‘Heroes’ Plans an Early Exit

TV Guide reports that the struggling Heroes is planning to shoot an alternate ending for its December 3 episode, which would serve as a season finale in case the writers strike scuttles further production. We have to say that this sounds like the smartest idea Heroes has had in a while; offering actual story closure while other shows are going to be stuck in the middle of their seasons might make the show satisfying again.

Meanwhile, over at the New York Times, Ginia Bellafante writes a long piece today about how she really likes Heroes and thinks the show is going great. Seriously?

“Heroes” borrows the stylistic elements of comic books and unfolds novelistically. But it derives its philosophy from theories of open-source culture that flourishes in the field of technology, the belief that some greater good can be better achieved through the collaboration of people joined by skills and affinities that transcend institutional allegiances. Some of the heroes are related by birth; others find one another haphazardly and bond over their shared talents. In the mind-set of Heroes, these sorts of affiliations surpass the efficiency of governments and companies. No other series on television aligns itself so affirmatively with the spirit of the Wiki age.

Well, sure, but you left out the part where it kind of stinks. Whatever, we don’t begrudge someone else her opinion; we wish we liked Heroes as much as Ginia Bellafante does. But is it weird that her piece exists in some kind of vacuum, and never once mentions that everyone else is totally annoyed with the show? Couldn’t she have even squeezed something in after this line, delivered after Bellafante describes Claire’s endless high-school travails?

Though Heroes traffics in themes of global terrorism, its willingness to veer into the vacation land of The OC makes it a lot easier to watch than something like 24.

It could just be a parenthetical. Here, we’ll write it! (Many fans find this season’s digressions and longueurs deeply frustrating and have taken to complaining about the show’s quality in magazines, newspapers, and websites.) We know they’re the Paper of Record, but would that be so hard?

Strike Fallout: Heroes Prepping Season Finale! [TV Guide]

Earlier: ‘Heroes’: Claire Must Die, For the Greater Good