NBC has opted not to renew Heroes for a fifth season.
Fellow Heroes fans: it’s with enormous sadness that I write what will likely be my final entry for HeroSite’s review blog. Following on from news of the show’s cancelation, and given the obstacles standing in the way of a mid-season event when the cast and crew are already moving on to other projects, I sadly have to acknowledge that the review to the show’s fourth season finale is in all likelihood my last. I’d also like to reiterate a heartfelt thank you to the fans who’ve visited HeroSite over the years. If you’re not interested in hearing an overly sentimental goodbye, you can probably skip this.
I know many fans will share my sadness at the show’s cancelation, even if their voices are drowned out by those viewers who became disillusioned with the show over the years and who now appear to be reveling in its demise. It would be strange to say I identify with those disillusioned viewers, because nothing could be further from the truth. I loved Heroes, I loved reviewing it, I loved talking about it with the fans who were a part of this site’s community, and I can’t imagine I’ll ever look back on the show with anything other than fond memories. That said, I believe that one of the reasons this blog became increasingly popular as the show went on is because it never hesitated to offer a no-holds-barred perspective.
Our aim when we created the HeroSite blog was to provide an immersive experience that explored every nuance of the show, with reviews that identified and scrutinized every episode’s strengths and weaknesses. I’d like to think we achieved that, even at the risk of occasionally seeming overly critical or impossible to please. So, to come back to the point, I have a certain odd sympathy for the vocal portion of the fanbase who currently appear to be celebrating the show’s cancelation. It’s not that I’m glad the show is over, just as I’m sure the vast majority of those disgruntled viewers aren’t glad it’s over, even if they seem to be. For many of them, I think the truth is that Heroes was a great show which struggled to live up to the potential of its premise, and a show which often struggled to decide what it wanted to say. So, to play devil’s advocate, I’m among the many fans mourning the show which so many of us cared deeply about, and at the same time I’m sympathetic to the viewers who firmly believe the show failed to sustain its quality, and who gave up watching because they felt the show was never as good as it could have been — or, to rephrase that, never as good as it should have been.
Now, more than three months after the final episode aired, I still go back and forth on that last point. I’m one of the few fans who rate the later volumes highly. I still maintain that Volume Four was the show’s return to greatness. I still think that Volume Five was at times outstanding. And I still believe that Volume Six had the potential to be phenomenal.
Whether that would have been the case is something we’ll probably never know. I hope we’ll have a chance to find out, by way of that mid-season event or by way of a series of graphic novels. But the point I’m trying to make is that as flawed as Heroes might have been, and as justified as many disgruntled fans are for writing it off, there were moments right until the end that echoed the show’s early brilliance. As a fan who’ll miss the show enormously, I hope those disgruntled fans will someday revisit the later seasons, especially if they tuned out early on and never gave those later seasons a chance. I hope those fans will remember how extraordinary the show was. “Company Man” and “Five Years Gone” are the obvious examples of its early brilliance, but there were so many gems as the show went on that deserve to be rated alongside them: “Cautionary Tales,” which remains my personal favorite of the series; “Our Father”; “Shades of Gray”; “Cold Snap”; “Once Upon a Time in Texas”; “The Fifth Stage”; “The Art of Deception.” Heck, even “1961″ wasn’t that bad.
OK, so maybe that last one wasn’t the epic win that it should have been. But at least a lot of fans contested that point of view, and the fact that they were passionate enough to argue in the episode’s defense is a testament to their loyalty, and one of the many reasons why my review for that particular episode became my favorite.
I’m proud to have been a part of HeroSite and its review blog. On a personal and professional level, it’s been a remarkable experience. I’m proud that I had the opportunity to review Heroes from its pilot episode to its conclusion. I’m proud that I had a chance to be part of a wonderful community of like-minded fans who — for reasons beyond me — never grew tired of reading such absurdly long reviews, and who never failed to speak up when they disagreed with my opinions. For those reasons, among others, I’m sad to now be writing my final entry for this blog. I feel thankful to have met so many intelligent and caring fellow fans; thankful to have had the honor to review a show they cared about; and, perhaps more than anything else, thankful to now have the privilege of calling many of them friends.
