Sometimes Even Heroes Need Saving
I love “Heroes”.
No… I USED TO love “Heroes”.
I used to look forward to Monday nights, anticipating what would happen next and wondering who was good and who was bad. The first season was amazing, and I was even on board through the third season, when a lot of people started abandoning the show.
But season 4, so far, is not so good. It’s slow. There are too many different characters with their own story lines. None of them seem to want anything specific or have any conflict with other characters. Nobody is good. Nobody is bad. They’re all just kind of… there.
So I have some thoughts about how you, NBC, can return “Heroes” to the great show that it used to be.
1. Simplify: As I mentioned, there are too many characters and story lines. Several episodes will go by without seeing some of the characters, then they’ll get a couple scenes for a couple episodes, and then they won’t be seen again for a while. And it seems like there are several different and unrelated story lines. The writers need to bring all the story lines together and intertwine all the characters, like they were in the first 2 seasons.
2. Good and Evil: One of the things that made the first season so great was the fact that there were clearly defined “good guys”, a clearly defined and fantastically evil “bad guy”, and the people who were “in between” so you weren’t sure which side they were on. Now it seems like everybody is just… existing… with no allegiance one way or the other. The show needs to get back to clearly defining who is good and bad.
3. Heroes United: The first season, the “good guys” had a clear motivation- to figure out why they had powers and how to deal with them all while trying to stop Sylar and save the world. The villain, Sylar, was evil seemingly for the sake of being evil, which makes for the best villains, in my opinion. Now, the “good guys” are all scattered and wandering with no clear motivations or goals. Sylar is no longer so evil, and in fact, he doesn’t really seem to be a threat to anyone anymore. They need to bring all the “good guys” back together and unite them against a common (and very evil) enemy. Conflict makes for compelling stories and it keeps viewers interested in the show.
4. Cliffhangers: One of my favorite things about the early seasons of the show was the fact that each episode ended with a cliffhanger, and the season ended with a HUGE cliffhanger. That gave viewers a reason to come back the next week or nine months later.
I’m still watching Season 4… for now. But the show is nowhere near what it used to be and I’m finding myself less and less interested. The only reason I haven’t abandoned the show yet is that I feel like I’ve invested too much time in these characters to give up that easily. But I can feel it slipping away.
NBC… Please return “Heroes” to the greatness that it once was. It used to be such an amazing, engaging and entertaining show, and I’d really like to see it get back to that point. Enough with the lady that sees sounds, the wussy Sylar and the carnies. Bring the heroes back together to fight against a common enemy and you’ll bring the audience back together.
Sincerely,
A “Heroes” Fan
Mighty Jeff 