her he hopes so.

• Greyhound bus stop, Utah. D.L. catches Micah at a bus stop. He angrily asks Micah if he knows how scared he was. Micah angrily retorts that now he knows how he felt when D.L. left. Micah tells D.L. that after he left, things got really bad with Niki. Sometimes she came out — Jessica. Micah tells D.L. that Niki's sick, and they have to help her. Niki can't control her. D.L. asks Micah if Niki knows about Jessica. Micah tells D.L. that he doesn't think so.

• Marketplace, Chennai. A pedestrian says he knows where the boy is for a price. Mohinder pays the bribe and the man points out the Sanjog Iyer playing soccer nearby. Mohinder goes to see Sanjog with Nirad trailing. Mohinder tells Sanjog that he came to him in his dream. Sanjog corrects Mohinder; he doesn't go to anyone, they come to him. They have questions and he has answers. Mohinder says he doesn't think he has any questions. Sanjog tells him of course he does. Mohinder says that he has three paths in front of him - which is his destiny? Sanjog says that Mohinder already has the answer and runs off.

• Burnt Toast Diner, Midland, Texas. Ando notices the photo of Charlie and Hiro at Charlie's birthday party. He asks another waitress when the picture was taken. The waitress says that was at Charlie's birthday party, six months ago, and the man is Hiro. He and Charlie were close until he disappeared two and a half weeks ago.

• Bennet house. Claire is in her room reading Activating Evolution when Zach text-messages her. He's outside with a ladder and comes in. Zach urges her to skip out and go to Homecoming. Claire says that she'll get into trouble. Zach says that she should enjoy this night, and worry about trouble later. Claire says Zach can be her date. He declines for several reasons. Claire asks if it's about Jackie's comments that he's gay, and Zach tells her that didn't bother him. He likes who he is, he just wishes that Claire liked who she is. He tells her that the only thing she should regret is denying who she really is. They leave for Homecoming.

• Burnt Toast Diner. Peter meets Ando outside the diner. He asks Ando where Hiro is. Ando shows Peter the photograph of Hiro in the past, and tells her that she died yesterday, with the Sheriff and deputy right there, abut the killer was gone quickly. He says that Hiro thinks the killer was the same one who is after the cheerleader, and he went back in time to try and stop her death. Ando says he told Hiro that it was too risky, but he went anyway. Peter shows Ando the photo of the painting and tells him that he knows when and where the Cheerleader gets attacked. Ando asks Peter if he has a power. Peter says he only sort-of has a power, he can absorb the powers of other nearby special people. By himself he's somewhat useless. He has to go and asks Ando if he's coming. Ando says no, he's going to wait for Hiro, without him he isn't really anything either. Ando asks why doesn't Peter wait for Hiro. Peter says that he hasn't got any time. Ando says that the painting shows that he dies. Peter leaves anyway.

• Bennet house. Mr. Bennet discovers that Claire is missing and asks Sandra where she is. Sandra says that Claire and Zach skipped across the lawn ten minutes ago. She thinks Mr. Bennet is being too hard on Claire. Mr. Bennet says that she has no idea what she's done and he leaves for the school.

• Mohinder's Office, Chennai University, Chennai. Mohinder is in his office. Nirad is there and he tells Mohinder that the dreams are just a part of his subconscious expressing itself. Mohinder starts to tell him that they already had this conversation, then he sees Sanjoy Iyer standing nearby. He's dreaming again. The scene melts into the Chennai marketplace. Nirad and Chandra Suresh are having much the same conversation that he and Mohinder had earlier. Chandra is looking for Sanjog too. Nirad pleads with Chandra to be reasonable, saying that the university will strip him of his tenure if he isn't careful. Chandra says "So be it," and stalks off. The market melts into Chandra's office. A slightly younger Mohinder comes in holding the manuscript for Activating Evolution. He's just read it and thinks it's brilliant. He wants to help. Chandra tells him he can't. He tells Younger Mohinder that a scientist needs a heart of stone, and he hasn't got it. Sanjog appears and tells Mohinder that he has his answer. Mohinder wakes up. He's in Chandra's office. the prompt on the algorithm screen asks if he wants to quit running the algorithm. Mohinder chooses "no". A prompt for a password comes up. "DARWIN" and "SYLAR" are wrong. Mohinder thinks more, and types in SHANTI. It's correct. A long list of people and locations identified by the algorithm show up. D.L. Hawkins, Matt Parkman, Niki Sanders, Nathan Petrelli, Isaac Mendez, Hiro Nakamura, and someone in Midland, Texas are among them. Some are marked as deceased.

