Noah Bennet
| Mr. Bennet | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | Jack Coleman |
| First appearance | Genesis |
| In-story stats | |
| Known ability | None |
| Formal name | Unknown |
| Nickname | Horned Rimmed Glasses (HRG) |
| Gender | |
| Home | Odessa, TX |
| Residence | Noah Bennet's home |
| Occupation | Unknown |
| Significant other | Sandra Bennet |
| Children | Claire Bennet (adopted daughter), Lyle Bennet (son) |
Also known as "the man with the horn-rimmed glasses", Mr. Bennet is Claire's adoptive father. He runs a secret operation out of Primatech Paper Company which involves tracking and intervening in the lives of evolved humans.
About
To most of the world, Mr. Bennet seems like a typical, if slightly geeky, suburbanite father. His loyalty to his family and his loyalty to his profession are frequently at odds. While it's clear that he loves Claire very much and would do anything to protect her, his methods indicate a level of ruthlessness that conflicts with his genuinely caring nature. For example, while he seems to initially show real concern for Isaac's well being and rehabilitation, he does not hesitate to have Eden use her persuasive powers to make Isaac use heroin again when he believes he needs to make use of Isaac's precognitive abilities. Similarly, while his use of the Haitian's memory modifying ability on Brody seems somewhat restrained given his intense anger at the boy, the casual use of the same ability on Zach and even his own family shows that his dedication to his job—and to keeping Claire safe—knows no limits. He does seem to possess his own moral code, though, as his intense reactions to Sylar's murders and Eden's father's callousness attest.
Character History
Genesis
When Mohinder Suresh returns to his father's apartment in Madras, he hears a cell phone ring in the next room and overhears Mr. Bennet's conversation. Bennet later confronts Mohinder in his taxi cab, notices the last name on his license, and implies that he knows who Mohinder is. Later on, he returns home to Odessa, TX and is greeted by his daughter Claire.
Graphic Novel:Monsters
Outside the Chelsea Cab Company, Mr. Bennet spies on Mohinder Suresh.
Don't Look Back
Claire asks her father about her birth parents, and he tells her it's an adult decision and not to try to grow up too quickly. He later tells her he's changed his mind and has contacted the adoption agency. After Claire leaves the room, he watches Claire's tape which went missing from Zach's backpack, proving he knows of his daughter's powers.
Collision
Matt Parkman wakes up in a laboratory with Mr. Bennet and his mysterious assistant standing over him. He tells Matt that Matt won't be able to read his thoughts with the man there, but Matt is still able to pick Claire's name from Bennet's mind. Bennet tells the man to wipe Matt's memory of the event.
Later in Las Vegas, Bennet and the man stand over Nathan Petrelli and Niki Sanders in Nathan's hotel room. He tells his assistant to take just Nathan.
Hiros
Mr. Bennet and the man have captured Nathan; despite Mr. Bennet's pulling a gun on Nathan, the polititian escapes by flying away. They then return to Odessa where Claire has been in an auto accident. Claire confesses to her father that she crashed the car deliberately because Brody, the car's other occupant, had tried to rape her. He then confronts Brody. He tells him he should kill him, but instead will give him a chance to start over. He then has his assistant wipe Brody's memory.
Better Halves
Mr. Bennet tells Claire he's been able to arrange a meeting with her biological parents, Hank and Lisa. When they arrive, he and Sandra leave the room to give Claire and her parents some privacy, but they end up eavesdropping. They're caught when his cell phone rings: it's Eden, who tells him that Mohinder has gone back to India, but assures him he'll be back. She tells him about Peter, Isaac, and Future Hiro. When she gives him the message, he is startled. He tells her to bring in the precog. When Hank and Lisa leave, Hank says he thought it went well and asks if Mr. Bennet needs anything else from them. He tells them he'll let them know.
Seven Minutes to Midnight
Mr. Bennet enters a secure area at the Primatech Paper Co. where Eden is taking care of Isaac. He explains to Isaac that the cheerleader in his drawings is his daughter and asks for his help to catch Sylar to keep him from killing his daughter. When Isaac fails to paint without drugs, Mr. Bennet convinces Eden to get him to take them.
