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Heroes: "A Clear and Present Danger" Review
Not entirely terrible.

January 29, 2009 - Advance Review: A clean slate. That's what I'm giving Heroes. I'm going to forget about the ridiculous stories told in Volume Three and give Volume Four a chance to reel me in. I'm approaching "Fugitives" with an open mind and a necessary general knowledge of the basics of the characters. I know who's related to whom, and who has what power and which character is dealing with what issues. That's it. That's all I'll need. I'm giving the show a chance to redeem itself. I can't tell you the series has earned it, but I'm doing it anyway. I feel it's the only method I can use that might actually give me a shot at enjoying the rest of the season. So it's a clean slate for Heroes. A fresh start. And it's off to a so-so beginning.

It is months later in the series' timeline and everybody is trying to get back to a normal life. Normal, but guarded. As we saw in the finale of "Villains," Nathan Petrelli is putting a plan in motion to round up what he now considers a threat to America and the world: people with powers. There's little subtlety involved in the series as it compares the detention of the super-powered to similar events in history, from containment camps to Guantanamo Bay. But the series isn't exactly known for its subtlety, so the clunky dialogue talking about human rights and whatnot fit the status quo. Not that I'm complaining. Clean slate, remember.

Though the containment idea isn't exactly fresh, the execution of the plot in this volume opener was well done. More than once I found myself tensing up as the characters were being pulled from their lives. Thankfully, the episode doesn't waste too much time on reestablishing where everybody is. Peter is working as a paramedic, trying to save people again. Claire is looking at colleges, but wishing she could be out saving people. Hiro is still powerless, but he's devised a plan that will help him continue to try to save people. Parkman and Daphne are together, and neither one of them wants to save anybody. There are other reveals that were a bit more interesting, but I don't want to ruin the surprises.

Most of the character developments revealed in this episode make a lot of sense. With the whole "clean slate" idea in mind, I actually like what the series is doing with Hiro and Ando. It isn't the same old thing, but it still stays true to our basic understanding of the pair. Peter, Claire, Nathan and a few of the other big names have also made straightforward choices since last we saw them and that's a huge accomplishment compared to the first half of the season. I hope it keeps up. Unfortunately, not all the characters are given proper treatment. The writers clearly aren't sure what to do with Matt Parkman, and I'm very disappointed with what they've cooked up for the character. The series continues to rely too heavily on old tricks.

The real reward of the episode, however, is the intensity of the hero round up and the potential it brings to this new Volume. Emmy-winner Zeljko Ivanek (Damages) joins the cast and his presence, even in his limited scenes, is truly powerful. The episode unfolds at a great pace and some of the visuals and action sequences really connect. This was an aspect sorely missing from Volume Three. As I watched, there were more than a few moments where I actually found myself excited to be watching Heroes again.

Rating: 7.8

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Originally posted by Captain REX
Only thing that bothered me was that Peter needs to touch to gain powers now. Rogue FTW... Everything else was pretty superb.

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Originally posted by Mairuzu
I don't remember peter ever touching Ted

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Originally posted by Anti-Monitor
What I want to know is how Bennet is working with Nate?