'Heroes' Revisits its Roots

Hungry for its former glory, ‘Heroes' returned last night to Season One – and, it made reasonable sense. The debut episode of ‘Heroes' first season, according to Nielsen Media Research, nabbed 14 million viewers. Now the numbers for its fourth season have dropped by more than half, and still hover around the 6 million mark. But if Hiro opens yet another can of worms, Season Four might leave everyone feeling empty.

Even still, ‘Heroes' writers sought it fit to send Hiro after his soulmate - waitress Charlene "Charlie" Andrews (Jayma Mays) – once again. Never mind that author Aury Wallington already mapped that trajectory with her novel, Saving Charlie. Instead, "Once Upon a Time in Texas" becomes Hiro's latest detour through time and space to undo his biggest failure – keeping Charlie safe from Sylar.

Then again, maybe the maxim "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" does not translate into Japanese?

Samuel seems happy enough though guiding Hiro, as long as he gets him aboard the carnival's bandwagon. In the meantime, he must mind Hiro's every step so their timeline does not get irreparably altered. But for the clumsy Hiro, Samuel's advice about "keeping your ‘i's' dotted and‘t's' crossed" does not register immediately.

"Future Hiro" almost mucks everything up by nearly forgetting to teleport another six months backward to win Charlie's heart. He also barely remembers to debrief Ando, and narrowly avoids getting sliced open by Sylar.

While he might not be with gifted with foresight, Hiro at least compensates with a knack for improv.

Speaking to Sylar as "Future Hiro," he convinces his archnemesis to "fix" Charlie's blood clot so she does not die from a brain aneurysm. In exchange, Hiro agrees to inform Sylar about what the future holds for him. Disconnected from the current Parkman/Sylar storyline, Hiro still believes they cremated Sylar at the end of Season Three. No longer around to torment the group, Sylar gets told he dies a lonely, miserable death.

By not shrugging off this news, Hiro gets Sylar to do the unthinkable. Rather than gutting Hiro and Charlie outright, Sylar sheaths his index finger and possibly rethinks his murderous rampage. Why go through all the trouble of taking Claire's regenerative ability if he dies anyways? Scarily enough, this might actually be the beginning of Sylar's foray into neurosurgery.

Charlie, on the other hand, is not as impressed by Hiro's actions. For months, she had been readying herself for the inevitable as the brain clot swelled. Now without it, she fears the life that awaits her, and calls Hiro "selfish" for helping her when Sylar had other victims slated for death. Humiliated and upset, Hiro separates from Charlie to nurse his bruised ego.

Fortunately enough, Charlie later forgives Hiro, and agrees they should see Japan together. However, Samuel gets another carnie to intervene, and has Charlie hurtled through a space-time wormhole. Racked by grief, Hiro reluctantly agrees to help the carnival if Samuel will reunite him with Charlie.

But first, Hiro needs to teleport backward eight weeks and stop Mohinder from getting his chest blown open.