Heroes
Spoilers

After a long - some might refer to it as "utterly torturous" - season, Heroes finally concludes next week.

On the episode "Brave New World," Samuel finally does... something. So NBC claims, at least. It seems just as likely that he'll merely threaten to do something, as has been the case all season long.

We'll believe actual action when we see it, as Claire warns the carnival about their supposedly evil-intentioned leader in the clip below:

As always, we'll recap and review the installment soon after it airs. We can only hope to inspire the same sort of lively debate that this week's rundown created.

Below, check out a clip of another character from the season finale. We think his name is Hiro, but we can't be certain. We haven't seen him in so long...

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While some loyal fans are hanging on and defending the drama with every ounce of reasoning they possesses, the ratings don't lie:

Heroes jumped the proverbial shark a long time ago.

The show has lost over 10 million viewers from its season one pinnacle, an unprecedented figure for a show that remains on the air.

Where did it go wrong? We could be here all day answering that question, but many viewers would likely agree on one mistake Heroes made early on season three: it killed off Adam Monroe.

The character created by David Anders had become a worthy antagonist on the series, the perfect complement to Zachary Quinto's Sylar. Unfortunately, Tim Kring and company didn't see it that way and had Arthur Petrelli murder Monroe with the touch of his hand.

But he makes one final appearance this Monday. As Hiro's brain tumor causes his past decisions to manifest themselves subconsciously, Monroe pops up again. Take an early look below:

For more of Anders, tune in to 24 this season. He has a recurring role on that Fox series.

Dear Tim Kring,

We know the ratings for Heroes are in the toilet. We know this may very well be the show's final season and we know you wish to avoid that fate. But must you really give away major plot developments from the February 8 finale in order to keep fans interested?

In an interview with Fancast.com last week, Kring was asked abut Hiro and Charlie.

Instead of just teasing fans about what's to come, he spilled some major beans: "[Hiro's] quest is  to find Charlie... we will finally deal with that in the season finale when Charlie and Hiro are reunited."

Then again, perhaps we should be thanking Kring. We might not need to tune in to see how this atrocious season concludes anymore!

Elsewhere in the conversation, Kring touched on other storylines and subjects. Excerpts are below...

On Samuel's plans: It’s not so much about what he wants to avenge, but the underlying motive for his slow descent into megalomaniacal insanity is revealed in Episodes 15 and 16.

On Sylar: He re-encounters the carnival, but he’s also on a bit of an existential quest to find out what his life is all about. He was told he would die alone, and that starts to play on him. There is some unexpected stuff between him and Peter in the last two episodes. A strange alliance has to be formed.

On the end of the season: Samuel’s plan to expose the entire world to these people starts to really crank up and build to a crescendo.

Sure. We'll believe that when we see it, considering the utter lack of urgency throughout this entire season. There's been nothing at stake whatsoever.

Over the last couple seasons on Heroes, we've been extremely tough on the character of Hiro - and for good reason.

The NBC drama has utterly destroyed this once-entertaining, once-intriguing individual. He's now reduced to an immature idiot that confusingly travels through time and makes selfish, irrational decisions (way to break open your dad's safe last season, dude!).

This criticism is no reflection of Masi Oka, though, who continues to do the best with the material he's given. The actor spoke to Fancast this week about the storylines to come as Heroes heads toward a season - and, likely, series - finale.

In the interview, Oka admits that the show changes it rules on time traveling each season, a major criticism TV Fanatic has had of the show...

On Hiro's journey: He now he has three specific goals to accomplish: deal with his brain tumor, rescue Suresh, and find Charlie (played by ‘Glee’s’ Jayma Mays). That is a more concrete mission than he had in the first half of the season.

On when Samuel's master plan will be revealed: Within the first two episodes. And towards the end of the season, you’re going to see some unlikely alliances – and some unlikely enemies as well.

On division among the Heroes: A big showdown is coming up, and it involves the crossing of paths for many characters.

On time travel confusion: The rules do change every year. That’s just the nature of time travel storytelling, which is hard to manage. The writers have some creative liberty, so we hope the audience will just go for the ride and not focus on the technicalities of it.

On whether this is the final season of Heroes: Everything’s up in the air. It’s no secret that our ratings have slipped from Season 1, but creatively I think this is the second-strongest season. We want the crew to be working as well, but so many things go into these decisions.

After a long December hiatus, Heroes returns in a major way next week: with a two-hour episode!

The installment is titled "Upon This Rock; Let It Bleed" and it aims to take many characters in many directions. In bullet point form, here's how a NBC press release describes what is about to go down on it:

• As Claire becomes immersed into the world of the Carnival, she becomes increasingly suspicious of Samuel's motives.
• Hiro is on a mission to rescue one of his own, but has difficulty communicating his intentions to Ando.
• Samuel has his sight set on Emma.
• Meanwhile, Sylar returns to the Carnival in search of answers.
• Peter continues to struggle with the loss of his brother.
• HRG sets his plan in motion to take down the carnival.

Sound off in our Heroes forum about what you wanna see next week and check out NBC's official promo for the episode below:

Because Heroes is currently filming its final episode of season four, creator Tim Kring can say with "complete clarity" that Adrian Pasdar won't return to the series.

The actor's character leaped to his death on "The Fifth Stage," the final Heroes installment of 2009.

“We started discussing it at the end of last season, when we actually killed the character,” Kring told Fancast.com in an interview, “so it really just became a matter of how and when.”

Nathan might be gone, but his relatives Peter and Claire remain. How will his death impact their relationship?

“They are able to sort of bond over the loss of their brother and father,” Kring said. “So you will see those stories start to collide.”

When Heroes returns - with a two-hour episode on January 4; and then at 9 p.m. on Mondays, following Chuck, beginning on January 11 - Samuel’s seemingly sinister plan will “crank up and build to a crescendo,” Kring added. We'll be interested to see what that entails.

On the mid-season finale of Heroes, Gretchen said goodbye to Claire at the Sullivan carnival.

But did her portrayer, Madeline Zima, bid farewell to the show at the same time?

No, the actress told TV Guide this week. While not revealing too many detailed spoilers, Zima spoke on her character's future on the series.

"I think [Gretchen] knows it's a mistake," Zima said of Claire's decision to stay behind with Samuel. "She's only doing it because she knows Claire can't physically get hurt. That's the way she rationalizes it. The best and most pure act of love is just letting someone go and letting them do what they feel they must."

Meanwhile, Heroes is off the air until January. Chime in now with your take on how to fix the show!

Granted, this headline is a bit misguided because Nathan Petrelli died at the conclusion of season three.

But blame NBC for the misleading storyline, as it hyped a "major Heroes death" for weeks, only to reveal that the victim in question has been technically dead for awhile.

Still, Monday's episode marks Nathan's final appearance on the show. Hopefully, the development will result in a solid installment that's viewed by more people than usual, such as former fans tuning in to say goodbye, as the series could use a major ratings boost.

It's currently the lowest-rated primetime drama on network television.

NBC has released a few photos from "The Fifth Stage," and they appear to depict Nathan's demise. Click on each one, going from left to right, to get a close look at what appears to be the character's death scene...

Will you miss Nathan on the show? Do you wish a different character was biting the dust? Chime in with a comment below or in our Heroes forum.

Also, follow this article's jump to view a trailer for Monday's new episode.

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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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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.