“11:53 to Odessa” is the mid-season finale of Heroes Reborn. I’m not sure why they are calling it that, since this is episode ten out of thirteen, but whatever works for them, I guess. There’s a lot going on in different times and places, that’s for sure. 

Katana Girl is 7957 years in the future, walking through the wasteland. She finds what we eventually learn is Gateway, Renautas’ outpost in the future. The whole “companies are people” debate was bad enough, but now one is determining the course of human history. Me, I don’t trust most companies to do what’s right in general, let alone when the stakes are that high.

In the present, there’s the aftermath of the shootout at Moe’s. Sadly, Casper’s death is confirmed. I was hoping he’d lived, I like the character, the actor, and the power. I was also really interested in him since that’s the first Evo power that relied on a prop that I can think of. No, Katana Girl doesn’t count since she’s apparently a construct, not an Evo. Anyway, Noah and Malina are together, and Luke gives them Malina’s stuff. Luke offers to help them with what they are doing, but Noah is being even more suspicious and paranoid than usual.

Tommy wakes up at Erica’s place with a strange mark on his neck. Erica begins trying to spin everything in her favor. I find it laughable that she’s so convinced that Evos can’t stop the coming disaster. We’ve seen people teleport and travel in time, heal from fatal wounds, even create massive explosions. The powers are very diverse. She’s that sure there isn’t an Evo that can help? She’s overconfident, self-deluded, and smug.

At Sunstone Manor, things are not going well for the good guys. Parkman, the evil Evo traitor/sellout, has Farah and is pushing at her to learn what happened to Malina. Farah is somehow resisting his power. As this is happening, the Hero Truther group, along with Taylor, are breaking in to find Myka, who Erica is using to control and suppress any information out there she doesn’t like. Big Brother has nothing on Erica.

While (if that’s the right word when time travel is involved) Tommy gets a tour of Gateway in the future, Ren is still seeking Katana Girl. He doesn’t find her, but he does get a visit from a samurai that only he seems to be able to see. Ren follows and eventually gets a new mission. Really, how many gamer geeks would love to be in his position? You get a real life quest that involves your favorite game.

Katana Girl meets up with Otomo, who tells her several unpleasant truths about herself and what’s happening in the world around them. He charges her with a new mission and then yells for the guards. She’s having a rough time of it in the future, however she ended up there.

Tommy is impressed with Gateway. Erica finally admits that the scar on his neck was her trying to take his powers, but it didn’t work. I’m betting that’s because his actual power is duplicating others’, so it’s throwing the machines off. Why Tommy would keep listening to her after this admission I really don’t know, but he does.

Harris, or one of him anyway, shows up at Sunstone and the Hero Truthers’ mission gets even more complicated. They suffer some losses, but eventually manage to link up with Carlos and Farah. The combined group gets some of what and who they came for, but ends up in a really bad spot, especially for a months-long cliffhanger.

In the future, Tommy and Katana Girl meet up, and she manages to make him at least question some of what Erica’s been telling him. After some debate, he pops away with Katana Girl, leaving behind a very angry Erica. As best I can tell, that leaves her marooned in the future, so she should be out of the way of Malina, Noah, and company for a bit at least.

The coming major solar flare event has been making itself felt in the background for a while now. This shifts to the foreground as a massive storm blocks the way of Noah, Malina, and the still-following Luke. Malina manages, after a major struggle, to dispel the storm. The crowd is about as grateful as you’d expect given the Evo-prejudice that’s been sweeping the world. Something mysterious happens to Noah during this, which leaves Malina and Luke on their own as we go into hiatus.

What I liked: Hero Truther could benefit a lot from working with Carlos and Farah and company. I hope they get a chance to do so. I’m glad Katana Girl and Ren aren’t off the show as I’d sort of thought they would be. I think (I hope) Tommy came to his senses near the end there.

What I didn’t: I still hate that Parkman turned traitor. I’m really not clear on why Ren was the only one to see Otomo as Samurai. Erica is just evil and really needs to be shown the error of her ways.

I’ll give this one a solid 3 out of 5. It’s not their best, but it wasn’t bad, and I’m hopeful some of this might work out for the Heroes when they come back. From what I hear, after the thirteen episodes are done we might not see them again for a long while.

If you are a big fan of the show, there are several novels out now set in the Reborn timeline. Might be something to check out during the long wait.