Jump to content

Heroes / Heroes Reborn: Discussion Thread


Toups

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 503
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

I had a feeling Kensei(david anders) aka adam would turn out to be bad and I also thought he was the one behind all the goings on with the pictures with his sign on it. Last Mondays show just confirmed what I had thought after finding out DA was going to be regular, for one he plays a great bad guy(aka alias), all that goodness with Hiro was starting to be to much to take. Thanks alot Hiro for ruining the future or is it his fault because the originals knew adam before hiro even went back in time so I wonder if it mattered. An I guess with cell regeneration they have everlasting life and age up to a certain point, because that would explain Kensei aka adam being the same age. Thank god the annoying twins and New orleans chick weren't on, can kristen bell's character just electrocute them to death so my misery will be over???

Okay I have a question that is bugging me to no end, does peter/nathan's mom actually have a power??? Seems strange that nathan, peter, and claire have powers but she doesn't unless I missed it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Members

'Heroes': The death of a hero ... or not

Not sure if it was the crunch created by the writers strike or the creator(s) realizing that the story was moving way too slow or just the natural progression of the season, but the show has (to this viewer) begun to hit its season-one stride again. Too bad that there are only two episodes left. Enjoy 'em while you can, and even take some of the show home through the NBC auction (only a measly $1,200 for a painting). Oh yeah, and HRG is shot through the eye this episode.

What happened?: Claire and HRG have it out, which leads her to get captured by the Company, and leads to a confrontation between West, HRG, Mohinder and Elle. Hiro is able to say goodbye to his father after he travels back to save him and finds out that Adam Monroe is the killer. Matt Parkman further explores his telepathy and forces Mrs. Petrelli to tell him about Monroe and the remaining pictured person: Victoria Pratt. Mohinder and Bob trade Claire for Elle, and HRG is shot (supposedly killed) in the exchange!

In true comic book fashion, HRG survives. Thanks to Claire's blood, he wakes up healed in a small room. Put there by Mohinder as part of some undercover plan, perhaps? We'll see.

The whole Hiro storyline, though touching, took a bit too long. With only two episodes left, extraneous dialogue is not what'll help move the story. It seems odd that with the ups and mostly downs of the season, that "Heroes" will actually be able to wrap up the multiple storylines. But that is what's apparently going to happen.

It'd be nice if there was a surprise death -- a major one. Claire and Elle will definitely have it out, though the actresses seem like giddy school chums off the set. And Kristen Bell now joins Jack Coleman and Zach Quinto as the most scene-stealing actor in the show.

UPDATE: Monday's episode only garners 10.7 million viewers. Last week, the show got its best ratings in four weeks (11.1 million viewers overall), and the last few episodes should be really strong, with the kind of anticipation and excitement that fans have clamored for all season. So many scenarios and possibilities ... and who will be left standing? Maya finds out how evil Sylar really is when he kills her brother -- then she kills him? Elle takes out West after he takes out Bob?

According to our last poll, a big majority of you think that Alejandro will not survive. Well, since I've rarely seen Mr. Shalim Ortiz out promoting the show or on the posters, talk shows, interviews, etc. -- I'd say that's a safe bet. For the season, Monroe and Monica are the most-liked new heroes, but Alejandro and West are the ones who (we think) won't make it through.

NBC has become the first major network to pull out of the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour, which kicks off in January. Usually that's one of our first looks at upcoming stuff, so we may have to wait longer for news about the Origins spinoff. This year, waiting has been a big plot-point.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/11/heroes-the-deat.html#more

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

'Heroes': Great, but a little late

No need to pile on about the fact that this episode, bridging last season to this season, should have been done a few episodes ago. There are enough critics doing that. Tim Kring knows his mistake, and has admitted as much with his highly publicized apology. It's understandable to lead the season with a bit of intrigue and mystery, but sooner or later you have to bring everybody up to speed.

Be patient, was the mantra from writers, actors and favorable bloggers. They were right, to a point. "Four months ago" was pretty good, and answered some questions. How did Nathan survive Peter's explosion? What happened to D.L.? Where did the wonder twins come from -- well, they were new, so we didn't need that explained. Check out Greg Beeman's commentary on the episode, with some great behind-the-scenes photos and storyboards.

