[TV] Heroes

[Melanieshaman]

Yes, i am VERY late to the party, but since we got hulu i have been watching old tv shows that either i liked the first time around (Flash Forward, The Pretender), or ones i SHOULD have seen but did (Heroes).

I JUST started season 4 (the last season). I had heard that the show went down hill at some point, and so far I am loving it. Not sure how i feel about a carnival full of people with abilities, but i was curious to those who have seen it... when DID it go down hill? if at all.

[Kathranis]

General opinion is that the show started going downhill in the second season and a ton of people just gave up on it altogether by the end of the third season. I felt like the fourth season started to right the ship, but by then the ratings had already plummeted too far.

One of the things that really hurt the show was the Writer's Guild Strike. It resulted in the second season being delayed, having fewer episodes, and most notably destroyed their intent to have a spinoff series which would introduce new characters. They also completely changed their original intent for the series, which was to have the first season characters fade into the background with a new main cast each season. Then again, people generally didn't care for the new characters in season 2, so maybe their plans wouldn't have worked out anyway. Also, in my opinion, the second season villain (Adam) was really poorly utlized.

For me, the writing really started to get horrible in the third season, and you could almost see from episode to episode that the different writers didn't have a unified vision for the show. Characters would behave differently, storylines would get stalled out or abruptly ended at the start of the next episode, and so on.

Honestly, there were just a ton of things I ultimately disliked about the show. So I'll just say that I liked most of the first season, a bit of the second season, and some of the fourth season.

[Fuzzzie]

Yeah, I only watched the first season. Started watching the 2nd and lost interest about half way in. It's a good show though.

[xrayEU]

Yeah, I only watched the first season. Started watching the 2nd and lost interest about half way in. It's a good show though.

Season 1 was really awesome. Season 2 was ok, but after that it goes downhill.

[gismo7354]

I never was a fan of Samuel as a main bad guy. So scary. He can move earth and rocks around. The character was ok just not main villain in my opinion. Loved the series though. Yeah, it hit some slow points but overall I enjoyed it.

[Pachycrocuta]

It was a good series. Season one was great, season two was good, but after that it turned to shit.

[Melanieshaman]

SOME of season 4 is ok... about a third of the way through it now (just finally buried Nathan). I agree about Samuel, completely unimpressed with him.

[Kathranis]

Samuel's power isn't shown in full until later in the season, when he creates sandstorms filled with sharp rocks and later is shown to have the power to create massive earthquakes.

That said, IIRC, they made changes to the big finale of the season because of some real world events that happened at about the same time.

[Arrow91]

The only thing good about that show were the powers and the badass dad and the politician. The cheerleader drove me insane to the point where I wanted to choke her when her father did so much to protect her. The politician was one of the very few characters that had any depth at all. They should have gone farther down the path of what happened in season 2 (?) with the future and what not. Season 4 was just bad, got tired of sylar constantly switching between the good side and the bad side.

[Deleted]

If you watch the series as a marathon then it's a great series, but if you watched it normally (as each episodes come out) then it's just alright. There were a few hiccups and issues etc that most people including myself lost their interest by the 2nd season. When they finally made things right it was kinda too late already. I just rewatched all 4 seasons last month and I actually enjoyed it.

[Melanieshaman]

If you watch the series as a marathon then it's a great series, but if you watched it normally (as each episodes come out) then it's just alright. There were a few hiccups and issues etc that most people including myself lost their interest by the 2nd season. When they finally made things right it was kinda too late already. I just rewatched all 4 seasons last month and I actually enjoyed it.

Ya i have been watching 2-4 eps a day! Between work and such... I have enjoyed it for the most part. Not sure what i'll watch after though... Alphas? (if it's on hulu or netfliks), Mis Fits? Firefly? just not sure.

[Youvegotfail]

General opinion is that the show started going downhill in the second season and a ton of people just gave up on it altogether by the end of the third season. I felt like the fourth season started to right the ship, but by then the ratings had already plummeted too far.

Nailed it. I was one of the people that watched every episode as it came out, and actually stuck with it until the end, but that quote pretty much sums up my feelings towards it. Lots of potential, and most of it wasted.

Now it's time for the obligatory "Have you seen Misfits?" question that i have to bring up anytime anyone brings up Heroes. It's a British (read: better) show and it's basically what Heroes could have been, IMO. It's had three seasons so far and all are awesome. They're working on a 4th, but a lot of the actors aren't coming back, so I dunno how well it will be in the future, but do yourself a favor and find it and watch it!

[Pachycrocuta]

Nailed it. I was one of the people that watched every episode as it came out, and actually stuck with it until the end, but that quote pretty much sums up my feelings towards it. Lots of potential, and most of it wasted.

I have to agree. I started watching it from the beginning episode by episode. I watched all of Seasons 1, 2, 3, and stopped in the 4th when Samuel started using Hiro's time travel and Claire had started hanging out at the circus. I just couldn't get into all the things they changed for the worse in that series.

[Melanieshaman]

So i decided to try Mis Fits today..3 episodes, and I have ZERO sympathy or empathy for the characters... none of them are really all that likable. The one guy who apparently doesn't have powers (yet) is at least somewhat funny. I can't see myself watching this show much more if something doesn't happen. Hiding bodies was WAY too easy really. I'll give it 2-3 more eps before i am done... I sure hope the story is bigger than what it has been.

