Heroes Episode 4.07 Strange Attractors

There's a rare rainstorm in Los Angeles. Matt and Janice are feeling all warm and toasty inside as they engage in some serious appointment sex. What Janice and Matt don't realize is that Sylar is the man in the driver's seat. After it's all over, Janice coos appreciatively, as Sylar hits the couch and bites into an apple, thrilled to explain to Matt that he's tasted a bit of forbidden fruit...

With Jeremy Greer the young healer in police custody, H.R.G. does his best to convince Sheriff Werner that the Greers' death was accidental. Since Jeremy has already racked up quite a rap sheet, the Sheriff doesn't intend to release him until he finishes his investigation. Even then, he'll only release him to next of kin, which H.R.G. is clearly not. Frustrated, H.R.G. calls Tracy and asks her to pose as Jeremy's aunt. Tracy's skeptical, but she can relate to Jeremy's situation. Armed with a fake I.D., Tracy enters the police station.

It's well after 4 A.M., but neither Claire nor Gretchen can sleep. Gretchen asks if Claire's scared of another kiss attack. Claire's not, but she doesn't want to mess up her attempt at a normal life, and she really values Gretchen's friendship. Just as Gretchen is asking what that means, the door bursts open to yield three masked figures, who throw a hood over Gretchen's head. Claire fights back until Becky rips off her mask to explain that this is a kidnapping, part of Alpha Chi's hazing.

It's daylight when Gretchen and Claire find themselves stuffed in the trunk of a car, going who knows where. Gretchen re-starts their conversation, trying to ascertain whether or not Claire likes her, but Claire will only say she doesn't know. Along with fellow pledges Ashley and Olivia, the girls are dragged into a dingy industrial locker room. Becky explains that this is all part of Alpha Chi's Screamin' Scavenger Hunt. Whichever team finds the treasure first will sit out Hell Week.

Becky and her cohorts run off. Claire figures out that they're in the locker room of an abandoned slaughterhouse, and Gretchen spies a riddle written on the wall: What you find will help you survive, when we were found will keep you alive. Eager to win, Olivia prompts squeamish Ashley to open a locker, which promptly sprays her with blood. Realizing the blood is fake, Claire tells everyone to relax. They should open locker #24, because that's when Alpha Chi was founded. Gretchen finds a backpack filled with water bottles and flashlights. Olivia grabs a reluctant Ashley and heads off to find the treasure.

At the police station, Tracy explains H.R.G.'s plan. Jeremy's not sure he should be let out of jail; after all, he killed his parents. Tracy understands. The day she discovered her ability, she killed a man. She reaches out to touch Jeremy's hand and her own hand turns to water. That day, her emotions took over, which for most people, doesn't result in murder. Crying, Tracy promises to get Jeremy out of jail. In the meantime, H.R.G. fails to convince the Sheriff to release Jeremy.

Tracy exits the jail house to call in a favor with a lawyer friend. She's surprised when Samuel starts speaking to her, and even more disturbed that he knows her name. Samuel has one question: what's Tracy going to do with Jeremy after she gets him out of jail? Is she going to take him someplace just to live, or... the world starts spinning around them, and Samuel and Tracy are transported to the Carnival. Insisting that the Carnival is the safe place where Jeremy belongs, Samuel explains that the Carnival could be home for Tracy, too.

Poking around for the treasure, Claire admits that she's jealous of Gretchen, since she's already figured herself out in freshman year. Gretchen admits she's had more boyfriends than girlfriends, shocking Claire with news that she's already had six or seven. Realizing that Claire's a virgin, Gretchen floats a theory: maybe they're strange attractors, like in physics, when two things that don't necessarily belong become super powerful when together. Sensing movement behind a sheet of plastic, Claire tackles Gretchen just as a meat hook comes hurtling for her head. Claire suspects that this is all more than just a game.

Samuel escorts Tracy through the Carnival, pausing in front of the Bowmans, a family of fire breathers in mid-performance. According to Samuel, Jeremy should live at the Carnival. Tracy scoffs, but Samuel explains. Why give a Jeremy a false life where he's forced to be invisible? Both Jeremy and Tracy are miracle workers, and they deserve to live safely amongst their own kind. Tracy asks to leave, so Samuel hands her over to Lydia, along with a compass she can use to find her way back. Sylar is convinced that he knows Tracy, but Samuel reminds him that this memory isn't real. Disturbed, Sylar wonders -- if the real him isn't inside his own head, then where is he?

