Episode:1961
| 1961 | |
|---|---|
| Season: | Three |
| Episode number: | 323 |
| First aired: | April 13, 2009 |
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| Written by: | Aron Eli Coleite |
| Directed by: | Adam Kane |
| Previous episode: | Turn and Face the Strange |
| Next episode: | I Am Sylar |
Summary
- Nathan, Peter, Claire, and Noah help Angela to uncover her past.
- Mohinder struggles with the truth about his father.
- Nathan and Peter work towards forgiveness.
- Flashbacks reveal:
- Angela and her sister's discovery of their abilities.
- Charles Deveaux's ability.
- The involvement of Chandra Suresh in a government program.
- The founding of the Company.
- A relative of Angela's is revealed to be alive.
Story Development
| Alice Shaw · Seismic burst · Mr. Shaw · Weather control · Coyote Sands Café · Coyote Sands films · Arnold |
Synopsis
After digging throughout the night, Peter, Nathan, Noah, and Claire continue to find shallow graves in Coyote Sands. Peter finds a baseball glove and tells the others he thinks it's wrong to dig up the graves and wants to know why Angela has them doing it. Nathan tries to tell Peter that Angela will explain it to them when she's ready, but Peter walks off. Claire goes after him and asks him to give Nathan a chance because he's trying to make up for what he's done, but Peter tells her Nathan has just charmed her and he's not willing to forgive him yet. He leaves to talk to Angela.
Peter confronts Angela about why they're digging up graves and searching for her sister they never knew she had. He asks her what happened in Coyote Sands. Angela remembers arriving in February of 1961 on a bus with her mom, dad, and sister. When they exited the bus, they met Chandra Suresh who introduced himself and gave them a tour of the campsite. The children slept in different barracks than their parents. Suresh introduces them to his colleague, Dr. Zimmerman, who shows them to their barracks. Suresh tells the girls about the playground equipment and a movie night, but Angela asks why there are armed guards at the camp. Suresh assures them that the Coyote Sands is not a prison – the guards are stationed there to keep the residents safe.
As Angela and her sister, Alice, unpack, Charles Deveaux, Bobby Bishop, and Daniel Linderman come into their shack and introduce themselves then leave. Alice doesn't like staying in separate quarters from her parents, but Angela reassures her and starts to help her unpack. Angela sees that Alice has packed toys and books (including Alice in Wonderland), but no clothes. Alice wants to go home and reminds Angela she's missing the prom, but Angela believes that Dr. Suresh will be able to stop the bad dreams she's been having. She reminds Alice of all the times she's been there for her and asks Alice to be there for her. It suddenly stops raining and Angela tells Alice everything is going to be fine.
Peter interrupts Angela's daydream of the past and Angela tells them that her sister and parents died in Coyote Sands. She's afraid history will repeat itself if her family doesn't come together and start supporting each other now. Someone is watching them talk from a nearby window, unbeknownst to them.
Angela and Peter have moved inside into one of the old barracks with Claire, Nathan and Noah. Angela begins telling them about 1961; Kennedy was President and everyone was a patriot, but when the government found out that there were people with abilities, they told them they could cure them and moved them to Coyote Sands. Claire asks what happened at there and Angela tells her she doesn't know. She was one of the lucky ones who escaped, but her family didn't. Peter asks why they had to come to Coyote Sands to hear this and why they are digging up the bodies, and Angela reveals that she's been dreaming about her sister, alive. She doesn't understand why, but she thinks that maybe she needs to find her sister's body and give her a proper burial. Peter demands to know why she never told them about Coyote Sands and the things that happened there. Angela says she only wanted to protect them and a mother is allowed to protect her sons from the pain of the past. Nathan agrees and says she is absolutely allowed to protect them. Angela tells Peter this is her nightmare that she tried to forget and that they made everyone else forget. Claire asks her who "we" is. Angela reveals that the founders of The Company met at Coyote Sands and vowed to never let what happened there occur again. They destroyed files, erased memories, blackmailed, killed and did anything they needed to keep their existence secret and it worked for the last fifty years. She tells them that she and Noah have been working together to fix the current situation, but that Danko has proved resourceful. Claire finally understands why her father was helping Nathan round up people with abilities. Angela continues saying, she wants to put the secret back and go back to the old methods. Claire asks her if she means erasing people's memories and killing again and Angela replies that it is a necessary evil. Peter doesn't like her idea. Despite what happened at Coyote Sands and what's happening now, he thinks the way the Company handled it was wrong and that she's wrong now to go back to the old methods. Angela tells him she needs him, but Peter points out that the Company tore the family apart and he refuses to be a part of the Company again. Peter flies off and Nathan flies off after him.
