Episode 12 – The Fifth Stage
At the carnival, Lydia goes to Samuel and warns him that she knows the truth about what happened with Samuel. However, she admits that she won’t tell anyone to guarantee the safety of her daughter, Amanda. As she goes, Eli arrives and asks Samuel why he summoned him. Samuel is reading a newspaper and admits that the news is universally bleak and depressing, and wonders if they’ll be the last generation. He then tells Eli that he wants him to be his lieutenant now that Edgar has been revealed as the traitor. Eli agrees and Samuel tells him to go to Noah’s apartment and recover his Primatech files. Eli summons multiples of himself and they all ask if they can use their power to get the files, and Samuel says that’ll be fine.
Noah is going over his clippings on the compass when Lauren arrives for their movie date. They flirt briefly and she notices the clippings. Noah explains that he’s having to deal with everything on his own now that Primatech has folded, and goes to show her the compass. He realizes that it’s missing and Claire took it, and leaves his daughter a voice mail. Lauren offers her CIA resources to track Claire’s cell phone and assures him that they’ll find Claire.
In Ohio, Claire and Gretchen find the carnival by using the compass.
Angela goes to see Peter at the hospital and warns him that Nathan is lost and he has to move on from grief to acceptance. Peter insists that they can drive Sylar out and get Nathan back, and loads up a bag with sedatives. Angela warns that Sylar is too powerful but Peter explains that he has a way to deal with that. The Haitian, René, arrives at Peter’s invitation. Peter mimics his power and then starts to go. Angela asks what he’ll do if Nathan is lost and Peter says that he’ll at least get revenge.
Claire suggests that Gretchen stay behind since Rebecca tried to kill her before. Gretchen insists on going with Claire and helping her find her destiny. Samuel greets them and ushers them into the carnival, and gives them free passes to see whatever they want. He also offers them popcorn and says that he’ll come to get them when they’re finished with the popcorn. Samuel notes that the carnival is more normal than it appears and admits they only live as carnies while they try to find somewhere permanent.
Claire and Gretchen look around and find themselves at Lydia’s tent. She explains that if they touch her, she can show them what they need to see. Claire hesitantly takes her hand and asks if she is supposed to be at the carnival. An image of Claire dressed as a cheerleader, with the banner “Indestructible Girl,” appears on Lydia’s back. When Claire wonders what it means, Lydia explains that it’s her deepest desire, and Gretchen takes Claire out.
Peter is taking the elevator down when Nurse Hammer gets in… and attacks him. “She” throws him out of the elevator and takes his pack of sedatives, and then reveals that she’s actually Sylar, using his shapeshifting ability. Peter ducks into a construction area while Sylar calls out, asking him if he plans to sedate him again. Peter sneaks up behind him and uses his mimicked ability to negate Sylar’s powers. He then attacks Sylar and demands that he give Nathan back. The two fight and Peter ends up knocking Sylar on top of a wood panel on the floor. When Sylar insists that Nathan is dead, Peter grabs a nailgun and nails Sylar’s hands and feet to the board. Despite the fact his healing ability is negated, Sylar is unimpressed so Peter uses René’s ability and threatens to wipe Sylar out entirely. Sylar dares him to do it and Peter starts, and Sylar reverts to Nathan.
As they walk through the carnival, Claire is impressed that the carnival folk have figured out a way to use their powers publicly and avoid hiding. Gretchen insists they’re using their powers to con people but Claire thinks it’s better than being government fugitives. They come to a softball pitch booth where a burly guy is trying to hit the milk cans, and shoves aside a little girl to try again. He boasts that he used to pitch in the minor leagues but the game operator keeps using his power of telekinesis to secretly make the guy miss. The guy finally gives up in disgust and Gretchen thinks the game operator is conning someone else. However, the same operator then uses his power to let the little girl win. Gretchen and Claire finish their popcorn and Samuel shows up and suggests that they come backstage to see how the carnival people live. Gretchen objects and Samuel assures her that she can join them as well, since they don’t exclude anyone. Claire goes with Samuel and Gretchen reluctantly follows.
