What I’m Watching: Heroes Reborn (Series Finale)

Heroes Reborn: Season 1, Episode 13 “Project Reborn” (D-)

I think the reason that I kept watching the original series and this reboot is that I thought that it was the type of show that I should like, but it just never got there. This finale was a clear reminder that it was never worth it, and this show was built around the same type of flawed, absurd construction that made the original show hit an unbearable nadir a few seasons in. This show’s concept of time travel is mind-bogglingly bad, highlighted in this final hour by Tommy feeling a need to rush or go back somewhere in the middle of dealing with one problem when he can literally stop time and nothing will happen. Running into his future self from a few moments later was reminiscent of a Harry Potter time-travel mistake where the future only happens because it already affected and directly caused the past, and therefore shouldn’t be taken seriously. The whole idea that first Hiro and then Tommy was trapped inside a video game didn’t help this show to be taken terribly seriously. Tommy going back to the moment before HRG got killed and showing him that he had to be the conduit between him and Malina and then asking him what to do as if he didn’t know was a bit hard to believe, but I guess this show needs some drama. The moral of the story is that, while some characters, like Luke and Quentin, can be redeemed, part of that comes with having to kill the ones they love who couldn’t see the light, hardly a pleasant image of concept. The notion of our powered friends becoming unlikely heroes because they were stationed in a hospital is positive, but it’s a little late to be starting fresh. And, for some inexplicable reason, we got a weird hint that a potentially evil Peter Petrelli is coming back even though NBC officially confirmed that the show will not be coming back last week. I’m more than done, and I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time watching this season..

Series grade: D+
Series MVP: Zachary Levi as Luke