And it's official....

According to the TV Guide website, NBC has canceled Heroes.

Looks like Smallville is the sole survivor of the shows I review. Going up against Lost, 24, and Heroes....who woulda thunk it????

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TV Renewal Scorecard!

I posted this last year and thought I would do it again. Here's your guide to which "bubble" shows are getting canned and which ones are getting renewed, courtesy of the Entertainment Weekly website:

ABC
The Bachelor: A sure thing.
Better Off Ted: A long shot.
Brothers & Sisters: A sure thing.
Castle: A sure thing.
Cougar Town: Already renewed.
Dancing with the Stars: A sure thing.
The Deep End: A long shot.
Desperate Housewives: A sure thing.
FlashForward: Could go either way.
The Forgotten: A long shot.
Grey’s Anatomy: A sure thing.
Hank: Already canceled.
Lost: Series finale airs May 23.
The Middle: Already renewed
Modern Family: Already renewed
Private Practice: A sure thing.
Scrubs: A long shot.
Ugly Betty: Already canceled. Series finale airs April 14.
V: Could go either way.

CBS
Accidentally on Purpose: Could go either way.
The Amazing Race: Already renewed.
The Big Bang Theory: Already renewed.
Cold Case: A long shot.
Criminal Minds: A sure thing.
CSI: A sure thing.
CSI: Miami: A sure thing.
CSI: NY: A safe bet.
Gary Unmarried: A safe bet.
Ghost Whisperer: A safe bet.
The Good Wife: Already renewed.
How I Met Your Mother: Already renewed
Medium: Could go either way
The Mentalist: A sure thing.
NCIS: A sure thing
NCIS: Los Angeles: Already renewed.
New Adventures of Old Christine: Could go either way.
Numb3rs: A long shot.
Rules of Engagement: Could go either way.
Survivor: Already renewed.
Three Rivers: Already canceled.
Two and a Half Men: Already renewed.

FOX
24: Could go either way.
Brothers: A long shot.
American Dad: Already renewed.
American Idol: A sure thing.
Bones: Already renewed.
The Cleveland Show: Already renewed.
Dollhouse: Already canceled.
Family Guy: Already renewed.
Fringe: A safe bet.
Glee: Already renewed.
House: A sure thing.
Human Target: Could go either way.
Lie to Me: A safe bet.
Past Life: A long shot.
The Simpsons: A sure thing.
‘Til Death: Could go either way.

NBC
30 Rock: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
The Biggest Loser: A sure thing.
Celebrity Apprentice: A safe bet.
Chuck: A safe bet.
Community: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
Friday Night Lights: Already renewed for fifth and final season.
Heroes: Could go either way.
Law & Order: Already renewed.
Law & Order: CI: Could go either way.
Law & Order: SVU: A sure thing.
Mercy: Could go either way.
The Office: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
Parks and Recreation: Already renewed
Trauma: A long shot.

THE CW
90210: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
America’s Next Top Model: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
Gossip Girl: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
Life Unexpected: Could go either way.
Melrose Place: A long shot.
One Tree Hill: Could go either way.
Smallville: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
Supernatural: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)
The Vampire Diaries: A sure thing. (UPDATE: Renewed!)


My perspective: Not surprisingly, popular new shows like Vampire Diaries, Modern Family, and the NCIS spinoff have either already been renewed or will likely be. Likewise, struggling shows like Melrose Place probably won't, which is disappointing because the original series didn't pick up steam until its second season. And it ended up having a long and successful run. I'm not surprised to see that Heroes could go either way. I'm hopeful that ABC will give V and FlashForward another shot, though. A bit surprised that 24 is so questionable, but they might want to consider going out before the show becomes a parody of itself.

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-18

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think Heroes was better than 24 this week. And, like, by a pretty large margin as well. Even I’m surprised to say this, considering how lackluster this season has been, but this may have been their best finale yet. And truth be told, if that’s where things are headed, this episode provided a suitable and somewhat satisfying conclusion to the series.