Janice is shocked to discover Matt packing a bag. Matt's leaving; it's not safe because someone else is controlling his body. He used his abilities to push one man's memory into another man's head, but only to get rid of a really bad criminal. Sylar joins the conversation as Matt promises that he can fix the situation. Janice insists that Matt stay at home, she'll leave. Matt prevents Janice from telling him where she's going so Sylar won't know, then yells at Sylar to shut up. Scared, Janice backs off to start packing while Sylar laughs. Matt still hasn't figured out how to stop him.

Matt calls Mohinder and leaves a message asking for help. Sylar laughs, claiming he can make Matt do whatever he wants, but Matt is delighted to learn that Sylar can't stop him from drinking beer, which seems to be having an effect. Encouraged, Matt pulls out the heavy artillery, a big bottle of tequila, and starts doing shots. When Sylar groans in pain, Matt believes he's finally found the solution, and proceeds to get very, very drunk.

Once Tracy's lawyer friend comes through, she signs Jeremy's release form. H.R.G. explains that he's prepared a new identity for Jeremy. Jared Mitchell will live in H.R.G.'s building and attend Georgetown High School. Tracy will help him learn how to control his ability. H.R.G. and Tracy lead Jeremy out of the police station, through the angry mob that's gathered outside. When a protestor gets up in Jeremy's face, he can't control his ability, and sucks the life out of the guy. Despite H.R.G. and Tracy's best efforts, Jeremy is resigned to his fate, and goes willingly back inside the police station with the sheriff.

Gretchen thinks the notion that the sorority brought them to the slaughterhouse to kill them is ridiculous. But in Claire's world, anything can happen, and she doesn't think it's a prank. Look at what happened to Annie -- maybe they're trying to kill Gretchen! Gretchen has to admit, it all sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory, which pretty much describes Claire's life. The girls hear another bang, but it's only Ashley and Olivia. Offering to turn over the treasure, Claire suggests they all stick together and figure out how to get out of the slaughterhouse.

H.R.G. and Tracy try to talk the sheriff into releasing Jeremy, pointing out that nothing can prevent him from striking again. The sheriff categorically refuses. Unbeknownst to them all, Deputy Gill and his henchman have chained Jeremy to a pick-up truck in an alley. Deputy Gill taunts Jeremy, giving him a chance to take his best shot. Despite the knowledge of the fate that awaits, Jeremy puts his hands to his sides, refusing to use his ability to save his own neck. Gill orders the driver to take off.

Matt is almost done with his bottle of tequila, delighted that he's finally going to bury Sylar, who's certainly only a figment of his imagination. Indeed, Sylar is phasing in and out of visibility, and finally disappears altogether. Totally wasted, Matt is thrilling to his victory, just as Janice enters with Matt's partner Green. Exclaiming, "Honey, I did it!" Matt falls flat on his face and passes out.

Determined to win the day, Olivia pulls Ashley off in another direction, deserting Claire and Gretchen, who enter the prep room, filled with meat hooks dangling from ceiling tracks. Gretchen discovers the treasure, and then apologizes to Claire for getting all relationshippy when all Claire wants is a normal life. Claire is just telling Gretchen that she just wants her trust, when a strap snags Gretchen's neck, strangling her. Claire finds a pole and starts swinging it. When she connects with something unseen, the strap around Gretchen's neck goes slack and she drops to the ground.

Something unseen bum rushes Claire, impaling her onto a meat hook jutting out from a wall. Claire swings a meat hook, felling Becky, who becomes visible. Drawn by the fracas, Olivia and Ashley come running, just in time to see Gretchen lift Claire off the meat hook as Becky runs out. Claire heals before the disbelieving eyes of her new friends. Realizing the gravity of what just happened, Gretchen asks Claire, "What are you going to do?"

Tracy makes H.R.G. stop the car when she spies a slumped figure in the middle of the street in front of the police station. Tracy cries over Jeremy's corpse, as H.R.G. laments that he could have saved Jeremy, and apologizes to Tracy. He thought he was doing the right thing. When Tracy asks if they can ever live out in the open, H.R.G. admits that after today's experience, he doesn't think so. Tracy tells H.R.G. never to call her again, and then pulls out Samuel's compass, contemplating where to go next.

Matt wakes up on the couch with a killer headache. Looking around to make sure Sylar is still gone, Matt apologizes to Janice and Green: he's feeling much better now. Green hands Matt a sobriety chip, insisting it's time to start over, and Janice gives him a hug. Matt heads off to the shower, passing behind a wall. When he reappears, he is Sylar. Did Matt think he was actually winning? When he passed out, Sylar slipped into the driver's seat.

Matt tells Sylar he'll never get away with this, starting a fight. Janice and Green watch through the glass from the next room, appalled. To them it looks like Matt is fighting with himself. At dawn, Samuel appears in front of the police station in Cainan, Georgia. Raising his arms, Samuel causes the building to shake, and then crumble to the ground.