Nerd Rage: Heroes – Point Of No Return
WARNING: This is going to be spoiler filled! Read at your own risk!
Heroes. Fans have come and gone but there are still many that have stuck with the show since the beginning. After the season 4’s finale the show that once was about average people dealing with having extraordinary abilities beyond the limits of common man has now crossed the point of no return. Before we delve into the new status quo of the “Heroes-verse” lets take a look on how we got there.
Ever since Volume 2: Generations the show has been attempting to recapture the magic as also attempting to progress the story for fan favorite characters. Two issues prevented the show from achieving this were the writer’s strike of 2007 as well as the Season 1. You are probably thinking “How exactly did the first season prevent the progression of the show?” Before I get into that let’s briefly look at the writer’s strike. The writer’s strike cut season 2 in half and completely eliminated the original third volume to the series titled Exodus. The writer’s strike put a halt on the momentum that the series built up due to season one’s success. A slow paced story, brand new characters with no underlining connections to the original cast, and an uneventful looming threat did not give the series a strong second coming that fans and studio executives alike, wished for.
Season One, as any Heroes fan can tell you, has been the shows best season. Why exactly can’t the show recapture the magic that made it a hit in the first place? Let’s examine why season one is the standard but also prevented the series from moving on. A murderous looming villain, the threat of a global shattering event, human beings discovering their abilities and where they stand in the world, character connections and universe mythology building. Season One did all these things but most importantly it told one complete story. Volume One’s success was due to the attributing factors but also largely the story had a beginning, middle, and end. The characters completed their goal. They saved the world. They could go on with their lives. There was no need to continue with their stories in a writing sense as there was a clear conclusion: the good guys won.
What has been he issue from that point on is studio and fan pressure to keep fan favorite characters, adding complex and often unneeded layer of mythology in a universe that had a simple premise, and attempting to change the status quo with established characters. Generations added more mythology to the now destroyed super power hunting Company, Villains attempted to give fans the ultimate good versus evil showdown with horrible execution, Fugitives attempted to place the characters in a fear driven plot that made put friends and foes on the same side, and finally Redemption, an attempt to give some characters a new direction.
Redemption by far has been the second best season the series has seen. It gave us a master manipulator for a villain, Hiro understanding the price of change, Peter coming to terms with the death of his brother, Parkman sacrifices himself to defeat the ultimate villain, and Claire switches teams (giggity). There are still a few issues that plague the series that writers seem to not be able to give up even if they were resolved in the first season or unresolved at all: Claire having daddy issues and any character Ali Larter plays has no direction. New issues arising from this season are as follows: Suresh and Parkman join Ali Larter’s characters with having no direction and Sylar is no longer the looming threat but instead is Peter’s “BFF.” Remember, Sylar killed Peter’s brother and was impersonating him, even though the impersonation was not at Sylar’s will.
This brings us to the new status quo. The new status quo that is leaving fans confused and in awe is something I personally thought they would never do. The heroes did not lose this time around but in fact like true comic book fashion they won. Instead something else entirely has happened. Claire has forced the specials “out of the closet” and exposed them to the world. The world knows about people with abilities now. The sense of security that these people thought they could have with the notion of their abilities were a secret is forever gone. This is why the show cannot go back. This new status quo will change the tone and direction of the show as it breaks away from the show’s original theme of “ordinary people, extraordinary abilities” and forces them into the spotlight. What happens next? No clue but this new status quo will be sure to split fanboys and girls down the middle. Didn’t know Heroes could pull off their own version of “One More Day.”
What do you guys think of the bold new direction the series is taking? Do you agree or disagree with Season One hurting the progress of the show? Any other thoughts or comments post below!
6 Responses to “Nerd Rage: Heroes – Point Of No Return”
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NK Flickr!
Very good article Josh.
I agree with Redemption being one of the best seasons, it was the only one that I really continued to watch and not have to DVR it every night (Stupid Job). The new season will be interesting to see how they pull it off.
Didn’t the world find out about supers in fugitives? and then suddenly forget? Plus I hear this is the last season so I guess it’s a good way to start it. They just made the build up to the finale and the finale itself so boring, full of so many unnecessary and nonsensical developments. /sigh I’ll still watch lol Great article.
The government covered it up. Now the company will be put into the public eye as a savior to those super-humans or mutants. Season One made the show, but having your first act your best act is never a smart idea. Now its time to see a super team of mutants to combine. Wait, are we talking about comic books now because thats what it seems the show is going to? Not to insult comic books, but I wanted Heroes to stay true to the characters without having to take an expected story setup. I will be interested in the story still until Hiro dies. After he dies or the series ends, then I won’t care.
Wow, I never thought about the government covering it up. /facepalm
Hiro won’t die, his dead mom will just appear in his dream-like limbo state and heal him again. /2ndfacepalm
GO USA! ^_^
Hiro will die eventually, but it will most likely be the series finale.