'Heroes' Creator Apologizes to Fans for lackluster season.

[Primal Slayer]

Its nice of him to admit that, but the only thing that has bored me the most was Hiros story, other then that ive been ok with the rest of the storylines.

 

[Mr.E.Nygma]

Hiro in the past was the teaser at the end of season one, automatically I thought...is this necessary? So yeah, Hiro in the past was a bit long, but in general, season 2 is still good

 

[stillanerd]

I can understand Kring wanting to gradually develop the new characters, believing that since the gradual building of characterization worked for last season. Problem of course was viewers wanted to know what was going on with the folks who survived from last season more. He was spot on about how Elle was the proper way of introducing a new character and that the time Hiro spent in Japan should have been 4 episodes at the most. Basically, it's a problem of pacing. And while I agree he could have tightened up the new characters stories and tied them into the main plot a lot sooner, I hope he doesn't go overboard next time and has an adrenaline rush.

As for his comments about how some of the newbies won't be around after "Volume 3," I suspect that Bob, Alejandro, Maya, and West are pretty much gone. I suspect that Kring originally planned on Maya and West surviving into Volume 3, but it looks like, thanks to the writers strike, they'll be knocking on death's door a lot sooner.

 

[chamber-music]

I never saw Alejandro or West really surviving more than one season. Sylar has pretty much said hi gonna kill Alejandro given the chance and West has little to him other than being claires boyfriend.

 

[Superfreak]

Maya's story doesn't suck...they just need to speed it up. How many times can we see them struggling to get across the border? We get it...you hurt people, let's move on. I could have done without the whole escape from jail part. They could have just as easily been hitch hikers picked up by an American.

yeah, I agree... get on with it concerning Maya, or kill the witch. Sylar should just get his power back, and she and her brother should be his first victims on a new rampage

 

[Mysterio]

Good to see Kring wising up. The entire season has been boring with few spots of interest...and those haven't been handled as well as they could. Hopefully this recent episode gets everything back on track.

 

[Angelus7181]

They better not kill Maya!

 

[Mysterio]

They better not kill Maya!

I am crossing my fingers that they do.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

I for one don't agree with what Kring is saying, nor all the whining some of you do every week, for every episode. It sounds like Kring is just telling the fans what he thinks they wanna hear.

I'm glad Hiro was in Japan with Kensei for as long as he was, because that just made the revelation that Kensei was Adam all the sweeter. If Hiro was only in Japan for an ep or three, then the punch wouldn't have been as strong.

Not too sure how i feel about the wonder twins arc. It's dragged but they should just get the asses to USA within the next two eps, and it'll be fine. So long as there story is heading somewhere BIG, the payoff should be worth it.

As far as Clair goes; i couldn't care less whether we see West or not again. In fact, the fact that he now knows who HRG is, is the perfect way to axe that clown!

Peters story is fine to me, althugh it's starting to feeling like season 1 again. With the introduction of Adam, along with Kristen Bells character- should make for some interesting story telling.

The rest of the arcs are perfect, imo.

Kring has very little to be apologetic for.

It isn't the story, its the pacing. Now that Hiro's samurai story is concluded, when you think back on all of the time allotted, did that much really happen? I believe he could have told the same story -- as he admitted -- in half the time as I believe he said. Tighter pacing = better story telling.

Maybe its just me, but we get more "sit outs" this season because more time is being given to the characters. We see too much of them discovering their powers, whereas in the first season, narrative economics was used. We see what we need to infer properly -- such as a Hero discovering their power -- and the story would move on. In this season, how many times did we see Monica fixating over her powers? I think I got the point; now lets see the impact of her powers on the Heroes world!

A lot of shows go through a rough Season 2. They want to retain the strengths of the first season but at the same time, try new stuff. I believe its called Sophomore Syndrome or something like that. But at least Kring has humility and concern enough to listen to fans and sit back and look at the show and see these flaws before its too late, say before Season 6!

I enjoy Season 2, but not as much as the first season. I think they can reclaim the spirit of the first one easily, just as long as they go back to telling a nice and speedily paced story with interesting twists like the first one.

