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Post by The Curmudgeon on Mar 3, 2009 4:18:59 GMT 2
 Could've, should've - didn't.For the record, this induction didn't come easy. For while it's easy to banish the latest Simon Cowell spawned atrocity to the Official Room 101 of Amazon, adding Heroes was something I really did have to ponder over. Because, really, in today's climate of stagnant reality, make-over, "celebrity", dancing and singing infested television, a show that strives to capture its audience through an often baffling and layered series of story arcs, a show with a competent cast and superb effects should surely be applauded? And it's about SUPER HEROES! And there's a smoking hot blonde running around in a cheerleader outfit! How could it not be amazing? Don't ask me, but Heroes somehow managed it. In fact, Heroes is a solid golden bucket of fail. It could be great, it should be great - but all it manages to be, at best, is average. On the whole, though, it's po-faced, tedious, self important and boring. How the hell do you make a show based on super heroes BORING? Oh, I know; by making the blandest, most two dimensional characters in the history of television. Sylar aside (and that's often at a push), the best characters in this show don't even have super powers. Think about it. I'm right. Here's something to think about. When Heroes started, the word on the street was that it was "The New Lost", and that's so preposterous it's not even funny. Lost is smart, funny, touching, scary, exciting.. it's got characters and dialogue that Heroes could only dream of. Lost had every single person on the edge of their damn seats wanting to see what was DOWN A HOLE. That was it. In Heroes people die, get reborn, get blown up, go back in time, go forward in time - and it's a Herculean effort just trying to care. The difference, my friends? It's all in the writing. For while Heroes has a good cast, a good premise and a ton of money thrown at it, the boring, flat characters, the time travel premise that's tied the show up in knots and effectively made it worthless (hey Hiro, why not go back in time and, I dunno, kill Hitler or something? Or why not go back and stop every single thing you don't want to happen?) the crucial lack of any real pacing that could give the show some surprises ("oh no! Noah's dead! Oh wait, he's not." In the same damn episode!) and the laughably overlong storylines (it's Hiro, in Medieval Japan, for the entire second season - just what no-one wanted) make this show a frustrating, unrewarding, ho-hum experience. And really, yeah we've got reality garbage coming out of our ears, but in an age where smart, funny, brilliantly written shows like Lost, Dexter, Burn Notice and Californication are on the air, Heroes just seems like a chore. Hell, even Journeyman was better than this. So whilst I fully expect 1000 negative marks from the zealots and the over-protective nerds for adding Heroes to the sin bin, you know it's only because the truth hurts. |
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Post by trashcanman on Mar 3, 2009 14:02:18 GMT 2
Yeah, that show is on the bubble for me. Watching it feels like a chore; exactly as you said. But to be fair, Lost feels that way now too since they added time travel to it's repertoire. These shows need to stop that shit. It seldom helps. I still watch Heroes because it is very original, but they absolutely need better writers and they need to lighten the hell up and stop killing and bringing back characters and making them good, then evil, then good again, then back to being evil. It's all so ponderous and overwrought. If I wasn't in love with Hayden Panettiere, I probably couldn't be bothered to watch at this point.
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Mar 3, 2009 20:19:05 GMT 2
I don't "give up" on shows often. We have the UK version of Tivo (Sky+) which basically records every episode every week, right? And Mrs C almost had to put a gun to my head every week to watch it. And in the end we wiped the last five or six episodes because even she got tired of it. I honestly don't think I've ever done that before, especially with a show that has pretty much my favourite subject matter in it.
You know what was promising with Heroes? When Sylar teamed with Noah and they became sort of crime fighters - that was a REALLY good idea, with a great hate/hate relationship with the two characters that actually have a personality - soooo of course they nixed it after one episode.
And then it looked like Noah died! Got shot in the face (if memory serves) and what could have been a monster twist, a real "WOW" moment if he made his return at the end of the season or something was quickly squashed when, oh look - he's actually OK and healing somewhere else.
Man I fucking hate that show.
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Post by HistoryLover on Mar 16, 2009 10:13:21 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
Afraid there is a lot of truth to this posting and I really want to like this show.
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Post by trashcanman on Mar 17, 2009 2:01:31 GMT 2
It's official: no more Heroes for me. I've quit. Incidentally, that dude dresses as The Tick in the photo reminds me of Watchmen. If you've seen it, you already know why.
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Post by JJ Mason on Mar 24, 2009 3:14:54 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
"So whilst I fully expect 1000 negative marks from the zealots and the over-protective nerds for adding Heroes to the sin bin, you know it's only because the truth hurts."
It IS possible to disagree with you without being a zealot, nor over-protective nerd, nor for being hurt by alleged truth. It is entirely possible that you do not hold the torch of universal truth and good taste.
How one could possibly criticize a show for overlong plotting and then turn around and praise Lost is laughable. Apparently you don't understand the time travel issue that Hiro brings up by trying not to screw over all time by meddling, but you can toss that out as value-diminishing. You invalidate your opinions and your sanctimonious ego masturbation, alone, warrants the negative mark.
So while I fully expect you to disagree with me, it's only because you can't bear the thought that you're not bright enough to "get it" and have such terrible taste, not because I'm wrong (see how lame that tactic is? *laugh*)
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Mar 24, 2009 3:15:34 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
I think I've just discovered something more irritating than people writing "lol". And that's people writing *laugh*. That's, er, progression for you.
Anyway, if you'll take a second to re-read my review, I didn't slate Heroes for having "overlong" plotting - "baffling" was meant as a compliment; Lost is just as baffling as Heroes. But, and here's the crucial point - there is a slim number of plot-lines (and by "slim" I mean "almost non-existent") in Heroes that actually really work. Any vaguely promising plotlines are ruined and thrown away before they can pick up steam (Noah's death? Noah teaming with Syler?) while the lengthy ones barely register on the interest level.
