10/6/2009

in

Episode four of NBC's Heroes suffocates underneath abundant story arcs and an implied lesbian twist.

Joseph Gentile

There are things more worthy of grief than the passing of a beloved TV show. In fact, it shouldn't register upon our radars at all. The only tragedy about Tim Kring's 'Heroes' is that it has decided upon a slow, agonizing death.  
  
That's why after three episodes, it seems hypocritical that NBC entitled last Monday's episode "Acceptance". Instead there's a healthy amount of depression, denial and bargaining left to encourage audiences to still be there by midseason. In the trailer for next Monday's episode, one bargain reveals itself as the lesbian liplock between Claire and Gretchen.  
  
If this wasn't 2009, and Katy Perry remained undiscovered, then Tim Kring and his staff could be applauded for their bold imaginations. Unfortunately, the gimmicky nature of two gorgeous females that smooch for network TV has all the freshness of recycled air. Now it's simply the sign of demographic desperation for a show going off the skids.  
  
There's still a chance though of 'Heroes' getting life breathed into it again. But to do that, it first needs to exfoliate the garish amount of layers keeping it suffocated. Namely, it needs to unify the multiple storylines into ONE show before the finale, rather than four, divergent minisodes each Monday.  
  
To paraphrase Tim Kring's dialogue, "Life changes, "Heroes"". We have to change with it. Maybe you have to remember who you were to figure out who you want to be?  
  
Firstly, it's about time the 'Heroes' writers balanced their character's roster. Before they develop Emma, Hiro's sister, or Claire's sapphic confidante any further, they must thin their ranks. Their attempts at reintegrating Tracy Strauss, the surprise, biological triplet of Niki Sanders from Season 3 should be squashed. Outside of an ill-advised love interest for Noah Bennett, she brought little substance to "Acceptance" as the sexpot lobbyist trying to be taken seriously.  
  
Secondly, to recapture Season One's luster, the face of evil must be more clearly defined. It's no small coincidence that Sylar became Entertainment Weekly's "Best New Villain" for compiling an impressive body count by that season's end. If Season 4 tries to substitute Sylar with the Sullivan Bros. Carnival, then it needs to be more sinister. Plunging needles into Lydia's clairvoyant, tattooed flesh, and gabbing about a mystical compass, doesn't inspire fear.  
  
Lastly, if the carnies aren't going to step it up, then Mama Petrelli (Cristine Rose) should teach them about technique. Her clairvoyance inadvertently reveals to Sylar, disguised as Nathan, that she covered up a death caused by her son. Sylar then apologizes to the victim's mother for Mama Petrelli's misdeeds, and later finds himself at the end of a hitman's blade. Sylar - and his regenerative ability - do escape death, but he loses Nathan's resemblance and must face an impending identity crisis.  
  
Now it's time that 'Heroes' also dropped its multiple fronts and remembered what it used to be.