For the time being, I bid the show a fond farewell. Goodbye, Sylar! Goodbye, Claire! Also, goodbye all those other characters…
I’m struggling to remember their names. I’m not sure why. For some reason, all I can think of when I recall this past season of Heroes is Sylar, Sylar, Sylar and Claire, Claire, Claire…
No, wait! I remember the other ones! Peter! Nathan! Angela! Noah! Sandra! Matt! Hiro! Ando! How could I forget all of you?!
Oh, and Tracy!
And even… what’s his name?
MOHINDER!
And everyone else who’s been a part of this story over the past four seasons. Niki. D.L. Micah. Isaac. Simone. Eden. Linderman. Kaito. Claude. René. Kimiko. Ted. Bob. Elle. Meredith. Charlie. Adam. Arthur. Danko. Maury. Daphne. Emma. Doyle. Samuel. Edgar. Lydia.
Even Janice.
Even Gretchen.
Even Lauren.
Even Yaeko.
Heck, even Maya.
Actually, strike those last two. Sorry, folks. I know this is goodbye, but even now I can’t bring myself to bid them a fond farewell. As nostalgic as I might be, I’m not that forgiving. Really, show. Yaeko cheated on Takezo and painted purple flags while White Beard tortured her father. Maya cried lethal tears and whined every week, and when the show finally had the decency to let Sylar shoot her — thus allowing us the vicarious experience of killing her ourselves — Mohinder had to go and bring her back with that damn Magik Mohindaire Cocktail.
And after that, there was Bug-Mohinder.
And Kid-Hiro.
And the stick of bread at the restaurant in New Delhi.
And crazy Alice, who vanished into thin air and was never heard from again.
And that episode at the slaughterhouse.
And Matt getting drunk in an attempt to erase Ghost-Sylar.
And…
Oh, Heroes. It really has been a love/hate relationship between you and your fans, hasn’t it?
With all of that said, I now bid our readership a fond farewell. I hope I’ll have the privilege of reviewing a show for you again. Rest assured that the KryptonSite network will be expanding again this fall and covering new shows in addition to its current line-up of dedicated fan sites. Regardless of which of them I’ll be contributing to, I hope fans of HeroSite will give at least a few of those new shows a shot — even the ones owned by NBC.
If anyone’s planning on not returning to the KryptonSite network now that Heroes has come to a conclusion, I’d like to take this opportunity to once again thank you for visiting HeroSite. Please be aware that the review blog will remain active — at least for the moment — and that HeroSite will be covering any developments to the show as they emerge.
It’s been a lot of fun, and the fact that HeroSite was fortunate enough to have such a loyal and passionate readership made watching and reviewing the show that much more rewarding. For now, it’s a wrap on HeroSite’s reviews of a show we loved — a show we loved to follow, a show we loved to scrutinize, and above all a show we loved to debate. See you later, Heroes.
Hey Otto,
Long time reader, first time writer. And I couldn’t have said it better myself. So I won’t even try. But it saddens me that it took this long, in particular this moment, to finally decide to write on one of the best sites I have seen when it comes to reviewing “Heroes,” with the sense of passion, yet at the same time, providing constructive criticism for the show we have all come to love or love to hate, in the last four years. The show really turned out to be “Five Years Gone.” Okay, so that was a bad joke. I’ve read and reread all of your reviews, beginning from the first season onwards, and every time is a new experience that takes me back to a time, or a moment on this show, that, despite its flaws, proved time and time again why I fell in love with the show in the first place. You balanced everything with these reviews, the good, the bad, the downright absurd, but you did it in a way that was logical. I mean, who didn’t love hearing Nathan’s little monologues from down below? Little touches like that, with the many screencaps and little nods to previous moments made these reviews unique and unlike any others I’ve seen for any show, let alone “Heroes.” It’s been a journey, one with its fair share of ups and downs, but I guess I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. The fans, those who are still left anyway, are still with you. And I’ll continue to support anything you or this site do in the future. You’ve earned my respect sir. And I know that years from now, if this site is still up and running, I’ll ponder over those reviews yet again, hoping to relive the magic that once was and it’ll bring a smile to my face, knowing that there’s someone out there, who, for four years, not only stuck it out with the show, but got it, really understood what the show was. And here’s hoping we do get that two or four hour wrap up movie, if only so we can revisit these characters again, this show again, your reviews again. Take care friend. It’s been a pleasure and I thank you for your contributions to this show.
