The TV show Heroes got me incredibly excited when I first heard about it. A critically acclaimed show with high production values about superheroes? This could well be the show I’ve been waiting for all my life.
My levels of excitement were maintained throughout the first three quarters of season 1. Sure the program had faults: everyone was far too good looking, the plot crawled along at a snails pace, and I felt like punching Peter Petrelli firmly in the nose. But I put up with it, just happy to see a superhero show that was accepted in the mainstream.
But then suddenly about two or three episodes before the season finale I had an epiphany – Heroes actually isn’t very good.
Certainly the program is well made (although the dialogue leaves a little to be desired), but unfortunately it falls victim to the malady affecting most modern genre shows these days: the obsession with having a conspiracy based meta-plot.
Ever since The X Files science fiction producers and script writers have been obsessed by crowbaring their own version of The Smoking Man into their programs. It drives me completely bananas. I find conspiracy’s very boring and manipulatively drip feeding snippets of one out over twenty odd episodes is a sure fire way of losing my interest in a show.
It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that the writers have no bloody clue what they are doing.
In the hight of X Files mania fans used to regularly chant their mantra of The Truth is Out There; believing that the program’s creator Chris Carter had a grand vision as to where the show’s mythology was going. Of course we know now that he didn’t have a clue. As the seasons progressed the various conspiracies got so tangled and convoluted that even the most dedicated viewer had a hard time keeping track of what was going on. The show eventually disappeared up it’s own anus, leaving behind only a slight whiff of disappointment and nostalgia for what it could have been.
I loved The X Files. I loved the characters, I loved the premise, and I loved the script writing. But the meta plot ruined it. Not in the first three seasons; no, they were great; but it ruined it eventually and I can’t help feeling that is what is going to happen to Heroes.
Too much of Heroes depends on the ongoing story, there just isn’t enough emphasis on an episode being self contained. And although it may not seem like it, it is possible to have both. You can have your cake and eat it too. Just look at the Whedonverse: Buffy, Angel, Firefly – all shows with metaplots, but with a clear individual episode integrity. Great stuff.
And while I’m ranting I’ll tell you something else I didn’t like about Heroes: The ending to the first season. Twenty two bloody episodes I sat through hoping to see some good old fashioned superhero battles. Twenty two episodes. We got a tantalizing glimpse of how glorious a super ruckus could be when Peter and Sylar were fighting in the episode set in the future, and boy was it exciting. So come episode twenty three I was anticipating a special effects laden royal rumble of epic proportions. And what did I get? A big pile of steaming anticlimactic pants, that’s what I got.
Bah, humbug.
In the interests of full disclosure I should perhaps point out that I’ve only actually seen the first season of Heroes. Kerry has seen the second one, she watched it while I was wrecking my feet doing the Dales Walk. I plan to get round to it too eventually, but from what I’ve heard I doubt I’m going to be overly enamored. Still, I’ve still got the Animated adventures of Batman to sate all my small screen superhero needs. That should keep me going for a while.
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The biggest fault in Heroes is the stupidity of the characters. All of them. The second biggest fault is the lack of logic. The writers have written themselves into a corner and their lack of long-term plan means that good characters get wasted, bad characters get worse, and nobody does anything that any logical person would do in that situation.
I support shows like Heroes and Smallville only because I hope that sometime there will be a show that actually does it right, but networks have to see that shows about super powers can be popular.
Avitables last blog post..I’m home! And now it’s time for a story about a toilet.
Man, do you think about stuff that just passes me by.
I’ve enjoyed Heroes, it’s full of holes, and the plot lines, endings, are predictable, but it don’t matter to me I still think it is better casual TV than eveything else presently on.
Series 2 wasn’t very good but series 3 has started really well, loads of side switching and Claire Bennett will do me as a fine brunnette minx.
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I always think that “superheroes” should come from comics. If the story did not released in a comic, then they can’t be called “superheroes” :D
just my .02
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I really like Heroes, but there are too many frustrating turn of events that a little common sense should have prevented. It makes me yell at the TV.
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@Acakadut: there’s an online ‘comic’ of Heroes (not that it was there before the series..but still )
Following your story, I don’t think you’ll be convinced by s2 to keep watching. And in season 3 there are some episodes that sometimes seem to make no sense till they fix it in the next one. But the whole plot is the reason I wíll keep watching because I want to know what the entire story is.
The fact that a lot of tv series don’t have episodes that you could miss out on or watch separately bugs me too, because if you follow it on tv, and you miss one episode, you get confused, A LOT! That doesn’t mean that they should make too much filler episodes *stargate atlantis anyone*.
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And it isn’t getting any better this season,yet I still watch it.
My kids are addicted to Heroes but I only watched it for the first time this week (yeah – probably not too clever as I obviously didn’t have a clue what was going on) My son wants to buy Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD and is convinced that if I sit for 48 hours and watch the entire thing I’ll love it. Apart from not having a spare 48 hours, I’m really not convinced.
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Series two just felt like filler. And the good stuff was very thinly spread.
Series three seems to have lost its way. I thought the original premise was “superheroes, but reacting like real people instead of comic heroes”. Series three of Heroes seems to be drawing its influences from the X-Men movies :(
Its got enough to keep me watching in vain hope, but like you very astutely point out, its all about the metaplot, not the individual episodes. I *like* conspiracy metaplots. But dragging it out, and making it the only substance will make me switch off (I’m looking at you here Lost!)
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I watch them all – thanks to the wonders of Sky Plus.
Season 3 of Heroes has had me asking “what was that all about?” more than once at the end – but then I’m not the best at picking up on plots and things.
I still enjoy Lost, I have a closer relationship with the characters and actually ‘care’ when one of them gets hurt. (I know, it’s not real!)
But my very favourite series is Dexter. I love it! I squirm at the opening sequence every time, and hold my breath to stop him getting caught when it’s all a bit tense. I like the plot but also love the characters.
Does anyone remember 4400 and Invasion?
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Dexter ís awesome!
Never got around to 4400 (should though) and I think I saw about 2 episodes of Invasion before it got taken of tv here :S
Arjans last blog post..Concrete drill vs Metallica’s Death magnetic : 1-0
I liked it – but then got bored.
I loved (fancied?) Peter Petrelli though.
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I lvoed the first season of Heroes, but I gave up a few episodes into season 2, I just ahted the new characters, and was annoyed by the fact that they couldn’t leave season 1 behind and move on…
I only started watchign X-files about a month or so ago, and so far I’m loving it! Although I’m only up to season 3, so I guess time will tell. I agree abuot the conspiracy thing though, I much prefer the standalone episodes…
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