HEROES told the story over multiple character arcs of ordinary people gifted with extraordinary abilities and powers in a time of crisis. Each of these beings were marked with a symbol, a double helix of sorts. HEROES created a rich television mythology of “THE COMPANY” a clandestine organization that continually documents, tags and if need be –destroys these super powered individuals.
The show focused heavily on the exploits of one super powered individual known as “Sylar” … the world’s first super powered serial killer who is intent on stock piling a number of special abilities for himself to achieve the closest thing to godhood.
“SAVE THE CHEERLEADER …SAVE THE WORLD.”
This phrase became synominous with pop culture and grew beyond the plot point it was meant to be.
The show lasted four seasons. It was cancelled on February 8, 2010.
“What happened?”
Some will look back at this program and claim that it was done in by the writer’s strike of 2007-2008. Other’s claim that the ego of the Show’s creator and the tight purse of NBC killed what could have been a mega-franchise.
Honestly, HEROES killed itself with all of the above. I can definitively say that the show began it’s downward spiral with the last two episodes of the first series story arc “GENESIS” entitled “LANDSLIDE” and “HOW TO STOP AN EXPLODING MAN”.
Viewers had been ravenously waiting to see what was expected to be a culmination of all of the multi-layered character arcs and were hoping to see a BIG, SLAM-BANG ACTION SET-PIECE as the Heroic characters united and defeated Sylar before he could destroy New York and start Armageddon.
Note: I myself figured that Sylar would probably explode from absorbing too many special abilities and that acquiring the powers of Ted Sprague (Living Nuclear Bomb) would cause him to overload.
[Heck, what do I know?]
Millions of viewers watched as Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) began to overload with nuclear energy as his brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) flew him into the stratosphere where he detonated presumably killing them both.
The final to Season One left me going –“HUH?!!”
Millions of people watching this show jump-the-shark in it’s first season were blindsided by this complete fumble, but before we could get outraged, the preview for the second story arc “GENERATIONS” immediately aired and I, like others begrudgingly and silently committed to watching the second season if only to find out the ultimate fate of the characters.
HEREOS had some great characters when it aired. By the time the show ended it’s run these same characters had become ciphers of themselves through behind the scenes staffing changes and desperation scripting.
Something that started out with promise ended making no damn sense at all.
I’m not going to review every season of this show. I just want to try to make sense of some of the hackneyed writing and planning that ruined it.
Let’s start with:
“SAVE THE CHEERLEADER …SAVE THE WORLD.”
During SEASON ONE, one of the plot points is that Sylar is seeking Claire Bennet to assume her rapid regeneration abilities. A character (rather a future version) has warned that if Sylar is successful, he will become unstoppable and cause a “Days of Future Past” type apocalypse. Claire is saved by Peter Petrelli thus making Sylar vulnerable.
Stupid part: At the conclusion of season one, Sylar has a confrontation with multiple empowered characters, even being impaled …and survives anyway.
What was the point?
In the Season THREE opener, Sylar manages to corner Claire and extract her abilities during a gruesome table top lobotomy. Sylar becomes invincible and Claire remains “alive”.
[F.Y.I- In prior depictions of Sylar “stealing abilities” he uses telekinesis to remove the tops of the intended victims skulls in an effect akin to a power saw slicing through bone and flesh. It was also hinted that the serial killer was ingesting the brains of his victims (season 1).]
The Cheerleader:
Claire Bennet is a fresh faced young ingénue with the ability to spontaneously regenerate damaged tissue & even severed limbs. Her introduction in season 1 trying to make since of her ability and later, her place in the world was inspiring and sometimes exhilarating (Note: Episodes entitled “Genesis” & “Company Man” in particular).
Unfortunately in later episodes in particular, season 3’s “Angels & Monsters”, “Dying of Light”, ”Shades of Gray” and finally the series ending final “Brave New World” … Claire Bennet appears to be more trouble than she’s worth. It’s that simple. The character proves to be something of an oxymoron.
In “Company Man” Claire’s adoptive father Noah Bennett (a.k.a HRG) goes to great pains and personal discomfort to ensure that her ability remains hidden and that she lives a normal life. He even takes a bullet at the conclusion of the episode to punctuate his love for his daughter.
Beginning with season 2, Claire Bennet continually places her father in situations that are extremely dangerous for him & his actual family. She displays a contrary nature, emotionally punishing her father for realistically not living up to her standards and pursues trouble with the conviction of an addict.
I always wondered, especially during season 3, why HRG didn’t simply lock Claire up in the maximum security wing of Level 5. Claire Bennett’s activities run almost in tandem with Sylar’s in endangering other people with abilities, exposing them to the general public & placing loved ones in immediate danger.
[Sidebar: Here’s an idea I guess the writers never considered. Why not turn Claire “Heel” (A pro-wrestling term.) and legitimize her willful and selfish acts of defiance against the only person really in her corner, her dad.
