Heroes Season 2 Review.
A look back at the second season of NBC's superhero hit.
The second season of Heroes had a lot to live up to after the bold and monumental first season. It's a daunting task for the writers to not only continue making stories for returning Heroes, but also making new Heroes for fans to rave about. However, the writers strike shortened the second season to just eleven episodes. Viewers questioned how the writers were going to be able to convey a cohesive story in such a short amount of time. Season one was a deliberately slow paced show that used all twenty-four of its episodes to tell its intricate story. While season two is able to tell a coherent story, many of the elements and characters are never properly fleshed out.
The Return of the Superhero Drama
Season two starts exactly where the first left off; Hiro (Masi Oka) is teleported to feudal Japan in the middle of a battle between samurai warriors. When he finds out that one is his childhood hero, he saves him, but afterwards, discovers that his idol is not what he had hoped for. Hiro remains one of the most enjoyable characters, but his Ando-less journey lacks the charm of his ‘from zero to hero’ tale in the first season. While Hiro's storyline is a meticulously planned arc that affects the whole storyline of Heroes, the execution of it felt like an afterthought. The sets all look lazily prepared and as a result the audience never feels like they're looking at Feudal Japan. It’s a missed opportunity to immerse the audience in a culturally rich back story, which would be a distinct milestone for the season.
The first season of Heroes didn't delve into romantic subplots too heavily for whatever reasons, so it's odd to see so many in season two. It's apparent that the writers didn't want the romantic subplots to carry much weight, but that's no excuse for their hackneyed execution. Claire's involvement with a young flying boy (Nicholas D'Agosto) has no foundation other than the fact that they're both "freaks". Peter Petrelli's and Hiro's relationships aren't even burdened by detailed writing; the writers seem satisfied on letting the viewers figure out a puzzle with no pieces.
It's not all bad in the relationship department though, Noah Bennett (Jack Coleman) continues to shine as a ruthless agent moonlighting as a comforting father figure. Coleman does a superb job playing two different personas at the same time. It's not as over the top as Ali Larter's split personality act, but his subtleness makes an effective performance. What he represents is easily relatable, but his actions are as unbelievable as the rest of the super powered cast. With Noah Bennett the writers are able to get across a very universal message; super powers aren’t always needed to be a savior. Elsewhere, Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) elevates his status from second tier character to first with his subplot story that involves confronting his long term father issues. As a person who reads minds, Parkman still has no reasoning for why his father left him, and that’s where the greatness of the plot comes from.
Aspiring Heroes and new Villians
The new standout characters include Kristen Belle as Elle Bishop and Dania Ramirez and Shalim Ortiz as the Herrera siblings who are on the run from the law. Bell’s Elle was the biggest surprise, mainly due to the fact that the writers knew that Bell could be so much more than a gorgeous lighting wielding maniac. Hopefully, when Season 3 begins, the new characters will have a chance to be developed properly. This season really justified the haters’ contempt, but September can’t come quick enough.
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