Matt Parkman

Matt Parkman
Portrayed by	Greg Grunberg
First appearance	Don't Look Back
In-story stats
Known ability	Telepathy Precognition
Formal name	Matthew Parkman
Nicknames	Carnac, Einstein
Gender
Age	38
Date of birth	June 10, 1968
Place of birth	Los Angeles, CA
Home	New York, NY; formerly Los Angeles, CA
Residences	formerly a single-family home in Los Angeles, CA, currently Mohinder Suresh's apartment in Brooklyn, NY
Occupations	NYPD detective, former private security guard, former LAPD Officer
Significant others	Daphne Millbrook (deceased), formerly Janice Parkman (divorced)
Parent	Maury Parkman (deceased)
Children	Matt Parkman, Jr.
Ward	Molly Walker

Matt Parkman is a former detective of the New York Police Department, though he had immense trouble getting to his desired position because his dyslexia made it difficult for him to pass the entrance exam. He is an evolved human with the ability of telepathy.

Matt has since naturally manifested the ability to paint the future after being sent on a spirit walk by Usutu, an evolved human with the same ability. He regularly appears to Matt in visions, guiding him with his abilities and on his journey.

Character History

Season One

For an episode-by-episode summary, see Matt Parkman: Season One History.

Matt Parkman is an officer for the LAPD, busy securing a crime scene, when he discovers he has the power of hearing people's thoughts. This enables him to locate a missing girl. However, upon mentioning the name "Sylar", Matt is arrested, but proves to Audrey that his power is real, and goes to work for the FBI. Meanwhile, after a row with his wife, Matt goes to a Los Angeles bar, collapses, and wakes up strapped to a table in a medical facility. Mr. Bennet instructs a mysterious man to "clean Matt out." Later, he discovers he has two marks on his neck, something he shares in common with Ted Sprague, the FBI's newest target.

Obsessed with Mr. Bennet, Matt orders a SWAT raid on Primatech Paper Co., which ultimately proves to be a bust. He is suspended from his job, takes a job as a body guard, and take some diamonds. Desperate, Matt joins with the fugitive Ted to confront Mr. Bennet in his own home. When things turn sour, Matt is apprehended by the Company, but quickly escapes his cell with Bennet's help. He joins with others to head to New York City and destroy the Walker System, and is horrified to learn that the system is actually Molly. Matt uses Molly's locating ability to hunt down Sylar at Kirby Plaza. However, just as he shoots the serial killer, Sylar telekinetically stops the bullets and flings them into Matt's abdomen, leaving him wounded.

Season Two

For an episode-by-episode summary, see Matt Parkman: Season Two History.

Matt is now a detective with the NYPD and lives with Mohinder to take care of Molly. When picking up Molly from school, her teacher shows Matt frightening drawings that Molly made of eyes intertwined with the symbol and informs him that she thinks Molly is living in a bad environment due to his recent injuries and divorce from Janice. At their new residence, Matt and Molly eat, and Matt tried to talk to Molly about her drawings and her nightmares but she refuses. Later he uses his telepathy to listen to Molly's dream and discovers that she is dreaming about the someone who can see her. She awakens and tells him that the person in her dreams is extremely dangerous, and if Matt tries to go after him he will die.

Matt is assigned with the investigation of Kaito's death. Detective Fuller shows Matt a portion of a photograph of Kaito with the symbol drawn on top. He informs Matt that Ando was a witness and that he saw Kaito being pushed off the building despite there being only one body found. Fuller continues and tells Matt that the photo had Angela Petrelli's fingerprint on it. While interviewing Angela, Matt hears her thoughts, and finds out that someone is seeking revenge for something terrible they did. Matt meets Nathan when Angela starts screaming in the interrogation room, and Matt breaks through the glass in the adjacent room. Nathan holds her as Matt asks who did this. Matt finds Angela holding another picture fragment of her with the symbol also drawn across her face.

The next few days, Matt and Nathan try to figure out who killed Kaito and attacked Angela. Nathan recognizes the photos that the killer sent to Kaito and Angela and shows the original to Matt. Matt sees his father in the photo and tries to get Molly to find him. Molly uses her ability and becomes unconscious after revealing Matt's father's location. Matt and Nathan find Maury, and after finding that Maury is stronger than Matt with the same ability, Maury escapes using his ability. Nathan and Matt find a picture of Bob, and go to warn him. Working with Niki and Mohinder, Bob plans to capture Maury using Matt's ability. However, Maury outsmarts Niki and turns her against Bob, Nathan and Mohinder. After dealing with them, Maury finds himself in his old home where he is keeping Molly, and where Matt has found her. Matt argues with his father, then leaves the nightmare with Molly.

