Episode 11 – Thanksgiving
Samuel watches Chandra’s recovered footage for the internment camp where he explained how an unborn child’s power was amplified by the number of evolved humans in the camp. The tape shakes as the baby unleashes its terrakinesis, and Hiro pounds on the door. Samuel goes out and Hiro demands that he tell him where Charlie is. Samuel tells him he has other things to do, and the tape that Hiro brought back has shown him his destiny. When Hiro threatens to kill him, Samuel warns that if he dies, the secret of Charlie’s location dies with him. When Hiro yields, Samuel tells him to help set the carnival table for Thanksgiving dinner.
Noah is at the grocery store shopping for Thanksgiving and talking to Claire on his cell phone. She tells him that Gretchen has moved out and Noah apologizes, blaming himself. Claire admits that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway and Noah invites her to his first Bennet Thanksgiving dinner to help cheer her up. In fact, he doesn’t want to be there by himself when Sandra brings her new boyfriend, Doug Douglas. Claire says that she’ll be there and she has something to talk to him about. Noah hangs up and sees Lauren Gilmore. She notices him and comes over, and explains that she’s now working for the CIA since the Company shut down. Noah says he isn’t doing anything right now and Lauren wonders if he’s stalking her. Noah tells her that he and Sandra are now separated and he’s preparing Thanksgiving dinner on his own. Lauren offers to help and Noah accepts, saying it would be great to get together and catch up.
At Peter’s apartment, Peter watches over Nathan as he sleeps. Angela arrives with servants to bring in the traditional Petrelli Thanksgiving dinner. She insists that the holiday is the time for them to share their lives together. Peter tells her what he and Nathan found at the storage facility: Nathan’s body. Angela realizes that the Haitian told them what happened. She claims that the corpse is a shapeshifter that took on Nathan’s form, and when he died, they had to dispose of its body secretly to avoid a commotion. When Peter tells her that they know about Matt, Angela claims that Matt is insane but Peter then tells her they know that Sylar was in Matt’s head. Nathan wakes up and demands answers as well, and Angela says that they she’ll tell them after family dinner, and if that isn’t good enough than she’ll leave and they’ll never hear from her again. They reluctantly give in, and Nathan’s face warps as Sylar tries to shapeshift it.
Claire comes to Noah’s apartment and is surprised to see Lauren there. She figures that Lauren is her father’s date but Noah denies it, insisting she’s just there to help. Sandra and Doug, and their dogs Mr. Muggles and Mrs. Lovegood, arrive next and Sandra also assumes that Lauren is Noah’s date.
Hiro and Lydia set the table and she asks what the matter is, insisting that he can share with her because they’re family. Hiro explains that he traveled eight weeks into the past, but Samuel didn’t keep his word. Edgar overhears them talking, and he and Lydia realize that Samuel must sent Hiro for some other reason than to save Joseph. Lydia talks to Hiro, who refuses to explain because of the danger of Samuel taking offense, and she offers to use her power her to help him. She removes her blouse and invites him to touch her, saying it’s necessary for her power to work. Hiro reluctantly accepts that and touches her, and she realizes that Hiro loved Charlie and that Samuel is blackmailing him into using his space-time manipulation. She asks Hiro to take her back in time so she can discover exactly who killed Joseph.
Lydia grabs Hiro’s hand and her contact and power activate Hiro’s power, sending them both eight weeks back as Mohinder leaves the carnival. They hide and watch as Samuel demands to talk to Joseph about what he’s learned. The two brothers go out to the nearby field and Lydia goes after them,, ignoring Hiro’s warning about altering the past.
The Petrellis have Thanksgiving answers and Angela asks Nathan to say grace. He angrily tells her that he wants answers. She finally explains that Sylar planned to kill the President, and she had a precognitive dream that Nathan would fight for his leaf. Angela took Matt to the hotel but by the time they got there, Nathan was dead. She then had Matt place Nathan’s memories in Sylar’s body, forcing Sylar to take on Nathan’s identity. She insists that Nathan is still Nathan and offers a family toast.
The Bennets sit down for Thanksgiving and Noah offers a toast, thanking Lauren for her help. Doug talks about how he and Sandra met over their digs and Noah explains that he and Lauren knew each other from Primatech. Sandra remembers Primatech and Noah’s involvement, and wonders if she’s stumbling into something she’s not supposed to remember. Noah assures her that her knowing about Lauren is fine and Doug suggests that they should go around and each say what they’re thankful for. He’s thankful for Mrs. Lovegood and Sandra. Noah is thankful that Claire is there. Lauren is thankful for the yams. Claire says that she isn’t feeling thankful and Noah explains that Gretchen moved out. Claire insists he doesn’t know what’s going on in his life and tells everyone that she’s leaving college.
The carnival assembles for Thanksgiving and Samuel promises them it’ll be a Thanksgiving to remember. He realizes that Lydia isn’t there and asks Edgar where she is. Edgar lies and says he doesn’t know, so Samuel asks Lydia’s daughter Amanda. Amanda remembers that she saw Lydia going to find Hiro. Samuel considers the news and then finishes his toast.
