Based on the official preview for Heroes below, viewers can look forward to the following events on Monday's new episode:
Watch the promo now and chime in with your thoughts in our Heroes forum...
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For loyal, long-time viewers, this week's episode of Heroes was a trip down memory lane.
While it was fun to visit Odessa again, and to be reunited with old friends (Hi, Isaac!), it was also a painful reminder of just how great this series used to be. Homecoming? Isaac's painting? Save the Cheerleader, Save the World?
Ah, the good ol' days of tight, gripping storytelling.
Charlie and Hiro K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Discuss this episode in our Heroes forum!
Last night's installment, though, served a very important purpose: it shed light on Samuel's grand plan and it gave the season a direction. That's all we've asked for from Heroes: a sensible plot that builds momentum and brings characters together for a common cause. Again, think back to season one and the eventual meeting in NYC.
Only the most cynical critic would claim he isn't curious about what happens next on the show now. However, are we supposed to be sad that Mohinder was supposedly killed? Because I let out a cry of joy when I saw his body.
Follow our link to read all about the events in "Once Upon A Time In Texas" and to wonder about where the series goes from here.
As previously reported, Heroes is killing off a major character this season. Stop reading now if you don't want to find out this individual's identity.
Multiple sources have confirmed that the end is near for Adrian Pasdar as Nathan. The actor is reportedly angry over being let go, as producers never even told him about Nathan's fate.
He read about it in the script.
“He was hurt that the producers didn’t tell him first,” said a source. “He deserved better.”
We know what many of you are thinking: isn't Nathan already dead?!? Didn't he technically die at the end of season three; and again, even, a couple weeks ago?
Yes and yes. Considering how much the series has built up this supposedly shocking death, it's disappointing to learn it will be Nathan.
To many critics, it's storylines such as this which are a significant reason NBC is likely to kill off the show in a couple months. Do you agree?
It was billed as one of the most significant episodes of the season.
Did "Once Upon A Time In Texas" live up to the hype?
As always, we'll recap and review the hour in full, but first we invite viewers to visit our Heroes forum and discuss it with fellow fans.
Also, chime in with your opinion below. Might this episode help NBC reverse its decision to cancel Heroes? Or is this another stake in the show's coffin? You tell us!
What did you think of Once Upon A Time In Texas?
Prior to season four of Heroes, Masi Oka said his character of Hiro would never time travel again.
This statement has been met with derision by critics and forum posters, as time travel is the main focus of Hiro's storyline so far - but it sounds like that may pay off on tonight's episode.
Titled "Once Upon a Time in Texas," the hour focuses on Hiro's journey to the past, as he tries to save Charlie from being murdered by Sylar.
In an interview with TV Guide, Oka promised many surprises for long-time fans (look for Isaac Mendez!), as well as a showdown between major characters.
"This is a big homage to the episode where we see Charlie's head get cut off," Oka said. "This is kind of the side story of what could have happened behind the scenes. It's more than just saving her from Sylar because she was destined to die. Now he knows what the problem is, so maybe he can find someone to help out with that."
Without revealing too much about the episode, Oka confirmed that Samuel would play a key role.
"He definitely has a bigger scheme. We find out why he's there by the end of the episode, but Hiro is just dancing on the palm of his hand in some senses. Samuel also has a past that needs some fixing, and the only person who could probably help him is Hiro. So we'll see how everyone's destiny mixes around with the paths that have been taken."
As for the show's destiny, fans are still reacting to the news that this is likely Heroes' final season. Will you miss it?
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?
Heroes spoiler alert: Hiro is about to get the girl!
While the fourth season of this drama has been a tad depressing - Parkman is going insane, Nathan is dead and HRG is lost - viewers are in for some good news next week, as Hiro travels three years into the past in order to save Charlie.
Does he succeed? The following picture is worth a thousand, positive words:
Masi Oka said the following to TV Guide Magazine about the upcoming installment, "Once Upon a Time in Texas."
"This was one of my favorite episodes of the series. I had the opportunity to explore the many layers of Hiro. It was truly wonderful working with [Jayma Mays] again and I even got to play against a younger me. Ah, how naive we were.
