S03E07 - The Best-Laid Plans
In the cold-open we see a medical lab where scientists in biohazard suits watch a machine perform surgery on a person connected to many hoses on a table. The patient on the table is undergoes an extremely invasive surgery procedure and starts to crash. The doctors in the room try to do what they can to save them but they are unable to. We follow blood coming out of one of the tubes going to fill a rack of slowly spinning cylinders of clear liquid that mixes with the blood. The bottle spins around until we can see the label that reads: Pinehearst.
After the Series 3 intro we cut to an overhead shot of New York City.
Late Winter, 2009.
The episode picks right back up with Peter and his father Arthur. Peter is in disbelief and says that he was at the funeral and that "you're dead." Arthur rolls over to Peter and says that he almost died, but that he had to go into hiding because the people who tried to kill him would have stopped at nothing to ensure he was dead. Arthur explains that he was the original founder of the Company and that is where his family's fortune came from. Arthur says he learned of a plan to stage a catastrophe in New York in order to seize power during the chaos and the other Company founders attempted to assassinate him for going against the plan. Peter is in shock and kneels beside his father's wheelchair. He reaches out to take his father's hand but Arthur pulls it away and gives Peter a knowing look. Peter's concern melts away and he stands up.
Arthur tells Peter he knows what his son's ability is: that he has the power to mimic the ability of anyone he touches. Peter asks how long he's known and Arthur says he's known since the day Peter was born. Peter asks if Arthur has an ability, and he says he can move objects with his mind, but he's not "special" like Peter is. Peter is amazed and asks if his brother or mother have an ability. Peter says that Nathan is "disappointingly normal" and that his mother "sometimes sees things" but doesn't explain more. Arthur says that Peter's mother is the one who put the order out to have him killed and Peter refuses to believe it. Arthur explains that she isn't "who you think she is."
Peter asks his father what all this is, why he's kidnapping people and Arthur says there's a good explanation for it all but that Peter needs to take it one step at a time. Arthur says he has something Peter might want to see first, and wheels toward a door out of the office. Peter asks if Arthur knew he was coming, to which Arthur smiles and does not answer.
We follow Peter and Arthur through Pinehearst. As they walk we are shown many science labs like the ones shown in the cold-open. Arthur explains that Pinehearst was a secret project of his born out of a justified fear that one day the Company would turn against him. He says that the Company has been eager to take control of America for decades while Arthur merely wanted to keep Evolved people a secret so they could live their lives. Peter asks how this could change and Arthur says that "greed changes everyone."
They arrive at a closed door in a white hallway and Arthur says he has someone he'd like Peter to see and hands him a security card and tells him to open the door. Peter looks suspicious and does so, and when the door opens we see Eve Mas sitting in her apartment, painting a picture of Peter coming in through the door. Eve smiles a big, toothy smile and says, "Long time no see, Petey."
On Staten Island, Gillian and Eileen drive in the rain at night. They are following the white van at a long distance. Gillian asks Eileen where she's from and Eileen says "overseas" without going into more detail. Eileen asks Gillian wshe was looking for Sylar and Gillian explains that Sylar killed her twin sister Jenny. Eileen looks away and we see a troubled look in her eyes reflected in the passenger side window. Eileen says she knows how that feels, that she had a brother who was killed when she was a little girl. Gillian says she's sorry and Eileen says it was a long time ago. Gillian asks if she's gotten over her brother's death and Eileen says "no."
As they drive, the scenery around them becomes more rural. We see a road sign for "Fort Lee, NJ 10 Miles." Eileen tells Gillian to pull over at a closed gas station and she does. EIleen says that the bird is heading into the city and she says it won't be safe to keep following. Eileen says she can keep an eye for where the bird goes and asks Gillian if she has anywhere safe to stay. Gillian says she won't go back to Staten Island, but might know somewhere safe for both of them. Eileen looks suspicious and asks where, but Gillian doesn't answer. Instead she takes out her cell phone and sends a text message to Wireless: "Found a lead."
