Season 3: Episode 19: "Shades of Gray"

Season 3: Episode 18: "Shades of Gray"

Claire goes to the microwave to get the popcorn her mother made, but finds it missing. As she closes the door, Doyle the Puppetmaster is standing there. He says he received a message from Rebel and needs Claire's help. Claire yells at him to leave, just as Sandra rushes down. Doyle says the agents should be rushing in now to grab Claire, but Claire says she has a "free pass". Doyle says he wants to start over and be a puppeteer making people happy. Claire argues that he tried to kill them once, and Doyle shuts them up using his power. He says he's not going to force them to help him, and sheds a tear as he leaves.

Nathan confronts Danko about where he's been. Danko tells him dealing with the mess that Peter caused, then asks Nathan how many people knew about the rooftop operation. Nathan gets an urgent cell phone call alerting him that Matt Parkman is in front of the capitol building in DC with a bomb strapped to his chest. Danko plays it off as if Parkman was in his custody when he last saw him. Nathan heads to the roof exit, with Danko suspiciously eyeing his exit.

All sorts of armed guards and police storm the Capitol building area with Parkman screaming he was set up. Nathan shows up quickly and tells the guards he can get through to Matt. Nathan walks up to confront Matt as Matt screams for him to get out of there. Nathan tells Matt to read his mind so he'll know the truth that Danko is trying to set him up. Matt is unable to use his power due to being drugged.

Back at Building 26, Danko is alerted by an agent that Petrelli arrived at the scene where Parkman is. With news channels covering the situation, Danko orders the agent to push the button and take out Parkman. Someone has blocked the server transmission preventing the bomb from activating. Danko watches as Petrelli talks to Parkman. Again Danko orders the bomb to be triggered as HRG now is there and takes interest in what they're up to. Meanwhile, Matt is regaining his mind reading ability and starts reading various thoughts from police trained in bomb diffusion. He tells Nathan various things he hears in others' minds. Matt yells for Nathan to go for the black wire, and after hesitating, Nathan pulls it, diffusing the bomb right before the agent is able to hit the button. Nathan punches Matt out to prevent him from using his power and agents grab him.

Sylar arrives at a rundown mobile home out in the woods. Where he finds an old man who is engaged in taxidermy. The man is coughing as cigarettes are shown in a ashtray. Sylar knocks on the glass window, and the man thinks its a customer. Sylar reveals he's in fact the man's son and came to find out the answers to questions about who he is and where he came from. Sylar reminds the man he abandoned him and killed his mother. The man asks "what now?" and Sylar says now he kills him. The man turns to reveal he's on a breathing apparatus, and tells Sylar to go ahead and kill him, because if he doesn't the cancer will.

Danko talks to an agent about how their computer system was hacked. As they enter the office area, Nathan's sitting there and says that the hacker saved everyone by doing what they did and he'd like to thank him. Danko argues with Nathan for saving friends and family rather than worrying about national security. Nathan says that there was no serious danger from Parkman until Danko put a bomb on him. Danko tells Nathan that Peter and Matt are threats so he simply put a face to the threat. Nathan informs Danko he's done working there, but Danko says its up to the president. Nathan pulls HRG aside and asks HRG to get a team together for once Danko's gone. As they're talking a video feed starts playing of Tracy Strauss yelling at Nathan "You're one of us!" Danko suggests that Nathan has a deeper connection to the heroes then he is telling everyone.

Guards lead a restrained and drugged up Tracy Strauss down a hallway in Building 26. As she passes by another guard at a desk, she sees the video camera feed suddenly change to a message "Help is coming. Have Hope". Nathan pays a visit to Tracy in her cell again, suggesting he still has feelings for her and is her last hope. Tracy's upset about Nathan using her as a sacrifice for his personal gain. Nathan instructs her that Danko's going to come ask her questions, trying to get Tracy to be less cooperative. Danko finally comes in and asks Nathan if he's got a soft spot for this prisoner. Nathan tells him to "knock himself out". Danko, alone with Tracy, asks her to tell everything she knows about Nathan. Tracy says that Nathan was lousy in bed, so that Nathan can overhear it on the video cam feed. Danko presses Tracy asking if Nathan has an ability, but Tracy says she has no idea what he's talking about.

Claire has a dilemma about whether she should help Doyle or not. Claire says Rebel is helping people and she should too. Claire informs Sandra she's going to take a part time job at Sam's Comics in Costa Verde, so she can help any other heroes that "Rebel" might send there. Claire goes in for the job interview and gets the job due to the fact the customers are all drooling over her in the store.

Sylar stays with his father who is suffering from lung cancer and on a breathing machine. He tells Sylar he knows he wanted an epic battle but life doesn't always give you what you want. His father shows him he has an ability too. Sylar is surprised about it, but his father says he has several abilities just not sure what he can do anymore. Sylar's dad tells Sylar that he's a killer by nature. His father tells Sylar he ran away from the agents rather than taking them out. Sylar doesn't have an answer for why. His father tells him all the power doesn't matter if you've lived an unsatisfied life. Sylar's dad offers him a knife to kill him, or gut a rabbit for taxidermy. Sylar guts the rabbit while his dad holds it.