You have Peter at peace with his brother’s death, Sylar turning a corner and becoming an unexpected hero, Tracy achieving true redemption, Hiro fulfilling his quest (in a rather selfless way, incidentally) and doing something truly heroic — which would not have been possible without Ando’s ability, HRG and Claire coming to an understanding about their complex relationship, and the ushering in a brave new world in which those with abilities are now out in the open. And, in a rarity for this series, they actually SHOWED us an epic battle. The characters were all used pretty perfectly as well, with “minor” characters like Tracy and Parkman appearing minimally, and unnecessary characters like Mohinder being absent altogether. This allowed the major characters to all play crucial and individually heroic roles: Claire and HRG stopped Samuel, Peter fought him, Hiro and Ando weakened him, Sylar fought Doyle, etc. I’m pretty impressed, to be honest.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/09/heroes-episode-4-18-review/

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A Case of the Mondays: 24 & Heroes Reviews

A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 8-6 Review:

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/02/24-episode-8-6-review/

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-17:

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/02/heroes-episode-4-17-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-16

So I have to admit that I was initially going to hold off on watching Heroes until Tuesday, but I follow Greg Grunberg on Twitter and he kept posting Tweets and Re-Tweets about how incredible the episode was and my curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to plop down at midnight and watch the episode. While it wasn’t bad, I think I would have preferred the extra hour of sleep.

Now, it’s important to me that I don’t give off the false impression that I no longer enjoy this show, because I do. Yes, it can be immensely frustrating, but I still care about a lot of the characters and I’d still like for the show to succeed. So let’s start off with some of the positives.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/01/26/heroes-episode-4-16-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-15

So I’ll be honest, Heroes had a pretty uphill climb throughout the episode. I mean, the episode was pretty evenly split between Sylar finding himself (for the millionth time) and Hiro having delusions (literally, this time) of heroism and grandeur. Frequent readers must know by now that these are my two favorite subjects. Oh, and the Carnival too.

But it was kinda neat seeing David Anders compete with himself, appearing on both Heroes and 24.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/01/19/heroes-episode-4-15-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-14

I’ve said it before, and a fair argument could be made that the writers have already hammered this point home, but I really do love how HRG’s actions – no matter how despicable they may be – can always be attributed to his love for Claire. Look at all he had gone through this episode, from tracking this woman down to attaining Parkman’s assistance to infiltrating the Carnival – it was all done for Claire. And all the while, he tried to be a respectful, “normal” father by keeping his distance when she needed some space. I know a lot of people tire easily of Claire – and I’m sure HRG’s fan club has diminished somewhat – but these two will ALWAYS be the highlight of the series for me.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/01/12/heroes-episode-4-14-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episodes 4-12 & 4-13

This was a rather disheartening episode of Heroes for me. It didn’t really have anything to do with what happened during the episode, it was more about my enthusiasm – or lack thereof – going into it. Truth be told, I wasn’t even completely aware that a new episode was coming before I randomly saw a commercial late last week. And even as the episode approached, I didn’t really feel any level of excitement. Actually, I felt a bit inconvenienced, as I was more interested in watching the big night of wrestling.

And this does leave me saddened because Heroes is a show I legitimately would like to see flourish. There are a number of actors that I consider supremely talented or vastly underrated. And despite some shaky writing, I still find myself emotionally attached to several of the central characters. With that in mind, I hope my readers don’t misinterpret my criticisms and increasingly negative outlook. I certainly have not given up on this show. I’m still a devoted viewer, and I continue to hope that the series recaptures the acclaim it achieved in its infancy. So no, I don’t have a doom and gloom attitude regarding Heroes.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/01/05/heroes-episodes-4-12-4-13-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Fall 2009 Review

Ah, Heroes. What more can be said? This series is like that person in your life that you have special feelings for – you’re willing to make excuses to yourself and others to justify their behavior, but when you ultimately come to realize what they’ve become, it stings that much more.

As I’ve mentioned on my blog, Heroes can sometimes be so disappointing because it has so much potential. And every now and then, they do show moments of brilliance (like this season’s understated episode “Thanksgiving”). And to their credit, Heroes has made some strides this season. In the first twelve episodes of “Redemption,” we have seen a significant reduction in useless characters like Mohinder and Ando. And previously unnecessary characters like Parkman have seemingly found a new purpose. And, thankfully, it seems that the writers have finally abandoned their tired formula of discovering a grave future and attempting to avoid it.

