Heroes Episode 4.10 Brother's Keeper

Samuel tells Hiro that he can earn Charlie's freedom by traveling back in time eight weeks ago to a motel room in Tahoka, Texas. That's where and when Mohinder burned a film from 1961 that Samuel must have. It's too bad Mohinder's dead, but Hiro must retrieve that film, even though his ability is misfiring.

Nine weeks ago, Mohinder lives the good life as a school teacher in India, reunited with his ex, Mira. Mira is upset that Mohinder still hasn't thrown out a box that was received from U.S. Government over a month ago -- he promised! Mohinder explains. The box contains all of his father Chandra's work at Coyote Sands; it's hard to let go. Mira warns Mohinder that whenever he delves into his father's research, he falls down the rabbit hole, which only leads to a dark place. Mohinder agrees, and throws the box in the trash.

Tracy has been sitting in a Washington D.C. franchise of The Burnt Toast Diner for several hours, staring alternately at the compass Samuel gave her, and a poster for his Carnival, which is coming to town. During an awkward chat with a waitress, Tracy looks down to see that she's freezing her coffee cup. When it shatters, the waitress freaks, and Tracy's ability is officially out of the closet and out of control. She grabs her purse and runs.

Peter accompanies Nathan on his first day back at work in a week. Nathan is determined to figure out what happened to him -- was it all a big top bender? And shouldn't his absence have set off an alarm or two? Even more curious, Nathan's assistant Elizabeth explains that she cleared his schedule after his mother said she didn't know how long he'd be on his "vacation." Nathan is just remarking that he doesn't know who he is anymore, when The Haitian appears. Adamantly refusing to speak to Nathan, The Haitian has come to warn Peter, who needs to know the truth.

Claire arrives for a day of laundry to find her father's apartment door ajar, missing its doorknob, and covered in ice. Claire grabs a butcher knife, only to be surprised by a freaked out Tracy. She didn't mean to freeze the door, but she can't control her power, and didn't know where else to go. Where's H.R.G.? Meanwhile, Peter accuses The Haitian of coming to wipe the brothers' memories on Angela's orders. That's true, but The Haitian isn't willing to cross the same line Angela did. He hands Peter a card for a storage unit, advising Peter to go alone; what he discovers may be more terrible than he can bear.

Nine weeks ago, India. As Mira sleeps, Mohinder digs his father's box out of the trash to find a treasure trove of information about Coyote Sands. The box also contains a can of film labeled "Samuel, 1961," which reveals the moment of Samuel's birth at Coyote Sands, complete with massive earthquakes. The film also explains that Samuel's power may multiply exponentially in the presence of other specials... Using his father's notebook, Mohinder stays up all night, building something...

Claire puts Tracy, who's turning blue, in a hot bath, and leaves to make some tea. When the bath water starts freezing up, Tracy runs into the other room. Claire tries to soothe Tracy, and takes her arm, only to freeze instantly -- a new low for an already terrified Tracy. The hysteria ratchets up when Tracy tries to move Frozen Claire, and winds up breaking her foot off. Luckily, Claire heals to break up the tension, asking Tracy to return her foot.

Across the city, Peter and Nathan proceed to the storage unit which contains... Nathan's embalmed corpse (!) still sporting a massive gash across his neck. Peter can't believe it's really Nathan. When Nathan touches the dead Nathan's head, he gets flashes of memory, featuring Sylar and Matt. Since Sylar's been dead for weeks, the brothers decide to track down Matt. Elizabeth reports that Matt Parkman is a Midland, Texas hospital under guard. He tried to commit suicide by cop, and is in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. Peter perks up, ready to work his healing power.

In the morning, Mira finds Mohinder passed out at his desk. He explains that he made a remarkable discovery. People with abilities emit a quantifiable force, and he's made a sort of compass using his father's equations to track them down. If Samuel's still alive, and surrounds himself with enough specials, he may become the strongest of all, and the most dangerous. Mira gives Mohinder the hand, unwilling to listen to more. Mohinder needs to think carefully about what he has, and what he as to lose. She loves him, but if he disappears again, Mira won't wait.

Peter and Nathan sneak past the guards into Matt's hospital room. Peter lays his healing hands on Matt's chest, and it's not long before Matt is fully restored, along with his mind buddy Sylar. Sylar wants Matt to lure Nathan closer; one touch is all Sylar needs to jump back into the body that is rightfully his. Instead, Matt tries to explain the truth to Nathan: Nathan is dead and lying in the box in the storage unit. Sylar uses his chance to dive into Matt's head, taking control of Matt's body, and pushing Matt out. Matt's protests can no longer be heard.

