As the “Fugitives” volume ends, Heroes finds its super-powered protagonists doing everything they can and often shouldn’t do to stop one evil or another. Nathan goes toe-to-toe with Sylar to keep him from carrying out a plan to impersonate the president using his shape-shifting ability. Hiro insists on stopping time to infiltrate and shut down Building 26, even though his health is greatly compromised by doing so. Parkman, Angela and HRG do the unthinkable all in the name of their perceived greater good. Throw in a death (sort of), a return, Mohinder flailing uselessly and a huge bonfire, and you have one jam-packed finale.

Ah, self-discovery. This episode of Heroes finds several characters pondering who they are and what their next move should be. Sylar shape-shifts himself into a ball of emotional mess which he longer identifies with, Hiro finally accepts that two heads are better than one on his path of heroic destiny, and Parkman decides being a part of his son’s life is about more than changing diapers. Plus, Nathan tries his best to stop the program he initiated and Sylar does his best Norman Bates! Huh, you ask?

Through a series of flashbacks, this episode of Heroes reveals just why Angela Petrelli has her entire family digging up skeletons in the desert. In addition to revealing her connection to Coyote Sands, her flashbacks to her teen years in 1961 also establish how and why the Company was formed, just how involved Mohinder’s father was in Project Icarus and why Mama Petrelli was always stealing people’s socks! Throw in a few familiar faces (well, names, since the actors are all different), lots of shouting, and a a special ability right out of X-Men, and you’ve got “1961″ in a nutshell.

All roads lead to Coyote Sands. Or at least a few of the paths our heroes walk do. While Mama Petrelli organizes a family reunion at this mysterious locale, Mohinder finds clues to its history from an old file that belonged to his father. Meanwhile, Hiro and Ando run into problems as they try to stage a family reunion of their own between Matt Parkman and his infant son. And while Danko tries to keep himself and a loved one out of Parkman’s crosshairs, he also has to stay one step ahead of HRG who suspects Sylar’s death isn’t on the up-and-up.

In this episode of Heroes, Danko’s manhunt has forced our super-powered friends to take refuge: Nathan and Claire head south of the border to hide out (and drink a lot of tequila) and Peter and Angela hole up in a church. Meanwhile, Sylar gets closer to Danko, who begins to use one of HRG’s methods in his own selfish ways. Does Danko know what he’s doing? Let’s find out!

After weeks of speculation, the mysterious Rebel is finally revealed. But first, Parkman does his humble best to save Daphne from the gunshot wound still endangering her life, Angela Petrelli plays keep away from Danko’s men, Hiro and Ando become makeshift babysitters for Matt Parkman Jr. and Tracy agrees to be the bait HRG needs to draw Rebel out. Throw in some inclement weather, world travelling and (maybe) even a death or two, and we have one jam-packed hour to cover.

Heroes‘ season of daddy issues continues as Sylar finally tracks down his pops (guest star John Glover) and Claire turns to both of her fathers for help. Plus, the baby of one of our heroes is also in grave danger. Meanwhile, Nathan, Danko, Angela and HRG continue their convoluted battle for power, which ultimately uncovers a dangerous secret or two. Let’s dig in.

This episode’s title is perhaps the most fitting one yet in this volume. Claire’s attempt to hide Aquaman Alex, Nathan’s plot to collect “terrorist” heroes, Matt’s vulnerabilities and pieces of Sylar’s past are all exposed over the course of the hour. Still, some things remain hidden, including Rebel’s identity and where exactly Angela’s loyalty lies. So which heroes’ exposure led to greener pastures, and whose brought only more problems? Let’s find out!

After a week of promos promising some real answers about whose side HRG is on, did this episode deliver? Before we can find out, Matt repeatedly dives into Noah’s mind, pulling out pieces of the puzzle that both reveal HRG’s motivations and give Parkman & Co. some vital information about the people who are hunting them. But what other secrets did HRG have crawling around in that brain of his? Find out after the jump.