I have faith. In fact, never lost it. Good for Kring to come out and address the issues. More respect to him.

 

[Golgo-13]

It isn't the story, its the pacing. Now that Hiro's samurai story is concluded, when you think back on all of the time allotted, did that much really happen? I believe he could have told the same story -- as he admitted -- in half the time as I believe he said. Tighter pacing = better story telling.

The Hiro Samauri storyline is a perfect example where the slow pacing was necessary. Think about it, the revelation that Kensei is Adam, would have been no where near as impactful (if that's even a word ) if we had only seen him and Hiro for about 2 eps. We would have been like "o.k, so what?". The fact that Adam was kinda trained by Hiro himself sets up the rest of the season, and the writers had to make us think that Kensei was one character, before it was revealled he was another. If Darth Vader was revealled to be Luke's father in Star Wars:ANH (before the Prequel trilogy was made)-we wouldn't really give a ****. The fact that the audience is lead to believe that someone is one thing, then suddenly reveal they're someone else after much time getting to know that character, makes for a better suprise.

Some of you guys don't know what suspense building is all about. You want everything revealled within an ep or two. That's not good story telling. That's lazy storytelling.

 

[Mysterio]

there was nothing suspenseful about the Hiro/Kensei story except for whether or not Hiro would wind up being Kensei. they stretched it out for too long. i think Kring or other writers said it would only be four episodes, but they stretched it over 7, even if a couple of episodes didn't include the Hiro story. too long for too little. it needed more action and less laurel and hardy.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

The Hiro Samauri storyline is a perfect example where the slow pacing was necessary. Think about it, the revelation that Kensei is Adam, would have been no where near as impactful (if that's even a word ) if we had only seen him and Hiro for about 2 eps. We would have been like "o.k, so what?". The fact that Adam was kinda trained by Hiro himself sets up the rest of the season, and the writers had to make us think that Kensei was one character, before it was revealled he was another. If Darth Vader was revealled to be Luke's father in Star Wars:ANH (before the Prequel trilogy was made)-we wouldn't really give a ****. The fact that the audience is lead to believe that someone is one thing, then suddenly reveal they're someone else after much time getting to know that character, makes for a better suprise.

The thing is, that it gives viewers more time to guess/predict these plot twists, as many on here predicted as far as the reveal.

And to be honest, I didn't find it to be a huge plot point. It simply built up to something a whole lot more than what we got, and the fact that they spent sooo much time on it kinda lessens the impact of the Kensei reveal, IMO. I guess I didn't buy into 1671 Japan as much as I thought I would, and so the whole storyline was a bit...underwhelming.

Some of you guys don't know what suspense building is all about. You want everything revealled within an ep or two. That's not good story telling. That's lazy storytelling.

Well, there is such a thing as stretching out suspense building so much that it becomes weaker as it is stretched out more, like a rubber band. Or suspense building that doesn't have the appropriate impact as whatever they were building towards isn't as impressive as the build itself.

 

[Gold Samurai]

we're only 7 episodes into season 2 and already he's apologizing for not living up to it's first year? wow. I must be the only one who thinks this is a bit premature.

Now if this had been said in the season 5 or 6 then yeah there would be cause to say

"I'm sorry for killing off Hiro with the majority of the cast and leaving Claire wheelchair bound to lead a group of Gen-X heroes"

 

[Superfreak]

Well, there is such a thing as stretching out suspense building so much that it becomes weaker as it is stretched out more, like a rubber band. Or suspense building that doesn't have the appropriate impact as whatever they were building towards isn't as impressive as the build itself.

precisely, anyone who watchs lost will know this. There's a fine line between suspense building... and dragging out a plot line to fill episode time. Lost is a victim of this. Plot lines were so dragged out... that the suspense didn't matter anymore, because no one cares that much. Just felt like I was being toyed with, rather than having a story delivered with adequate flow.

