Heroes aren’t what they used to be…

(This article was written over a period of a few weeks so might be a little bit like patch work. Apologies in advance.)

To start…

I think its time for some TV love. Before a list of what I like on the box at the moment, and how I’m feeling/have felt during their run here’s my list of what a good TV show needs, nay, MUST have…

1) An interesting and well thought out storyline that has been carefully planned and executed.
2) Meaningful character relationships/chemistry.
3) Good acting. Nothing can save a show more than a powerful performance.
4) A memory.
5) Well made, although not necessarily big budget.

That last one is a little bit vague but it’ll become more apparent what I mean later…


“Save the Cheerleader, Save the world…”



Heroes
(Currently Season 3 Episode 19, NBC)

I used to love Heroes. Like, really love it. I saw Season One like 5 times, including twice in a row at one point. I loved the fact that Tim Kring (creator) had given us a vast world littered with cool characters, each with their own super power. It was good times…until season 2. I’ve spent many hours thinking about the fall of Heroes, but I’ve never really had the time to tell the majority of you where my problems actually lie. But first let me start by telling you why you should be watching Heroes…

Why I like Heroes

1) Super Powers – Most characters have a power and a weakness (Usually themselves). This is great, there is nothing worse than all powerful unstoppable characters right from the start. I also like the way the powers are connected to the persons history, for example Claire’s mum controls fire while her father flies so it makes sense she can regenerate (Phoenix anyone?). I’ve also grown to love some of the camera tricks used to signify a certain power. Matt’s (a telepathic cop) power looks hilarious, made up of mainly close ups and squinted eyes. These really do help you out along the way and make for some cool little moments, like Sylar and his new ability to tell if someone is lying (The screen shakes up and down).

2) Super People – There are some great characters in this show, Hiro and Ando only being the best examples.

3) Sylar/Villains – One of my favorite all time villains. He’s a great contrast to Peter Petrelli, the original ‘good guy’ of the show, and seeing his development over the years has been excellent even if he has become a little lost as of late. There is also some truly excellent evil characters throughout the run of Heroes, although you need to be fast to catch them.

4) Season One – 23 episodes of fantasticness. It’s so good I have to make up words. Cool characters, great first story arc (with some interesting subplots) that all come together with a great twist at the end, well worth your time…

However,

Why I don’t like Heroes

1) Season 2 – Cut short due to the 07-08 WGA strike Season 2 of Heroes was only 11 episodes, and it still managed to stink up the house. I really didn’t enjoy this season, for a number of reasons.

I was generally happy with how Season One ended, my only problem being the way with which Hiro was set up for his season 2 story arc. After (spoilers) being stabbed by Hiro, Sylar uses his powers to send Hiro flying through the air towards a wall. Now, I presumed he would just take the hit and fall to the ground, be a bit banged up for his next appearance. But no, he uses his power to avoid a crash…and ends up in Japan in the year 1671. Right. I appreciate that this story was used to get Hiro to realize his potential (completing all the tasks that his father had told him stories about as a child) but his stay in the past went on way too long.

It also became way too love struck towards the end, verging on soppy, when Hiro fell in love with a sword smiths daughter (or something). I think the only good thing to come from this arc was Kensei/Adam Monroe (David Anders), a villain with the same power as Claire that I had hoped they would be keeping for the long run.

But wait, that leads onto my next point. Season 2 also introduced us to a few more super powered people, including a girl with reflexive muscle memory (or something) and a sister (who cries black tears that kill everyone) and brother (who can stop his sister from crying). Right, it’s no real surprise that none of these characters returned, even if they did change the scenery for a few episodes (New Orleans, South America).

2) Death (Main characters) – Death ‘aint no thing in Heroes. Main characters die all the time and are back to life in a matter of moments. Side characters die in an instant and are never spoken about again. This annoys the shit out of me. Nathan really should have died at the end of season one. It would have been a beautiful death, but no, they decided to bring him back only to kill him, again. I understand he might be popular, but you cant build up tension in a show where none of the main cast are expendable.

