Heroes/Seven Minutes to Midnight

Seven Minutes to Midnight
Season 1, Episode 8
Airdate	November 13, 2006
Production Number	108
Written by	Tim Kring
Directed by	Paul Edwards
Stream
← 1x07 Nothing to Hide	1x08 → Homecoming
Heroes — Season One

Seven Minutes to Midnight is the eighth episode of the first season of Heroes.

Starring: Santiago Cabrera (Isaac Mendez), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh)

Guest Starring: Clea DuVall (Agent Audrey Hanson), Nora Zehetner (Eden McCain), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi), Erick Avari (Chandra Suresh), Jayma Mays (Charlie Andrews), Matthew John Armstrong (Theodore "Ted" Sprague), Lisa Lackey (Janice Parkman), Stacy Haiduk (Elisa Thayer), Shishir Kurup (Nirad), Sakina Jaffrey (Mrs. Suresh), Kavi Ladnier (Mira Shenoy), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Karri Turner (Lisa)

And: Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet)

Co-Starring: Josh Clark (Sheriff), Michael Maury (Deputy Lloyd), Javin Reid (Boy), Ben Murray (Rufus), Peyton Hinson (Waitress)

Plot Overview

Hiro and Ando have a close encounter with danger and romance at a diner. Mr. Bennet asks Isaac for his help. Mohinder considers his future, and has troubling dreams about his father.

• Mohinder Suresh Voiceover: "The Earth is large. Large enough that you think you can hide form anything. From fate, from god. If only you found a place far enough away. So you run to the edge of the earth, where all is safe again, quiet and warm. The solace of salt air, the peace of danger left behind. The luxury of grief. And maybe for a moment, you believe you have escaped."

• Kanyakumari, India. There is a funeral rite for Chandra Suresh on a beach. Mohinder Suresh scatters his father's ashes into the water.

• Unknown Location. Eden McCain is with Isaac Mendez. He's had a painful couple of days of heroin withdrawal. Eden tells Isaac that they can help teach him how to use his powers without the drugs. Isaac comments that she seems pretty sure. Eden tells him that she is sure — she went through the same thing herself.

• Burnt Toast Diner, Midland, Texas. Hiro and Ando are ordering breakfast at a diner. Ando is grumpy because all the fast food has made him gain four pounds. Hiro says that they'll need to keep up their strength if they're going to save the cheerleader. Hiro and Ando are served by Charlie, a waitress who has a remarkable memory. She reads the Japanese writing from Hiro's jacket and knows what it means. She tells them that she got a Japanese phrasebook for her birthday six months ago, and she picked it up again last week and can remember everything in it. At another table, Sylar is watching.

• Kanyakumari, India. Mohinder tells his university colleague that he's not returning to America, there are no answers there. The colleague tells him that he hasn't canceled Mohinder's classes, and the new semester starts on Monday. He also says that Mohinder should use Chandra's old office. Mohinder goes to his father's office at Chennai University. He notes that a desk drawer is locked, and Chandra's gene migration algorithm is still running on the computer. An old romance of Mohinders, Mira Shenoy shows up at his office. She's been promoted to the head of Genetic Research at a corporation, and offers him a job — provided he leaves his father's outlandish theories behind. Mohinder tells her that he'll think about it.

• FBI Headquarters, Los Angeles. Matt Parkman and Audrey Hanson going to interrogate Theodore "Ted" Sprague. Audrey's superior warns her that she's only got about an hour before Homeland Security comes to take custody of Sprague. Audrey is angry at Matt for hitting a superior officer, it reflects badny on her. Matt tells her that he'll handle it, and the guy did deserve it.

• Burnt Toast Diner. Hiro is teaching Charlie a bit of Japanese between her orders. They're bonding. She tells him that lately she's been remembering everything she reads. Hiro almost tells her of his power, but thinks better of it. She tells Hiro that he's sweet.

• FBI Headquarters, Los Angeles. Ted is agitated and frustrated. He wants them to let him go. He begins boiling a glass of water in his hands, and the radiation level spikes. Audrey draws her gun. Ted demands that she shoot him. Matt calms Ted down by telling him they want to help him. He says that he can't stop hearing things, even things he doesn't want to hear, things that can destroy marriages. Audrey figures out why Matt was avoiding his wife's calls and why he hit the detective. He asks Ted to tell him what happened, when he first started noticing his ability. Ted asks him why can't he just pull that from his head. Audrey tells him that they want this on the record. Ted says that he blacked out. Matt asked him how long he was out, and if he woke up with bruises on his arms. Ted thinks "I'll do you one better", and shows the tattoo on the side of his neck. Matt shows his own tattoo. Audrey is surprised.