Eight weeks in the past, Lydia and Hiro go to the field and watch Joseph and Samuel talk. Joseph admits that Samuel is dangerous because at his full potential, he can kill millions. Joseph refuses to let it happen and Samuel realizes that he’s always felt the potential inside of him. He asks Joseph to tell him what he can do but Joseph refuses, saying he’s given up everything to keep Samuel restrained. Samuel wants to see the tape that he overheard Mohinder describe, but Joseph tells him he told Mohinder to burn it. When Samuel shoves him to the ground his brother that he’s called a government to take Samuel into custody. Samuel uses his power to shoot a rock through Joseph’s throat, and then rushes forward to embrace him in regret as he dies. Lydia moves, brushing a twig, and Samuel hears her. He come running into the brush to find them, and Hiro manages to teleport them away to the present just in time.
Claire tells everyone that college isn’t for her, and she’s upset over what happened with Rebecca and Gretchen. When Sandra wonders what she might do instead, Claire suggests she might go abroad for year or get a job, but she wants to find somewhere that she can fit in. When Noah wonders about the tuition he’s already spent, Claire wonders where he got the money, and tells him to send it back. He wonders if her dropping out has to do with what Samuel told her, and Sandra blames Noah. Claire insists that it’s her, not Noah, that has the issues and Doug intervenes. He suggests that her feelings are normal, and talks about how he didn’t fit in because he liked to breed dogs. Claire despairs and finally demonstrates to him what she can do by cutting open her left arm with a carving knife. Doug faints at the sight of blood and falls to the floor.
In the present, Hiro warns Lydia that she can’t let anyone know what they discovered, or Samuel will realize Hiro was involved and never turn Charlie over. Lydia says they have to stand up to Samuel and goes to tell Edgar what happened. Samuel finds Hiro and asks where he’s been, and Hiro claims that he was lost. Samuel then asks Lydia if something is wrong, and notices a twig in her hair. He invites them to join the others at dinner.
As Sandra tries to revive Doug, Lauren chats with her and says that Noah’s attempt at Thanksgiving dinner was his way to show Claire that she has a family that loves her. Meanwhile, Claire sees Noah’s collection of news clippings on compasses and strange earth phenomena. Noah insists that it all relates to Noah, and that the carnival isn’t good people. She insists that he can’t understand, and she has to hide who she is to almost everyone or they faint. When she refuses to listen to Noah, insisting he not treat her as a child, and Noah tells her to stop acting like one. There’s a knock at the door and Noah answers it: it’s Gretchen.
As Angela reaches for the knife to cut the pie, Nathan stops her and says that he’s no longer Nathan. Electricity shoots out from his body as Sylar uses his electrical manipulation to render Nathan’s personality inert. Peter and Angela back up and they watch as Sylar uses his shape-shifting to take on his original body. He asks them what’s for dinner and then telekinetically shoves their chairs into place.
Samuel tells the assembled carnival people that they’ve all worked together to bring about their destiny, and that the future has arrived and it’s greater than Joseph imagined. He then warns them that there is a traitor in their midst, the person who murdered Joseph. Edgar leaps up and says that Hiro saw Samuel murder Joseph. Samuel asks Hiro what he saw and Hiro has no choice but to lie to save Charlie. Samuel then accuses Edgar of killing Joseph and calling the government down on them. Edgar prepares to kill them but Hiro freezes everyone except the carnie, and points out that Samuel was less than a second away from killing Edgar with a levitated rock. He tells Edgar that sometimes a hero has to runaway and Edgar reluctantly superspeeds away. Hiro restores time and Samuel is surprised to discover that Edgar has seemingly vanished. He says that only the guilty would have fled and they’re better off without him.
Sylar telekinetically forces Peter and Angela to sit down and watch as he eats. He ignores Pete’s threats and thanks Angela for showing him what evil incarnate really is. Sylar starts using his telekinesis to cut open Angela’s skull, but Nathan’s mental force tries to take control of the body again. Angela and Peter encourage him and Nathan finally manages to regain control, forcing the body to shape-shift back to look like Nathan. He wonders what Angela has done to him and flies away.
Gretchen tells Claire that Noah called her because he knew they were both feeling depressed. She admits that her new roommate is awful and she kind of misses no one trying to kill her. Claire asks her to move back in and Gretchen agrees, saying that Claire is the only person who understands her. Meanwhile, Noah talks to Lauren and says they should get together for Christmas dinner, and she suggests that a movie would be safer. Lauren gives Noah her number and leaves. As Sandra and a recovered Doug go, Claire apologizes to her mother, who assures her that she’s convinced him he had a hallucination brought on by his allergies. As Gretchen goes, Noah tells Claire that she always has choices. She tells him that she’ll be going back to college on Monday and thanks him for bringing Gretchen.
Outside, Gretchen and Claire prepares to leave, but Claire reveals that she stole the compass from her father and wants to see where it leads so she knows what choices she has. She asks Gretchen to come with her, and warns her friend that Rebecca will be there. Gretchen agrees to accompany her.
In private, Samuel tells Hiro that he knows he saved Edgar. He threatens Hiro with Charlie, but Hiro says that he’s not going to let Samuel threaten him any more, and that Samuel can’t afford to lose him. As Hiro turns to walk away, he finds Damien waiting for him. Damien grabs Hiro’s head and tampers with his memories. Hiro, seemingly reverted in his memories, says he has to rescue “Watson” and disappears, while Samuel wonders what Damien has done.
Peter tells Angela that he’s going to find Nathan no matter what it takes, and that he’ll find a way to get Nathan back once and for all.
Watch Full Episode of “Thanksgiving”
