You know, you say that, but I keep thinking of how I actually tend to get annoyed when that happens because the writers end up flipping them back and forth and it gets sloppy and irritating (see: Sloane, Spike, Scorpius, Slionel Sluthor).

Yes, but for me that's contingent only on Peter actually being dead. If he's not dead, and just wears black for all time (rowr) in mourning for his brother (a worthy death, that, if it gets Peter to fix his hair), I would rather see Peter become some kind of focal point for a powers-havin' superteam to go kick Sylar and Big Bad Numero Dos's asses.

and then put her hands on them

As soon as I saw her red taloned paws on Nathan's back, it was my thought that influence is her power. But a fairly shoddy one. Nothing she says seems to actually stick to anyone for very long.

I like the idea of the Molly and Mohinder team very much. When the shot of him kneeling next to her with his arm around her came up, I thought poster shot! I'm a geneticist, she's a human gps, we fight crime!

I loved Clare's calm, "I have already have a family" and then plunge through the window, but it also bugged on a technical level. I'm not a structural engineer, but aren't the glass exterior walls of highrises constructed such that one can't sort of fall against them and then plummet to one's death?

A preliminary chair through the glass would have felt a bit more realistic, even without super strength.

You know, you say that, but I keep thinking of how I actually tend to get annoyed when that happens because the writers end up flipping them back and forth and it gets sloppy and irritating (see: Sloane, Spike, Scorpius, Slionel Sluthor).

I could not agree more except that I tend to love the sympathetic baddie and the flippety flip generally means they get more screen time. Not to mention the whole ambiguous, thin line between evil and anti hero thing.

but aren't the glass exterior walls of highrises constructed such that one can't sort of fall against them and then plummet to one's death?

In truth, this is the least of my plot hole problems with this finale.

I'm pretty discomfitted that this is what they think "wrapping things up" constitutes. I'll watch either way, but I worry that this will end up being one of those shows with rockin' build-up and then consistently weak conclusions. This should have been a two-part finale, I think, to both round out the season to an even number of episodes and to full explore all the things they had laid out prior to the finale.

Well, it wrapped up that New York won't be exploded. I am disappointed that Sylar is not dead. I don't think an alliance of necessity with him would turn him into a good guy. Just a delay in the moment he and the heroes start trying to kill each other again.

Besides we have already had our flip: Nikki/Jessica is canonically a serial killer.

rockin' build-up and then consistently weak conclusions.

This seems epidemic and likely to put me off bothering to watch shows on the internet. I mean, I resist having a tv for a reason and the consistently dissatisfying lack of resolution is making the time seem unworthwhile.

I felt this way about the XFiles, and many of its progeny.

At least Buffy and Angel offered some closure while leaving a few doors open.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread this season, but I'm thinking that I'm enjoying y'all's enjoyment more than the actual show.

While I thought the bit with Charles and Peter was lovely, just as dialogue, I really wanted to know if a) he had a power; b) Peter *had* that power from working with him, but didn't know until Charles told him; and c) that whatever that power was would Save The Day. Since none of those things actually happened, it was an entirely useless exchange that only gave me pretty pretty Simone, and was otherwise more of the narrative junk strewn around this finale.

Maybe we're all thinking too short term, and the ultimate resolution for Peter "love" (or whatever) power won't show up until next season (or maybe even the final season, whenever that is)?

This should have been a two-part finale

I think it was. Last week, radio ads were advertising it as the beginning of the season finale.

This seems epidemic and likely to put me off bothering to watch shows on the internet. I mean, I resist having a tv for a reason and the consistently dissatisfying lack of resolution is making the time seem unworthwhile.

Avataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Nikki/Jessica is canonically a serial killer

Speaking of that, does anyone think that N is finally free of J? In that last scene with Micah in the closet, she looks in the mirror and, from what I can tell, only sees herself. Was that "I'm not strong enough" and then the kicking of ass supposed to indicate some sort of mental reconciliation between her and her brain twin? If so, lame, and also, not nearly clear enough.

Maybe we're all thinking too short term, and the ultimate resolution for Peter "love" (or whatever) power won't show up until next season (or maybe even the final season, whenever that is)?

As much as I think I would like that narratively, it would drive me nutso to watch, and I really don't think Heroes plays that long a game. Particularly not with this underwhelming finale as evidence. But I would like to be proven wrong.

Did anyone else think Mama Petrelli's power might be one of influence? It was more noticeable in this episode--she kept trying to convince people of things with imperative statements, and then put her hands on them, after which they would agree with her. At least, until Claire chose to dive out a window.

I did.