Heroes: The Second Season So Far
Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennett and Sylar Begin their next Adventure
The hit NBC show returns for a second round with new heroes, and new mysteries. But can it hold up to last season's hype?
As a dreary new fall 2007 television season begins, old favorites begin to taste stale and new flavors seem rather bland. NBC’s Heroes, the breakout hit of last season, is back for a second installment, and surprisingly, it’s off to a pretty solid start. Five episodes in, not every storyline is a winner, but it seems to be pushing past the sophomore slump. Here’s your guide to the second season thus far.
The Winning Formula
In its second season, Heroes continues to provide the more of the little tidbits that made it so captivating to begin with. First of all, the special effects are as breathtaking as ever. Rarely cheesy (which can be tricky when you’re working with superheroes), the visually stunning spectacles look like they should be on the big screen. Claire regenerating her toe, Peter’s body rejecting a bullet, all the effects look real. Secondly, the plot continues to be engaging without feeling like it’s just messing with you. Part of what made Heroes so great during its first season was that it had all the thrills and mystery of Lost but then, instead of piling on more mystery, it resolved itself. In short Heroes provided (and still seems to provide) a sense of closure that’s missing in its ABC counterpart.
What’s Working
All your favorite heroes are back again this season (at least the ones who survived), and they’ve all found themselves in a brand new mess. The most promising storyline is the major arc concerning a set of eight paintings Isaac Mendez did before kicking the bucket last season. Linked to an order of elder heroes who are mysteriously dying off, these paintings hold the key to both the victims and the perpetrator of some seriously grizzly murders. Add to this a dead Noah Bennet in the final frame and you've got yourself a serious calamity that may even rival the exploding man.
Another nice twist in this infant season is that Peter Petrelli finds himself in Ireland with few memories of his past, having to learn to use his powers all over again. It might have been too much to bring Peter back in the shape he was in at season one’s end. With his ability to absorb any other hero’s power, giving him a little handicap has proven to be a compelling tool.
What’s Not Working
First off, this whole Hiro in feudal Japan storyline was a nice little diversion for the first two episodes but it has become more than stale. It was fun for a while, a cute idea and all. But a storyline that exists completely separate of the main narrative can only hold an audiences’ attention for so long.
Secondly, these new heroes from Honduras aren’t the most interesting of characters. The sister kills people with some sort of oozing black eye thing, and the brother can reverse the damage. Not that cool. Kind of seems like the writers are at a loss for new powers (as evidenced by the repeating powers also seen this season). Still, adding Sylar into the mix could prove interesting, so it might be too early to give up on this storyline.
But speaking of Sylar. What’s the deal with his loss of powers? There needs to be an explanation here. It’s nice that he’s still just as evil as ever, and having him loose his powers even provides an interesting slant on things. But viewers need explanation, not more mystery. This is Heroes after all, not Lost.
