Heroes - "The Hard Part"

What do you expect after last week's amazing episode? This one was a bit of a let-down. To be fair, this is the first part of the three part finale, so they're really just trying to give us Act I. But you could really feel the show straining and groaning under the weight of its own mythology. So much to set up and tie together and connect and resolve -- and so little time. And as a result it all rang a little false.

The good:

• Suresh realizing he was meant to be the cure for whatever was wrong with his sister.
• Sylar's crisis of conscience when he realizes that he is the exploding man.
  
• Micah's foiled escape attempt.
  

The meh:

• Claire and the Petrellis. For goodness sake, just go to Paris already!
  
• The little girl as the people finder. Is this supposed to set-up some moral conflict between saving the "specials" and killing a little girl? Good luck with that HRG.
  
• Micah got dragged to NYC for what exactly?
• HRG, Parkman, and radioactive man. Worst road trip ever.

The bad:

• Sylar and his mom issues.
• Sylar and the magic killer scissors.
• Sylar and the snow globe routine.
• Hiro and his worthless battle skills.
• Hiro and Ando lurking outside the window like a really bad version of A Christmas Carol.

This is the first episode that I thought was really sub-par. I have high hopes for the finale, though I can't think of how they'll wrap up this storyline in a truly satisfying way.