Presumably at the halfway point of the season, where do we find each character?

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/01/03/heroes-fall-2009-review/

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2009 TV Year-End Awards

So the TV Awards didn't have quite as many participants as the wrestling one -- which is expected, since I only opened it up last week. But I did find that the "Other" option appeared quite prominently in this survey, so I do implore anybody who participated that voted for the "Other" choice to sound off their suggestion in the Comments section.

Most enjoyable new show of 2009: The Vampire Diaries

Sure, this show had the momentum of True Blood's incredible second season working for it (as well as that whole Twilight phenomena), but The Vampire Diaries really was the stand out new show of the year. Not too shabby considering it resides on TV's red headed stepchild, the CW. The characters are compelling (not to mention disturbingly good looking), the heroes are flawed but easy to root for, and the antagonist is a really fun, entertaining asshole. Honestly, I didn't know Boone had this in him!

The one criticism is eerily similar to that of the first season of Heroes. When you give so much early on, is there enough material to sustain the story for several years? Lets hope that this vampire tale does a better job than our extraordinary friends.

What you said: Glee

FlashForward and Community also received votes. I'm not surprised to see Glee win, as many people I know see it. In fact, my Facebook newsfeed is usually clogged up with Glee quotes and references. The episode I've seen was pretty good, as well.

Show canceled in 2009 with the most potential: Harper's Island

To be perfectly honest, I actually didn't watch any of the shows that I offered as options. I became aware of Harper's Island after the fact, and even though it was basically just I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (almost to a tee), it seems like the type of show I would have enjoyed. Plus Katie Cassidy was on it, who I love as Ella on Melrose Place.

What you said: Other

Dollhouse also received a vote. I am curious what particular shows people referred to when they voted "Other" -- comment below!

Biggest disappointment of 2009: Heroes

I am going to vote for Heroes here, but I do want to also point out that shows like Grey's Anatomy I used to be able to watch. Now merely seeing a 30 second commercial for the show makes me cringe. And I'm not even exaggerating. Seeing a commercial honestly is borderline painful. However, I never really cared enough about the show to have an emotional attachment to it. So, in my eyes, it's merely an atrocity. It's not particularly "disappointing."

With Heroes, I see a show that has so much potential to be great. There are some good characters, some talented actors, and an interesting premise. It seems, to me, that the writers and decision makers simply aren't very good. In fact, if you go back to my reviews of the show back in its glory year, you'll notice that I pointed out a few times that the writing wasn't all that great. At the time, though, the characters were easy to care about. Now that poor writing is catching up on them. That is to say, three years of poor writing is making it difficult to care about the characters, and that was the essence and strength of the series.

Everybody -- including myself -- has talked about killing off unnecessary characters in order to "save" the show. While that would no doubt help, perhaps a better solution would be to clean house of the powers that be and pick up writers and producers with a better track record. I don't know anything about Tim Kring, but I can't help but assume that he's a big part of the problem.

What you said: Heroes

This was unanimous. Kinda telling, no?

Best series finale of 2009: Prison Break

For me, it was between ER and Prison Break. I thought ER had a fantastic, somewhat understated (and I mean that in a good way) finale. It brought us up to speed on some old favorites, while not totally ignoring the characters that have helmed the ship for the past few years. It also showed us that life will go on with these characters, and that they're going to be okay. But I ultimately had to give the nod to Prison Break because, inherently, there was more on the line for their series wrap up. They had questions to answer, issues to resolve, all while concluding their game of cat and mouse. And I have to say, they did a pretty good job.

What you said: Other

Prison Break and ER also received votes. Again, sound off below to let me know what you had in mind when you voted "Other."

Series least likely to be picked up for another season: Melrose Place

As you'll see below, the obvious choices all got votes. Out of those "obvis," I think I'm leaning towards Melrose Place. I think ABC will risk another year with FlashForward and V, hoping that all those dejected Lost viewers will hitch onto them. And Heroes, well, that show could honestly go either way. My thought process is that it's still a relatively popular show on a struggling network that doesn't have many hits. At the moment, though, Melrose Place is sticking out like a sore thumb. Other new shows like Vampire Diaries have really struck, and it's being paired with a show that is garnering much more positive reviews (90210).

