In this week's episode of Heroes [1], we alternate between the present day and four years in the future, discovering what will apparently happen unless certain heroes take some action in the present day, stat. This version of the future is bizarre (especially Sylar's story!) and scary (cold-hearted gangster Claire). It will be interesting to see when/if/how it can be avoided. To chat about the goings-on in this week's episode, .

• In this future, everyone has an ability, but that also means people are using their abilities for evil. Future Peter says he knows that "all these people with abilities are going to destroy the world" because he painted that future. He needs present-day Peter to stop Mohinder from giving people abilities, and he needs to get Sylar's abilities. Future Peter can't do it because he "made terrible choices. Stepped on too many butterflies."
• Tracy learns that she was one of three identical triplets: Tracy, Niki and Barbara. The three were separated and Tracy was given a formula, Dr. Zimmerman says, "that would make you incredible." At Tracy's probing for more answers, Dr. Z says "they" would not like him talking so much. Later, Tracy resigns from her job and attempts to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge, only to have Nathan swoop in and save her. She's glad to meet a fellow special person and they make out.
• Future Claire tries to gun down both Peters, only managing to fell Future Peter who she brings back to a lab place where we see the blond girl from Parkman's future paintings, the speedster, Daphne.
• Present day Hiro and Ando are trapped on Level Two. I love this: There aren't a lot of quarrels on TV shows that include the lines, "You know what I think? I think you're still upset that future me murders future you."
• Nathan says that Linderman is the problem. Linderman: "You don't trust me? I'm hurt!" Linderman wants to help Nathan become president, saying that "this is the path to salvation."
• I think Maya is in a scene but I'm not sure because all I can see are boobs. That dress, seriously? Anyway, Mohinder's rash is spreading, and he's becoming more aggressive. "The formula is transforming me, and I fear what I'm becoming." He later says that he "cannot reverse the process." Four years into the future, Mohinder has become a cloaked, shadowy creature, warning Peter not to make his same mistakes.



• Also in this future? Daddy Sylar! Or, I guess, he's back to going by Gabriel. He has a little boy named Noah who clearly knows the future Peter and calls him "uncle." This is when present-day Peter discovers that he and Sylar are brothers. Sylar is reluctant to give Peter his ability, saying it's not just an ability, it's a hunger that he fights every day. . . "for him." Ultimately, though, Sylar says that if Peter can understand the "symphonies" of a watch, he can understand everything, and Peter acquires Sylar's ability.
• In the future, Parkman and Daphne have a baby together and are raising Molly. Daphne wants to find Peter. Parkman tells his speedster wife to "slow down," but in the end Daphne joins slick, leather-wearing future Claire and the fear-reading guy to hunt down Peter.
• Claire and her gang show up in Costa Verde, at the Bennets' old house where Sylar is living, and in the process of trying to kill, Peter they kill little Noah. Sylar flips out and causes a nuclear explosion. This apparently is tied into the title of this episode, which was taken from a quote by J. Robert Oppenheimer, "the father of the bomb:" "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
• Later in this future, we see Nathan and Tracy — now the President and First Lady — as Nathan gives a speech about the tragic loss of Costa Verde.
• Then Nathan seeks out Peter, who is being tortured by his niece, Claire. Heroes is just one big messed up family. Claire hunts down her uncle (twice), then plans on torturing him. Peter and Sylar are bros which means Sylar and Nathan are bros and Sylar is Claire's uncle because Nathan is Claire's father. Sheesh. Nathan tells Peter that one man cannot save the world, it's everybody's responsibility. The two brothers argue some more before Peter's newly acquired hunger makes him try to slice open Nathan's head.
• In the future, Parkman's wife Daphne apparently dies from the Costa Verde explosion and Parkman wants to stop this from happening. Usutu tells Parkman to find his "totem," a spirit guide to lead him on his journey. (Ha: "Carl Jung. Analytical psychology. You don't read much, do you?") Parkman decides on the turtle and starts to (slowly) follow it.
• By now, Hiro and Ando have made up and the Haitian has brought them before Mama Petrelli. Angela says she needs to find the formula, which can turn normal people into "people like us." She says that "they" have both parts of the formula now. She says someone has been manipulating them. She tells Hiro, "You have the key to unlocking this entire mystery." Hiro: "I do?"
• So, they dig up Adam Monroe. Who is, understandably, a little mad.

Who do you think is making a shocking appearance in next week's episode?

Photos courtesy of NBC [2]