Heroes: Season 4 Finale Review & Discussion
Feb 9, 2010 by Anthony OcasioHere’s our review of the finale – will the fourth season of Heroes be its last? Let us know if you think the show should survive… or be laid to rest.
I’m going to be completely honest; I had no idea that the season finale of Heroes was on last night. What’s worse is that it might not only be its fourth season finale, but a series finale if the show doesn’t get picked up for another season… and with the ratings down, that’s a definite possibility.
This past season has been pretty much (somewhat) hit or miss for me. While there’s been a sufficient amount of episodes decent enough to keep me watching, I still had to fight through all the poor storylines and singular character episodes just to get to them. I guess that’s why I needed my DVR to remind me that Heroes was even on.
With the season finale we’ve got Robert Knepper’s psycho carnival barker hell-bent on destroy the world, Claire and HRG buried 40 feet underground, Hiro still being annoying, Parkman seeking vengeance & Sylar with a heart. Is there any way they’re going to wrap up everything nicely with a pretty little bow?
Review
As with any episode of Heroes we’re presented with a “previously on…,” this time it’s voiced by Robert Knepper which made me realize how much I enjoy him as an actor and how I wish he was given a better character. After that we’re met with the usual “popping in” on the various characters to see what they’re up to and like always, they’re not really doing much… well, at least not anything to progress the overall plot or their individual stories. Why give the audience an entire 42min of progression when everything can happen in the list 15min?
When something actually does happen, it soon becomes obvious that it’s all smoke and mirrors. The characters shown to be in peril are no more in danger of dying than Jay Leno is to leave NBC. For every “this is it” moment there’s always someone to jump in and save the day. (I still have no idea how Tracey’s powers allowed her to pull Claire and HRG out of a trailer buried underground. She water moved them? I literally described what she did and it doesn’t even make sense.)
Then we get to the “heart-warming moment” with Hiro and old lady Charlie… or for anyone who’s seen the Doctor Who episode “Blink,” the moment where you realized they completely lifted that whole time traveling love/death scene. Sure, it was great… it was great when Doctor Who did it, but NBC just couldn’t let her die. Not on screen, at least. That would be too dark… and Southland knows what happens to series that are deemed “too dark.” Although, I’ve got go give credit to whomever cast the old woman version of Charlie. She was spot on…
Finally, we get to “the moment.” The showdown that we’ve been waiting to see this entire season. To say it was anti-climatic would be nice. It was at this moment that I finally realize just how much of a crutch the various characters powers are to the writers. Instead of using them to tell a wonderful story, they see whatever loop-holes they can use to quickly get it over and done. If I have to see the crazy puppet master guy just come out of nowhere and control people, I will quit watching television forever.
He was a great one time character and even the second time it was neat-o, but I’m sick of him jumping in and controlling things. As he enters the screen I can just see him dragging the story with him. “Oh, the really important character that we needed this entire season won’t do something? That’s alright, we’ll just make them.” If “we’ll just make them” was going to be the endgame all along, just do it from the beginning and save me 3 episodes of nonsense.
Oh, and Peter? Gotta give props to whatever writer decided to give him the power of having whatever power he touches. Why stick him with just a single power when he can nab whoever’s power he wants just by touching them? “Oh, there’s a really big bad guy that’s going to destroy the world? Well, Peter will just touch him and cancel out that power.”
While I enjoyed Robert Knepper in this season of Heroes, I think it was more because it was something new than because his character was all that great. On the other hand, the good guy Sylar was a pleasant surprise and one of the few good things to come out of this season and finale of Heroes.
Final Thoughts
Maybe I’m coming off a little harsh, but after so many years of mediocre storytelling and promises of things being better, I’m over it. Nice going NBC and Heroes, you got me… Now just bring out Ashton to tell me that I’ve been punk’d and we can all move on to something new.
Oh, and Claire showing the entire world that she can heal herself… who cares. The Haitian will probably just wipe the minds of the entire world or something else will come along to completely negate this supposedly huge cliffhanger.
Discussion
Am I being a little too harsh? Did you enjoy the past season of Heroes and loved the season finale?
Maybe I am being a little Negative Nancy, but don’t have the right after the huge drop in quality after the first season?
Do you think Heroes will get another season and be back next fall?
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I actually enjoyed the season finale. But here's the thing: I haven't watched Heroes since Season 2. I didn't even know it was still on until about a week ago, and then I only watched the season finale, and the episode before that (The Wall).
Why did I watch The Wall, you ask? Because Sylar and Peter are my favorite characters (even if Peter has obviously been stunted for all these years) and I love to watch them interact. And then I was pulled in after The Wall, and I watched the season finale, and it was…sweet. It was very sweet, and I liked it.
But no, I don't think your review was too harsh.
Really? Deserves an Oscar? The entire season built up Samuel to be this huge, powerful person and they finish the season off with him moving around a pile of dirt. There are so many plot holes it is ridiculous. I don't even worry that a character will die anymore because at the last minute, someone from season 1, 2, 3 will mysteriously come back and save them and then vanish again.
Don't get me wrong, I have been watching since season 1, which was incredible by the way, but this is one of the worst shows on the television currently. Also, grammar, spelling and paragraphs were invented for a reason. Please use them in the future.