Come on heroes fans. It wouldn’t be the first time a show was brought back from cancellation!
And if we cause enough of a stir. Maybe another network will pick the show up.
The future isn’t written in stone. VOTE!
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/heroesfans
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/help-save-heroes
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/saveheroes/
Pass this along
Thank you, Otto. It’s been a blast!
With all of that said, I now bid our readership a fond farewell. I hope I’ll have the privilege of reviewing a show for you again. Rest assured that the KryptonSite network will be expanding again this fall and covering new shows in addition to its current line-up of dedicated fan sites. Regardless of which of them I’ll be contributing to, I hope fans of HeroSite will give at least a few of those new shows a shot — even the ones owned by NBC.
I’m planning to check out The Cape and Undercovers (NBC), No Ordinary Family (ABC), Terra Nova (Fox) and Haven (Syfy) How about you? As for returning shows, I really recommend Human Target.
Dearest Otto,
I’ll keep this short and simple:
You reviews were half of the joy of being a Heroes fan, watching it every week on Monday, and reading your blog on Friday.
Every week you delivered, EVERY WEEK, even if I didn’t agree with you all the time, you recorded so many little nuances of the show, being the ultimate fan that we all strived to be.
Thank you so much for breathing such great life into a sometimes underwhelming show.
As I said before, when I look back on a work like “Heroes” that was so important to me, I can’t help but look back to you and your reviews. You always did an awesome job. You never disappointed. So don’t thank us, and certainly don’t think you were typing these reviews for no one.
We all thank you, and we’ll all miss your Heroes reviews.
-Charles
PS: One last time:
“ALLLEJJJANNNNDDDRRROOOOO!!!!!!!”
Thanks Otto, im writing from Argentina, i will miss the show and your reviews.
Hey Otto,
Never thought I’d reply to a review, mostly because honestly, you kind of say it all =] I basically just wanted to say it’s been a pleasure to read your reviews, you really make me laugh. Plus, it’s so refreshing hearing someone point out the flaws of the show, while being fair-minded enough to congratulate it on the gems as well.
Personally, as great a actor as Zach Quinto is, there came a point at around volume three — a point becoming ever more distinct around volume four — when Sylar just needed to die already so that the show could make room for a new super-villain. Maybe if the show had done that it might not have seemed quite so incoherent in volume five. I really got the feeling as I watched season four that the show didn’t actually know where it was going with the plot. It just kept leaving us hints for possible storylines, without ever going back to explain or expand them, therefore leaving us at the conclusion of the season thinking: um, alright, so how does that work? I’m kind of thinking that maybe the writers wanted the viewers to feel cheated by the season finale, if only to create enough of a fuss to draw attention to Heroes again, but maybe I’m just reading too much into it. Even so, I can’t help but think by the ‘climax’ of the last episode, at least one of he writers said “Hey, you know what will really piss them off? Instead of some epic fight between Peter and Samuel, lets have them wrestle over a mound of dirt. Come on, bear with me with this idea. Trust me, it’ll be great!”
The Magik Tattoo is probably one of the most lamentable unexplained storylines. I can’t think why they brought the tattoo back a second time if they did not plan to expand on it any more.
Still can’t believe they killed off Nathen after taking the trouble to magically bringing him back to life at least twice before. I honestly think the writers had it in for that character! They made his brother blow him up, shoot him, like, three times in the chest, only to have Sylar slit his throat. I’m sure there is some kind of logic in there somewhere, but it is well hidden.
Anyway, I am beginning to ramble, so I’ll wrap this up.
Thank you for the Heroes reviews, fingers crossed they will have some kind of special episode to wrap it up, but if not, well, maybe it’s best they just leave the show be,
Thanks again,
Lyds x
Thanks for the goodbye blog, Otto, though I hope you’ll be back to review the two hour movie event. C’mon, NBC…
Anyways, I caught up with Heroes in the end of the third volume, which was also when I started reading your reviews. I can say that they have been without a doubt a part of my week that I’ve looked forward to, and it totally sucks that is no longer possible.
Great job on the reviews, and thanks a million for a the screen shots that are now floating in the “Heroes” folder in my picture library.