Imagine that this heel turn could rise naturally out of Claire’s insecurity regarding her passive super power. Couldn’t you just see Claire confronting Sylar in her old Odessa home and drugging him, only to have him wake up with the top of his skull removed?]
What is more villainous than Claire Bennett’s final act of selfish defiance in the season final “Brave New World” where she exposes her super power to the world?
Sylar:
I must admit that Zachary Quinto is a charismatic actor. I don’t even believe he was cast at the time the premiere aired. But hands down, Sylar was one of the best and well written characters on the show. Extremely shrewd and pragmatic as well as clever, Sylar racked up a considerable body count before the hack writers got around to “fixing” his character in what is by my count, was the second attempt to humanize him.
In season 1, Sylar was a monster.
Every subsequent season, the anonymous writing teams (the REAL villains) shaved layers off of Sylar. To his credit Zachary Quinto rolled with every one of those changes making them so subtle, you hardly even knew they happened.
In season 4, Sylar was a eunuch.
(Basically, the character was a castrated version of himself.)
The problem: HEROES was too DEPENDENT on the SYLAR character. Every time those ratings would drop, here comes Sylar!!
Problem: The writing staff never took the time to create more than one formidable reoccurring villain during the course of the series. Yeah, some might point to characters like Arthur Petrelli, Adam Monroe and Samuel, but they were basically one shot wonders… all of them.
Probably the GREATEST VILLIAN on HEREOS was none other than Angela Petrelli.
During her initial appearance she was in league with Linderman to blow NYC off the map, hid Claire’s existence from her son Nathan, lied about Adam Monroe, continuously withheld vital information, abandoned her sister in the desert and bullied telepath Matt Parkman and HRG to cover up her son’s death with Sylar as a double for her deceased child.
She even lied to Sylar about being his “REAL” mother.
Hell, I could buy Sylar believing that she was his mother considering her ruthlessness.
Ali Larter:
You’ll notice that I didn’t name the point after her character(s), Nikki, Tracy or Jessica Sanders. During season 1, Ali was a hoot to watch as struggling single mother Nikki Sanders and her alter ego “Jessica”. Jessica was sort of an Edward Hyde-proto HULK type character with the inhumanly strong vixen emerging at times of distress from Nikki’s subconscious. Clearly modeled after Marvel Comics “Mr. Fixit” persona of the Hulk, when you saw Jessica, you knew she meant business.
Problem:
The writers claim that they ran out of things to do with Jessica, so they killed off both characters so to speak. They followed up this GREAT idea with the brand new character of Tracy Strauss. Introduced as part of a trio of sisters “artificially” given abilities in their infancy, this effectively “JUMPED THE SHARK” and killed any faith I had that the show would get better.
It just seems like the producers didn’t want to part company with Ali Larter and were resolved to keep her by any means necessary. Tracy Strauss is a political rain maker with the ability to well, freeze things and people (She can also alter her form into liquid and reconstitute herself at will.).
Problem:
The character of Hiro Nakamura.
Hiro is an evolved human who had the ability to bend space and time. Introduced as a tandem to Claire Bennett, it was a joy to watch Hiro discover and use his abilities initially. Effectively becoming the comedy relief of the show due to his many misadventures with his side kick Ando. However as time passed, Hiro’s childish antics became somewhat of a shtick as the show wore on. Simply put, the character did not evolve. It was as if the writer’s forgot that during the inaugural season a “Future Hiro” appeared and delivered a cryptic warning to one of the characters.
“SAVE THE CHEERLEADER …SAVE THE WORLD.”
What happened to this guy? He was completely BAD ASS and not someone to be messed with as viewers were privy to observe in the episode “Five Years Gone”.
HEROES was mishandled on all counts during the later seasons as was just pointed out in the bulk of this review. The series had some early promise that was apparently stamped out by the writer’s strike, inept tampering from the parent studio and ultimately the series creator … TIM KRING.
Yes, it would appear that Tim Kring forgot to do the most basic of things when creating a series.
IS THERE NO SHOW BIBLE?!!
Wikipedia definition:
A bible for writers is a reference document used for information on a story's characters, settings and other elements.[1] They are commonly used in media with multiple writers, such as comic books and television series, where new writers and freelancers are often referred to it when writing scripts for the show to ensure continuity with previous episodes, but are also used by individual writers for books and movies, to keep track of details.
That being said … THE SHOW JUST WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE DURING IT’S RUN!!
p.s. GETTING RID OF JEFF LOEB, PROBALY WAS A BIG MISTAKE TOO!!
Mr. Kring has expressed interest in tying up most of the storylines left dangling when HEROES was finally given its mercy killing on February 08, 2010.
The viewing public for the most part feels ….”LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE.”
…or quoting DeForest Kelly’s Doctor McCoy (Star Trek) … “He’s DEAD Jim.”
Shadowgeek10 returns to the shadows once more.