Over at my blog, I’ve posted a poll asking if you think Heroes will be canceled in the foreseeable future. Let me make this perfectly clear: Under no circumstances do I even think it’s a remote possibility that this show will be canceled within the next couple of years, barring some catastrophic event. The reason I ask, however, is because several media publications – most notably Entertainment Weekly – have created this impression that this show is on the verge of collapse. Don’t get me wrong: the show is not nearly as acclaimed or popular as it was two years ago, and its flaws are apparent, but it’s still a cash cow for NBC.
And let me repeat those last three letters: NBC. This is NBC we’re talking about. Much like the Sci-Fi series it airs, NBC is no longer the monstrous success that it was during its heyday. This is no longer the network that aired Seinfeld, Friends, and ER (okay, it still airs ER, but – and is this a trend? – it’s no longer the ratings bohemoth it once was). It’s not as if NBC has hit after hit after hit to fall back on. And it’s also not as if the network has a recent history of new series succeeding. Admittedly, between a rather large cast of relatively well known actors and special effects, the series is probably pretty expensive, but it just doesn’t make financial sense for them to dump the show. Not in any way, shape, or form. Nielson ratings are tough to come by, but if I’m not mistaken, Heroes is the second highest rated drama on NBC, and it’s one of the top rated primetime shows on television amongst the most sought after and profitable demographic. Honestly, why on earth would NBC get rid of one of its highest rated programs? One that brings them a lot of advertising money?
What irks me, though, is the impact the media has had on this series (have I suddenly become anti-media?) Take my father, for example. He watched the premiere, and really enjoyed it. Then, because of conflicts with Prison Break, he hasn’t really seen the show. But he does have a subscription to Entertainment Weekly and other publications. I asked him the other day if he’s watched any of the episodes that I’ve taped for him (remember VHS tapes?) and he tells me that he’s not really as into the show any more, and that he thinks it’s gone downhill. After only watching the premiere. Which he enjoyed. And my dad is a highly intelligent guy who knows what he likes. But he still allowed these media outlets to convince him that this show wasn’t worth watching anymore.
I think there are a lot of people out there who have been victimized the same way. That’s why I’ve heavily avoided all of these negative reviews. I don’t need some magazine to tell me something is good or something is bad. I can decide that for myself. Why let some faceless writer sway my opinion (Pot. Kettle. Black)? There are some wrinkles that Heroes needs to iron out, but the show isn’t being canceled. Trust me.
Anyway, that’s the end of my rant. Here’s the episode review.
The episode kicked off with an awesome moment right off the bat. How cool was the “Villains” opening credits, instead of the usual “Heroes”? Very clever.
I was originally skeptical about this episode, I must admit. I thought to myself, “Didn’t we essentially see this episode in season one, when it was called “Six Months Ago”? But truth be told, this episode far exceeded my expectations, and it was quite possibly the most effective installment in regards to the whole heroes/villains story arc. While some of these “who’s good and who’s bad” twists and turns have felt forced, this episode did a wonderful job of actually explaining each character’s true spirit and motivation. I was highly impressed. And best of all, it didn’t feel the need to introduce every single character.
First, you had Sylar. This episode taught us that, despite his hunger, he truly didn’t want to kill. Instead, we learned, he was being deliberately tempted by The Company. In particular, he was being lured by Elle, who, incidentally, had a conscience about her part in his downfall. After a while, she actually started to have feelings for him, and genuinely felt badly for what she was doing. Somewhat ironically, HRG was the one who blindly followed orders, completely disregarding these people with abilities.
We now know what many people may have guessed, which is that Meredith and Flint are brother and sister. And, oddly, it seems that the villainous Flint was initially hoping to become part of The Company, before Meredith turned him against them. If not for Meredith’s intervention, it’s entirely possible – perhaps probable – that Flint would have been fighting for the “good” guys. The very people that Meredith, interestingly enough, is fighting alongside right now.
I think the absolute highlight of the show, however, was the Petrelli family saga. Wow, what we ever learned about this twisted family! Move over, McMahons, the Petrellis are now the most screwed up family on television. And how entertaining they are.
So, what did we learn? First and foremost, it seems that Nathan – and not Peter – was the original bane of the previous generation’s existence. I found this to be interesting, because throughout all of season one, Nathan was the proverbial prodigal son, while Peter was the one who countered their evil doings.
Perhaps most interesting of all, we discovered that Linderman didn’t actually want to kill Nathan. Instead, it was all Papa Petrelli’s doing. In fact, Linderman may very well have played a part in saving Nathan’s life, essentially revealing Arthur’s plot to Angela. Linderman almost seemed to have compassion for Nathan and his moral plight.
And then, of course, there’s Angela. She’s quickly catching up on HRG as the most complex, interesting character on this series. She’s seemed cold, especially to her own children, throughout the entire run of the show. She was seemingly willing to sacrifice both Peter and Nathan – on numerous times – and it initially seemed as if she was warming up to Sylar so that he can commit evil deeds. Well, after this episode, we now know that she did everything in her power to prevent Nathan from being killed. She was also devastated when she learned what happened to Heidi. And she was willing to kill Arthur in order to protect her children. Much like HRG, it seems as if all of her questionable acts can be traced back to keeping her family safe.
It also seems that Hiro may have been relinquished of his abilities. Honestly, I don’t think that would be the worst thing in the world. I’ve long been arguing that this show desperately needs to do away with the “travel to the future, find out something crappy’s going to happen, go back to the past to prevent it” story arc. So far, it seems, the two characters that can time travel have had their abilities removed. Along with that, I think Hiro being without abilities, and Ando with abilities (after taking the injection) would add a very interesting dynamic to their relationship. How would Hiro react to being the “side kick”? Would Ando allow it to go to his head if he was suddenly the one that was special? It would definitely be something different, which is what this show (which is not being canceled, by the way) needs.
Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.
