SEASON 1 : CHAPTER EIGHT: “SEVEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT”

NBC Press Release
Air Date: November 13th, 2006 7/8c

FORCES GATHER TO THREATEN VARIOUS "HEROES" -- Back in India to mourn the passing of his father, Suresh encounters mysterious dreams of the past that force him to question what path to take next. Continuing their journey to New York, Hiro and Ando stop at a diner and meet someone interesting. In crisis, Niki comes to a personal understanding. Determined to see one of Isaac’s paintings that Simone recently sold, Peter asks Nathan for help in finding a key to the future. Intent on getting back to her normal life, Claire focuses on Homecoming preparations, unaware of what's to come. Meanwhile, H.R.G. and a surprising associate focus their attentions on another "hero."

Re-cap of Episode Chapter Eight: “Seven Minutes To Midnight”

Mohinder returns home to participate at his father’s funeral, which is held in Kanyakumari, India, the burial ground of Gandhi. Chandra Suresh’s ashes are ceremoniously cast into the ocean.

Isaac awakens in an undisclosed location but is greeted by Eden McCain. She tells him that she is a “facilitator” and that she can help him paint the future without the use of drugs. She assures him that she wants to stop the explosion in New York as much as he does.

At the “Burnt Toast Café” in Midland, Texas Hiro and Ando meet Charlie, a waitress that has a photographic memory. Sylar, who moves his coffee cup by thought, is also in the café.

Mohinder meets up with Mira, an old girlfriend who offers him a position at the company that she works for that does genetic research. Mohinder tells her that he will think about it.

Back at the Burnt Toast Café Hiro and Charlie begin a special friendship, which is portrayed through an unusual filming technique. While a musical score plays the pair converse silently.

(Note: What we interpretted as a filming technique was actually an audio failure on the local network. We have since watched the episode with the entire dialogue.)

Theodore Sprague tells Matt and Audrey that he was not allowed to attend his wife’s funeral and that he probably gave her cancer. Ted becomes upset and the cup of water on the table begins to boil as he becomes angrier. Matt tells Ted about his own ability and the two men show each other the two lines imprinted (or cut) into their necks.

In a dream, Mohinder views himself arguing with his father and then eavesdrops on a discussion between his parents. A young boy, who can see Mohinder enters into the dream.

Ted explains to Matt and Audrey how he blacked out in Kansas and woke up in Tempe, Arizona with this strange ability. He tells Matt that a Haitian student was in the bar when he blacked out.
At the Primatech Paper Company in Odessa, Texas Mr. Bennet enters a secure back room via key card and meets with Isaac. Bennet tells Isaac that his ability is a blessing and that he needs Isaac’s help.

Back at the café Charlie is killed by Sylar who cuts her skull off.

Mohinder is told by his mother that he had an older sister that died at the age of five when he was only two years old and that he was never told about her for fear of comparisons. She also tells him that she was “special.” (We assume this means she had a Heroes ability.)

Bennet tells Isaac that Sylar is killing people with abilities one by one and that his daughter Claire is next in line. He asks Isaac to shoot heroin and finish the painting to help save Claire’s life. Isaac refuses. Bennet also tells Isaac that a group of people are fighting to stop Sylar and that Claire was the child of parents who he failed to help 14 years earlier.

In another dream sequence Mohinder chases the same little boy through his father’s house and out a door only to find himself in an alley in Ney York City. A taxi is parked in the alley and as Mohinder draws closer he sees that his father is being beaten inside the cab. He watches his father die and then sees the watch worn by Sylar as it stops at seven minutes to midnight.

Bennet convinces Eden to “persuade” Isaac to finish the painting and after whispering into his ear Isaac agrees.

Hiro tells Ando that he is going to stop time and try and prevent Charlie’s murder. He tells Ando that he will try and convince Charlie not to go to work on the day of her death. Hiro tells Ando to count to five and he will return but when Ando is done counting Hiro is nowhere to be found.

