Heroes - Season 2
The NBC superhero serial drama series Heroes follows the lives of people across the globe who possess various superhuman powers as they struggle to cope with their everyday lives and prevent foreseen disasters from occurring. The second season premiered on September 24, 2007, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 26, 2008.
Heroes - Season 2
"Generations" begins four months after the events of Kirby Plaza. The main plot arc of Generations deals with the Company and its research on the Shanti virus. This research is explored through the Company's founders, whose identities are revealed, as well as through the effects of various strains of the virus. The heroes ultimately come together in an attempt to stop the release of a deadly strain of the virus and avert a global pandemic.
The second season of Heroes was criticized by commentators and fans for a much slower pace, less engaging storyline and lack of focus compared to the first season. Milo Ventimiglia stated that "when there's a little bit of a delay, there's not that instant, rewarding scene or moment or episode... people get impatient, so it has been extremely important for them to strike a balance between giving and getting."[11] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heroes creator Tim Kring commented on criticisms of season two, and the series' 15% decline in ratings.[12] Kring said that he felt he had made mistakes with the direction of season two. He had thought that the audience was looking for a "build-up of characters and the discovery of their powers", when viewers were instead looking for "adrenaline." Kring also outlined what he felt were problems with plot development, stating that the second season "took too long to get to the big-picture story", explaining that Peter's vision of the viral armageddon should have occurred in the first episode instead of the seventh. He feels that it would have been better to introduce new characters within the context of the main storyline, as with Elle, rather than in unattached arcs such as that of Maya and Alejandro. Kring also admitted that he should have resolved the "Hiro in Japan" storyline much more quickly, and that the romantic stories are not working well. With regard to Claire and West, and Hiro and Yaeko, he said, "I've seen more convincing romances on TV. In retrospect, I don't think romance is a natural fit for us."[12]
In season two, the opener was consistent in the ratings, however, week-by-week, the ratings continued to dive, reaching another new low for the series on episode seven, "Out of Time", with only 9.87 million viewers. Although the ratings were lower than average, this episode was considered to be a turning point for the declining season, as a major plot twist was introduced and the volume's "big picture storyline" was presented.[12][13] The season two/volume 2 finale generated 11.06 million viewers in the ratings, down more than 3 million viewers from the season opener and series pilot.[14]
The series - a stylish, tights-free tale about superheroes in America - captured the public imagination and proved compulsive viewing. Even the first season had its ups and downs, though. Peaking halfway with the excellent future-set episode, Heroes ended with a so-so finale. The writers should have taken pains to nail the second season, but they failed. Beginning four months on, we pick up with the heroes having gone their separate ways - irritating given that it took an entire season to bring them together. The disparate narratives are entertaining, but wholly fail to capture the original storys energy. Instead they range from the mundane to the ridiculous as Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) wallows in guilt, Micah (Noah Gray Cabey) goes to live with his aunt and Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) becomes embroiled in a wearisome amnesia scenario involving Irish gangsters. The greatest indignity is saved for Hiro (Masi Oka), who slips from star to afterthought, stuck in feudal Japan trudging through a protracted subplot that should have been wrapped up in a couple of episodes.
Dont get us wrong, the problem isnt that Heroes sophomore effort is bad - far from it, this remains one of the better genre shows on television - but that it all feels so lazy. Season 2 should have taken this series to new heights; instead it drifts along complacently on a current of its own hype. Kring has publicly acknowledged the seasons failings, which is encouraging. In the meantime, this 11-episode blip (cut short by the writers strike) is sufficient to keep fans amused until the show hopefully returns to form for what is promised to be a new and improved third season.
At the time, it was revealed that filming would take place this year, while the show's creator Steven Knight teased that season 2 would "take the SAS into mainland Europe and will take our heroes to the limits of their endurance".
Knight was speaking in a wide-ranging interview which also touched on the development of the highly-anticipated Peaky Blinders movie, the long-awaited second season of Taboo and the upcoming Disney Plus boxing drama A Thousand Blows.
SAS Rogue Heroes season 2 will air on BBC One, while season 1 is available on BBC iPlayer now. Visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find something to watch tonight, or check out the rest of our Drama coverage.
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After an excellent first season, why was Heroes season 2 such a monumental disappointment? Premiering on NBC in September 2006, Heroes originated from the mind of Tim Kring and took the world by storm with its grounded depiction of ordinary people who suddenly develop superpowers. Playing out across 23 tightly-written episodes, the interweaving arcs of Heroes' flawed, yet relatable, ensemble formed a neat tapestry, mixing classic comic book heroes and villains tropes with the real-world issues of drug addiction, high school drama and breaking away from the mold of an invisible everyman to become something truly special.
With glowing reviews and very strong viewing figures, Heroes was the "next big thing" in its first season and, after a satisfying finale, hopes remained high for the second. Unfortunately, Heroes was destined to go down as one of TV's biggest missed opportunities, and the subsequent 3 seasons (as well as the Heroes Reborn sequel) charted a decline in quality, viewership and acclaim that the NBC series would never recover from.
To this day, Heroes' first season remains a shining example of box-set, serialized television done right. Every character is steeped in different shades of personality, every episode serves to advance the plot and further the show's mysteries, and each element is a vital cog in the wheel, grinding towards a single, epic conclusion. With all of the ingredients in place for future success, how did Heroes' second outing manage to disappoint in such spectacular fashion?
Heroes season 1 succeeded primarily on the strength of its characters. Without viewers instantly connecting to the likes of Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura and Claire Bennet - and immediately fearing Sylar as a threatening presence - every other component falls apart. Mirroring this phenomenon, Heroes season 2 came undone partially because its new additions didn't come close to the popularity of the established cast.
Heroes' early stories were built on the intrigue of how ordinary folks would cope with and use their newfound superpowers, but since season 1's cast soon became very familiar with their abilities, fresh faces were needed for season 2. Heroes added the likes of Elle and Bob Bishop, the immortal Adam Monroe, fly-boy West Rosen and sibling duo Maya and Alejandro for its follow-up season. Aside from Kristen Bell's Elle (and to a lesser extent, Adam) the other new additions to Heroes season 2 were forgettable at best, and downright annoying at worst.
In stark contrast to season 1, Heroes' later additions often felt one-dimensional. Maya and Alejandro, for example, were little more than a traveling plot device designed to augment the arcs of Sylar and Mohinder, rather than vital characters in their own right. Without that necessary injection of interesting new blood into the Heroes cast, season 2 came with a sense of staleness.
There's nothing more frustrating than watching a gripping season of TV, only for the developments witnessed during those many viewing hours to be undone further down the line. This is precisely what Heroes season 2 is guilty of, winding multiple character and story arcs right back to the beginning with a soft reset.
Audiences had delighted in watching Peter Petrelli's growth from an unsure dreamer hospice nurse to the man with all the powers. As fantastic as this evolution was in Heroes season 1, the series had written itself into a corner by over-powering its protagonist, and the chosen solution was to have Peter lose his memory, forgetting the impressive array of powers he possessed. This certainly pared down Peter's abilities, but it also made the character a completely different entity compared to his season 1 self, and many viewers might've felt like they were watching a stranger, rather than Heroes' leading man. 041b061a72