RIP Heroes
What is most likely to be the last episode of Heroes aired last night (recap available here). I didn’t watch it, and you probably didn’t either. Heroes represents in my mind the biggest waste of TV momentum ever. A very nice Season 1 led to a huge fanbase, enormous creative freedom and virtually zero budgetary constraints. But then the show got worse with each episode. Heroes was virtually unwatchable by the end of Season 2. And yet it carried on for two more full seasons, propelled by sheer momentum, throwing away the opportunity to make a science fiction show that was creative and smart. The end, by all accounts, was an enormous crapball, the capstone to a disastrous final season.
Rest in peace, Heroes.
Posted on February 9, 2010, in Pop Culture. Bookmark the permalink. 14 Comments.
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I haven’t watched since about episode 5 of the second season. It’s sad, the first season was one of my favorite shows that year.
I think you remember the 1st season more fondly than it actually was. It started strong then devolved into an incoherent mess but came together for a solid finale.
The writers should have stayed away from time travel, the paintings, and should have let the brothers and Sylar stay dead in that finale. They just had one to many deus ex machina to deal with.
Tim, I was trying to avoid speaking ill of the dead. But yest, even Season 1 wasn’t all that great.
This article reminded me just how far Heroes fell:
Haha, what?
Heroes was hurt more than any other show by the Writers’ Strike. Plus, general NBC ineptitude. It’s sad really.
Brian, totally agree, though I don’t think the strike accounts for Season 4 (or much of season 3, really).
Yep, one of the worst attempts at a second act ever, although Alias had much of the same problem. The OP almost works for that show too.
Heroes. *sigh* Someone should have shot that lame horse long ago.
The best thing about season 2 of Heroes was the Journeyman was right after it.
Uh, Pushing Daisies?
Yeah Pushing Daisies was a big loss. Season 1 of Heroes was good except for two episodes and a horrible season finale. But yeah, they didn’t know what to do with Season 2.
I disagree about Alias. The first season and a half was great until SD-6 was eliminated. Then they struggled the rest of the season. In hindsight I think Season 3 was better than it appeared but definitely wasn’t as good as Season 1. Season 4 was a horrible mess and the finale. Well, the less said the better.
I didn”t realize that Heroes was still on. My wife are pretty loyal to the show we watch. After season one, we were hooked. We were surprised at how fast we un-DVR’d it that second season.
The writers strike really did kill it, but I do not think it was a format that really could have sustained itself for very long either way.
Some shows can make stuff up as they go and still turn out ok (Reportedly LOST managed to find its way). Others falter along the way but finish with a bang (I’m looking at you BSG). Others tank completely and never recover. Heroes was in the last category I think.
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