Results tagged “Heroes” from Modern Mythology

Did you see CLAIRE'S KISSING EPISODE of "Heroes" about a month ago?  No?  Did you even care to watch?  How about the not-so-stunning return of Dr. Mohinder Suresh and Charlie (a.k.a. Google Girl) to the show?

If not then perhaps you're like several others I know who have opted to pass on the fourth season of "Heroes." This season the NBC drama sports a new toned-down format.  No BIG super hero battles just a bunch of little skirmishes.

I think the biggest set piece of tonight's episode is Claire Bennet having dinner with her separated parents.

There was a small spike in the ratings a month ago (one episode had more than 5.7 million viewers).  Despite that, I have had a tough time staying motivated to watch.  As you know, "Heroes" used to average many more viewers, so I'm not alone.
 
There have been changes to the pace of the show -- changes that I have a few problems with.  In previous seasons, "Heroes" kept the tempo brisk and occasionally staged the characters in splashy sets with some mixed success (Remember time-traveling Hiro's journey to feudal Japan? Or Suresh's mad-scientist lab?)

Anyway, if you haven't been tuning in, recording or watching episodes on the Web, you may be interested in some catch-up.

Here's your late Heroes Watch SPOILER warning, so if you want to go on reading, please do so after the photo of Claire and Gretchen (if you can).


All in 'The Family'

Throughout the season our intrepid heroes have had several encounters with a mysterious group passively referred to as "The Family" who reside in a carnival that appears to be everywhere and nowhere (We discover later that The Family has a time-traveler of their own).

Their leader, SAMUEL SULLIVAN, a quasi-religious, quasi-evil dude with the power to move rocks and soil (earthquakes, opening fissures in the ground) gathers premonitions of other super humans from the constantly shifting tattoos on the body of fellow carnival resident LYDIA.  Samuel reaches out to just about all of the main crew of characters this season and if any refuse to join him, he intercedes in their lives somehow and manages to manipulate them his way.

For example, the moronic Hiro's fixation on his lost love, the formerly dead Charlie Andrews -- who has the power to recall and comprehend almost everything she encounters -- is used against him to bring him into the Family.

What is Samuel's motivation?  One would think the smooth-talking carnival chief is only trying to fill the void left by the death of his brother (Joseph Sullivan), but he is most definitely a murderous baddie. Last Monday's episode "Brother's Keeper" clues us in that Samuel becomes more powerful as more evolved super humans are gathered around him.

"Heroes" returns next week on NBC and Comic Book Resources posted a few video clips from the two-hour season opener coming up Monday Sept. 21.

I was impressed with last season's finale which had PETER (guy who mimics powers) actually outsmarting the deadly SYLAR (Psycho-multi-powered-serial-killer-dude) and defeating him.  In the above clip, courtesy of NBC, Peter gets to go hand to hand with a mysterious character called "Edgar" (He's fast, martial-artsy and played by actor Ray Park).

Looks like fun -- but is it TIVO-worthy fun?  Check out this clip and others at CBR.

The two-hour season four Volume 5 premiere airs Sept. 21 on NBC at 8 p.m.


Related posts

Heroes Watch: The 'Heroes' Comic-Con schedule

Collider has made this extended trailer to the upcoming "Heroes" season titled "Redemption" available to all.

I know it'll take some of us a while to trust the series again after its early promise, but I have to say this teaser doesn't look too bad.

Below are some details published at the San Diego Comic-Con International Web site announcing the Heroes panel at the Con this year.  However, it was conventionscene.com who listed the names of possible guests not mentioned in the Comic-Con blurb.

What interests me is that the names of Ray Park and Zachary Quinto are reported to be on the list.  We all know Quinto, who plays SYLAR, and maybe more know him better as the new Spock. It's interesting that Sylar may continue to play some kind of part in the series despite being the star of a resurgent movie franchise.

I'm not saying anything specific now, but last season's finale could have closed the door on that character.  Well, maybe the producers left the door open a little bit, but don't they always?

If this is the Ray Park I'm thinking about then most of you are familiar with his work as DARTH MAUL or TOAD from the X-Men movies. Some of us may see him in action as SNAKE EYES in the upcoming GI JOE flick.