In March 1961, Angela wakes up from another nightmare. She puts on a robe and walks outside. Charles Deveaux is there waiting with Linderman and Bishop. Charles knows she has had a nightmare and tells her he heard her tell her sister her nightmares come true. He tells her she's not the only one who has strange things happening to her. Angela starts to walk away when Linderman asks her how she got the scar on her leg. Angela tells him it's an old bicycle accident and Linderman touches her scar and heals her. Charles tells her the camp is one big science experiment and they're the rats, but Angela disagrees. She believes that the doctors can help them and Bobby agrees saying they're freaks and the doctors will make them normal. Charles says they're blind and points out if there was no ill will, there would be no need for armed guards. Angela argues that there is nothing to worry about, they're not communists and her dad said they could trust them. Charles points out that this isn't the first time people were shipped off to camps: the Nazis to the Jews and the Americans with the Japanese. Angela insists that this camp is different. Charles asks her what her nightmare was about, and she tells him her dreams are confusing and not always right. Charles tells her to believe in herself and she tells him not to trust Dr. Chandra Suresh. Alice comes out of the shack and asks what they're talking about. Angela says it is nothing and they're all going back to bed.
Angela tucks Alice back into bed and Alice tells Angela her feet are cold. Angela tells her she'll find some socks and tells her goodnight. Alice asks her about Dr. Suresh and Angela downplays the conversation to over-active imaginations. Alice reveals to Angela that she can control the weather and proves it to Angela by making it snow outside their window. She asks if Dr. Suresh will come for her.
Back in the present day, Claire asks Angela why she didn't tell Peter and Nathan about her sister. Angela doesn't answer, but asks Claire where her father is. Claire asked him to let her have some alone time with Angela. Angela tells Claire she was almost Claire's age when she first arrived at the camp. She wishes she had half of the courage and self-confidence Claire has. Modest, Claire says she might have those attributes sometimes, but she's still figuring it out. Angela points out that Claire was able to dig up the graves without batting an eye, she believes that if she had Claire's spirit and self-confidence things may have turned out differently. Claire redirects her back to her original question, why she never told Nathan and Peter about their aunt. Angela asks her if she ever did something so bad that she's afraid that if she ever mentioned it she may never stop crying. All of a sudden, the wind starts blowing fiercely and the door to the barrack starts slamming against the door jam. Claire asks where the wind came from, and Angela says this is what she's been dreaming about. It seems impossible, but Alice must be behind the weather changes. Angela goes outside to find her sister, running and calling her name. Claire pulls her back into the barrack.
Peter is inside the Coyote Sands Café drinking coffee when Nathan walks in and sits down at Peter's table. He tells Peter that they need to work through whatever it is that's coming between them and that it isn't helping that Peter keeps running away. Peter tells him that Nathan shouldn't even be there with them; he should be in Washington, DC fixing the mess he made. Nathan thinks Peter's just looking down his nose at him, but Peter reveals his anger is longstanding. He's still upset about the 1986 Mets when Nathan convinced Peter to go to the playoff game with their dad instead of taking the World Series tickets. Nathan thinks it's ridiculous that Peter would be upset about this because he had no way of knowing the Mets would win their playoff game and he wanted to make sure Peter got to go to a game. He asks Peter if he thinks he conned him. Peter does. He says that even in Nathan's generosity, he's selfish. Nathan says they have to forgive each other and Peter interrupts saying he's trying really hard to forgive him. The Emergency Broadcast Network comes on over the TV set in the café warning of a severe thunderstorm for the Coyote Sands area.
Noah is at the camp calling for Claire. A huge sandstorm has kicked up and there is very low visibility. Noah falls and Mohinder drags him into a nearby building and pins him to a wall. Mohinder believes that Noah has followed him to Coyote Sands to bring him in, but Noah tells him he was a double agent and they found out so he's on the run too. Mohinder doesn't believe him, but Noah continues and tells him how Angela called them all together to Coyote Sands, where people with abilities were gathered, experimented on, and murdered. Shocked, Mohinder lets him go. Noah asks what Mohinder is doing in Coyote Sands and Mohinder hands him one of his father's files. Fifty years ago, his father was a doctor at Coyote Sands and Mohinder just wanted to find out what he was doing here, but now he's not so sure he wants to know. Noah opens the file and sees a picture of a young Angela Petrelli.
April 1961, Angela and Alice are in their barrack when Chandra comes in. He asks Angela to come with him. Alice is frightened, but Angela tells her everything is okay. Alice watches as they walk to Suresh’s testing room.
Suresh holds up cards with the backs towards and Angela tells him what are on the cards without seeing them, as Mr. Lieberman documents the tests. Angela tells Chandra she's not reading his mind, she just had a dream about this moment. Chandra asks her what else she's dreamed about and she tells him she's dreamed about him; he's going to kill everyone. Chandra doesn't believe it will happen, but Angela tells him that although he's a good man and has treated everyone with nothing but kindness, things will get out of his control. Chandra implores her to stay, saying her abilities could have a great benefit to the world. Angela replies that the only thing she sees, is nightmares. Chandra starts to quote Einstein and Angela finishes the quote. Chandra assumes she's read Einstein, but Angela tells him she hasn't, she just dreamed he would say that. Chandra reminds her she said herself that dreams were open to interpretation and nothing bad will happen, then he gives her a shot.
