Heroes Volume Four "Fugitives" (Spoilers)

[Geekyfanboy]

Source:  Entertainment Weekly
December 11th, 2008

There are some big changes in store for Heroes in the near future, including one pivotal new character. According to Entertainment Weekly, John Glover has been cast as Sylar's father in Heroes.

Glover, who has villain-dad experience from playing Lex Luthor's father in Smallville, is said to appear towards the end of the series' next volume, which is entitled "Fugitives."

"When Sylar meets his father, he's going to see a path ahead of him that he doesn't want to take," reveals a Heroes insider. "He has a lot more in common with his father than he realized."

Entertainment Weekly also caught up with Bryan Fuller, who is returning to the series after his creation Pushing Daisies was cancelled. Fuller was a consulting producer and writer in the show's phenomenally-successful first season, and he will be re-joining the series in Episode 19 of this season. Here's some of what Fuller had to say about the new "Fugitives" volume, which will debut on February 2.

It really is a fresh start. All of the characters are back in their real lives. You see Peter as a paramedic. Claire is looking for colleges. We get away from the world of formulas and quasi-magic.

Yes. Episodes 14, 15 and 16 are amazing. The whole "Fugitives" arc starts out very strongly, and then it gets a little dense in the middle in terms of the mythology. So I came in right at the point where everybody was realizing, "Oh, we're getting too dense here and we need to put faces on stories because there is no face to a formula; there is no face to saving the world." So it's turning this big ship back into a character stream, and everyone on the writing staff shares that desire. We need to get back into a character place, because that's where this story started: Very clean, superhero metaphors to everyday life. That's the path that we're taking. But it is a big ship so it's going to take a little while to turn it.

[Geekyfanboy]

"Heroes" Gets a Reboot
January 16, 2009 by Michael Hickerson   || Category: TV

If you've been driven away by the past season and a half of "Heroes," creator Tim Kring wants you to come back when the show comes back later this year.  Kring recently told TV Guide that the next installment of NBC's series "Fugitives" will serve as a reboot for the struggling series and it designed to win back fans who turned away and to draw in new fans.

"This volume starts us pretty much from scratch," Kring said. "There is almost nothing that the audience needs to know from the previous volume in order to follow the storyline."

The series, once a hit for NBC, has struggled creatively and in the ratings the past season and a half. It has struggled so much that NBC didn't give the series an early renewal vote of confidence earlier this week. Several other shows including "30 Rock" and "The Office" were awarded new seasons.

Angela Bromstad, NBC's president of primetime entertainment, said Thursday that the show was "very secure."

Bromstad said she's talked with Kring about whether the show has strayed too far from it's original focus: ordinary people dealing with extraordinary powers.

"They may have taken on too much in terms of characters and multiple storylines," she said.

http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2009/01/16/heroes-gets-a-reboot/

[Dangelus]

Let's hope they can pull it out the bag. I really enjoyed last season so I don't understand why it lost so many viewers. Did they change the broadcast time slot or day over there?

[Geekyfanboy]

Let's hope they can pull it out the bag. I really enjoyed last season so I don't understand why it lost so many viewers. Did they change the broadcast time slot or day over there?

I'm with you Dan.. I've enjoyed every episode of Heroes..it's hasn't changed time slots or day, so I can't explain it.. but maybe someone who hasn't liked it as much the past few years can explain why it's lost viewers.

[Rico]

I'm still of the opinion that "Heroes" is really not a mainstream TV series.  The first season for some reason captured a lot of viewers.  But now over the next couple of years it's settled into having the audience that really enjoys this type of show.  People like us.  So due to the viewer fall out they keep thinking the show is broken.  Frankly, I think it's still pretty interesting and solid.  I've pretty much enjoyed it - even last season.  A few things I'm not super happy with, but overall it's a great deal of fun to watch and talk about.  I just hope they don't change it into something the loyal, core audience won't like.