Danko asks HRG if he came across any heroes who could fly, saying some appear to be lost in the system. Danko suggests that Nathan is hiding something. HRG gives a file folder to Danko about Angela Petrelli, sending him to go talk to her as a lead. HRG calls Angela to tell her that Nathan made a power move to get rid of Danko. HRG says he pointed Danko in her direction, and Angela says she does her homework.

As Claire leaves her Sams Comics job she spots two agents that had been casing the Bennet home in a van. Claire calls HRG to ask him about how he led two lives for so long. HRG watches guards escort Matt Parkman down a hallway. HRG tells Claire he doesn't have an answer for her but misses her. Just then, the van screeches off chasing down Doyle. Claire gets a text message from Rebel directing her to go help Doyle. The female agent aims her gun at Doyle in a back alley. Doyle uses his puppetry power and raises the woman's arms up, then points her own gun at her head. Doyle stops himself from making her shoot herself, but makes her hit the side wall hard. The male agent comes up from behind aiming his gun at Doyle. Claire sneaks up behind him, trips him and Doyle is surprised to see her helping.

Mr. Danko meets with Angela Petrelli at a restaurant. Danko asks her about Parkman, Peter, Claire, Hiro all inheriting abilities from their parents but that Nathan doesn't seem to have one. Angela suggests genetics is a complex matter and that Nathan was the misfit, because it skipped a generation. Danko says he doesn't believe her. Angela tells Danko she knows his type, all alone, working in the shadows, but it makes him expendable. She reminds him of a 1997 incident in Angola where many civilians were lost, but Danko survived it. Something seems to have triggered inside Danko, he gets up and tells Angela she's very resourceful, then leaves.

Sylar tells his father about his career fixing watches. His dad suggests Sylar is clinging to a need for connection, saying people are a disappointment. Sylar asks why he killed Sylar's mom and abandoned him. His father said he doesn't remember and it didn't matter because little does. Sylar continues to help him work on the taxidermy, but cuts his palm by accident. He shows his dad his ability to heal from injuries/wounds and his dad's impressed. Sylar says it's an ability he picked up from a cheerleader. Sylar tells his dad not everyone gets old or dies, and his father retorts that Sylar has that much longer to suffer now. He starts coughing and puts the air mask on. Sylar puts the stuffed rabbit over on a shelf for his dad, but as he turns around two arrows fly right at him nailing Sylar to a wall. His father says it's amazing how abilities come back. Sylar smirks about it saying "you think you can beat me?" His father says he wants his power and starts to drain Sylar, causing Sylar to pass out.

As Sylar comes to he sees his father with a knife and asks him why he said he gave up. Sylar's groggy and his father says he will get things right this time, fighting harder, taking power and real authority to change the world. As his father comes up to his skull with the knife, Sylar stops him in his tracks by using his power. His father's shocked that he can move. Sylar says he was just playing possum. Sylar uses his ability to choke him around the neck, and his father begs for the power. Sylar takes the rabbit to walk out and his father pleads for him to kill him. Sylar tells his father he will die but slowly and all alone with his sickness. Sylar says he knows what he has to do and leaves.

Nathan hands Danko a signed note from the president telling him he's done. Nathan says anyone else who isn't on board can leave too. Danko tells Nathan one day he'll find himself all alone. Nathan tells HRG the president is eager to meet Danko's replacement and asks HRG to come along. As Nathan and HRG go up several floors, Danko is up there. Nathan tells him it's over and asks to just leave. Danko draws a gun and points it at Nathan. He fires two shots despite HRG warning him not to. Danko then rushes Nathan and pushes him through a window. He looks out and sees Nathan falling but suddenly stop in mid air, then burst up in flight. Danko turns in shock and asks HRG if he knew about this.

Doyle waits on a park bench at night as Claire brings him a brand new identity. Claire tells him she helped because it's about her being who she needs to be. Doyle thanks her then walks off. She asks if he meant all the stuff he said about how he changed. Doyle turns and smirks then walks off.

Back in Los Angeles, Hiro and Ando arrive at 63 Varna Avenue to try to save Parkman. A woman comes out all upset saying she just quit and it took two hours for her replacements to arrive (Hiro/Ando). They tell her they're there to save Matt Parkman. She hands them an infant saying it needs to be changed. They look at her strange, and she says "that's Matt Parkman", then wishes them luck.

The episode concludes with Suresh narrating about generations. Claire gets a text message "Free Pass is up, agents are coming". Sylar's father is shown taking breaths on the air machine. Danko is shown in his apartment and spots the rabbit from Sylar's dad on a shelf, then comes face to face with Sylar. Armed agents storm the Bennet home to take Claire with Sandra screaming. They burst into Claire's room but she's nowhere to be found. As the view extends outside Claire's window, there is Nathan hovering in the air, holding Claire. To be continued...