Heroes: Season 2

     Rejoin the epic and suspenseful phenomenon as Heroes: Season 2 arrives on DVD! Experience all the new and exciting twists of the astonishing series in this 4-disc set that includes every gripping Season 2 episode. Plus see what could have been with exclusive bonus features that reveal the untold stories that never aired and an alternate ending to the season finale where the fate of humanity takes an ominous turn when Peter fails to catch the vial containing the deadly virus.

      Don't believe the hype: though some critics and viewers decried the sophomore season of the hit fantasy series Heroes, the core of the program remained as strong as in its debut network run. To be sure, the 2007-2008 Writers Guild strike hobbled the show, and producers stumbled by stranding two of its most intriguing characters: Super-charged Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) is taken out of the action after being struck with amnesia, while Hiro (Masi Oka) is sent to feudal Japan, where he encounters his own idol, Takezo Kenzei (David Anders). Both are overcomplicated story arcs, even by Heroes standards, and their connection to the rest of the season occasionally requires some mental gymnastics. But the crux of the season--the Company's development of the power-draining Shanti virus and its potentially devastating effects on both average citizens and superhumans like Niki Sanders (Ali Larter), The Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis) and primary villain Sylar (Zachary Quinto)--is solid, gripping material. The introduction of new characters like the lethal Maya (Dania Ramirez) and Kristen Bell as the electrically charged (in both the literal and figurative sense) Elle Bishop also up the dramatic stakes, even if their presence may require a scorecard for some viewers. In short, the few kinks in the armor of Heroes: Season 2 ultimately don't detract from the show's drive and vision. Season two spreads its supplemental features across all four of its discs; chief among these are commentary tracks by the cast and crew on all eleven episodes. The participating talent ranges from creator Tim Kring and stars Ventimiglia, Oka, Quinto and Greg Grunberg to composers Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin, which helps to provide a wide variety of information about almost every aspect of the show's production. Featurettes cover everything from the history of Takezo Kenzei to in-depth looks at scenes from the season, while "Untold Stories" explores storylines that were left unfinished due to the writers' strike. The key extras are, of course, the alternate ending to the season finale (which is unfortunately revealed by the rear cover-art text) and an info-heavy sneak peek at Season 3.

Comment:
    I think the 2nd season was well written and well played. On the other hand, I feel there should have been more than 11 episodes. All Eleven Episodes Grip of Extra Features Box Shipped in good condition This season, of course, is extremely short with 11 episodes, due the the writers strike last Fall. But given its problems, they really gave us one hell of a season finale. Its an awesome show with real people, not characters, but people. Looking forward to the new season. This is a great show. I first watched the pilot at Comic Con, and knew it would be a big hit.

The second season of "Heroes" stumbled with its story arc involving Hiro traveling back in time to feudal Japan. FYI, that subplot IS tied into the main plot of the second season. The focus here is on the Shanti Virus a concoction that can take away someone's powers but IS often lethal. There is also someone targeting those who were involved in the founding of "The Company". As with "Lost" the introduction of new characters was problematic--fans were more interested in finding out what happened to their favorites from season one. The show recovers somewhat by midset unfortunately the show was interrrupted by the Writer's Guild strike. I have no doubt that the second half of the second season would have made up for the stumbling start of season two based on what we find out in the extras but that didn't happen. 

The show looks extremely good in its DVD presentation. The extras are quite good as well which does make up for the diminished quality of the show. We get 11 commentary tracks. I haven't had time to listen to more than one or two of them but they are pretty good. If I'm not mistaken these are the audio versions of the video commentaries that were available on the "Heroes" website. 

A couple of the featurettes included here were also on the webiste. The most effective and interesting ones here are the preview of season three (which has some minor spoilers so you may want to wait to watch it if you want to be totally surprised)and a featurette that allows us to see how a series of scenes wer constructed. 

"Heroes" still has tremendous potential and here's hoping that the third season "Villians" is an improvement over the second season. This is a good set but isn't as strong or as good as the first season of "Heroes".