Heroes

There appers to be a competition next week on Heroes:

Which family can throw the most awkward Thanksgiving dinner?

The first contender is the Bennets, as Noah hosts the holiday and invites his ex-wife and her new lover over. To make matters more uncomfortable, HRG has asked former partner Lauren to help him cook. Watch the clip below to see what unfolds...

The Bennets will be hard-pressed to top the Petrellis, however. As Angela prepares for a nice meal with Peter and Nathan, she's confronted with the question of whether or not Nathan is actually dead.

While she stammers for a response, perhaps she can answer our Round Table inquiry: aside from filling in the plot, why on earth would Nathan's body have been kept around in a storage unit?

Follow the jump to watch these scene from "Thanksgiving."

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As our review of "Brother's Keeper" outlined, we didn't hate this week's episode of Heroes. That's a big step for a critical TV Fanatic panel of critics!

But we wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't point out that the episode was still overflowing with plot holes and nonsensical character developments.

We focus on those in this edition of the Round Table and, as always, we encourage reader feedback...

Why did Tracy lose control of her abilities?
M.L. House: This really made no sense. She claimed it was due to "panic attacks." But she was held in by Danko last year, she's been faced with far more stressful situation than just... sitting around. The only answer to this question is: because the script called for it.

Dr. Shepherd: So the show could break its budget by making Claire freeze and crack.

The Barnacle: Who cares? Did you see Ali Larter in that bathtub?!?

Why on earth would Nathan's body still be around?
M.L. House: This made even less sense! For someone that's organized many cover-ups, why would Angela not dispose of Nathan's body as soon as possible?!? Once again, the only answer to this question is: because the script called for it.

Dr. Shepherd: I have no idea.

The Barnacle: To move the plot along. D'uh! The writers likely thought of this storyline two days ago. Give them a break!

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OMG, JUST KILL MOHINDER ALREADY!!!!

We actually liked this week's episode, but it's almost comical how the show refuses to kill off Mohinder. He's a character that lost his way seasons ago, that has no fan base and no direction.

Nevertheless, Heroes keeps him around, even when it's not necessary. Didn't Samuel simply tell Hiro to retrieve the movie this week and he'd pass along Charlie's whereabouts? Why did Hiro need to hide Mohinder in that case? Samuel has admitted that killing Mohinder was a mistake. Wouldn't he actually be happy that Hiro changed the past?

That complaint aside, there was a lot to like about "Brother's Keeper." For example...

... Nathan knows he's Sylar. We're sad Adrian Pasdar is leaving the show, but there was only so long this storyline and these multiple Sylars could go on. Should make for a dramatic farewell now when Nathan exits.

... Samuel's past was explained. The more Robert Knepper, the better. This guy kills every scene he's in (no pun intended!) and it was interesting to see how Joseph actually tried to shelter his brother from his abilities. Causes us to wonder: will we learn the circumstances behind Joseph's death and/or why Samuel is now trying to pay tribute to his memory?

... Tracy got into a bathtub in her underwear. That was neat.

Visit our HEROES FORUM now and discuss this episode in depth. Did it move the plot along well? Did you like it?

Apparently unaware of how much of a trainwreck Heroes has become, former Battlestar Galactica star Kate Vernon will soon join the cast.

Not much is known about the character she'll portray, but Greg Grunberg revealed this tidbit in a Twitter post yesterday:

"Kate Vernon from BSG is now on Heroes - can't wait for you guys to see her," he wrote.

The 48-year-old is best known for her role of Ellen Tight on Battlestar Galactica. She's also appeared on CSI and The Mentalist.

On Monday's new episode of Heroes...

• ... Matt continues his battle to Sylar's mental domination;
• ... Tracy struggles to control her ability;
• ... Samuel realizes the full potential of his;
• ... Mohinder returns.

We're as distressed about that final fact as anyone. But it's still worth viewing the official NBC promo for "Brother's Keeper" below:

We encourage fans to discuss these developments and more in our Heroes forum. Below, click on various photos for an early look at scenes from the episode.

As we explained in our review of last night's episode, Heroes is too scattered these days.

Even when the show depicts an interesting storyline - as it did at the conclusion of "Once Upon a Time in Texas," with Hiro getting blackmailed by Samuel - it goes away from it the following week and fails to connect it to the rest of the characters.

Overall, season four is almost halfway done and it's impossible to tie anything together. Each episode feels like a series of unrelated incidents and storylines.

Contrast this with the previous seasons, all of which could be summed up succinctly at this point in their run. To wit:

SEASON ONE: Individuals discover abilities and are drawn into the Company's conspiracy, racing to precent an explosion from destroying New York City.

