Heroes Reborn [NBC] [** Spoilers **]

So, 5 episodes in now and I still don't see the point.... I've always been a Heroes fan and when this was announced, I was super excited that they were gonna get the chance to go back to basics and have some great characters with interesting reactions to their powers etc. but it's really all just a mess of gibberish... There are way too many characters and I really don't care about any of them. I know I'm supposed to particularly care about HRG but, without a strong character to bounce off or a family to protect, he's really falling flat. His relationship with Claire kinda got annoying to me by the end of season 4 but, looking back, it gave him a motivation that his character no longer has.

As well as that, none of the characters have common goals. There's nothing drawing them together. Let's compare this to the original show (going to IMDb to look up 'Reborn' character names)...

Noah Bennett - A man who is searching for answers as to who caused an explosion/how his daughter died. This isn't really an engaging story because we have no sight of who could be responsible, how Noah can get the answers he's searching for and, for viewers new to the show, what his relationship with his daughter was even like. New viewers must find this really weird and disconcerting because they have no anchor in the story; not so much as a flashback to show their relationship. The reasons for this are understandable, given that Hayden Panetierre opted not to return to the show but, if they can't make the story-thread interesting enough, they should have opted for a different story.

Zachary Levi - Goes around murdering evos heartlessly because of the death of his child (it's all been so vague and washy that I can't remember if it was a boy or girl) and then finds out he's one of them, has a crisis of identity and starts being emo. Unfortunately for Levi, who is a strong actor, his character is poorly written. Though the concept for this story is compelling (if obvious), it's written as flat and emotionless as I've just described it. There's no heart to the story.

Tommy Clarke - A kid with a cool power who 'just wants a normal life' and has a parent who wants to protect him. The new incarnation of Claire Bennett, this character is... okay to watch. The kid is a likeable actor but, unfortunately, we haven't been given any more to his story than above and, five episodes in, that's just not good enough for a character's development.

Miko Otomo & Ren Shimosawa - These may as well go together as they're a double-act. Miko's story is boring because she's just searching for her father (who we never really met) and Ren is just a clinger-on who doesn't really do much. Miko's power kinda sucks and her banter with Ren is boring. They're cheapened by the fact that they're an extremely obvious attempt to rekindle the fun and joy of the Hiro/Ando dynamic.

Carlos Gutierrez - Ugh, the new Jessica Sanders, he's boring, unlikeable and annoying. And now, apparently, he's kind of Iron Man as well...? Mehhhhhh.

Erica Kravid - The head of Renautus, she is apparently the villain. Her motivation is that she's the villain, and not much more. From the start, we're hit over the head with her being the villain and her company being evil and stuff. What? Who cares? I dunno.

Emily Duval - The Zack to Tommy's Claire. Emily is actually quite a charming character, and well acted. She has a good part to play and plays it well, for my money.

Quentin Frady - Quentin is a good character with a good motivation. His sister has been kidnapped and he wants to find her because he loves her. He's likeable, a little comic and has a clear goal in mind. This works best if you have seen the prequel web series, "Dark Matters" where you actually see his relationship. But even if you haven't, the actor's charisma and passion makes his story much more compelling than HRG's, whose arc is quite similar.

Joanne Collins - Wife of Zachary Levi's character. Same drive (murdering evos) but more one-track. The actress is very annoying and unintimidating. We never fear for the evos when she's around, even though she's going to kill them. This is because we don't care about them and we don't fear her. So what's the point in her character?

Harris Prime/Clones - A block of wood in a suit would have more charisma than this wet fish of a man. He's boring and, again, not intimidating. He's supposed to be the 'muscle' for the bad guys but he's just not powerful enough to justify it.

Other person out in the Arctic - Um, she's got some sort of power to control the elements and an invisible friend. She has nothing going on except for a vague mention of how she's going to 'save the world'. Wut?


What's linking these characters? Nothing. Technically, they're linked by the fact that the world hates them and they're apparently being rounded up. But they're not being rounded up with any sort of zeal, except when it suits the plot. Some of them are being actively hunted (Tommy) while others roam free (most of the rest of the cast) because reasons. So they don't really have that in common. We've been told that some of them are going to save the world but how and from what? We don't know because it hasn't been said and we don't care because there's no mystery. Just saying "you're going to help save the world" doesn't create mystery in and of itself. So we don't care.