• Chennai University. Mohinder Suresh looks through some of his fathers files on abilities. He falls asleep and has a dream. He is watching himself arguing with his father after he told Mohinder that he was going to America in pursuit of proof for his theories. Memory-Mohinder thought his father was doing the wrong thing, abandoning his family. Chandra was hurt by the tongue-lashing Memory-Mohinder gave him. Then Mohinder is outside at the Suresh home. His father is talking with his mother. Mohinder's mother tells Chandra to go to America, or else his obsession will consume him. She tells Chandra that Mohinder can never take her place, and fears that Mohinder already hates him. A soccer ball rolls to Mohinder's feet. He picks it up and sees a young boy smiling at him. Mohinder asks the boy what he wanted. He indicated the soccer ball. Mohinder tossed to the boy. He wakes up.

• FBI Headquarters, Los Angeles. Ted is telling his story. He was in Kansas. He'd just made a sale of dialysis machines to a hospital and was celebrating the commission with a drink in the university bar. Then the next thing he remembers, he was in Arizona and it was two days later. Living things started to die around him, and he was getting headaches. Matt asks him about the people in the bar. There were a few people there, including a student from Haiti. Matt asks Ted if the Haitian was bald. Ted says yes. Matt says that he thinks he saw the same person just before he blacked out and woke up two days later, with his powers enhanced. Homeland Security comes in to take Ted away. Matt and Audrey ask for just a little more time to no avail. Ted asks Matt to find the Haitian. Audrey's superior tells her that Matt shouldn't be here, his badge has been suspended. Audrey is angry with Matt for holding out. Matt tells her that maybe he has been holding out, but he's come to help her every time she called.

• Primatech Paper Company, Odessa, Texas. Mr. Bennet works here. It is revealed that Isaac is being kept in a smaller building in the middle of a large warehouse attached to the Primatech Paper company. This is likely also the location where Matt Parkman and others were taken. Mr. Bennet goes to see Isaac. Issac tells him that the ability to paint the future feels like a curse. Mr. Bennet tells him that it's a gift - never forget that. Isaac wants to know why Mr. Bennet is doing all this for him. Mr. Bennet tells him that he needs his help.

• Burnt Toast Diner. Sylar is watching. Hiro goes to the washroom, and Charlie goes to the back room to open another can of soup. She things she hears something, but it's too late. Blood streams down her face. She is dead and topples over. People hear the crash and go investigate. They're shocked to find Charlie dead, the top of her skull removed and her brain missing. Hiro emerges from the washroom. Ando talks to him. Sylar isn't in the diner anymore.

• Suresh house, Madras. Mohinder talks to his mother. He tells her that he had a dream where she persuaded Chandra to go to America. She tells him that's correct. Mohinder says that he heard her say that Mohinder can never take her place, and asks who the her was. Mohinder's mother tells him that he once had a sister; Shanti. She died when she was five and Mohinder was two. Chandra loved his daughter very much. He thought she was special, and she was.

• Primatech Paper Company. Mr. Bennet tells Isaac that the cheerleader he's been painting all this time is his daughter, Claire, and the silhouetted man in the baseball cap standing over Claire with the sawed-open skull, his name is Sylar, and he hunts down and kills people like Claire. She's special, it makes her a target, just like Isaac. He isn't the only one, and Sylar has been killing the special people, one at a time. And from Isaac's paintings, he knows Sylar will try and kill Claire tomorrow at Homecoming. Isaac asks Mr. Bennet why can't he stop Sylar. Mr. Bennet says that nobody knows where Sylar is. He needs Isaac to do another painting. Isaac says that he's been trying, but he can't without the drugs. Mr. Bennet takes out some heroin injecting supplies and tells Isaac that they'll help him use his power without the drugs, but there isn't any time for that. Isaac doesn't want the drugs, he's worked hard to get clean. He asks Mr. Bennet to let him try one more time without the drugs.

• Chennai University, Madras. Mohinder goes into Chandra's office. He sees the soccer ball kid form his earlier dream trying to open the locked desk drawer. Mohinder chases the kid out and finds himself in an alley in New York. He helplessly watches his father getting murdered in a taxicab. The struggle breaks the killers watch at 11:53 PM. The cab vanishes and Mohinder turns around. The mystery kid is there once again. He has something in his hand. Mohinder approaches the kid and sees that it is the key form his father’s notebook. He wakes up and gets the key from his father's notebook.

• Primatech Paper Company, Odessa, Texas. Claire comes to see her father at work. She wants a large piece of paper to make a Homecoming banner. Eden McCain comes out of a door an interrupts them. Claire seems to recognize her. Mr. Bennet tells Claire to take whatever she needs. Eden tells him that Isaac tried, but he can’t paint without the drugs, not yet. Mr. Bennet tells Eden to persuade Isaac to take them. Eden objects, saying that he promised her she wouldn’t have to do that anymore. Mr. Bennet says that she’s the easy way, and they both know what the hard way is. Reluctantly, Eden goes to Isaac. He tells her he’s not taking the heroin. She whispers something into his ear, and he becomes compliant, and agrees to so heroin.