I’ve been a loyal Heroes fan since the pilot episode, and although I too have been disillusioned by some less-than-stellar seasons (particularly season 2), it continues to be one of my top 5 favorite shows to watch and discuss. Intelligent television is hard to come by, and I believe that’s what Heroes wanted to be, and often accomplished. Thought-provoking and new, it never ceased to entertain, if not bewilder.
Thanks for your years of honest reviews. You were never afraid to dig into its faults, but you were always the loyal fan. I’ve truly enjoyed reading each and every one of your reviews.
Goodbye, Heroes. Time to bring out those Season 1 DVDs and enjoy from the beginning what could have continued to be great television.
Otto, I’ve always loved your reviews and re-tweeted them/linked/talked about how awesome of a writer/reviewer you are … thank you so much for doing an outstanding job regarding Heroes, my favorite show. Your writing etc. made me laugh out loud, groan, smile and chuckle …. Thank you SO MUCH!!!! Sheindie
(that’s @Sylars_Army lol )
#SArmy Member # 49
I truly hate it when so called fans say that killing Sylar would have made the show better. I loved Sylar! so to quote another sci fi show from long ago, what you say in unimportant, and I do not hear your words.
Otto,
I have not commented on your reviews in quite sometime, however I would like to thank you for your tireless efforts in providing great, albeit very long, reviews
I always enjoyed reading them as a like-minded viewer who constantly made me think “YES! EXACTLY!”
With all the plot holes and space/time continuum issues, it was still an enjoyable ride. I, too, had high hopes for the next volume.
Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Regards,
Eric
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again…
The core fanbase for this show? Lovely people. Same with the cast and crew. It led me here, to great discussions about the show not steeped in positivity or negativity but in enlightened discussion between respectful people.
Farewell Otto.
I’ll just miss the good read, and good laughs.
Overall, you summed it up for me. Heroes was a unique show, that struggled to live up to his past glory, which ultimately cause its desmise even if it never was AS bad as everyone kept saying.
Also unique in its way to conciliate brillance and downright dumbness within a few minutes, but I’ll just keep in memory the good moments (and pretend the worst didn’t happen).
I always thought a series of mini-events or a really shortened season would have been the best for next year, both rating and storytelling wise, but due to obvious reasons, we all know it ain’t gonna happen. Otherwise, I doubt that a 2 hour movie will do it, neither for answering the trillion questions they left unanswered, or just to tell another story.
A little nod for everything you said, for Cautionary Tales which also remain my favourite of the whole course of the show and for last season, that ranked from good to outstanding, but unfortunately crashed (to me) in the finale, even though the potential to tell another story was here.
Farewell, unless we meet again.
“I truly hate it when so called fans say that killing Sylar would have made the show better. I loved Sylar! so to quote another sci fi show from long ago, what you say in unimportant, and I do not hear your words.”
Now wait a second, I did not say he wasn’t a good character. As narcissistic, psycopathic characters go he was about as interesting as it gets. All I said was it felt like he had out-stayed his welcome, which is fair enough really. I mean, he didn’t seem to have much of a role in the fourth series besides irritating Matt and threatening to kill people if he did not get his way. And kissing Claire, which I think we all could have done without seeing.
Never say someone’s opinion is unimportant on a blog; when it’s a review, all you’re going to get are opinions.
And some opinions are more likeable than others. I prefer to ignore the Sylar haters is all. Have your say. I’ve had mine.
HI, OTTO, YOU ROCK!!
WELL, ALL I SHOULD SAY IS… THANK YOU, REALLY, IT´S BEEN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, BEING A PART OF THIS SHOW AND BLOG, IT´S SOMETHING I´LL NEVER FORGET IN A LONG TIME. WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE PROJECTS. YOU´VE BEEN A EXCELLENT REVIEWER AND CRITIC. MY THURSDAYS (WHEN I WATCHED ONE EPISODE ONLINE) AND FRIDAYS (WHEN I READ YOUR REVIEW) WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.
THAT SAID, GOOD RIDDANCE TO THIS SERIES. I DONT´WANT SUCH A GOOD SHOW TO GO OUT LIKE THIS. DON´T THINK WE´LL GET A WRAP-UP, WITH EVERYONE ELSE GOING TO DO OTHER THINGS, SO SORRY FOR NOT BEING OPTIMISTIC. WHAT IS REALLY SAD FOR ME IS THAT PRETTY MUCH THE SHOW´S UNDERDOG CHARACTERS (TRACY (hanging out with the bennets, but the graphic novel stuff was pretty good, i´ll give them that), MOHINDER (that whole thing with Mira being kidnapped by… some unknown evil doctor in the graphic novels just didn´t did enough justice to his fans) , MATT (hanging out with SYLAR and a bit with the Petrellis), ESPECIALLY MATT) DIDN´T GOT A PROPER CONCLUSION.