Matt discovers his ability allows for him to implant thoughts into other people's mind, and uses it to his advantage on Molly and Det. Fuller. Matt interrogates Angela Petrelli to find out who the last woman in the photo is, but is too late to save her. Later, Angela explains to Matt and Nathan that 30 years ago, Adam decided the world needed to be wiped clean, and so the founders locked him away. Matt and Nathan are told to put a bullet through Adam's head to stop him, and before leaving, Matt hears Angela's thoughts, telling him to kill Peter, too, if he must. Matt and Nathan go to Primatech Paper Co., and they run into Hiro. They go to the Company vault. Matt tries to use his telepathy to convince Peter to stop Adam, but Peter resists and starts pushing Matt back with telekinesis. Later, after Peter destroys Strain 138, Matt, Nathan, and Peter discuss how they will expose and take down the Company. With Matt's telepathic assistance, Nathan calls a press conference to expose the nature of the various evolved humans and the Company. During his speech, he is shot twice in the chest by an unknown assailant. Matt looks up at the crowd, and tries to catch a glimpse of the shooter before he exits the building.

The Second Coming

After Nathan is shot by Future Peter, Matt and Peter follow the assassin. Matt finds Peter in a bathroom holding a black coat and black cap. He asks Peter if he got a good look at the assassin's face, but Peter lies and says no. Later, Matt finds Peter lurking in a storage cupboard. Matt shows him the gun and asks if he's looking for it. Peter replies that he is, but then Matt starts asking questions. Peter eventually confronts Matt and drops his illusion. He then teleports Matt to a distant location in the middle of a desert. Matt tries to use his ability to see if anyone is near by, but he finds nothing.

The Butterfly Effect

After being teleported into a large desert in an unknown area and having walked for a day in the burning sun, Matt passes out. He hears a voice and finds a turtle who appears to be talking to him. He starts to feels insane when it tells him to drink water from a plant, but as he thanks the turtle a man tells him it's not the turtle who is speaking to him. The man gives Matt his water bottle which helps Matt get back on his feet. As the two begin to walk the man tells him he is not supposed to be here and they must "spirit walk for many miles". Matt asks the man for his cellphone. Unfortunately the cellphone doesn't receive any service from where they are now and that he should have gotten Sprint. Eventually, the man refers to Matt as "Park-man", and tells Matt that his presence in Africa means the future he has foreseen has changed.

One of Us, One of Them

Matt is still in Africa getting a lesson in spirit journeys from his guide, Usutu. Parkman sees many of Usutu's paintings showing prophetic scenes from his past. He also sees one that has not yet come to pass: a happy scene in which Matt and a blonde woman are holding a baby. However, Usutu says that painting no longer depicts the future and replaces it with a new picture, in which Matt is crying and holding the blonde woman's limp body. Later, Matt enters Usutu's hut, and obtains tribal markings on his face. He eats a bowl of unknown contents, and claims that nothing is happening. Usutu then gives Matt music to listen to, and Matt seems to fall asleep. Suddenly, his eyes open wide and turn white as he enters a trance.

I Am Become Death

Matt eats some unknown substance from a bowl and has a vision of the future. In it, he finds that his future self is married to a woman named Daphne Millbrook. He has also adopted Molly Walker and has a baby girl named Daniella Parkman. In the future, Daphne is killed in the explosion of Costa Verde, and when Matt comes out of his trance, he knows he has to find her. Matt leaves Usutu and his hut, following a turtle, which he believes is his guide.

Angels and Monsters

Daphne is assigned by Linderman, who is actually an illusion created by Maury Parkman, to find and recruit Matt to the Pinehearst Company.

Dying of the Light

Matt arrives at JFK airport with his spirit guide turtle, and meets Daphne. Matt and Daphne discuss the information she knows from his file and the information that he learned about her from his vision of the future. Daphne asks Matt to wait at the airport for her return. Daphne returns to Matt and tells him that he is not a good fit for Pinehearst. Matt attempts to convince Daphne to leave Pinehearst, but she refuses his offer of protection.

Eris Quod Sum

Arthur sends Daphne back to Matt to recruit him for the Pinehearst Company. Knox follows her, and when he hears Matt and Daphne talking about going to The Company instead, he comes in and kills them after a showdown with Matt. After Knox leaves, Matt and Daphne come back into the room--Knox had only killed them in an illusion created telepathically by Matt.

It's Coming

Matt travels to Primatech with Daphne and discover a comatose Angela. When he tries to read her mind to discern what is wrong with her, he gets a glimpse one of her dreams and experiences sharp pain. He attempts to reach out to her again and save her like he did Molly. Meanwhile, Daphne says she will try and get a nurse first, but rushes to warn Arthur. When Matt enters Angela's mind, he finds Angela handcuffed to a chair. Angela tells him its impossible to escape because Arthur has also locked all the doors. Suddenly one of the doors open and Daphne walks through. He approaches her to hug her, but she promptly stabs him with a knife. The real Daphne arrives after touching Matt when she notices he is bleeding. The Daphne that stabbed Matt transforms into Arthur and he reveals her treachery to him. Daphne then professes her love for him and they kiss. When Arthur sees their affections, he releases them at the urging of Angela. When they are all conscious they are met by Peter and Claire. Matt, under the impression that Peter sent him to Africa, attacks Peter, only to be restrained by Claire. Matt is present when Angela reveals that their is a catalyst required for the genetic modification formula.