[Dangelus]

I'm still of the opinion that "Heroes" is really not a mainstream TV series.  The first season for some reason captured a lot of viewers.  But now over the next couple of years it's settled into having the audience that really enjoys this type of show.  People like us.  So due to the viewer fall out they keep thinking the show is broken.  Frankly, I think it's still pretty interesting and solid.  I've pretty much enjoyed it - even last season.  A few things I'm not super happy with, but overall it's a great deal of fun to watch and talk about.  I just hope they don't change it into something the loyal, core audience won't like.

Good point. I remember back before 'Heroes' started and it was always being compared to 'Lost'. Perhaps that had an influence on the first season viewing audience?

[Feathers]

Hmmm, I haven't had a problem with it either...except following it occasionally but that's been due to distractions at home and not the broadcast story.

Reboot could be bad. I hope they don't damage it too much.

[Geekyfanboy]

Well Heroes is back.. I liked tonights episode. Wasn't an OMG episode but I like the direction they are taking. I look forward to seeing where it goes.. but the last scene I turned to Harry and said.. oh look it's "Lost".

[X]

Okay I understand that they stripped Peter and Hiro of their powers to time travel because it's very hard on plots, but last night really annoyed me. I don't like how they changed the way some powers work. It annoys me. They wrote it like that then they want a reset?

[Rico]

I'm not liking the direction of this show much anymore.  I didn't like how Nathan went from good guy to bad guy so quickly and with very little reason in the last group of episodes.  I have no idea of the point of it all right now.  And Sylar has become about the only interesting one on the show - and he isn't even a hero.  I can't understand at all why HRG is going along with all this?  Since when does he track and hunt down heroes?  Even his own daughter??

I think the big problem for me is the show is a struggle to watch.  The writing is chaotic and inconsistent and not nearly as good as it was early on.  The structure is all over the place.  And frankly, it just isn't much fun.  I hate to say it, but the show is really turning me off in it's current state.

[Bryancd]

I gave up halfway through last nights episode to go to bed, although I recorded it and will finish it today. I was a bit lost as to why Hero and Peter had no powers and thought it was all very pedestrian and dull.

[X]

I gave up halfway through last nights episode to go to bed, although I recorded it and will finish it today. I was a bit lost as to why Hero and Peter had no powers and thought it was all very pedestrian and dull.

Hiro never recovered his powers after they were stolen and well Peter got his back but seems to have been neutered in the process.

[X]

I'm not liking the direction of this show much anymore.  I didn't like how Nathan went from good guy to bad guy so quickly and with very little reason in the last group of episodes.  I have no idea of the point of it all right now.  And Sylar has become about the only interesting one on the show - and he isn't even a hero.  I can't understand at all why HRG is going along with all this?  Since when does he track and hunt down heroes?  Even his own daughter??

I think the big problem for me is the show is a struggle to watch.  The writing is chaotic and inconsistent and not nearly as good as it was early on.  The structure is all over the place.  And frankly, it just isn't much fun.  I hate to say it, but the show is really turning me off in it's current state.

I actually find Nathan's actions totally believable. Given his track record with each season, he's never been a good guy. Saving your brother from a bomb doesn't negate that you were for nuking a city for the greater good. Nathan will do with Nathan thinks is best and there is little to sway him from his course. I'm more upset about them robbing Peter and Hiro of a huge part of themselves.

[Rico]

I guess I just maybe have never understood Nathan.  The things he seems to believe in make little sense to me.  Nuking a city?  Arresting people that he has worked along side with??  All for the greater good?  What good is that?  Again, I don't see the motivation.  Especially considering how opposed he was to his father.

As far as the powers, well they covered all that in the last story arc.  Peter has his basic power back to absorb other abilities.  It just seems he hasn't built up a group of powers again yet because he has been laying low.  Hiro is another story.  I agree, he needs to get his powers back.  At least to a degree.  He has always been one of my favorites.  And how the heck did he get from Japan to New York so quickly after they captured him? 

Anyway, as you can tell I'm pretty disappointed in the current direction of things.

[Dangelus]

Just finished watching...

hmmm not sure what they are trying to do. I suppose it is early days yet.