Save the Cheerleader, Save the World...

Firstly I must apologise for my epic lateness of this post, but other commitments have meant that I've been delayed.

Now prepare to be converted...

NBC's 'Heroes', which is currently in it's fourth season, is a drama set around the lives of an array of inter-linking characters who discover they have supernatural abilities. Now before you cast this off as yet another spin-off, the interesting factor that makes Heroes stand out is that it doesn't just focus on the good guys.

Season One consisted of 23 episodes and consisted of Volume One in the Heroes saga (more commonly known as 'Genesis'). The volume begins as a seemingly ordinary group of people gradually become aware that they have special abilities. Events illustrate their reactions to these powers, and how the discovery affects their personal and professional lives. At the same time, several ordinary individuals are investigating the origins and extent of these abilities (most notably Mohinder Suresh, who later injects himself with a serum which gives him special abilities.

Suresh, a geneticist, continues his late father's research into the biological source of the change, while Noah Bennett represents a secret organization known only as 'The Company'. While coping with these new abilities, each of the characters is drawn, willingly or unwillingly, into the Company's conspiracy to control super powered people and into a race to stop an explosion from destroying New York City.

In Season One we are introduced to a hero named Peter Petrelli, who has the ability to absorb the ability of another hero within a short proximity of him.

- This is Peter Petrelli


- This is pretty much what his power is -a sponge absorbs lol :-)




Season One had the tag line, "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World", this was all
centred around the gorgeous Claire Bennett (pictured to the left), who has the ability to heal after an injury (this ability is also known as rapid-cellular fusion).

With Claire thought to be the only one who could stop the impending peril of New York City, many of the heroes tried to save her. These included ex-cop Matt Parkman (who can read people's minds) and Hiro Nakamora (Space-time manipulation [allowing teleportation and time manipulation]).

After the success of Season One, NBC commissioned another Season of Heroes. Season Two featured 11 out of a planned 24 episodes which aired on Mondays at 9:00 pm in the United States beginning on September 24, 2007. Only 11 out of the planned 24 episodes were made because of American Writer's strikes. Season two consisted of the second volume in the series, titled "Generations". Season two ended with its finale on December 3, 2007. Volume two begins four months after the events of Kirby Plaza. The main plot arc of "Generations" deals with the Company and its research on the 'Shanti Virus'.

This research is explored through the Company's founders, whose identities are revealed, as well as through the effects of various strains of the virus. The "heroes" ultimately come together in an attempt to stop the release of a deadly strain of the virus and avert a global pandemic.

Season 2 was originally going to consist of three volumes; however, because of the aforementioned strikes, the season was redesigned to only encompass one volume called "Generations". Originally Volume 3 was going to be called "Exodus", and Volume 4 was going to be called "Villains". As a result of the strike, Volume 3 was changed to "Villains" and moved into season three. The "Exodus" story arc, which was originally designed to be a story arc reflecting the effects of the release of strain 138 of the Shanti virus, was canceled. Scenes from the volume two finale 'Powerless' were re shot to reflect the cancellation of the "Exodus" volume, and to tie-up all the loose plot story lines of "Generations."

Season Three opened with two one-hour episodes, airing on Monday, September 22, 2008 in the United States. The premiere of the third volume, "Villains", was preceded by a one-hour broadcast of the red carpet premiere, with clips from the past seasons and previews of the upcoming season, along with interviews with the series cast and crew.

Volume Three began with the assassination attempt on Nathan Petrelli and the consequences it has in the future. In addition, several villains escape from the confines of Level 5, and the Company attempts to recapture them. Arthur Petrelli heals from systemic nerve damage with the help of Adam Monroe's healing abilities and eventually gains a few of the villains, while later luring in Suresh, Nathan, Tracy Strauss , Elle Bishop (who is also quite gorgeous, and Sylar.

Their objective is to create a formula to give people abilities but after many failures they soon realize they need to find the catalyst. Claire and elementary-challenged Hiro go back in time with Hiro being given the catalyst by his mother. This is short-lived when Arthur intervenes and grabs the catalyst. Afterwards, Peter and 'The Haitian' face off Arthur at Pinehearst where they fight for control of the formula. In the end, Arthur is shot dead by Peter's bullet through Sylar's telekinesis ability, saying he is the killer not Peter. Peter injects himself with the formula in order to save Nathan, who was on his fathers side. Ando is given the ability to charge other peoples abilities (which helped him grab Hiro from the past with the help of Daphne's super-speed ability); Claire, Noal Bennett and Angela Petrelli fight off Sylar at Primatech in which Meredith's ability goes awry burning the building to the ground with Sylar presumably dead.

The lead-in to "Villains" showed Sylar regaining his lost powers, shown as the final scene of the "Generations" finale. Tim Kring said that the new volume would bring a cadre of villains to the show, hence the title. At the San Diego Comic-Con 2008 Kring screened the first part of the season opening episode of the "Villains" arc, entitled "The Second Coming", which was shown in its entirety at Comic-Con and received a positive response from fans. Despite the success of the first two seasons, Villains received steadily declining ratings and less positive reviews.

Volume Four begins with Nathan Petrelli telling the president about the existence of individuals who possess superhuman abilities. The president authorizes Nathan to capture heroes, and the majority of the main characters are rounded up, with the exception of Sylar who escapes Nathan's agents while attempting to locate his biological father.

The name of Volume Four was revealed by Tim Kring in 2008. "Fugitives" will make up the last 12 episodes of Season 3 and air from February 2 to April 20, 2009.

Tim Molloy has reported that Heroes will return to its roots with "Fugitives" in an effort to attract new viewers and regain those who gave up on the show due to too many characters and plot lines. Tim Kring had said in a statement: "This volume starts us pretty much from scratch. There is almost nothing that the audience needs to know from the previous volume in order to follow the storyline."

Angela Bromstead had expressed her concern about whether the producers had strayed too far from its original focus: "ordinary people with extraordinary abilities," saying "They may have taken on too much in terms of characters and multiple story lines." The "Fugitives" story begins with the heroes trying to lead normal lives, until Claire discovers Nathan's plot to hunt down and capture everyone with abilities, while Sylar begins searching for his biological parents.

Sylar is definitely the main villain of the show, with his ability to steal another heroes ability (using his mind to open up their forehead and remove their scalp).

-(the actor who plays Sylar is to play Spock in the new Star Trek movie).





Still... he's no Jack Bauer!