• Union Wells High. Peter Petrelli is at the trophy case. He's looking at the newspaper articles on Jackie Wilcox. Claire bumps into him. He asks her about Jackie. Claire tells him that just between them, Jackie isn't anyone special, just a normal teenage girl — she's a cheerleader. Peter goes outside . He's at the place where the painting shows him dead, and it's 8:00 PM. Mr. Bennet is at the place from Isaac's painting.Inside, Sylar is reading the same news articles. In the locker room, the cheerleaders are getting ready for the halftime show. Jackie and Claire are the last to leave. Jackie tells Claire that she's a menace - not just for what she did to Brody, but in general. They used to be best friends, Claire used to try and be just like her since grade 2, but she's changed in the recent months. Claire retorts that Jackie's now trying to be like her - she's the one who rescued the man from the train, and she has it on tape.
  
  They go to leave, but the lights suddenly go out. Claire is instantly on edge, she thinks something is wrong. But Jackie is dismissive, until Sylar grabs her. He lifts Jackie up the locker with one hand. She screams and Sylar muffles her with his hand. Claire tries to pull Sylar off Jackie, but Sylar fives her a telekinetically assisted shove that sends her flying into a wall, breaking her. Mr. Bennet and Peter hear the screams and race inside. Sylar uses precision telekinesis to slice through Jackie's skull. Blood streams down her face. Claire pulls herself together and stands up. Sylar and Jackie see her healing and he realizes he's got the wrong one. Jackie weakly says "run...". Claire runs and Sylar drops Jackie. Claire bumps into Peter in the hall. He sees her covered in blood and being pursued by Sylar. Peter he tells her to run and keep running. They run. After Claire gets out of the hallway, Peter turns to confront Sylar. Sylar uses his telekinesis to rip lockers off and hurls them at Peter. Peter instinctively uses the telekinesis he's mimicking to deflect most of them to the side. He runs too. Mr. Bennet finds Jackie's body. Claire stumbles on the steps and Peter helps her up. He tells her to run and get away — the killer doesn't want to be seen. She asks what will happen to him and he shouts at her to run. Claire runs. Peter turns and Sylar is right behind him. Peter, knowing his fate, grabs Sylar and purposefully hurls both of them off the roof.
  
  It's 8:12 PM. Peter is lying, body broken, in a pool of his own blood, like the painting. Claire comes out the door and sees him. As she approaches, Peter wakes up. He's a bit confused, but he puts his broken limbs back in their proper place. Claire watches in amazement as a scar on his head heals and vanishes. She asks him how he did that. Peter looks around and asks where the killer is. Claire says that she doesn't know, he was gone when she found him. Peter tells her to go get help. Claire starts to run off then asks Peter his name. He says it's Peter. Claire introduces herself. Peter asks Claire if she's the one - by saving her did he save the world? Claire says she doesn't know, she's just a cheerleader. Claire runs toward the football stadium, and Mr. Bennet finds her. She hugs him. She tries to tell him that Jackie's dead, but he says he knows. The police will handle it. Claire tells him they have to go back and help Peter. Mr. Bennet tells her that she's lucky to be alive. Claire says it wasn't luck, and there's something she needs to tell him.
  
  Nearby, Sylar is limping away when he comes across Eden McCain. She uses her power to get him to fall asleep. The Haitian grabs him. Back at the school, the police show up. Peter sees that his ankle is in the wrong place but fixes it. The police arrest him.

• Chennai. Mohinder talks to his mother. She's heard that he turned down Mira's offer and is returning to New York. Mohinder tells his mother that Chandra did it, he found his special people. There's a list on his computer. Mohinder's mother asks what he'll do now that he's found them. Mohinder says he'll find them, tell them what's happening to them if they don't already know, and warn them about the dangers they will face. Mohinder's mother asks who will protect him from the dangers.

