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Should I keep watching Heroes?

Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
edited September 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
So, I'm watching the first episode of Season 1 and I have to say I'm liking what I'm watching so far. But, I recall reading about how this show just kind of went down hill into a shitfest.

So, my question is, should I keep watching? Or am I just setting myself up for complete disappointment?

Casually Hardcore on

Posts

  • admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    You're definitely setting yourself up to be disappointed.

    admanb on
  • physi_marcphysi_marc Positron Tracker In a nutshellRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I'd recommend watching the first season. It's pretty good entertainment.

    The other seasons all go downhill, but I'd argue it's still fun to watch to kill time.

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  • HedgethornHedgethorn Associate Professor of Historical Hobby Horses In the Lions' DenRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    There are some bright spots in season 1. If you're enjoying it so far, go ahead and finish the season. But for your sake, I urge you not to watch beyond the season 1 finale. The show, which was already a bit shaky in the first season, goes completely off the rails into unwatchable territory as soon as season 2 begins. And the writers basically reboot the show every three or four episodes after that, because they can't seem to remember what they wrote just two weeks previously.

    Hedgethorn on
  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    My general rule for TV viewing is that if I stop liking a show for three episodes in a row, I stop watching it. I don't force myself to keep watching episodes if I'm not enjoying it. If you are really liking Heroes, you should keep watching it until it starts to suck. For most people, this is around the middle of season 2 or beginning of season 3. I'd say it's worth watching the first season if you've never seen it before, but don't feel obligated to continue after that.

    Hahnsoo1 on
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  • CrashtardCrashtard Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Pretty much echoing everyone else, season 1 is pretty good and shows what the show could have been, but it really goes downhill after the finale.

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  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I don't know what you guys are talking about, they never made a second season of Heroes.

    Never.

    Seriously though, finish the first season and jump ship. You'll remember it as a fun little show that way.

    Peen on
  • NotYouNotYou Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    no, heroes sucked after about 5 or 6 episodes.

    NotYou on
  • wogiwogi Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    My general rule for TV viewing is that if I stop liking a show for three episodes in a row, I stop watching it. I don't force myself to keep watching episodes if I'm not enjoying it. If you are really liking Heroes, you should keep watching it until it starts to suck. For most people, this is around the middle of season 2 or beginning of season 3. I'd say it's worth watching the first season if you've never seen it before, but don't feel obligated to continue after that.

    I dunno, sometimes a series will have a bad bit. Stargate is a good example. Some of the episodes are fantastic, but they definitely have bits where it isn't going anywhere, and is kind of boring.

    Peen wrote: »
    I don't know what you guys are talking about, they never made a second season of Heroes.

    Never.

    This. This times 1000.
    Though, man, if they had continued that series into season 2, it might have been fantastic. Man, so much potential there for an awesome series, but I guess it was just a miniseries. Kind of like 24. One season. That's it. Nothing more.

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  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    wogi wrote: »
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    My general rule for TV viewing is that if I stop liking a show for three episodes in a row, I stop watching it. I don't force myself to keep watching episodes if I'm not enjoying it. If you are really liking Heroes, you should keep watching it until it starts to suck. For most people, this is around the middle of season 2 or beginning of season 3. I'd say it's worth watching the first season if you've never seen it before, but don't feel obligated to continue after that.

    I dunno, sometimes a series will have a bad bit. Stargate is a good example. Some of the episodes are fantastic, but they definitely have bits where it isn't going anywhere, and is kind of boring.
    I can't think of 3 back to back episodes of Stargate SG-1 or Atlantis that I didn't like. There were a few two-parters that were meh, but the next episode usually redeemed the previous ones. At least until the final season of SG-1.

    Hahnsoo1 on
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  • LuxLux Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I understand that you'll probably want to know what happened after Season 1, but just read about it on Wikipedia and be appalled at the stupid.

    Lux on
  • Raiden333Raiden333 Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Please for the love of your sanity do not watch a single episode from season 2 or later.

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  • YodaTunaYodaTuna Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Let me come in and say, anything after Season 1 is absolutely terrible.

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  • wogiwogi Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    I can't think of 3 back to back episodes of Stargate SG-1 or Atlantis that I didn't like. There were a few two-parters that were meh, but the next episode usually redeemed the previous ones. At least until the final season of SG-1.