Discoveries: We found out that Peter exploded, but was unharmed and saved a badly burned Nathan. We saw that Niki had another split personality (Gina) rise up and take over, resulting in D.L. being shot after he went to find her. We saw that Bob was everywhere, trying to "help out" Niki and capturing Peter with the help of Elle and the Haitian. We further discovered that Elle is just plain crazy (sociopath crazy -- and Kristen Bell is really good in the role), and I'm starting to think the Haitian is the most powerful hero. Except that a simple gun could probably bring him down, but more on that later ...

The episode was pretty good. Not spectacularly mind-blowing, but definitely up to the standards that the show had set. Updates on some issues like why Noah ran with Claire to California (yes, to protect her, but why not form a group to take down the Company?) and how Sylar was rescued and transported would have been nice, but weren't truly necessary. A solid effort.

Strike news: Last week, Kring said that he wasn't sure what to do about the strike. The crew is scrambling to finish 11 episodes, and they have set a Dec. 3 finale if the strike continues. So it won't affect us viewers for a while, which is probably one of the reasons that networks and AMPTP are willing to let this continue. And, in case this continues a while, there's always comic books -- like the "Heroes" one recently released.

During the show, we also got a dose of synergy as the NBC.com site's new create-a-hero feature was hyped. It will apparently let you design your own hero, one that may even be used in an episode sooner or later. But could your character take out ... the Haitian?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/11/heroes-1.html#more

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

'Heroes' Creator Apologizes to Fans


Tim Kring admits mistakes were made at the beginning of season 2, but promises to get back on track


by Jeff Jensen


On the chilly Monday morning that Hollywood's writers went on strike, Heroes creator Tim Kring called from the streets outside the Hollywood studio where his NBC series is shot. ''Yes, I'm picketing my own show,'' says the 50-year-old writer-producer. ''So surreal.''

But Kring wasn't calling to discuss labor woes — he was calling to explain why Heroes, suffering a creative decline and a 15 percent ratings drop from the same period last year, went from Human Torch hot to Iceman cold. The good news? A turnaround appears to be under way. After weeks of sluggish storytelling, the Nov. 5 episode recaptured some of last season's fanciful energy. We've also seen the next two episodes — and we like them, too. The cliff-hangers are back. Narrative purpose has been discovered. Old favorites like Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Horn-Rimmed Glasses (Jack Coleman) take center stage. Even more encouraging: Kring himself is keenly aware that Heroes is broken. Here's his candid critique:

THE PACE IS TOO SLOW ''We assumed the audience wanted season 1 — a buildup of intrigue about these characters and the discovery of their powers. We taught [them] to expect a certain kind of storytelling. They wanted adrenaline. We made a mistake.''

THE WORLD-SAVING STAKES SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED SOONER The premonition of nuclear apocalypse created a larger context that unified every story line last season. Kring now sees that Volume 2 (the first 11 episodes of season 2) would have been better served if Peter's vision of viral Armageddon had appeared in the season premiere rather than episode 7. ''We took too long to get to the big-picture story,'' he says.

THE ROOKIES DIDN'T GREET THEMSELVES PROPERLY New Heroes Monica (Dana Davis), Maya (Dania Ramirez), and Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz) ''shouldn't have been introduced in separate story lines that felt unattached to the show. The way we introduced Elle (Kristen Bell) — by weaving her in via Peter's story line — is a more logical way to bring new characters into the show.'' (That said, Kring says a few newbies won't make it beyond this second volume, which wraps Dec. 3.)

HIRO WAS IN JAPAN WAY TOO LONG Hiro's (Masi Oka) time-bending adventure in 17th-century Japan — where he mentored samurai hero Takezo Kensei (David Anders) — finally came to an end on Nov. 5. But Kring says it ''should have [lasted] three episodes. We didn't give the audience enough story to justify the time we allotted it.'

YOUNG LOVE STINKS Kring regrets sticking Claire (Hayden Panettiere) with a super-dud boyfriend and forcing Hiro to moon over a cutesy princess. ''I've seen more convincing romances on TV,'' he admits. ''In retrospect, I don't think romance is a natural fit for us.''

