I can be hard on reviews when it comes to something that’s not a comic book, yet comic book related. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m just a jerk. This season of Heroes definitely comes to mind. I’ve watched the show since it’s inception, and this season is obviously no different. I only managed to review the first half of the season though, because after a while when you just bash something weekly, it’s not fun. It’s not fun to watch, it’s not fun to write. So I stopped, and kept watching anyway.
Now, in a recent interview with the Onion’s AV Club, the man behind the show (Tim Kring) offers some thoughts on the show’s decline with it’s fanbase. Check them out after the jump along with my thoughts.
AVC: Whenever anyone talks about Heroes, they always go back to that first season, especially in storytelling. It feels a lot like it had a much clearer idea of where the show was headed than this recent season. What do you make of the comparison?
TK: It’s always hard. For us, the seasons aren’t really seasons. We took about four days off between season one and two–we never stopped writing. Same directors, same actors, same everything. So when someone says they don’t like season two, it’s like, “Well, that was yesterday.” We don’t have a sense that the seasons are divided by ideas or timeframes; it’s just this big long continuum. I think the first season can be divided into two places. We took a seven-week break, and the audience never came back after that. The first 16 episodes was the part everybody talks about.
The other thing is, you can only be shiny and new one time. Also in that first season, we probably should have done two volumes or three volumes, smaller stories. I think people would have gotten used to the fact that we tell a story in volumes that have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Because we didn’t, and we ended with sort of a finale, it felt like, “Well, I guess that’s over.” So how do you go back to saving the world again? In reality, that was an issue for me. I was very interested in the origin story of where these characters came from–that first blush of discovery. It’s the most fun to write, and ultimately it’s the most interesting for the audience. Once you answered the big questions–“What is happening to me? How am I connected? What does it all mean?”–as we did, then those questions have to be replaced by other questions. And those are usually plot questions as opposed to primal questions. To be really honest, those questions aren’t as interesting for an audience. So you have to keep going to those original questions by turning things on their head. Maybe it isn’t an evolutionary thing, maybe it’s scientific. Or you keep wiping a character clean and bringing them back to being evil again.
It’s a pretty interesting read if you have the time. For some thoughts on the article, check behind the jump.
For someone like me, who no longer considers himself a Heroes fan, the article is pretty intriguing. The interviewer doesn’t show a lot of mercy in calling Kring out in certain elements, which is always good. I do feel, though, that some of Kring’s responses are simply… well… half-assed. A lot of justification and blame seem to be thrown around, especially when he calls out the network for not allowing him to be more bold and kill off someone like Hiro. Ok, Masi Oka has a contract with NBC that states he needs to do so many episodes, but they still can find better ways to work around this “problem” rather than let the character fester as he does.
One of the biggest things with Heroes RIGHT off the bat was it’s intense comparisons with network opponent ABC’s LOST. Certain people seemed so intensely divided on whether or not you could like one show or the other, and everyone had to make it known which show they preferred. As a comic book fan, I stuck with Heroes (especially because, around the time Heroes started airing, we were in… season 3 of LOST? And I belive I’m not alone when I say most people’ll agree that was the worst season of the show (Paolo and Nikki, anyone?). When I look at the two shows now, though, there is NO question as to which show is better. Six seasons into LOST, and I currently feel so much emotional attachment to the characters and what is going, I cover my mouth in shock and awe as well as sit on the edge of my seat every Tuesday night. As for Heroes, though, I could honestly care less.
Continued belowIt is very sad that the show has turned into this. Characters I used to love (Sylar) are now characters I hope die. While I concede Heroes probably will come back with a new season, I’d really rather it didn’t, and nothing Tim Kring says in this interview gives me confidence in more of the show, ESPECIALLY knowing that the network is meddling.
I’d like to close with a quote from something one of my friends wrote on his LiveJournal (not the greatest source, but he still brings a valid argument):
So, as none of you may know, I haven’t actually watched Heroes since the middle of Season 3 when the show became entirely about “How do we keep Sylar relevant?” Yes, this is probably a harsh judgment, but you already read these are my opinions, and since this isn’t politics or anything I don’t really care. Moving on.
Recently I was curious about what had been happening, so I went on TV Tropes to get a general idea. There, I found out many things, but the one that stuck out the most was what has been happening in the online graphic novel. Apparently one of the latest story lines was set during season 4, and chronicles the adventures of Micah and a group of other heroes as they battle against the government organization that’s been rounding up people with abilities. Basically, it is about a team of people, who do genuinely heroic things while still being complex and multifaceted, use their powers intelligently, and are highly effective.
WHY THE EVER FLIPPING FRAK WAS THIS STORYLINE NOT USED FOR THE ACTUAL SHOW?
I mean, come on, it has interesting characters, both new and old (Including Molly, AND CLAUDE!), and exciting and interesting plot that hasn’t been done to death, and I actually like the people involved. I mean, it makes West badass….WEST, the guy I wanted to punch in the face five minutes after meeting him. Gee golly gosh, there’s no way that would be more interesting to watch than another round of What Amoral and/or Idiotic thing will our main characters do today? Sorry Heroes’ writers, but there comes a point where stupidity and assholishness stop being entertaining.
I mean, realistically I do realize that getting the actors and special effects for this plot line might be infeasible, but come ON! If you can write something this good for the damn comic, at least come up with something close for the show! I know people have said the 5th season is better, but I’ve heard that tune before, and as long as the writes basically make the whole work revolve around Sylar being alive, I just can’t care. Seriously, he stopped being interesting after Season 1, and no retcons do not count as character development if they completely contradict what’s happened before, and are forgotten equally as quickly.
Ah whatever, I don’t care much, but it’s been a while since I wrote on fandom things and this was fun. Micah is officially the best Hero ever.
Well said, Brandon. Except maybe that Micah part.
