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Claire, back home in California, begins attending college, but is having difficulty adjusting when a mysterious death of a student during the orientation puts her back in the spotlight. In Japan, Hiro and Ando continue their quest to help people with abilities and go so much as to advertise themselves. Meanwhile, Angela fears Nathan/Syler will discover his true identity. Matt tries to settle down back in Los Angeles and raise his son and not worry about unexpected visitors. Elsewhere, Peter is using his ability for good when a mysterious carnival clan, led by Samuel Sullivan, arrives in town which could spell trouble for him and everyone else.—matt-282

Peter returns to his job as a paramedic, saving people with the help of Mohinder's abilities. In Japan, Hiro feels that he is not in control of his power and believes himself to be dying. Meanwhile, Samuel, Lydia and Edgar use their abilities to find other Heroes in their quest to bring more into their fold. Also, Tracy continues to hunt down and kill former Building 26 employees by using her new water-liquidation powers to drown them, and she zeros in on Danko, as well as Noah. Clare deals with her secret being revealed by a student who witnesses her fall from a third-floor window. Also, Sylar's consciousness manifests itself inside Matt's mind.—matt-282

"Heroes" - "Volume 5: Redemption. Chapter 2- Orientation: Jump, Push, Fall" - September 21, 2009

(Please note: as the episodes Orientation and Jump,Push, Fall were shown together, the synopsis for both is the same)

In the first installment of the fourth season we basically get an update on all the heroes getting back to semi-normal lives and what forces them into using their powers again. But first we meet a new group of super-powered folks.

We open on a casket in a grave with a group of people gathered around it. A man with an indeterminate accent is pontificating about his brother Joseph and how their original family didn't work out so well so that's why they were so glad to hook up with this group of people their real family. People who understood how they were different. As he talks about the others who are different like them we re-meet all of our regular heroes and their powers: Nathan and Peter, Tracy, Matt Parkman, Hiro and Ando, Claire, Sylar, and by extension Noah. He says one by one these others will come join them eventually for redemption and unity. As he speaks he pulls out a compass and flips it into the grave and says it's time we found our way home again and tells his brother to find his way home too. Then he fills the grave in with a wave of his hands and his "family" members walk away towards a carnival in the distance.

First up in the where-are-they-now? files is Claire. She's in Arlington, VA. She's enrolled at college. She meets her perky, overachiever roommate Annie who has her life all planned out -eventually she wants to become governor of Massachusetts- in a wall hanging she calls her "trajectory." She asks after Claire's plans and Claire admits she doesn't have any. Annie assures her she'll help her with her very own trajectory and tells her it starts with advanced placement math classes like she's taking and Claire should come with her to a placement test for linear algebra. She also asks about Claire's grades in high school and Claire says she got a GED. Roommate is all "how did you get in here then?" Claire says she isn't stupid she just traveled a lot but got good test scores. When she tells roommate that her father works in the government she assumes that's how she got in. All rude like. Claire clearly hates her but is trying to be friendly.

To that end she goes to the algebra test, but mid-test she has a vision where she's being shot by a tranquilizer dart by one of Danko's men. She decides this class isn't for her and skedaddles.

Later she meets fellow Texan Gretchen, who unfortunately, sort of knows about Claire's past and the "homecoming massacre." Claire's hoping to keep that on the DL. She wonders why Claire didn't change her name. She said she was hoping people wouldn't remember. Gretchen says Google is Claire's enemy.

Claire returns to her room to find Noah chatting up Annie, who's telling him all about Claire's potential. Annie bids them adieu and challenges Claire to a game of "Guitar Hero 3" at the mixer later. Claire tells Noah she was recognized and he wonders if her changing her name back was such a good idea since she's at college now with a chance to reinvent herself. She says she doesn't want to pretend to be anyone but herself, his daughter. She says she liked telling the truth-ish to Annie about her dad working for the government. He tells her to be careful.

Later at the mixer Claire bumps into Gretchen again, who apologizes for talking about the "massacre." Claire says it's fine. When Annie obnoxiously tries to call Claire over for a Guitar Hero duel, Claire invites Gretchen over to play with her instead since Annie's been hogging it all night. Annie is annoyed saying one's opponent should raise their game not lower it. Claire says neither one of them knows what they're doing so it's cool. They strap on and play.