Homecoming
At Primatech Paper Co., Mr. Bennet examines the painting which Isaac completed after Eden persuaded him to use heroin. Deciding it's useless for locating Sylar, he attempts to persuade Eden to have Isaac paint another prophetic painting. She refuses, even after he shows her photographs of some of Sylar's victims, including Charlie. He tells Eden to go to Union Wells High School and neutralize Sylar, and that he'll keep Claire home.
When he finds out that Claire punched Jackie Wilcox at school that day, he takes the opportunity to ground her. His wife Sandra argues Claire's case but he neither backs down nor explains why it's so important Claire stay home.
Later, he finds Claire missing from her bedroom and asks Sandra where she is. She tells him that she saw Claire and Zach running out across the lawn about ten minutes prior. He asks why she didn't try to stop her and she explains that she feels he was being way too harsh in his punishment. He tells her she doesn't know what she's done and storms out the house telling her to call him immediately if she hears from Claire.
At the school, Mr. Bennet spots Claire covered in blood and heading for the stadium. Claire tells him they have to go back for Peter, who saved her, and Mr. Bennet tells her the police will take care of everything. He tells her she's lucky to be alive and Claire admits that it's not luck and tells him she has something she has to tell him.
Six Months Ago
Mr. Bennet receives a phone call from Chandra Suresh who tells him he needs to speak to him regarding his daughter Claire. He meets with Chandra in New York where he tells Mr. Bennet that Claire has a genetic anomaly, but doesn't know what the effects will be. When Chandra asks to meet Claire, Mr. Bennet initially tells him it would be a problem for his family, but subsequently tells him that he'll think about it.
The Haitian brings Eden McCain to Mr. Bennet. Eden tries to use her powers to force Mr. Bennet to let her go, but The Haitian supresses them. Mr. Bennet tells her that with her powers no one could say no to her...until now. He gives Eden a chance to start over with a new life which she accepts. He instructs her to go to Chandra's apartment and to get Claire's name off of Chandra's list of evolved humans.
Fallout
Claire and Mr. Bennet return home after Homecoming. Claire has told her father about her powers and is worried by his silence, but he admits that he has known about her powers even longer than she has, and tells her she must keep them secret. She tells him Zach and Lyle know already.
Mr. Bennet visits Sylar at his cell within the secret facility at Primatech Paper Co.. Sylar tells Bennet he can see how things work. Mr. Bennet comments that it's unusual that Sylar has more than one ability, and that he believes the infusion of so much foreign DNA has driven Sylar crazy. Sylar says he has one more ability to gain—Claire's.
Outside the cell, Bennet converses with his employer, who wants Sylar kept alive. Eden tries to persuade him to let her make Sylar kill himself, but he brushes her off.
Later on, Bennet accompanies Claire to the Odessa Sheriff's Department where she is questioned by Audrey Hanson. After the interview, Bennet meets Matt Parkman, who tells him they're doing everything they can to catch Sylar.
Claire and her father visit Peter Petrelli in his cell. Mr. Bennet tells Peter he hopes he can return the favor some day. He then waits outside while Peter and Claire talk.
As Mr. Bennet and the Haitian leave the paper company later, they are observed by Matt and Audrey.
Mr. Bennet is driving when he receives a panicked phone call from Claire. She tells him Zach and Lyle no longer remember anything about her powers. Mr. Bennet assures her he does remember, and tells her to stay where she is. Just then, the Haitian arrives at the Bennets' home and tells Claire that her father sent him to make sure she forgets, but that it's important that she remembers.
Fathers & Daughters
Mr. Bennet pays a visit to Eden's father to deliver the news of Eden's death. When the drunkard father is apathetic and disrespectful, Mr. Bennet accosts the man and asserts that Eden gave her life as a sacrifice, and that her heroic deed saved countless lives. He reflects on the events after Eden's death, when he and the Haitian recaptured Sylar in Sylar's cell. He then directs the Haitian to erase the man's mind, but to leave the guilt.
Graphic Novel:Wireless, Part 1
Mr. Bennet meets Hana Gitelman in Israel. He surprises her, and tells her that he can change her life.
