I was pretty excited by the Heroes Season 3 premiere and have been watching the show progress over the last few episodes. Saying that the pace has sped up compared to last season would be a wild understatement – things are happening at a rapid-fire pace.
But is it all light and no heat?
(BTW, there will be spoilers below.)
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There have been so many revelations so far this season that it’ll make your head spin – it certainly keeps the “woah factor” up there (as in “woah, can you believe [insert crazy connection/item] just happened?!?!”), but has the pendulum swung too far in the opposite direction?
Last season the story moved very slowly, and due to the writers’ strike cutting the season short this ended up being a bad thing. Fans complained, the producers listened, and this season the opener was jam-packed with action and plot elements unfolding.
Since then, we’ve met yet more super-powered characters (despite creator Tim Kring stating there would be no new characters this season) including a female version of The Flash, a guy who gains super-strength from people’s fear, Nikki’s (Ali Larter) twin who has a freeze power. And of course we have Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) turning into the TV version of David Cronenberg’s The Fly.
We also have two versions of Peter (well, we’re back down to one), Sylar (ok, Gabriel) partnered with HRG as well as discovering our skull-slicing pal is the brother of Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar). Then we have future Claire “saving me didn’t save the world” Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) all decked out in black leather and acting like a bad-ass assassin. Oh, and now Peter has Sylar’s power and slices skulls, too!
I’m actually not clear on what exact power Peter needed from Sylar since he (Peter) absorbs the super power of others just by being nearby.
Then there’s our friendly police officer Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) out in the African desert on a walkabout running into yet another guy who can paint the future. Of course Hiro and Ando are still flailing about like a couple of Keystone Cops.
Geez, have I missed anything? Oh, yeah – another nuclear explosion, this time in Costa Verde, California. And everyone in the future that can afford it has super-powers.
And this is in just 4 episodes so far this season.
So my question to you is this: Is Heroes just throwing everything it can into the mix in the hope it will engage viewers, or does this seem coherent and like it’s actually moving towards a destination to you?
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172 Comments
I’m on board with all of those who mention the “Save the Future” plot lines. It is starting to get a little old. I understand the inclusion of time travel powers are going to bring that aspect but it’s starting to wear thin.
The characters are still running around the same hamster wheel. I was hoping to see more cohesion by now. More solid lines of good and bad would be nice. The flip flop factor is getting to be a bit much.
I realize modern superhero stories are very gray and on the line. Look at recent marvel stories. No more black and white, good vs bad. (Hell I’m even starting to consider Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic as more villain based than heroes these days) It’s all very gray and the lines are blurred so I understand a modern superhero story going that route. I was just hoping for more black and white I guess. Some throwbacks to the golden age of comics wouldn’t hurt. I was hoping to see proper teams form by now. Maybe a cheesy shoutout to a superhero costume. That sort of thing.
It just feels like the writers are pulling their ideas from the same page and seem stuck after introducing time travel.
Don;t get me wrong, I’m an avid fan and will watch until the last episode…. I just hope that last episode doesn’t involve repairing the future… yet again.
I have to disagree with Kofi. The audience knows exactly what it wants the problem is the audience is so big and not everyone wants the same thing. While a lot of people are screaming for more action I scream for more story development and Character depth. I have never cared that much about action.
Looking at how the ratings are falling (badly I might add), HEROES is either dead at the end of this season or it returns for a 4th year completely re-tooled with few returning characters.
That, and Tim Kring gets fired as executive producer/show-runner.
Jamie.
I still cant get enough of it…sure it’s faster than season 2 but you just have to follow and it will all become clear…have faith
The writers have definitely lost the strong character development of season one. The promised action buildup for this season hasn’t yet delivered to me. The villians seem a bit weak considering all the hype. Sylar took them all out without trying. I didn’t like them starting season 2 farther into the future was a bit screwed up. The changing a possible bad future twist is getting old. Are we going to start up another mile long rant on Heroes again?
I got bored when it started as a 4400 episode.
I have to say, I like this season. Seriously, though, guys-how can you not like Sylar this season? I really enjoyed the whole “taking control of the crime scene” bit outside the bank, and Future Gabriel. Just awesome. Though, I must say, I have to agree about Future Peter’s scar, and that it shouldn’t be there.
I’m enjoying Sylar a lot this season, I think more than any of the other characters, who are seeming more and more wooden.
Vic
I didn’t read all of the comments, but in case no one answered it.
The reason Peter is able to die despite “having” Claire’s power is that he has to think of how that person makes him feel in order to use their power. At least that is the way his “flying” ability was explained all the way back in season one. He was able to fly when he thought about his brother.
Didn’t quite complete my thought in the above post.
