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The last – disappointing – episode didn’t offer up anything interesting enough to lead with. This week’s installment offers up too many things to choose from. The episode is about crossing the line and how it changes who the heroes are.

Let’s lead with intrepid Hiro, who may have changed the fate of the future with a single, loving kiss. We hear about his story through Ando, who is reading scrolls Hiro left for him in the hilt of Kensei’s sword.

Hiro stayed behind to help Kensei fight for the captive swordsmith. What he really stayed behind for was his growing love for the swordsmith’s daughter, Taeko, who, according to historical references, is Kensei’s future wife.

Kensei was a drunk, but he seems to have cleaned himself up and finds meaning in life thanks to Hiro’s prodding. The three attack White Beard’s camp to get the swordsmith out of captivity. During the battle, White Beard points a gun at Hiro and Taeko. Hiro blinks them out. That’s when Taeko puts it together. She’s fallen in love with Hiro, not Kensei. (In a previous episode, Hiro had to pretend to be Kensei to fulfill some historical role so the time continuum didn’t change and he was wearing Kensei’s mask.) Hiro crosses that invisible line he’s drawn when it comes to Taeko. They kiss. Kensei sees them.

Hiro tracks down Kensei and discovers the other man saw them. Hiro is so incredibly honorable. He tells Kensei of his love of Taeko – and hers for him. But he says it will never go past that one kiss because she is meant for Kensei. Kensei acts like all is good. Hiro turns to help him go find White Beard. Kensei knocks him out cold. In comes White Beard and his arm, holding the swordsmith and Taeko. They thank Kensei for taking out Hiro (Hm…) and tell him anything is his for the taking – including the now captive Taeko. Kensei wasn’t a good guy before, so it was probably not too difficult for him to cross the line to get what he wants – and revenge to boot.

In other Heroes news:
• Mohinder is stuck. Last week, he crossed the line by trusting Molly’s health to The Company and now he can’t get away. As HRG warned him in a previous episode, Company man Bob is using Molly – and a good dose of fear – to keep Mo in line. Bob tries to get Mo to inject developing hero Monica with a mutated virus to take away her abilities. Mo won’t do it, and he destroys the other vials to make sure no one else can. Bob woos him with a song and dance about how Mohinder is now The Company conscious – so they don’t cross an ethical line. Then, he sends along a “partner” so there are no more misunderstandings between them. The partner? Says she’s Nikki, but the look is all nasty Jessica. Mo’s in for the fight of his life. (Interesting side note: Bob uses the term “For the greater good” when he’s trying to sell Mo on injecting Monica. That was a Linderman favorite. Makes me wonder if the directives have changed under a new regime of Old School heroes – or the one Old School hero not knocking everyone else off. More on the new regime in the HRG section.)
• Bob is studying a hero names Adam Monroe. Who’s this guy? Mo sees the name on a folder, and I’m sure that knowledge will come into play later on.
• Peter and Caitlyn go to Montreal, using the painting he did last week to find the building. They walk in and find a note. It’s from someone named Adam. (When did he meet him, anyway?) Peter has no idea who that is. The note says The Company is evil and the world is in danger. Well, Peter is frustrated. He hugs Caitlyn and wishes he could figure out what it means. They are immediately transported to the future. (I wonder if that’s Caitlyn’s ability. She accepted Peter too readily as a lover and for his abilities. Unless Peter absorbed it elsewhere – a place we didn’t see.) They arrive in NYC and the city is eerily empty. They find a flyer that calls for an evacuation for June 14, 2008. But what happens? What’s everything about? And how can the heroes stop it? I think the virus they wanted to inject into Monica could be a cause. We shall see…
• Claire and West remain a cute couple. This week, they put the head cheerleader in her place via public humiliation after she tells Claire the hero is not extra-ordinary enough to be a cheerleader. That’s a thorn in Claire’s side, since she’s dealing with angst and anger about not being able to be who she really is. West plots a plan to make Claire look good using their powers – and the mean head cheerleader a dud. It works. Claire’s now on the squad. Claire talks to HRG via phone. She knows he’s not at a paper conference in Tuscan, but she doesn’t question him further. (She doesn’t cross that line, but she does cross the line by lying to her father more about dating and using her abilities with West – a big no-no in public.)
• HRG shows us his violent side as he and the Haitian go after former Company mentor Ivan in Odessa, Ukraine. Ivan knows where the future paintings of Isaac Mendez are stored – but he’s not telling. Ivan tries to get HRG to come back to The Company. The directives have changed, they are a new breed, blah, blah, blah. HRG ain’t buyin’. He wants those paintings. After the Haitian bleeds Ivan’s poor memory, the man finally gives in. HRG’s thanks? He kills him in cold blood and makes it look like a home invasion. He must protect his family – at all costs. And he will take out anyone he has to do that. While he’d done this before for The Company, HRG is now killing not by order but by choice. It’s all to protect his family, but at what cost? Will he lose the very people he’s trying to protect?
• Bad boy Sylar is seducing Maya and Maya’s brother, Alejandro, can’t seem to get it through his stupid sister’s brain that he is bad news. Sylar talks Maya into using her abilities to kill border agents so they can get into the U.S. She does it. She chose to do it – and that makes her brother angry and sick. He and Sylar fight. She goes to get meds and while she does, Sylar tells of his plan to kill them both when he gets his abilities back. And if he doesn’t? Miss Maya is pretty hot and makes a great protégée. She’s already showing great potential. Since Alejandro can’t speak English, he has to read Sylar’s eyes to see the evil. This is the point we should have been at three episodes ago. I’m glad to see it finally moving forward.

Isaac Mendez is the single most important dead character I’ve ever seen in a series. While his character never appears after his death, his paintings are vital to the future of those gifted with incredible abilities. HRG needs to enlist some help so they can figure out what they mean in time (probably the season finale). It’s interesting to see Hiro’s adventures in feudal Japan, but I’m surprised they haven’t made more relation between the mistakes that happen there and the future. They’ve never really said how it’s impacting the future, but I wonder if that’s something for the finale – or if it is something Ando will figure out by reading Hiro’s scrolls from the hilt of Kensei’s sword.

Fast, intriguing, suspenseful, Chapter Six is the type of episode you expect every week from the NBC phemon. It leaves you with more questions than answers, but is interesting enough to make you want to watch more.

Will evil Sylar will eat up Maya and her brother, or make her his evil minion, will HRG figure out the meaning of Isaac’s paintings in time, and what can Peter and the other heroes do to save the world once again? Was the desolate future we see at the end a result of Hiro’s fated kiss? Will Mo be able to save himself and Molly from the evil Company?

Sigh. I’m excited to see what’s in store. Next week looks particularly good, with heroes finding out what happens during next year’s evacuation. I’m glad to see the series finally picking up to its usual flair for the dramatic and unthinkable.

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