The Eclipse, Part 1

Matt has been tasked by Angela to find Hiro Nakamura. As he looks through his files on Kaito Nakamura's homicide, trying to find a contact number for Hiro, Daphne protests that they are being used and don't need Hiro's help. He pauses when she asks if he really cares for her, he says yes, but then are interrupted by Ando and a dancing Hiro at the door. Ando insists Matt has to help them regain Hiro's memory, showing him the Japanese print of 9th Wonders, which Matt can't read, but he points the way to the bathroom for Hiro.

Matt then tries probing Hiro's mind, but he can't understand Hiro's internal Japanese dialog. He tells Ando this while Hiro bobs heads with the turtle. Daphne claims they have no chance against Arthur and tells Matt he hesitated before answering her earlier, claiming it was like an eternity for her in that moment. Matt tries to get an explanation, but is only able to get Lawrence, KS from her mind before she speeds off, much to Hiro's amusement. When Matt tells Ando this, Hiro recognizes the name from the comic, shows them the page with the farm and teleports the trio to a cornfield.

Matt senses Daphne is inside the house and they start toward it before Ando notices the eclipse has begun. Matt goes to the house and tries to talk Daphne's father into letting him in. He denies that she is home. From somewhere inside, Daphne calls out, "Go away, Matt." When Matt tries to make Mr. Millbrook into allowing him in to see Daphne, his powers fail him.

Matt returns to the pair in the cornfield and tells them he couldn't get in to see her, as his "mind thing" isn't working. Neither are Hiro's abilities, it seems. With Ando translating, Hiro claims that a true hero carries on despite the loss of power, and begins throwing ears of corn at Matt. Matt finally catches one and gets the point. Matt waits until Mr. Millbrook leaves, then approaches the house. He confesses through the door to Daphne that the spirit walk, their future together, and everything else doesn't matter because he finally realizes he loves her. She finally tells him to come in, as she comes out from a back room and reveals that she now has to use crutches to get around without her powers.

The Eclipse, Part 2

Daphne explains to Matt that she has cerebral palsy, when Mr. Millbrook walks in (apparently, he only went down the driveway to get the mail?) and Matt leaves. He makes his way into town and finds Hiro and Ando at Sam's Comics. As the eclipse ends, Matt returns to the Millbrook farm, where Mr. Millbrook informs him Daphne has left. He realizes that his powers are back, and hears Daphne's thoughts out in the field. He approaches and convinces her she is a good person and can make a difference, and to come with him to stop Arthur Petrelli. They return to Sam's Comics after Daphne embraces her dad. They meet up with Ando, but Hiro is gone. When they don't know where to go next, Matt suggests seeing what the 9th Wonders comics say. Sam and Frack tell them there are no more published comics, but there is the urban legend of Isaac's last story.

Graphic Novel:The Caged Bird, Part 2

Matt convinces Daphne to make amends to her father. Once Daphne has accomplished this, they drive off with Mr. Millbrook watching from the porch of his home.

Our Father

Matt, along with Daphne and Ando, go to the late Isaac Mendez' former bike messenger service in Manhattan and confront the dispatcher. When the man claims that he isn't allowed to talk about delivery records due to city regulations, Matt's familiarity with the law lets him call the dispatcher's bluff. He reads the man's mind and determines that he has Isaac's sketches and is embezzling from the company. When the dispatcher flees out the back, Matt spots him and Daphne gives chase. Later as they go over the sketches, Matt believes that Arthur's formula could work to their advantage if they can find someone who has acquired space-time manipulation powers as the result of taking the formula and have them go back and rescue Hiro from 1991.

Dual

Matt, still with Daphne and Ando arrives at Isaac's old loft, looking for Mohinder. He is not there, and they realize he is in his lab at Pinehearst. Since they need a syringe of the formula Daphne decides to use her ability to run to Pinehearst and get one. When she returns, Ando is more than ready to inject himself. Matt delays him by pointing out that the ability he can get can be bad. Daphne tells Matt that he wanted to know what people thought, and he got telepathy, and she wanted to run, and she got super speed. Matt gives up, Ando injects himself, and faints.

When Ando wakes up, Matt tells him to try to travel back in time. It doesn't work and Ando gets frustrated, banging his hand on a table. His hand sparks with red energy. They try to figure out what he got, and Matt touches him. Matt almost collapses, when he hears the thoughts of all the people in the city. When Daphne touches him and travels several seconds back in time. Matt concludes that Ando's new ability is ability supercharging. While Daphne and Ando go back in time to save Hiro, Matt stays in the present. When they come back, Hiro and Daphne want to go to Pinehearst and get the formula. Daphne looks at Matt for acceptance. He tells her, "Go. Be the good guy...or gal."