Since he has to think of how the person makes him feel to use their power, if he were “killed” quickly, he wouldn’t have time to think of his feelings about Claire and use her ability.
Forgive me, but
@jc:
There is no Tom!! It’s Matt, alright? Matt Parkman. You don’t even have the character’s name right.
@mootaku
I understand your point, i have no problem with “turn off your brain” lol.
But i have to desagree when you basicaly said that only real fans see the details. I have to agree with Daniel when he said:
“The audience knows exactly what it wants the problem is the audience is so big and not everyone wants the same thing.”
I am a firm fan of Heroes and I look for the same thing what this season is offering. Basically everything in tv and cinema have continuity problems, but this don’t mean that this movie or tv series have to be bad. That’s what i want to say…
Anyway, this discussions is great. Congratulations to Screen Rant…
OBS: mootaku, we’re fine lol.
“I’m actually not clear on what exact power Peter needed from Sylar since he (Peter) absorbs the super power of others just by being nearby.”
What Peter needed was Sylar’s power to understand the inner workings of things, an ability that would help him figure out the big plot. However, Sylar was purposely not letting Peter take his power at first because he didn’t want Peter cursed with the “hunger” that comes with it. That was why Peter couldn’t gain Sylar’s power automatically, like he usually does.
@Bradley
He has to think about it when he isn’t around the person with the power.
He was clearly near Claire where thinking wasn’t needed. Plus last season, wasn’t he able to use lightening when he ‘woke up’? But oh wait! They don’t have to follow their own rules… ;o)
@Vic
Yes, Sylar is the saving grace this season. If it weren’t for his character, the show would be total and utter crap.
*raises hand to Rob’s comment*
Personally I loved the first season. I found a major difference to other shows was that I knew characters by name and who they were, not just what they can do. It was the characters that got me into this show, and the constant feel of building to something.
Second season I still enjoyed. Messy, yes, and would have liked to have seen more of some of the pairings, especially Parkman and Nathan.
Interestingly, the reaction in the UK wasn’t nearly as displeased with season two. All I spoke to in different places enjoyed it. Maybe as we had heard the initial reaction from the States and were expecting less. Not sure.
As for this season, I’m into it again, but have to admit to being worried. Like others, it seems to me this time they’re going too fast. So yeah, I’m dreading this turning into Mutant X!
But still, Sylar and HRG together is very cool. Two of the best characters by far – although still enjoy Hiro and Ando.
Popcorn?
@Bradley,
umm…how did Peter think about healing with that shard of glass in his head back in season 1?
That theory doesn’t hold in alot of ways – including Evie’s point on the lightning he used without knowing he had it.
Thanks for the Peter/Sylar clarification, guys.
Vic
i think this season is actually a little over the top…i am sick and tired of the time traveling stuff…it’s clear that the “future” is not really the “future” because of the way events pan out…so what’s the point? i’d rather have them focus on things going on in the world now…it’s beginning to get too confusing…also…the bennets are kind of like a soap opera…claire is annoying. also…i’m still confused as to who the heck this new peter is…is he peter in jessie’s body? is he peter from the future? i’m probably about 2 more confusing episodes away from giving up on heroes completley.
Absolute trash. I loved series one though I felt it became somewhat ungrounded towards the end. Series two was a mess but compared to three it was genius. Ridiculous abilities (Knox, Future Peter hiding someone inside another person’s body???!?!!), pointless plot twists (Mama Sylar, why bother?), characters returning from the dead, no coherent plot, serious retconning regarding peoples abilities, rehashed storylines (ANOTHER world/city destroying explosion).
Peter is a complete tool “LOL I can stop time but I think I’ll just get beat up by this guy instead”. His character, along with Sylar have been completely ruined (Sylar’s “hunger”) and Angela Petrelli is a pathetic bad guy.
I used to love Heroes but I’m seriously considering giving up with it. Episode 4 was so terrible. Even worse than episode 3.
Peter was killed by Claire with a bullet in the chest?! I thought the only way to kill him or her was a bullet in the back of the head (or chop off their head)? The show is much faster paced than last season but all this is getting soo convoluted. Does Peter have Claire’s power or not? If he does, how could he die and why hasn’t that scar healed?
Parkman and Daphne get married? Now that’s a union I wouldn’t have thought of. And now the turtle is Parkman’s guide; don’t expect to get back to America anytime soon, Pacman.
Like others said, I will continue to watch but man ol’ man I am getting confused.
John “Kahless” Taylor: The Haitian, who can take others’ powers away and cause memory loss, was standing close to Peter when Claire shot him, so his abilities weren’t working at the time.
