Midseason Finale
Well I was waiting for someone to start a thread on the finale, but since no one has I guess I'll get the ball rolling. I am beginning to think that the writers just don't know how to create a finale that is both satisfying and interesting. This episode had so many gaps and holes that it was almost unwatchable! Some of the things that had me scratching my head were:
· Why didn't Hiro freeze time again when he was in the vault with Adam?
· Why didn't Peter just stop time when Nathan was shot?
· Why do characters always discuss their plans in places where the enemy/villain are likely to hear them? What I mean by this is Nathan talking about holding a press to announce he can fly. Why not wait until you’re somewhere safe to begin to outline how you plan to destroy your enemy?
· Why did the assassin kill Nathan but not Matt and Peter? They can just show the world their own powers.
· Are they trying to make Mohinder appeared dumber by the week? He clearly understood that Sylar was going to kill them all once he got what he wanted – so why allow him to regain his abilities? Why tell him what strain he actually has? Why not lie and tell him the cure is something that will actually kill him? And maybe it’s me but why would the “cure” that he created for Nikki actually save Maya? He went to great lengths to explain the variations and how the wrong one would kill the patient. Why would Sylar then think that using it on Maya would be proof that it would save him?
OK, here’s were I take over as a writer. Have Mohinder attempt to kill Sylar by intentionally giving him a lethal dose of the “cure”. Instead of Sylar dying, have him mutate into something much worse than he ever was with the old powers. This does a few things for us. One it allows Mohinder to not appear to be the complete idiot they have made him out to be week in and week out. It also allows his character to evolve some as he begins to carry around guilt for what he created in Sylar. It also makes it unclear and interesting to the viewers who will begin to see new abilities in Sylar and begin to question if even Peter’s abilities are enough to kill him. But the number one thing this would do is move the story along!! Now we’re right back to where we were last season with Sylar and Peter destined to face off in a “super hero grudge match”.
· And finally, a BIG wtf were you thinking goes out to the NBC promotions department. Thanks for using the previews and commercials to show us the last scene in the cliffhanger. They made absolutely sure that everyone knew that Sylar was going to regain his abilities before they even started the episode! I don’t get it - the scene was intended to be an “Oh no!!” moment but thanks to the buffoons at NBC ruined any chance of a surprise ending. And they showed it over and over in the commercials! OK I pretty much assumed he would get his powers back but clearly making that scene the last one in an episode labeled a “cliffhanger” you’d sort of expect that the promotions people would have enough sense to avoid running that clip. But I guess I’m giving them too much credit.
Anyway, thought I’d throw these out there for discussion. I was really disappointed (again) but I’ll be back when it returns. I do think they need to seriously improve the writing on this show. It’s become too repetitive and simplistic to hold my attention for much longer. What do you guys think?
Midseason Finale
Yeah!!!!!!!!!11!!!one!!11!eleven!!1!1!!!
I got involved very late. Our youth pastor was over one Monday for an unrelated reason and we put it on because he asked. It was the episode with Hiro[sp?] trying to save his dad. Dangit. I was hooked.
The interaction between the cheerleader and her boyfriend or whatever made it very clear to me that the writers do not have teenage children and were obviously never involved in any teenage romances. It doesn't take a high school guidance counselor to know that no 17 year old acts like that. Most adults don't even act like that. I think they borrowed writers from a soap opera somewhere.
I still only watch because I like Hiro. The others are OK I guess. I'm told that season 1 was a lot better. I've acquired it and will eventually get around to watching it, I think.
Finale
I'm not so sure Prof
I know what you're saying but I don't think the problems this season were because they were rushed. It seems pretty clear to me that the writers are using last seasons plot outlines and simply changing some dialog to fit it all in. The regurgitated story lines are really annoying. Some of the repeat sagas we've been subjected to include:
S1: The Heroes have to work together to stop a nuke from destroying NY and killing millions of people.
S2: The Heroes have to work together to stop a virus from destroying NY and killing billions of people.
S1: Claire has a problem with the head cheerleader. She makes a new friend who documents her abilities and debates whether to show the video to the media.
S2: Claire has a problem with the head cheerleader. She makes a new friend who helps her get revenge on the cheerleader and tries to get him to help her reveal her abilities to the media.
