So, this newest, shiniest segment of Heroes (BBC Two, Monday, 23 February, 9pm), called ‘A Clear and Present Danger‘, was the beginning of a newer, sharper show. A return to form. Everyone had bemoaned the slithering, twisting stories of the previous outings and wanted quicker, harder kicks. Well, it’s with some anticipation I tuned in for the latest bunch of arse-kicking shows… and what did I get? A slow, drip-feed, with occasional scraps, much like the second series which saw so many moan that Heroes has lost its edge. Is Heroes
suffering an identity crisis?

Related: Our Heroes Section

People have been switching off Heroes in droves… especially in the US. The show, some said, was beginning to suffer from an inflated ego. It was being too clever for it’s own good. It was becoming Lost with a cape on. So now, this return to the action-packed first series would win us all over, right?

Not quite so.

You see, last night’s Heroes, despite having some cracking moments, felt decidedly hokey in places. I know that a suspension of disbelief is required for a show like this, but the closing moments of last night’s show bordered on caricature. However, that’s not to say Heroes is losing a fan here.

Elsewhere, something happened that I’ve been waiting for. This show has always been itching to make the political analogy. Our main characters have always been representative of those that were ‘different’. Now, rounded up and posing a ‘threat’ to the government and the people of the world, they’re all bagged in orange Guantanamo
boiler suits, ready to be taken off to some remote place… probably not far from Cuba. Whether this analogy will be continued is unclear… I’m just hoping they don’t go all 6th Form socialist on us.

As ever, the show was stolen by Sylar who was given the real meat of the show. While our other heroes/villains were snared and rounded up like cattle (in frighteningly easy fashion in some cases), The Most Powerful One managed to wriggle free with panache, flinging darts out of his body and chopping off the tops of people’s heads. The Sylar section made for a heart-pounding minute or two. Maybe this is the kind of action other viewers have been missing?

Unsurprisingly, the show has left us hanging and with more questions than answers. I like that fact… I always have. You can’t help but wonder what fair-weather viewers will make of it all. I mean, it’s surely still going to be all about the conspiracies, the inner turmoil and the hint of a fireball? As long as it doesn’t turn into an episode of Spiderman and his Amazing Friends (which I liked, incidentally… but not as a gritty sci-fi show), I’ll be pretty happy.