Season 1: Episode 17 - "Company Man"

Recap of episode 17 which aired on NBC on 2.26.07. This episode mainly featured the Bennett family, Matt Parkman, Ted Sprague as well as flashbacks involving Mr. Bennett and his "company" from 7-15 years ago from present time.

Mr. Muggles is seen running down the stairs, as we then see something melting the doorknob/lock to the door to the Bennett's house. Enter Ted Sprague and Matt Parkman. Matt begins looking for files then finds a personal computer in Mr. Bennett's office of the home. Ted says they should wait for him to get there and then take him hostage because it's easier to get answers from inside Bennett's head. Matt disagrees saying he'd prefer to do it at Mr. Bennett's actual company. Unfortunately an SUV pulls up with all of the Bennett's in it. Ted says they will have to take hostages, and Matt unfortunately must partake.

As the Bennett's enter, Mr. Bennett tells Lyle, Claire's brother to escort Mrs Bennett upstairs. Mr. Bennett asks to have a word with Claire. As they talk Claire says she cant runaway because she has to stick around to protect the rest of the family from Mr. Bennett. Just then, Ted Sprague appears from the kitchen. HRG tells Lyle to get Mrs. Bennett out of the house, but unfortunately Matt Parkman is there and clicks a gun, aiming at Mr. Bennett and saying they want answers.

Through a series of black and white flashbacks we see that Mr. Bennett goes to work for "Primatech" Paper Company which is merely a front for some sort of special agency that is tracking down various advanced DNA humans, capturing them and bringing them back to study. In some cases they are killing the most dangers of them. Mr. Bennett is informed by his boss, who remains nameless, that he will be dealing in a lot of "morally grey" areas. Mr. Bennett is introduced to his partner, who appears out of nowhere sitting near him. It is Claude, who is currently Peter's mentor, the invisible man. Mr. Bennett is shocked at the appearance of this man, but soon learns there are many more different people out there.

Mr. Bennett meets with Hiro's father as well, who appears to be a higher up in the company. Mr. Bennett speaks with him at in Japanese. Hiro is present playing on a gameboy or small portable video game device. Mr. Bennett informs Mr Nakamura that he believes Claire's real mother died in the fire. His father, gives Mr. Bennett a special child, realizing that Mr and Mrs Bennett have had trouble conceiving. At first Mr. Bennett doesn't want the burden, but he is convinced to accept the baby girl. Hiro's father informs him that if she becomes to great for him, they will take her back in. It is mentioned that the baby, Claire, was rescued from a fire disaster started by Claire's mother when HRG and Claude tried to "bag a firestarter".

We meet a young Haitian boy, who Mr. Bennett learns can make people forget. Mr. Bennett enlists him to make Mrs. Bennett forget about some tranquilizer guns she discovered in a bag Mr. Bennett had. We also learn that HRG's partner, Claude betrays the motives of this organization, because Claude is one of those with powers and doesn't want to betray others like him. The agency decides to have Mr. Bennett kill Claude because Claude was hiding "one of them". Mr. Bennett brings Claude to a bridge in the middle of nowhere, and asks Claude to name the person he is protecting, but Claude says he refuses to hunt his own people. HRG then shoots Claude at least 3 times. Claude then turns invisible. It is unknown if he fell over the side of the bridge, but based upon current episodes, Claude is not quite as dead as they thought.

Back in the Bennett home, Ted is becoming more angry over what HRG did to him. Matt is trying to read minds, and sequesters Claire in a separate part of the home. He reads her mind and understands she can heal, she also thinks of Peter Petrelli, and Matt makes the connection that Peter said to protect her "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Matt confronts HRG, but HRG begins to think in Japanese. Ted becomes increasingly angry over this all and with his gun, points it at Mrs. Bennett, threatening to shoot her if HRG doesn't cooperate more. Matt pleads with Ted to calm down. HRG begins to think and thinks "Parkman shoot Claire, she can heal, you have to trust me". Parkman is conflicted over this but eventually as things escalate he follows HRG's order. Parkman fires a shot into Claire who appears dead. HRG then thinks for Parkman to gain Ted's trust. Matt tells Ted he had to shoot Claire so HRG knows they mean business. Matt has HRG help him move Claire's body up to her room so she can heal and regenerate without Ted seeing this. Eventually as Claire comes to, she is upset at HRG and yells at him again about having to "play dead", but HRG says its to protect the family. HRG informs Claire that she would have been taken away by now by people and the family never would have seen her again. Claire agrees to go along with the plan.

