Congratulations are in order for Heroes.

Despite the show's low ratings and rumored cancelation, it went into the record books this week for airing the most manipulative, cop-out of a storyline in TV history. Well done, terrible series!

After dragging viewers through Hiro's brain tumor all season, the episode "Pass/Fail" dealt with it as follows:

Hiro passed out. He had afterlife-like visions of a trial in which Adam Monroe accused him of using his time-traveling abilities for selfish reasons. His father (the judge) then found him guilty of this charge and sentenced him to a sword fight with Monroe. Hiro won, and was cured of his tumor with a kiss from his dead mother.

We're not making this up. That's how the show actually resolved one of its main season four storylines, which left us with two questions:

1. Was Heroes actually being ironic? Most of the episode was dedicated to depicting how much of a waste Hiro has become. It's hard not to think the series was almost winking at viewers with this self-aware plot.
2. Was Heroes going for such a religious theme? It was impossible to not view the diner as purgatory, while Hiro's mom left him with the unusual message that "destiny is stronger than science." Does that mean one should ignore modern medicine and just rely on... fate?

Other questions/points to make from the episode:

• What, exactly, is our reaction supposed to be toward Sylar at this point? The cliffhanger from a few weeks ago of him hanging outside Claire's window resulted in... a conversation between this pair. So should viewers have left this week's episode with fear that Sylar wants to - gasp! - talk to Parkman, too?
• Apparently, Samuel's grand plan has been to recruit people with abilities in order to build a dream home for Vanessa.
• Really?
• Really?!?
• How does that even make sense?
• We're so glad the show spent so long on Mohinder's rescue last week. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been free to immediately leave again.

We'd love to leave readers with something positive from this week's episode. But we got nothing. Please leave comments or sound off in our Heroes forum with a reason why viewers should be excited for the final three hours of the season.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.