• Burnt Toast Diner, Midland, Texas. A picture on a bulletin board shows Charlie celebrating her birthday 6 months ago. The police want Hiro and Ando to stick around to give statements. Hiro tells Ando that Charlie was killed the same way that Isaac was when he went into the future. It can’t be a coincidence. Ando says that means they have to be very careful. Hiro wants to try and travel back in time to yesterday to warn Charlie not to come to work today. Ando thinks it’s too dangerous – the last time he teleported, he wound up five weeks in the future. Hiro says that if he’s too scared to use his powers, then he doesn’t deserve them. He has to try. Ando asks what they’re going to do about the cheerleader mission. Hiro says that he’ll be back. He tells Ando to count to five, then he’ll be back. Hiro concentrates, and vanishes. Ando counts to five, but Hiro does not return.

• Parkman house, Los Angeles. Janice Parkman is looking at a photo album when Matt comes home. She says that he heard he punched Detective Tom McHenry. He confirms it. She’s positive he knows about the affair. Matt tells her he got a one month suspension with no pay. Janice tells Matt that something happened between her and Tom. Matt asks if she slept with him. She says yes, but it’s over. She asks Matt if it’s over between them. Matt isn’t sure. He gets a call from Audrey Hanson. Ted Sprague has just escaped from custody.

• Chennai University, Madras. Mohinder uses the key to open the locked drawer. There’s nothing inside, but Mohinder searches and finds a file folder taped inside. The folder is on an Sanjog Iyer. It’s full of clippings saying that the kid continued to learn in his sleep, and research revealed new areas of the brain. The photo of Sanjog is the same kid as from Mohinder’s dreams.

• Primatech Paper Company, Odessa, Texas. Eden watches as Isaac, high on heroin, paints.

• Bennet House, Odessa. Mr. Bennet watches Claire working on a Homecoming banner.

• Burnt Toast Diner, Midland, Texas. Ando is pacing in the diner, wondering where Hiro is. He doesn’t see the photo of Charlie from six months ago is different. Hiro is there beside her.

• Mohinder Suresh Voiceover: "You can run far, you can take your small precautions. But have you really gotten away? Can you ever escape? Or is the truth that you do not have the strength or cunning to hide from destiny? But the world is not small. You are. And fate can find you anywhere."

Notes

Mysteries

• Did Mr. Bennet enhance Matt's and Ted's powers?

Answers

• Isaac Mendez and his paintings went willingly with Eden to Odessa, where he went into rehab.
• Claire's biological parents were special, but they are dead, killed when Mr. Bennet tried to take them for study.
• Mr. Bennet is an enemy of Sylar's.
• Mr. Bennet's organization has been tracking and monitoring supers for at least 14 years.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Hiro decides to try and save Charlie from dying, even though it could put the cheerleader mission at risk. Hiro and Ando are about 20 miles from Odessa.

Characters

• Eden was possibly once a drug addict. She possibly has the "power of suggestion". She and Claire may have met before.
• Isaac is trying to stay clean, but cannot yet paint the future without drugs. Eden reluctantly used her power of suggestion.

Trivia

The Show

• Missing in Action: Niki, Micah, D.L., Peter, Nathan, and Simone did not appear in this episode.

• Chennai, or Madras? Captions have called Mohinder's home city Madras, but that is actually the former name of the city, it was changed to Chennai in 1996. Ironically, there is no Chennai University in the city, but there is a University of Madras.

Allusions and References

• Seven Minutes to Midnight: The obvious reference is to the broken wristwatch Sylar wears, which became stuck at 11:53 after he murdered Chandra Suresh.
  
  The less obvious reference is to the Doomsday Clock, which is used by the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to give a general indicator at how close the world is to nuclear war (represented by midnight). The clock was first started at seven minutes to midnight in 1947, and it was also at seven minutes to midnight when the episode aired.
  
  The doomsday clock implication could be a reference to Future Hiro's warning that they have to save the cheerleader to save the world.

Quotes

• Mr. Bennet: Some people...misinterpret our motives.

• Mr. Bennet: I'm not going to ask him...you are.
  Eden: No! No, you can't make me do that!
  Mr. Bennet: You knew this was a possibility.
  Eden: You said when we started that I'd never have to do that again! You promised me!
  Mr. Bennet: I know what you think. Who do you think taught you? Do you even remember what you were like when I found you?...You're the easy way. I think we both know the hard way.

• Hiro: If I'm too scared to use my powers, then I don't deserve them. I have to try.