    First season, there's a string of three that kind of suck. It starts with the Nox, then you have this strange crystal planet, and then there's one more after that that I don't recall off hand. But then Daniel goes to the alternate dimension and all is well again.

    Then there's all of season 9 and 10. The ori just bothered me. They were an annoying enemy, they weren't as awesome and powerful as they should have been. The episodes with Ba'al were awesome, and he really was an excellent antagonist. But he was awesome long before season 9. Even Anubis was fun, and Apophis was at least fun as an enemy because he was an annoyance, never as powerful as he should have been, and you got to destroy the crap out of him. THREE times, each more exciting than the last.

    But then Cylar, to keep this on topic, in Heroes. He's never as awesome as he should be, just kind of a blatant annoyance that wont go away. I mean, if Cylar got awesome, and stopped moping about himself, he and future Peter could have some epic duals. But, alas, they did not continue the series, so we'll never see those two really go at it.

    wogi on
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  • A Dabble Of TheloniusA Dabble Of Thelonius It has been a doozy of a dayRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I'll go a step further and say that not only should you just watch season 1. You should stop the season 1 finale 15 minutes early.

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  • Fizban140Fizban140 Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2010
    Just watch it all, it is hilariously bad later on. Seriously, you can watch as all your favorite characters suffer in their own stupidity.

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  • CrossBusterCrossBuster Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Watch the first season. Then pretend it didn't get renewed for a second one.

    CrossBuster on
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  • LaPuzzaLaPuzza Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    First season was good.

    Then there were other seasons.

    Last season was a nice apology for the others, but not nice enough to suggest that anyone should watch past season 1 and then read the wiki to see how that storyline ended.

    LaPuzza on
  • RikushixRikushix VancouverRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Heroes was the first show I ever followed where I stopped watching simply because it was terrible.

    The first season was at times good and at other times great. Then the second season came along and....

    I wish it could have been a quick death, but no.

    Rikushix on
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  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    As good as the first season is, and it's thoroughly decent, it's best to just avoid the series altogether. You won't feel fulfilled after the first, but it's shit-tastic after that.

    Short answer: no.

    mcdermott on
  • SentrySentry Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The worst part about Heroes was that you could tell they had some decent ideas, but absolutely zero follow through on them. So they would have a character start some awesome arc or change, and then two episodes later it would all be completely undone. And this happened ALL the time. Every episode was a complete reset of any character development that may have accidentally occured in the last episode. So not only was it not good, it was absolutely infuriating.

    But yeah, first season was pretty good. Second season had some awesome characters that immediatly fell victim to what I describe above, and became terrible almost immediatly out of the gate.

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  • nuclearalchemistnuclearalchemist Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Yeah, I really enjoyed first season of heroes, and then I made the mistake of watching season 2. I have at least 5 wtf moments right in a row. I really hate it when series writers forget their own plots, or canon, or anything that even remotely resembles a story. Unfortunately, being young and naive at the time, I trudged through season 2 in the hopes that it would get better for season 3.

    I made it 2 episodes in before I decided that running around in WoW was a much better waste of my time.

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  • RentRent I'm always right Fuckin' deal with itRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I dunno

    season 2 has an excellent hiro storyline

    but yeah

    Rent on
  • FelixFelix Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I'll go a step further and say that not only should you just watch season 1. You should stop the season 1 finale 15 minutes early.

    This is excellent advice. I know you'll probably watch it anyway, but you will regret it.

    Felix on
  • AdusAdus Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    If you care about closure, then absolutely not, since the series ended on a cliffhanger. If you don't care, then maybe you can keep watching it to see how bad it gets? That's the only reason I continued. It gets laughably absurd later on.

    Adus on
  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The deeper I get into season one, the more absurd it's getting. The whole 'Evolution chooses members of a species to be special' narrative is laughably wrong. Well I gonna keep watching it until it gets unbearable to watch.

    I mean, hell, I watched half a season of 'Secret life of an American Teenager'. It can't get worst then that.

    Casually Hardcore on
  • Dyrwen66Dyrwen66 the other's insane Denver CORegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Season 1 is about as good as it gets. I eventually went through all 4 seasons on Netflix just to see how it all pans out and man, it was not worth it. I started to watch it simply as a Sylar or Hiro miniseries, since they became about the only entertaining bit throughout. Hiro's arc is great though.