[Youvegotfail]

So i decided to try Mis Fits today..3 episodes, and I have ZERO sympathy or empathy for the characters... none of them are really all that likable. The one guy who apparently doesn't have powers (yet) is at least somewhat funny. I can't see myself watching this show much more if something doesn't happen. Hiding bodies was WAY too easy really. I'll give it 2-3 more eps before i am done... I sure hope the story is bigger than what it has been.

If the first 3 hasn't grabbed you, you will probably never like it. However since it's a British show, there's only 6 episodes in the first season, so 3 more would finish it. I find myself wondering if it's just the Britishness of it that is throwing you off. Do you watch a lot of British shows? I personally found all the characters immediately likeable, even if some are better than others (not a huge fan of Curtis, and Alicia is only eye candy, imo). Nathan is clearly the best part of the show, he's hilarious.

Clearly we don't know each other so i don't know your tastes, but it really surprises me that anyone could like Heroes, yet not like Misfits.

[Melanieshaman]

If the first 3 hasn't grabbed you, you will probably never like it. However since it's a British show, there's only 6 episodes in the first season, so 3 more would finish it. I find myself wondering if it's just the Britishness of it that is throwing you off. Do you watch a lot of British shows? I personally found all the characters immediately likeable, even if some are better than others (not a huge fan of Curtis, and Alicia is only eye candy, imo). Nathan is clearly the best part of the show, he's hilarious.

Clearly we don't know each other so i don't know your tastes, but it really surprises me that anyone could like Heroes, yet not like Misfits.

I have watched some british tv in the past... not much, but some. Honestly, as i said, If i cannot connect with a character, and feel for them, and their situation, then it's hard for me to stay interested. I liked Heores because of Peter, and Hiro (mostly), I like Sons of Anarchy for Opie, and Jax (they both have inner turmoil and conflict)... not necessarily sympathetic, just deep and interesting, I like Walking Dead for Rick, how he's trying to stay sane, and keep the group from falling apart.

I can't connect with the characters in Mis Fits because none of them seem to have any personality deeper than superficial/archetype personalities. The story feels small, it doesn't have to have 15 characters, but I don't see enough different takes on any given situation. They all react pretty similar. None of them have a "good head on their shoulders". Ya, it's just not for me.

oh, and the powers used? Hmm a nympho-succubus? -lame, a thought reader? (Matt Parkman-heroes), a "time traveler" only just back wards a minute or so?-Hiro- Heroes, and a guy with no powers (yet)... I like how Heroes is more "4 color" without the costumes. It's painfully obvious that it has a MUCH lower budget than Heroes did, which (in my opinion) hurts a show about people with super powers.

[Youvegotfail]

I can't connect with the characters in Mis Fits because none of them seem to have any personality deeper than superficial/archetype personalities. The story feels small, it doesn't have to have 15 characters, but I don't see enough different takes on any given situation. They all react pretty similar. None of them have a "good head on their shoulders". Ya, it's just not for me.

That's cool, i completely understand that. I don't agree, but i at least understand how you could feel that way, especially from only the first few episodes. The characters personalities do flesh themselves out more over the next 2 seasons...however I personally found plenty of things to empathize with most of the characters straight away. *shrugs*

oh, and the powers used? Hmm a nympho-succubus? -lame, a thought reader? (Matt Parkman-heroes), a "time traveler" only just back wards a minute or so?-Hiro- Heroes, and a guy with no powers (yet)... I like how Heroes is more "4 color" without the costumes. It's painfully obvious that it has a MUCH lower budget than Heroes did, which (in my opinion) hurts a show about people with super powers.

I'll agree the nympho-succubus (great description, btw) power is kinda lame. The rest though are simply standard "superhero" powers, even if some have a catch. You can't fault them for going with genre standards. However, they pull a power switch in season 2 where there is a guy that can take/give powers and all of them sell their powers to him, then later when they decide they want them back, he's already sold their powers so they get new ones. I thought that was a really cool twist that I haven't seen done before. Also (don't click on this spoiler unless you don't plan to continue watching at all) Nathan does indeed have a power, he can't die....there's an episode where they all get famous and he blows his brains out on national tv. One of my favorite episodes .

Another thing I really liked about it, is that the powers aren't just random...well, a couple are, but MOST of them stem from the characters personality. It will explain this more later in the series as more "supes" are introduced, but as for the main cast: Simon is a weirdo/loner and feels that no one notices him, therefore he gets the invisibility power, Alisha wants every guy to want her, therefore nympho-succubus (I will never describe her power any other way now), Curtis wishes he could go back and not get arrested and fuck up his running career, therefore time travel. Kelly's mind reading and Nathan's immortality are kinda random, but they're the exceptions. There are lots of other examples later on in the show, but I won't bother listing them in a huge spoiler block cuz it seems like you've decided to not continue watching it already.

Any who, enough of me sticking up for Misfits. You're entitled to not like it, and I'm entitled to be confused by that fact, lol.

[smokii]

season 1 was good
season 2 went downhill from season 1
season 3 went downhill from season 2
season 4 was better than season 2, but not as good as season 1.

my main issue with it, was that the petrelli family storyline just got ridiculous - i couldn't stand the mother by season 3 and was praying they'd write her out of it, but apparently the writers felt the opposite.

tbh i think the writers strike hit heroes quite badly, as it happened just as season 1 had finished filming

in the end, i only stuck with it because of hiro's storyline

[Symphonic]

I think a lot of people didn't like season 2 because it was a lot of backstory, new characters, etc. instead of how the first season was. I liked it, though. It is one of my favorite series, 1 and 4 being my favorite of heroes.