Later, with the formula retrieved from Tracy, Hiro rips it to shreds as Matt and Daphne embrace and Ando finally welcomes his friend back. Matt looks up and sees a vision of Usutu on the loft's steps.

Webisode:Hard Knox, Part 1

Eighteen months ago, Matt and Knox buy tacos, and Matt advises Knox to leave his gang.

Webisode:Hard Knox, Part 2

Matt talks to Knox on the street and asks him if he was involved in the Hancock Park heist. Matt tries to persuade Knox to turn in Bartell and to get out of the gang. Knox accuses Matt of using Knox to get a promotion with the LAPD.

Webisode:Hard Knox, Part 4

Matt is directing traffic past the scene of an accident on the interstate. When one truck slows down, he approaches it, telling it to move along. Knox rolls down the tinted window and makes a comment about Matt being knocked down to traffic duty. When Matt sees the gang members inside the truck, he asks what happened to Bartell. Knox replies he heard he was "eaten by a shark". The gang laughs and drive off, leaving Matt disappointed in his onetime friend.

Graphic Novel:Almost Famous

After previous events, Matt strives to maintain a "normal" life with Daphne in New York City. He is working as a security guard at a concert. He hears someone planning to kill the lead performer of the concert but is unable to discern who it is in the large crowd. Leaving the other security guard to tend to the crowds, Matt races through the crowds desperately trying to locate the assassin. Falling into himself and trying to put himself in the killer's shoes he realizes where the killing will go. Matt races down to Heather Haze's dressing room and finds her held at gunpoint by a scorned former lover. Matt forces the man to give up his gun and the would-be assassin is dragged off by a Matt's superior. Heather Haze tries to thank Matt but he makes her forget he was ever there and quits the job. He returns home and warmly embraces Daphne, trying to persuade her to keep a low key.

A Clear and Present Danger

Matt is seen in Mohinder's apartment and talks to Daphne about their lives and futures, and expresses a desire to be "normal." Daphne tells him that they will never be normal and leaves. Matt then begins seeing visions of Usutu, who tells him that he has been "chosen" to tell the future. Matt then begins making precognitive drawings. Later, Claire walks into the apartment and looks over the drawings with Matt, one of which depicts Matt being shot with a taser. Several seconds later, Matt is in fact hit by a taser and is dragged off, along with Claire, by the Hunter. Matt is then seen in Flight 195 with the other subdued evolved humans. Claire wakes him up and he screams as the plane begins to crash.

Trust and Blood

After the plane crash, Matt, Mohinder and Hiro end up hiding in the same ditch and work together to avoid capture. Matt wonders whether Hiro can teleport them away, but Hiro states he has no powers anymore. Shortly after this Matt enters a precognitive state and leads the other two to a trailer where he finds crayons and they find clothes.

Matt draws many pictures, but the most attention is paid to a drawing of Daphne being shot with the plane wreckage in the background. Matt rushes to the crash site and Hiro and Mohinder follow.

Matt and the others arrive near the crash site, to find Ando nearby. They reunite when Daphne speeds in with Claire. Matt and Daphne embrace, then seconds later, Daphne is shot from a distance by an agent of Danko's team. Claire covers Daphne, while Matt telepathically causes the agent to kill the rest. After Danko kills the compromised agent, Matt makes a break for it.

Peter, Matt, Mohinder, Ando, and Hiro are all speaking over a table while examining Matt's drawings. They ditch all attachments to their previous lives, and Peter warns them they will have to do things they never imagined possible before. Nobody however is even slightly fazed by this statement. Least of all Matt who is now interested only in revenge now that he believes Daphne to be dead.

Building 26

While Hiro and Ando are in India, they receive a message from Rebel to save Matt. Later, Matt helps Peter and Mohinder take Noah away after he falls unconscious from drinking a drugged drink at a bar in a Costa Verde motel.

Cold Wars

Matt, Peter and Mohinder kidnap Noah Bennet to interrogate him. They drug him to make him less resistant and make it less painful for him. Matt then begins using his powers to scan Noah's memories for the information he needs. He learns some of Noah's past since a month before and learns how Noah started working for Nathan and where a storage facility filled with guns and information is and he sends Peter there to get things for them to use. As he continues to scan Noah's memories, Matt learns of Danko's identity and that Noah in fact approached Mohinder for help which pisses Matt off as Mohinder knew what was coming and didn't tell anyone. Matt and Mohinder fight and Mohinder gets the upper hand and explains to Matt that he decided to keep quiet deciding that it was best and he had no idea that it would lead to Daphne's death. Peter returns and Matt continues his unorthodox interrogation and learns Danko's location from Noah's memories and sends Peter there. As members of Danko's team arrive to capture them, Matt debates whether or not to kill Noah until Noah tells him that Daphne is still alive. Matt doesn't believe him, but Noah has him willingly scan his memories (while Mohinder holds off Danko's men) where Matt sees that Noah is telling the truth and that Daphne is in fact still alive having survived being shot. Danko's men burst in and Matt has to decide between killing Noah or not, but he decides not to and surrenders. Matt's hooked up to the power-suppressant drug and Noah leads him out to take him to the team's van to be transported to Building 26, but Matt is rescued by Peter who drops a flash-bang grenade stunning Noah and Danko's men, and flies away with him. The two return to Isaac Mendez's old loft in New York where Matt starts painting the future in an attempt to find Daphne's location. Matt is horrified when he comes out of his trance to find that he has painted paintings of himself wired up with explosives and another showing an explosive and a few other not shown paintings. Peter tries to reassure him that being a murderer is not Matt, but Matt shows him his most horrific painting yet: a mural on the floor of Washington D.C. being destroyed in a nuclear explosion.

