S02E07 - THE BLUNT END
The cold open is a news broadcast showing smoke billowing out of Red Hook High School. A news reporter says that the death toll at the terrorist attack on Red Hook High School is estimated at 36 students and nine NYPD officers. The attack is being blamed on PARIAH and several news media outlets received a manifesto from PARIAH taking credit for the attack and saying that attacks will increase until the government admits to the supremacy of the Evolved people and cedes control of local government to PARIAH's leadership.
The broadcast is intercut with New Yor City's mayor vowing to take an even harder stance on Evolved crime and DHS Agent Malcolm Parkins declaring the formation of a task force to find PARIAH and hunt down their members until all the responsible parties are brought to justice. Agent Parkins looks into the camera and says that there will be no place to run, no place to hide, and no where to sleep. His final words are, "I will find you and I will make you pay."
We cut to the introduction and then an aerial view of New York City that is updated to have smoke billowing up from Red Hook High School in Brooklyn.
Two Weeks Later. Late Fall, 2008.
We open with Malcolm Parkins striding down a hallway in laboratory. He badges past several security checkpoints, then arrives in a lab where two scientists are reviewing data on a computer. Parkins announces himself and the scientists look up. One of them is Doctor Odessa Price (Naomi Kim) the other is Doctor James Woods (Alan Kensington). Parkins says that security at this facility is insufficient and they're going to be moved to a new location. Odessa is frustrated and says that will delay their research, to which Parkins says they'll have to work twice as hard after the move.
Doctor Woods asks why they're being moved and if it's because of the bombing. Parkins says that it is, and he suspects that PARIAH may have learned about the existance of "The Program" and they need to move to a more secure facility in Massachusetts. Odessa and Woods share a look and Agent Parkins insists they prepare for the move immediately.
We cut to the Warehouse and see Magnes with healing cuts on his face. He looks haunted. Teo is sitting beside him with an arm around his shoulders, talking but we cannot hear what they are saying. Norman and Wireless are at the briefing table with Helena discussing current events. Norman says the PARIAH attack was clearly a false flag, but they don't know who would have perpetrated it or why.
Wireless identified the attacker off of records from the FBI, indicating that his name was Ethan Holden, a former SAS Officer from the UK who went missing in the late 1990s. He is wanted in association with a string of murders through Europa and Asia and Wireless shows a map of the killings and overlays those with foreign reports of deaths leaving behind dusty skeletons like the one Teo found, and many of them overlap. Helena says that Ethan wasn't the man they encountered at Victoria's apartment. Norman suggests they pay a visit to Victoria with their news and see if it can shake anything loose. Helena agrees, and looks over to see Teo comforting Magnes and says she can handle it alone. Wireless says she doesn't think so, and is going to go with her.
Back at the laboratory, Odessa and Woods discuss the sudden need to move locations. Woods thinks there must have been a security breach, but Odessa is suspicious. She says that she's felt bad about their arrangement ever since they "switch jobs" and Woods agrees. They discuss what to do with their test samples, and Odessa says that they should probably get rid of them all and start from scratch because it would be too hard to transfer them. Woods agrees.
They enter a large room with one wall made from shuttered windows. Odessa presses a button to open the shutters and tells Woods, "It'll be a shame to let them all go, she was just starting to get attached. Like when you get a new puppy." As the shutters open it reveals a concrete cell with people inside with sweaty skin, bloodshot eyes, and black bile around their mouths. One of them sees Odessa and looks at her for a long time while the others rush the glass and slam on it with their fists.
Odessa sighs and slams her hand down on a button that causes nozzles in the ceiling the flood the chamber with fire. The man watching Odessa does not react to being caught on fire and then collapses once the flames kill him. Odessa clicks her tongue and says, "Bye daddy."
Back at the Warehouse, we catch up to Teo and Magnes. Teo says that he understands if Magnes needs to take some time off after what happened. Magnes swallows down his emotions and stops himself from crying and stands up. He says he needs to visit Elisabeth in the hospital and Teo asks if he wants company. Magnes says no, but Teo takes his hand and says he's really worried. The two share a meaningful look to one-another, but Magnes slowly pulls his hand away and leaves.
Teo goes to find Norman and discovers him in Wireless sanctum. Norman is looking at a pair of photographs of scientists including Odessa and Woods. Teo asks who they are and Norman wonders the same thing. He says that Wireless was researching something, and he explains that these are two Company scientists who were researching Sylar and tells Teo their names. But he doesn't know how this is connected. Teo wonders if it has anything to do with the murders, and Norman says he thinks it might.
