The following announcement doesn't come as a shock, but it's still disheartening for those of us that have watched Heroes from the start:

A source at NBC is confident this will be the final season of the show.

"There isn't much happening with this show in terms of audience, and giving it a 'final chapter' feel is something the network is considering to help allow the show to go out with a bang," the insider told airlockalpha.com.

During its first season, Heroes peaked around 15 million viewers. These days, it averages approximately six million.

Hiro represents the downfall of Heroes. The character has been wasted for three seasons now.

The show does have a loyal fan base, however, which includes some at NBC the source said. Just not anyone high up at the company.

"To keep a show like this going despite its numbers requires some nostalgic connection to it, and while there are a lot of people here who were part of bringing Heroes to the air, they are not in the decision-making capacities," said the insider, adding what many fans have feared for many months:

"I don't think this should surprise anybody. The writing has been on the wall for some time."

Nothing is finalized, of course. If Tim Kring is reading this right now, how would you advise him to improve the show in order to keep it on the air?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.