The missing painting

The missing painting
Simone Deveaux shows Peter Petrelli a digital image of the missing painting.
First mentioned:	Better Halves
Owned by:	Mr. Linderman
Current status:	destroyed by Nathan Petrelli

The missing painting is the missing piece of a narrative made by putting together six of Isaac's paintings like a comic book. It depicts Peter dead at Claire's Homecoming.

About

Better Halves

While Isaac and Peter work together to figure out the meaning of "Save the cheerleader, save the world," they discover that Isaac's paintings can be arranged to tell a story like a comic book. Once this is done, there is a missing piece in the upper-left corner of the full picture. Isaac says that he painted a piece the correct size, but that Simone has taken that painting to her gallery. Isaac claims he cannot describe what was in that painting because he was high when he painted it.

Peter leaves a message on Simone's answering machine saying that he needs to see the painting because it will help save the world.

Nothing to Hide

Simone and Peter visit Isaac's loft after the death of Simone's father and find it empty and Isaac gone. Simone brings up the painting Peter wanted and tells him that she sold it to a man named Linderman in Las Vegas.

Needing the painting, Peter approaches his brother Nathan for help getting it back from Linderman. Nathan refuses, but calls Linderman after Peter covers for him with Oliver Dennison and his wife. Nathan tells Linderman he doesn't know what Peter will do if he doesn't get the painting due to his "obsession" and Linderman agrees to send it back to Simone's gallery.

Nathan later visits Peter at his apartment and lies that Linderman refused to send the painting in hopes of getting Peter to stop with his obsession to save the world.

Homecoming

Simone and Nathan meet in Isaac's loft where Simone has brought the painting to show Nathan. As he opens the crate, Nathan confirms with Simone that she didn't tell Peter that he actually did buy it back from Linderman which she confirms. The two study the painting and wonder if the person depicted on it is supposed to be Peter. Simone tells Nathan that "Peter believes if he can save a cheerleader he can save the world." The two note the school as Union Wells High School and Nathan asks if its the only copy of the painting. After Simone confirms it, Nathan destroys the painting to her horror to protect Peter from himself. Nathan asks if Simone really believes in "save the cheerleader, save the world" but she tells him that she doesn't know what to believe.

After Nathan leaves, Simone calls Peter to Isaac's loft and shows him the destroyed painting. Peter realizes that Simone saw the painting and can thus describe it to him. Peter pleads with Simone to tell him what she knows and he believes he has to try to save the cheerleader. Finally, Simone pulls a picture out of her purse and tells Peter that its a digital image that came with the painting. The picture shows a man lying dead beneath a banner for the Union Wells High School Homecoming at 8:12pm. Peter tells Simone that even if the man in the painting is him, he has to try and Simone tells him that Union Wells High School is in Odessa, Texas and their Homecoming is that night.

At the Burnt Toast Diner, Peter tells Ando that he knows where and when he has to save the cheerleader and shows him the picture of the painting. Ando asks if the person in the painting is Peter, but he admits that he doesn't know. Noting that its 7:18pm, Peter realizes he has less than an hour to save Claire and leaves even though Hiro is not there to help him and without another evo around to absorb their power, he is powerless.

After talking to Claire, Peter emerges from the high school and checks the picture of the painting against the clock, seeing that its 8:00 and he has twelve minutes until the painting comes true. At 8:11pm, Peter battles Sylar on the gym bleachers and pulls them off sending them to the ground where they both lie in front of the clock and Homecoming banner just before it becomes 8:12pm. Moments later, Claire finds Peter's dead body on the ground in front of the clock and sign as the painting predicts and Peter mimicks Claire's power and regenerates, coming back from the dead and healing the injuries depicted in the painting.

Notes

• Given the size and shape of the missing painting, Hiro and Ando's absence from the scene, and the order of events in Homecoming, it's fairly clear that Peter has assembled the paintings in the incorrect order.

Trivia

• Tim Sale said that he had a conversation with Santiago Cabrera about Isaac's influences. Santiago felt that the artist Francisco Goya and his Black Paintings series would be a good basis for the style of some of Isaac's paintings including the one of Peter in front of Union Wells at Homecoming.

Gallery

• 
  In Isaac's apartment, Peter notices that some of the paintings fit together like a comic book.
• 
  Isaac and Peter assemble some paintings, noting a space for a missing painting in the upper left.
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  After Mr. Linderman sends the painting to Simone's gallery, Nathan destroys the painting at Isaac's studio in an attempt to stop Peter from trying to save the world.
• 
  Simone shows Peter a digital image of the missing painting. Peter determines to go to homecoming to save the cheerleader.
• 
  Peter ends up mangled and flattened in front of the high school, just as the painting predicted. He subsequently mimics Claire's power of regeneration and is revived.