How to Stop an Exploding Man

Season 1, Episode 23, Aired
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Episode Summary

Can Sylar be stopped? Will Linderman's vision live on with Nathan? What will it take for Peter to save the world? What sacrifices will be made? With all the horrible predictions unfolding before them, the heroes face moments of pain and peril in Kirby Plaza.
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Fan Episode Reviews (344)

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  • How to stop an exploding man? No, more like how to ruin an amazing show. How can a series that is so well crafted and so well written be left at the mercy of a completely pathetic resolution?moreless

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By mmorrismjm, Oct 15, 2011 Report Abuse
    A season finale is the absolute pinnacle of the year. Taking everything we knew or thought we knew, along with all those unanswered questions into one last drmatic climax that leaves you breathless and wanting for more.

    Heroes has been the most outstanding TV programme this year. Good writing, mixed with superbly crafted characters and a subtle blend of humour have made each and every episode stand out from the rest of the pointless trash on TV right now. That is, until the finale. Or should I say the final ten minutes of the finale.

    As expected, everything and everyone comes together. Then it all just falls apart. If, whilst watching some time back when Peter had his first dream about exploding, you thought a certain hero would come in and stop it in a very specific way, you were right. Unfortunately rather than challenging us, it ends with the obvious. I wanted something clever, hell that's what we've been used to all the way throughout the season, so why change now?

    Let's just hope (which I'm sure they will), that the writing picks the pace back up at the beginning of season 2. They've got a lot to do though after that excuse of a 'cliff-hanger'. Do they not want us to keep watching?moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    10 6

  • this was a good ep

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, Jun 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the show heroes its the season one final and slyer has excepts his desteny and this is it heroes must work togeather to stop the man from exploding in new york and things are heating up nikki and her boyfriend help out in new york and hiro slows down time and takes down slery not kill him though and the man that is about to explode they fly him up in the ski to get rid of him and you think he is gone but not really it was crazy ep i thought and it was very exciting i thoughtmoreless

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    0 0

  • The finale of the first volume is at hand. Sylar accepts his fate, Claire doesn't want to escape her destiny and the rest of our Heroes face their own, as one of our Heroes must make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world.moreless

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By Panicos888, May 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    The finale of the first volume. All the stories are summed up and reach a conclusion as a new volume unfolds before our eyes. First things first.
    Sylar draws the painting that shows him and Peter at Kirby Plaza facing each other. After Ando's visit, who tries to stop him, Hiro arrives and saves Ando just in time. After that, Sylar leaves for Kirby Plaza.
    Meanwhile, Hiro accepts his own fate and after he saves Ando he teleports him back in Tokyo (at Yamagato Industries) after he realizes that he must end his mission alone. He admits that Ando's courageous act to go after Sylar gave him strength to face his destiny and kill Sylar (he does in fact stab him and after he is sent at nearby building by Sylar; fortunately he manages to teleport before he is hurt).
    Niki and DL escape after DL killed Linderman and Niki runs to save Micah as well. There Niki faces Jessica (or so she thinks) when she realizes that she has the strength (and she always did) to defeat anyone. The Jessica she was fighting turns out to be Candice's illusion. When she saves Micah, she notices that Jessica is gone as well.
    Mohinder with Molly try to escape Sylar. There they find Niki, DL and Micah and together they head to Kirby Plaza. Peter tries to leave New York with Claire and turns to his brother for help. Realizing that he can't help him he runs away. Claire stays with Angela and Nathan (after a phone call by her father to do so) but she escapes later when she realizes that Nathan doesn't want to save the world. Peter faints when he tries to control once more his exploding power. In a dream or time travel (we don't know, we assume it's a dream) Peter witnesses a conversation between his mother and Charles Deveaux where we see that both of them knew about the bomb already. Angela's plan was that Nathan would be the one the people would turn to after the explosion of New York but Charles believes that Peter is going to be the one to save the world by stopping the bomb (I really enjoyed the whole the world is going to be destroyed there's nothing we can do idea of Angela on the one hand and Charles more optimistic plan). Waking up he finds Noah Bennet (yes we find out his name which it was supposed to be something to look forward to; personally I didn't realize I haven't heard his first name until this scene). Together they head to Kirby Plaza with a promise by Noah to kill Peter if things got out of hand. In the end, we see a stabbed (by Hiro) Sylar, a shot Matt (with the bullets of his own gun as Sylar sent them back at him), a wounded Noah, a sad Claire, a reunited family (Niki, Micah and DL), a Hiro who has teleported away and the Petrelli brothers flying in the air stopping the explosion from destroying New York City. All of this lead to a Sylar escaping (yes Sylar is still alive), Matt is led to the hospital (alive as well), Claire and Noah talk about returning home, Hiro is stuck in the past (Japan 1671 actually) and us not knowing what happened to the Petrelli brothers (we know that Peter is alive thanks to a certain cheerleader but we don't know about Nathan). Most of these and more questions being asked at the beginning of volume 2 will be answered in chapter 8 of volume 2 entitled: Four months ago. For now just enjoy the quick preview of the next volume entitled Generations.
    Key facts: Charles Deveaux does have an ability which it is revealed in volume 4. This is the last appearance of Tawny Cypress (aka Simone). Also Jessica is gone for good and Hiro is not the innocent man we enjoyed this volume. He becomes a little bit darker and more mature in the next volumes, a transformation which happens to Claire also but at the end of the next volume.moreless