Using triangulation, Noah manages to place Claire somewhere in Ohio. Lauren starts cross-referencing his Primatech files with the CIA database and realizes that Noah wants to vent. She invites him to do so and he blames himself for trying to control everyone in his life, including Lauren. She doesn’t know what he’s talking about and he explains that when they both worked for Primatech and he was still married, she fell in love with him and deliberately had René wipe her memories. Lauren is surprised but not upset, and wonders if he hoped to strike up a relationship with her now that he and Sandra are separated. There’s a knock on the door and Noah answers it. It’s Eli, who says he’s from the carnival. He begins replicating himself and assures Noah and Lauren that he’s not there to harm anyone. Noah responds by signaling Lauren and attacking one of the clones. Lauren knocks over the table and tosses Noah the gun he has taped to the underside. He shoots one of the clones, causing it to disappear, but another clone disarms him. Noah and Lauren get to the bathroom and he recovers another hidden gun, and explains that if they take out the Prime Eli, the clones will disappear. They go back outside but Eli has left… and taken Noah’s Primatech files.
Samuel is telling a bedtime story to the carnival children while Gretchen and Claire watch. Gretchen still isn’t impressed although Claire insists that they’re just normal people doing the best they can. The puppet-controller, Doyle, comes over and explains that after Claire helped him get out of Costa Verde and escape the government, he eventually joined up with the carnival. He says he wants to talk to Claire later and goes to close down his booth. Claire explains to Gretchen who Doyle is and Samuel invites her to tell the children one last story. As Claire spins a story about a frog seeking out its destiny, Gretchen warns Samuel that Claire is emotionally vulnerable and he’s preying on her. Samuel insists that the carnival folk can offer Claire the one thing that any family must offer, love.
Nathan explains to Peter that the effort of fighting off Sylar is wearing him out and that he can’t keep doing it. Peter insists that he can and invites him up to the roof.
Claire finishes her story and the children go to bed. One girl stops and hugs her, and Samuel assures Claire that they love her. The guy from the booth comes backstage and confronts Samuel, insisting he was cheated and demanding his money back. Samuel tries to calm him down, insisting that he may simply have been in over his head, but the burly guy punches him repeatedly. When the others try to fight, Samuel tells them not to interfere and takes more of a beating. Claire finally intervenes and the guy breaks a bottle and slashes her across her face. She simply stands there and stares, and then tells him that he can’t hurt them any of them. He runs off in fear and Samuel tells the others to let him go.
On the hospital roof, Peter talks about the last time they stood there, when Nathan denied that he could fly. He wants Nathan to keep fighting, but Nathan insists that he can’t and begins to revert, threatening to kill Peter. Nathan regains control again and apologizes, and then throws himself off the roof. Peter manages to grab his hand and begs him to pull himself up, but Nathan tells him to accept that he’s gone for good. He assures Peter that he’s strong enough to do anything and says “I love you.” Peter says it back to him, and then Nathan lets go and falls onto a car several stories before. It’s Sylar that gets up, his healing power restored when he fell out of Peter’s range. He waves to Peter and walks away.
As Claire tends to Samuel, she asks why he let himself get beat up when he could have fought back. Samuel explains that it was safer for everyone that he take the path of least resistance rather than display his powers and bring the authorities. He explains that the two of them are alike, seeking a way to live life on their own terms, and now he’s wondering if there is a different way for him and the other carnival folk to live. Samuel insists that if there is another way, Claire can help them find it. He offers to let her stay there while she examines her options.
Claire and Gretchen step out through the carnival gate, and Claire tells Gretchen that she’s going to stay until Monday when college starts back up. Gretchen understands and hugs Claire. Samuel and Lydia are watching, and Lydia warns that Claire may be too innocent to serve his purposes. Samuel says that it’s not Claire that he needs. As Gretchen drives away and Claire goes back into the carnival, they’re unaware that the burly guy is nearby… dead, in the back of his pickup truck. Once Gretchen is gone, the carnival disappears.
Peter goes back to his apartment and finds Angela waiting for him. The two of them embrace and grieve for Nathan.
Later, Samuel and the other carnival folk assemble at Joseph’s grave. Samuel says that it’s time for them to stop living in the shadows and find the promised land where they can live openly without fear of outsiders, on their own terms. He explains that he plans to gather all the others like them and they will have a place to call home. Claire is among those in the crowd that nod in agreement at Samuel’s words.
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