What you said: Four way tie - Heroes, Melrose Place, V, FlashForward

Most enjoyable cable series of 2009: True Blood

This wasn't an easy decision for me, as it ultimately came down to True Blood and Curb Your Enthusiasm. So I was basically voting for a genre more than anything else. It's comparing apples and oranges, so I wouldn't necessarily say that I enjoyed True Blood more than Curb, but I just felt that True Blood was so superbly written and acted this past season. There was some great character development and some exciting stories. Having said that, I do believe that Curb had the stronger finale.

What you said: Four way tie - True Blood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Other


I hope everybody has a safe and happy new year!!

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-12

So was this the end of the volume? If so, talk about going out with a whimper. I don’t recall any hype leading to this finale – and if it was the last episode of this volume, with one exception, it really didn’t deliver a climatic conclusion.

That one exception, ironically enough, is the whole Sylar/Nathan story. I’ve been awfully critical of this arc, particularly with the lack of restraint exhibited by the writers, but I have to admit that they did a wonderful job of wrapping things up. It really was a genuinely heartfelt, touching, emotional, and nicely scripted character departure. They hit all the right notes, and the acting was spot on.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2009/12/01/heroes-episode-4-12-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-11

This might surprise some, but I honestly really don’t have anything critical to say about this week’s episode of Heroes. Indeed, despite the lack of action, it was one of the most focused episodes I’ve seen in quite some time. The three stories related to each other through a central theme, and the characters that appeared in the episode were restricted to the bare essentials (consider the fact that there were just as many central characters as there were regulars).

While “concept” episodes such as “A very special Thanksgiving” tend to be a risk, I think Heroes pulled it off. As I alluded to earlier, the episode revolved around three families – the Bennets, the Petrellis, and the Carnival – celebrating the holiday. And while all three families experienced turmoil, they ultimately arrived at three different destinations. The Bennets overcame their conflicts and began the mending process of becoming a modern nuclear family. The Carnival began to implode. And the Petrellis attempted to defy all logic and rationalization to somehow continue to be a family.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2009/11/25/heroes-episode-4-11-review/

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I have some insightful readers!

Week after week, my columns over at Inside Pulse have received some wonderfully insightful and enjoyable comments. This past week, two have jumped out at me, which I thought I'd share here (and hey blog readers, there's a fun little "Comment" link at the bottom of my posts here as well!)

First, in response to the most recent episode of Smallville, Mary has this to say:

Matt, nice review but I think you missed a few things that were important to take from this episode regarding important character development. This episode was not filler as many expected it to be. On the contrary, it was the calm before the storm giving us a close look at Clark and Lois’ emotional and mental state.

There was a nice parellel in this episode between how Chloe wanted Clark to handle the District Attorney and how Lois ultimately chose to handle it. Chloe wanted Clark to let the DA smear his name and remain in the shadows. Lois recognized that the shield was beacon of hope for the city and she came forward to defend Clark in public and begged the city to leave him alone. Utimately, Lois’ plans were closer to where Clark’s heart is right now and she did the right thing.

The scene on the rooftop was very important. Lois was willing to give her life so that Clark could remain a beacon of hope for the city. Clark, for his part, gladly would have jumped after Lois and outed himself to the cameras if she had fallen. Luckily, the wonder twins provided the cover of the fog so that Clark could save Lois without having to out himself. Lois has proven that she would die for him so the fact that he’s keeping his secret from her is not about trust. The problem is that she WOULD give her life for his secret and I think that’s what scares him. He doesn’t want her put in that position.

The last scene in Lois’ therapy session was very important. Lois admitted that she as fascinated by the heroics of the Blur. But her thoughts kept coming back to Clark. He is the man that she loves above all else. That was a big realization on Lois’ part.

