Pop Vultures

Is it just me, or did last night’s Heroes show some badly needed signs of life?

A month ago, I wrote about a few ways the show could improve, and I’m pleased to report that someone listened to me (until I hear otherwise, I see no reason not to take credit). This felt like an episode that could have aired last year, and with good reason — it focused almost entirely on established, well-liked characters. No Emo Wonder Twins, no TV-watching superhero, no random new character thrown in for no apparent reason. We didn’t get a single glimpse of Sylar and, instead, the show built up a new villain. I’d love to know why Molly is still on my screen, in one of the corniest pieces of writing ever (is it a sign of my cold dead heart that, when Parkman told her he loved her and her vital signs jumped, my eyes rolled far enough back in my head that I could see bits of 9th grade history?). But, for the most part, I have hope. Maybe the show hasn’t gone completely off the rails…and just in time for the writer’s strike, too.

Thoughts and spoilers after the jump.

Of course, for the first half, I was wondering why the show actually needed writers. With such stellar dialog as: “It’s complicated.” “Then uncomplicate it.”, it sometimes felt as if the screenplay was cobbled together from rejected B-movie scripts and cheesy fantasy novels. But we’ve never really watched this show for the writing, have we? In all honesty, it’s always been fairly dreadful. The appeal of this show lies in the range of superpowers, the charismatic actors and the intertwined plot lines, all of which were on display last night.

On behalf of every Heroes fan ever, I would like to say YAY to the completion of the Japan saga. A story that could have easily wrapped up by the end of the second episode has come to its long overdue conclusion. At this point, I don’t even care how abrupt the ending was and how much time was wasted on this story. It’s over. My main problem with this arc has been how it ruined the character of Hiro. The laughing, joyous, playful Hiro that was the heart and soul of the first season was AWOL, which is why I was so excited to see this particular image last night. The writers are welcome to overlook any sense of obligation to narrative realism that would call for Hiro to be mopey and lovelorn upon his return. Screw that. Let him be happy and fun and give us a reason to laugh during Heroes again.

The show managed to get a couple other things spot on, at long last. It was episode five of last year when Future Hiro delivered the “Save the cheeleader, save the world” message to Peter, giving the show a sense of direction and purpose that carried it through the season. The writers were a little slow on the uptake this year, but we finally have our series-long task, as once again Peter gets a glimpse at the future. And what a creepy look it was, too. The image of bodies piled upon bodies was disturbing and scary and a reason for the Superfriends to fight. At last, they have an actual purpose.

In case that wasn’t enough, the show finally managed to do the one I thing I was desperate for: it gave us a new Big Bad. And not just any Big Bad, either. A charming, witty, and terribly appealing Big Bad. He’s the sort of villain I can love to hate, while I mainly just hate Sylar.

For the first time all season, I genuinely enjoyed an episode of Heroes. I fear that will all vanish next week, when we’re due a return visit from various pointless characters, but for a brief moment, Heroes showed a bit of its old style. Here’s hoping it lasts.