The season is not half over, it's only a third over. This is the only volume this season and it will cover all eighteen episodes of the season.
 

Why does the show need a defining villain? Simply because it's always had one and now they're moving towards something a little bit more ambiguous? I'll take that over yet another story where the world is in danger (be it the whole world or just those with abilities like last season). Conflict doesn't have to occur on a massive scale to keep things interesting. I'm really glad they're focusing more on personal conflict. I find it much more relatable.

 I agree that the show doesn't need a villain. But the show also doesn't need a Matt or a Claire. The Noah vs Samuel angle is good though. Samuel is starting to remind me a bit of Magneto, I suppose he's supposed to. Noah doesn't strike me as a Professor X but they could set up something of that situation in this show. I doubt they'll be able to pull it off though. I just can't see this show ever living up to the potential it had in the first season. 

Oh, and this "Claire might just be a lezbo after all..." thing is totally idiotic. 

I don't mind a defining villian, I just don't care for the reaccuring villian. I still haven't seen Dark Knight. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know "Batman owns, son!" whatever, I've seen the Joker. One thing I love about comics is, yeah villians return but there's always somebody bigger and badder (or that at least think they are). To keep having the same villian cheapens them, to me. Turns them into a Saturday morning cartoon  I keep waiting for them to say at the end "Curses, foiled again." People are bad for different reasons, let's see the Heroes tackle some of those other big baddies. We've seen the abandoned loner, what about the one that just like killing, or the one that just wants to b or the misguided that thinks he/she's serving a higher purpose. Look at the villians on 24.

I know Sylar/Quinto are great character/actor but we know his story kill him, evolve him or just send him away for a while and let's get a fresh baddie in there. That's where I was hoping this season was going... Sylar with a clean slate and Samual and his Carnies attack.

They need focus. The stories I like following: Peters, he's focused trying to use his abilities to help people. Noah: Focused, trying to help those he used to "bag and tag", Hiro: Focused, trying to undo mistakes of the past, Sylar: Focused trying to find himself. I thought they were going to put him with someone with morals (the lady Psych that got him away from the cops) and see what choices he makes knowing good then finding out what he's done before, then the conflict, once Parkman broke and put him back in his body, he'd have with his old self.

Carnival Sylar dressed as Gilligan made my wife and I giggle. Seriously, Parkman needs to die. Simple as that. If Parkman dies, Sylar's disembodied self could possibly die leaving Carnival Nathan a clean slate. But then again, this show has taken so many dips and dives, I just don't know. I guess I'll watch this show until it's cancelled or concluded. Definitely spot on review gradewise and all.

You're nuts. This was an A episode. This was the best hour of TV I've seen all season. The Parkman with a Sylar in his head story is fantastic. Parkman has long been my favorite character, and I've also long felt that they've done all they can with Sylar. This story breathes new life into both characters at once. Season Two (Volume 2: Generations) was by far my favorite season of the series to date. One of the things I liked best was seeing Parkman getting corrupted by the power to control people. His character was going in some very dark and interesting directions. Then, in season three this was dropped. By having Sylar as the devil whispering bad advice into his ear, it starts to take Parkman back down that dark path that I wish they'd continued with last season (but better late than never).
The problem is that this reviewer seems like one of those guys who wants to see the same old, same old week after week. God forbid the writers try something DIFFERENT. Go in new directions. So Sylar isn't the big bad anymore. That's a good thing. We've been there and done that.
Season 4 of Heroes has been great so far, and this past episode (Strange Attractors) is by far the best of the season (so far, at least)
 

From some sites (EW and Eonline) there's some leaks of a major shocking death upcoming on Heroes resulting from an "epic battle" between "two beloved Heroes leads". This rumour/leak was confirmed by one of the Heroes producers. Words like "watercooler worthy" and "A lot of you will think it deffiantley couldn't possibly be." were used.

I've been pleased with this season of Heroes.  Unlike the last few seasons, this one has a point to it.  Peter has his purpose (finally) and the Sylar situation is pretty intriguing as well.  I thought this last epsiode was pretty decent. I really have nothing bad to say about this episode.  Keep it up!

 I agree with most everyone else who has posted so far.  This season is the best one since the first, don't need some big baddie, it's just good TV.  The Claire stuff this week was over the top, but besides that this season has been often.  I'm glad to see Heroes has found it's footing again.

This show has never lived up to its potential, and after Season 1, it has just gone downhill steadily and quickly.

The whole Parkman/Sylar conflict in this episode was completely RETARDED!  What was Matt thinking?!?  So he drinks until he and Sylar are both impared and passed out...THEN WHAT?!?  What was that supposed to accomplish besides a nasty hangover?  Omg the stupidity.  Rest of the episode was good though, and I'm really digging this Samual guy.  He's very much an anti-hero.