Claire returns to her room and is shocked to discover her roommate has apparently committed suicide by jumping out the window. The police question her and Claire says there was no way that Annie did this and she can't believe she left a suicide note because she didn't see it when she came in. The police woman asks why someone would want to murder her room mate, Claire asks if that isn't the police woman's job to figure that out.

Mrs. Bennet comes to drop Claire off after letting her stay with her. Claire says she feels like Annie's parents should know about the "supposed" suicide letter. Sandra tells her to stay out of it. They go and meet Gretchen who seems unreasonably excited about Annie's suicide and how it really might've been murder or a horrific accident. Gretchen says suicide makes no sense given her detailed "trajectory." Mrs. Bennet leaves with a hug and fist pound. Gretchen says "so it's murder right? How do we prove it?"

In the dining hall the next day Gretchen shows up with a pile of forensics books and a plan to figure out Annie's murder. The "jump, push, fall" test. The way people land determines how they actually came down, whether they jumped, were pushed, or fell. The police use dummies the approximate size of the victim, she jokes about swiping a cadaver from the medical hospital. Claire says she's trying not to be a social pariah before mid-terms. Gretchen says that ship has sailed and wonders where they can get a dummy.

Of course, later that night Claire uses herself as a dummy. Trying the fall approach first. Thanks to the chalk outline on the ground when she lands she sees that it looks like Annie did in fact fall. As she snapping her bones back into place and pushing her ribs back in she looks up at her window and sees Gretchen looking down at her and then waving, confused.

Next up is Hiro and Ando. They have started a new business in Tokyo, Japan, "Dial-A-Hero" complete with a huge billboard of the two of them. In their office they're still waiting for a call. Ando argues no one even knows what the service is. Hrio says of course they do, they help people and the bar graph business model he drew up can't fail. He shows it to Ando and a picture falls out. It's a picture of the two of them as kids with Hiro's sister Kimiko. It's from 14 years ago at a carnival when Ando spilled a slushy on Kimiko. This is when she started hating him even though he tried to make it clear that he loved her. He's sad she thinks he's an idiot. Hiro says she doesn't. Cue Kimiko's entrance with her calling them both idiots.

She's come to complain about their crazy scheme, which she assumes was Ando's dumb idea, and how it's costing the family business money. (Nine million yen for a billboard!) The business she's trying to run well, which should be Hiro's job. She's cutting them off financially. Ando says yup, she hates him and it's all 'cuz of that dumb slushy. Ando wonders why Hiro has that picture out. Hiro says no reason.

A call finally does come in -- it's a little girl who needs them to save her cat from the top of the buidling. Ando goes in the old-fashioned way and grabs the cat, which freaks out and scratches him, which causes him to fall, which causes Hiro to stop time to save him, put him back upright and make him a hero. But for some reason doing this puts him in some kind of catatonic state, forcing Ando to load him on a two-wheeler and roll him back to the office, without Kimiko seeing. Ando finally wakes him and he's got a nosebleed and is confused. Ando explains instead of freezing time, he froze himself. Ando says he's taking him to a doctor. Hiro says he's already seen one. The news is bad. He's dying. Maybe soon, he's not sure. Ando can't believe it and assumes there's something he can do, go back in time and change what happened to him. Go back to when it all started. Hiro says that was the slushy night. There was a fortune teller at the carnival who told him that he would be a powerful hero. From that night on he dedicated his life to being a hero. Ando tells him to go back. Hiro says it's too dangerous to change the past, he knows that. They argue. Hiro freezes again. He's not sure why. He thinks he was back at the carnival... and then he disappears.

We cut to the carnival 14 years ago, Hiro is there and confused. He sees the fortune teller booth and realized he time traveled by accident -- he tries to blink back and can't. A younger version of himself approaches and asks him to take a picture. It is the very picture he still has. The younger Hiro wonders if they know each other since Hiro looks familiar. He says he just has one of those faces. Ando and Kimiko go to get a slushy while Younger Hiro goes to get his fortune and Hiro vows not to change it but can't blink back. The man from the opening credits asks if Hiro would like to play a game of chance in English. Hiro passes. He asks, in English, what Hiro has to lose. Hiro asks if he knows him. He says his name is Samuel and he thinks they're going to be great friends.

