Aha, the 4th season of Heroes is finally comming.The show returned last night with the first two parts of this season’s storyline. Titled “Redemption,” the new story promises to see its regular characters faced with difficult decisions which about the world and their place in it as they recover from last year’s witch hunt spearheaded by a secret government agency.
The characters are not the only thing that needs redeeming, however. Over the last two seasons, the series has fallen far from its lauded first season. Season two was cut in half due to the writer’s strike. Season three had a very problematic twenty-five episode run with an overblown cast that saw many of the non-powered staples of the series gaining abilities—and turning the audience off in the process. The second half of season three made steps towards recovery, but still had quite a ways to go.
Season four is off to a decent start. While the two hour premier introduced several new characters, most of them were non-powered humans who live or work alongside the series regulars. From the episodes seen so far, as well as the preview of the upcoming episodes, it seems that the heroes will endure more drama in their personal lives than complex government conspiracies and the ever-growing and convoluted Petrelli family tree.
That’s not to say they won’t have to use their abilities against more formidable threats, however. The main antagonists for this season are a group of super human carnival performers, led by the manipulative Samuel . After burying a dead member of the “family,” Samuel tells his allies that he intends to bring others like them into the fold, namely, the regular Heroes cast. He has a face-to-face encounter with Hiro Nakamura that sets the character off on his personal quest for the season. He manages to convince super-speedster Edgar into killing two people in the pursuit of a mysterious compass that only works when someone with powers is holding it.
The season premier managed to touch base with nearly every major Heroes character. Here’s a breakdown:
Hiro Nakamura- Last season, Hiro’s time travel/ teleportation powers were briefly taken away from him. When they returned later in the year, he started suffering nosebleeds. In the time between seasons, Hiro learned that whatever his condition is, it is terminal. After accidentally travelling fourteen years into the past, he encounters Samuel, who convinces him that he should use his abilities to correct the mistakes he has made in the past. Before returning to the present, he manages to prevent a childhood incident that led to his sister Kimiko and his best friend Ando hating each other. When he returns to the present, he finds the past has changed and the two have been in a happy relationship for a long time.
Matt Parkman - Psychic police detective Matt Parkman has reconciled with ex-wife Janice after her affair during season one. He has joined a support group for cops dealing with drug addiction in order to cope with the decision to stop using his powers to read/ influence people’s minds. Largely, this decision is fueled by his role in brainwashing the serial killer Sylar into believing he is New York state senator Nathan Petrelli .
Nathan Petrelli- Last season, Nathan Petrelli, the New York state senator with the ability to fly, was brutally killed by the power-stealing serial killer Sylar. In a potentially confusing twist, Matt Parkman was convinced by Nathan’s mother, Angela and Noah Bennet into brainwashing Sylar, forcing him to think that he is the real Nathan. Thanks to Sylar having stolen a shape-shifting ability before the incident, he even looks the part now. Unfortunately, cracks in the plan have already begun to form, as Nathan finds himself unwittingly using all of the powers stored inside Sylar’s body.
Sylar- While Sylar’s body is currently occupied by Nathan Petrelli, his psyche as somehow become attached to Matt Parkman. In his disembodied form, he haunts Parkman, pushing him to use his psychic abilities. He actually succeeds at one point, causing Parkman to psychically chase off a handy man that threatens his security over his renewed relationship with his wife.
Noah Bennet- Still reeling from his recent divorce, Noah is trying to rebuild his life. Working alongside the ice/water powered Traci Strauss , he is trying to rebuild the Company that secretly deals with the relations between powered and non powered humans. The end of the premier sees Noah hospitalized after an attacker looking for the mysterious compass.
Claire Bennet- The fast-healing Claire starts a new adventure this season as a freshman in college. The two part premier sees Claire investigating the sudden death of her roommate. In her own unique way, she determines that her roommate’s death was a suicide by throwing herself out of her dormitory window. Much of Claire’s personal drama this season will involve her eager new friend, Gretchen (Madeline Zima), who witnessed Claire use her powers at the end of the premier episodes.
Peter Petrelli - Peter, the power-borrowing empath, has returned to his job as a paramedic. He uses his powers to save lives, unknowingly raising suspicions of his coworkers. Peter lives in an almost empty apartment, and pushes away anybody close to him. He turns down an offer to work with Noah Bennet shortly before he is attacked. He also avoids calls from his brother, Nathan, who is startled by the onset of strange new powers he doesn’t understand.
Angela Petrelli- The clairvoyant Angela is trying to oversee Noah Bennet’s formation of a new company while attempting to convince her son Nathan that the changes he is going through are just a midlife crisis. She has already failed at trying to get Matt Parkman to reinforce the changes made to Sylar to create the new Nathan. This year, her reputation as a master manipulator will be put to the test.
Heroes is off to a great start for this season. Smart decisions like the infusion of new human characters and a shorter 19-episode season should make for more lean, relevant stories than we’ve seen the last two years. Be sure to come back here each week as we follow the new season and determine whether or not Heroes can be saved.
So give me a reason to think it would be suck
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