Hereos I admit is also a slow show. I don't think I would have made it through the whole season watching it weekly (good thing most shows go on hiatus in Feb, giving me free time to fill with heroes). But the first season was extremely slow... and I felt that really nothing happened. It's how the whole season fit together in the end that sold the series. I mean the finale was beautiful, and everything linked together in a relatively coherent plot.

But that being said... the second season should have started off a little stronger. By that, I mean faster. We've had the introduction last season... they should have jumped right in, rather than doing this four months later, back where we started again stuff.

 

[Mysterio]

we're only 7 episodes into season 2 and already he's apologizing for not living up to it's first year? wow. I must be the only one who thinks this is a bit premature.

hardly premature when he's echoing what many have said since the start of this season. look, they misjudged their calculations.

 

[Golgo-13]

there was nothing suspenseful about the Hiro/Kensei story except for whether or not Hiro would wind up being Kensei. they stretched it out for too long. i think Kring or other writers said it would only be four episodes, but they stretched it over 7, even if a couple of episodes didn't include the Hiro story. too long for too little. it needed more action and less laurel and hardy.

Well you gotta remember, there were several other story arcs going on at the same time, and if memory serves we correctly, the Japan story wasn't shown at all for an ep or two. So if you compile the runnung time of the Japan arc, it probably wasn't that long at all.

I'm more peeved at how they milked the Nathan thinking Peter was dead/Peter not wanting to open the box-storyline than anything else.

 

[Mysterio]

uh, yeah. that's what i just said. "but they stretched it over 7, even if a couple of episodes didn't include the Hiro story." so yes, 7 episodes in and they finally put Hiro back into the present. that's stretching it over 7 episodes.

as far as several other story arcs going on at the same time, that's a very weak excuse. several story arcs went on at the same time last year, but for the most part, the pacing was better. having several story arcs does not mean that they have to have a slow pace. i'll tell you what the problem really is: Kring wanted a show that was accessible to anyone who jumped into it in the middle of the season. i think that's why everything is constantly explained and repeated in every.single.episode. this year. like HRG constantly telling Claire why they need to lay low, Hiro constantly telling Kensei his destiny, etc.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

uh, yeah. that's what i just said. "but they stretched it over 7, even if a couple of episodes didn't include the Hiro story." so yes, 7 episodes in and they finally put Hiro back into the present. that's stretching it over 7 episodes.

as far as several other story arcs going on at the same time, that's a very weak excuse. several story arcs went on at the same time last year, but for the most part, the pacing was better. having several story arcs does not mean that they have to have a slow pace. i'll tell you what the problem really is: Kring wanted a show that was accessible to anyone who jumped into it in the middle of the season. i think that's why everything is constantly explained and repeated in every.single.episode. this year. like HRG constantly telling Claire why they need to lay low, Hiro constantly telling Kensei his destiny, etc.

Yeah, very true about him wanting to bring in the extra audience. I guess that's the problem. I mean, I've never made a TV show (yet) but it must be difficult coming off a very strong 1st season and deciding how you want to proceed with the second season. How do you retain the pacing and narrative strength of the first one but at the same time, trying not to go to fast to alienate new viewers? How do you keep it fresh while retaining the familiarity?

 

[Mysterio]

they were supposedly addressing that with a multiple-volume season.

 

[Golgo-13]

as far as several other story arcs going on at the same time, that's a very weak excuse. several story arcs went on at the same time last year, but for the most part, the pacing was better. having several story arcs does not mean that they have to have a slow pace. i'll tell you what the problem really is: Kring wanted a show that was accessible to anyone who jumped into it in the middle of the season. i think that's why everything is constantly explained and repeated in every.single.episode. this year. like HRG constantly telling Claire why they need to lay low, Hiro constantly telling Kensei his destiny, etc.

It's not an excuse, it's fact. This season not only has to continue in the lives of last seasons characters, it has to get us aquainted with all these new charatcers, at the same time. It's twice the amount of work being done in a reasonable amount of time. Theyre trying to give each character equal screentime- kinda..or at least enough to set up their fate for the latter part of the season.

I'd would like to know how all you critics would have covered the same amount of story telling, within the same time frame without making things seemed rushed.....or completeing f'ing up the pacing by given too much screentime to one set of characters while robbing others of screentime....

