Tom Scola: I finally read the link you provided upthread and am more confused than ever. That's a parody where someone changed all the dialogue, right? Still don't see how it's similar to this week's comic, sorry!

Yeah, that's Chris Bird's (friend of mine, actually) parody of "Civil War," which was hysterical, but the point is, the "heroes having to be registered" and choosing sides against each other had a distinct "Civil War" whiff.

Actually, it was much better ...

Still don't see how it's similar to this week's comic, sorry!

You mean the part where the Heroes went to prison to bust out some other Heroes, only to be ambushed by some Heroes?

The more I think about it, the more I just loved last night's episode. It did such a fabulous job of setting up sweeps, without feeling like too much -- if anything, I could have happily spent the entire three hours of last night's NBC primetime lineup in the future. But, then again, I do love this show.

It was just so tragic in so many ways. I had been wondering who they'd cast as a teenage Micah, and then, lo and behold, Micah's dead. So now the boy practically has a target on him, which made the tyke seem even that much smaller and more vulnerable during that snippet in the preview, where he's scurrying along in a big hall, presumably being manipulated into badness by Linderman.

And then there's poor Nathan, who just last episode told Claire people usually think the worst of him -- and he usually gives them reason to, or however he phrased it. In the future, his daughter has grown to despise him, as do, presumably "heroes" across the country. And it's not even him. Poor Nathan is dead somewhere, and no one knows where or how or when.

And I also loved how they set things up but don't even have to say things. There was so much going on that it didn't even register until later, when I was on the treadmill, that D.L. was dead, if SylAn was reaching through walls to grab at people.

I *heart* this show. I was remembering way back at the beginning of the season how Ando was justifiably wary of his friend's sudden insistence that he could bend time and space. And now, he's gone jumping through time and learned of his potential fate. I also thought it was interesting that this is the first time we've really seen Peter and Hiro together, and it's their future versions. I'm assuming they must meet up soon, if Future Peter can remember hopeful Hiro, since that guy went away after Ando died in the explosion.

You mean the part where the Heroes went to prison to bust out some other Heroes, only to be ambushed by some Heroes?

Oh, that part.

Loved, loved last night's episode. But I was wondering why Matt, in the five years he worked for and with Sylar as Nathan never picked up any hint that Nathan was really Sylar. I mean, he picked up the Linderman info from a stray thought running through Evil Eric Robert's head. Was Sylar just that careful all those years? Or does Matt have to be physically in the same space with folks to read minds? Maybe he only talked to Sylar as Nathan by phone?

when I was on the treadmill, that D.L. was dead, if SylAn was reaching through walls to grab at people.

Yes yes yes. I love that. That's the same reaction I had when we found out that Sylar was Nathan. Because he had flown. Which meant he had killed Nathan.

Another thing I realized tonight. The present day is only a few days from the election, which is right before The Bomb. Isaac's last comic will not be printed and distributed in a matter of days. The fact that Hiro was in the future allowed him to get the information from the comic. He likely would not have gotten it otherwise.

Matt seems to have to be fairly nearby to read minds. Also, if he met Sylar as Nathan, maybe it was only in the presence of the Haitian.

I think he paints futures possible. Maybe the most likely future possible. Though I'm trying to think of a painting of his that hasn't come true and drawing a blank.

I thought SylAn (this is a great name!) had said in the future timeline that Issac could paint the future, and that some of his work was spot on. (Paraphrasing, of course.) So perhaps Issac was painting the most likely future, and what we saw was just an abberation?

The present day is only a few days from the election, which is right before The Bomb.

Wait. Are we days before the Presidential election, or the Senatorial election?

I think they paint the future as it stands, but if someone time travels, all bets are off.