How's Season 3 of "Heroes" shaping up so far?

[JediKnightButler]

Without spoilers, could somebody tell me how the 3rd season of "Heroes" is shaping up so far (no spoilers please) and is there someplace to catch up on the episodes aired so far (preferably for free)? My wife I just finished up watching the (truncated) second season and the lead-in to Season 3.

I remember people here not liking the second season very much but, given that the writer's strike inadvertently caused the second season to be MUCH shorter than the first, I actually thought it turned out pretty well, perhaps even better than the first season in some respects since they could jump back into the story without having to introduce as many characters as they did in the first season. I also really couldn't think of an episode or moment that made me groan or roll my eyes at. I actually loved all of the twists and turns (i.e. Adam) that the season took, particularly in regards to Peter, Adam, and Sylar. I pretty much figured that Sylar would get his powers back by the end setting the stage for more danger and conflict with him in the next season. He is a really creepy villian although Adam was pretty creepy in his own way. I just hope that the good guys (i.e. Peter) eventually find a way to take Sylar down (and if I were Mohinder et. al I'd be spending more time trying to figure out how to stop him, particularly since he now has all of his powers restored).

Anyway, I digress. How's Season 3 shaping up so far?

 

[Aragorn]

Some parts are WOW, other parts are HUH? They still have problems with story pacing. Serious "we've got to do something now" stuff seemingly takes forever what characters taking their sweet ass time, while other aspects of the plot seem to skip over tons of important development so that the characters get from A to B.

A major improvement over season two, but still some serious "speed of plot" issues.

 

[Trent Roman]

I've really enjoyed this season, but then, I'm not amongst those who found season two to be the failure it's often made out to be, so take my opinion in that context. In particular, I love the dynamic pace of the show, with a multiplicity of storylines and characters, autonomous yet interrelated, that flits from locale to locale within the space of minutes and gives off this kind of infectious energy. I think it's easily the most exciting show this season. At the moment, after another period of being disparate, the characters are coming together again in opposing groups, and I'm looking forward to seeing how events will go from here now that the battle lines are being drawn.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Kryton]

I've really rather enjoyed it, personally...but there ARE a lot of naysayers and folks who've given up on the show this season.

Since the show is NBC/Universal, you might check their site hulu.com...if anyplace is hosting full episodes it would be them.

 

[JediKnightButler]

Some parts are WOW, other parts are HUH? They still have problems with story pacing. Serious "we've got to do something now" stuff seemingly takes forever what characters taking their sweet ass time, while other aspects of the plot seem to skip over tons of important development so that the characters get from A to B.

A major improvement over season two, but still some serious "speed of plot" issues.

I TOTALLY agree with you about that particular aspect of the show. Actually, it reminds me a LOT about shows like "Lost" and even "Smallville"- that did it a lot in the 4th and 5th seasons (that's as far as I've gotten so far)- where it seems like there is something important that the characters need to accomplish and it's hanging over the characters (and us the viewers) for the entire season but it is seemingly ignored until maybe the last few episodes of the season. Meanwhile, the writers/producers do a LONG string of standalone episodes or episodes that don't seem to advance (nor really have anything to with) the main story arc/plotline. The writers/producers ultimately end up dragging the main story arc/plotline out SO far that by the time of the final confrontation/showdown/resolution it almost feels anti-climatic*, the end of the first season of "Heroes" (Peter vs. Sylar) being the best example of this IMHO.

*Although I have to admit the opening of closing of nearly every season of "Smallville" were simply amazing and always fun and exciting to watch.

I actually though do prefer a more steady progression in terms of story pacing like how JMS perfectly structured Babylon 5, particularly seasons 2-4 where nearly every episode did something, even if it was a small thing, to help advance the overall plot and character development and/or lay the groundwork for future events (B5 did a tremendous job utilizing foreSHADOWing- pun intended).

 

[Hermiod]

Anyway, I digress. How's Season 3 shaping up so far?

Badly.

If you can't write a story about people super powers without taking those super powers away when they become inconvenient then you're working on the wrong show.

Smallville gets away with it, Heroes can't be allowed to.

 

[SalvorHardin]

Who's it shaping up ?

In one word...meh.

 

[rafterman1701]

Not well. Ugh. And I want it to be good.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

There are a lot of people who hate it and, to be honest, some of the things they've done recently are starting to annoy me.

Compared to last season, though, it feels like there are less wasted aspects. Honestly, last season felt like it went nowhere and nothing happened. There were a couple of moments this season that felt like first season charm. Not nearly as many, but they're there.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

You'll like S3 better if you watch the show for the basic premise and because you find the major characters and their interactions inherently fascinating, and you like the occasional socko plot twist (the best one in the show so far happens this season imho) and a fast-paced story.

