I didn't watch lost, but I watched every episode of Heroes. I really enjoyed the first season 1 and the episode Family man was one of the best of the show. I continued watching it mostly because I talked about on forums with a community and was something we all did every week.(On the city of heroes forums when the game still existed.) The Show suffered from several problems.
- One it was meant only have the characters for each season stick around for one season then drop down to supporting afterwards.NBC execs then went and said No , you re going keep the same guys since you did so well after Volume 1. So Volume2 they half ass their intentions and the writer strike happens.It forced the show to keep retreading the same ground all too often.
- Let's show a door syndrome. This show would build up stuff, and almost never had any decent pay offs. I get they didn't want to make the show about action, but given the source material and the logical conclusion scuffles would happen. Due to the network TV budget, we were in for some majot let downs when it came to throwdowns.(the first transformers movie suffer from LSAD syndrome , as every time two robots would fight, they d show what sam or humans were doing instead or tranformers in vehicle mode since it's cheaper to show that.) Sylar the big bad of Season 1, Peter tackles him off a set of stairs. He get's hit by a chalk board by Molhinder. Future versions of Sylar and Peter go to fight, well we just see a door flashing instead since it's cheaper to imply a fight than show it. They unfornately did it again in chapter 4 when nathan and Peter battle Sylar together. This show needed a bigger budget.
- Characters were stuck in limbo. Some characters Like Peter and Hiro were main to protaganists of the show usually, and usually the main characters trying to do good. Probelm was both became entirely too powerful too quickly by end of the first season. So in order make things interesting the two regularly got written out of the story so all bad things could happen they either of them could solve in 5 secs or when they were around they suffered plot induced stupidity. They were both nerfed by the 3rd chapter since they were basically walking plot devices by then.(big bad of season 3 steals both Hiros and Peters powers.) Amazingly Peter goes from being one of the dumbest characters on the show to one of the most clever immediately after he gets nerfed. Both settle in a bit after this point as they operate at much easier to write levels(Peter can only absorb one power at a time, and Hiro uses his powers sparingly or it will kill him.), but the damage had been done already.
The inability to commit to the characters growth seemed to riddle the entire cast for most part. only handful of times did we see character grow and it stuck in a meaningful way. Hiro and Parkman are ones of the I say actually changed over the course of the show. Molhinder never could do anything right.Claire and Her dad keep playing the we love each and suddenly can't trust each other game for all 5 chapters. Nathan can't see to decide if he wants to be a hero or a sellout. Sylar can't decide what he wants to do ...ever. Season 3 had several ideas that could have worked and been cool directions. I don't care which one you went with just pick one and stick with it for a bit.
- Bunch of characters just suddenly died or disappeared. DL was killed off camera in season 2.They might as well had him die from the injuries of season 1's finale instead of drawing it out in flashbacks and having him die a pointless death. Monica had cool powers like the taskmaster...she was just gone. Maya and her brother were entirely pointless as neither ever did anything worth adding them to the mix. Plenty of characters just got wacked out of nowhere. if you don't care about your characters then why should the audience?
I could probably go on, but under all BS were some really awesome moments that made you see the potential the show had to be great that never was fully realized. Showed us some that stirred emotions or imagination. Hiro and Charlie's story was one of my favorite parts of the show, partly because I was going thru a simliar experience of a love story that just wasn't meant to be no matter how perfect it could have been. I wished I could have gone back and time back time, try again get it right. Hiro couldn't I couldn't either. We had to be stronger and accept things as they were. It was bitter sweet, but like Hiro I wish for my dream girl to found happiness too without me. Also the court room episode Hiro has in his head is full of soo much win. I definitely don't regret watching it even if it never hit the notes it should have been. Sometimes we have watch someone play icarus to know how to really fly.