Exposed

Matt attempts to find Daphne by painting the future, but repeatedly only paints himself strapped to the bombs. He and Peter are shocked when the computer nearby activates with a message from Rebel telling them where Daphne is and to run. Matt and Peter escape just before Danko's men storm the loft. He and Peter head to Building 26 in Washington D.C. where their plan is for Matt to use his telepathy to control enough people to allow them into the building to rescue Daphne and then escape through having Peter fly them away from the roof. Matt isn't sure that he can control all of the people they will encounter, so Peter replicates his power in order for their to be two telepaths sneaking in to make it easier. Using their abilities, Matt and Peter reach a control room where Matt makes the guy inside leave and Peter starts to use the computer to try to find Daphne as they don't know exactly where she's being held. Danko finds out that they're there, but Matt telepathicaly controls two guards to hold Danko where he is. Peter finds out Daphne's not there, but thanks to Rebel, finds a video file that depicts the abducted people being loaded onto a plane and he downloades it to a flash drive in order to have evidence to use against Danko and his men. Matt's control over the two men is broken when Noah Bennet activates the fire alarm which disrupts his telepathy. Peter gets the file and the two start to escape while Rebel disrupts the building's power, stopping the fire alarm and allowing them to try to escape. Matt and Peter encounter Danko, Nathan, Noah and some of their men and Matt telepathicaly holds them in place and tells Peter to escape while he does that. Peter does but the power comes back on along with the fire alarm, disrupting Matt's telepathy again and causing him to be caught. Danko, due to being exposed by Peter, straps Matt to the bombs (fulfilling one of his paintings), drugs him and dumps him in the middle of Washington D.C. in order to make people understand that people with abilities are terrorists by presumably detonating the bomb Matt's attached to.

Shades of Gray

Matt is surronded by police who threaten to shoot him if he doesn't deactivate the bomb. In his drugged state Matt is unable to use his powers or focus leaving him unable to disarm the bomb. Nathan arrives to help and convinces the police to let him through. Nathan asks Matt how to disarm the bomb but Matt doesn't know so Nathan tells Matt to use his telepathy to read the minds of the bomb squad members to see how to do it. Thanks to the drugs starting to wear off, Matt is able to read the bomb squad member's mind but gets confused about whether or not to pull the red or black wires. Rebel manages to hold off the detonation long enough for Nathan to pull the black wire, disarming the bomb. Matt then throws away the detonator and Nathan punches him out to prevent him using his telepathy to escape. Matt is later seen being escorted through Building 26, recaptured.

Cold Snap

After Rebel frees Tracy, she enters the room where the prisoners are being held. She frees Mohinder and Matt Parkman; Matt immediately frees Daphne and lifts her from the gurney. Mohinder says she needs to go to the hospital, but Tracy says Daphne will only slow them down. When Matt and Mohinder refuse, she takes off without them. Rebel leads Tracy to the door, but doesn't open it. agents burst through the door and see Tracy as Mohinder and Matt (carrying Daphne) catch up with her. Matt telepathically masks their presence, and the guards run past them. Tracy says, "So we just walk out the front door." "Yeah", Matt responds. "Aren't you glad you waited for us?" Tracy says, "When I get out, I'm not waiting for anyone."

Matt is carrying Daphne as he and Mohinder run into the hospital. The E.R doctor calls for a gurney; Matt places Daphne on the gurney and tells her she'll be okay The doctor sees that the gunshot wound is septic and tells the staff to prep for surgery. Mohinder tells Matt to be prepared to leave, but Matt ignores him. The doctor says Daphne is in shock and asks what happened. Matt tells him that Daphne is his wife Janice, she accidentally shot herself on a duck hunting trip with her family, and her father, a doctor, patched her up and said she'd be okay, but she's "clearly not okay." The doctor says they have to report all gunshot wounds to the police, but Matt telepathically influences him not to report it and to let Matt stick around to make sure Daphne's okay.

