The overall theme of the fourth season of Heroes is being normal. Trying to live
as normal a life as possible by trying to fit in with your community as best you
can. Claire Bennett attempts this by heading off for college and dealing with a
super perky roommate; Matt Parkman tries to suppress the urge to use his powers
while being a good husband, father and cop and Mama Petrelli efforts to keep
things normal involve keeping her dead son Nathan alive by stealing Sylar’s body
and implanting Nathan’s memories within his mind. But as hard as they all try,
events outside of their control occur which bring out their true natures.
Claire finds herself once more involved in a mystery when her roommate is found dead.
Matt’s very sanity becomes unraveled when the "ghost" of Sylar begins to haunt
his very mind. And Mama Patrelli’s plans are dashed when the real Sylar begins
to remember who he is. Into this mix comes Samuel Sullivan, the owner/operator of a very special carnival,
who offers these people a refuge from the outside world, a place where they can
freely live as who they truly are among other people with powers. The carnival
is filled with specials, people with super powered abilities, such as a tattooed
lady who can see people’s most intimate desires, and a super-fast speedster who’s
got a knack for knives.
Sullivan himself has an ability, the power to move the
very earth beneath his feet. But he’s also a smooth-talking hustler who quickly
figures out what people really want, and manages to manipulate them into doing
whatever he wants, which is mainly to join his carnival. Because, as his carnival
grows larger with more specials, Sullivan’s power also increases. The main
villain in what would become Heroes’ swan song season is well played by actor
Robert Knepper, who portrays Samuel with just the smallest streak of sympathy.
It’s also to the writers’ credit that Samuel Sullivan isn’t a cardboard cutout
monster; but a complex character with clearly defined issues which propel his
villainy.
Yet he’s still villainous enough to be despised for his actions against
our Heroes. It’s a very fine line that both Kepplner and the writers walk, here.
And they do an outstanding job. The entire fourth season is much better than the
third, for the simple fact that the writers have dumped the two-storyline arc
that the third season was saddled with. This year, the story about Samuel and
his dark carnival takes up the entire season, and is allowed to unfold naturally.
Unfortunately, the Heroes writers still can’t shake their soap opera tendencies,
and thus, in the season’s penultimate episode--just when the overall story is
gaining momentum--we’re stuck with an annoying scene showing Claire as she’s
forced by a psychic to watch the sordid 1980s life of her adoptive father unfold
like bad home movies.
Not to mention the fact that Sylar has now become "nice"
(yet again) and seeks absolution from everybody. But despite these speed bumps,
the overall season is enthralling, introducing as it does a new character, a
deaf woman named Emma who discovers that she can "see" sounds (she’s very well
played by Deanne Bray, who is deaf in real life). And the regular cast, including
Hayden Panettiere as Claire, Jack Coleman as Noah and Milo Ventimiglia as Peter, are all
superb. It’s just a shame that Heroes has been cancelled, especially since it
appeared to have found its voice once more. Series creator Tim Kring has a
special message just before the final show, in which he promises the saga will
continue...somehow, someway. Here’s hoping he can fulfill that promise.
--SF
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