‘Heroes’: Quality Reporting Takes Two in the Chest

Two heroes would die, we were told in the advertisements leading up to last night’s “season” “finale” of Heroes. Our overriding emotion on hearing this, other than mild drowsiness, was relief: This show has too many damned characters. But who would it be? It is telling that the prevailing drama heading into the final episode was not “Will the heroes save the world?” but “Whom can we get rid of?”

So, their choices: Nathan Petrelli and (presumably) Niki Sanders. The comely Ms. Larter met her demise in a fire set by some deus ex gangbanger, and Petrelli went down in the ultimate example of how creatively bankrupt this season has been: He was shot in the chest. It’s funny how a show about superheroes has had a ton of freaking guns this year.

Nathan was shot because he was about to expose the worldwide superhero infestation; it was convenient for the shooter to wait until he was just about to make the dramatic statement to fire. Now, far be it from us to question the professional diligence of the journalists of the Heroes universe, but one would think that shooting one of the three men gathered at a press conference wouldn’t necessarily stop the truth from coming out. Surely, one Seymour Hersh wannabe might think to, you know, walk up to Peter or Matt and ask, “So, sir … mind telling us what that was all about?”

But alas, we appear destined for another season — whenever that season begins — of tired, “I’m tired of hiding and running!” proclamations from cheerleader Claire, worried looks from Mohinder about his increasingly dull philosophical crises, and our horn-rimmed Noah showing off how much better a dad he is than Steven Tobolowsky. The show is set to return in 2008, now that the reset button has been hit and “Volume Two” has been shuttered. We encourage Tim Kring and the crew to take their time and try to think this one through. –Will Leitch

Related: Niki Sanders, Loving Mother and Sociopath, Dies at 33
Nathan Petrelli, Ex-Bearded Ex-Congressman, Dies at 40