Anyway, the the Heroes panel will take place off the San Diego Convention Center site Saturday July 25 at the Hilton Bayside Hotel Indigo Room from 3:15-4:15 p.m. 

After a preview trailer from season four titled "Redemption." there will be a Q&A with series creator Tim Kring, actor Jack Coleman (HRG), Masi Oka (HIRO), Adrian Pasdar (NATHAN PETRELLI) and Zachary Quinto. The guest stars mentioned as well: Ray Park, Robert Knepper, Dawn Oliveri and Madeline Zima.

The two-hour season four Volume 5 - "Redemption" premiere airs September 21 on NBC at 8 p.m.


From the official Comic-Con schedule:

3:15-4:15 Heroes: Exclusive First Look at "Redemption" and Q&A with Tim Kring and Castmembers-- Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for an amazing roller coaster ride as Heroes debuts a trailer for "Volume 5: Redemption." Participate in a Q&A session with creator Tim Kring and some of the cast. Indigo Ballroom / Hilton Bayfront 

It's not like NBC's "Heroes" has been uneventful -- we've seen events upon events.

Will any of this be enough to win the audience back for a fourth season of the show? I don't know, but I did notice that the show's producers seem to have recognized their greatest special effect is simply writing good characters and good moments for them to shine. 

Now, if only the plot can make more sense. 

I know some of you remember when it was cool to like CLAIRE (the freakin' invincible cheerleader) and talk about a recent episode with your friends?  You don't? Was it really that long ago?

I suppose it was.

Well, I wanted my good characters back and the last couple episodes, Cold Snap and Into Asylum, gave me a chance to have that.

This is the semi-SPOILER point for Heroes Watch and I'll mention a few things from the show after the image below, but I promise to only drop a few details as I attempt to defend the merits of the "Heroes" characters.

DANKO, "the Hunter" is played by actor Zeljko Ivanek who has also appeared on "True Blood" in its first season as "The Magister."

What good characters am I talking about?  Who should the "Heroes" writers focus on?
 
I mean Claire was as heroic and noble as HIRO (the dude who is kind of a time traveler) and she seemed to make better choices than her uncle PETER (has a grab-bag of super powers) PETRELLI.

I recall CLAIRE'S most recent shining moment against the puppet master dude (DOYLE) earlier this season when she had to choose life or death for one of her two mothers.  And when the writing for the show works for me in anything, it's when the characters have to make tough choices. When DOYLE resurfaces she helps him when he needs it -- something I certainly wouldn't have done.

And let me give some props to NATHAN PETRELLI (political flying boy), his sorta-evil, sorta-good mom ANGELA (future seeing lady) and NOAH (Claire's dad) who are usually the best acted characters and I noticed the series creators are paying more attention to them.
 
That's a good idea.

As I sparked a conversation with friends about what's hot on TV, I heard a few things about every show except one in particular. 

ME: "How about that Battlestar Galactica episode last week?"

FRIENDS: "Oh yeah, man. That was crazy! What do you think about all that Cylon $#*%?"

ME: "You catch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Friday?"

FRIENDS: "Yes I did, that's a very good show, Robert, thank you for asking."

ME: "What do you think about the latest episodes of Heroes?"

FRIENDS: (Cue the flatline tone).

This is the official Heroes Watch SPOILER mention in case you're saving episodes like frakking walnuts and not watching because you had better stuff to do (I admit I am guilty of saving a couple episodes on TIVO). All the fun continues after the jump. (Or image as the case may be.)

OK, I'll raise my hand and answer that first question -- I say YES, "Heroes" can win its audience back and make us forget the first half of the season.  A little more than a year ago "Lost" managed to find its voice again in the second half and has hooked audiences ever since.

But yeah, you could say shame on you, Robert for even making that comparison.  "Lost" has been better by far.  Anyway, there's an interview on You Tube with "Heroes" creator/executive producer Tim Kring above which is mostly audio. The 'Tube clip gives us the short description of the upcoming season and an idea of his philosophy for the show.

Kring says "Heroes" is meant to be consumed at a fast pace and works better in the serial format. And that it is being re-set to its roots as a show with "real world" characters in extraordinary situations.