Again, the last scene between Clark and Lois in the copy room was adorable and important. Clark revealed the famous glasses and he rather touchingly admitted to her that he wished he could be two people for her. Little does she know…. This time Lois was the one who got over her fear and kissed him so that he was clear on how she felt about him. Then of course she had the seizure.

You also missed talking about the opening scene from Lois’ dream of the future. Clark and Lois waking up in some kind of abadoned building after making love and there’s a red sun in the sky….that was important.

I’m not criticizing because I always think you do great reviews. I just think there was some important character development that was very important in this episode that you missed in your review. As much as I love action packed episodes I also really appreciate it when Smallville takes the time to really get inside their character’s heads. This was a very important episode in that respect. I loved it.

I thought your comments on Chloe were spot on. The ends do not justify the means. She’s been out of line several times this season. I’m intrigued as to how it’s going to play out.

Thanks for your review! Hope you don’t mind my comments.

First off, never apologize for leaving a comment -- especially one so well thought out. I enjoy these interactions, so as long as you're respectful (which, for the most part, everybody has been), feel free to disagree!

Secondly, I purposely didn't mention Lois' visions because I knew that the following episode would focus almost exclusively on them. As such, I decided to just sit back and wait to see how all of that plays out.

That being said, perhaps I did sell this episode a bit short. I do agree that it was the calm before the storm, giving the audience a bit of a reprieve between what is sure to be two huge episodes (kinda like how they put a Divas match in between two main events). And that's perfectly okay.

However, Mary made a great observation comparing Lois' and Chloe's advice on how to handle the DA situation. It was another example of how Chloe's somewhat darker methodology has drifted from the Clark's purity and nobility (which in itself is somewhat ironic, since Chloe apparently tried to pull Clark from the dark side earlier this season). Over the past two seasons, Chloe has really descended into a much different person. And I think this has played a part in Clark's developing closeness with Lois. Despite her tough-as-nails exterior, beneath it all she shares Clark's values.

The final therapy session WAS worth mentioning, and in hindsight I wish I had. Mary was spot-on: It's important for the viewers to understand that Lois loves Clark the aspiring journalist, and that she's not just interested in him because of the possibility that he's a superhero.

In response to this week's episode of Heroes, dickrat, ahem, left this comment:

The Shanti Virus suppresses the abilities until they’re cured of it. That’s why both Sylar and the Haitian retained their original abilities.

Sylar tried to kill himself after killing Brian Davis, so I would say that he was a bit more emotionally empathetic with that kill than with Isaac.

Claire can regenerate appendages if they’re cut off. She did it with her pinky toe in season 2, so her foot would regrow it’s self leaving the severed foot.

First off, dickrat is absolutely right about the severed foot deal. As we saw at the beginning of season two, body parts regenerate for Claire, so my reattachment comment is a bit moot.

I cringe whenever I have to think about last season's obligatory flashback episode, because it basically re-wrote Sylar and Elle's character, completely contradicting what we had known about them up until that point. Of course, they would ultimately revert back to their original characters, so it was all for nothing. But, since it did happen on the show, I will accept it as "fact."

But I do have to wonder this: Does it matter? So what if Sylar had empathy for Brian. If we are to believe that Sylar was back to square one, except for his original ability, he would have lost Brian's ability -- empathy or not. Sylar cannot simply absorb any person's ability by simply attaching himself emotionally to them. For example, he knows full well that Mr. Petrelli can absorb and eliminate people's abilities by making contact with them. However, nothing we've seen can lead us to believe he can just magically have that ability by thinking of Petrelli. From what we've seen, he still has to be near that person, much like when he used to slice their heads open.

So whether Sylar acquired that ability through empathy or slicing is inconsequential. If he lost his original set of abilities, as most people argue, he shouldn't be able to use telekinesis until he's faced with another person who has that ability. Does that make sense?

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-10

Before getting to this week’s episode, let’s revisit what should be known as “The Great Sylar Debate.” The big question we can’t seem to find a satisfying answer for: Did Sylar lose his powers at the conclusion of season one/beginning of season two, when he contracted the Shanti virus?