Post #2 coming with a run-through of the original series' characters...

From the original series:

Claire Bennett - Claire is a teenager who has just discovered she has a superpower. She's scared and worried about this and what it means for her. She just wants to be a normal cheerleader. Her story is compelling because she's an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation and doesn't know if she can handle it.

Noah Bennett - Noah spends his time kidnapping people with superpowers. We don't know whether his motivations are benign or malevolent. He's also a loving father but spies on his superpowered daughter. Is he trying to protect her from outside forces or is there something more sinister afoot? This is the mystery and it is a compelling one.

Peter Petrelli - Peter is, again an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation, unsure of whether he can handle it. He firmly believes the old Spider-man adage of great power coming with great responsibility. Peter will learn that his power is that, through his empathy, he can absorb the powers of others. While this means that Peter is, theoretically an unstoppable force of good, his youthful naiveté prevents him from making full use of his powers. This limitation on a powerful character gives him a challenge that he must overcome if he is to win the day. This is called an 'arc'. You will not find such a thing in Heroes Reborn.

Hiro Nakamura & Ando Masahashi - They're lumped together despite Hiro definitely being a solo act with some team-up stories in season one. Hiro is a great character because he's a big child who has to grow up fast when he accidentally discovers the grim fate of the world and is forced to use what little information he has to try to prevent it from coming to pass. His journey is laid out before him and it's an exciting one. Ando, even in later seasons, is little more than a sidekick but provides an important sounding board for Hiro and often keeps him on track.

Matt Parkman - A lot of people have a problem with Matt but the beauty of the character is in his flaws. He's an everyman. A cop with a bit too much around the waist and a lot of marriage troubles. Instead of focusing on his marriage, he buries himself in his work. His intentions are good but he's a pretty bad cop. This is called 'character'.

Mohinder Suresh - Mohinder bridges the normal with the fantastic. His quest is not unlike HRG's as he searches for powered people but, unlike HRG, his intentions are unfailingly benevolent. He is the eyes of the viewer; the normal person trying to unfold the mystery of the powers.

Sylar - Sylar is Peter's dark reflection. Like Peter, he absorbs other people's powers. Unlike Peter, he must murder to get the power and has no problem doing so. While Peter wonders if he is "meant to do something special," Sylar believes that he is the most special and all others are below him. What is most compelling about Sylar is the fact that, in his heart, he is a good man, corrupted by power. Late in season one, Sylar comes to believe that he is going to explode and destroy New York. He vows then to give up his search of power and just be normal. Driven by his mother's hopes that he will become more special, he goes back to killing. But the fact of his moral dilemma shows that he is not just the villain. He's a person. And the fact that he is Peter's opposite gives weight to both their journeys.

Nathan Petrelli - Nathan is Peter's opposite. He is self-absorbed, self-obsessed, narcissistic and tries to bury his powers. He motivates Peter at first by inspiring him and later by inspiring him to do better.

Niki/Jessica Sanders - Niki/Jessica is one character that, unfortunately, didn't really work. The idea was to have a character with multiple personalities, one of whom has super strength and is evil. Through her arc, Niki must overcome her personality disorder and gain the strength herself. This is her arc and it's a compelling one but, unfortunately, a bit poorly written.

Isaac Mendez - A drug addict who can paint the future but only when he's high. I mean, need I say more? Amazing idea.


What draws our characters together? Everything. A painting of a disastrous future. A message from Future Hiro that bad things are coming. Prophetic visions in Peter's dreams. All of the heroes are brought together by the stories and predictions established along the way. The stories conclude along the way but always add to the overall arc. Saving the cheerleader doesn't exactly save the world but it brings our characters together to a place where they can contribute to saving it as a make-shift team.

CastorTroy wrote: »

I wish they would've just used this as a way to wrap up the series completely instead of bringing in all new characters.

This is exactly what should've happened.

Episode was... fine. This won't be getting a second season.

Jeepers, that sucked.