3) Death (Side characters) – Never has a show wasted this amount of talent or characters. It truly is awful. There are many examples, Adam Monroe being killed or even with some of the new villains introduced such as Knox and the German. Knox especially was a huge waste.

One of the scariest actors in The Wire (Jamie Hector) who’s power is that he feeds on peoples fear and grows stronger with it? I’m sold, or at least I was until he was killed off. Same with the German (who was killed by Knox), Monroe (Arthur Petrelli killed him), Arthur Petrelli (Sylar got him) and on the list could go.

I was so upset when Arthur Petrelli went down as Robert Forster is a fantastic actor given a really bad storyline. In fact it seems that most of these new characters are only introduced to kill each other off and go about their business elsewhere.

4) Ali Larter – People seem to love her, but I think she couldn’t act her way out a paper bag (I’m pretty sure her movie career shows that), but Heroes is fucking obsessed with this chick. So much so we’ve seen like 8 different versions of the same dry character. She’s gone from being a bitch with enhanced strength and split personalities to (and no lie here) playing the twin of said character who’s probably more of a bitch and has ice powers. And it gets better as well, because there is apparently another ‘twin’ running around that we have yet to meet. Christ.

5) Selective Memory – Heroes just isn’t as aware of itself as other shows are. Sometimes (especially recently) I just feel like nothing I sat through before this means anything anymore.

The characters I grew to know and love have mostly all left their original paths and are wondering around blindly screaming to be thrown into a decent storyline. Peter for example, long one of the more powerful on the show. In season 2 they go all out trying to set up Peter as someone who could eventually be the kind of villain this show has been lacking since season one Sylar. But no, we’re like 20 episodes on from those flashes of evil, and now he’s back to being weak and insecure.

It’s the same with the major story arcs. First we had the virus from season 2 that really turned out to be not that much of a problem anyway, and then there was the serum from the start of season 3. Both of which matter not any longer, which is a shame. Oh and the ever important formula, that Hiro spent a load of time looking for. Which meant nothing in the end anyways. Lost isn’t scared to keep you wondering about past happenings, Heroes is. It makes a big difference.

6) This whole ‘Lets start from scratch’ shit – The Fugitives arc that we are currently running through is only 2 episodes in, but I already see worrying signs. It is literally like I’ve walked into Michael Bays brain while he’s watching Heroes and trying to figure out how to save it. The past two episodes have had a plane crash, an airstrike, people have been shot, people have used their powers in like non-good ways (many for the first time) and there is an extreme sense of panic. It’s like the writers know times running out, and the characters show it from their idiotic decisions. There’s been some shifty decisions as well, such as giving the two unpowered members of the cast powers (for no real reason).

I appreciate the focus on one or two groups of characters as opposed to everyone in one episode, but I feel that Heroes has reached the point of no return. There’s 11 episodes or so left, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done to fix this show up. I’m very interested to see how they wrap this arc up, because if the Heroes don’t find a way to keep hidden from the rest of the world we’ll be trapped in these “on the run” arcs for the rest of Heroes tenure.

To people not familiar to the series, please don’t get me wrong. Heroes is not the worst thing on Television. Far from it. In fact, a lot of the time I find the show ticking all the right boxes. It’s just that after it does that it turns around and does some other funky stuff behind your back, and that’s when we argue. I cant handle all these boring side characters introduced who do little more than stand around before their death. I cant handle the fact that while these side characters are doing this our main characters are sent on a long journey to learn/retrieve something that wont matter a few episodes down the line. It’s not fair, and it’s not fair to keep saying its going to change when it doesn’t. They said Fugitives would be a return to Season One greatness, but instead its Season 2 on crack with more explosions.