Daphne wakes up in her hospital room and finds flowers, balloons, and cards addressed to Gwen Stefani. Matt is sleeping in a nearby chair. She asks him how long she's been out. He tells her it's been two days. She's been pumped full of antibiotics to kill the infection, nothing but the best for "Gwen". Daphne asks who duck hunting Janice is. Matt tells her it's his ex-wife. Daphne doesn't really appreciate Matt sliding her into his ex-wife's life. She tells him he had to do that because the two of them have no back story. She tells him he just had a dream they were married and that doesn't mean they're meant to be together. She starts changing out of her hospital gown and into street clothes. Matt tells her it wasn't a dream, it was a spirit walk. Daphne says he was baked in the desert and that's not a lot to hang a relationship on. Matt tells he's hanging their relationship on the fact the he loves her. Daphne says it's all in his head and she doesn't want to be his surrogate Janice. Matt protests to no avail. Daphne tells Matt it was nice meeting him, and it's the first time she's said that to someone and actually meant it. "What if they catch you?" Matt warns. "I'm not going to slow down long enough for anyone to catch me," Daphne replies. "Not even you." And then she's gone.

In Paris, Daphne overlooks the city from her perch on a electric sign on a building. Matt says, "Penny for your thoughts." Daphne asks "Since when do you need to pay people for their thoughts?" She then asks Matt how he found her; Matt replies, "I know you love Paris like I love -", but Daphne cuts him off: "Don't." Then Daphne asks how he got there so fast. Matt tells her that he flew, and asks Daphne how she got here. She says she ran across the water. Daphne says, "you read minds, you don't", but before she can finish, Matt floats into the air. Daphne says, "I didn't know you could fly". Matt responds, "I didn't know you could run on water". Daphne says she can run on anything but air or the vacuum of space, else she'd be living on the moon. Matt says they're learning new and intriguing things about each other, the kind of things you can hang a relationship on. Matt then offers to show Daphne Paris like she's "never seen it before". "Once around the tower," Daphne says.

As they fly over Paris, Daphne asks how high they can go; Matt replies, "As high as you want". Daphne says, "you really would do anything for me, wouldn't you?" Matt tells her "just say the word". Daphne asks him to let her go; she knows she's really still in the hospital and Matt's just trying to give her a storybook ending. Matt says he's sorry, but Daphne says "Don't be. I'm not". Teary-eyed, Matt says he just wanted to make her happy. Daphne says that he did, and that he deserves "the real thing, not a fantasy". Then Daphne asks Matt to do one more thing for her. "Anything", Matt replies. Daphne says, "Fly me to the moon". Matt kisses her on the forehead, and off they fly into the night.

Back in the hospital, Daphne succumbs to the infection. Matt is still holding Daphne's hand, his head bowed in grief, as Mohinder consoles him.

Turn and Face the Strange

Mohinder tells Matt Parkman that he is going to India by ship, and tells Matt to come with him. Matt refuses and loads a gun, determined to get revenge on Danko for Daphne's death. Mohinder tries to reason with Matt, but Matt simply tells Mohinder he's been a good friend and says goodbye.

Matt waits in a car outside Building 26 for Danko. When Danko finally comes out, Matt gets into his head, making him believe that something's not right, that he can't trust anyone, that the person he is closest to is in danger, and that he has to make sure that they're okay. Danko hails down a taxi, and Matt follows.

Matt watches from his car as Danko meets a woman at her front door and the two embrace. Danko asks the woman if everything is okay, peers inside the house, and the two go inside. Matt opens the glove compartment and takes out his gun.

Danko says goodbye to Alena while Matt listens from around the corner. Matt hears her call him "Jakob" and he hears Danko say he has to get back to Chicago. A car pulls up and Danko tells her to smile, he'll be back in DC before she knows it. Danko leaves and Matt enters Alena's house. He aims a gun at her, but drops it and is about to leave when she notices him. She thinks he's from an escort service and he learns that Danko is a former client of hers. Matt uses telepathy to convince her that he works with Danko. She's pleased to meet one of Danko's friends and asks him to sit.

Matt and Alena sit and discuss Danko, although Alena knows him as "Jakob Pradasa". She believes he's married with children and lives in Chicago, and says that he's promised to divorce his wife and move to Washington to be with her once his children are grown. She says she realizes the situation isn't ideal, but he loves her. Matt says he probably does love her, but he doesn't deserve her, and explains that he will show her that everything Danko has said is a lie.

Danko is at his apartment when Alena knocks on his door. He wonders how she found him, while she asks what he's doing living in DC. Matt steps up behind her with his gun drawn, revealing that he brought her to Danko. He orders them into the apartment and uses his power to force Danko to tell Alena the truth about who he is and what he did to Daphne. Alena asks Danko why he lied and Danko tells her he knew she could never love someone who does what he does. Matt realizes that Danko really does care for Alena and so aims his gun at her, intending to make Danko suffer the way he has. Danko tells Matt to go ahead because nothing could ever matter to him more than killing Matt and all of his friends. Matt apologizes to Alena and says that Danko must pay for what he's done, but he can't go through with it and drops the gun, crying. Danko picks up a gun and aims it at Matt. Alena begs him not to shoot Matt, but he does. Hiro stops time before the bullet strikes Matt and pushes him out of the room on a desk chair. When time begins again, Alena calls Danko a monster and tells him to stay away from her.

