I generally don’t write reviews – I scour the web for them and find the one I think is the best at any given time. In the case of this week’s episode of Heroes, ‘Exposed’, I’ve picked io9’s review ‘Sylar wants his mommy’ by Annalee Newitz. Her opening paragraph really says it all:
Last week I polled you guys about whether I should keep punishing myself and the world by continuing to watch Heroes. And you voted for punishment. Which is exactly what the episode “Exposed” was.
Whilst I agree with Newitz on most counts (although she is a little harsh), personally I was quite happy to see the return of David H. Lawrence’s ‘Puppet Master’. The plot twist could probably have been done better, but Lawrence’s character is by far one of the most creepy/scary/twisted in the series. He hasn’t had a lot of air time yet, but as far as villains go, he’s the one I want to see more of. I also don’t share the same level of harshness that Newitz has injected into her tone, but her article is nonetheless my pick for this week – perhaps next week I’ll scour the web for a review from the other side of the fence.
Here’s the promo trailer and a scene from the next episode of Heroes, titled ‘Exposed’ (Season 3, Episode 18):
Promo trailer:
A short clip:
Did you know that the previous episode of Heroes, Season 3 Episode 17 ‘Cold Wars’ was the lowest rating Heroes episode ever? Yes, it’s not looking good for Heroes right now. But I suppose you don’t need to know the ratings figures to be aware of that….
Film School Rejects have written a review of the latest episode of Heroes, ‘Cold Wars’ (Season 3, Episode 17) which I think sums up the episode and the present direction of the series quite nicely. Most of all their review has saved me wasting another hour of my time on what is rapidly descending from arguably the best series on television (season 1) to arguably the worst (everything since season 1).
TV Guide has posted an interview with Heroes star Jack Coleman (aka Noah Bennett/Claire’s untrustworthy foster-dad). Coleman offers up some spoilers regarding the next episode of Heroes (Cold Wars), the future of this season, and addresses the issues fans are having with the show -- well sort of.
According to Coleman, as this season rolls on it will focus more on character relationships than plot. He suggests this is a good direction that will reward fans who stick with it.
“There will be fewer stories per episode and more concentration on the relationships between people — it will be more character driven than plot driven,” Coleman said. “Ultimately, we’re trying to get back to the emotional core of the show — relationships between human beings. I really think these new episodes are quite good. People get wrapped up in thinking this show is not what it used to be, but if you forget all that and take these episodes on face value, they are really good. And what’s happening right now, were making stories that are relatable, have emotional value to them and are also entertaining. I’m really excited about where we’re headed. People who have liked the show at any point will be rewarded. I think a corner has been turned, and we’re heading in the right direction.”
Although I hope he’s right, I have a devil on my shoulder whispering to me that the problem with the show is too much emphasis on character relationships rather than plot. More specifically the show is suffering in large part thanks to the constant attention of the characters on the desire to be normal and just get on with their lives rather than exploration of their abilities in context of a strong and pivotal super-powered plot. The first season was all about the characters and their relationships -- this was a good thing. The second season should have taken that a closer step to a super-power driven third season storyline. It hasn’t, at least yet. I suppose for the moment we’ll just have to take upcoming episodes on face value…
Agree with the direction or not, the interview with Coleman is a good one. You can read the full interview here.
Watch a trailer to the next episode of Heroes -- Season 3 ‘Fugitives’ Episode 17 -- ‘Cold Wars’:
There’s been a lot of bad news on the Heroes front in recent times. From some of its stars wanting to quit to a caning in ratings, Heroes is running the risk of being cancelled outright. Pretty much most of the bad news relates to the fact that after what is arguably one of the greatest debut seasons of a television series ever, each subsequent season has, well, sucked.
Before you scream at me for saying that, consider the facts. Season one introduced us to a world of emerging super-powers by asking the question, “What if super-powers existed in the real world?” And it did it so well. As Peter Petrelli and Sylar grew into their own, the potential for season two was mind-blowing. I was hooked, and I told everyone I knew that apart from Battlestar Galactica, this was easily the next best show on TV. Then season two aired, and what an abomination. Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve been waiting patiently for a long time, and at last the first episode of the third season of Tim Kring’s award winning Heroes premieres within a few weeks (September 22nd). The third season or ‘volume’ of Heroes is collectively titled ‘Villains’, and promises to be a season underpinned by the age old theme of good vs evil.
The first season of Heroes was simply superb story telling at its best. The series came out of nowhere and, moreso, did for the super-hero genre what was really begun by X-Men – made it personal and believable. Naturally the first season rose to critical acclaim, even to the point of dominating viewer records for NBC like no other show had done in years.
The second season of Heroes was good, but it lacked what made the first season great. Firstly, the storyline contained sub-stories that seemed for much of the season largely unattached. Character development was weak and, worse, there were many inconsistencies. Probably the biggest mistake of the second season was the lack of pace and, for most of the season, it simply felt like the whole series had forgotten what it had been working towards in season 1. Read the rest of this entry »
There’s been a lot of bad news on the 