This is where my pain is greatest, because they set themselves up extremely well, only to fail on execution. Saying that however, there is still a silver lining. We appear to be (after a mass cull last volume) down to the basic characters from the start of season one. Everyone is running around like crazy, and lives are actually threatened for the first time I can remember. If they can avoid some more badly planned Time Travel and try not to get too bogged down in mcguffins that don’t matter, then Heroes will have redeemed itself. Otherwise, I shan’t be watching Season 4.

(Episode 18 and 19 were quite good, though I’m sure by now I’m delusional.)


“Have you met Ted?”



How I met your mother
(Currently Season 4 Episode 16, CBS)

HIMYM (as we shall now call it) is brilliant because it reminds me of the days when I hadn’t seen every Friends episode ever made. It really reminds me of everyone’s favorite sitcom when I watch it, and I think for that reason alone it’s worth watching. It’s based around the character Ted and his on-going story of how he met his children’s mother. But recently it’s become less about that and more about how Ted met his friends in its 4th season, which is not at all a bad thing. I love the relationships in this show, although it might be a bit too soppy for some. The 5 main cast members hold their own but it is Neil Patrick Harris as Barney that really stands out every episode. A powerful business man and man-whore, Barney is literally the funniest thing in every episode. No lie. No matter how boring you might find the stories sometimes, as soon as Barney comes on screen you know something good is about to happen. But the majority of time he’s just the icing on the cake to what is good, honest comedy. Not too much slapstick, some great jokes and impersonations, and an adult feel that I never got from Friends, HIMYM is well worth a watch. It’s easy to pick up as well, with 20 minute episodes that don’t require too much knowledge of previous arcs.


“Grass is always greener on the other side…”



Lost
(Currently Season 5 Episode 8, ABC)

I’m a big fan of Lost and was quite upset when it disappeared from terrestrial television after season two. A year or so down the line and my friend hooked me up with season three, which I watched cautiously. You see, season two was already starting to lose my interest and I was worried that season three would continue that trend. It didn’t though, and I’d worried for no real reason as three was excellent. But it was when season 4 came out that I truly became hooked again.

Wow, season 4 was truly one of the best singular seasons of any show, ever. Characters were killed without a blink, tension was running unbelievably high, and just when everything was beginning to make sense new questions popped up and slapped us silly. Season 4 is also the moment I felt Lost decided exactly what kind of show it wanted to be, and now it’s much better for it. In fact the transition from whatever it was before to the time-travelling sci-fi epic it is now was not at all a bumpy one. It actually suits the flow of the show extremely well.

I’m enjoying the current season 5 right now, we’re really starting to reach the important reveals for the series, and I’m hoping the writers haven’t been watching Heroes too much. Lost has a whole host of great characters, some beautiful locations, and is fantastic at developing and sustaining mystery and the element of surprise. If you’re not watching, you are definitely missing out.


“Murder for the masses…”



Dexter
(Currently finished Season 3, Showtime)

Dexter is really one of the best things you will be able to find on Television right now. Michael C Hall is one of the best actors around, and it shows as he plays a forensics expert for Miami Homicide who in his time off is a serial killer who only kills serial killers. We’re Three seasons in and I just cant recommend this enough. It’s not just about the murders, although seeing Dexter pick off victims is worryingly exciting. But to be honest, there’s more sex in Dexter than on screen mutilation, and it doesn’t matter one bit. This is a show about the characters, and Dexter is one of the most interesting characters ever to grace the screen. He’s amoral, someone who considers himself to have no feelings, disconnected from the world. This by itself would make for a depressing show, so he is surrounded by an excellent supporting cast to ‘force’ him to live a normal life. Love it, love it, love it. Season 3 was especially good, racking up the tension and setting up for what could be another excellent two seasons. We can only hope…


“When I grow up…”



Entourage
(Currently finished Season 5, HBO)

I wont really say much about this program for fear of over hyping it, but like HIMYM, you are guaranteed a smile at least once an episode. It’s based on the character of Vince (the movie star), his brother Drama (The failed star), E (Vince’s agent) and Turtle (The do dirt dude). Full of hot chicks, famous cameos and a great chemistry between the 5 main cast this is one of the coolest, slickest and well made comedy dramas around. Jeremy Piven as Vince’s agent Ari Gold is awe inspiring, and you wont get many funnier performances out there. Another HBO classic, even if it doesn’t hold as much weight as some of the other shows they have.