Most of the people who have said “yes,” seem to believe so out of assumption (after all, he seemingly rarely uses any of those abilities other than telekinesis and his original power). In my opinion, that’s a weak argument. That’s like saying, “he doesn’t use any of those powers, except for the ones he uses.” I mean, when he clearly uses more than one of his season one abilities, I have trouble accepting such a blanket, unsubstantiated statement. Also consider that the Haitian (or, ugh, Rene) suffered from the Shanti virus, but his abilities were right back to normal after he received the vaccine. I know their powers aren’t exactly the same, but there’s really no basis for the belief that the virus would set him back to square one.

Anyway, here’s what some of the readers had to offer:

The future Gabriel also had the ability to “paint the future” which he hadn’t been using since the first season. In that season, Sylar learns how to take powers without killing, basically Peter’s ability. It is quite possible that meeting with Peter allowed the powers he lost to be used once again (and it’s possible that those powers had been aquired from Future Peter)

I don’t recall the mini-explosion hands … I know he’s used lightning quite frequently.

There are a number of abilities that Sylar has collected and rarely ever uses, which is part of the problem. Season 2 he spent most of the season without any powers. The start of this season he’s basically Peter at the start of Season 2 … he is only manifesting some of his powers because of memory loss. Still, there were a number of first season powers, like freezing, he never used since getting his abilities back.

In my quick skimming of the recaps for both parts of Season 3 (chapters 3 and 4) I don’t recall him using any old power. He doesn’t even use some of the powers he aquires (Bob’s alchemy, Jesse’s scream) very often, but lightning is up there with telekenesis on “most used”. And healing of course.

Upon second thought, I may have been mistaken about Sylar-as-Nathan using Ted’s radioactive ability. Now that I think about it, it may very well have been Elle’s lightning. But, again, the fact remains that Future Sylar did use at least two of the abilities he acquired when talking to Peter – Isaac’s paint the future, and Ted’s radiation. But, as noted, he may have acquired those abilities from Peter. I find that to be a bit of a stretch, though. I mean, it’s almost a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Sylar’s absorbing Peter’s abilities while Peter is taking Sylar’s. Forget the butterfly crap – THAT’S gotta mess up the timespace continuum.

However, Kristina seems to shed some light on this issue:

In week 1 of Behind the Eclipse, in which writers/producers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coliete answer fan questions, this very issue was discussed:

Q: “In ‘The Second Coming,’ Sylar says to Claire, ‘You see, I lost everything that made me special.’ Does Sylar mean that he permanently lost all of his acquired powers except for telekinesis? Has his slate of powers been ‘wiped clean’ and does he have to start all over again?

A: Nope that’s right. Sylar’s starting over. Getting a whole new slate of powers as he goes.

Then in week 7 when the devastating impact of Gabriel’s first kill is revealed, the writers explain why his telekenisis, acquired by Brian Davis, is the only acquired power he retained: “Brian was Sylar’s first kill and his power is connected to emotional empathy.”

Sylar’s telekenetic power has become a part of him almost as much as his original power, much more so than any other power he’s attained. That is why when he recovered from the Shanti virus he retained only this acquired power. All the others were lost because they weren’t as much a part of him.

Even though this comes from an undeniably reliable source, I still have issue accepting something that’s not officially canon (as in, explicitly stated on the show). That’s not me being stubborn – that’s just been my experience. I’ve seen instances in which a scene has been filmed but cut for some reason, and ultimately that story gets completely rewritten later on (and is totally contradictory to that original, unseen scene). Unfortunately, I can’t think of a specific example.

To me, the “Brian was Sylar’s first kill and his power is connected to emotional empathy” is extremely weak. It almost sounds like they realized this would make a good reason after the fact. And for that matter, I have a hard time believing that Brian was his most empathetic kill. How about Isaac, who he spent weeks stalking and preying upon before murdering in cold blood? And that kill was motivated by exceptionally devious and ambitious thoughts.

Anyway, I’m not completely closed minded. I am willing to accept that he lost all of his abilities (except for the ones he didn’t lose), but to me it really boils down to just lazy and inconsistent writing. When it’s convenient that he has a certain ability (like super hearing to eavesdrop on HRG’s plot with Slider-man), he suddenly has it. I suppose it’s a bit of a moot point, as he basically only uses telekinesis anyway.