Back at Pinehearst, Eve is sitting with Peter on the couch in her apartment. She is explaining to Peter that Arthur is helping her "get better" and that she feels better than she has in her whole life. Peter asks about Cameron and Eve suddenly looks sad and explains to Peter that Cameron is dead but doesn't go into the details. Peter apologizes and takes Eve's hand. Arthur wheels himself in and says that he found Eve before the Company could and has been helping her come to terms with her mental illnesses. Eve says her paintings are clearer than ever and Arthur apologizes but the meeting has to be cut short. Eve asks why and Arthur says that there is a lot he and his son have to talk about, but they can chat tomorrow. Peter tells Eve it will be okay and stands up, joining his father. Eve looks uncertain but lets Peter go.
In Arthur's office, he tells Peter that there is a place for him at Pinehearst. Peter asks doing what, and Arthur tells Peter that he is planning on taking down the Company and the US government with the only power that possibly could. Peter asks what and Arthur picks up a vial from his desk marked with the Pinehearst logo. Arthur's response is to say "Evolution." Arthur tells Peter that he is working on a serum that can grant temporary Evolved abilities to anyone and that when he controls that power there won't be a nation on Earth that can stand against him.
At first Peter is reluctant and says that sounds a lot like what the Company wanted to do. Arthur says that Peter shouldn't be so hard on the plan, because he's been working on it for years. Peter is confused and Arthur says he has "agents everywhere" and that the "secret mission" Peter has been working on was Arthur's design. He had to keep his son in the dark to protect him, but now that they're close to realizing their dream he wanted to bring him in full time. Arthur then calls for someone to "come in" and Malcolm Parkins steps in from outside. Peter is confued and Malcolm apologizes and says he "should have told you sooner."
Malcolm tells Peter that when they first met after the Midtown Explosion Malcolm was already working for Arthur and had been for years. Malcolm tells Peter that their work destabilizing PARIAH from the inside saved countless lives from their terrorist violence. Peter asks if Eve knows and Malcolm says she doesn't and that it has to be their secret. Arthur explains that one he has the serum completed and "everything in place" he'll topple the Company and the US Government and act like a "messiah" for the Evolved.
Peter asks what will happen to the non-evolved and Arthur shrugs and does not otherwise reply. Arthur says they have a lot to talk about and recommends Peter get some rest and that there is "a warm bed and a hot meal" here. Peter reluctantly relaxes and says he still has questions. Arthur agrees to answer them in the morning and that he's tired.
Parkins promises that more answers will come tomorrow and Peter says he's going to go see Eve again. Parkins says that's a good idea and shows Peter out. Parkins looks at Arthur and asks him if he thinks Peter is "up to it." Arthur says they "don't have much of a choice." Parkins looks like he is doubting something then tells Arthur that they "found something" he should see that might change his mind.
We cut to Gillian and Eileen in a montage driving through the outskirts of New York City, passing through a police checkpoint where Gillian's ID is checked. They drive through the streets of Manhattan where there are fires and looting, police clashing with rioters. Gillian doesn't seem to see it anymore, Eileen is enraptured by the struggle and unable to look away. They drive into the dark outskirts of Manhattan close to the ruins of Midtown and park the car, get out and sneak into the ruins in the rain. Gillian leads Eileen through the ruins and by the time they are reaching their destination the sun has come up. She leads Eileen into the subway, then meets up with Wireless at a subway platform. Wireless pulls a gun on Eileen.
Wireless explains to a shocked Gillian that the woman she's with is Eileen Ruskin, a member of the Vanguard. Gillian looks horrified and betrayed and Eileen tries to advocate for herself, saying that she was a captive and manipulated. She tells Gillian that the story she told her about her brother is true but that it wasn't the whole truth. She says that her brother and the rest of her family was killed by someone with a power when she was ten years old. Kazimir Volken. She says that Kazimir kidnapped her and raised her, brainwashed her and made her believe in his insane vision of the future. It wasn't until Kazimir died that Eileen truly felt free. Gillian grapples with whether any of that is true.
Eileen says that she knows how to get into the Pinehearst compound and where they're keeping Sylar. Wireless says "the building has a public address" and Eileen says "that's not where they took Gabriel." Wirless looks concerned like she had made a mistake.
We cut to a car pulling up outside of the Pinehearst building in the early morning. Richard Cardinal steps out and enters through the front door. We see his phone vibrating on his passenger seat with the caller ID reading: WIRELESS.
