S02E03: 'Kindred'

Well, here's the good news. Sylar is back to his murderous ways, savagely dispatching the crooked Candice with an old-fashioned CGI-free blow to the head. There's also a very intriguing situation brewing courtesy of more prophetic doodlings from the deceased artist Isaac Mendez. Noah Bennet is a slippery figure, but can he and his horn-rimmed glasses escape the bullet-strewn fate depicted in the painting? Hopefully he'll survive and the plot strand will generate some much-needed tension.

As for the bad... where does one begin? Dispatching several heroes to various parts of time and space is simply not working. There feels like too much filler material at work, with Peter's and Hiro's romantic intrigues coming across as dull padding. Three episodes in and the Maja-Alejandro subplot has yet to raise any interest. She kills them, he revives them. Lather, rinse and repeat where necessary. Yawn.

Niki's eagerly-anticipated return also disappoints due to its subdued nature. Does Heroes think its being profound by not ramping up the action levels?

Nonetheless, at least Uhura from Star Trek turned up as Micah's nanny, effectively tag-teaming with the recently departed Mr Sulu (Kaito). Should we soon expect Checkov to turn up as Angela Petrelli's butler, or perhaps The Shatner (accompanied by his bassoon) as Mr Linderman's long-lost Siamese twin?

That would certainly liven proceedings up, which is precisely what is needed in this lacklustre start to the second season.

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