Hey, I wanted to LOVE Heroes, I really did. But the boring characters, humourless, tedious plotting and the whole self-importance of it all makes it nigh-on impossible.
And CONGRATULATIONS! You are the first person to jump on the "OMG he doesn't GET IT" bandwagon! Whilst I fully expected this pointless argument to come out in maybe eight or nine comments down the line, you just jumped in there head first, didn't you? Well, you won't go away empty handed, JJ! Not at the Official Room 101 of Amazon.com! You win our "Predictable and Boring Response" First Prize, and that's for YOUR opinion to have absolutely no worth at all! *Laugh* (See how lame THAT is?)
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Mar 24, 2009 3:16:03 GMT 2
I just noticed your last comment, Trashy; why have you now given up on it? What was the turning point?
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Post by trashcanman on Mar 24, 2009 5:05:24 GMT 2
It's been on the bubble for a while and right now I just have WAY too much going on to justify continuing watching a show that actually makes me sigh when I see it on my DVR. Everytime I see a new South Park, Simpsons, Supernatural, or BSG, I've been waiting for it and rush to watch it as soon as I know it's on there. Then I turn on the tv and check my recordings and see "Heroes" and roll my eyes. I put it off for a few days and finally watch it and barely enjoy it and then "poof!" there is the next episode and I think to myself "Agaaaaain? Alreeeeady? [sigh]". I'm sure this review had something to do with the timing as well, if you're looking for a pat on the back. You definitely spelled out what I was already thinking but wouldn't really admit. But "Lost" is on the bubble now as well since they introduced time travel. Nothing kills a plot faster than excessive time traveling bullshit. At least Terminator has kept it relatively simple so far. Lost has almost made me hate it this season, changing times every 15 minutes. What the hell were they thinking?
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Mar 24, 2009 8:29:58 GMT 2
Ha ha, I was EXACTLY the same with Heroes! It would sit there on my Sky+ planner like an ugly zit waiting to get popped. Everything else would get watched pretty much straight away, but Heroes would lie there until you had the ghastly sight of FOUR episodes to watch.
I'm really enjoying Lost just now, actually, and from what I've seen so far (I don't know how far ahead the US is ahead of us.. probably about three seasons, going by our record), but I think it adds a nice dynamic. It gives Jin and, er, Juice a nice love angle, being trapped on the same island but at different times, and it also puts Sawyer as the man with the plan instead of the terminally annoying Jack, not to mention the bubbling love spat with Sawyer/Kate/Jack/Juliette. Plus - Little Ben=super creep. I love it.
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Post by trashcanman on Mar 26, 2009 5:22:55 GMT 2
We aren't ahead of you at all, because that last bit was from last week. The latest episode was actually brilliant. Hopefully it stays that way because when they in a different time every 15 minutes, I was about ready to pack it in.
Kate did Sawyer who now does Juliette who wanted Jack but Kate did him and Jack loved Kate but Sawyer loves Kate too but Jack's a whiny bitch who should have done Juliette. If I don't see a catfight,I will be sorely disappointed. Then again, maybe Juliette and Kate should give it a go. How are the ratings?
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Mar 26, 2009 18:06:00 GMT 2
No idea about the ratings, unfortunately, and a Google search didn't reveal anything. Not too fussed, to be honest, because there's no way they'd cancel it now. I think they had planned for, what, six seasons? Unless they lose about 10 million viewers overnight, I think we'll get the end result.
The frequent time flashes were frustrating, but they did serve a purpose and were explained (in a Lost way, anyway) with the dodgy wheel thing, and it did have the excellent "aw, COME ON!" shout from Sawyer, so it was worth it.
Speaking of Lost, have you ever watched Fringe?
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Post by trashcanman on Apr 6, 2009 5:50:17 GMT 2
I watched the first few episodes, but wasn't impressed enough to soldier on. When I asked how thr ratings on Lost were, it wasn't out of fear of cancellation so much as a common ploy by shows who need a boost is lesbian romance (or at least a kiss). Kate + Juliette 4-ever!
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Post by MVanEvera on Jun 5, 2009 10:01:48 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
You do realize everyone is different right? The fact that you don't like this show doesn't mean someone else will. The fact that you are on the edge of your seat while watching lost doesn't mean everyone is. I've tried to watch Lost on multiple occasions, and I just can't get into it. I'm not going to call everyone else that watches it a moron, or anything of the like, it's just their type of show, not mine. Where do you think the idiom "It's not my cup of tea" came from? Do you really think everyone should like and do the same things? Sure, maybe that'd make life easier, but it'd be rather bland. You're entitled to your opinion, and I respect that. You don't like the show, and that's fine with me, but there's no reason for you to bash other people for liking the show, and declaring that if they disagree with you they are over-protective nerds and zealots. Oh, and the reason we have reality coming out of our ears is because the majority of people in the world seem to like it. They like to watch REAL people doing REAL things, with a limited script. Sure, there's obviously still some scripting, and editing, done for the show, but for most of the shows the are pretty real. I mean, American Idol wouldn't be the number one watched show in the world if people didn't like it. Susan Boyle wouldn't have had million's of hits on YouTube, after her performance on Britain's Got Talent, if people didn't like reality. Face it, reality is in right now and you're going to see a lot of it.
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Post by Brainhead1 on Jun 5, 2009 10:02:21 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
If those were really shows about reality then each episode would be 8 - 10 hours long and it would feature the main characters getting up and going to work 5 days a week.
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