Did anyone else pick up this box set.. just watched some of the extras. It's awesome because they show the alternate ending to the last episode of 211. It totally would have changed the entire series if the writers strike didn't happen. In the alternate ending (original) Peter doesn't stop the virus and it does break and spread. Peter, Nathan and Matt close off the city of Odessa to try and contain the virus. Instead of being shot.. during a news conference about the virus he collapse from the virus. Then there is another extra where the three heads of Heroes sit around and talk about what they planned for the rest of Generations Volume. Maya actually had a huge part and was going to be the hero and absorb the virus and save the world. The also have footage that they shot from episodes 211, 212 and 213 and show it.
This stuff is awesome... and it would have been cool to see where to story would have gone. Oh well it will never be but it's great that they actually have it on the DVD.
If you haven't gotten the DVD of Season Two of Heroes.. it's a must for all the extra cool stuff.
I was going to make a crack about it being a pretty small box to put the set in but reading Kenny's post, it looks like an interesting deal with all the extra bits in.
Here's a Review on Season Two box set from TVshowonDVD.com
I like that they list all the extras.. and there are alot on this one..
Heroes - Season 2 Review
Rating
Video: 8/10
Audio: 9/10
Extras: 7/10
by Gord Lacey (All reviews) 8/25/2008
Rejoin the epic and suspenseful phenomenon as Heroes: Season 2 arrives on DVD! Experience all the new and exciting twists of the astonishing series in this 4-disc set that includes every gripping Season 2 episode. Plus, see what could have been with the exclusive bonus features that reveal the untold stories that never aired and an alternate ending to the season finale.
I was a huge fan of Heroes from day 1... or rather before day 1 when I saw the pilot at Comic Con. It was a show with huge potential, and I was very pleased when the first season tore up the ratings on NBC. I watched every episode of the second season on TV, so this DVD set is a refresher for me.
Disc 1 (2:19:12)
Four Months Later (52:33)
Lizards (43:17)
Kindred (43:22)
Disc 2 (2:08:37)
The Kindness of Strangers (43:15)
Fight or Flight (43:19)
The Line (42:03)
Disc 3 (2:08:41)
Out of Time (43:20)
Four Months Ago... (42:33)
Cautionary Tales (42:48)
Disc 4 (1:24:45)
Truth & Consequences (41:26)
Powerless (43:19)
Video
I was a bit spoiled when I watched Heroes because I saw it in HD. Unfortunately the DVD set doesn't stack up to the HD broadcast, which isn't much of a surprise. I found the DVDs slightly dark, and the colors weren't as vibrant as the HD broadcast. The picture quality is good though; I didn't notice any major defects in the picture. Each disc contains a play all, and there's a chapter after the very short show opening, but there isn't a chapter after the "previously on..." segment that opens the episode.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio for Heroes is very good; I loved the deep bass, and the directional effects which were used to suck me into the series. I don't really have any complaints when it comes to the audio; the dialog is easy to understand, the sound effects are great, and the music is awesome. There are subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Extras - How we rate extras
Commentary Tracks
These commentary tracks originally appeared on the NBC.com website.
Four Months Later - Tim Kring (Creator/Executive Producer), Jeph Loeb (Co-Executive Producer) and Jack Coleman
Lizards - Allan Arkush (Executive Producer), Greg Grunberg and Michael Green (Co-Executive Producer)
Kindred - Paul Edwards (Director), J.J. Philbin (Co-Executive Producer) and Zachary Quinto
The Kindness of Strangers - Tim Kring, Dana Davis and Adrian Pasdar
Fight or Flight - Greg Grunberg and Greg Beeman (Executive Producer)
The Line - Adam Armus (Co-Executive Producer), Kay Foster (Co-Executive Producer) and Jack Coleman
Out of Time - Daniel Attias (Director) and Masi Oka
Four Months Ago... - Milo Ventimiglia and Greg Beeman
Cautionary Tales - Greg Yaitanes (Director), Kristen Bell and Ashley Crow
Truth & Consequences - Adam Kane (Director) and Stephen Tobolowsky
Powerless - Allan Arkush, Lisa Coleman (Composer) and Wendy Melvoin (Composer)
Deleted Scenes ()
Four Months Later (4:35) 2 scenes Fight or Flight (6:46) 5 scenes
The Line (5:06) 3 scenes
Out of Time (2:42) 2 scenes
Four Months Ago... (3:43) 3 scenes
Cautionary Tales (1:26) 2 scenes
Heroes Season 2 "A New Beginning" (14:40)
The cast and crew talk about the new direction of season 2, and where their characters stand.
Takezo Kensei: Sword Saint (23:48)
This 6-part documentary, narrated by John Rhys-Davies, examines the legend of Takezo Kensei.
The Drucker Files (8:32) A few shows media reports on Richard Drucker. Who is this mystery man? Watch the video.
Genetics of a Scene (23:14)
Allan Arkush and Greg Beeman dissect some of the scenes in the season 2 episodes.
Season 3 Sneak Peek (8:37)
A short look at the third season of the show featuring interviews with the cast.
Generations Alternate Ending (11:59)
Cool, it's an alternate ending to the second season.
Inside the Alternate Ending of Generations (10:57)
Tim Kring, Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander talk about the alternate ending, and where they were going for the next episodes. Very, very interesting piece.
Untold Stories (12:13)
These are segments that were filmed for episodes 12 and 13 but not used due to there not being episodes 12 and 13.
NBC.com Featurettes (3:47)
Some short featurettes that appeared on NBC.com.
Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art (2:02)
Shots of artwork Tim Sale created for the show.
Previews (6:42)
Previews of some other Universal releases.
Summary
I'll admit to being a bit disappointed by the second season of Heroes. Season 1 was about discovering new characters, and their powers, and there was a sense of mystery and awe in almost every episode. Season 2 seemed fragmented, with various characters off doing their own thing, and various plots that didn't really seem to come together. Some of the new characters were less than thrilling. Who knows what would have happened if the writers hadn't gone on strike; maybe the season would have turned out amazing.
The DVD set, like the first one, is a very solid release, mostly due to the repurposing of materials from NBC.com. I don't visit the websites of shows, so I appreciate having the material included on the DVD, even if could be seen elsewhere (though most of it can't be accessed on NBC.com by people outside of the US). The best piece is "Inside the Alternate Ending of Generations" where the producers explain where they would have gone in the second half of the season had the strike not happened. It's amazing how one action can play such a pivotal role in the direction of a show, and it reminds me of the changes they made from the original pilot to the version that aired on TV.
It may not have been the greatest season, but there are lots of reasons to pick up the second season on DVD.