Two will fall. Who will fall? That’s what I hope to figure out. Last night’s Heroes ended with a preview of the Volume 2 finale, and the promo promised that two Heroes will fall. Sure, I could spend this column discussing the waste of time that is Micah and Monica’s subplot, or the fact that Parkman learning about Victoria Pratt last week is obviously pointless since she’s dead now, or the unbelievable plot twist that Mohinder and Parkman would leave Molly with a babysitter.
But instead, let’s look to the future. Pretty much nothing can save season 2 from being viewed as a creative disappointment, but the Heroes team can still come through with an impressive set-up for Volume 3. This can start by killing off a whole lot of people.
Promos are notoriously misleading, but let’s examine it anyway. To make this work, you need to grant me two premises: the first is that by “fall,” the show means “die.” The second is that by “Heroes” they mean evolved humans and not simply characters on the show. Now that we’ve agreed, let’s figure out what two Heroes will die next week!
In last night’s recap, I asked the readers to guess who they thought would die. With more than 350 votes, the results are clear. One-third of all votes went to Niki (Ali Larter), which bodes poorly for the ex-stripper. Next on the list is Maya with 15 percent. After that, the rest of the choices were pretty close, though West and Sylar (the two I initially predicted) come in third and fourth. Then there are four Heroes fans think are definitely safe: Parkman has just two percent, Peter and Micah are at just one percent, while Claire, the indestructible cheerleader, is sitting the prettiest with zero percent of the votes.
Now, onto my own well-informed, educated analysis:
NO CHANCE OF DYING: Elle, Adam, Parkman
The rationale for these choices is purely practical. When Kristen Bell first signed on, it was for 13 episodes. Thus far, she’s appeared in four. Unless she spends Volume 3 as a ghost, Elle is not going anywhere. The other two choices I credit to myself. In our exclusive BuddyTV interviews with David Anders and Greg Grunberg, they spoke about what their stories in Volume 3 will be, and while they could’ve been lying, I trust that they are both coming back.
UNLIKELY TO DIE: Nathan, Peter, Hiro, Claire, Micah and Monica
The first four are pretty much at the core of the series. The Petrelli brother dynamic, the cheerleader, and the time traveler who saves the world are the bedrock of Heroes, and the show would suffer greatly if any of these four were removed. They’re also the four big stars, and NBC would be unwise to let any of them slip away. As for the two kids, though they’re in trouble, it’s unlikely Heroes will kill of a child, especially an African-American child, and double especially an African-American child living in a post-Katrina New Orleans.
VERY LIKELY TO DIE: Bob, West, Sylar, Maya, Molly
Bob, West and Molly are all credited as guest stars, which raises an immediate red flag in my book. You know who else was credited as a guest star? Alejandro. Bob and West could easily sacrifice themselves to save the blonde girls they love (Bob’s daughter Elle and West’s girlfriend Claire). Molly and Maya are both spending time with Sylar, which is a recipe for death. As for Sylar, we all know Zachary Quinto is starring in the new Star Trek film, and since it’s hard to be in two places at the same time, he may just have to get killed off.
DEAD ALREADY: Niki
When last night’s episode ended, I immediately picked West and Sylar to die. Then I read your comments, saw the votes in our poll, and slept on it. Now it’s clear: Niki has to die. First, there’s no point to this entire New Orleans subplot unless it leads to something big. Second, she was infected by the Shanti Virus, and even though Mohinder has a cure, he’s been sidetracked by Sylar kidnapping Molly. Third, Monica and Micah are in danger, and Niki will most likely be forced into a situation where she must sacrifice herself to save her son, which we know she would do in a heartbeat. Given all this evidence, I would be surprised if Niki didn’t die in next week’s finale.
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
