Heroic Struggle

September 24, 2009

I finally caught the opening two hours of this season's Heroes. It's being repeated on the G4 Channel. (They're also starting the first repeats of Lost, season 5. It'll be fun to catch it again before the final season starts, this time knowing what's happening. In the first show when Richard aids the wounded Locke, we're as confused as Locke is.)

Anyway, it wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as I feared. I have to admit, as weak as the show is, I enjoyed seeing many of the characters again. I probably shouldn't get too attached since I can't see it lasting beyond this season.

Claire is in college. I'm not quite sure where her story is going, though it seems to be separated from the rest of the show. She's also got a sidekick to help her solve crimes. I don't suppose they'll continue with the Nancy Drew arc. (Claire falls out of a building to test a theory. She looks around, but forgets to look up. She's spotted. Yep.)

Noah is still a company man, though a lot more conflicted. He seems to be drawing closer to Tracy, who was a little more interesting than last year. (Most Heroes fans can't stand Niki/Tracy, but I've always been willing to put up with her characters just to watch Ali Larter.)

The show still had Danko, who should have been killed a long time ago. Happily, he was dispatched before the episode was over. It's not the first time Hero has buried one of its mistakes.

Worse, the show still has the awful--and central--Nathan/Sylar plot, which is causing trouble, but which I wish didn't even exist. And while we're at it, Parkman is also seeing an imaginary Sylar. We've had imaginary characters before, we don't need any more. (I've always been of the opinion that, as popular as he is, Sylar should have bought it in the season one finale. It's true they've never introduced a successful new villain (or hero) since, but it was time to move on.)

Also, it seemed that Parkman's marriage may be in trouble. Is that possible? After going to so much trouble to reconcile him with his wife (which they shouldn't have done) would they dare break them up again?

Hiro, who went from being the most popular Hero to being the most tiresome, is still pretty annoying with his latest too-conscious venture into being a hero. Then we find out he's dying, which is more than this comic book show can take.

Peter is his usual boring self. He's trying to stay away from being a big hero--he just wants to be a little hero. (Actually, that's the theme of this season so far--everyone wants to return to normal life, so we'll waste some episodes until they're all drawn into a larger plot.) Noah brings Peter into an adventure, and they scuffle with one of the new villains. An excellent example of how bad the plotting is on this show is how they handle this. Noah hires Peter because he knows (through Tracy seeing Danko killed--Tracy tries to kill Noah but then decides not to without much reason, and then decides to kill Danko and decides not to) that these new bad guys are out to get something. The new guy (superfast with knives) kills someone in front of their eyes, but Peter fights him off and he runs away. What he wants is a compass. Later, Peter and Noah part, and Noah keeps the compass. Huh? He's in just as much danger now as he was while getting the compass, so unless he can keep Peter or someone by his side, he can expect with near certainty the guy will be back. (The guy was already coming back when he met them the first time.) So of course he attacks Noah (off screen) and takes the compass. Noah is saved by Peter, but certainly he could have had a better plan. Or any plan.

By the way, no Mohinder in the first two hours, not even narration. I can't even remember if he has any powers left over from last season. Maybe his new power is speechlessness.