"Just when I thought it couldn't get any dumber..."

"Heroes does something like that..."

The Heroes finale aired on NBC last night, and after commenting last week about how I thought it might hurt them, I thought it would be necessary this week to discuss at length how it actually turned out.

First, one very interesting thing to note is that Heroes is written by multiple people, but last night they gave the writing credit to one of their big guns...Jeph Loeb. A friend of mine recently passed along some of Jeph's comic books, and he's had a ton of writing credits under his belt, so, needless to say, I was pretty excited to see him listed as the primary writer for the season finale.

Another interesting choice was made that I did kind of expect. It wasn't a hard ending. In other words, it was much more Empire Strikes Back than it was A New Hope. It ended, but there's a lot more to be resolved.

I won't go into details, because I don't want to add too many spoilers (although you should feel free to do so in the comments), but those were two things I found intriguing. But what did I think overall?

"...and totally redeems itself!"

Okay, yeah, I really liked last night's episode. I thought it was definitely up to par with Season 1 (although, Season 1 is still better overall). The writing was tight, it made sense, it cleared up some loose ends, it contained a good deal of action and suspense, and it left things open.

There were still some story arches that definitely needed more effort. We still didn't get connected to some of the emotional consequences of the show. Some of the things that came up (okay, one spoiler), like Nikki's, "I have a virus" didn't really pan out well. It needed more attention drawn to it, but they ran out of time. So, it wasn't all perfect, but it was pretty good.

Moral of the story? Not sure. But, definitely don't rush your story home at the last minute. If you've got a guy on third base, don't have him steal home plate just before a rain delay. Wait it out, keep the suspense up, and when the rain has passed, drive him home (all right, bad analogy).

If you're gonna send him home, though, make sure he's fast. Real fast. Bring in a substitute runner...like Jeph Loeb. I guess a really good writer can come in and clean things up really well, even with a struggling storyline.

Excellent writing. It's fun for a writer to watch another writer just kill. It's inspiring.

What'd you guys think of the season finale?

End of Season 2: Heroes

From Best to…pretty good.

I will be the first to tell you (and to many of you I already have) that Heroes: Season 1 is the best series television has ever seen. I don’t say that lightly. TV has had some phenomenal shows, no doubt about it. Magnum P.I. CHiPs. Knight Rider. 24. Prison Break. Lost (well, the first couple seasons, at least). Oh, right, and like, The Sopranos or whatever, too.

But seriously, Heroes: Season 1 was, in my opinion, the best television series I have ever seen. Incredible action, adventure, and suspense, great and memorable characters, excellent plot twists…the list goes on. The future episode alone is worth watching the entire season for.

So, what’s my point?

The Writer’s Commentary

This season of Heroes, Season 2, has had its ups and downs. It’s still pretty good, and still my favorite show, but it’s not the same as last year. Some of the same characters are back, new characters have been added, and the world is still plugging along in need of…heroes.

The show has had guest writers and directors, and that takes away from the core somewhat, but it’s been relatively solid until the last 3-4 weeks. What happened? They tried to please the audience beyond what was necessary.

I’ll be the first to tell you, pleasing an audience is incredibly rewarding. There’s no better feeling than having someone go, “Wow, that was a cool story.” It’s fulfilling, and it’s what writers write for (most of us, anyway). So, I can’t fault the Heroes crew for their decision, but it has led to an awkward transition.

Essentially, this season, rather than end it in 18 episodes (or however many are left, but it’s a sizeable amount), they have chosen to wrap this year’s season up in just 3. Why? The writer’s strike. I can see it now. “We know there’s gonna be a strike, but what do we do?”

“I got it. Let’s end it early. That’s what the audience will want. We can’t leave them hanging. Let’s just finish up the season.”

Not a bad idea, right? I can hear the writers groaning from here. What about the build-up? What about all the storylines? Our characters can’t develop in 3 episodes!!!

And let me be the first to say that I love action-packed episodes. It’s what makes a show like 24 (link) work. Otherwise it’s a soap opera. I would even argue that the writers probably could have made it work in 9 episodes. Cut out the additional stuff. Cut out the ten minutes of Claire making out with Flyboy. Cut out Mohinder’s attitude problems. Cut out the fluff. Cut out some character development.

But 3 episodes? It isn’t enough.

Now, as we come into next week’s episode, we’re left wondering what’s going on with Parkman. We’re wondering how certain characters will play a role. The build up of this terrible act that’s about to happen seems a little undefined. It’s still good, but it’s not great.

I’m still hoping they can pull it off, or at least leave us with some crazy cliffhanger that will have us licking our chops for more. But, the writer in me is just a little disappointed. The climax is coming too quick. Instead of a horse race with multiple laps and a photo finish, we’re left with a Nascar race that turned into a drag strip.

I still love Heroes, though, so I find it tough to critique, especially after I read the article (which I strongly encourage you to read if you're a fan) that my friend sent me. The guys that make this show are cool guys (and gals). And I’m gonna keep watching until Peter Petrelli and Sylar destroy the earth in a massive Armageddon-like battle. I just wish I was watching for more than just one week, or at least that it wasn’t really ending.

What do you think? Did they rush it this year?

With Science Fiction... The Future Looks Bleak

Don't look ahead.

If science fiction stories have taught us anything, it's not to travel to the future. Time travel can be a good thing, granted we go back in time, but we can't go forward. Bad things happen in the future. We can put money on the fact that the future won't look good. Take these stories, for example:

Terminator 2
When we get a glimpse at the future, it's definitely not going well for us. Robots (as always) have taken over us idiot human beings. Not only that, but as it turns out, our only hope is a baby that will eventually become some great leader.

Lesson: Don't build robots that have the capability of becoming smarter than us. Matrix? iRobot? Seriously, we don't stand a good chance. Robots should be dumb and just vacuum the carpet.

Back to the Future, Part II
In the past, Biff was a thug with a funny haircut. In the future, Biff is a billionaire that ruins your entire life. The future is not a good place to be for a McFly.

Lesson: Don't leave your time machine unattended. Your worst enemy will steal it and use it to ruin your life.

Heroes
In five years the world is still recovering from a catastrophe. Peter Petrelli now has a massive scar and is dating a stripper, and the president is the most evil person on the planet. Not to mention Hiro has gone from a nice guy to a character from the Matrix.

Lesson: If you can draw the future...don't. If you can travel there, grow a soul patch and carry a sword.

Time Travel with Care

So, if you're thinking about visiting the future, please reconsider. Nothing seems to go right. Instead, visit the past. Every time someone goes back in time they introduce something amazing, like a cigarette lighter, and are suddenly nominated for regional king. Generally, kingship requires that you fight off an entire army, but let's face it, you've got a lighter!

If you're considering time travel, I would advise checking out www.timeslingers.com. It's a fun little adventure that Nathan Scheck and I have put together, and the best part is...it's free! And, there's no future travel! We wouldn't want something bad to happen to our characters! (not yet, anyway)

Any other future mishaps come to mind? Let me know!