Back in present day Japan Ando is trying to explain the disappearing Hiro to an angry Kimiko. He pretends to look for him, saying maybe he's hiding. He 'fesses up that he time traveled to the carnival. Kimiko asks why she even bothers with him.

At the carnival, Samuel tells Hiro he knows he's a time traveler and shows Hiro that he has a built in human compass in his forearm and how he's special too. Samuel asks if that little guy is him. Hiro says it is but he can't change this moment or he won't become a hero, save the cheerleader and save the world. Samuel says that would be bad, but that Hiro can make the trip worthwhile by changing just one little thing and righting wrongs, planting an idea. Hiro realizes he can keep Kimiko from hating Ando by letting the slushy hit him. Hiro tries to resist but Samuel strong arms and says he has to take a chance, and if he does then they can be a great team. Hiro is confused. Samuel pushes him so the slushy falls on Hiro. He says "oh no" and zings back to the present covered in blue goo. He admits he couldn't save himself but wonders if anything has changed for Ando. Ando says no. But then when Kimiko comes in to yell at Hiro about financial issues, after Hiro steps out she and Ando make out. Hiro sees this and makes his happy noise.

Later as Hiro asks Ando if he and Kimiko will get married. Ando says maybe one day. Hiro giggles and explains how she used to hate Ando and how he fixed the past and that's why they ended up falling in love at the carnival. He has an epiphany that this is his new mission, going back and undoing wrongs he did. Ando points out that Hiro is dying and can't control his power. Hiro thinks this is the reason to get moving and that every day is a gift so they need to get going and he runs off.

Let's check in with Noah Bennet and the Petrellis, shall we?

First up is Peter. He has returned to the medical profession as an EMT in New York City. He and his partner hear a call but they're stuck in traffic but Peter says he knows a shortcut, jumps out of the rig and shimmies, jumps, and more or less superpowers himself to the scene in no time and saves the man and pregnant lady inside. Later at the hospital his partner is impressed. Suspiciously impressed. When Peter says he's picking up more shifts, his partner tells him to go live a life and invites him for drinks. Peter declines.

Noah is walking down the street in Washington, D.C. when he gets a call from Angela in New York. She's wondering if she's heard the news of the killings of four dudes, all of whom were Danko's men from Building 26. Apparently, Tracy Strauss is on a revenge killing spree. Noah muses she'll soon get to him, but Angela's more worried about Nathan. She says it's time to put a plan into action and she's given him time to get his personal life together. She wonders why he's been avoiding Nathan's call. Um, 'cuz he's really Sylar? Says Noah. She says they all agreed to turn Sylar into Nathan. Noah says it was a mistake, an emotional decision. She says to hurry up and get the Company up and running again so they can fix the problem at hand, since he's supposed to be the man with the plan. He says he's not sure he's that dude anymore since it cost him his family. He says he's late to meet Claire so he's gotta go. (He walks by a place called Kojin Sushi). As he gets in his car he puts down a paper with the headline about "mysterious drownings." He starts the car and suddenly begins filling with water and the seams of the windows freeze shut.

Suddenly someone shoots out the window and he frees himself. He picks up his glasses to see his savior is... Danko. He points out the obvious, that Tracy has paid Noah a visit. Danko is wondering how she survived since he shot her and she shattered into a million pieces. Noah points out that ice melts. Danko says he's arrived with a solution to their mutual problem. The two of them try to kill Tracy before she kills them. Noah points out Danko tried to kill him. He concedes the point but says they're both targets now and just because the government stopped chasing supers doesn't mean he did. He says he heard that Noah and the Petrellis were getting the old band back together. Noah denies this says he's starting over. Danko says guys like them start over. Noah says he's not like Danko. They decide to go their own ways. Noah watches the water go down the drain. (He goes to visit Claire at this point, blaming his tardiness on "car trouble.")

