Musings On Season 2

I came across a promo pic for what was then the upcoming 2nd season. Anyone who follows the show knows that originally the creators of the show meant to have new heroes every season (instead of the focus on the same cast from season 1).

Labelled as a "first look at the five new kids on the block" you can really see the direction the show wanted to go in. I mean, just look at these people - good looking, toned, oozing sex appeal. Just as NBC's "Friday Night Lights" turned into "Friday Night 90210" as they abandoned the focus on high school football life in a small Texas town to good looking young people and their sexy lives and, oh yeah, who happen to play football - if I were a betting man I could see Heroes trying to take on more of that also. Can't you picture a Heroes producer at the photoshoot just barking orders..."Maya, arch your back some more, curves equals ratings and we really need your breasts to be heeving." and "Alejandro - why don't you take your shirt off? We're trying to steal some of the female demographic from 'Dancing With The Stars' and 'One Tree Hill'."

Interesting that of all the characters from this photoshoot, only Elle remains. And considering she just walked through the door of Pinehurst to have her powers removed one can only think how much longer Kristen Bell's contract is gonna last. You can still see the tire tracks on the floor where the writers screeched to a halt, putting the brakes on several of these bad storylines from season 2. A famous Heroes article admitted their mistake in some of these characters - namely the Maya/Alejandro plot (whose whole "one needs the other to keep their powers under control" seems rather familiar to the comic book "Cloak and Dagger"). Monica - Micah's cousin with the copycat ability - never was really dealt with at all, they just swept her under a rug and quite frankly we've all been happy to forget her. Not even a death or having her powers removed. The only other time this has happened - in recent times - was in the ABC show "Family Matters" when the writers decided it wasn't worth writing off Judy Winslow (the youngest child) since they didn't think viewers would notice her gone. I'm sure the show reserves the right to bring her back in future episodes whenever they deem convenient but judging from the tiny appearance by Micah at his mom's wake I don't think the show is gonna go there too often.

Funny thing about Alejandro - going back to my post on the useless powers of the characters from The Company, how awkward would conversations be for Alejandro at a get together with legendary heroes from comic books? Like I could totally see this happening:

Superman: "I have superhuman strength, the ability to fly and have no earthly weakness that can threaten me."

Wolverine: "I have a mutated ability to heal myself and have an unbreakable skeletal frame, and let's not forget these nifty claws that can cut through steel."

Superman: "You there - Latino - what can you do?"

Alejandro: "I have the ability to calm my sister down so that she can control her power."

Superman/Wolverine: HAHAHAHAHA

Wolverine: "LOL, even powerless Batman has a fucking utility belt".