NBC Photo: Paul Drinkwater
Finally caught up with this week’s Heroes, which was easily the best of the year. Of course, I might just be saying that because it was essentially an episode of Lost (one present-day story, built around a flashback).
But we don’t want to go down that road again, do we? Taken on its own terms, the episode was tight, thrilling and moving. I’m not sure if the writing was simply better in this episode, or if the one-plot focus gave the story more room to breathe. (All the whiplashing around in the ordinary episodes may make the dialogue more flat and workmanlike.) The showdown between Horn-Rimmed Glasses and Radioactive Man, mediated by Matt, was taut and gave a deserved showcase to the underrated Greg Grunberg. There were little touches of sweetness too, like the young Claire helping her dad pick out his signature specs.
But the show really came into its own in the devastating last few minutes, where HRG sacrificed himself, both physically and mentally, to save Claire. (Taking a shot to the gut is standard TV heroism; volunteering to have every scrap of memory of your daughter erased to protect her is wrenching.) We had a sense for a while that HRG was a decent guy working in a gray area, but getting his backstory gave new poignancy to his earlier efforts to shelter Claire, whom it turns out he was in constant danger of losing to Hiro’s dad.
I hope this is a sign of things to come. The show could use more episodes that focus more tightly on a few characters rather than stretching to fit 95% of them in. Heroes has a smart audience, and while it was understandable that it try not to be too inscrutable–so as not to scare away new viewers–now that it’s established, it wouldn’t hurt it to give them credit for a little more intelligence. For instance, it can safely assume that they’ll still remember and care about characters even if they don’t hear from them for a few weeks. (This may be a nitpick, but the flashbacks in this week’s episode were a perfect example of assuming the audience needs training wheels: It’s a flashback because it’s in black and white! And it says “15 Years Ago”! Please don’t get confused and mad at us!) In short, the show would be that much better if it were a teensy bit more like…
Ah, but you knew I’d have to go there again after all. I just can’t help myself.