Ro: Matt (the cop guy) could paint the future because of what what he ate, combined with the headphones the African man gave him. It’s not a natural power of his and he wouldn’t be able to do it again on his own.
sononsj,
does that mean the show is turning into non-gene oriented. The first season had the very cool element of basing it in reality and having alot of focus on the science of it.
Now its nothing like that at all, and you can eat nasty paste to have powers? Where was this paste before? Can the other characters buy it on ebay? lol. I wonder if they have a paste for lightning. And how about that music, I wonder if HMV carries that.
I wonder if the paste consists of that dude’s blood. That’s my only explanation.
@sononsj
Yeah but as soon as the Haitian was gone, the powers should have kicked in
@sononsj
And the Haitian is another continuity problem; in season 1, I believe, the Haitian and HRG were about to get Nathan but Nathan, in his pajamas, flew away. How did he do this when the Haitian was around him? Also, once the Haitian was gone, the future Peter’s powers should have returned (reference Claire in 1st season when she was hit in the back of the head and died but once the shard was removed, she revived).
I don’t think you can argue continuity with future peter dying because no one knows whether or not he can still heal, he does have the scar after all. That has never been explained so its possible for him to have lost it at some point that we don’t know of yet. I am pretty sure the haitian probably let nathan go. I mean i haven’t watched season one in a while, but there was a grand conspiracy to put nathan in office that the company was working on and he works for the company. I also think the haitians power isn’t just innate and that he has to control it. That would explain some things too.
I am much happier with this season than season 2. My biggest issue is with ali larter and whatever character they have her playing at the time. I feel like she is just signed on for like 4 season and they just move her around because every storyline they put her in sucks. My second biggest issue? Why did magneto unlock the safe instead of just ripping the door off. And lastly, one thing that bugs me is that parkman hasn’t used his awesome mind warping ability since with his dad and now it seems like everytime he tries to use his plain ol’ reading ability everyone can get around it. I think parkman should be better at mind control stuff than peter or anyone else. Its his freaking ability!
also, when i say, “no one knows if he can still heal” I mean, i don’t remember a time that he did.
After reading these other great catches (like season 1 Nathan flying away from the Haitian) It is painfully clear that my original statement stands. This show needs a continuity director. I wonder how I could apply for that position. I am WAY more qualified than who they now have…I actually watch the show. I have seen EVERY episode of EVERY season. I seriously doubt their current continuity director can say the same thing.
and @ the person that said “He has to think about that person’s power to use it.” You are incorrect. He has to think about that person to draw upon certain powers. The ability to heal is a passive power that is available to him. There was a shard of glass in his head for a while while his dead body lay on the living room couch. Claire pulled it from him and we have alive Peter….No thinking in that process. Also after Sylar took that power from Claire, he was shot several times by Noah and he survived it without thinking of Claire.
@ParrotSoup
I like this season as well but I can’t help but see these problems. I’m a huge Star Trek fan and I can point out many continuity problems with it (mostly because Braga and Berman were idiots). I’m hoping the writers are leading up to something. I also hope they somehow mature-up Hiro (he’s really getting annoying).
So far I really like season 3, although I do understand if some people haven’t like certain things about it.
Ever since I watched season 1, I have become a fierce fan of Heroes. It has become my favorite show. One thing that always worried me was that, after such a great first season, how could the show get much better? To me, season 2 wasn’t the best, but it was not bad at all. I agree that the action was a bit slow and that hurt the show when the season had to be cut short. Still, I considered it to be like a “pause and breathe” to get ready for what’s to come in season 3. (Too bad they didn’t get to do the whole virus story line, and all that followed. But it still works. And I don’t see anything wrong with Molly being taken care by Suresh and the cop. They both loved her, and she needed help, so whats the problem?)
Season 3 it’s really good so far. I like all the surprises, but I am, let’s say, “cautiosly excited” about the season right now. I am a bit concerned that, with so many twists and turns, the show could soon take a turn for the worse. I hope not. Right now, the biggest concern I have, in terms of the plot specifically, is what, exactly, was the future Peter’s role in terms of the future’s disaster. So far I think his involvement was in shooting Nathan, and indirectly allowing Syler to take Claire’s power. I say this in light of what Angela told him, that he had changed the future. Was she mainly talking about the villains that escaped? What role do they have in the future’s calamities? (By the way, I am not so fond of everyone saying that Claire cannot be killed.) Also, what was that dream that Angela had all about? (the one where she sees Claire’s head been cut off?) Also, I don’t know what to think of Nicki’s triplet storyline. I am not glad that Nicki died, but I like to see Ali back in the show. I just hope everything that is happening is going somewhere without the show contradicting itself at some point. That is just a concern, but not necessarily a belief of mine. We’ll just have to wait and see… Go Heroes!
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