“Better the devil you know…”



Reaper
(Currently Season 2 Episode 2, The CW)

I like this show for two reasons, Tyler Labine as ‘Sock’ and Ray Wise as ‘The Devil’. Two really funny performers at their best. Sock is a nice contrast to the main character Andy, who is forced to find escaped souls and send them back to hell after his parents sold his soul to the devil, while Ray Wise should be Satan in every film, show or story that has the Devil in it. He’s that good. The rest of the cast are pretty cool as well, and I appreciate the X-files style “Monster of the Week” set up, which suits the show. It’s not as funny as some of the other stuff I watch, nor does it have the budget to look as good as Heroes. But it’s Kevin Smith produced, and it is never a bad thing when the big guy gets involved. I’m interested to see where Season Two takes the story, and whether we will have any new characters coming in, but for now just enjoy the chance to watch some funny fantasy adventures.


“If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie…”



The Wire
(Finished, 5 Seasons, 60 episodes, HBO)

I put off watching The Wire for a long time, much like I’m doing now with Oz. My little brother bought the DVD’s and wouldn’t stop raving about it, but I just wasn’t interested. Some of my friends who hadn’t even seen it were telling me that I should watch it. When in class discussing whether Television is a better medium for developing character and story the main example was The Wire. So finally, I bargained with my brother to borrow the Season One DVD and sat down to watch Episode 1. Then Season 2. As you can guess this went on until I had finished all 5 seasons. I actually remember watching the last episode and just sitting there in awe and silence once it had finished. There are so many things to talk about and honestly, I don’t have a clue where to start. I guess I’m going to have to make another list…

1) Baltimore, Maryland – The city where all 5 seasons of the Wire is based. Baltimore became more and more important to me the further I fell down the Wire well. Considering all the murder, dealing, deception and general badness that goes down in the city The Wire still manages to make it like breathtakingly beautiful. I can’t really explain it as well as I would like to, but the City plays a huge role in everything that happens. And the fact that each season deals with a different theme only helps you see every corner, every angle. I can’t remember a show where the setting becomes almost as important as the characters that inhabit it.

2) The characters – I really don’t know if there was one character I actually disliked. I guess this is because every character goes through periods of being bad and good. No-one has a clean past and every body seems to know it. I’m actually amazed that so many unlikeable characters could come together to create a very likeable TV show.

3) Bunk & McNulty – Easily one of the best team ups ever. The cool, clean and calm Bunk is perfectly in contrast to the wired, unreliable, doesn’t give a shit McNulty. They have the best chemistry in the show and one of the strongest relationships. They don’t always agree, but I think they are probably the only two to not really double cross each other the whole way out. If I was to pick the top 10 scenes in the Wire the majority of them would feature Bunk and/or McNulty, as well as…

4) Omar – What to say about Omar. I absolutely love the guy. I cant give enough praise to Michael K Williams. To play a homosexual gangster who goes around robbing drug dealers and not make him come across silly is truly a feat. The fact that he goes on to become perhaps the best thing about the Wire is even better. He’s the most unrealistic in my opinion, but somehow he seems perfectly in place, a predator stalking the streets of Baltimore. And having a different boyfriend in each season is classic.