Yet while Heroes has finally found some dramatic traction, this second volume is pretty much a wash. The Dec. 3 episode has been retooled to function as a potential season finale — a move inspired by the writers' strike and a desire to give the show ''a clean slate'' when it goes back into production for Volume 3. At that point, Kring wants to craft a rebooted Heroes that can attract new fans and win back those who've tuned out: ''The message is that we've heard the complaints — and we're doing something about it.''

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20158840,00.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Administrator

Thank God, Volume 2 is over though last night's episode was really good. The show is much better when the heroes are working together instead of being apart. It looks like Elle is slowly becoming a hero after saving Mohinder, Molly Moya and after learning what her father did to her. Nikki and Nathan aren't dead......they can't be. It would be such a dumb move to kill of two original heroes. I'm glad Sylar's powers are back - I'm looking fowards to Volume 3: Villains. Let's just hope Tim Kring is good on his word and Volume 3 will be better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I rolled my eyes when Sylar got his powers back... He was decent last season (they did some great devopling of the character), but the same ol' mess with him is just plain boring. Now, that he got his powers back, I don't see any change in him. They get "rid" of Niki and Nathan... who were actually interesting and had development in their stories, and yet Sylar is still around... still killing people... still wanting to destroy the world for treating him wrong... please... boring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I hope adam and sylar work together in volume 3, they are my favorites. Thank god the annoying twins are dead. :lol: I rank last nights episode a 4/5, I hated what they did to adam. :lol: Peter and Nathan's mom is the shadiest character on the show, who the hell was she talking to at the end?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It was a good news/bad news week for NBC Universal's geekcentric programming, as Sci Fi Channel miniseries "Tin Man" chalked up record highs but once-hot Peacock drama "Heroes" concluded its latest season with a yawn.

...

After Nielsen foul-ups caused a delay in reporting Monday's ratings, the measurement service Tuesday said this week's episode of "Heroes" averaged a 5 rating/11 share in the key 18-49 demo.

That's down from the previous week's episode (which notched a 5.3), as well as the show's 2007 season-to-date average (5.9/13). More troubling, it marked a big decline from the show's previous finales.

Skein notched a 7.2/16 with its March 5 spring finale. In May, its season finale averaged a 6.8/16.

While Monday's "Heroes" easily won its 9 p.m. timeslot, the lack of momentum in recent weeks indicates that auds may not have been satisfied with the show's creative changes. Series creator Tim Kring has publicly admitted that the show stumbled at the start of the season but insisted that he'd corrected course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 5 months later...
  • Members

‘Heroes’ Is Ready for Its Rebound

By BILL CARTER

LOS ANGELES — By the time the most important show on NBC’s prime-time schedule, “Heroes,” returns to the air on Sept. 22, it will have been out of sight for nine long months. Its creator, Tim Kring, can only hope that it has not been out of mind for some of the most passionate fans in television.

“A little absence can really be a benefit,” Mr. Kring said, citing other “eventlike shows” like “The Sopranos” that have rebounded from long gaps between seasons. In the intervening months, he said, viewers “have seen a lot of stuff on TV that wasn’t of the quality of ‘Heroes.’ I think they’ll be raring to go.”

NBC executives certainly hope so. “Heroes” is the network’s biggest hit, and as Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, noted, “It’s a global franchise,” selling to a long list of international networks.

But for a still-new hit series, “Heroes” has had a somewhat rocky ride, fueled by a truncated season last year and by the reactions of those rabid viewers.

“The double-edged sword of our fan base is they have a passion for the show,” Mr. Kring said. “And that passion cuts both ways. It cuts towards, ‘You’re the greatest thing ever’ and towards ‘You’ve disappointed me.’ ”

The scale tipped toward disappointment at the start of last season, as Mr. Kring acknowledged in an interview way back in November, just after production was abruptly cut off by the writers’ strike that shut down Hollywood. At that time he cited a list of early missteps, including introducing too many new characters, dabbling too much in romance and depositing one of the fans’ favorite characters, Hiro, in feudal Japan for too long.

