In this episode, the Heroes find no matter how much easier life would be if they were invisible, their abilities make that very difficult indeed. At the same time, Samuel insinuates himself further into their lives as the champion of living one's abilities in the open. Battle lines are drawn for the rest of the season.

Noah Bennet/H.R.G. follows up on his Georgia visit with the healer boy Jeremy to help him move forward with his life using the usual Company strategy, basically to cooperate with local authorities, then change one's identity and go hide elsewhere. He knows that Tracy Strauss has had similar experience with powers that can harm others, so he calls her in to try to help Jeremy as the boy's fictional "Aunt Tracy."

Unfortunately, the plan backfires horribly. But there is an intriguing sidelight that comes in as Samuel introduces Tracy to the carnival as a place where Jeremy--and she herself--could be free to be who they are. As she studies the compass he gives her to help find her way "home," it's clear the idea of embracing her whole self is very attractive to her.

Claire and Gretchen are "kidnapped" by the Alpha Chi sorority for a bit of Halloween pledge week hell in a slaughterhouse. Both Claire and Gretchen make some reference to not even wanting to be part of Alpha Chi--so why are they putting up with these childish shenanigans? Especially when the intent turns deadly, thanks to Samuel's niece Becky?
 
Their final confrontation between the two ends up outing both Claire and Becky to the incredibly tiny pledge class. So much for invisibility.

This episode also revisits Matt Parkman with Head Sylar, which has been an interesting storyline because Sylar is just so delicious. Their opening scene when it's revealed that the sexual encounter Parkman's wife is practically purring over was actually with Sylar in the driver's seat, not Matt, raised goosebumps. 

Matt then takes steps to extinguish Sylar permanently, but finds that, as his 12-Step brothers would assure him, alcohol is not his friend but his enemy.

So this week the Heroes are taking one step forward and two steps back. It may be the mid-season pinch point, where the writers feel they need to throw some roadblocks in to create tension, but for the most part it was frustrating. Claire showed up at college smart enough not to emulate her first over-achiever roomie, not to take classes she didn't want--but she can't figure out this sorority stuff is ridiculous? H.R.G. really thinks the system works? In backwoods Georgia?

Most frustrating for me is the use of Parkman's character. He started off as kind of a schlub when the series began, but in the first episodes he began to pull together his Inner Hero, which because of his normally even temperament, should be a good thing. He could be a focal point, balance the other, more powerful members of their little gang. If he'd had a little more gumption, he could have said no to Angela Petrelli at the end of last season, and he'd be able to go about his business without Sylar interfering. When you see what he could be, and he fails every time--he called the completely-ineffectual Mohinder for help, for Pete's sake--it's a real faith-killer. Give me Peter Petrelli any day.

The other point that doesn't seem to make sense yet is why the uber-ability man Samuel can be anywhere, Japan, Georgia, New York, in time to interact with the Hero du jour or to mete out his own form of justice, but he can't figure out that Sylar's mind is inside Parkman. He and Lydia seem to be in touch with so many of the others--what's hiding Parkman from him? Hopefully we find out soon.