For an episode that started so strong, it ended very weak.  I don’t know what to think about this weeks episode.  According to IO9, Heroes is suffering from budget short falls.  The epic scenes that should have included Claire, Hiro, and Peter, were all cut back due to budget constraints. Read more about the budget cut backs here.

The first draft of the script, from a production standpoint, was very big. It had the bank robbery more-or- less as it currently exists. It also had a Claire/Meredith scene, which currently occurs in a cargo container. This scene originally took place in a deserted warehouse where Claire was surrounded by fire. The Hiro/Ando/Daphne scene, which currently occurs in a German movie theatre, originally took place on a train traveling through India, complete with Hiro and Ando on the roof of the train and Ando nearly falling out the side of a baggage car.

Personally, I loved the first draft of this script. It was a great, incredibly exciting read. I loved the way the bank robbery was written, and the idea that Sylar was to become HRG’s new partner blew my mind. The entire component parts were great – but, collectively, it was also, obviously, too big to be affordable. Beyond that though, the choices we producer’s faced of how to get the budget down became very subjective. The bank robbery was the obvious thing that had to stay because it drove the central story and the key recurring stories for the series– For me, the scripted moment where time freezes and future Peter appears was a key event (it sent a chill down my spine when I first read it.) So the Claire story and the Hiro story were what had to be attacked.” – Beeman

The episode just really fell off from the first two chapters of this season.  Bennet got his new partner, who turns out to be none other than Sylar.  (yeah wtf?)  Granted, I really like Sylar’s character, so it’s cool to see a flipflop.  Can he be trusted? of course not.  Anyway, Bennet and Sylar are sent after the four villains that escaped from level 5.  let me remind you, these villains are suppose to be hardcore.  They shouldn’t be easily stopped and I thought that they would be major pieces of the plot this season.  I was wrong.  Apparently, these villains are just push overs when it comes to the brute strength of Sylar. 

(Future) Peter is still trying to fix all the damage he caused, so he goes to the bank heist and releases (present) Peter and tells him about everything that is going on.  The special effects were pretty cool, but nothing special really happened here.

Claire skips school with her real mom and goes to some abandoned Semi truck so she can learn how to fight.  Claire’s mom just uses her ability to remove all the oxygen from the room so Claire can realize she’s still scared of Sylar. 

Hiro and Ando travel to Germany to confront the speedster and they run into the Haitian.

Boom. that’s it.

Very disappointing episode.  I hope they were just closing the initial chapter so they can introduce some actual polt elements next week or this will be a short and boring season for heroes. 

NBC airs Heroes every monday.

You can watch episode for free at NBC.com

You can Watch Heroes Season 3 online Here

Spolers Follow

“The Second Coming” & “The Butterfly Effect”

The third season starts off right where the second season ended.  Who shot Nathan?  His younger brother Peter.  Why you ask?  After Nathan reveals super powers to the world, the World begins hunting down and doing scientific experiments on anyone with special abilities.  A brief scene cut to the future shows a very sexy leather-clad Claire (Hayden Panettiere) and Peter in a conflict.  Peter explains that he must go back to “the day it all happened” and fix it.  Peter travels back to the News Conference in Odessa Tx. and unloads two shots into his brother.  Claire sees that Nathan has been shot on TV.  She calls Peter to ask if she should come to Odessa to help.  Future Peter tells her to stay in California… which creates what I think will be the main storyline for Chapter 3: Villains.

Claire listens to Peter and stays in California but is quickly confronted by Sylar.  After a brief confrontation, Sylar overcomes Claire and begins to analyze her brain.  After he finds her healing ability, he does something he’s never done before, leaves Claire alive.  While Sylar is still in Bennett’s house, he discovers the location of a group of villains worse than any he’d ever heard of before on Level 5.

In Japan, Hiro has inherited his fathers company and receives a DVD from his fallen father regarding a secret that could have dire consequences on the entire world.  Against his fathers orders, Hiro opens his fathers safe and finds half of a chemistry formula.  Almost immediately, the formula is stolen by a new french female character known as a speedster.  Ando and Hiro begin a quest to find the Speedster and get back the formula.

Mohinder finds out that all of his research was in the wrong area.  Instead of the blood, he focuses on the adrenaline glands and finds the source of the Heroes abilities.  He then injects himself with the protein and briefly gives himself superpowers – but with consequences.

Kristen Bell - Heroes

At the Company, Sylar confronts Elle and kills her father.  He then proceeds to let 12 villains and Bennett escape, only to be captured when Elle releases an insane electrical wave.  At the end of the second episode, Nathan and Peter’s mother reveals that Sylar is also in the same family. 

NBC has all heroes episodes available online to watch for FREE. Here