Heroes 1.09: Homecoming review

Original US airdate: 20/11/06

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Written by: Kay Foster & Adam Armus

Directed by: Greg Beeman

Starring: Sakina Jaffrey, Danielle Savre, Zachary Quinto

Rating:

The One Where: Sylar closes
in on Claire.

Synopsis
In high school,
Claire learns that she’s just been
crowned the Homecoming
Queen, beating Jackie. Zach tells
her that she won with the
support of the freak vote.

Nathan takes receipt of Isaac’s
painting from Lindeman. But as
Simone watches, horrified, he
throws paint all over the canvas,
claiming he’s saving Peter’s life.
But Simone also has a digital
image, which she gives to Peter
– it seems to show him dying at
Claire’s high school at 8.12 that
night. Pete insists he has to go
and try to save her.

Mohinder theorises that the
silent boy who is appearing in his
visions is a spirit guide. He finds
the boy playing football in a
market and receives a vision of
his father scolding him for his
interest in his research. He then
enters a password into his dad’s
computer and discovers the list
that his father has of all the
superhumans. He vows to return
to America with a renewed sense
of purpose.

Bennet says that Isaac’s
painting is useless. He instructs
Eden to take out Sylar, then,
concerned for his daughter’s
safety, orders Claire to stay at
home on homecoming night.
Later, however, she sneaks out
with Zach…

Ando spots the photo of Hiro
in the diner and discovers it was
taken six months ago. Peter
arrives, and later bumps into
Claire. He sees a story about
Jackie, who has taken credit for
Claire’s heroics, and he assumes
that she’s the cheerleader he
must save. Sylar assumes the
same, and kills Jackie before
realising his mistake and setting
off after Claire. Peter tells her to
run and tussles with Sylar.
Together they tumble from a
ledge. When Peter regains
consciousness he discovers that
he must have absorbed Claire’s
miraculous healing powers. But
Sylar has fled from the scene –
Eden later encounters him in the
woods and seems able to
command him, with the help of
the mysterious Haitian… Pete
winds up arrested, the cops
presuming he’s the killer.

Elsewhere, Jessica takes aim at
DL through the cross-hair of a
gun, and Hiro finds himself in the
diner, six months earlier. Charlie
beckons him over…

Review
So here we are, at the
climax of Heroes’ first mini-arc.
They saved the cheerleader, but
did they save the world? Sylar is
all the more chilling for his silent,
shadowed presence, like some
eternal archetype of the serial
killer made flesh. The plot
cleverly exploits what seemed
like a throwaway element a few
episodes ago – Jackie’s hijacking
of Claire’s blaze rescue
– and delivers some very dark
karma indeed.

Oh, and look for the dude in
the conspicuous Battlestar
Galactica t-shirt in Claire’s high
school. Rock the freak vote!

Dialogue
Peter: “Are you the
one? By saving you, did I save
the world?”
Claire: “I don’t know. I’m just a
cheerleader.”

Nick Setchfield

SFX Magazine is the world's number one sci-fi, fantasy, and horror magazine published by Future PLC. Established in 1995, SFX Magazine prides itself on writing for its fans, welcoming geeks, collectors, and aficionados into its readership for over 25 years. Covering films, TV shows, books, comics, games, merch, and more, SFX Magazine is published every month. If you love it, chances are we do too and you'll find it in SFX.

Latest in Sci-Fi Shows
Black Mirror season 7
First trailer for Black Mirror season 7 teases USS Callister sequel and the return of Will Poulter's Bandersnatch character
The Last of Us
The Last of Us season 2 trailer breaks HBO viewing records, becoming the network's most-watched trailer
The Mandalorian and Boba Fett
George Lucas' unmade Star Wars show was so expensive and risky that it would have cost $40 million per episode and “blown up the whole Star Wars universe"
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy breaks silence on the weird release schedule: "It's a Disney decision"
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
The Last of Us is "better" than 28 Days Later, says movie writer Alex Garland: "This is so much more sophisticated and moving"
Latest in Reviews
Razer USB 4 Dock in silver on a wooden desk
Razer USB 4 Dock review: "solid, reliable, and surprisingly well-priced"
Lenovo Legion Go S with FlyKnight gameplay on screen featuring player character holding bow and arrow with enemy ant in backdrop.
Lenovo Legion Go S Windows 11 review: “my heart aches for this mixed up handheld”
Talisman 5th Edition game components
Talisman 5th Edition review: "The characterful imperfections of the original game remain clear to see "
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Altered: Trial by Frost booster box and packs on a playmat
Altered: Trial by Frost review - "Satisfying enough to offer highly varied gameplay"
Three SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads on a wooden desk
I didn't expect to prefer a coarser mouse pad, but SteelSeries' new QcK Performance range has changed my mind