SEASON TWO: Members of The Company are revealed, along with their connection to the Shanti Virus. The heroes come together to halt the release of it and avert a global pandemic.

SEASON THREE: First, in "Villains," Arthur Petrelli recruits a number of villains to help him create a formula that will give people abilities. Then, in "Fugitives," our favorites are hunted down by Nathan and Danko.

SEASON FOUR: Samuel Sullivan leads a carnival of people with abilities. He has some plan to recruit various individuals to join it. Claire is in college, Peter is a paramedic, Nathan's mind is inside Sylar's body, while Sylar's mind is inside Parkman's body... except when it's the other way around...

You see our point, right? Therefore, we have a challenge for Heroes: leave a comment and sum up season four in as few words as possible.

Based on comments across our site and in our Heroes forum, we aren't the only ones dismayed by the lack of continuity and flow to the reason. Those that partake in this challenge will help others understand what season four's end game might be.

The winner will receive... lots of praise!

We've been critical of Heroes throughout its last three seasons, but we've maintained a soft spot in our hearts for Noah Bennet.

The man known as HRG has always been a multi-layered, well-written character, represented impressively by Jack Coleman.

Therefore, we're excited for this upcoming storyline: on a future episode, the struggling drama will flashback to HRG's past, as it visits the 1970s and showcases Claire's dad before he was Claire's dad.

Turns out, Noah was a free-spirited hippie that worked as a used car salesman, was recently married and was still naive to the dangers of the world. But something tragic eventually takes place that changes his outlook forever.

Will this tie-in at all to the season four storyline? We stopped asking that question a long time ago. HRG's past flirting with his former partner, depicted in "Once Upon a Time in Texas" felt awfully pointless.

The role of HRG will be recast with an actor in his 20s for the episode.

Heroes has had a few bright spots this season, but we've finally determined the reason why it still lacks drama and suspense:

There's no flow to episodes.

Each week, the series focuses on various characters and storylines (last night, it was Peter, Parkman and Claire), but none of them seem remotely related. Sure, Samuel shows up occasionally and makes a pitch to different heroes. But does anything come of that?

Tracy seemed to be considering the carnival a couple episodes ago and we haven't seen her since. Hiro was blackmailed into assisting Samuel last week, and he wasn't mentioned last night.

Read our detailed recap of "Shadowboxing" and see what we mean.

Heroes is at its best when there's a clear storyline, one that gives the characters purpose and builds momentum each week. Think the season one showdown in Kirby Plaza. Think the Shanti Virus; remember Arthur Petrelli.

With almost half of its fourth season complete - and cancellation staring the show in the face - something major has to take place shortly or else the series is doomed.

We've also been critical of the show for years for never taking death seriously. Last night was another example. Wouldn't the Parkman/Sylar scene (pictured above) have been a lot more suspenseful if a single viewer believed that Sylar might actually be dead?

There were a few quotes we enjoyed from the hour at least. For example:

Peter: Earlier I saw you with, the uh, suture. Where'd you learn how to do that?
Emma: Clown college. | permalink

Sylar: The world is my hostage, Matt. Anybody. Anytime. | permalink

Sylar: I don't get to fly very often, you know. Especially not first class.
Matt: Well, I'm glad my life savings could broaden your horizons. | permalink

Lydia: It sounds like the Claire Bennet recruitment is a lost cause.
Samuel: You know me. I'm the patron saint of lost causes. | permalink

While fans continue to debate the impending departure of Nathan, they have something else to discuss now:

The latest episode of Heroes.

It was an installment that focused on Claire, Peter and Parkman/Sylar. As always, we'll recap and review it in detail first thing tomorrow. For now, though, we encourage readers to discuss the episode in-depth in our FORUM...

The rumors are true: Adrian Pasdar is leaving Heroes.

But the manner in which the actor learned of his character's fate is nothing but conjecture. Sources have claimed Pasdar was never told about Nathan's death; he reportedly read the storyline in a script.

Not true, says creator Tim Kring.

“We talked openly with Adrian about [his departure] several months ago and have kept him abreast of where his arc was headed - he always knew what was going on,” Kring told TV Guide Magazine. “This is a guy who is much loved by us all, and these disparaging reports about the way things were handled couldn’t be further from the truth. Adrian is a leader among the cast, a true friend and a real gentleman.”

Fans have been dismayed over the news of Nathan's death. After all, this is a character that's already dead! It feels like a rip-off.

However, Kring says the November 23 episode will focus around Angela actually admitting she was behind the season three-ending switch of Nathan and Sylar. Now, the cover-up must go on.

“There will need to be a staged death for the real Nathan,” said Kring. “He’ll be given a big funeral for the world to see.”

Still, this does feel like another example of Heroes building up a storyline with no real pay-off, doesn't it?