But if you highly prize story logic, characters always remaining consistent, coherent writing, and a story that makes sense the first time you see it (as opposed to trying to figure out which story elements the writers skimmed over that in retrospect, were valuable enough that they should have emphazied them more), then you will be continually annoyed by the show's flaws.

Oh yeah, and some of the actors in this show are just flat-out bad. Which wouldn't matter as much except when they're thrown into scenes together as opposed to scenes with the much better actors, where for some reason, it's just a lot less evident.

I just hope that the good guys (i.e. Peter) eventually find a way to take Sylar down (and if I were Mohinder et. al I'd be spending more time trying to figure out how to stop him, particularly since he now has all of his powers restored).

Hmm, well looked at from a certain perspective, you may be getting your wish (the jury is still way out on this). Safe to say that both Sylar and Peter are big, big elements in S3.

Basically Heroes is a big, fat, crazy, glorious mess. I still love it despite the flaws because the things it does right are things I really don't see to the same degree from other shows.

 

[LitmusDragon]

It's odd, the first few episodes of the season were very hopeful. The show was "fun" again like it was in the first season. Then they started taking Sylar's character where they've taken him, and I've kind of lost interest since then. I'm still watching but I'm rolling my eyes a lot.

 

[ALF]

It's better than season 2, not as good as season 1.

If you've watched the first season and you have some connection to the characters, it's good enough to watch. If you're coming in as a first timer, forget it. This is not a standalone episode series.

There is a lot of hate for this show on these boards, but hell, it's not like there's heaps of superior sci-fi on tv these days. Or you could watch reality BS "Who Wants to be My American Grandmother"

 

[ByrdMan]

I was really starting to have trouble watching episodes this season. I had 4 new episodes saved up on my TiVo, which I pretty much forced myself to watch. Once I saw "Villains" though, I started to find it interesting again.

 

[Orac Zen]

I've really enjoyed this season, but then, I'm not amongst those who found season two to be the failure it's often made out to be, so take my opinion in that context.

Same here. I'm also one of those who enjoyed the hell out of the S1 finale so I'm really in a minority.

It's certainly got its flaws but then again I watch TV to be entertained, not to comb through every single detail and expect them to fit together perfectly. (It's great when that happens, which is why I'm such a fan of Babylon 5, but it's not essential.) Heroes is doing a fine job of entertaining me so far this season, and I'm okay with that.

 

[captcalhoun]

i'm enjoying it, but like some others, i enjoyed S2.

the thing I'm most pissed about is them not bringing Monica back.

 

[The Habs Fan]

It's good, but compared to Season 1 it sucks.

 

[TheArsenal]

How's it shaping up so far? Well so far, to be charitable, it's uneven. There is drop in overall quality and pervasive sloppiness in characterization and writing.

But "so far" is a difficult measure for the season as a whole, because behind the scenes there has been a recognition that the show is faltering. It is in the process of shake ups and course correction. So despite the poor start, it is hard to say on what level the season will end.

 

[tomalak301]

I've enjoyed this season except for this last episode. That was just really really bad.

 

[Barbados Slim]

It's been really dull. I find that I'll be watching for 30 minutes and things will happen on the screen. Double-crosses, foot chases, shit flying out of people's hands but then I'll realize that the story is going nowhere. Nothing's actually going on. Then at the end, someone will do something illogical and stupid for the big twist and ta-da!! These two people are lovers, or that person's working for this guy now.

It's been terrible. I'm hanging in because I hung in through Lost S2 and by mid S3 the show turned sideways and became amazing.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I hate to say it, but Season 3 really makes me appreciate Season 2 more. I never thought Season 2 was horrible, just that it didn't live up to the promise of Season 1. But I see a lot more of Season 1's charm in Season 2 than in Season 3.

Season 3 is characterized by writing the characters as idiots in order to shoehorn them into contrived situations to drive along whatever's passing for the plot. There's very little good character stuff going on, it's all plot, and not a very compelling one. Season 2 still found time for character business and retained some of Season 1's sense of wonder and mystery.

I think that they may have made a mistake by deciding to run half-season arcs. They wanted to avoid the sense of let-down that the Season 1 finale evoked after all that brilliant build-up...but at least they had an otherwise-brilliant season to show for it. The half-season arcs just feel too rushed...we can have character stuff or we can have a plot, not both! They should go back to full-season arcs and take the time to let us into the character's heads and given them room to breathe and have lives outside of the latest crisis.

I wouldn't compare it to Smallville's formula, though...the show is still much more serialized, they don't do stand-alone fill-in episodes.