Angela is sitting in the sushi restaurant when Sylar, as Nathan but looking like Sylar, enters and gripes about the distance of the restaurant and kisses her. She awakes in her limo outside the restaurant and goes in. Nathan enters, looking like himself, and the same scene plays out. He stares at her and asks if she's okay. She says she is but is worried about the Company and that Noah is distracted. Nathan says he'll call him. Nathan wonders if he likes sushi. She says it was his idea. He eats it and thinks he digs it. He says he's been taking stock recently and he feels a lot of change going on. He says when he looks back on his life it doesn't seem like it's his life. She blames it on turning 40. He says he's '' serious, he's been wondering about how he's been as a father, brother, and son. She says he's been fine. He says he's been a jackass actually and he plans to get to know all the people in his life and be a better man. She says it's just a mid-life crisis. He says he doesn't feel mortal though, he feels invincible. She tells him to go get an expensive car and a young woman with questionable morals, like his father did. After lunch Angela calls Matt Parkman and tells him that Sylar is beginning to breakthrough his Nathan shell and he needs a tune-up from Matt. (We learn that a mere six weeks have passed). Matt says he doesn't work that mojo no more so no deal. He says ever since that day he's started seeing things and he's out. She says there's no such thing as out for people like them. He says to speak for herself. She says Sylar could emerge any minute, doesn't he care. He says it's her problem not his and wishes her luck with it.

We'll get to him later.

In his office, Nathan reaches for his coffee cup and it slides over to him, freaking him out. He sits back down and tries again but it doesn't work. But he makes electricity with his hands accidentally. This also freaks him out. He keeps trying. As he walks into the bathroom he briefly looks like Sylar but when he stares in the mirror, he's Nathan again.

Noah is sitting in the sushi restaurant when Tracy comes to visit him. He wonders how she literally pulled herself together. She says all her pieces started coming together as the ice melted, and her hate for Danko and the Company grew. Her bloodlust made her whole. He says she's not really a killer. She says that's all she is, and that he took the rest away from her. He says he could help her get her life back. She's skeptical. He says he can make Danko uninterested in her. She asks why he would help her. He says that in 20 years of bagging and tagging, he never helped any supers. This is his chance at redemption, just like it is hers. He asks if they have a deal. She says he wishes it was that easy and walks away.

Later Noah meets up with Danko and says he wants to talk about Tracy. Danko says he wants her dead, no two ways, even if he has to trap her in a wet vac. Noah offers him another option: Let it go. He offers a big check in an envelope and a permanent vacation courtesy of the U.S. government as incentive. Danko says he's not interested. Noah says, too bad. Danko turns around and is confronted by the Haitian, who grabs Danko's head and works his mojo.

Nathan calls Peter and tells him something is happening to him. Peter listens to him leave the message on his phone as he strolls around his apartment, looking at news clippings of all the people he's saved.

Danko goes home, where Tracy is waiting for him. She realizes that Bennet made Danko forget. She turns to leave and she overhears Danko being confronted someone in his apartment, who is saying "you took something from us and we're going to get it back." Tracy walks in and sees one of the carnies take out Danko with two huge knives wielded at superspeed. He takes swipes at her, but her water just flows out. She grabs his arm and freezes the knife. He takes off.

In Noah's apartment in D.C. the smoke alarm is going off, thanks to a burnt TV dinner. He looks in his fridge and sees mustard and milk. He has some cereal. He makes a call to Sandra and a man answers the phone. He hangs up and is sad. The phone rings immediately after that. It's Tracy.

He goes to meet her at Danko's. She explains what happened and that the guy was looking for something, revenge. Noah notices a weird wound to Danko's stomach. He gruesomely sticks his hand in and pulls out a key.

He then goes to visit Peter to ask for his help. He opines on the empty apartment with the clippings and the police radio. Peter admits to cheating with his powers to get the clippings. He says one of them has to make up for all they've done. Noah explains and figures that whoever wanted the key from Danko wanted what was in the safe deposit box. He wants Peter to come as his muscle against speedy knife man, just like the old days, one of us, one of them.

They go to the bank, and while they're waiting to open the box, Noah lectures Peter about how he's living his life with the police scanner and the saving the world and that he needs to open up to the world or else he'll be alone eating cereal with a strange man answering his wife's phone. They open the box and inside is a broken compass. Hmmm.... Speedy knife man shows up -killing a bank employee in the process- but Peter sucks up his power and scares him off. Peter realizes the bank guy is alive and they call an ambulance.

