A sophomore slump …

• Posted in On TV

Is it just me, or is Heroes starting off really slowly this year?

I know every episode can’t be as awesome as the Homecoming show, Company Man starring Mr. Bennett, or the truly stellar episode set five years in the future. But this season has been disappointing so far.

I think one of the main problems is too many characters. Does anyone care about the Wonder Twins and their plague-like power? And those scenes with Maya and Sylar in the car this week. If I picked up a strange, creepy man on the side of the road, who said he happened to know a guy three thousand miles away that I was going to see, I think I would find that a little suspicious. Just a little bit. But perhaps that’s just my jaded nature peeking through.

Then, there was the thing with Matt. As soon as he looked at that picture, I knew his dad was going to be the Big Bad this year, aka Nightmare Man. That didn’t bother me. What annoyed me was when Matt said he left his wife because she was pregnant with somebody else’s kid. In the future episode from last year, Matt looks at a picture his son drew. From what I remember, the kid’s mom was his wife — the same wife he had last year. Continuity issue, anyone? (Of course, the writers could come up with some explanation to weasel out of this, but the heroes saving New York shouldn’t have affected the paternity of Matt’s baby in California.)

But I suppose my main problem is this — most of the drama on the show could be resolved if the characters just sat down and talked to each other. Seriously, most of them know each other now. Would it kill them to have a cup of coffee and share info about The Company and the murders? Romance authors get bashed for this all the time. Character conflict needs to be more than just lack of communication.

Ah, well. That’s my TV rant for the week. I’ll keep watching — for now. Here’s hoping Kristen Bell is deliciously evil next week. :joker:

What about you? What TV shows are still rocking your world this season? Or letting you down? Inquiring minds want to know …

2 Responses to “A sophomore slump …”

  1. Brian says:

    I admire your willingness to be critical. Most creators avoid being critical of others work — It is very Kevin Smith of you.

    However the name of show is Heroes – Not Hero. Just like the X-Men, Heroes has many different characters with a wide range of abilities and stories. I don’t need to see every Hero in every episode.

    Also seeing the abilities as a plague or curse is a good thing. That was the only thing about Nicki’s character I liked. So having these two new characters with some horrible power that isn’t a blessing can lead to more drama.

    I think Parkman’s wife will play a part at some point this season, but for now his connection with Molly has been great. I’m really looking forward to see how his story is going to play out.

    I’m not sure what characters you want to have a sit down The characters that are connected seem to be connected.

    Friday Night Lights has been great so far, and Desperate Housewives is off to a wonderful start.

  2. Jennifer Estep says:

    I don’t know how KSmith it is, but I’m a fan, probably first and foremost. And when a beloved show starts to veer off course, it frustrates me. But when I find a wonderful new book, etc., I also try to talk about it. So, I guess it all balances out in the end.

    Besides, the chances of anyone remotely connected to Heroes actually reading my blog are roughly nil.

    I think all the heroes, except for Hiro, feel their ability is a curse at some point. But that’s one of the things I love about his character. He’s the only one who ever seems to have a good time. All these people have powers, but where’s the fun? Where’s the joy? Why does it have to be angsty all the time?

    It’s not that I need to see every character in every episode, but I think the writers are doing what Lost did in Season 2 — introduce a bunch of new characters only to kill them off later. That way, they add drama without getting the fan uproar that would follow if they offed Hiro, for instance. To me, that’s just cheating.

    Greg Gunberg is always a treat to watch, although that whole subplot reminds me of My Two Dads.

    Here’s who I would like to see sit down and talk to each other: Mohinder, Matt, Nathan, Mama Petrelli, Niki (who has made some sort of deal with The Company), Mr. Bennett, the Haitain, Claire, and Claire’s boyfriend (who I think is the killer, but that’s a post for another time).

    I also think Peter had the Haitain mind-wipe him in purpose, but we’ll see about that …

    Desperate Housewives has been pretty good. I love Dana Delaney rumbling with the other characters. However, I do wish the show would change its format just a bit. Does everyone who moves in that neighborhood have to have a dark, dark secret that is slowly revealed over 22 episodes?

    I’m also enjoying Friday Night Lights, although I wonder how they’re going to resolve the murder subplot.

    Probably the best show of the year for me has been My Name Is Earl. The jail subplot has been hysterical. Every week, it never fails to make me laugh. 😎

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