And will writer-producer Bryan Fuller's return to the "Heroes" staff after the cancellation of his show "Pushing Daisies" have an impact?  We will see.

My "Heroes Watch" weekly will return next week but it's on a probationary basis.  I'm only gonna give you a tentative TIVO or DVR notice for the first episode only -- if its cool, then season pass.

See a few preview clips from the upcoming episode at Comic Book Resources.

The 'Heroes: Fugitives' volume premieres Monday Feb. 2.

 

Related: Getting ready for round two

              And here we go...

              Series producers make staff changes

              Poll results and it's not pretty

              The villain revealed

              Confused and shocked

              Lots of action and more revelations

              Keeping the story on track

              The Heroes return tonight

              Heroes Watch: Looks like a fun season 

It has been reported that "Heroes" will be getting an extra month off before returning for the second half of its third season.

Matt Brady at Newsarama reports that the series will return in February while NBC runs a dance program and some other new reality show produced by Ryan Seacrest.

All snark aside, "Heroes" has its problems and is in need of a retool. Many of you have moved on and some of you have told me you just don't care enough to watch right now. Maybe it is the writing, the time it airs or the novelty that has worn thin. Who knows? What matters is whether the wheels will ever be put back on the bus.

What hasn't fallen off to me? I have written here that I like the special effects and the production value works. Beyond that? I watched some of the animated graphic novels and live-action shorts at the official Web site and they aren't bad. In fact, I believe they are a lesson in building a larger web-based world that interested viewers can explore.

I expect to focus a little more on that during the "Heroes" down time in January as the network and producers try to get the TV version back to the basics.


Image courtesy NBC/HEROES  

Anyone else notice that 'Heroes" was a lot more interesting when the characters lost their powers?

AAAGGGHH! Sorry... here's your SPOILER ALERT. Not like I told you anything the commercials for tonight's episode didn't already spill.

This won't be long.

Temporary "spider" break for SURESH (I have nothing to add).

CLAIRE (heal thy self) learns to fight from NOAH (her daddy) and then everything in the plot goes "General Hospital."

PETER (Mr. everything) actually comes off smarter than his brother NATHAN (Flyboy politician).

HIRO (The master of time travel) makes that jump over the shark and then surfs on a dolphin when he lands in Kansas.

DAPHNE (the speedy hipster) reveals something that may have been obvious.

SYLAR (super serial killer) makes out with ELLE (I can't believe this was Veronica Mars).

And despite all of this I am still compelled to know how the show will change direction in the wake of departed producer and writer Jeph Loeb. Alas, this will not be answered until sometime next year.

Nevertheless, here are my pleas to the writers... get my man Robert Forster some more villainy moments. Don't wipe out THE HAITIAN the way you did every other black male character on the show and even if you don't do anything with the future storyline, find a way to get Claire back into the "evil-Claire" wardrobe.


Image Courtesy NBC and watch full episodes of "Heroes" here.

The lack of fond sentiments for "Heroes" this season that you all shared with me last week are apparently felt by NBC network management as well. Two executive producers/writers who have worked on the series since the first season are reported by Variety to have been let go -- Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb.

Loeb's name is familiar with many comic readers due to his extensive past and present work in comics. ("Captain America: White," "Ultimates 3"). The article in Variety can be seen here.

While I am aware these types of changes do happen in the life of a series there is no way of knowing at this point if a change like this will help or hinder the show. The "Heroes" creator Tim Kring appears to still be on board and if this staff realignment is as reported, then the pressure to make this series the phenomenon it was more than a year ago is all on him.

I have been tough on the development of the PETER PETRELLI character and the time traveling plotlines were confusing. But this move was unexpected. I figured there would be more focus on the successful aspects of the show (The effects were excellent) and they (the producers)  would cut the characters who were nothing but a drag (MAYA).

This, however, was not the kind of change I thought would happen... More later. Related: Poll results and it's not pretty

              The villain revealed

              Confused and shocked

              Lots of action and more revelations

              Keeping the story on track

              The Heroes return tonight

              Heroes Watch: Looks like a fun season 

"Heroes" is in trouble.

It's not just you guys who think so -- it's my friends, my parents, my wife and even Entertainment Weekly who agree.

