Heroes Season 1 Finale

On the same night as the two-hour season finale of "24" as well as the aftermath of WWE Judgment Day, "Heroes" delivered, for one last time this season, in a monumental, history-making way (as if there was any other). The conclusion of the first volume of what will undoubtedly be NBC's frontline forerunner for years to come served not only as a conclusion to the biggest story arch of the season, but also took the show straight into the next chapter. In four months, "Heroes" picks up right where it left off with Volume II: Generations and the spin-off mini-series, "Heroes: Origins."

As for the season finale itself? "How to Stop An Exploding Man" didn't turn out quite as good as "Five Years Gone" (but then again I doubt any hour of television will rival that chapter anytime soon), but it definitely beat out "Company Man," allowing it to come in, in my book at least, as the second best "Heroes" chapter thus far.

Lengthy Recap:

• Modesty aside, everything pretty much happened as I had predicted earlier, save for a couple of surprises at the end. Like I had previously explained, Peter Petrelli, due to a cruel twist of fate, was undeniably the bomb now, and Sylar's death, regardless of whether or not Hiro stabbed him, would have nothing to do with the explosion going off in the end.

• Niki and D.L., whom all season long pretty much acted out their own storyline, independent of the other major characters, finally played a role in the big picture. I had predicted the Niki/Candice confrontation, and sure enough, it happened. Of course, Niki finally lost the baggage of a psychotic alter ego but kept the prize - her superhuman strength, which led her to breaking through Candice's illusion and saving Micah. The family united, they would join up with Mohinder and the others and end up ... where else? Kirby Plaza.

• Last we saw HRG, he was merrily pointing a pistol at a defenseless and sick little girl. Yeah, some people still think this guy's a "hero." Whatever. If not for the intervention of Mohinder and Parkman, we might have added "Molly Walker" to the list of casualties following this episode. Working together, Mohinder and Bennet used Molly's powers to track down Sylar, but not before she gave us a frightening little hint at a "big bad" that may be appearing next season.

• Claire, who really hasn't done much of anything since the show came back from hiatus, again didn't play much a role here. That's okay. Hayden Panettiere got her own little episode dedicated to her back in Chapter 17. Stepping out of the spotlight wasn't such a bad move. Anyway, Claire, despite trying to warn Peter of Nathan's true intentions, could not convince one Petrelli to distrust another, until it was too late. Taken by her father and grandmother, Claire would be safe from harm ... until she jumped through the window of a 30-story building, of course. And it took her almost 10 seconds to get back up. What, Claire, did you take a nap or something?

• Hiro, after having regained his confidence (as well as a sword) but having lost Ando, needed to not only save his friend, but to fulfill his destiny of killing Sylar once and for all. The sick showdown was ... well, pretty sick to describe it bluntly, as Ando came only inches away from losing the top of his head, before Hiro unleashed the full potential of his powers, outsmarting Sylar by teleporting instead of freezing time. Sending Ando back to Japan, Hiro made his way to Kirby Plaza, where the final showdown was waiting.

• Peter, after having realized the true intentions of Nathan and having separated from Claire, uncontrollably time-traveled to the past in something that could only be described as an "out-of-body" experience. Here, the deepness of Charles Deveaux's involvement was revealed, in a scene that saw his conversation with the now obviously sinister Angela Petrelli. Simone, was of course, also in this little flashback, and after speaking directly with Mr. Deveaux, Peter was awakened by Bennet in the present time, as the two made their way to ... you guessed it, Kirby Plaza.

• The final, climactic showdown saw the end of more than one "hero." In the dead of the night, in Kirby Plaza right in the heart of New York City, Peter and HRG confronted Sylar, but Bennet was taken out of the picture ... hmm, almost instantly? When Niki, Mohinder, and the others entered the scene, Matt would be injured in the crossfire, and Niki would get a chance to try out her powers against Sylar, not under the influence of Jessica. Hiro, in an attempt to fulfill the prophecy told by Isaac's drawings, intervened and successfully stabbed Sylar in the gut, but not before the former watchmaker had the chance to send poor Hiro flying through the air at about 70 mph. Sylar fell, his past murders literally flashing before his eyes, but of course, that didn't stop the explosion. Peter, now feeling the full effects of Sprague's powers inside of him, saw the event that everyone had been waiting for begin to happen right before him. Claire, gun in hand, stepped forward, but was reluctant to do what needed to be done. In a shocking twist, Nathan, using his power of flight for the first time in a long time, appeared before his brother, showing his true colors, and realizing that he cannot be responsible for the death of millions. Taking Peter into his arms, Nathan took his brother with him as he took flight, and the Petrelli brothers made sure that the only casualties resulting from the explosion ... would be their own. In Nathan's words, Peter "saved the cheerleader ... so that THEY could save the world."

• Following the tragic event, long overdue reunions occurred, as Claire was reunited with her father, this time for good, Niki, D.L., and Micah were finally safe and together again, Matt was taken away in an ambulance as Mohinder and Molly looked on, and Sylar, the man formerly known as Gabriel Gray, almost died miserably in the middle of the plaza, without the healing powers of a certain cheerleader. But instead of him actually dying, we saw Sylar's body missing from where it fell, and instead an open manhole cover nearby was shown. Old Sylar survives to kill another day. Mohinder's narration would close out the chapter as well as the volume, but immediately following it would be a nice little epilogue of a cliffhanger setting the show up for next season. Hiro, who had teleported himself away before being smashed into a building thanks to Sylar's little act of retribution, ended up in not only another location, but (once again) another time as well. Landing in 17th Century Japan, Hiro was confronted by a band of samurai nobles, all with swords bearing the infamous Helix mark. How's that for symbolism? Volume II: Generations is set to pick up from this exact moment, and NBC couldn't be happier.

Death Toll: 2

Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia)
Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar)

Looks like Kring was pretty conservative in regards to killing off his regulars, even if the central character of the ensemble and main protagonist of the show (more or less) got the axe. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if Peter showed up in season two in a surprising twist. My guess is Parkman and D.L. will be pulling through, otherwise their deaths would have been shown on screen.

And just so you know, anyone who actually thought that Hayden Panettiere or Masi Oka, the two biggest draws of the entire cast (main, supporting, recurring, and guest) had any chance of dying, you were out of your mind. The spoilers even indicated that James Kyson Lee would be returning next season, so if Kring won't even off Ando, there was no way Hiro was gonna buy the farm. "Heroes" continues next season, same night and time, once again opposite the Bauer Hour, and after one very successful season has now become NBC's #1 drama. Take that, Law & Order.