Should I Return to a New Season of Heroes?

Sep 22, 2009

—

I’m ambivalent about watching another season of Heroes. I was unable to watch the season premiere tonight due to being out for the evening.

The show had started with such promise. It was very exciting with often delightful turns and poignant or funny moments. Everything seemed possible with staggering twists that made this viewer believe any of the characters might die. But in the subsequent seasons, the show has become imaginative only in maintaining the status quo. Each season ends as it began, with the main characters trying to live ordinary lives, but inevitably drawn into the path of the Company or Sylar. It’s like they’re riding stationary bicycles beside those large drums with scenes painted on them. They just come around again and they go no where. And there is no direction that I can discern.

And everything is too precious. It reminds me of my own writing woes: Something has to give, but you *love* this scene or this character or this subplot. It has to go for the sake of a good story. For tightness, for clarity, for credibility. I can’t follow the threads anymore. Who am I rooting for? What are they after? What does it all matter?

Still, the show has wonderful dynamics that are portrayed with such a superb cast. I would love to see more moments of innocence and joy that is Hiro and Ando, and the compelling family drama of the Bennett family.

Have you seen Heroes? What are your thoughts?

Heroes television

Comments

2 responses to “Should I Return to a New Season of Heroes?”

JRice

September 23, 2009

I feel almost exactly the same way. At some point I recall turning to my wife and asking her, “okay, who are we supposed to like, at this point?” …And “Hiro” was the only answer we could come up with.

They’ve done a nice job of blurring the lines between good and bad, sure, but at the expense of the audience caring about the characters.

There are so many excellent shows on right now that I’m very much caring for the characters in: Lie To Me, House (itself an interesting experiment in getting the audience to care for ostensibly evil characters), Fringe, The Mentalist… I’m not sure I can bother investing in another show.

Which is a damn shame, because I’m a fan of the supers genre, and fond of the “walking among us” sub-theme.

I fear the writers focused too much on drama and (poor) character development and less on plot.

All this said, we’ve DVR’ed the premiere of Heroes, and plan on watching it. So I suppose I’m still willing to give it a shot.

Reply
1. jpcane
  
  September 23, 2009
  
  Thank you for you commenting.
  Hiro has been my favorite of the show. He is the stand-in for the comic book fans, one who not only accepts but embraces his special abilities. The first season began with him seeking his destiny, but after Volume 2, I think he’s gotten waylaid. I think this is due to the writers trying to herd cats, as my friend would say. That is, they are trying to keep all these characters in one story line where they wouldn’t otherwise be. It comes across to me as too contrived and I feel a bit cheated I suppose.
  Reminds me of another series I had used to enjoy: Smallville. It was good, but at the end of the fourth season, when Clark graduates high school, it should have just ended. Then a new series takes its place, call it Metropolis, where Clark becomes Superman. Instead it’s been, what 8 or 9 seasons, and he still isn’t the Man of Steel.
  In both cases it comes down to this: The shows’ creators had a wonderful idea that was pitched, developed and aired. But once the shows established themselves, the daring gives way to complacency. For fear of losing the audience, they stuck to what worked. Over. And over. Again.
  
  Reply

Should I Return to a New Season of Heroes?

Comments

2 responses to “Should I Return to a New Season of Heroes?”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply