"Heroes" TV show aficionadoes, help me out.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

I've just started watching this (online, HD stream through Netflix) and I'm a huge fan. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the first season. Right now it's one of my favorite shows ever. I particularly love the production values and art, and some of the individual stories and characters (Hiro and Issac are among my favorites).

However, as a general rule, I feel that shows that have a huge mysterious story line underlying everything must inevitably disappoint. Either the actual plot cannot possibly live up to the hype and mystery created when revealed, or the show gets increasingly weird and stupid trying to string things along. As examples of this phenomenon I'd give Twin Peaks and The X-Files.

Having said that, it doesn't give me a bad feeling for those shows, or for "Heroes" should it (inevitably) disappoint me. I enjoy the early part of the ride so much that I don't fault the show for falling short, at least it tried!

So I guess what I'm asking is, 3 seasons in, has the show gone off the rails or is it still pretty good? If it has gone wonky, at what point would I no longer be missing much if I stopped watching?

I've gone through most of the first season at an incredible clip, so I suppose I'll be fully caught up soon enough anyway and find out for myself.

I suppose I'm asking one of you to be "Future Hiro" and time travel to where I am and let me know how the show is doing.

[DarkTirade]

1. Season two kinda went kaput just because it was interrupted by the writer's strike.

Season three is getting messy and complicated. So some people find it more interesting, some people are turned off by it.

[CBGLuthier]

2. Pacing was bad in the second season

I still enjoy the show, but they do have some problems.

Too much reliance on Time Travel to kick the stories off. I love time travel stories but it has become a bit of a crutch.

A few too many new characters second season.

I think the third season has returned to better quality.

And as for the mysteries of the show, by now a lot of them have been answered but there still are some questions left.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. Thanks. Does the Niki/Jessica story ever actually tie in to everyone else?

The actress is cute, but sheesh already.

[rcrush]

8. That gets REAL stupid.

[CBGLuthier]

12. It resolves but

Kind of strangely. Don't want to give it away.

[blueraven95]

3. next season should be interesting

because Bryan Fuller is coming back as a writer. IMO he wrote some of the better episodes of season 1.

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. oh man

you're in for so much disappointment later on.

[skygazer]

6. I stopped watching partway through season 2

Loved season 1 but 2 got pretty stupid imo.

[rcrush]

7. Season 3 has been stupid

Its all over the place and the dialouge is just bad. They said they hired some new guys and stuff so the shows after the holiday break should be better but I dont know.


Heres my impression of Claire from Heroes.

"Daddy I hate you!"
"Daddy I love you!"
"Daddy I hate you!"
"Help daddy Sylar is after me!"
"I wanna be a crime fighter!"
"Help Sylar is gonna eat my brain!"

[devilgrrl]

11. Yes, the show is all over the place now - I can't figure it out anymore...

:crazy:

[DarkTirade]

14. Although that did lead to one of the best lines...

"Are you going to eat my brain?"

"Eat your brain? Claire, that's disgusting."

[Orrex]

9. It would have been better if it had ended with season one IMO

It was built as a perfectly encapsulated story arc that would have closed on a poignant, powerful note. In fact, I've spoken with more than a few people who had the distinct impression that it was supposed to be a one-season show. Not sure where they heard that, though.

However, they went ahead with season two, and everything I saw in it was lame. I hate to be a hater, but after enjoying season one so much, I was grossly disappointed by where it went after that.

I won't say anything one way or the other about an underlying storyline, but I share your view that such a device is invariably a let-down.

[RadiationTherapy]

10. It gets 'Twin Peaks' bad. The acting. The writing. The camera work. All of it -

- enthroned on a writhing pile of smegma-esque (smegmesque) disappointment.

[bikebloke]

13. I gave up after Season One

There were too many filler episodes in the middle. I ended up donating my set to the public library.

I'm going to give The 4400 at try. It's supposed to "people with super powers" done right.

I do like these programs with long story arcs like Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Deadwood. Even Torchwood, which was a bit awkward at first, until the writers found their groove.

[Uzybone]

15. Dont waste your time after season 1

I quit halfway through season 3 but I really should have quit after season 1. Seasons 2 and 3 were horrible.