I’ll keep this brief. Basically, just like with Season 2, Season 3 may as well not have happened, aside from a few brief developments. People blabbered on about being monsters, not monsters, right side, wrong side, blah blah blah. Here’s the important stuff:
1. Nathan is now the bad guy. As long as he stays a legitimate, realistic villain with logical motivations, I think its a terrific move, especially when you factor in that Nathan himself has an ability. A perfect construct of a villain. Let’s hope Kring doesn’t screw this one up.
2. Just a question here– why are all television president’s now women or black? We get it, Hollywood, you’re liberal. And besides, now that we actually do have a black president, shouldn’t we give whitey a chance?
3. Knox, Meredith, freaky puppet dude, Arthur, Sylar = dead. I expect all of these people to stay dead. I’d be wary of Sylar, but with Zachary Qunito’s movie career likely taking off, thanks to the upcoming J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, I think its safe to say he won’t be back.
4. Peter can fly. Hiro can do nothing. Will this be dealt with in “Fugitives” ? Doubtful.
5. Ando has the ability to amplify the powers of others. Wow. That’s got to be the worst power since season 1 dude who could melt solid objects into colored discs. Even as a superhero, Ando is somebody else’s bitch.
6. African Isaac, who had his head chopped off, was paid thousands of dollars by NBC to inexplicably appear in regular Isaac’s loft, for about 2 seconds. Why? Why???
From all I’ve heard/read, the “Fugitives” volume is supposed to be a grand return to form for this flailing series. We’ve already narrowed down the characters a bit, and now instead of catalysts and formulas and other mumbo jumbo that means nothing, we have meaningful stakes– the heroes are on the run. It’s life or death, freedom or imprisonment. Some will side with Nathan to save their own asses, some will fight him to save others, some will run and hide. It certainly has potential. Will Tim Kring muck it up once and for all, or can Heroes be saved? Check back in February to find out…
Grade: C+
Volume 3, “Villians: C-
I’m hoping Heroes will finally get interesting with the start of the next season.
I still like the series, it’s fun and brainless entertainment, but every episode I am bothered by the stupid choices the writes make. To me it seems that they just write the show one episode at a time, without mapping out the story for the season (or the entire run of the series). Last episode they seemed to remember that they had to do something about Arthur, so whooptidoo he got a bullet in his skull. The same thing with Sylar’s struggle, “O noes, he’s our only cool villain, let’s make him evil again”. It’s just the same thing all over again, even Nathan’s turn to ‘evil’, he’s been there and done that in season 1. And why, WHY, did Peter get his powers back? Just show some growth in the characters. Frak, just show me how the characters turn into their awesome future-selves. Somehow their future-selves are all bad-ass (in a future that seems just weeks or months away) but after the entire show the characters all still basicly the same.
Someone said the writers should just lay of the timetraveling part of the show, and focus more on the human side of the powers. Remember how awesome it was when Hiro first appeared from the future? But then they used the timetravelling as an easy plotdevice, to solve every problem they have.
After all this negative comments I feel I should mention some positive points too. I liked the great hauntedhouse of Sylar, but it didn’t feel at it’s place in this season’s finale. I think it would’ve made a great single episode. Just focus on the characters in the building, and give it some more time to build tension. Give freaky puppetguy (I just love him!) some more screentime, let Sylar play with his pray a little more.
I also liked the prologue to the next season. Bring their abilities in the open, that way there are actually concequences to what they do. Create some crazy over the top mutant prison camps. People with abilities living in secret, Peter ofcourse leading the underground resistance.
I have to agree with you about the black president. But then again, it’s Worf, so that should could for something. And the African Isaac thing, that was just a little Return-of-the-Jedi-ghosts-at-the-celebration-thing. ^^
I give the season a solid meh. It was entertaining, but it’s not something you have to see (unlike Dexter, Chuck, Sarah Connor Chronicles or Lost :p)
Great comments, Bas. I especially like the one about the future heroes — they’re all so much more badass and cooler in the future. When is that future? How do they keep averting the future? Will they ever see a future that’s actually the future?
As for next season, I don’t know how out in the open things actual are. It seems like Nathan’s mission might be of a secretive nature, and that only Worf and other government officials know what’s up. Furthermore, there are so many questions I’m sure Kring & Co will ignore — are there a finite number of heroes? What happens if heroes continue to breed? Are the only heroes in the world living conveniently in America, where the American government can persecute them? Um, can’t superheroes just beat humans?
I’m skeptical, but at this point, I’m so rooting for Heroes to be good again, and I’ve already invested so much time, I might as well stick it out some more.
Nathan’s plan might be secretive, but if they start rounding ‘specials’ up, people should wonder what’s going on right? Of course, in that case Heroes should make logical reactions, and we all know that’s not the case..
BTW, I just read the title of one of the upcoming episodes because I was checking how much episodes are still left in season 3. Well, it was kinda spoilerish, and told a lot about the fate of one character.. something tells me Volume 4 isn’t the grand return we’re hoping for..
As you know, I stopped watching Heroes somewhere this season. Apparantly, it was a good choice. I want to ask you a question, a question that is bothering me for a long time: what is it with Heroes that it can be so crappy without being punished? The last half of season one was a big step down, Volume 2 was a big joke and Volume 3 might (to quote you) as well not have happened. Still, you, Bas, other people I know and me for a while are still waiting for a turn a round. What is the secret of Heroes? Why are you and all those others still watching? If only an half of three volumes is watchable…I do not understand.
Chuck is still very enjoyable, but I’ m starting to celebrate an old, lovely state of excitingness as the 21 of january is coming closer…soon…
man this episode sucked. i thought the one before this one was actually pretty good, but this one was lame lame lame. i predicted about half the dialogue before it left anyone’s mouth, no one did anything remotely interesting. and i also feel like nathan’s side change was very rapid and arbitrary. it seems like they just wrote that in so they could have a plot line for the next volume.
p.s. i was so happy elle was killed a few eps back.
Thanks for the comments Ivar & Deb — always love hearing from the Heroes regulars. Ivar: I think at this point, people who continue to watch Heroes in spite of its awfulness do so because we’ve already invested so much time and we still have hope that our investment might one day be rewarded by a series that once showed so much promise. It’s like being a Chicago Bulls fan (heyo!)
Deb: Yes, I too was happy Elle was killed. Worst character in the history of the show, easily. And yes, I think Nathan’s turn was poorly explained and very convenient. I still don’t understand why he’s a bad guy, but at this point, I don’t care. As long as he’s a stable bad guy and they explain his motivation as they go, I’ll buy it.
when kristin bell is the worst character in the history of your show, your show is either unbelievably amazing or really, really dumb. I didn’t watch a second of this season but I think I know which way I’m leaning.
nice.
Heroes’ main problem for me is that they keep introducing plot lines and then just ignoring them. Does nobody else wonder what happened to that girl Peter lost in the future in season two? It is as if they write each episode by itself, with only a cursory glance at what the main story arc is.
Nellius, I ask the question about Cailtin the missing Irish Woman all the time. Lost in a bleak future. Kind of like this series…