Mohinder opens his father’s desk and finds folder labeled Iyer Sanjog which contains the picture of the little boy who has been inside his dreams. There are articles concerning dreams and we come to realize that the little boy is also a hero.

In the closing scene we see Isaac painting with eyes of white while Eden looks on, Claire finishes working on her homecoming banner and Ando waits nervously for Hiro’s return.

A photo of Charlie in a black dress with white polka dots under a birthday sign now contains the image of Hiro standing next to her with a very frightened look on his face.

Trivia

* Mohinder and Chandra Suresh worked at Chennai University.

* The devices used to detect radiation by Matt and Audrey were labeled, dosimetry. Not green is the bad color.

* Mr. Bennet works for the Primatech Paper Company.

* Mr. Bennett is part of an organization dedicated to tracking, watching, and monitoring those who have developed abilities. This organization has been in existence for over 14 years.

* Both Matt and Ted said that they blacked out and lost two days after being abducted and “read” by the Haitian.

* Charlie tells Deputy Lloyd that Henry Fonda won the Academy Awars for "On Golden Pond" in 1981.

* The emblem on Hiro's jacket says, "I don't belomg here."

* Chandra Suresh's college office contains a piece of art that is a DNA double helix, a window in the shape of a lotus blossom, a copy of his book "Activating Evolution", a desktop computer running the same DNA sequence as his laptop and many of the same file folders as in his apartment in New York.

* Ted was in Kansas and made a big sale of dialysis machines to University Hospital. At the hotel bar were a couple from Wyoming, some professors and a student from Haiti. He wakes up in his car two days later in Tempe, Arizona.

* The image of Kali (she who is the Mother of time) appears at least twice in this episode. Once at Chandra Suresh's funeral carved into the rock near the shrine and once as a statue in the home of Chandra Suresh.

Connections

Episode 8
1) Isaac meets Mr. Bennet (HRG) after being "persuaded" by Eden to quit drugs.
2) Hiro and Ando meet Charlie a waitress with the ability to memorize everything she reads.
3) Sylar is in the Burnt Toast Café in Midland, Texas with Hiro, Ando and Charlie.
4) Sylar murders Charlie by cutting the top of her skull off (the same manner in which Issac and Mr. Walker were found.
5) Matt Parkman, Audrey Hanson and the policewoman all meet with Theodore Sprague at FBI headquarters.
6) Mohinder meets Iyer Sanjog in a number of dreams about his father.
7) Theodore Sprague tells Matt and Audrey that on the night he blacked out a Haitian student was present (this is MBG.)
8) Chandra Suresh is killed in his taxi by Sylar whose watch stops at seven minutes to midnight during the altercation.
9) Claire meets Eden at her father’s Paper Company.

Graphic Novel 8: Issac's First Time
1) Issac meets Uluru in a drug-induced trance.

Nathan Petrelli

Episode 8
Not in the episode.

Peter Petrelli

Episode 8
Not in the episode

Claire Bennett

Episode 8
1) We find out that Claire is the offspring of Heroes the exact details which are known to HRG.
2) Meets Eden McCain at her fathers paper company.

Claire’s “accidents”

Episode 8
No "accidents" revealed in this episode.

Mr. Bennett (Horn Rimmed Glasses or HRG)

Episode 8
1) Is working with a group of people to track and help save heroes from Sylar.
2) Is genuinely concerned for Claire’s well-being but will use any means necessary to protect her.

Isaac Mendez

Episode 8
1) Tries to clean up with the help of Eden McCain and Mr. Bennet.
2) Understands that his life is in jeopardy.
3) Begins to Paint, under the influence of Eden, the painting required by Bennet to help protect Claire.

Isaac’s paintings

Episode 8
1) The painting of the cheerleader with her head slashed opened. Mr. Bennet confirms that Sylar is the person in the shadows.
2) Hiro and Ando at the Homecoming (with blood(?) on the sign).
3) Explosion of the car Theodore Sprague escaped from.
4) The train wreck in Odessa, Texas.
5) The huge explosion that decimates New York City.
6) Peter and the flying locker doors.
7) Claire on the amphitheater stairs with the large shadow.
8) Claire’s face with outstretched hand.
9) Charlie at the café with plates of food in her hands.
10) Jessica with the symbol.
11) The painting of the eclipse.
12) The Israeli bus explosion.