In an interview over lunch here at the Chateau Marmont hotel, accompanied by Katherine Pope, who heads the NBC Universal studio that produces the series, Mr. Kring was enthusiastic about the new season, or “volume,” as he calls it. (“Heroes” has used the language of the comic book from the beginning.)

The new volume, which will run in 13 episodes, is called “Villains” and will focus on a single big story line, Mr. Kring said, relying almost totally on its core of main characters, and will return the show to exploring what he called “the primal questions” from Season 1: “Who am I? What is my purpose?”

Mr. Kring was a bit reluctant to revisit his self-criticism from last fall, and Ms. Pope even more so. Mr. Kring said that in the previous interview (with Entertainment Weekly) he had only discussed what had gone wrong with “Generations,” the previous volume, “because I was asked if I would do anything differently.”

He continued: “I’m trying to make the best show I can, and on any given day there are 10,000 things I would do differently. Nobody ever asked me that before.”

Ms. Pope jumped in with a laugh, “And we won’t let anybody ask that again.”

But Mr. Kring’s analysis now is much the same as it was: The audience got used to the “adrenalin pace” from the end of Season 1, and when Season 2 started with the introduction of still more new characters, the viewers “lost a bit of patience for the build-up.” That has led him to conclude that “when any new characters come in we need to connect them to the story line and characters they’re already familiar with.”

As to the Hiro trip back in time, Mr. Kring acknowledged that “some people didn’t like that we had separated Hiro from the other characters.” And romance? “I had sort of said romance would be a different thing for a show like ours because we have such adrenalin in the storytelling. It has to be a battlefield romance. These are things you learn along the way.”

The long dry spell for original episodes will be less a problem, Mr. Kring said, because of a decision he made at the 11th hour in December. The original idea for the second volume of last season was for a vial of some deadly plague to be released in the finale of “Generations,” setting up eight (presumably adrenalin-filled) episodes of the next volume, “Outbreak.”

Instead, sensing that a long strike was looming, Mr. Kring, who at 51 is a television veteran, writing for shows like “Providence” and creating the crime series “Crossing Jordan,” had an inspiration. He decided to reshoot the ending of “Generations,” having the Peter Petrelli character (played by Milo Ventimiglia) catch the vial filled with deadly virus just before it was to hit the ground and explode, thus ending that story line and conveniently wiping out the entire next eight-episode story arc. With that one move two new, fully written and partly shot episodes were scrapped.

“That turned out to be a very, very smart decision,” Mr. Kring said. With the germ outbreak story line gone, there was never a question that “Heroes” would not come back, as many series did, for an abbreviated run last spring after the strike ended. Instead the show’s creative team immediately began to plan for the coming season, which, thanks to the extra time, will now be extra long (25 episodes instead of 22), broken into two sections (O.K., volumes) both running straight through, week after week.

The new season will begin with two episodes back to back from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sept. 22, following an hourlong special that is some kind of red-carpet pseudo-premiere party (it won’t actually be a party held on premiere night) with stars doing interviews about their characters. Mr. Kring said he was so confident that the new volume would restart the series successfully that he didn’t even feel the need to elaborately recap what has gone before.

“We are not dragging a lot of story behind us,” he said. “It you started cold, I think you could pick up the thread. That is the goal from here on out.”

NBC is doing its part to try to revive the phenomenon status the show achieved in it first year. It is promising a big promotion campaign using the Olympics next month to stir awareness for the “Villains” story arc, while relying on the Super Bowl next February to set up the second 12-episode volume.

Mr. Kring and the cast will return to the scene of the show’s first triumph, Comic-Con International, in San Diego on Saturday. (The show was a huge hit with the comic-book crowd before it even made its debut on NBC.) He said he expects “the fanboys to line up” looking to reconnect with the show, and he is promising them a surprise when they get there.

One gift to the show’s fans he was willing to talk about was the DVD of last fall’s effort, due out on Aug. 26. The DVD will include the two never-before-seen, partly completed episodes that were scrapped.

“I sort of feel like we’re doing our part,” Mr. Kring said. “If the show launches again — or if it doesn’t — it won’t be because we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain.”



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/arts/television/21hero.html?_r=1&ref=television&oref=slogin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy