In a great twist on their own format, the writers and producers of Heroes decided with this episode to focus on only one storyline, instead of the usual crash cut between mutliple characters.

And what we viewers got was a dramatic and emotional ride that Heroes hasn’t before provided.

The episode provided some vital backstory that illuminates the history of Horned-Rimmed Glasses (HRG), Claude Rains (the invisible man), and the man known only as the Haitian.

More than that, though, as an audience we were able to emotionally connect with Clare, her mother and her father, HRG, to the extent that by the end of the episode, when HRG looks to Clare with tears in his eyes, and says, “I love you, Clare-bear,” I felt like I had just been kicked in the junk.

The best villains are those who believe they are doing the right thing, and HRG epitomizes this philosophy. Now that he’s had his memory re-set, the tension between he and the various mutants he hunts will ratchet up a notch. The fact that Clare will remember her relationship with him, while he will not, just makes the coming heartbreak more intense.

PLUS:
Clare walking out of the burning house as a damn-near skeleton, with her flesh regenerating with each step, was the best “oh, shit” moment since Nathan Petrelli shot into the air like Superman back in episode 4.