Heroes - Winding Down

Heroes is winding down. It's time for it to be done.

I'm sad to say that, because I've said more than once that the first season of "Heroes" was the best season of TV, ever. Unfortunately, the show has lost much of the intensity from its drama, and it is not even remaining consistent with its characters, let alone its history. Sure, with comic book stories, there are allowances we have to give up in "realism," but when a story contradicts its past (excellent) story for the sake of a new chapters, what's really on display is a lack of imagination -- and that's precisely the attribute that held the story together initally.

[If you have not seen the episode entitled “Brother’s Keeper” which originally aired on November 16, 2009, be warned that there are spoilers in what follows.]

So, what am I talking about, in particular? There are quite a few things. I'll mention two.

Dr. Chandra Naresh's prior work with "Specials" One of the important points in the opening season was that no one took the elder Dr. Naresh's work seriously. He had published this book, see, but it contained no proof. Yet here in "Brother's Keeper" we find that he discovered an energy emanating from "Specials." If that is true, then why in the world was it not in his book, clearly published much later? Because the writers didn't care. Had they cared, what could they have done? Any number of things.

Naresh could have made the discovery, but had his mind wiped by someone like "The Haitian." Then his later work would have been based on memories that were trying to resurface. Could the writers still have this explanation in mind? Maybe. But if they did, they should have had Mohinder raise the question "Why wasn't this in my father's book?" in this episode. They didn't. [By the way, introducing Chandra as part of the internment camp already raises issues similar to this. This episode just compounds the problem.]

Alternatively, another character could have made the discovery. Perhaps a colleague at the internment camp. Or, even better, Mohinder could have discovered it by trying to figure out how Molly finds "Specials."

Claire and her reaction to Samuel When Claire ran into Samuel just an episode or two ago, she somehow knew not to trust him. She worked to make sure that her father would encounter Samuel, and she decided Samuel was dangerous. In "Brother's Keeper" Tracy Strauss shows up with a problem, Claire tries to help her, they do some silly "super-chick bonding" and then when Tracy says she thinks she'll go join Samuel, Claire says "Sure, go ahead." Smiling! Like there's nothing even remotely wrong with that idea. What? Unfortunately, as confused as teenagers can be, I just don't buy this reaction.

These are just two examples, but there are more. (Sylar now should remember having met Hiro in the early part of Season 1, for example.) Remaining consistent is not impossible. Surprises and twists are best when they fit the history and characters the writers have already built. If the writers aren't even trying, then let's have one big, cool ending to the show, and be done. I'll be sorry to see it go, but I would be even sorrier to stop watching because the shows go any farther down hill.