More about Isaac’s paintings
Note: In this episode Mr. Bennet (HRG) tells a little more information concerning some of Isaac’s paintings.
1) A newspaper article in Bennet’s office reads, “12 Killed in Israeli Bus Explosion”
2) Mr. Bennet tells Isaac that the suicide bomber killed 13 people.
3) That the train derailment killed 9 people
4) And that the earthquake killed 81 people.

Hiro Nakamura

Hiro’s “events”

Episode 8
1) Strange, silent conversation with Charlie.
2) During Hiro’s silent conversation he stops time but we do not see him move nor see where he goes or what he does.
3) Hiro teleports out of the diner to go and save Charlie.
4) Appears in a birthday photograph with Charlie on her birthday where he was not before.

Mohinder Suresh

Episode 8
1) Returns to India for his father’s funeral.
2) The Suresh burial ground is in Kanyakumari, India, the burial ground of Gandhi.
3) Uncovers the secrets of a number of other “heroes” including a boy that can evidently manipulate dreams or at least allow others to see the past while dreaming.

Chandra Suresh

Episode 8 (Flashback and/or dream sequences)
1) Tells his son that finding the heroes is the most important thing in the world.
2) Was killed by Sylar in his cab in New York City.
3) Had a daughter with a special ability.

Chandra Suresh’s Notebook
Note: While Mohinder was flipping through the pages of his father’s notebook we caught a glimpse of a few other “heroes” that Chandra had been tracking.

1) … intentions to get data from him.
Potential Power: Tissue Regeneration

2) Feb. 16th, 1971 4:30 PM (drawing of a circle with four vertical lines over it)
Location: Lobatse, Botswana
Continent: Africa
Sex: Female
Age: 87
Race: South African
Sample Type: Fingernail
Acquisition of sample… she slept through the whole thing… subject was unaware of me attempting to get samples from her.
Potential Power: Telepathy

3) Oct. 17th, 1978 8:26 PM (drawing of a triangle)
Location: New Canaan, Connecticut
Continent: North America
Sex: Female
Age:
Race: Polish/Russian
Sample type: Red hair
Acquisition of sample… spotted me… and smiled… came up to me… put her finger to her lips in the universal sign for quiet… pulled a strand of her hair… and handed it to me… she was aware of my intentions to gather data from her.
Potential Power: Clairvoyance

Niki Sanders / Jessica

Episode 8
Not in this episode

Micah Sanders

Episode 8
Not in this episode

D.L. Hawkins

Episode 8
Not in this episode

Eden McCain

Episode 8
1) Was found in “a condition” by Mr. Bennet years before.
2) “Persuades” Isaac to finish the last painting by whispering into his ear.
3) Is obviously working with or for Mr. Bennet.

Eden McCain and KEYS:
(Eden may be a KEY! I think we should keep an eye on more possible key connections as the series progresses.) I believe that this has been proven. It seems that Eden has gone through something of a similar nature as Isaac and it was revealed that she either has the power to persuade or the power of suggestion.

Episode 8
1) Eden whispers into Isaac’s ear and convinces him to shoot heroin to complete the last painting needed by Bennet to help protect Claire.

Matt Parkman

Episode 8
1) Hears the thoughts of Theodore Sprague and Audrey Hanson.
2) Is suspended from his job for 30 days without pay for punching Tom McHenry, his ex-partner and the man who slept with his wife.
3) Discovers that he and Theodore Sprague were both abducted by the Haitian (MBG) and both have identical marks (2nd symbol) on their necks.

