Am I missing something? Is this series of Heroes (BBC Two, Monday, 2 March, 9pm) that we have now the one set to reignite the world’s love-affair with the show? In last night’s ‘Trust and Blood’, I completely didn’t get the fuss anymore. Okay, it might seem a bit knee-jerk, as it may have been merely a duff episode… but it certainly seems to me that what Heroes has lost in intrigue and density, it’s gained in almost soapiness.

Related: Our Heroes Section | 63 Reasons To Save Heroes

This new series feels more linear than previous outings and as such, has lost something. In the past, I loved the second guessing, the thrill of the chase of the answers… and now, it’s a straight out shoot-out. I’m no film snob, but the show felt more like an action-flick. To try and put it into context, it’s the difference between the English Get Carter and Sly Stallone’s remake. Previous outings walked the fine line between tricksy and action-packed… now, it feels like a latter series of 24. Tired and trying too hard.

This could be just a personal taste thing. This series may well appeal to a much wider audience than before, which is great for the show’s producers, but I have a horrible feeling that the ratings for the show may fall through the roof in Britain if things don’t pick up. I know that I, whose been pretty loyal and vocal in my support for the show, am now thinking that I won’t be bothered if I miss the occasional episode from now on. It’s a weird feeling because Heroes has always been a treat for me in the listings.

The original remit for the show was “ordinary people with extraordinary abilities,” and the bosses of the show felt that the last series veered too far from that. However, one of the things that had me hooked was the depth of characters. The complex relationships
and the blurring family tree of the Petrelli family which gave the show gravitas. This new ‘starting from scratch’ has reduced the show to a mere drama with people who can fly about a bit. And I never wanted to write that about this show. What next? Lycra suits for them all?

All I can hope for is that this episode was a mere blip. There were flashes of great Heroes in there, as ever, revolving around Sylar’s scenes… but HRG is no longer the intense, brooding character he once was. Peter is back to being annoying and righteous and the rest are just… well… bit parts. There’s no inventiveness, no hopping through time and space… and even the addition of a new character with super powers didn’t excite. I’m a little worried by ‘New Heroes’.