Now that volume two of Heroes has come to an end, we’re free to discuss, debate, and question things for months to come. One of the most divisive things the show did in season two was introduce a bevy of new characters, causing fans to brawl over who was worth keeping and who needed to die instantly. Like any Heroes fan, I have my own thoughts on who I’d like to see more of, and who I hope mysteriously disappears before volume three begins.
Maya (Dania Ramirez) and Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz): I think the problem with these two, also known as the Blunder Twins, was the way they were introduced into the series. They originally had no connection to any of the main characters, and while on the run they seemed to have scene after scene of Maya killing people, crying about it, and then being calmed down by Alejandro. It was repetitive, obnoxious, and just plain boring. Their storyline perked up a bit when Sylar entered the picture, but I still found it frustrating that neither character played an important role in the events of volume two, especially given their massive amount of screen time. Sylar already killed Alejandro. Can Maya please be next?
Elle (Kristen Bell): Elle can shoot lightning from the tips of her fingers, but strangely enough that’s the least interesting aspect of her character. I was instantly fascinated by the flirtatious sense of danger Kristen Bell brought to her role, and she only became more interesting once we learned more of her back story. Here is a girl whose own father ran tests on her when she was young, erased her memories, and forced her to live in a holding facility for sixteen years. She never learned how to properly interact with the world, and she especially never learned how to interact with the opposite sex. Elle’s internal damage is wonderfully intriguing to me, and I look forward to seeing more of her when the series returns.
West (Nicholas D’Agosto): Let me just come out and admit that I had an intense dislike for creepy West from his very first episode. Once he busted out with that horrible “are you a robot or an alien” question he lost me, and things only got worse when he became a weird stalker who would peer into Claire’s window at night. Ick. I thought that the character may end up being secretly evil, which would have made him slightly more tolerable, but it wasn’t meant to be. West ended up like a betrayed, lovesick puppy, moping around feeling upset that he was once experimented on by the Company. Now that he’s no longer attached to Claire, I have high hopes that he’ll fly away and never come back.
Adam Monroe (David Anders): When I first heard that ancient hero Takezo Kensei was to be played by blond haired, blue eyed David Anders, I was quite confused. It was a great twist to have Hiro’s idol turn out to be a drunk and a scoundrel, and Kensei, or Adam Monroe, only got more intriguing from there. I liked seeing his evolution from bumbling braggart to evil mastermind as the centuries went on, and my only disappointment was that we didn’t get to see more of his evil ways. How great would it be if Sylar dug him out of his early grave, and they teamed up to take down the heroes? A team of supervillains would definitely make volume three more exciting and action packed.
Monica (Dana Davis): Monica easily has one of the coolest powers on the show. If I were able to mimic everything I saw on television I could do martial arts while sewing a runway gown made out of trash bags, amongst other more useful things. However, a great power doesn’t necessarily make for an interesting character, and unfortunately Monica is as boring as they come. The writers’ attempts to make her a victim of the tragedy in New Orleans was poorly integrated, and again, like Maya and Alejandro, she just didn’t contribute to the overall plot of the season. Throw in a distracting fake accent, and the fact that she can do martial arts but can’t untie a knot when she’s in a burning building, and you’re left with one of the most useless characters in the series.
Heroes is a show built around many fantastic characters, but it’s also a series that could easily become overstuffed. When we finally get to see volume three, I hope the show sticks to the wonderful ensemble it already has. However, more villains are always welcome.
– Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
