Heroes Season 4 DVD review

The fourth and final season of Tim Kring’s Heroes arrives on DVD. But does it conclude the show on a high? Julian finds out...

The first season of Heroes remains a landmark moment in television. Taking Watchmen‘s ‘if superheroes existed’ thesis to its natural conclusion, the show’s realisation of the ultimate nerd fantasy of ordinary people with extraordinary powers and subtle nods to comic book tropes was a revelation, producing one of TV’s all time great villains, the delightfully menacing Sylar. Then it all fell apart.

The fun, frenetic pace of the first season was almost completely absent from its follow-up. In a jarring and completely misjudged shift of tone, the show became more about the nefarious dealings of the mysterious ‘Company’ and less about character development and the simple joy of watching a cheerleader mend her own bloody and broken shinbone. (The season also introduced the worst superpower ever: the ability to kill by dilating your pupils.) Admittedly, this was partially as a result of the 07/08 US writers’ strike, but the show never recovered critically, haemorrhaging viewers at an alarming pace.

In following this unmitigated disaster, Tim Kring and co attempted to return to the heart of what made the show such a blast in the first place and, a handful of ridiculous plot points aside, they have been reasonably successful. However, viewers had lost faith and, in February, the show was officially axed by NBC.

However, with the fourth and final season going back to basics, as well as injecting some much needed warmth and depth into several previously underdeveloped characters, Heroes definitely went out with a bang.

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Season four follows the characters attempts to return to normality following the tragic events of Nathan Petrelli’s death at the hands of Sylar. In an attempt to keep his death a secret, psychic ex-cop Matt Parkman enters an unconscious and powerless Sylar’s mind, convincing him he is Nathan. All does not go to plan, however, as Sylar’s subdued consciousness worms its way into Matt’s head, taunting him and attempting to force Parkman to restore his identity by any means necessary.

Hiro Nakamura, previously just a loveable, if highly one-dimensional, comic book nerd, is finally given some depth, after discovering he is terminally ill with a brain tumour. Following a mysterious encounter with shadowy carnival owner Samuel Sullivan (played to creepy perfection by Prison Break‘s Robert Knepper), Hiro decides to use his time travelling powers to change tragic or regretful moments in his past, often to destructive effect.

The majority of the plot revolves around the arrival of Samuel’s peculiar fair. As self-healing cheerleader-turned-fresher Claire Bennet soon discovers, it is much more than a travelling freak show. The carnival is a tight knit group of ‘heroes’ travelling under the radar. However, as Samuel tries to convince Claire to join his family, things may not be as they appear.

With season four, the creators have finally realised what it is viewers loved about Heroes in the first place. Like all good comic books, the series is a rollercoaster ride, with an engaging (if a tad stupid) plot, and a plethora of dastardly villains. Characters are given conflict that, for a change, is genuinely thrilling. Hiro’s awful dilemma is particularly heartbreaking, bringing some essential empathy to what was previously the show’s increasingly tired comic relief.

Although it may have proven too little, too late for casual viewers, the season is a worthy farewell to what deserves to be remembered as one TV’s most enjoyable shows.

Extras

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The set comes loaded with bonus features. As well as the obligatory (and incredibly generous) selection of deleted scenes, the discs also come with several interesting featurettes.

The highlight is Deconstructing Sylar, an engaging discussion between executive producer Adam Armus, series creator Tim Kring and the man himself, Zachary Quinto, about the character’s origins and evolution into one of the great modern fantasy villains. Also of note is Genetics Of A Scene, a selection of films that investigate how several key scenes were constructed, from initial storyboarding to filming.

The series features a couple of brief interviews with cast members, as well as various behind-the-scenes documentaries, including a look at the design work of Samuel’s carnival, a diary of the casts’ 2007 promotional tour of the globe, and a couple of touching looks at Heroes fandom.

Alongside several episodes of the BBC’s Heroes Unmasked ‘supplement’ series, the set also comes with cast and crew commentaries. Disappointingly, however, on only a couple of episodes.

Episodes:

4 stars
Disc:

Heroes Season 4 will be released on October 4 and can be pre-ordered from the Den Of Geek Store.

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Rating:

4 out of 5