Heroes is taking a four week break before resuming the season after the holidays, and the writers dive right into the episode, picking up last week’s storylines right where they left off.

Noah realizes Claire took the compass and pleads with her to come back. He and Lauren put their heads together to locate Claire, who is already exploring the carnival with Gretchen. After discovering that they won’t be able to pinpoint the location of the Carnival, Noah winds up telling Lauren about their almost-affair and how she “Haitianed” herself to forget about it. While they’re talking the Replicating Man from Sullivan Brothers shows up to retrieve a packet of files Samuel is after.

Claire has doubts as they walk through the carnival, but Gretchen tells her she has to find out why the compass led them there.

Samuel discovers she’s arrived and gets to work convincing her to stick around and become a part of their family. She and Gretchen wander through the carnival, watching as dozens of people with unique abilities like hers use their power to entertain the masses. They find Lydia’s tent and Claire asks Lydia if she’s supposed to be there. Lydia shows her a tattoo of the “indestructible girl” and tells her it is not her future, but her desire.  After they finish their popcorn, Samuel shows them the backstage area where the carnival folk live, and Claire thinks it’s cozy behind the scenes. Claire tells the kids a story before they go to bed, and they love her, only strengthening Claire’s desire to belong. Samuel convinces Claire to stick around for the weekend and explore her connection to the carnival, and she agrees.

Angela tries to stop Peter from hunting down Sylar, convincing him that Nathan is dead and he’s no match for Sylar, but Peter believes Nathan is still in there. If he can’t save him, he’ll kill Sylar. Before he can even set out to find Sylar, Sylar finds him in the elevator and the two begin their battle in an abandoned section of the hospital. Peter employs the power of the Haitian to help him block Sylar’s abilities while they fight. Peter nails Sylar down with a nail gun to hold him in place and presents him with an option. He’ll let Sylar go on the condition that Sylar gives up his body to Nathan. Sylar refuses, but Peter appeals to the Nathan inside. Nathan appears and tells Peter he’s tired of fighting with Sylar to get out and dominate. A part of him just wants to let go. Peter takes Nathan to the original balcony where they first learned about each other’s powers, and reminds Nathan of how far he’s come and the power of their bond to get them through their hardships. Nathan can’t hold on, and he gives himself over to Sylar, who emerges from the wreckage of Nathan Petrilli to the tolling of bells. You can’t keep Sylar down. We already know this.

Four weeks without Heroes is going to seem like a long haul, but at least we have the holidays to keep our minds off of things. Maybe when the show returns, we’ll actually find out what Samuel has planned, because despite his continual allusion to it, I can never tell what he’s really up to. Have a nice holiday, and join me for the next episode of Heroes January 4, 2010.