Heroes: chapter 4 has a name, Origins still alive?

Simon Brew

We know that chapter three of Heroes is called 'Villains' - but what's lined up after that?

There's a school of thinking that suggests last year's writers' strike in America came to the rescue of Heroes, a show whose second season was floundering and benefitted from being curtailed. Off the back of that, creator Tim Kring and his team have been able to shape what looks on paper like a more impressive third season (certainly if the early reaction to the screening of the first episode is anything to go by), and we can all find out when it starts broadcasting in September.

We've already known that the third chapter of Heroes will be entitled 'Villains', and we know that that'll encompass the first 13 episodes of season three. What we now also know is that the back 12 episodes of the season (making for 25 in all) will be grouped under the chapter heading 'Fugitives'.

On top of that, Kring has also briefly mentioned the planned spin-off, Heroes: Origins (which at one point had Kevin Smith attached to direct an episode). There may, he says, still be life in the project, although no more details have been forthcoming thus far.

For now, we just look forward to 'Villains', and suspect that it'll find Heroes slap-bang back on form...