Sylar urges Nathan to take his hand. Peter steps in, but Nathan TKs him out of the way. Nathan is just about to touch Sylar when a guard, Officer Ramsey, orders him to stand back. When Nathan turns around, he brushes Sylar's hand before TKing Ramsey against a wall. Somehow, Matt is back in his own body, screaming -- where is Sylar? Nathan hurls an unconscious Peter over his shoulder and flies out the window as a swarm of cops rush in.

Eight weeks ago, Mohinder's compass leads him to the Carnival, where he meets Joseph Sullivan. When Mohinder explains his fear about Samuel and his power, Joseph feigns ignorance, but leads Mohinder to his trailer, where Samuel hangs out. In the present at the hospital, Matt feigns death. When Ramsey wheels him into an empty room, Matt pushes Ramsey's thoughts: Ramsey found Matt dead, then wheeled him to the morgue, and doesn't remember what happened after that. But first, Ramsey needs to take off his clothes and give them to Matt.

Nathan touches down in the Grand Canyon, thinking he should stay away from people. What if Sylar gets into his head like he did Matt's? Nathan can't risk hurting Peter again, so he needs to find his own way home. Peter grabs Nathan's hand, glowing as he absorbs Nathan's powers, refusing to abandon his brother. The Petrellis fly off together.

Back at the Carnival, Joseph sends Samuel away, then sits down for a talk. Mohinder explains that his father's film leaves little doubt of Samuel's destructive power. Joseph is well aware of Samuel's power, but Samuel isn't. Joseph has spent the last 40 years keeping him in the dark, and keeping their community small so Samuel's power is subdued. Mohinder needs to burn the film and return to India; he's no longer welcome at the Carnival. Mohinder leaves, failing to spy Samuel, who has heard the whole conversation.

Mohinder returns to his motel room, places Chandra's film in the trash and lights a match. Hiro stops in before the flame hits the film and switches it out. Back at H.R.G.'s apartment, Claire and Tracy are relaxing on the couch with cups of tea. Now calm, Tracy theorizes that her loss of control is psychological in origin, kind of a panic attack with powers. Tracy tells Claire about meeting Samuel; maybe she should join the Carnival? After all, it's too hard to make a real friend in the normal world. Claire empathizes, still tender from the loss of Gretchen. When H.R.G. returns home to ask the girls what they've been up to, they don't bother to explain Claire's frozen foot, sitting between them on the coffee table.

Eight weeks ago, time resumes. The film catches fire as a disturbed Samuel smashes into Mohinder's room. He confesses to overhearing Joseph and Mohinder. All these years Joseph has been holding him back so he could be king. Now Samuel's determined to learn the truth. When Mohinder promises to stop him, Samuel crushes a rock and hurls the rubble at Mohinder like so many bullets. Sobbing an apology for the murder he has wrought, Samuel runs out. Mohinder groggily comes to, amazed to find that he's wearing a Kevlar vest, courtesy of Hiro.

Hiro explains that he's from eight weeks in the future, where Mohinder is dead; he didn't necessarily come to save Mohinder's life, but for the film. Mohinder knows that his investigation has corrupted Samuel, and now he must be stopped. Hiro insists that Mohinder must lay low for eight weeks until Charlie is safe. When Mohinder refuses to disappear, Hiro explains that he can't risk Charlie's life; now he has to make Mohinder disappear... to a padded room in a psychiatric hospital, where Mohinder is straight jacketed and medicated into unconsciousness!

Back in the present, Hiro hands the film over to Samuel and demands to see Charlie. Promising that Hiro will have his Charlie soon, Samuel apologizes for Mohinder's death and runs off. Back in Texas, Matt is sneaking through the hospital dressed in Ramsey's uniform. He calls Janice and leaves a message: the craziness of the last few weeks is over. It seems like Sylar went back into his own body and finally got what he wanted...

Tracy hangs out in the diner, feeling much better than she did earlier. When Samuel joins her, she admits that she's not sure what she's doing, but she does know she can't go on living her old life anymore. Happy that she called, Samuel feels a connection with Tracy. He has a way for her to use her gifts to make the world a better place. Together, they can accomplish great things...

Nathan and Peter return to Peter's New York apartment. Nathan is in an existential funk. You can change the voice and change the face, but the fact is he is Sylar underneath it all. His hands have murdered dozens of people. Peter doesn't buy it. Didn't Matt say he forced Sylar out? Nathan can't believe that Matt's capable of exterminating Sylar once and for all. To the rest of the world, he may look like Nathan Petrelli, but who does Peter see? He sees Sylar, right? Nathan dares Peter to tell him he's wrong, but Peter remains silent.