Moving onto this week’s episode, then.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2009/11/17/heroes-episode-4-10-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-9

Rickey had this to say in regard to last week’s review:

Sylar lost all of the powers he stole in season 1 after he was “killed” except for his telekinsis

I’m not quite sure which “death” Rickey is referring to, but this is simply incorrect. Since the beginning of this season, he’s used his healing ability, his shape shifting ability, his ability to fly, and his ability to learn the history of items just by touching them. Hell, in this episode alone he shape shifted and flew. Sylar innately uses his telepathic ability, but his full resume is far more impressive.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2009/11/10/heroes-episode-4-9-review/


And oh -- remember to vote in the latest poll!!

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Heroes: An alternate reality

I typically don't read other reviews of Heroes because I find them to be overly negative. I fully understand that people are paid to watch and write about certain shows, so it's not always as easy as "if you don't like it, why do you continue watching it?" But my perspective is, why do I want to listen to somebody rip apart a show I mostly enjoy?

Nonetheless, I decided to read the review over at the EW website, basically because I found the introduction humorous (saying last night's episode "managed to be the least bad episode of the season so far"). Overall the column pretty much echoed what I had said in my post. One point really struck me, though: That the final battle at the end of season one would have benefited from at least two characters dying.

And that got me thinking -- what if the writers had just pulled the trigger and knocked Sylar off?

Don't get me wrong. Zachary Quinto, at the end of the day, will likely end up the breakout star of this show. And Sylar is undeniably one of the most popular characters. But, in the grand scheme of things, has he really done anything of significance since the first season?

Honestly, his character hasn't really served a major purpose. Adam could have been the villain during "Generations," Papa Petrelli and a plethora of others during "Villains," Danko during "Fugitives," and Samuel during "Redemption." Instead, we got the show spreading themselves too thin. During each volume, Sylar and the "B" villain were at odds, with the viewers likely WANTING to root for the more popular Sylar. But at the end of the day, Sylar would do something dastardly to one of our heroes, leaving the audience feeling a bit deflated and dejected.

Right now I really have no emotional attachment to any incarnation of Sylar, in large part because of this stubborn desire to make him a perennially torn character instead of a full-on villain. Had Hiro vanquished him in that awesome moment at the conclusion of season one, he would have gone out while he was still on top.

And who else should have been killed off during that battle? There are two obvious candidates: Parkman and, I'm sad to say, Nathan. Parkman could have died while he was still a genuinely likable, "real" character. And Nathan sacrificing his life for his brother and his daughter -- and effectively saving millions at the expense of his political aspirations -- would have been a wonderful conclusion to his story (although he's the one character of the bunch that HAS contributed to the series since its inaugural season).

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and it's easy to play Monday morning quarterback. And for what it's worth, the EW column was a tad too harsh (a good episode is a "cowardly embarassment" now?) and I believe he's remembering season one with some lovely rose colored glasses (main characters were hardly dying every single week). But the intentions of the article are accurate. And one thing is for certain -- apparently Adrian Pasdar found out he was being written out when he read the script. How screwed up is that????

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Heroes: Breaking News

Shortly after posting my latest Heroes review, sources confirmed that Adrian Pasdar, who portrays Nathan, has been let go from the show. I suppose the writing was on the wall, as Sylar (physically speaking) took back control of his body, essentially leaving the series Nathan-less for the past few episodes.

I do commend the series for eliminating one of the "protected" original characters, but I really can't help but feel like they hitched their wagon to the wrong horses. Honestly, what has Parkman contributed to the series in the grand scheme of things? And haven't characters like Mohinder and Hiro been running around in circles for the past couple of seasons? And don't get me started with whatever character Ali Larter is playing. In my opinion, Nathan was one of the few legitimately interesting characters that still had some fuel left in the tank.