"It's an episode full of joy and tears. It's Hiro's 'Company Man' and our homage to episode 8 in season 1. This scene is where Hiro finally gets his long awaited kiss. His dream upon the thousand cranes, the origami in his left hand, came true. But is there a happy ending? It's Heroes after all. I hope you enjoy watching the episode as much as I had making it."
Many consider Company Man to be the show's best episode of all-time, so this tease has us counting down the seconds until Monday night!
Bring it on, Heroes lovers!
You may not like what we're about to say, but like a loyal patriot that questions his country, we're too dedicated to Heroes to blindly watch it throw away its likely final season.
It's one's duty as a TV show fan to question the direction of one's favorite series when it's on the verge of completely falling off the rails. With that in mind, there are two issues that Heroes writers have dropped the ball on: continuity and direction. Let's start with the first...
From week to week - and certainly volume to volume - Heroes contradicts itself and/or ignores previous storylines. Take this exchange between HRG and Tracy last night, after Jeremy was killed:
Tracy: “Do we have to be invisible? You ever think we could just live, Noah? Out in the open.”
HRG: “After today? No.”
Excuse us? After today?!? The entire arc of last season was focused on a government-led round up of everyone with abilities. HRG himself led the charge!
Then there's Hiro's arc this season. He gave a passionate speech during the premiere about why it's never a good idea to go back and mess with time. What did his storyline quickly become? Going back and messing with time.
Finally, there's the issue of Parkman/Sylar/Nathan. At the conclusion of season three, Parkman used his powers to override Sylar's personality with Nathan's. It made sense, based on what we know about him. But now... Sylar's body has returned because Nathan got shot, and Sylar has somehow infiltrated Parkman's mind?!? How is that remotely consistent with what took place last season?
We're not purposely trying to rile up Heroes supporters. We've included ourselves in that group for years.
But we do wish to stir up some debate and, hopefully, cause the writers to realize how many holes are in their plots on a weekly basis.
Comment on this issue in our Heroes forum - and check out PART TWO OF THIS ANALYSIS AFTER THE JUMP.
Before we get into this week's review of Heroes, read through our recap of "Strange Attractors." Ready to go? Good. So are we...
WHAT WORKED: Anything Samuel says or does. Whether it's Robert Knepper's performance or the way his character is written, we're mesmerized each time he's on screen. Not to be sacrilegious, but it's akin to The Joker in The Dark Knight.
WHAT NEEDS WORK: Well... Samuel. So he runs a carnival, his brother died and he wants to collect the Heroes for some (supposedly) evil purpose. We get that. We got it after the first episode. But the guy has to actually do something soon. As we just said, yes, his presence alone is captivating. But we're more than a third of the way through the season and his storyline hasn't advanced at all yet.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK: Are they really exploring a possible relationship between Claire and Gretchen?!? This is insulting to the concept of homosexuality and friendship. The former because the storyline implies someone will simply choose to try a same-sex relationship because someone else shows interest; the latter because the show doesn't seem to think we'll care enough about Gretchen's role in Claire's life unless they are more than friends.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK: Parkman thought he could drink Sylar away... only to have Sylar take over his body when Parkman passed out?!? Meanwhile, another version of Sylar is alive and ignorant at the carnival? We're smart people, we swear. But does this make sense to anyone?
WHAT WORKED: We may not like the storylines being handed to Zachary Quinto, but the actor knocks each performance out of the park. He's as versatile as anyone on TV.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK: Is there a reason HRG didn't just call a lawyer instead of concocting that Tracy story? It's illegal to hold a suspect for more than 24 hours without making an arrest. It's also illegal to question a minor without an adult present.
WHAT WORKED: Tracy considering the carnival. As stated above, this promising storyline needs something to actually happen in order to move it along. Ask yourself this: what's the main plot of Heroes right now? It's been set up as the carnival's attempt to recruit those with abilities, but we're almost halfway through the season and there's no direction. Move it along, Heroes, or - as the ratings sadly show each week - there won't be another season after this.
Agree or disagree with any of this review? Sound off in our Heroes forum!
On the upcoming new episode of Heroes...
As always, we'll review the hour in full soon after it ends. In the meantime, we encourage fans to discuss various developments leading up to it in our Heroes forum.
Below, we've collected a few stills from "Strange Attractors." Looks like Tracy meets Samuel during the installment, among other scenes. Click on each below to enlarge...