• A motel along Highway 12, Utah. D.L. and Micah return to their car. They're about to head back to Las Vegas. Micah tells him there's no need, he called his mother and told them where they are. D.L. is worried and tells Micah to get into the car, quickly. Up on the hill, Jessica/Niki takes aim and fires.

• Six Months Ago, Burnt Toast Diner. Hiro Nakamura opens his eyes. Charlie is pouring him coffee. He tells her that he is Hiro Namakura, and he is there to save her life. She doesn't know what to say, but before she can say anything, her friends call her over for her birthday celebration. She goes over, and gestures to Hiro to join her.

• Mohinder Suresh Voiceover: "We are all, at our cores, the sum of our fears. To embrace destiny, we must inevitably face those fears and conquer them, whether they come from the familiar, or the unknown."

Notes

Mysteries

• Where did Past Hiro go two and a half weeks ago?
• Why didn't he prevent Charlie's death?
• Who or what is in Isaac's latest painting?

Answers

• Hiro traveled back in time six months, and spent 5 and a half months in the past with Charlie before he vanished.
• Eden does indeed have the "power of suggestion" (Mind Control).
• Sylar removes the top of his victims skulls with precision use of telekinesis.
• Chandra Suresh did find his supers, and had a list hidden on his computer in India.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Nathan attempts to hinder Peter's quest, but Simone helps, even fearing that it could result in Peter's death.
• Niki/Jessica fires towards D.L. as he's about to get into his vehicle.
• Isaac painted what looks like a being made of fire walking down a street.

Characters

• When Jessica is in control, Niki is the one who appears in the mirror.
• Jackie's last name is Wilcox. She was killed by Sylar.
• Mohinder is returning to America to try and find the supers, and warn them about Sylar.
• Micah told D.L. about his mother's split personality, Jessica. D. L. decided that he has to try and help Niki.
• Peter was determined to try and save the cheerleader, even if it cost him his own life. He nearly died, but absorbed enough of Claire's ability to heal himself and put his broken body back together.
• Simone is starting to think that maybe Isaac can paint the future.

Trivia

The Show

• Missing in Action: Matt does not appear in this episode.

Memorable Moments

• The heart-to-heart between Zach and Claire helped her come to peace with who she is and made her decide who she wants to be.
• Sylar's attack on Jackie was frightening and chilling.
• Claire finds Peter's broken body, and sees him put himself back together.
• Eden uses her mind control to capture Sylar.

Quotes

• Simone: I'm not sure what to believe anymore.
• Jessica: Let's go hunting!
• D.L.: It's you and me from now on out.
  Micah: You mean like Batman and Robin?
  D.L.: (laughs) Yeah, like Batman and Robin . Only I ain't wearin' no tights. You can wear tights, I'm not wearing tights.
• Simone: You really believe this, don't you? "Save the cheerleader, save the world"?
  Peter: For reasons I can't begin to understand, people are counting on me to do this. I don't know if I can, but I have to try.
• Simone: If it's you [in the painting], then you're going to die at 8:12 tonight. ... Don't go Peter.
  Peter: I have to.
  Simone: Union Wells High is in Odessa, Texas. I took the liberty of making a phone call. Homecoming is tonight.
  Peter: Thank you... thank you...
• Sandra: She's going to hate you for a good long time on this one.
  Mr. Bennet: Let's hope so.
• Micah: Sometimes she'd show up instead of Mom.
  D.L.: She?
  Micah: Jessica. ... Dad, Mom's sick. She can't help herself, she can't control it.
• Zach: I know who I am, I like who I am. I just.. I just wished you liked who you are.
  Claire: I'm finally realizing who my friends really are, and that maybe being different isn't the end of the world.
• Zach: ...The only thing you'll regret is denying who you really are.
• Jackie: run....
• Claire: What's your name?
  Peter: Peter.
  Claire: I'm Claire.
  Peter: Are you the one? By saving you, did I save the world?
  Claire: I dunno. I'm just a cheerleader.