Back downstairs, HRG says he has the information they want is back at the paper company. In an attempt to convince Ted to go along, Matt suggests he will stick around and keep an eye on the hostages. Ted tells Matt that he will stay and Matt can go with HRG to the paper company. At the lab, Matt goes with HRG who informs him that the only thing Ted's going to get is a tranquilizer. HRG signals for the Haitian and then begins to argue with Haitian about not erasing Claire's mind when he told him to. Haitian informs HRG that someone in Claire's life, asked Haitian to keep Claire protected for personal interests.

Back at the Bennett household, Claire climbs out of her window and goes back downstairs. Ted goes upstairs after hearing a noise. While Claire is freeing her mother and brother, Ted discovers that Claire has put stuffed animals in her bed. Ted storms back downstairs as Claire's mother and brother are running. Claire's brother gets outside, but her mom stays in and Ted grabs Claire and puts his hand on her throat. Mrs. Bennett sees Claire survive terrible burns to her throat, which then magically heal. Ted duck tapes Mrs Bennett and Claire up in the living room. Mrs. Bennett tells Claire she prayed for her to live and now she sees how special God made her. Mrs. Bennett and Claire discuss how HRG has lied throughout their whole family's existence. Mrs. Bennett said she has faith in her husband and he will come back to save them. Ted becomes suspicious of Parkman and HRG because of the fact they shot Claire knowing she can't die.

When Matt and HRG arrive back to the home, Ted has his hands charged up and HRG tells him he has a file of information on Ted. Ted continues to blame HRG for not keeping him captive, because Ted killed his own wife due to his radioactivity. HRG explains he would have had to kill him and apologizes for this. It is determined HRG wasn't responsible for making the Heroes, just part of the company that takes them in for study. HRG tells Ted he will hand over the file to him, but that the people he works for could kill him for this. HRG asks for his family to be set free. Lyle, Mrs. Bennett and Claire flee from the home into the yard. Matt and HRG remain inside to bargain with Ted. Out of nowhere, HRG's boss appears from the back door, gun in hand. He fires a shot at Ted as HRG pleads for him not to. This causes Ted to go into nuclear meltdown mode. Matt rushes over to calm Ted but the radioactive bursts send Parkman and HRG both flying. Parkman is able to escape, but HRG remains inside with a tranquilizer.

Claire after hearing the shot and seeing the house becoming full of light, rushes back in to assist her surrogate dad. HRG urges for her to get out of there, Claire says not without him. HRG realizes he can't get close enough to Ted to inject him. Claire takes the tranquilizer and says she will do it. Parkman re-enters the home and gets HRG out, as Claire runs towards Ted with the tranquilizer. The family outside on the lawn with Parkman and HRG's boss sees the house explode. Moments later, a burnt up Claire emerges from the front door and begins to heal before everyone's eyes.

Back at Primatech HRG and his boss talk about the Haitian and Claire. HRG's boss asks if he knows where Haitian may have gone, but HRG says no idea. He says Claire trusted Haitian more than her own father. HRG's boss asks when Claire will be brought in, and HRG says right now. Ted Sprague is seen strapped down to a table in one holding chamber in the lab. HRG's boss informs him that they will see what gives Ted his spark and then its inferred they will kill him next. Matt Parkman is seen in a seperate room. HRG informs his boss that Parkman was a good man and very helpful. HRG's boss said it would be very useful to have a partner like Parkman, who knows what everyone around him is thinking. Another woman is seen in the room and HRG's boss informs him that she will clean up the mess as she is a gifted and has great potential.

HRG drives Claire to the same bridge where Claude was shot. During the trip Claire asks where she is going and HRG says he's not sure. A flashback is seen where HRG puts on the famous "Horn Rimmed Glasses" with Claire present and she tells him he looks like her dad. As they get to the bridge, Haitian is waiting for them. HRG and Haitian have concocted a plan to make it look like Haitian shoots HRG and then erases his memories of Claire, then kidnaps her. Claire asks if there's any another way. Haitian says they can't have any doubt cast on HRG. Claire turns around and covers her ears as HRG is shot in the stomach by Haitian. Claire turns and runs to HRG and hugs him, sobbing. The show ends as Mr. Bennett tells the Haitian to go deep and take away any memories that will them lead to Claire. Haitian places his hand over HRG's head.

See more: Season 1 Genesis Episode Recaps