SO YEAH, SEE YOU AROUND. OTTO.
Hello Otto,
thank you for the hard work you´ve done over the years. I´m writing from Germany, so we still have the last season
to come, but the news are sad. NBC has made some weird decision´s the last months. But nevermind. Bye Bye!
But…..
WHAT WAS KAITO’S ABILITY?/capslock
Otto, I think I made the first ever comment (or close to it–did Raissa beat me?) on one of your reviews, so I have to comment here. Reading your reviews was one of the highlights of my week–always. Even when I gave up on things like the weekly GNs, I always read your reviews.
I think the two-hour event will happen. So much publicity has been buzzing about it in the past days that I think it almost has to–perhaps even a four-hour event (though hopefully not three years later) a la “Farscape.”
I do have to say a couple of things–first, no “Caitlin!” in your long list up there? Dear God, Kring really DID erase her from existence if she didn’t make that list! And second, yes, I 100% absolutely believe that the insistence on keeping Sylar around is what ultimately doomed the show. That and the strike. The strike was a definite factor that nobody is mentioning.
And finally, there’s the elephant in the room–Hayden’s new implants. How on earth could we have taken Claire seriously after that? That should have been an omen right there! :-p
Cheers, Otto, and I hope to communicate with you via email in the future.
First and foremost, I want to say thanks, Otto. Your reviews were part of the show’s experience for me and they were always insightful and intelligently written. You would usually shed light on a perspective I had not considered and that made the series more rewarding for me, as well as a lot of readers. I only regret seeing your reviews so late in the series.
As for the show’s cancelation, I was surprised and I wasn’t. I knew it was the end, but I thought there would be a concluding season. Now there’s no guarantee of even a follow up film. I guess NBC had enough.
We know there were problems with the show. What we didn’t realize was how much went wrong. I’ve been to a lot of websites all talking about Heroes but they all list different issues with the show. There’s no one list; it’s all over the spectrum. The show had just gotten that bad.
When it all boils down to it, I would say the root of the problem was a lack of consistency. After the first season, nothing was the same. Characters did whatever they wanted, abilities were abused, people disappeared and so did their common sense. And when something would go well, everything else would go wrong. There were times when the action was outstanding, but the plot was abysmal. Or the plot was interesting, but the characters weren’t. Or the special effects were on point, but the story went made no sense. And so it went. Add the throwaway attitude that was taken towards the cast and the dwindling viewers and you had a recipe for disaster. It’s remarkable how a show with critical acclaim went so wrong, so fast.
But don’t think the ultimate demise of Heroes was due the writer’s strike. It started the spiral, but it didn’t ruin the show. Most of the shows on primetime TV were hit by the strike and just about all of them bounced back.
At any rate, I’ll enjoy the show in memory. I truly hope we get a (decent) finale, but if not, then we’ll just have to accept the craptastic Brave New World as the end. Ugh.
But again, I’ve truly enjoyed your reviews. I’m glad I was able to partake in the discussions and I hope that I can read your reviews in the future.
Take care, Otto!
Nooooooooooooooooooo!!! Now I really don’t have any escape from life, how sad. I shall miss the moments when I got to sharpen my argumentative claws over this show. I contest that killing Sylar wouldn’t have saved the show because there are numerous other reasons why the show started to decline towards the middle. To be honest I though V4 and V5 were great, compared to (yick!) V3. It was the worst. I just though that Sylar wasn’t always handled the best, as were some of the other characters. When different writers deal with this many characters it causes conflicting views of who the characters really are. Take a literature class, the same thing happens when debating the themes of books. Its a mess. (There is nothing like fighting with a guy who has a PhD in Hemingway.) In retrospect, I can stomach Heroes on a bad day. Most of the other stuff on TV I can’t stomach on a good day. It bores me to tears. Now I have nothing to rot my brain on except re-runs. I think I cried…
Otto, I will miss this blog. It made my week. I loved arguing with you over Sylar. It was fun. I’m glad that I put a different perspective on him for you. I will miss your hate and love relationship, one that I shared deeply being overcritical on everything written or filmed. I miss your comments to your screen shots and your “ALIJANDRO! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” (they should have left her dead). I miss the absolutely nuts, don’t-make-any-sense moments that only Heroes could (almost) get away with. (Have you seen a guy literally go nuclear on 24? I don’t think so.) I miss Sylar’s snark and Peter’s utter selflessness. I miss the Dumb As Peter Awards. It was a truly great show that I hope continues in comic books, or graphic novels. I’ll buy it every month if it does just to show my support. I’m a geek, and this is the first think that I went slightly obsessed over since I saw the promo for it in the movie theater.
