The passing of Nathan Petrelli ought to be one of those moments that should affect and stay with you. The character has, after all, been central to the series since the very first episode and is superbly played by Adrian Pasdar. Unfortunately the exit Nathan is given in ‘The Fifth Stage’ proves far from memorable.
Part of the problem is that we have seen this all before. Prior to this episode, Heroes has appeared to kill Nathan four times, only a couple of episodes earlier this season having some contract killers shoot him dead. It is the dramatic equivalent of crying wolf – do it too often and it loses its impact. This time I was left completely unmoved.
Matters are not helped at all by the episode’s clumsy use of crucifixion imagery, driving nails into his palms and having him fall, arms outstretched, to his death. Nor are they helped by the almost weepy conversation between Peter and Nathan that immediately precedes his death. It just feels too forced, an attempt by writer/producer Tim Kring to invoke powerful emotions in the audience that Nathan’s storyline this year just has not earned.
In any case, it is hard to be too sad about Nathan’s passing given how poorly he has been treated throughout the course of the season. I had assumed that following the decision to put Nathan’s soul into Sylar’s body in last season’s finale that the writers were intending to give Pasdar the opportunity to play a darker version of Nathan. Instead the show’s writers seemed to struggle to find things for him to do, keeping him noble and resorting to long periods of angst and staring into mirrors and at clocks as he tried to figure out what was wrong with him.
‘The Fifth Stage’ is not an ideal goodbye for Nathan, it is a necessary one. While I would have preferred to see a more heroic end for the character rather than simply saying that he was too tired to fight Sylar, this should at least allow the other characters to move forward and, hopefully, for the show to do something more interesting with its serial killer character after Christmas.
Events in Washington prove even less involving with Noah and Lauren meeting at his apartment for a date that was stopped before it began when he realized Claire had taken the compass from his drawer.
As much as I like Elizabeth Rohm and Jack Coleman as actors, I see little in the way of any serious chemistry developing between them. While the pair share an interesting moment when Noah confesses that they have had a past romance that she does not remember, for the most part their involvement in this episode seems more tangential than essential.
Elsewhere we get yet another scene-stealing performance from Robert Knepper as Samuel. Although some of the mystery was taken away from the character in last week’s time-jumping installment, his performance continues to be compelling as we watch him manipulate those around him and as we see him interact with his ‘family’ of carnies.
Spending most of this episode trying to convince Claire to join his ‘family,’ we see him once again adopt a different approach that reflects the personality of his target. His sales pitch to Claire is one of acceptance and openness, something we have seen her crave in her own life. When an unsatisfied customer physically attacks him Samuel does nothing to stop the man, appearing to turn the other cheek. This appears to Claire to be an act of principle, yet we know Samuel better; he is prompting her to identify with him and make the decision to intervene.
Samuel is interesting because he, more than any other character in the show, understands motivation. His schemes are interesting because of the way the character adapts his plans to fit each target. This not only provides variety for us as viewers, it also adds to the character’s mystique.
I particularly enjoyed the moment following Gretchen’s departure when the camera pans over the car lot and reveals the body of the man who attacked Samuel, dead in the back of a truck. It is yet another example of how Samuel’s words and actions can diverge sharply. He is capable of portraying himself as a pacifist or as a victim, yet is perfectly capable of being murderous and spiteful.
Unfortunately though, as entertaining as Samuel is in this episode he alone cannot overcome the other two less engaging storylines. ‘The Fifth Stage’ will be the last episode before the series returns in January so this makes for an unfortunate low point for this fourth season.
While much of this episode does miss the mark there are some bright spots to look forward to in the second half of this season. Most crucially ending the Nathan subplot, however unsatisfactorily, will free the producers to move forwards with Sylar and Peter’s stories. This episode also shows that knowing more about Samuel and his carnies does not make them any the less interesting or compelling.
As a climax, both to this first half of the season and also to Nathan’s story ‘The Fifth Stage’ sadly disappoints.
– Aidan Brack
