'Heroes' season four: What we know so far

In a few months, Heroes returns for its fourth - and quite possibly final - season. The cult show's journey thusfar can accurately be described as rollercoaster in form - ups, downs, the odd bit of sickness - and it's safe to say that all eyes will be firmly fixed on the new season to see if Heroes makes the most of its last chance. With that in mind, Tube Talk takes a look at what we know so far.

Season four will comprise 19 episodes and begins with volume five, which has the title Redemption. After the traumatic events of Fugitives, the new volume will apparently return to the kind of storytelling from the acclaimed first season. The premise is that the heroes return to their regular lives and try to regain some semblance of normality.

Filming has been underway in California for the last month, ahead of a two-hour premiere on NBC in the US on Monday, September 21. Episodes are expected to air largely uninterrupted for the remainder of the season.

The titles of the first three episodes are, respectively, 'Orientation', 'Jump, Push, Fall' and 'Acceptance'.

Here's what's happening with the major characters when the new season starts:

Claire (Hayden Panettiere): is starting college in Washington, D.C. Gets two roommates, Annie (Rachel Melvin) and Gretchen (Madeline Zima), but predictably, Claire's new life is far from straightforward. In the first episode, she discovers a body on the sidewalk, the result of a mysterious suicide. Meanwhile, she's dealing with the fallout from her parents' divorce process.

Nathan (Adrian Pasdar):... is Sylar. But that doesn't mean Nathan's going to be through and through bad next season. "I think there's going to be a good redemptive nature to his behaviour this year," Pasdar told Sci Fi Wire recently. "It's nice to think it might end a little lighter. It's nice to think it might end with a martyrdom kind of behaviour thing in order to sacrifice himself to save the world."

Peter (Milo Ventimiglia): has alienated himself from those cloest to him as he embarks on a one-man mission to save the world, one person at a time. Peter also finds a romantic interest in the form of a powerful woman. This is rumoured to be a hearing-impaired character called Emma, played by The L Word's Deanne Bray.

Angela (Cristine Rose): Talking about episode 3, Rose told E! Online: "I learned that 20 years ago, Angela made a decision that is going to come back to bite her in her rear end. Angela tries her best, but she keeps screwing up." Rose added that in the same episode, there will be a "huge change" for Mama Petrelli.

Matt (Greg Grunberg): is feeling guilty over the Nathan/Sylar affair but is trying to live a normal life with his wife and son. Grunberg has posted on his Twitter saying that he has been filming scenes where Matt "beats up on Sylar". Matt also gets a new partner ( Battlestar's Rick Worthy), an experienced LA cop who Matt turns to for advice.

Noah (Jack Coleman), Tracy (Ali Larter):... and Angela, among others, are forming The Company 2.0. But this time, The Company claims to have good intentions, with the aim of uniting heroes around the world. But there's also a new, sinister organisation on the scene - one that treats people with abilities in a "dangerous and potentially deadly new way".

Samuel (Robert Knepper): is a brand new character, described as a "charismatic and evil" man who will "veer into the lives of all heroes". Check back in with Tube Talk tomorrow morning for an exclusive interview with the ex-Prison Break star talking about his new role!

How does season four look to you so far? What are your hopes for Redemption? Add your comments to this entry below!