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  • Homestar GunnerHomestar Gunner Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    My friend said it best about season 3 of Heroes: "I went to the bathroom for about two minutes and when I came back I was already totally lost."

    I stopped watching halfway through season 2, though to be honest that's just because I missed a few episodes. I have season 1 on DVD though and it's incredible. It sort of wraps things up pretty well in the end if you want to pretend that was the entire run of the show.

    Homestar Gunner on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    First season is fine.

    As someone who watched the rest really hoping it would get better I'd recommend stopping there. The next several seasons will have a few bright moments with hours upon hours of absolute dreck.

    Quid on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I mean, hell, I watched half a season of 'Secret life of an American Teenager'. It can't get worst then that.

    :(

    UnbreakableVow on
  • BullioBullio Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Dyrwen66 wrote: »
    Season 1 is about as good as it gets. I eventually went through all 4 seasons on Netflix just to see how it all pans out and man, it was not worth it. I started to watch it simply as a Sylar or Hiro miniseries, since they became about the only entertaining bit throughout. Hiro's arc is great though.

    Sylar should never have evolved past the role of big bad. The
    mommy and daddy issues shit was terrible. Especially the search for his father. Just awful.

    Personally, I really enjoyed season 1 and was gripped by it until the very end. However, I watched the whole season on Netflix instant streaming and not one episode per week. That may have affected my enjoyment of it. It does go downhill rather badly after that. Each act has its moments, but none are as consistently entertaining as the first. As mentioned, the plot gets really messy and can be difficult to sort out. I think the only way to really enjoy is just watch all of the seasons back to back and not give the plot time to set in between seasons. Just power through it until the end and try to enjoy the ride. I'd only recommend following it past season 1 if you're really, really curious to see what happens to everyone after that season.

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  • GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I actually stayed with the show until almost the end of Season 2. I figured, sophomore slump, it'll get better, plus Kristen Bell was hot as Electro-Bitch. Then I missed two episodes in a row, realized I had no interest in finding out what happened, Ms. Evil-Tears made me want to burn things, and there are other ways to see Kristen Bell hotness. And that was the end of that.

    I guess I'll parrot everyone else...finish the first season, enjoy it for what it is, and walk away. And then start watching The Wire, or Breaking Bad, or something else that's actually good.

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  • JintorJintor Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Season one, the best. Nothing exists after that, as you know.

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  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    It is amazing to see such a consensus on this forum. But I'll have to agree, Season 1 is worth watching everything after is awful. Even S1 isn't that great but most of the episodes are at least decent and towards the end there are some fantastic episodes, and one massive disappointment.

    Tomanta on
  • RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The deeper I get into season one, the more absurd it's getting. The whole 'Evolution chooses remembers of a species to be special' narrative is laughably wrong. Well I gonna keep wathing it until it gets unbearably to watch.

    I mean, hell, I watched half a season of 'Secret life of an American Teenager'. It can't get worst then that.

    Don't worry, they retcon the cause of the abilities about 5,000 times.

    RUNN1NGMAN on
  • freakazoidfreakazoid Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I must of watched a different Heroes because I thought they were all amazing, haven't seen season 4 yet though :(

    +1 for Breaking Bad, :mrgreen:

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  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Season 1 was an entertaining build-up with a semi-crappy season finale.

    It's set up so perfectly, and then oh hey, it's over.

    Godfather on
  • CrossBusterCrossBuster Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Basically, picture a woman sitting in bed, with her arms crossed, and a look of disappointment and frustration on her face.

    In bed next to her, there's a guy stammering about how "it's been a while" and "this has never happened" but at the same time "it happens to everyone!"

    That about sums up the audience/show relationship at the end of the first season.

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  • E.CoyoteE.Coyote Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    "If you want answers.... dig for them." /vomit

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  • PailryderPailryder Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    this thread should be locked because everyone is correct and there is nothing new to add (other than that writer's strike had a small bit to do with the screwup).

    at least we got more of zachary quinto in something and maybe it lead to him being spock...i don't know.

    Pailryder on
  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Yeah this thread is solved.

    Though, honestly, I wished they renamed this show

    'The adventure of Hiro: Life of a time rifting high roller'

    and screw the whole 'Doomsday' storyline.

    Casually Hardcore on
This discussion has been closed.