I’m rambling, and I should stop before I realize just how depressed I am. I’ve lost my Heroes and now I think there is a miniscule void in my life. I guess I should get back to writing that book I started 6 years ago.
You suck NBC.
Hey, although we will all miss Otto, his reviews and most of all, Heroes, I would like to point out I am the biggest Sylar fanatic and if anyone ever wants to discuss anything Sylar or hec, everything Heroes I’m open and you can reach me at mem369@live.com!!
Great “review” Otto.
People are mad at NBC right now, but I don’t see why. It’s no one’s fault but the Writers’. I mean, really, following up something as genius as season 1 with that Virus storyline? Really? If thay had kept going with what worked, viewership wouldn’t have fallen, and NBC would’ve had no reason to cancel the show. It’s their fault and they seem to be getting pity instead of the blame they deserve.
Goodbye, Otto. I’m feeling so sentimental right now that I can almost forgive your being hard on 1961. (Almost.) Good luck with whatever you do next, but just promise me that whether you’re reviewing The Gates or The Cape or The Event of The Whatever, keep the *PING* Dumb As awards. They work for you.
Goodbye, Heroes.
You suck Writers.
Goodbye
Heroes was a saga of pure genius. Nothing was wrong with it. Only thing that could have been fixed were strylines that were started and never finished. Examples of this are V2’s camera that was watching Nathan, peter and Matt talking inside the vault in “Powerless”, V4’s backstory on Danko that Angela described in “Shades of Gray” and the Alice stroyline in “1961″, which by the way would have been a terrible episode if it weren’t for the fact that it explained a lot fo where the company came from, and V5’s and the Nathan’s girlfriend with Millie thing after her trying to kill Sylathan in “Acceptance”. Summed up, what I mean is that Heroes could have used some closure for these stroylines. Anyway, I’m a Sylar fan so my favorite episode was obviously “I Am Sylar” because it captured the esence of his humanity under the tough psycopathic exterior of his majestic self. Sylar will forever be my reason for watching Heroes and I can’t imagine any of it’s 5 volumes without him. I found this page and Otto’s reviews shortly into Volume 5 but I read almost every one of them. I will miss the laughs I had with the DAAs and the disagreements I had with Otto, but I will always remember what Otto told me, discussion is what it’s all about. When Heroes was recommended to me by a family member and i saw it for the first time I knew I would love it. Now that it’s gone I feel like I’ve lost the door to a world where I was happy and I could lose myself and have not a care in the world but… maybe that’s why the finale was titled “Brave New World”. Maybe because the viewers of the show are faced with a new world we have to endure now that the world we felt most comfortable in is gone. If anyone ever wants to discuss Heroes and/or Sylar, message me at mem369@lve.com, you will be missed Otto, almost as much as Heroes will be missed. Thanks for all the amazing reviews and hopefully wherever you review next you’ll be just (if not more) successful as you were here in HeroSite. Take Care and never forget, this is for everyone… Sylar is watching and he knows if you’re lying!!
Otto, it’s so hard to say goodbye, and you have summarized my thoughts in this sad moment. I had a love-hate relationship with Heroes, but it was so brilliant in the good moments that I forget the mistakes, and I have really loved to be part of all this. And your reviews, priceless! even when you and I had different points of views! we were, like the rest, the great fanbase of Heroes, which had a wonderful cast and crew! I wish they could come back, but we all know the truth.
Take care Otto! Have great moments!!!
