'Heroes: Fugitives' - The Verdict

Primatech wasn't the only thing that went up in flames at the end of the previous 'Villains' chapter in Heroes. It appears that much of the storyline planning was razed to the ground as well, with the series undergoing yet another reboot to address falling viewing figures. Apart from one glorious final scene though, there's little to suggest that the opening episode of 'Fugitives' will send ratings soaring.

It seems as if Heroes showrunner Tim Kring is constantly reacting towards the criticism of the previous chapter beginnings. Volume Two rightly received stick for being slow and meditative, then Volume Three came along and was unfairly slammed for being frenzied and action-packed, and now 'Fugitives' appears to be an uneasy mix of new and old, largely failing to merge an unravelling story and action in a successful manner.

The decision to start from scratch is arguably annoying to those who have invested their time and patience in Heroes, as plenty of narrative strands from 'Villains' have been unceremoniously dumped. Peter is now a paramedic, Mohinder a cabbie and Daphne and Matt (or 'Daphtt') are shacked up together. Fortunately they don't potter around enjoying their newfound status for too long before Nathan Petrelli's swat team capture them, although it does feel a lot longer due to the languid pacing.

'Fugitives' also moves backwards in a bid to do some crowdpleasing, with Noah Bennet resuming his ambiguous baddie role from the first season and Sylar regressing to the menacing murderer in search of a parent (this time his daddy). At one stage Claire remarks: "I know he's out there, I can feel it in my gut". Perhaps her stomach has a serious sense of déjà-vu, like much of the viewers. Still, while falling back on old hits might not bode well for the new material, these tried and tested characters are always compelling to watch.

For the most part though, the plot plods along with the capture of the 'heroes' lacking in any visual or dramatic impact, although Bennet snaring Mohinder in a car park is fairly well done. The interaction between Hiro and Ando, which used to offer a nice tonal balance to the darker story elements, has now gone from amusing to annoying. It's about time Ando turned against his pal, as it's been plenty of time since we saw Hiro's shocking glimpse into the future in which Ando attacked him.

Just when hopes in 'Fugitives' were fading, out pops a stunning reminder that Heroes is still capable of delivering stylish, spectacular sequences that transcend the confines of mere television. The attempted 'breakout' on the plane by the heroes, lavishly shot in slow-motion and bathed in emotive music, plunges us into the tense environment of the characters as they cling on for dear life. As the plane plummets to the ground the dreaded 'To Be Continued...' flashes up, and the great cliffhanger makes us crave its resolution.

It's like sitting through a stale football match, which is 0-0 and petering out into a drab draw until a stunning 30 yard volley hits the back of the net in the 87th minute. No prizes for guessing what will be the main talking point once the final whistle blows. One moment of genius has the power to salvage a great deal.

Perhaps Heroes just needs to adopt the Lost and Battlestar Galactica strategy and announce a fixed end date in perhaps 2011. This could give the show some added focus and fully develop the various characters and plotlines towards a satisfying conclusion, rather than this frustrating chopping and changing that leaves hardly anyone satisfied. It's about time Heroes had faith in its own superpowers.


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