In the present day, Angela is in the barrack with Claire and the sandstorm is still blowing. She tells Claire she tried to warn and save everyone and save Alice and she did save Alice; she's alive. Claire asks why Alice would send a storm, and Angela says she's angry and accuses Claire of not believing her. Claire thinks it's just a storm, but Angela knows her sister is behind it and runs out the door to try and find her. Claire tries to stop her, but as she walks out the door the winds calm and Angela is nowhere in sight. Nathan and Peter fly up and ask Claire if she's okay, and she tells them Angela is missing.
In May 1961, Angela and the three boys hatch a plan to escape from the compound, though the boys convince Angela that Alice must remain behind as she would slow them down. Angela lies to Alice, saying she has had a dream that in order for Alice to be safe, she must remain there. After Angela has gone, Chandra Suresh calls Alice in for treatment, but she struggles and tries to run away. Chandra strikes her, and is repelled by a shockwave from Mr. Shaw, Angela and Alice's father. Mr. Shaw is shot by the soldiers, and as Alice causes a massive storm to start, the soldiers begin shooting the other panicked residents.
Angela, Deveaux, Linderman and Bishop are enjoying their freedom at the Coyote Sands Café. Deveaux mentions that he knows Angela is missing her school prom, and offers to dance with her and she accepts. As they dance, the cook tells them that inter-racial dancing is not allowed in the diner, until Deveaux firmly says that they meant nothing by it and that everyone should go back to what they were doing. Everyone in the diner turns away as if nothing happened. A report comes over the radio that wild storms have hit Coyote Sands, and Angela realizes what has happened and insists they must return to the camp to help Alice. Finding that they're too late, and that everyone at the camp is dead, they return to the café where a tearful Angela tells the others she had a dream that they founded a company to protect people with abilities.
Angela was knocked out during the storm, and awakens in an old bunker nearby. She finds her sister Alice there, now old like herself, who had been living there ever since Angela had left. Angela apologizes for what she had to go through, and then reveals how she had lied to her by telling her she would be safe by staying there. Enraged, Alice begins whipping up another storm, though Peter and Mohinder come to save Angela. Angela tries to convince Alice to come back with them, to her new family, but Alice refuses and mysteriously disappears outside. The group then decide to leave, though Mohinder declines Peter's offer to go with them, saying he still hasn't found it in him to forgive himself. Later at a diner, Angela looks on at the group, implying she intends to start another company with them. Sitting at the same table the first group sat at, they decide to work together to hide evolved humans like the Company did, but the difference is they're a family not a company. Nathan plans to start by talking to the President and stopping the hunt for evolved humans, but they are surprised to see Nathan himself giving a live press conference on TV, and Noah points out it must be Sylar.
Memorable Quotes
"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."
- - Sign at Coyote Sands
"Don't you see the benefits your abilities could have for the world?"
"I only see my nightmares."
"Welcome to Crapola Sands."
"I have socks for you."
"Eh?"
"Since that night, whenever I feel lost... whenever I don't know what to do.. I steal socks for you. To remind myself there are simple ways to protect the ones we love. You don't ever have to be cold again."
- - Angela, Alice Shaw
"Say 'Goodnight', Alice."
"Goodnight, Alice."
"Einstein once said, 'The life of the individual has meaning..."
"...only insofar as it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful.'"
Character Appearances
Trivia
- The true reason behind Angela stealing a pair of socks in Genesis is revealed. Also the reason why Angela was holding a pair of socks in Shades of Gray while talking to Noah on the phone.
- It is revealed the government knew about evolved humans several decades ago, but it was covered up and forgotten. Indeed, Angela talked about how the Company "wiped memories". In fact, Aron Coleite said that early drafts of the script included Charles forcing others (like Chandra) to forget some memories. However, Aron decided to cut such scenes because he "thought it was better to let the audience imagine what happened."
- This is the first episode to make a reference to a real life sports event, seen when Peter and Nathan discuss the 1986 New York Mets.
- Mohinder is afraid to compare his father to Doctor Mengele, who was a physician in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. He gained notoriety for performing human experiments on camp inmates, amongst whom Mengele was known as "the Angel of Death".
- As Doctor Suresh believes Angela to be clairvoyant, he shows her Zener cards but she only gives the right answers because she dreamed the experiment in advance.
- As Angela and Charles dance in the Coyote Sands Café in May 1961, Roy Orbison's song "Crying" plays on the radio. This song was not actually released until July 1961.
See Also
- For images from 1961, see images from 1961.
- Watch the episode on Hulu.
| previous: Turn and Face the Strange | 1961 | next: I Am Sylar |
| See Also: Volume One Episodes • Volume Two Episodes • Volume Three Episodes • Volume Four Episodes • Volume Five Episodes • Heroes Reborn Episodes • All Episodes |
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