TV Show Review: Heroes, Season 2

 After my great satisfaction with Season One, I was looking forward to picking up where the characters left off. I was not disappointed, but I have to say that the first season was a little better.

The threat of nuclear annihilation is replaced by the threat of the release of a deadly virus; not much originality there. Also, my favorite character, Hiro Nakamura, spends the majority of this season trapped in Japan in the year 1671 due to a misuse of his time-warping powers; say what you will about his solo storyline Hiro is a product of 21st-century pop culture and an unrepentant nerd. He deserved a chance to shine, but this wasn't how I would have had him do it. My least favorite storyline from Season One, Niki/Jessica and phase-walking D.L. Hawkins dealing with mobster Linderman, is here replaced with Maya and Alejandro trying to escape from South America to meet with Doctor Suresh and cure Maya of her deadly uncontrollable power. Peter Petrelli winds up in Ireland with amnesia and proceeds to get suckered into the bad guy's plot. Doctor Suresh himself, one of the most likeable characters of the first season, switches sides so many times I think even the actor lost track.

There was even some replication of powers: Claire the indestructible cheerleader gets a boyfriend who can fly, just like Nathan Petrelli already does, and Hiro meets a man in feudal Japan who can regenerate just like Claire. One interesting new ability is displayed by character Monica Dawson, who can memorize and duplicate any physical action. The only existing character whose powers grow at all is Matt Parkman, the telepathic cop, who finds he can do more than just read minds.

Season One villain Sylar (and one of the series' best actors, Zachary Quinto, who can now be seen rocking it as the new Spock) is now reduced to a vague menace on the comeback trail. He would've worked better as a final-episode shocker. The earlier generation of super-beings that we have met in passing and heard so much about is fleshed out a little, but few of their actual powers are revealed. Somebody is bumping them off one by one, so why aren't they fighting back?! These people wanted to destroy New York last season!

One welcome addition to the cast is Nichelle Nichols (original Star Trek's Uhura), just as we lose the great George Takei who played Hiro's father. I could go back and forth on the pros and cons of this season endlessly. The biggest problem is length: Season One was twenty-three episodes, and Season Two a mere eleven. That's less than half! How are you supposed to accomplish the same effect in half the hours of airtime? INSANITY! By the way, series creator Tim Kring has himself admitted that several of the complaints I mention here were legitimate problems with this season.

Having said all of this, I do love the show. Several of the actors are doing an excellent job despite the problems in the script, and I would remain loyal to the franchise if it was continuing. Unfortunately, I appear to have boarded a sinking ship in my enjoyment of this fine show. I'm told that "Heroes" has been cancelled without wrapping up all the plots, and that the creators may try to finish it off with a miniseries or possibly even a movie. I fully intend to catch up on the remaining seasons and be there whenever the show has its curtain call.