While walking outside together, Matt thanks Hiro, but says that he didn't want to be saved. Hiro tells Matt that true heroes don't seek retribution and he had to save him because Matt is a hero, not a villain. Ando is sitting on the grass with baby Matt and some toys, and when he sees Matt and Hiro, he calls them over. Hiro introduces Matt to his son and says that the boy needs his father. Matt falls in love instantly and his son, happy, makes the toy cars drive in circles.

Matt later plays with his son whilst Hiro and Ando bring groceries to the car.

Heroes Evolutions

Matt's case file (file: C002; password: MPggtn75x) at primatechpaper.com contains a personal history about Matt:

Apart from suffering from Dyslexia, Matt Parkman was about as "average" a person as they come until his ability to hear others' thoughts manifested while investigating the Walker crime scene, a family apparently murdered by Gabriel Gray (see case file C004).

Parkman was tagged by the Company and released to continue his work on the Walker case with the FBI. Later, he participated in the capture and interrogation of Theodore Sprague (see case file C003) and the continued investigation of Sylar's murder spree. However, internal reports indicate that the ability may have caused personal problems on the job--he punched a fellow officer in the precinct locker room when he learned he had been having an affair with his wife, Janice.

Sylar's attack at Union Wells High School led Parkman and FBI Agent Hanson to Odessa, Texas where they continued their investigation, during which Parkman became suspicious of Company activities. Parkman's surveillance and unsuccessful raid on Primatech Paper Company resulted in a six-month suspension from the LAPD and ruined his credibility with the FBI. He is currently divorced and working at the NYPD at detective rank.

Since his wife was pregnant by another man, his offspring no longer holds interest for The Company so any case note referring to the baby may be disregarded.

The subject's father (see psychological profile) is Company founder Maury Parkman. When last under Company care, Matt Parkman was still at the beginning of his ability's manifestation and close watch is recommended lest he manifest the more-dangerous abilities associated with his father.

The case file also contains a psychological profile:

Perhaps until recently, Matt Parkman saw himself as an "everyman," an average American suburbanite struggling to get ahead and kept down by authorities who saw him as more of a "worker bee" then as material for something more. Rather then accept his position in life as an average law officer, Matt internalized this to the point of extreme neuroses, jeopardizing his marriage in the process, as evidenced by marriage counseling records. In fact, his wife cheated on him with a fellow LAPD officer, further undoing an already damaged and fragile ego.

The manifestation of his ability gave him a renewed set of confidence, and also a new set of conflicts in his life as he learned to incorporate it into his day-to-day routine. He did so to a limited extant and succeeded more in further alienating those around him. Parkman also displays equal measures naiveté and world-weariness along with a sense that he always must strive to do right, even if what he considers "right" slides around due to others' influence on him.

It's recommended to keep close tabs, especially if he manifests additional abilities or falls under the sway of someone who may pose harmful to The Company and its work.

Evolved Human Abilities

Telepathy

Cranial imaging

Matt has the ability of telepathy, an ability that he was originally only able to use to hear thoughts. In Fight or Flight, Matt is able to project his thoughts to another in a moment of crisis, though he cannot explain what happened afterward. In Out of Time, Matt's power grows as he is able to bring Maury into the "nightmare" that Maury places Molly into. Matt then overcomes his father's advanced use of telepathy to trap Maury the same way Maury trapped Molly. By Cautionary Tales, Matt has learned how to use his abilities to command others mentally.

Matt's mind reading abilities have improved, able to read Daphne's thoughts quickly with little effort and only needing to concentrate to read more complex thoughts. In Eris Quod Sum, Matt can implant telepathic illusions in another's head, making Knox think he killed Matt and Daphne when they were actually in the other room. The illusion was convincing enough to fool Knox's sense of touch, something his father Maury was seemingly unable to accomplish (Daphne was able to reach through Maury's projection of Linderman). Matt also implied that he can kill with his power, and forced Homeland Security agents to shoot at each other after they shot Daphne. Matt was able to use his power to enter Angela's mind and release her from her coma after Arthur "unbound" her mind, even managing to bring Daphne in with him.

Though Matt was initially unable to control his abilities and would often become overwhelmed, he has apparently overcome this obstacle. In fact, he has gained considerable control over various aspects of his ability. For instance, Matt was able to use his ability to discern Daphne's location when she was nearby, but hidden from view (The Eclipse, Part 2). The range of this aspect of Matt's ability is unknown.

