Seriously, the one thing that has appealed to me over this season is the concept that there is a place--this mysterious carnival--where people with abilities can be themselves, at last, all the time.

Well, most of the time. Until Uncle Samuel has some evil mission that he wants them to do, in return for his family hospitality.

And besides that bit of moral confusion, it's hard to tell exactly where this carnival is, except that you can find it with a magic compass. Right now, it's 21 hours away from where Claire and Gretchen go to school, apparently. But it's been lots of other places, like Japan, and Baltimore (which was way closer than 21 hours!), if it really exists anywhere at all, or if it just appears by someone's creation, out of the mist, like Brigadoon. 

After 12 episodes so far this season, it's getting harder to trust the writers in their quest to show exactly what the carnival is about. The death of Samuel's brother has now been explained, and we've been shown some of the carnies, new and old. We know that if Samuel is surrounded by some critical mass of people with abilities, that his power will run wild. He's had Hiro, Sylar, Edgar, Doyle, a dozen others who seem to have possibilities, and now, Claire, apparently, but he tells Lydia he wants Claire because he'll use her to get someone else. Isn't he running out of people with useful powers? Or does that lead us to one of the other stories of the night?

Another young man has lost a brother, months ago, but as the title of the episode tells us, he hasn't reached the 'fifth stage' of grief--acceptance. Peter tracks down Sylar, determined to make Nathan reappear once and for all. In a graphic scene, Peter, using the Haitian's damping power, physically batters Sylar, and succeeds, temporarily. Peter and Nathan end up on the roof of the building where, in season one, Peter challenges Nathan to explain the feelings that he can fly, and they do. But only one takes to the air this time, a tired Nathan, who begs Peter to let him go--and to take care of Claire.

So is Peter the one Samuel wants? Considering what Samuel does to most guys who manifest a strong moral conscience, you wouldn't think so. But Samuel is a master of manipulating more than dirt. It could be.

And then in the Keystone Cops event of the night, H.R.G. meets carnival member Eli, who has the gift of multiplicity. Samuel sends Eli to grab the Primatech files, you know, the super-secret ones that tell everything about all the abilitied people, that Noah is just keeping in some shlubby box in his house!!  Probably marked "Don't Take This Box of Important Information that Samuel Wants!" Along with the magic compass Claire stole and half a dozen other important projects, totally just sitting out where people could take them, too.  

So there he is making spoony-eyes at his old squeeze Lauren, the girl of old breakfast dates and bad holiday meals, when Eli shows up. Eli even ASKS for the information by name before the shooting starts. Noah yells at Lauren to hide in the bathroom, and he meets her there, to grab whatever arsenal he's constructed in the event of attack--leaving the box in plain sight. And then he's surprised when it's gone! Hello? Weren't you some important government dude at some point? Brain engages before firearms? Something? Apparently not.

Regardless, now Samuel has the sum total of gathered info on hero/villain types in his possession. The question is, what does he want with it? Is he searching for more compadres, the ones he needs to boost him into Dr. Evil? Does he want the box--and Claire-- to lure in H.R.G.? And if so, is he still bent on Becky's behalf, or does he have some other reason? 

Indeed, the carnival's the thing. But we will have to wait until January 4 for answers, when the show returns with new episodes.

(Don't forget: when Chuck returns the following week, Heroes will move from 8 to 9 p.m. for its regular time slot.)