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    0 2

  • Time of explode is comming! Nathan thinking that peter can not to stop bomb. peter saw past in dream. his mother knew explod...

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By necomal, Apr 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    this episode is most I love.
    I enjoyed the finale not just the excitement of who really did explode and did they save New York City but also how each character was brought together at the ending all doing there part in the time line to stop the bomb
    story, tempo, human being,charactor sooo goood !!!
    Heroes converges on Kirby Plaza for the final showdown.
    Peter was the bomb after all, I am so exiting..! What is going on.. but Nathan arrives!
    He save peter? Both exploded?
    where is hiro ? Sylar is living ... ?
    I can't wait next season! I really love this show.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    3 1

  • Average is not good enough for season end

    7.5
    "Good"
    By Parricida, Feb 02, 2009 Report Abuse
    I most say it was little disappointing. The end of last episode, with all those pieces set promised so much better - it promised a real action packed, high stakes episode but what was it - sadly not that. The end was brilliant, someway.. as it was Peter still in the end and Nathan decided to change sides.. but .. I was hoping more, much more.

    I cannot say it was bad.. The whole Peter realizing who he is talk in that roof was good and there was some action.. and then everyone together on that square.. That was good turn.. but.. I was hoping more.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    2 3
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • 1. You would think since some of the Heroes know just how powerful and evil Sylar is, after stabbing him someone would have shot him or decapitated him as well. 2. With all the people (medical and police personnel included) walking around how can Sylar go unnoticed and slip into the manhole? Edit
    • Goof: If Peter can permanently absorb other people's powers once he's been around them, then why doesn't he fly off by himself once he starts to go radioactive, why does Nathan have to take him?

      Explanation: Apparently Peter can only use 1 borrowed ability/power at a time. Since he was using Ted Sprague's radioactive ability he probably couldn't use Nathan's power of flight. Edit

    • When Claire is asking Peter if there is another way to stop him, and Peter responds with a no, Nathan flies in and says "Yes there is, Claire." How would he know what they were talking about? Nathan doesn't have super-hearing. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The Symbol: There were no new appearances of the symbol in this episode. Edit
    • New Heroes: There were no new heroes introduced in this episode. Edit
    • International Air Dates: South Africa: November 7, 2007 on SABC 3 Italy: November 14, 2007 on Italia 1 Sweden: January 2, 2008 on TV4 Norway: February 11, 2008 on NRK1 Germany: March 5, 2008 on RTL2 Finland: March 19, 2008 on MTV3 Lithuania: April 23, 2008 on TV3 Czech Republic: June 5, 2008 on Prima Slovakia: September 15, 2008 on Markiza Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Ando: You look badass. Hiro: Really? Edit
    • Charles: In the end, all that really matters is love. Edit
    • Claire: Nathan doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anyone. He doesn't care about me and I'm his own daughter. We do not need him! Peter: Yes, we do! Claire: Why? Peter: Because I'm afraid! Okay? And I need my brother to help us. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • "How to Stop an Exploding Man"

      The episode title alludes to a scene from Chapter 11: Fallout. When Isaac tells Hiro that he recently painted an exploding man, Hiro replies: "How do you stop an exploding man?" Edit

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