The results  from the poll I presented last week indicate that 33 percent of you think "Heroes" is only doing "OK." The bad news is that "Good" respondents are tied at 22 percent with the "Less than OK" choice.

"Bad" and the "Forster" option round it out with 11 percent.


Let's be honest, choosing "Less than Good" is a nice way of saying the show is something you may come back and download or watch on DVR later. And that means lower ratings upfront -- the barometer of a television program's worth to television studios. "Heroes" is averaging 9.4 million viewers and is down two million from last season.

EW provides a list of things the show could do to improve itself. This is nothing new to me or the fewer-of-you who are watching. This season "Heroes" has a habit of doing something well while everything else drops out around it. The Russian roulette scenes with the "puppet master" villain were solid last week. Then what happens is we get more Spider-Suresh/Dr. Jekyll, Sylar-knows-best and the comedy stylings of Hiro and Ando.

It's not the super powers... what really stretches credibility is having us believe that everyone else besides PETER PETRELLI is inept -- and it just aint true! 

Expect some origin stories in the coming weeks and if you are still a devoted viewer to "Heroes" try not to worry too much about 'Weekly' and its assessment of the show. They selected "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" as one of the shows that also needs fixing and suggested it just get back to having simple stories like a metal robot coming to kill John Connor every week.

You and I both know that would make the show progressively boring and silly as they miraculously escape a killing machine each and every week. In my opinion 'Sarah Connor' can give "Heroes" a lesson on how to balance multiple storylines and not play hopscotch over sharky waters.

Until next time.



Related: The villain revealed

              Confused and shocked

              Lots of action and more revelations

              Keeping the story on track

              The Heroes return tonight

              Heroes Watch: Looks like a fun season 

Those of you who watched tonight don't need me to tell you again that Robert Forster has joined the "Heroes" cast and wastes no time showing us why he is more bad news than Sylar ever was.

(CHEERS! APPLAUSE!)

All I can say is thank goodness and let's get this villains show on the road.
 
As I posted last week the regular "Heroes Watch" post will happen a little later in the week to give everyone some time to catch the show.

I am not revealing anything here and now so please watch the latest "Heroes" episode at their official site and if you feel inclined please let me know what you thought.

 

  

By now you happy few who are regular viewers of the "Heroes" TV series are probably telling a few others you know (like me) that the show is dangerously close to jumping the shark.

Get me some water skis.

Here's your SPOILER ALERT so please watch the latest "Heroes" here and come back when you're ready.



THE SITUATION: SYLAR is still partnering with NOAH to track down escaped super people. This time we get a cameo from another actor from "The Wire" who plays a guy who has the power to open miniature black holes. First, that is kind of a cool power and second, I wish the quality of the storytelling matched the impressive (for television) special effects.

CLAIRE goes out to fight villains and prove how bad she is. Does she still have to prove that? Let me be serious here - Claire was my favorite character on the show and not for her groovy cheerleader outfit either. Claire was scrappy and a stand up person with courage that belied her recuperative powers. Remember she took down the nuclear man with her skin peeling off and no idea whether she would survive to save everyone? Sure, it's easy to be brave when you don't die but she is a far cry from the victim we have seen since this season began.

Hayden Panettiere has some acting range so give her a chance to show it guys. Check out her video from Funny or Die here.

PETER has been silenced now that he has Sylar's power and cannot control his urges to steal powers. I'll back up. FUTURE PETER advises present Peter - The one I'm talking about - to take Sylar's power to help him avert future disaster. Now he's just another power vampire. How does that help with anything? The only smart thing he almost did was kill his deceptive mother.

Yeah, I said it. (Editors note: I meant that all in jest because his mom is sort of evil. And speaking of...)

DR. MOHINDER SURESH (BWAH! HA! HA! HE'S EVIL!!!) finally does something to silence the whiny MAYA. He puts her in a web cocoon. Suresh is apparently Spider-Suresh and now he is a full time villain. That is, after all, the name of this "Heroes" chapter.

The question was posed to me yesterday by a fan of the "Heroes" TV series who didn't watch this week.

"So how was Monday's episode?"

I looked at him and said "They went nuclear."

"Oh, is that all?"

This is the official SPOILER POINT and I will drop a picture here in between my brief observations for this week. And please use this link to this week's episode if you have not seen it.