5) The Themes/Sequences – Season One focuses on the streets of Baltimore, Season Two on the Port. Season 3 is mostly about the Politics, while Season 4 deals with the Schools. Season 5 finishes with a look at mostly the Media, but also delves a little deeper into the running theme of police corruption. This allows for us to really travel the whole city while getting to know multiple characters. I never felt overwhelmed or had trouble remembering names. You do have to be aware throughout watching or you will miss tons, but once your involved it never feels like a chore even after 60+ hours. The fact that each season has a different intro and theme song, both suited to match the season theme makes watching the title sequence worth it. They are pretty long (especially when you look at Heroes, Lost etc) but they really are like watching a movie on fast forward. The way they hint to what will come later is just genius.

I could go on and on. There are so many memorable characters, so many great sequences. Some people even have catchphrases, but there is always a moment of gritty realism to bring you back down to earth. I loved it from start to finish. Season Two was easily my favourite, although a lot of people didn’t like the move away from the streets.

It makes me giddy just thinking about it. I would say go check some reviews out but as its finished you will be hit with some heavy spoilers, so you’re just going to have to take my word and follow me blindly into a world I just know you’ll love.


“It's simply beyond words. It's incalculacable”



The Office (US)
(Currently Season 5 Episode 17, NBC)

I admittedly wasn’t a fan of the UK version of The Office. Although the original, I just never found myself able to sit through a whole episode. I used to think (and still do actually) that Extras was a much better show. Nothing against Ricky Gervais, I think he’s quite funny, but David Brent just wasn’t my cup of tea. The US version, however, is the funniest thing I have seen in absolutely ages. Steve Carrell is much better as the lead in Michael Scott. Every moment he’s on screen is filled with awkwardness and humor.

He is not, surprisingly, the best thing about The Office though. That prize is awarded to the others who work inside the Office. I love each and every one of them. Pam and Jim is one of the better on screen romances, Dwight is just comedy gold every time, Andy lightens up my day with his singing and Stanley is unbeatable as the token black guy. There are literally about 12 other characters who all make their mark and this really is some of the best writing on TV. This is another one I only started watching like 3 weeks ago and I’m already up to date and awaiting the next episode. Funny, funny shit.


“Oh, well, this would be one of those circumstances that people unfamiliar with the law of large numbers would call a coincidence.”



The Big Bang Theory
(Currently Season 2 Episode 17, CBS)

I find myself wondering why I actually watch this show. It’s exactly the kind of obvious comedy I hate. I don’t think its hilarious to have every joke based around the use of long words. I think that every episode usually starts off pretty poorly and then slowly gets a little better before maybe one big laugh at the end.

I thought the handling of Penny and Leonard’s relationship spoiled what could have continued to be quite a nice brewing romance. It has definitely gotten better since the first season, but I really don’t think its reached anywhere near the same level as the other comedy I watch. The only things I find myself laughing at these days are Sheldon and Walowitz. These two always make me smile at least, and that’s never a bad thing if you want to get into my good books. I like Penny as well, she’s pretty funny and I enjoyed her work in Charmed. I just wish they would stop using her as a pair of tits and do something with that character. Every time you start to feel like its becoming a little bit of a scientific sausage fest Penny shows up in not much clothing and changes the mood a little.

This show has/had a lot of potential, but like Heroes the lack of direction or real development will hurt it in the long run. I see HIMYM and The Office running for a couple more seasons at least. I don’t see this going anymore than 2 more seasons. That leaves them with 7 seasons and Big Bang with 4. See where I’m going?

To finish…

I just finished watching Spaced again. Great show. I think I’ll give it a review next time as nearly 5000 words is a little much. I’m still trying to force myself to watch Oz, even though I’m oddly excited about it I just haven’t found the time. I saw a couple of great films recently as well, so next time we’ll be back to some movie reviews.

Good news as well, I’ve started writing again! This makes me happy. And if I’m happy then hopefully this blog can only get better. Fantastic.

Max and I also both went and saw Watchmen the other day so we’re hoping to get together a special on it soon.

I’ve also seen 3 movies in the last 2 weeks that you NEED to see for a variety of reasons, so that’s all to come next week as well.

Right now my thumbs hurt from Street Fighter IV so I’m going to give them a rest.

Soon…



JOE