Feudal Japan: A lot of stuff happens, some of which is even sort of important. Here’s the key thing: this plotline finally ends. Hiro duels with Kensei, there’s a big gunpowder explosion in which Kensei presumably dies, Yaeko promises to preserve the timeline by making sure the legend of Kensei is passed down intact, and Hiro teleports home to present-day Tokyo.
In Ukraine, Bennet glowers at the final series of precognitive paintings. He calls Mohinder at Company headquarters and asks all kinds of pointed questions about why it looks like Mohinder will shoot him in the eye in the near future. He wants to send Mohinder photos of the paintings, but Mohinder balks – his new partner Niki is watching him too closely to risk it. Bennet insists, claiming his family’s safety is at stake. Mohinder: "So that makes me expendable?" There’s a long, long pause while Bennet tries to think of some answer other than "Yes". Mohinder squawks a bit about how they’re supposed to be working together to bring down the Company, then notices Niki standing in the doorway, clearing her throat politely.
The sad part? Carrying on a chatty conversation about destroying the Company while Niki is within earshot is not the most reckless thing Mohinder will do this episode. Watch and wince.
Nathan and Matt, fresh from their skirmish with Matt’s father, Maury, arrive at Company headquarters. They tell Bob, Mohinder, and Niki about the photo of Bob with the half-helix symbol, which indicates he’ll be Maury’s next target. The group schemes to take down Maury. Bob wants to inject him with a mutated version of the virus so he’ll lose his powers; Mohinder’s super-special magic blood can cure him after he’s neutralized.
New York, 2008: Peter and Caitlin wander around the evacuated city. They’re apprehended and decontaminated by men in hazmat suits. The evacuation is due to a super-lethal outbreak of a modified strain of the virus (they’re calling it the "Shanti Virus" after Mohinder’s dead sister), which has killed 93% of the world’s population thus far.
Costa Verde: Claire wakes up to find West in her kitchen, chatting with her mom and making waffles. West gleefully shows her a newspaper article about last episode’s idiotic prank. It’s all attributed to the nonsensical ramblings of a drunken cheerleader, but the article draws attention to Claire’s amazing regenerative ability.
Niki accompanies Mohinder while he fills a syringe with the modified Shanti Virus to inject into Maury. They debate about the Company: Niki’s convinced it’s a force of good, while Mohinder’s still skeptical. Maury arrives and uses his mental powers to make Niki hallucinate about D.L., who goads her into trying to kill Bob. When Mohinder tries to stop her, Niki decks him with her super-strength and breaks his nose. Egad, Niki, why don’t you take a jackhammer to the Venus de Milo while you’re at it? Niki grabs the syringe containing the virus and goes after Bob.
Bob fills Nathan in about the mysterious Adam Monroe: he’s one of the founders of the Company, and he’s a) super-powerful, and b) really, really evil. He’s also the man behind the attempted murders of the other founders; Maury is only doing Adam’s bidding. Bob also tells Nathan that Peter’s alive.
Niki, still under Maury’s mental control, punches through the door to get to Bob. Nathan tries to calm her down. Niki returns to her senses long enough to deliberately infect herself with the virus, which takes away her super-strength.
2008: So, 93% of the world’s population is dead, right? It comes as no big shock to find Angela Petrelli among the lucky 7%. At the decontamination center/morgue, Peter meets his mother and, after some initial confusion, recognizes her. Great merciful Zeus, his memory returns! At last, progress! According to Angela, Nathan died in the first outbreak of the virus. Peter must return to the past and prevent the virus from becoming an epidemic. Peter teleports back to present-day Montreal… but accidentally leaves Caitlin behind in the plague-ridden future.
Claire and West, easily the most loathsome couple on television, make out on the couch. Bennet returns home from Ukraine. West recognizes him as the man who kidnapped him a few years ago and flies away before Bennet sees him.
Matt’s powers enable him to enter his father’s nightmares. He finds Molly and frees her, then mentally battles Maury and traps him in a coma.
In Tokyo, Ando and Hiro have a joyous reunion. It’s great to see them together and happy again… until Hiro asks about his father. Ando tells him of Kaito’s murder.
Mohinder, who somehow manages to look beautiful and elegant even with his nose wrapped in plaster, can’t cure Niki with his blood – the virus has mutated too much. Bob thinks he might have another way to save her. He gives Mohinder a file on Claire: the Company was alerted to her whereabouts due to the newspaper article about her stupid prank. There’s a chance they can use Claire’s regenerative ability to find a new cure for the virus. He also gives Mohinder a gun: in order to bring in Claire, they’ll have to get her father out of the way. Bob tells Mohinder that Bennet murdered Ivan. Distraught about the virus and horrified by this evidence of Bennet’s increasing ruthlessness, Mohinder confesses he’s been working with Bennet to destroy the Company. This little bombshell doesn’t seem to surprise Bob.
Bennet finds out from his wife that Claire’s been sneaking around with West. In a panic, he orders his family to pack up and leave town. Claire pitches a fit and refuses to go.
Back in Montreal, Peter meets up with the mysterious Adam Monroe… who turns out to be Takezo Kensei.
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