S1: Super villain Linderman is set up as a ruthless evil that may be unstoppable. He turns out to be rather lame and is easily killed.
S2: The "Boogeyman" (aka Parkman's Dad) is set up as a ruthless evil villain that may be unstoppable. He turns out to be rather lame and is easily killed.
S1: Sylar spends the entire season trying to collect as many super powers as possible.
S2: Sylar spends the entire season trying to regain his collection of super powers.
S1: In the finale we learn that Angela Petrelli is willing to sacrifice her son for the "greater good" of the Company.
S2: In the mid-season finale we learn that Angela Petrelli is willing to sacrifice her son for the "greater good" of the Company.
S1: Bennet begins the season working for the Company and ends the season trying to bring about the fall of the Company.
S2: Bennet begins the season trying to bring about the fall of the Company and ends the season working for the Company. (It's the same story told in reverse.)
I won't continue to list the parallels - they're clear enough for all to see. The bigger problem with this show is that it just can't live up it's self created hype. They just can't seem to deliver on their promises of really great stories.
For example, Parkman's Father had a very cool ability and was a serious threat to pretty much anyone. They set him up as a true villain and one who made Sylar pale in comparison. What did they do with him? How did they use him? They embodied that fearsome evil in a middle aged guy who looked like he should be working as a short order cook instead of being the fearsome evil they promised us. Why? They could have turned that guy into a real villain that people loathed - instead they realized they couldn't do anything with him and "killed him off". In the process they told us that he and Linderman were merely puppets for an even MORE powerful force - who turned out to be Adam.
So what exactly was his ability again? He can heal quickly from wounds? He doesn't die? Wow - how threatening is that that!!!! I really want to know how Adam managed to get Papa Parkman to do his dirty work and kill all of his old friends. I can't believe that Adam was the biggest threat they could come up with. Papa Parkman was a MUCH bigger threat than Adam ever posed. If Adam had some other ability, they did a terrible job in showing it to us. He tricked Peter into helping him - that's it. How was he able to manipulate Linderman and Parkman? How did he become the top villain in the evil foodchain?
It seems that, in the end, the writers again couldn't live up to their promises of Adam being a true threat and so quickly dispatched him. These guys need to go back to school and take some writing classes again. They're creating a show that is quickly becoming boring and stupid. The more I think about it, the more I see this as a 1 year show that has been stretched into two plus seasons.
I slay you?
What do you mean I'm funny? what do you mean, you mean the way I talk? What?
Funny how? What's funny about it?
What did ya say? Funny how?
You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little f'ed up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to f'in' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?
You said I'm funny. How the f am I funny, what the f is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me what's funny!
http://media.canada.com/1785a528-bef3-4f04-af39-9312146bfd98/pesci.jpg
Re: I slay you...
Are you talking to me?
Are you talking to ME??
I don't see anyone else around here, so you must be talking to ME.
midseason finale
Hey Jukin,
I don't have much to add except to agree with you, and that's probably why I haven't posted yet--it was just disappointing. They spent a lot of time on the brother sister act just to have Sylar kill him and have her act as a plot device to make Mohinder use the medicine? There seemed like a lot of potential there in the idea of viruses and whatever her power was that got wasted. And Mohinder and Peter especially seem to be behaving either stupidly, or in ways that don't make sense in their character development just to advance the plot. And as soon as they mentioned press conference, I'm thinking assassination--just lots of cliches. I think the one thing I liked was the way in which Nikki was resourcefully heroic without her powers.
Midseason Finale
They killed off Niki...
I am pissed. PISSED! Season three can start without me. (which ought to be season two anyway!)
Seriously though, some of the exact responses and questions came out of my mouth. I was sorely dissapointed that Sylar got his powers back... sooooooo easily. Mohinder's and Sylar's exchange during that episode was awful. Why are they dumbing Mohinder down? That was the lamest scene in the episode as far as I'm concerned.
I say we form a coup. Re-write season two (at least)
I want to say smmething else, though... re-watching season one was great. I thought it was much, much better the second time around. And I thought the beginning of this season dragged a little, but I felt each episode was gettng better... then mid-way, it just tapered off. The holes that I expected to be filled weren't... and I doubt it will be. Heroes is definitely not as deep and consistent as Lost. And I agree... both seasons thus far felt rushed. But I give season one way more credit.