And here we go.

So we get the present and future image of the mad scientist DR. MOHINDER SURESH when future and past PETER PETRELLI (pictured above) visits four years ahead.

Oh crap! Everyone has super powers - if you can afford it. Future Peter and CLAIRE have a brief and fatal meeting in the, uh, future. This sets up a super-powered battle royal (hopefully the first of many) between future Claire, KNOX, DAPHNE, SYLAR and the occasionally clueless present Peter.

It was the best moment of the show and in the presence of some fellow "Heroes" watchers at Geoffrey's Comics last night I heard several opinions echoing my own.

I know it's going to be hard for the producers to continue to afford this level of special effects and a cast this large, but it makes the show. Seeing the characters slip into their familiar roles is fine for an interlude but they must work it in with some significant confrontation.

Peter vs. Daphne, Knox vs. Sylar and Claire vs. dark hair and a leather outfit.

One other note tossed my way and a suggestion. We see the down side of future Suresh's experimentation and I'm not talking about him turning away MAYA. We couldn't see him clearly, but he looks like he may be severely mutated under that dirty hooded sweatshirt.

One of my friends, we'll call her RED. Red sees a picture of normal Suresh on my computer screen.

"Wow, who is that?"

"That's Dr. Suresh on the show Heroes," I say.

"Well Dr. Whatever-his-name is hot," she says.

A little advice for the "Heroes" producers - and I don't mind saying it - for your women fans you may want to think twice about messing up the face of your best looking male character on the show.

All in all a good week with a good ending. See you next time.

 
Related:  Keeping the story on track

               The Heroes return tonight

               Heroes Watch: Looks like a fun season

"Heroes" is going to have a tough road this season because it has the unenviable task of having to both redefine itself and simultaneously return to form.

That's talking out of two sides of my big head, but I'll explain. and here is the SPOILER WARNING and a request to watch this last episode online before reading on.

I am inserting Ali Larter here as a break because... she's Ali Larter.

And also because her performance and the show's producers have made her the best example of what I'm talking about.

We get the confirmation that NIKKI is dead and TRACY is another superhuman from what appears to be the same gene pool. Nice. We get something new in the form of Larter playing another character from a different side of the tracks. I know, she has played a duel personality before but...

The Tracy plotline is also feeding us an old mystery in the form of NIKKI's origins which we caught a bit of when she was dealing with LINDERMAN. The show still has to stick to its core mystery: Where the heck do these powers come from?

Dakota in "Coraline"

The very talented Dakota Fanning is doing the lead voice duties in the animated film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline." She said she had not read this work prior to doing this gig or many other graphic novels except one... "300" by Frank Miller for a summer reading assignment. She, uh, loved it.

"Watchmen" Sequel?

There's a poll over at Comic Book Resources asking readers whether they would want a sequel to the unreleased "Watchmen" movie or not. I like CBR and I know they're doing this poll in response to a fired up fan base. But shouldn't we see if the film is going to be any good before we obsess about this?

So far, 52 Percent of those polled chose "Absolutely Not!" ... Darn right.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" lead car revealed

Remember this video that I shot and embedded here a month back? The silvery Chevy Corvette Centennial concept car in the front is supposed to be the autobot "Sideswipe."

More info from Movie Chronicles in the rumors section.

On "Heroes" Noah meets his new partner

A preview of sixty or so seconds from next week's episode was put up by CBR. "Heroes" has taken a bit of a beating by some fans I know, but I think we should watch this little plot twist play out. It gives SYLAR something to do and puts NOAH front and center.

Heroes has landed and I think it may be OK.

At least the plot that appears to have SYLAR (Zachary Quinto) teaming up with NOAH (Jack Coleman) in future episodes to track down the VILLAINS who have escaped from the Level Five containment area looks like money.

Future PETER proves he is as off beat as present Peter with the mess he has made of the past and present. And could it be that NIKKI really is dead and TRACY (Both played by Ali Larter) are not the same person but related in some way?

There are a lot of questions in the two-part first part of "Heroes" and all of it fuels the mass distraction that is keeping me from discussing some of the rough parts of the story. But I will mention the one that had me a little concerned.