 

[stillanerd]

I never saw Alejandro or West really surviving more than one season. Sylar has pretty much said hi gonna kill Alejandro given the chance and West has little to him other than being claires boyfriend.

Oh, I figured Alejandro was a dead-man-walking the moment Sylar showed up. As for West, well I hope he goes, but based on a particular photo I've seen (and some of you might know what I'm talking about) it unfortunately looks as though he might be sticking around.

Yeah, very true about him wanting to bring in the extra audience. I guess that's the problem. I mean, I've never made a TV show (yet) but it must be difficult coming off a very strong 1st season and deciding how you want to proceed with the second season. How do you retain the pacing and narrative strength of the first one but at the same time, trying not to go to fast to alienate new viewers? How do you keep it fresh while retaining the familiarity?

It certainly is one of the biggest challenges a writer faces. Sometimes you fear that if you don't put in a certain scene it's not going to explain what's going on or that the characters are not being developed enough. That's was certainly one of my biggest problems whenever I did creative writing.

One of the easiest things to cut, however, is whenever you have scenes that seem repetitive. With regards to the Hiro in Medieval Japan, you certainly needed what happened in the first three episodes to set it up, and maybe it could have been condensed to be featured in two episodes. But did we really need three episodes where we have the story told to us via Ando reading Hiro's scrolls? Kring could have easily excised the one in Episode 4, especially since nothing of importance happened with regards to Hiro's story to advance the plot.

The same goes for the story where Peter has amnesia and is stuck in Ireland. That whole business of Peter having to work with the Irish gangsters to help them rob the payroll just so he could find out what was in the "mysterious" box, only to not open it because he fell in love? Then when he does open it, it's his passport, a plane ticket, and a photo of him and his brother--pretty anti-climatic for something they gave so much emphasis for. And why in world did it have to take place in Ireland anyway? It could have easily taken place in Montreal since that's where he eventually had to go in the first place.

And with regards to Maya and Alejandro, they could have been introduced with regards to what happened in episode 3, with Alejandro trying to steal the car for Maya. Or, if you had to introduce them the same way they were in episode 1, you could easily get rid the part of their story in episode 2 where they get the help of their aunt. Maya displaying her powers in the Mexican jail was a lot more of an effective demonstration of what they actually were than when they showed up in episode 2.

Maybe trying to reduce all of the repetitive elements might not completely accelerate the pacing, but it certainly would have improved it.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Yeah, when I took creative writing, I learned that condensing can be a powerful tool. It's better to have one powerful sentence as opposed to one paragraph stating the same thing over and over again.

 

[Mysterio]

It's not an excuse, it's fact. This season not only has to continue in the lives of last seasons characters, it has to get us aquainted with all these new charatcers, at the same time. It's twice the amount of work being done in a reasonable amount of time. Theyre trying to give each character equal screentime- kinda..or at least enough to set up their fate for the latter part of the season.

I'd would like to know how all you critics would have covered the same amount of story telling, within the same time frame without making things seemed rushed.....or completeing f'ing up the pacing by given too much screentime to one set of characters while robbing others of screentime....

excuses and facts are not opposites, and it's a very weak excuse given that last season had multiple story lines as well. again, multiple story lines do not dictate that pacing has to be slow. for example, the pacing for Peter's story is fine. for others, it isn't, especially Claire's and Hiro's.

 

[Golgo-13]

excuses and facts are not opposites, and it's a very weak excuse given that last season had multiple story lines as well. again, multiple story lines do not dictate that pacing has to be slow. for example, the pacing for Peter's story is fine. for others, it isn't, especially Claire's and Hiro's.

I'm the opposite. I think Peters storyline was starting to drag. Hiro's was slow, but slow for a reason. Claires storyline, i';ve never really care for. It comes off as a mtv crowd/O.C teenie bopper attraction. Only thing i like about Clair is....HRG!

 

[Kanon]

I liked Claire's stuff.. but because of the tie of West to HRG's past... It was really cool IMO