At the abandoned tenement building Wireless and Helena arrive at dusk to talk to Victoria Pratt. Pratt is agitated and nervous and Helena asks her if she's reconsidered her answers. While Victoria is in the middle of answering "no" Wireless keeps walking, grabs her by the collar, and punches her square in the face. Helena freaks out but doesn't know what to do, and Wireless keeps punching Victoria in the face repeatedly. Victoria is screaming for help and when Helena tries to pull Wireless off, she is elbowed in the face. Thunder claps outside and Helena shouts for Wireless to stop and looks back over her shoulder at Helena with rage in her eyes.
Wireless says she knows what's going on but wants Victoria to admit it. Doctor Pratt is confused and Wireless punches her again and says "This is about the virus, isn't it?" Pratt tries to play dumb but Wireless takes her hand and breaks one of her fingers. Victoria screams for Wireless to stop and says she'll talk. Helena is horrified and Wireless drops Victoria to the floor and firmly demands: "Then talk."
Victoria says that she retired from the Company after they merged with the US Government and they willingly handed over research on a bio-weapons program. Helena looks confused and asks if the other victims all worked on the project, and Victoria says they did. Helena asks what the project was, and Wireless chimes in saying that the Company was developing a bio-weapon that could render Evolved people powerless, in the event they ever needed to stop another Sylar. That's why they were keeping him alive but the project wasn't finished.
Victoria clarifies and says it was, but it didn't work the way she expected. Wireless seems surprised by this and looks back. Victoria explains that the virus worked in reverse, it would grant Evolved abilities to Non-Evolved people but that it would drive them insane as it degenerated their mind. Eventually, the virus caused them to burn out from within and rapidly decompose. Helena asks what effect it has on the Evolved, and Victoria explains that it causes flu-like syptoms, then death.
Wireless says she always knew about the virus, but assumed the Company destroyed it. But when she saw the false flag attack on Red Hook High School she realized they were dealing with anti-evolved extremists, not just someone with a grudge against the Company. Wireless takes out a gun and points it at Victoria and Helena screams for Wireless to stop. Victoria stares up at her.
Wireless asks Victoria who else was working on the project. Victoria says there were two researchers who stayed on, Doctor Odessa Price and Doctor James Woods. Wireless asks if there was anyone else, and Victoria says no. Wireless shoots Victoria in the head to Helena's horror. Helena screams at Wireless, who holsters her gun and says that Victoria Pratt was this generation's Doctor Mengele and that she was no different than a Nazi.
Helena is on the verge of tears and Wireless says if she lived she would have either betrayed the Ferrymen or gone back to the government. Helena says she doesn't know that for sure and Wireless says she does, she used to work for Victoria. She tells Helena to compose herself and meet her back at the Warehouse, they need to make a plan. Helena waits until Wireless leaves and doubles over sobbing. It begins to rain harder outside and storm.
At the hospital, Magnes comes to visit Elisabeth and finds Richard Cardinal there. Magnes is surprised and asks if he should come back another time, and Cardinal says that it is fine. Elisabeth asks for Magnes to come in and says Richard is an old friend and that they grew up together. Magnes looks at Richard who says "I told her everything." Magnes relaxes and Elisabeth chides Richard, saying she wishes he'd told her sooner.
Magnes approaches Elisabeth in her hospital bed and takes her hand, asking her how she's doing. Elisabeth says she's doing as good as she can and squeezes Magnes' hand. Magnes says he's sorry and wishes he could have done more, and Elisabeth says he did more than anyone could have asked. Magnes starts to cry and stops himself, and Richard excuses himself. He says that he will be back later. Elisabeth says goodbye to Richard and asks Magnes to stay for a while and talk. Magnes composes himself and says that would be nice, and pulls up a chair beside Elisabeth's bed.
Late at night Teo returns to his apartment and finds Amato waiting for him in the living room. Teo asks Amato how he got in and Amato avoids the question. He asks Teo what he's been doing with his spare time and Teo says he works a lot. Amato says he's not stupid, but wonders if perhaps Teo is. Teo gets upset and demands Amato leave, but Teo is suddenly attack by Eileen Ruskin who comes out of nowhere and injects him with something in his neck.
Teo gasps for breath, futily struggles with Eileen, and collapses to the floor. Amato stands over Teo and watches him as we see the world become blurrier. Amato kneels down and takes Teo's hand and says, "Everything will be fine."
Cut to black, but we hear Amato say: "You're in God's hands now."
