'Heroes': Enough talk, let's get to the action

All talk and almost no action made the return of "Heroes" a very dull hour.

At least until prophetic painter/consistently boring minor character Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) died, falling victim to superhero serial killer Sylar (Zachary Quinto). Or did he? (Here’s a hint to solving the mystery: Be on the lookout for any post-"death" TV or print interviews with Cabrera. If the actor talks to the press then the character’s a goner, à la Eko on "Lost." If there’s a cone of silence then expect a triumphant return, à la Starbuck on "Battlestar Galactica.")

Isaac’s death was foretold all the way back in Episode 2, and a musty scent of familiarity lingered not just over that event but also the episode as a whole.

t. Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) experiencing a close call with death? His big brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) totally broken up over the thought of losing him? Silly Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) unwittingly spilling his guts to a bad guy (in this case Eric Roberts as Thompson)? A "Heroes" parent (Cristine Rose as Angela Petrelli) revealed as a key player in the increasingly elaborate mythology/back story of "heroes" who predate the show’s timeline?

We’ve seen it all before.

The previous episode’s cliffhanger promised a battle between Peter and Sylar but all we got was a minor skirmish that abruptly ended when invisible Peter improbably turned his back on the baddie and took a glass shard to the brain. Other than Mr. Bennet (Jack Coleman) telepathically communicating to cop Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) how to free them both from captivity, the episode was all talk, talk, talk leading nowhere.

The best installments of "Heroes" juggle compelling storylines for the sprawling ensemble. But this week suggested screenwriter’s fatigue as it strained to accommodate all of the players (even holding back Hiro until the final scene), while showcasing only unexceptional dialogue and merely average acting.

Sure, it’s great to have the show back after a punishingly long seven week hiatus, but it’s fair to expect more from "Heroes" than daytime-level drama wrapped up in geek-friendly comic book dressing.

(Photo courtesy Paul Drinkwater)

Comments

[MC Electric Chair]

I thought the episode was great, and it almost felt like the first act to a movie. The first portion of the season has been just exposition - peppered with some pretty great action sequences nonetheless.

But now we're getting down the nitty gritty - the final battle to stop Sylar and save NY. I think this was Act 1 of the real Heroes action. At least I hope so.

[Seriously]

I honestly don't know what episode you watched, because this had some well-done bits of action throughout the show, used judiciously. Frankly, one more knock-down, drag-out fight against Cylar right now seems like it would make some of the likely events of the last episodes feel gratuitous (i.e.: it's probably happening again).

At the same time, a fair bit of the talk was bringing in what seems so far to be a very clever homage to Alan Moore's "The Watchmen", one of those touchstones of "intelligent" comics; sure it's exposition, but it's clever, referential exposition aimed straight at the show's biggest fanbase.

And yes, Isaac has been kinda lame much of this series, despite being a cool plot device. But an exit with dignity (again, my money's on this being for real, because it's pretty clear he wasn't that great a character) and brass cajones certainly gives me a better feeling about the guy in the end--and makes for his only compelling scene in quite a while.

I'm with MC Electric Chair on this; it seems like the setup for a pretty great finale, and it didn't seem talkier than many other of the show's "setup" episodes. If they don't deliver, fine; I'll be annoyed then. If they do, I definitely told you so.

[Hirofan]

I have to agree with MC and Seriously. Although there wasn't as much action as I expected or was led to believe from the previews, I was very satisfied from the storyline and the dialogue. However, I wish we could of seen more of Hiro besides the 5 minutes at the end and more of a GOOD fight between Peter and Sylar. This is nothing compared to what the writers of Lost do to their viewers. I'll take what I can get. I do get upset though knowing that there are only 4 episodes left of the season. They should deifinitely have made it longer or at least not have taken such a long break.

[huhwhut]

Speaking of "watchman" this is where i am extremely dissapointed in the show for so blatantly ripping off one of the greatest comic book stories of all time (and of course no nod to alan moore or his book). I had a bad feeling about this series when i started watching, but last nights episode proves once again the hollywood and even tv land can't come up with some new material.

I will continue to watch the show to its end, but its going to have a big proverbial asterick next to it if this show becomes a classic. Shame on the writers cause you guys were doing so good at peaking my interest till this point.

[Geoff Berkshire]

Despite my complaints I'm with you all on hoping (assuming) Monday's episode was set-up for something bigger to come (I just wish the set-up was a little spicier).

And yes Hiro, I do appreciate that "Heroes" avoids drawing out storylines to the painful degree that "Lost" does.

I'll have to bone up on my Alan Moore, especially since Linderman's plot seems to have been "borrowed" from his work. I've never heard a bad word about "Watchmen" but I've only read "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."