Recently he has displayed the ability to scan people's memories as a form of interrogation as show when he used it on Noah Bennet. It causes them pain if they fight him, but if they don't fight him its painless. He sees these memories in the form of a flashback. (Cold Wars)

He has also displayed the ability to mentally control people, not just give them mental commands that they follow. He telepathicaly controlled two guards from a different room in Building 26 in order to keep Danko, Bennet and his men away. Later he managed to regain control of the two gunmen and immobilize Bennet, Nathan and Danko. (Exposed)

A weakness to his abilities has been displayed: according to Bennet, Matt's senses are extremely raw when he uses his powers so loud noises can disrupt his concentration and cause him pain. (Exposed)

Matt is able to use this ability to create dreams for people. He used this aspect of the ability to create a "storybook ending" for a dying Daphne; he was also able to enter her mind so he was in the dream with her too. (Cold Snap)

According to his assignment tracker file at primatechpaper.com, Matt's control index is 25%. His data analysis shows his biological level at 25, cerebral at 90, elemental at 45, and temporal/spatial at 20.

Precognition

An illusion of Usutu appeared to Matt and told him he must become the prophet. Afterwards, Matt was able to access the same place of consciousness that other precognitives are able to, and he manifested ability of precognition (A Clear and Present Danger). This makes Matt the first known evolved human to manifest more than one ability (excepting those whose native abilities allow them to absorb and use more than one ability).

Equipment

• Diamonds--located and kept after Aron Malsky was murdered by Jessica
• Gun--carried by Matt as a police officer and as a private security guard
• Photo of group of twelve--used to investigate the murders of the group of twelve
• Bob's death threat--found in his father's apartment
• Future Claire's gun--found in a closet after Nathan's shooting
• Usutu's paste--eaten to induce a spirit walk.
• Matt's drawings--drawn after a visit from Usutu.

Memorable Quotes

"If you take this secret from me, you're not just like your father. You are him!"

- Angela (to Matt) (Cautionary Tales)

"No! I'm not scared of you anymore! I'm a good man; I'm a good cop. I'm a good father, which is something you know nothing about. You don't know what it's like to fight for someone that you love; you left. You left. All you have are your nightmares."

- Matt (to Maury) (Out of Time)

Notes

• Matt is on the List.
• On the official NBC Heroes page for Matt Parkman, a link hidden in the monitor on the squad car displays a video clip of an unaired incident of Parkman using his powers to locate a man speaking in a foreign tongue under a grate in the floor. This scene is from the unaired 72 minute version of In His Own Image shown at SDCC 2006.
• In an interview, Greg Grunberg insinuates that Matt is Jewish. This is also backed up by Future Matt's use of the Yiddish phrase "Mazel Tov". (Five Years Gone)
• In a deleted scene from Seven Minutes to Midnight, it is revealed that Matt is allergic to avocados and hates coconuts.
• In the Season 3 week 13 edition of Behind the Eclipse writers Aron Coleite and Joe Pokaski explained how Matt became precognitive: "Matt's ability is to access the mind--or at least that's how it started. But as he grew powerful and as Usutu opened it up more to the "dreamtime", he began to access that same plane of consciousness that Isaac and Usutu drew from to paint."

Trivia

• In an interview, Jason La Padura said that originally, the prototype for Matt's character was Ryan Phillippe in Crash.
• Matt's NYPD detective badge is number 8954.
• According to a Post-it note on Suresh's map, Matt lived in a home on Highwater Lane in Los Angeles, CA. The house number of his home was cut off, but it ended with 0, possibly with 10.
• According to his case file (password: MPggtn75x) at primatechpaper.com, Matt weighs 190 pounds.
• According to Matt's birth certificate, Matt was born in Los Angeles, CA on June 10, 1968. His mother was from Van Nuys, CA, was born in 1939, and was 26 when she had him. Of course this is impossible--if she was 26, she would have been born in 1942.
• The LAPD squad car that Matt drives has California license plate number 1939871. (Six Months Ago)
• The scene where Matt assists in drugging Noah in a bar and abducting him mirrors a similar scene from season one. Noah drugs Matt in a bar and abducts him. This is a common theme in Season Three as there have been many throwbacks to Season 1.
• Another throwback is his most recent and most terrifying drawing yet: a mural of Washington D.C. being destroyed in a nuclear blast that is very similar to Isaac's of New York's destruction in the same manner and is painted in the exact same spot.

See Also

• For other uses of Matt, see Matt (disambig).
• For other uses of Matthew Parkman, see Matthew Parkman (disambig).
• For Matt Parkman's history in the "explosion future", see Matt Parkman (explosion future).
• For Matt Parkman's history in the "exposed future", see Matt Parkman (exposed future).
• For the article about Matt's son in a possible future, see Matthew.
• For other members of the Parkman family, see Parkman (disambig).
• For articles related to Matt, see Related Articles:Matt.
• For images of Matt, see Images of Matt Parkman.

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Matt Parkman for fan-created theories and other speculation.