Anyway, here's the official story from TVGuide.com:

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Heroes-Adrian-Pasdar-1011497.aspx

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-8

Long-time reader and contributor Creed left this comment in regards to last week’s episode:

Well said, though I think they are completely missing the boat with Ali Larter. Her original character had an interesting duality, though it became less interesting once the personality split was resolved, but Tracy is as interesting as a block of ice. However, when Tracy found the Doctor responsible for her creation, he said there were THREE of them. They could have left Tracy dead at the end of last season and moved onto the third, doing whatever they want with her.

I could be mistaken, but I had always assumed that the triplets were Niki, Jessica, and Tracy. That was my interpretation, anyway.

By the way, a couple of weeks ago I wrote an exclusive piece on my blog about how Heroes should model True Blood’s second season story arc. The popular HBO series reminded me a great deal of the first season of Heroes, as virtually all of the characters had their own stories, which culminated in a single climax. Click here to give it a read.

Moving onto this week’s episode....

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2009/11/03/heroes-episode-4-8-review/

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-7

If there was ever a “filler” episode of Heroes, this was it. However, “filler” is decidedly different from “stalling,” so I’ll chalk this up as the lesser of two evils. Normally episodes such as these are a necessary evil when it comes to properly pacing the season, however with such a large cast with so many stories going on, it’s admittedly a bit tough to defend.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2009/10/27/heroes-episode-4-7-review/







A CASE OF THE BLOG VISITORS: PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO FILL OUT THIS QUICK SURVEY!!

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True Hero

With Heroes seemingly becoming my own personal Trending Topic this week, I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss something I've felt since the end of this past summer: That the once acclaimed NBC series should take a page from the latest season of True Blood.

The critically praised second season of True Blood was unique in the sense that much of the cast was kept separated for virtually the entire season. Sookie and Bill were in Dallas, most of the time with Eric, dealing with bureaucratic vampire matters (yes, you read that right). Jason was with his church group (yes, you read that right too), Lafayette had a separate arc with Eric, and Sam, Tara, and Andy had generally unrelated story arcs revolving around Maryann. About three quarters of the way through the season, Jason was united with Bill and Sookie, and Sam and Andy's stories intertwined. The episodes leading to the finale were almost like a Seinfeld episode as all of the individual characters and their misadventures came together. Everybody was back in Bon Temps and attempting to control the chaos that had gradually erupted throughout the season.

And while the finale itself didn't quite feel like the climax I was expecting, the season as a whole was marvelous. It was actually very reminiscent of the first season of Heroes (the finest one of them all, according to most fans). The relatively large cast were mostly set apart into pairings (Claire and HRG, Nathan and Peter, Hiro and Ando, Niki and Micah, etc.), with these couples eventually merging with others to create smaller groups (Bennets and Petrellis, Nathan, Niki/Jessica, and Linderman, Hiro, Ando, and Isaac, etc.) And, much like the instance referenced above, by the end of the season the stories converged for a climatic battle.

This season of True Blood was 12 episodes. If Heroes continues the model they followed last year (with one season equaling two Volumes), then this is certainly a fair comparison, and not an apple and oranges situation.

Of course, I'm not one of the people who feel like Heroes needs to copy what they did when they were at their peak -- they just need to recapture that magic. Despite their faults, at the moment they seem to be doing a relatively good job at that (thus far, the central stories are more or less independent, but are beginning to intermingle).

And for what it's worth, I think season one was so successful because people genuinely cared about the characters. Much of that is lost, due in large part to the uneven writing and sometimes inconsistent character behavior. Yet this season of True Blood made me like virtually every character significantly more than I had before. Being separated from Sookie did wonders for Sam's character, in my opinion. Instead of being a lovesick puppy (pun intended), he was a supremely loyal, kind hearted and heroic man. Set apart from everybody else and forced to find himself, Jason grew astronomically from the intolerant sex fiend he was portrayed as during season one. And Eric -- who managed to pop up at least once in the stories of Sookie/Bill, Sam, Jason, AND Lafayette -- proved to be the real highlight of the season.

Is it too late for Heroes to rediscover that spark that made it so successful? I certainly hope not, but if they're open minded enough to realize they might need a little inspiration, might I suggest checking out HBO's On Demand station?

A CASE OF THE BLOG VISITORS: PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO FILL OUT THIS QUICK SURVEY!!

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