TV Shows I'm Watching - Heroes (Episode 23)

Episode 23 - How To Stop An Exploding Man - ** out of 4

(Only read if you have seen the episode, cause I'm getting into some specifics)

That's it?

That's what we've been waiting an entire season for?

UGH!!! That has to be the most anticlimactic season finale I've ever seen (and moments before I just finished watching the lackluster season six finale to 24). After months of slow buildup all of our storylines converge in what should have been an epic battle with Sylar. Instead, the writers throw logic aside and provide some utterly ridiculous moments that I will get to in a second.

The steps leading to the end were fine, picking up exactly where last weeks action packed episode ended. Parkman stops Bennett from shooting a ten year old girl, Niki finds Micah in a scene that finds a way to include THREE Ali Larters, Hiro saves Ando from Sylar, Peter somehow talks to that sick guy who died like twelve episodes back and realizes his mom is evil, Nathan decides to let the bomb explode, and Claire jumps out a window to save Peter.

So, after all this teasing the big moment arrives - all the heroes meet up to do battle with Sylar!

AND THEN............

poof...the writers reveal that they have no clue what is going on. They can't even keep track of what powers the characters have.

Let me count the ways this final sequence frustrated me.

1. Parkman has fought Sylar before and seen how powerful he is, so it doesn't take a mind reader (zing) to realize that you can't just run at the guy and put four bullets in the back of his head. But, that's exactly what he does....and finds himself in coma-ville.

2. Peter has how many powers? And yet, he decides to just punch Sylar.

3. Niki all of a sudden decides to join a fight that she has absolutely no stake in. She doesn't know Peter, doesn't know Sylar, has no idea about the exploding man, and has never shown any feelings for somebody who wasn't Micah or DL.

4. Claire doesn't shoot Peter!!!!!!! The exlamation points are for how stupid this moment is. It is the most infuriating moment Heroes has ever thrown at the screen. All Claire has to do is pull the trigger and Peter stops going radioactive....but instead she can't bring herself to do it. Why? Claire knows that Peter has regenerative powers. All she has to do is fish the bullet out of his carcass and Peter will be fine. But no....cause....

5. Nathan has a last minute change of heart, and suddenly, despite the fact there are five hundred better options, gets all sacrificey. I hope the writers do an awful lot of explaining in season two because I have no clue why Nathan would fly away to his doom when all anyone has to do is put a bullet in Peter's brain! Plus...can't Peter fly himself? And isn't Peter going to die anyway if he explodes? Wouldn't the bullet be a bit more humane?

I was stunned by how incredibly terrible this last section of the story turned out to be. The only thing they got right was Hiro finally stabbing Sylar (although....remind me again....why is it Hiro seems to have forgotten that HE CAN STOP TIME!!!!????)

It's a shame that Heroes ended on such a mediocre, rushed note. Even the coda, where Hiro wakes up in the past seemed tired. I think the worst thing I can say about this finale is that I'm actually not all that upset that I have to wait until fall for more episodes. Maybe the summer will give the creative team some time to come up with a strong second season storyline!