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infinitejestDay 11 - A show that disappointed you
Several years ago, I kept hearing all this buzz about a new show called Heroes. "It's awesome!" exclaimed friends and coworkers alike. "It's superheroes done right on TV!" they added, with gleeful exuberance. Well, I like superheroes. And I like television, in case you had somehow missed that over the past couple weeks. Plus, I admit I was intrigued by their whole "Save the cheerleader, save the world" campaign. "How Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" I thought. As you've also probably noticed, I also love Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a great love. I wasn't interested in a clone, but I was intrigued to see if they could do a similar idea differently.
Quixote and I tuned in somewhere half-way through the season; we caught up, of course, first. And we were enthralled: time travel! Geeky Japanese guy as comic relief becomes slightly dark-edged bad-ass! Creepy serial killer who can steal powers! Sweet guy of faith who can absorb powers without that annoying Rogue-like life-sucking thing! Flying characters! Mindreaders! Pseudo-scientific explanations! Split personalities where the main personality doesn't have a superpower! A healer who's a bastard! Generational conspiracies! A stab at multiethnic representation!1
Heroes really felt like something as sprawling and epic as X-Men done in an intelligent manner on television. We really enjoyed the hell out of S1 and, while the ending was predictable, we still finished out the initial storyarc(s) feeling pleased and stoked to see where the show was going.
Also, as I've mentioned before, my appreciation is vast for Bryan Fuller projects. Color me unsurprised to discover Bryan Fuller was initially involved with Heroes!
Of course, then S2 happened; instead of building on the awesome of S1, they rehashed the origin storylines. Sometimes even the same origins, going back over ground already covered on S1 characters. There was a wider representation of ethnicity, but they continued to do it poorly. The cohesion of the show began splintering, with plot holes as dense as black holes and storylines randomly abandoned. In S3, it got even worse: instead of drawing on the strengths of comic book superhero origins, the television series seemed doomed instead to act out the worst aspects of comicdom in garish colors and excruciating detail.
We gave up when Sylar relapsed, after the first half of S3. Right before they decided to do the whole political terrorism/registration act storyline. We were irrevocably disappointed: we don't really give up on television shows that easily.
Quixote was so badly burned out on it that he had negative interest in checking in on the series periodically to see where it went. I would occasionally visit the Wikipedia articles and scan through the recent plot developments. My choice to drop the show was constantly vindicated as the storylines continued to spiral into ridiculous chaos.
Honestly, I'm happy it's finally been cancelled. It should have been put out of its misery some time ago, and has become one of those media franchises where I only admit to it having one season.2
1. Admittedly a poor stab, but still a stab? This is something that needed major work, especially their representation.
2. Much as there is, essentially, only one Highlander film.
30 Days of TV
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite 'ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death
Several years ago, I kept hearing all this buzz about a new show called Heroes. "It's awesome!" exclaimed friends and coworkers alike. "It's superheroes done right on TV!" they added, with gleeful exuberance. Well, I like superheroes. And I like television, in case you had somehow missed that over the past couple weeks. Plus, I admit I was intrigued by their whole "Save the cheerleader, save the world" campaign. "How Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" I thought. As you've also probably noticed, I also love Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a great love. I wasn't interested in a clone, but I was intrigued to see if they could do a similar idea differently.
Quixote and I tuned in somewhere half-way through the season; we caught up, of course, first. And we were enthralled: time travel! Geeky Japanese guy as comic relief becomes slightly dark-edged bad-ass! Creepy serial killer who can steal powers! Sweet guy of faith who can absorb powers without that annoying Rogue-like life-sucking thing! Flying characters! Mindreaders! Pseudo-scientific explanations! Split personalities where the main personality doesn't have a superpower! A healer who's a bastard! Generational conspiracies! A stab at multiethnic representation!1
Heroes really felt like something as sprawling and epic as X-Men done in an intelligent manner on television. We really enjoyed the hell out of S1 and, while the ending was predictable, we still finished out the initial storyarc(s) feeling pleased and stoked to see where the show was going.
Also, as I've mentioned before, my appreciation is vast for Bryan Fuller projects. Color me unsurprised to discover Bryan Fuller was initially involved with Heroes!
Of course, then S2 happened; instead of building on the awesome of S1, they rehashed the origin storylines. Sometimes even the same origins, going back over ground already covered on S1 characters. There was a wider representation of ethnicity, but they continued to do it poorly. The cohesion of the show began splintering, with plot holes as dense as black holes and storylines randomly abandoned. In S3, it got even worse: instead of drawing on the strengths of comic book superhero origins, the television series seemed doomed instead to act out the worst aspects of comicdom in garish colors and excruciating detail.
We gave up when Sylar relapsed, after the first half of S3. Right before they decided to do the whole political terrorism/registration act storyline. We were irrevocably disappointed: we don't really give up on television shows that easily.
Quixote was so badly burned out on it that he had negative interest in checking in on the series periodically to see where it went. I would occasionally visit the Wikipedia articles and scan through the recent plot developments. My choice to drop the show was constantly vindicated as the storylines continued to spiral into ridiculous chaos.
Honestly, I'm happy it's finally been cancelled. It should have been put out of its misery some time ago, and has become one of those media franchises where I only admit to it having one season.2
1. Admittedly a poor stab, but still a stab? This is something that needed major work, especially their representation.
2. Much as there is, essentially, only one Highlander film.
30 Days of TV
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite 'ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death
no subject
Date: 2010-06-18 12:38 am (UTC)