MOHINDER SURESH is not the smartest genius. I discussed his exploits with a friend and fellow 'Heroes" watcher who said he expects "Jeff Goldblum and David Cronenberg to kick down the door" to the Heroes production office and "get their money!"

He's referring to little similarity of mad scientist Dr. Suresh's dip into "The Fly" territory with the self experimentation and what looks to be future mutation.

Overall, "Heroes" has my attention but it lost my friend who said he will probably watch something else. Oh well...

I did tell him that "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" is on week three and is still going strong.

Just when you need some "Heroes," here it is ready to redeem itself from that second season slip that befuddled new fans and tortured those of us who were enamored from the first season.

I was not able to see the early season review copies so I get to experience the first episode at the same time as everyone else in its regular time slot - and I prefer it that way. But I gathered a few pieces of info from the previews and such. That means I need to toss out a SPOILER warning and I can elaborate on this after the attractive jump image.



I will keep this brief ... get ready for the return of some good old villainy. First I'll mention the same old sames who happen to be returning like LINDERMAN (yes, he's apparently alive and still portrayed by Malcolm McDowell) and semi-villainess/heroine NIKKI.

Yes, multi-personality Nikki who looked as if she perished in a fire last season. Heck, I can't tell who she is now except she may have a new identity, she definitely has new lingerie and she's still played by Ali Larter.

Both of the above are supposed to be dead (especially Linderman, when D.L. killed him it was nasty.) but this is not the case now. And that leads me to the return of SYLAR, who probably needs an infusion of purpose. I know, he's supposed to be scary but that prolonged traveling to America plot last season watered all that down. He's boogyman-lite now. Still, it's interesting that he was a normal type who learned to steal powers.

Now, I am reading that Dr. Suresh has learned - in some way - how to do this.

HIRO meets a super-speed thief and finds a new nemesis and the Newsarama preview tells us that ANDO, Hiro's best pal, may be pitted against him as well.

Also, we're supposed to learn what power ANGELA PETRELLI possesses. And I don't care what anyone says, that lady is a bad guy like no other so her sons Nathan and Peter better grow an IQ quick and figure it out. I'm not sure what Angela's power is, but maybe it's raising the dead with her sons and enemies surviving shootings and time travel and what not.

After a peek at some of the online episodes with character back stories at the "Heroes" official site expect the line between what we are about to see as heroic or villainous to be thin.

Enough fun for now, let's check out the first episode of what will be a two-part opening. I am going to keep track of the series as it progresses here every week with a "Heroes watch" post on the following Tuesday.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about plot-wise, there will be a recap episode starting at 8 p.m. tonight before the season premiere which should begin around 9 p.m.

I don't take it for granted there are certain comics (and we can call them graphic novels too), that have led me to accept many comic characters as archetypal creations... I mean, I titled this place Modern Mythology for goodness sake.

Even more obvious, I agree that this concept doesn't apply to every comic character. (Howard the Duck has his appeal but even I haven't figured out how to work him into a mythology yet.)

Nevertheless, it was good to sit in with a book group club at Geoffrey's Comics in Gardena as they dissected Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's "Arkham Asylum." Published in 1989, an unforgettable story - whether you like it or not - where the inmates of the asylum (Joker, Two-Face, etc.) are free and holding hostages until Batman turns himself in to them.

While he is their prisoner the Joker plans to drive him insane.

The artwork and writing were progressive and aggressive. Both creators turned out to be stars in their own right 15 years later. Morrison is a top writer at DC Comics and McKean directs films and is a well-known collaborator of Neil Gaiman ("Sandman," "Coraline").

I learned a thing or two while listening to the "Comic Book Club" examine the graphic novel's art, pacing and meaning.

"This story is Batman 'Through the Looking Glass,'" said Geoffrey Patterson Jr, who co-manages the store and runs the book club. 

 Some even described the story as Batman's descent into hell. Each ex-enemy he visits he is judged by.

Morrison and McKean play with several pieces of cultural judgment mythology. Even using the image of Anubis over the entrance (the Egyptian trickster figure.) as Joker welcomes Batman into the asylum.

Enough from me, check out some excerpts from the video of the gathering if you haven't already. Hopefully, I'll bring you more insights and discussion from the group in the near future.