Graphic Novel:Wireless, Part 2
Mr. Bennet blindfolds Hana and asks her to be trusting. He takes her to Alaska to be trained at a secret facility. He tests Hana's physical and emotional limits, and injects her with "vitamins". He pushes hana to her breaking point, at which point she is overwhelmed at the discovery of her power. Mr. Bennet incapaciates her; in the intervening time, he mysteriously receives cryptic emails and text messages from Hana. He tells the woman that she is now "ready".
Graphic Novel:Wireless, Part 3
At his home, Mr. Bennet postpones helping Claire; he must communicate with Hana who is on a mission in Tanzania to obtain a DNA alteration formula for Mr. Bennet.
Graphic Novel:Wireless, Part 4
At the U.S. Embassy, an Embassy employee tells Hana that Mr. Bennet has lied to her about working for the CIA. Hana vows revenge on Mr. Bennet.
Godsend
Before going back to school, which has just reopened, Claire worries about the other students asking her questions. Her father tells her she doesn't have to tell them anything, and forgetting may even be a blessing.
Bennet observes Sylar in his cell. Hank tells him that they've been trying to identify Sylar's powers, but they're unable to identify any of them except for telekinesis. Bennet asks if he's responding to the drugs, and Hank says they've "given him enough to kill an elephant", but that they're no closer. He says they’ll kill Sylar if they keep going like this. Bennet claims that he wouldn’t mind, but "they" haven't authorized it.
Audrey and Matt lead an FBI raid on Primatech Paper Co. looking for Sylar, but don’t find him. Matt approaches Bennet and directly asks him where he’s hiding Sylar, but Bennet claims to not know what Matt is talking about. Matt tries to read Mr. Bennet's thoughts but gets nothing. Audrey tells Matt that Sylar isn't there and sarcastically tells him, "Nice going." Bennet smirks and replies "Oops."
A bit later, Bennet gives Agent Thayer a surveillance tape showing Matt outside Primatech every day for two weeks. Matt claims that Bennet abducted people, including himself and Ted Sprague. Thayer tells Audrey that she's going to be reprimanded. Before leaving, Matt grabs Bennet, pushes him up against some barrels, tells him that he won’t stop until he figures out how Bennet's pulling this off. Bennet wishes him luck.
Mohinder returns to his apartment and finds Mr. Bennet waiting for him, holding a gun. Mohinder asks if Bennet has come to kill him now. Benet says he wants to talk about Eden. He says that Eden was a good person and was special. Mohinder asks what her ability was, but Bennet only says that she learned to use it wisely. He tells Mohinder that not everyone with abilities deserves them. He knows Chandra developed a list of evolved humans, and the names on that list are of “grave importance”. He says sometimes things go wrong with their powers, and that by working together they can control it. Mohinder says the first thing he's going to do is warn the people on the list about Bennet. Bennet gives him a card and tells Mohinder to contact him when he changes his mind.
The Fix
Mr. Bennet tells Hank to do whatever it takes to keep Sylar alive. Later, he receives a call informing him Sylar has died. When he arrives at the cell, Mr. Bennet finds Hank's beaten corpse and Sylar lurking in the shadows.
At the homefront, Mr. Bennet grows suspicious of his daughter's behaviors. He notices the computer turned on, and seems surprised Zach is studying with Claire. However, he keeps up the charade of not knowing anything about Claire's power or the [[Homecoming (event}|]] history. He tells his daughter that he'll always be there for her, though he grows cold when he notices a wind chime in Claire's window.
Memorable Quotes
"I've done some things I'm not proud of to keep you safe."
Notes
- Mr. Bennet says he does not work for "any organization with initials" meaning the CIA, FBI, etc. This most likely means that he does not work for the government at all.
- Tim Kring told Entertainment Weekly that Sylar and HRG have a connection, which will be clearly defined later in the season.
Trivia
- Tim Kring's original script for the pilot listed the this character's name only as "H.R.G." — standing for Horn-Rimmed Glasses. 1
- Mr. Bennet appears in more graphic novels than any other character: Monsters, Fathers & Daughters, and all four Wireless issues.
External Links
- Horn-rimmed glasses - Wikipedia
- HRG Rap/Theme Song
- HRG's Diary - fan site
Fan Theories
Please refer to Theory:Noah Bennet for fan-created theories and other speculation.