The end is nigh, alas. I only found HeroSite early in the last season, but it was a pleasure to be here. I loved reading your reviews, Otto. It was a spectacular way to relive each episode. The reviews always highlighted lots of little things that I completely missed each week. All of your effort was greatly appreciated and you’ll be missed almost as much as the show itself.
I agree that the last two chapters with Danko and Samuel were an upward turn for the show, but even so they still had their horrific moments. Particularly the season finales, but that was a problem throughout the show’s whole life. The Show was comprised of several spectacular moments, but the Show wasn’t able to bind these elements together as it did in Season 1. The whole was not greater than the sum of it’s parts, alas.
What will I miss the most? The characters and the actors that portrayed them. This Show had some truly amazing actors that brought real life and depth to these characters. Peter, Nathan, Noah, Claire, Sylar and on and on. The greatest moments of Heroes are summed up in it’s characters and their interactions, not in the super powers. The powers were awesome, but it was the characters and their actors (and the directors) that breathed real life into the show and were the true power behind the epic. Because of this, I would discourage a graphic novel follow-up. The graphic novels simply cannot capture the power that these people brought to the Heroes universe.
To the Heroes clan (who will likely never read this), thank you. I loved being a part of this saga, even when it was terrible. Thank you for all your hard work and the countless hours you poured into this show. It was worth it to me.
And to Otto, thank you again. Your reviews were a delight to read and enhance my enjoyment of the Show. Best of luck in whatever you do next!
To all the rest of you, thanks for being a fan of Heroes. It’s been a great trip.
Hey Otto,
Just wanted to throw out my own thanks! Like others said a big part of my Heroes experience was coming here after the episodes and reading your reviews. Best of luck in your future reviews and here’s to hoping for a 2-hour finale review!!
Otto–
I have always refrained from chiming in while still associated with the show, but I too wanted to thank you for your very detailed and perceptive analyses of the episodes. I often agreed with you, and applauded your ability to see the things we were trying to do visually. I constantly was appreciative that our intentions in lighting and composition were noticed and appreciated, even when they might have fallen short. The same goes for the readers of your column. I have worked in film and television for much longer at this point than I care to acknowledge, and I have to say I have never, and never will again, work on a project like Heroes. I was super-fortunate to have been involved since the very beginning and to have been able to officially become a Director-of-Photography and Director on this show. We were able to challenge a lot of the conventions of traditional television and all went into the series with the understanding that our audience, in fact, the contemporary television audience, is used to watching DVDs, movies designed for the big screen, on television, with that cinematic language. We always approached the show visually, in camera and production design, as if we were filming for Grauman’s Chinese Theater and not some 20″ TV box still watched by some grandmother in some small town. The promise of the show in the first year was difficult to sustain, but, I think, as you mentioned in your farewell, as people revisit the series on DVD, without commercials, without week-long breaks, they will come to re-appreciate the work that went into the series and how groundbreaking it truly was. It will, I believe, also be seen as the first show of the new television age, as Tim mentioned in his own farewell. If only the “business” of television was able to adapt as easily as the viewers of the show.
Thanks again to you and all the loyal viewers around the world for their support - and criticism. No one knew the show better than all of you.
All the best,
Nate
Oh Otto, I will so miss your wonderful, insightful and entertaining reviews. Thank you for all of the hard work you put into each one.
The production quality was always one of the best things about Heroes. And Otto, you never failed to point out some tiny little detail that enriched the experience. How you ever noticed some of them without watching each episode scene by scene, I’ll never know. Although, it’s really a testament to the talent and dedication of the amazing crew.
At this point, I’m not ready to find a new … obsession is probably the best way to put it. After the roller-coaster ride that was Heroes and the unbelievable/amazing finish to LOST, I’m not really needing another one … at the moment. Add to that an severe aversion to NBC, and it’s highly unlikely I’ll take on any new shows. Although, if you happen to come across a show that has the potential either Heroes or LOST had, please share it. I would welcome the opportunity to read more reviews from you, Otto.
Lastly, I’m so glad to have found this site that offered reviews and discussion that avoided fannish blind love or hate. Even the people who left comments were very respectful. It’s sad how hard it is to find, so thank you for this oasis.
It’s been quite a ride.
So, Otto, what was the final count on who is and who isn’t related to The Cheerleader? Come on, that’s worth at least one more blog post
Thank you, farewell, and keep pinging those Dumb As Awards!