To be honest i think the writers just got a bit confused themselves, i think the other plot holes in the episode “5 years gone” point to their own misunderstanding timelines they wrote about.
For instance:
- Why did peter have the scar if he had already saved claire and therefore absorbed her ability to heal.
- Why did Hiro’s timeline depiction in the rooftop building even mention claire’s murder as she had been saved in this future. Surely when future Hiro went back in time his own future self would have come to a different conclusion on how to stop the bomb.
- Also not only did Future hiros actions save the cheerleader, but it also resulted indirectly in most of the main characters converging on new york, and therefore one would assume dying. So for the plot to make sense, Hiro upon returning to the past not only somehow effects nathan intervening in peter’s fate, but also is responsible for the other characters converging on the place of the explosion.

Despite all this i really did enjoy the episode 5 years gone, just a shame that the whole plot was torn to shreds.

That aside, I think a smarter way to resolve things would’ve been to have Sylar successfully fighting off Nathan & Nikki as Peter was glowing hotter and hotter…then suddenly have Hiro’s sword materialize through him, with Hiro suddenly standing there (thus we’re seeing his ability from the others’ standpoint…could go off on a major tangent here about how the writers in multiple earlier episodes don’t correctly portray what Hiro’s ability would look like to anyone observing him…but whatevs). That way we could’ve had some more satisfying fighting (Sylar vs. flyboy & schizowonderwoman), a clearer necessity for Hiro’s actions, and a proper use of Hiro’s powers…after all, in the finale Hiro materializes several feet away, then RUNS at Sylar with the sword…I mean c’mon, we’ve already seen that Sylar is quicker than that.

But of course all this doesn’t address the simple point that knocking Peter out would calm his agitated ass down. I just hope he’s actually dead, so we don’t have to listen to him whine through another season.

For me the big problem with Heroes is that it’s JUST plot. The characters make no sense, they only exist to move this bizarre randomly mechanical plot forward, and the plot itself makes very little sense either, nevermind any kind of emotional resonance.

I can’t help but compare the show to Buffy where plot, monsters, powers, etc, took a backseat or at least equal place with the character development, and the big season climaxes featured lots of teamwork, lots of strong character writing, and advanced the plot.

And please enough already of Sylar, he is not a villian, he is a class clown