Paul E. Sylar:

Episode 8
1) Is in the same café as Hiro and Ando in Midland, Texas.
2) Wears a watch that has stopped at seven minutes to midnight.
3) Kills Charlie, the waitress with a photographic memory, in much the same manner as future Isaac and Mr. Walker.
4) Kills Chandra Suresh in his cab in New York City, which is how his watch got broken.
5) Uses the power of his mind to slide his coffe cup from across the table into his hand. (Telekinesis)

Uluru

Episode 8
Not found in this episode

Graphic Novel 8: Isaac's First Time
1) Issac meets Uluru in a drug-induced trance.
2) Uluru asks, "Issac? What have you done?"

Molly Walker

Episode 8
Not found in this episode

Theodore Sprague

Episode 8
1) Boils water in glass (from an original painting by Isaac.)
2) Turns radioactive monitors color (red) in an instant.
3) Explodes the car he was being taken in and escapes.
4) Tells Matt that he gave his wife cancer.
5) Tells Matt that when his powers strated he melted flowers.
6) Was abducted by HRG and "read" by MBG in Kansas and woke up in Tempe, Arizona.
7) Lost two days in the abduction.
8) Tells Matt to find the Haitian.

Iyer Sanjog

Episode 8
1) Iyer Sanjog is a new character and evidently has the power to manipulate, or project into, dreams.
2) Projects himself and Mohinder into a number of Chandra Suresh’s dreams.
3) May or may not be dead.

Iyer Sanjog’s Folder
Found inside Chandra Suresh's folder for this individual were the following:

Episode 8
1) An article called the “Somnambulist’s Song”
2) An article with the headline, “Sleep Research Reveals New Areas in the Brain.”
3) Images of skulls that looked to be Aztec or Mayan in nature.
4) An article with the headline, “Scientists Say Learning Continues In Sleep” which is dated September 9th, 2003.
5) and a photograph of Inyer Sanjog who is the same little boy that Mohinder saw in his dreams.

Charlie

Episode 8
1) Charlie is a new character that has the ability to remember everything she reads (or photographic memory)
2) She tells the sheriff that Kanyakumari is the answer to a crossword question.
3) Tells the sheriff’s deputy that Henry Fonda won the academy award for best actor in 1981 for “On Golden Pond.”
4) Communicates with Hiro and Ando in fluent Japanese only a short time after reading a book on the language.
5) Communicates in a strange silent method with Hiro.

The Symbol

The symbol appears to be a shadow (or an eclipse) of the human DNA helix. The intersecting horizontal lines seem to be markers where the DNA has mutated. This is possibly the super-genome or a “new” or “mutated” protein that identifies the Heroes. It can be found in too many locations (see below) to be a mere coincidence. Is it a calling card to those with special powers? And will they rally around it?

Episode 8
1) Found on the computer monitor in Chandra Suresh’s office.
2) Found on the painting of Jessica.

The Mark (The Partial Symbol?)

Episode 8
1) Found on Theodore Sprague’s neck.
2) Found on Matt Parkman’s neck.

Brains:

There has been some discussion concerning mutated and/or manipulated DNA as the reason behind our Heroes powers. But why would someone go through the trouble of sawing the top of someone’s head off and scraping out the brains if it wasn’t important. I can’t think of a psychological reason why this might be done but for research purposes it makes sense. Einstein had his brain removed and studied after his death. Perhaps the powers we are seeing are not genetic manipulations at all but rather from evolution and the power of the brain. Why then the double helix symbol? Mohinder Suresh began the series with the question, “"People only use 10% of their brains, what if they used more?” Could this then be the real reason behind their powers? Have our Heroes somehow found a way to tap into additional brainpower? And, is Sylar being controlled by Mr. Bennett (HRG)? And the question that I keep asking myself, “What is Sylar’s power?” Could he assimilate others abilities?

Episode 8
1) It is assumed that Charlie’s brains were removed from her skull when Sylar cut off the top of her skull in the back room of the Burnt Toast Café.

Discrepancy

Episode 8
1) The screen title shows the restaurant that Charlie works in is named, “Burnt Toast Diner” but the sign on the window and the menus read, “Burnt Toast Café.”