No, not really. This season was just boring… next season looks good, but every episode is just a lead up to nothing.
Also, grammar, spelling and paragraphs were invented for a reason. Please use them in the future ThisShowNeedsToEndNow. You made many mistakes yourself.
The entire season wasn't built only around Samuel, he was only a villain. The show was built around all the characters. What are the plot holes?
Heroes is definitely not one was the worst shows on television.
Thank You.
Agreed 100%! Upon reading this “review” I was more annoyed with the fact that I had to correct the author over and over again. I also think think the whining me just want to disagree with the author more.
Heroes is a good a show, and it needs some work, but most shows do anyway. Its not a mindless sit-com that tells you when to laugh, aw, or cry. GET REAL.
In comparison to other great Heroes episodes season 4 finale was terrible – like he said above it was a an anti climax to say the least. The whole season leading up to that episode….very disappointing. The only good thing about that episode was the possibility of seeing a potentially awesome fight between Peter & Sylar against the man who can multiply and even that didn't materialise. Also Sylar is far too strong to be held by the puppet man as demonstrated in the episode where primatech burnt down. I am a die hard heroes fan but it has seriously gone down hill – this season the worst by far….please give peter his powers back….oh and matt needs to man up!!!!
I definitely agrees that this is by far the worst season ever. Nobody cares abt the carnival heck i don't even see why everyone is so obsessed over it. it's not such a big issue like nathan's freaks camp from last season either.
i could answer some of the question here over where did peter get his flying abilities on tackling samuel.
Did everyone forgets that Sylar killed Nathan? and did everyone also forgets that he can gain power without killing. He said so with lynette, killing was just for fun. So yeah, i guess the explanation was peter took sylar's skills .
I think they basically change every single heroes past scriptwriter that's how it went this bad from previous2 seasons.
I definitely agrees that this is by far the worst season ever. Nobody cares abt the carnival heck i don't even see why everyone is so obsessed over it. it's not such a big issue like nathan's freaks camp from last season either.
i could answer some of the question here over where did peter get his flying abilities on tackling samuel.
Did everyone forgets that Sylar killed Nathan? and did everyone also forgets that he can gain power without killing. He said so with lynette, killing was just for fun. So yeah, i guess the explanation was peter took sylar's skills .
I think they basically change every single heroes past scriptwriter that's how it went this bad from previous2 seasons.
It took me a while to get into the show at all during season 1. At the end I was hooked and couldn't wait until the next season; but this last season was watched all through DVR so I could fast forward through the crap. The best episode all season was the Peter/Sylar wall breakthrough. I do want to see another season, but it must get better. The show has so much potential to stay on longer.
You are spot on
I must say that even tho im a big fan i was left deflatted by the last episode it was building up to so much and just never delivered. a few of teh episode during the season were some of the best but to few and far between.
As much as i hate to say it i think heroes has run its course. i do think we need another season to give us some closure and its Tim Crings and all the writers chance to redeem themselves.
It would be a shame for it to end this way
UK calling
Some episodes for me did drag, however it is what Heroes has always been. Lots of filler and character building, if it were just the cool action scenes we were waiting to see it wouldn’t really be that interesting.
Yeah, i found some problems with it too. Although i’ve been watching Heroes from series one, and its always been my favourite series, i do believe that the writing on this was..not the best. However, there was a few aspects i wasn’t very happy with..mostly with Sylar’s powers. Do the writers not remember that during season 2/3, he acquired powers such as super-hearing and the ability to know when somebody is telling a lie? There were moments in the last few episodes when he could have used these powers to get instant results! ALSO, when that tattoo girl was shot (can’t remember her name..Ivy i think?), Claire could have easily just given her some of her blood, like she did with Noah at the end of series one. AND also the fact that Peter flew into Noah, when he had Matt’s power? Urgh, all these little facts really annoy me!
i agree, this finale was crap the entire series has been building up to this massive carnival show and in the space of a minute, the entire new york being destroyed goes to samuel losing his powers. what happened to mohinder? and what about matt? couldn’t he just turn up and make samuel believe he wasn’t going to show the world? or the haitian? making samuel lose his powers? there were so many flaws in this episode and the entire series. series 1 was amazing and so was 3. Series 5 looked good, but i think right at the end hiro would go back i time and stop claire from showing the world as this is what heroes does now. no-one ever dies. personally i’m glad they’ve cancelled the show, even thought i liked it originally. i think a movie would be good if they have a strong enough plot and some character deaths
@tom; hey u are right about the storylines were kinda down, i havent seen the 4th season yet, but i notice from 2nd seasson that the story got all confusion to me, i dont understand why would peter’s father took away all of his powers, he could have been a hero, at least the very first main character. i seriously think the writers and author should have done it better, i wont buy 4th season until it is cheaper, why waste $40 for a simple 18 episodes with almost 40 minutes each? too short for me, i’d rather buy more smallville than heroes for 1 reason storyline is waay more clearer than heroes, i do love heroes alot from the beginning but expected more than poor writing skills that the storyline is.
Hey world, i would just like to say, i think that heroes is one of the best showes made maybe even before Smallville. I think it should go on, and want it to go on. I love the show, and please continue it. I am definitively looking forward to see the new season.