Outside the hospital Noah hands the compass to Peter and it comes to life. Peter hands it back, and it doesn't work for Noah. Noah tells him to take it. Peter begs off. Noah says it's a lead. Peter says his life finally makes sense. He's saved 53 lives in the last six weeks, he works for an hour with Noah and someone almost gets killed. He thinks staying away might be best. Peter only came to suck up speedy knife man's ability. They part ways, and Noah wishes him luck and tells him to call his mother.

The next day, back on the job, Peter is chowing down on Legal Seafood's chowder. He hands his partner some and explains he got it from Boston...cuz, he knows a guy. They hear a call but his partner wants to ignore it since they have five minutes before they're back on. As her turns away Peter super-speeds to the scene. It's Noah. He's been knifed. Peter tells him to hang on. He says, "they took the compass."

Tracy goes to visit Noah in the hospital. He tells her about the compass. She asks if Noah will go after super speedy knife man. He says he likes it the old way, one of us, one of them. She says maybe knife man is like her, not evil... just desperate, and maybe the idea is to figure out a way to help them. He agrees. She asks why he called her. He explains that he couldn't call Sandra and didn't want to worry Claire. She realizes he doesn't want to be alone. She opens a bag and it's got some clam chowder in it. He offers her some. She accepts.

In the night's yawn-iest storyline we check in with Matt Parkman who is in Los Angeles. After he blows off Angela we learn that he's a cop again, back with Janice, raising Matt, Jr. and trying to avoid using his powers. To the point that he's attending a substance abuse support group for police and talks about not "using."

When he told Angela he was seeing things, what he meant was, since going in Sylar's mind and turning him into Nathan he's been haunted by visions of Sylar. He shows up in several places: threatening Matt's baby, demanding his body back, taunting in him in his substance abuse group, and finally in an interrogation with a suspect. Sylar explains that he's part of Matt now. Whatever Matt did to him, he held on and clinged to Matt. The Sylar image baits him about what a terrible thing he did and makes Matt act in a way that looks nutty to others, like his wife and fellow cops who are worried about him because they don't understand what he's angrily responding to.

On top of that, the hot young water delivery guy has known Matt, Jr. since he was born and calls his wife Janice. This cheeses Matt off since it reminds him how he missed the beginning of Matt, Jr.'s life. Janice thought that anger was over but apparently not.

Finally, he decides to use his powers again to make the water delivery guy go away. He hands him a $20 bill and tells him that tomorrow he's going to ask for a new route. The guy takes the $20 and says he guesses this is a goodbye, since he's starting a new route tomorrow. Sylar likes this.

And in the night's final storyline we get to know the super carnies a bit, you remember them, from the beginning?

We go back to the original carnival- the Sullivan Brothers Carnival and meet Hiro's soon-to-be-friend Samuel. He's "tattooing" the back of a woman named Lydia. Sort of. He touches her back with a long instrument and the face of Danko appears. She explains who and where he is. The face disappears. Samuel asks Superspeedy Knife Man to go get him. Superspeedy Knife Man is actually wary of killing, saying they only do it when totally necessary. He thought this was about redemption. Samuel says he left out the part about revenge, and it's what Joseph would've wanted. Superspeedy Knife Man says Joseph isn't here anymore. Samuel grabs his wrist and touches the instrument to his fist. The image of a hand appears, slides up the guy's chest, and puts itself around his throat choking him. Samuel says this will be the last time he asks him to do this. SSKM agrees.

(This is the point we then see Hiro and Samuel show up in the past at the carnival.)

In the present we see his face show up on Lydia's back. She explains who he is and that he was here at the carnival 14 years ago. He thanks her. He walks over to an elderly man on oxygen. The man asks if they're really going to stop moving after all these years. Samuel says yes, and then asks him to do him a favor. He knows the old man is weak but he needs him to do "it" one more time. He says he thinks he's found someone who can help them fix the past. The old man is happy. (He helps him travel back to confront Hiro).

Superspeedy Knife Man brings back the compass from Noah. He says it was harder getting it than he thought. He says he met an empath (i.e. he met Peter, who was able to mimic his fighting skills). He says he's heard they've found another time traveler- a Japanese guy- to replace theirs. Samuel doesn't like the word replace. He said he put Hiro on a righteous path and that he'll come back to them. SSKM asks, what next. Samuel says they gather the rest of them and touches his pen to Lydia's back again. The faces of Claire, Sylar, and Peter show up.

To be continued...