Heroes: Tim Kring, Veronica Mars, and various musings...

[fajrdrako]

raissad (and my friend StarWolf too) pointed me to this interview with Heroes creator Tim Kring.

Kring: ''We assumed the audience wanted season 1 — a buildup of intrigue about these characters and the discovery of their powers. We taught [the audience] to expect a certain kind of storytelling. They wanted adrenaline."

No, it isn't adrenaline I want, it's good tight meaningful stories with intriguing characters. The Maya/Alejandro theme might have been better if they'd been more interesting people, portrayed differently - but 'running and crying' is not characterization or plot.

''We took too long to get to the big-picture story,'' he says.

We do need to know what the stakes are - what we're watching. A slow build-up still has to have a hook.

Hiro's (Masi Oka) time-bending adventure in 17th-century Japan ... ''should have [lasted] three episodes. We didn't give the audience enough story to justify the time we allotted it.''

So very true. Hiro is always adorable, but there was nothing much happening in Japan. Yaeko and Kensei didn't justify the screen-time they got. Their story was bland. Actually, I thought it as more interesting to see Ando reading Hiro's letters, than to see Hiro's adventures.

The problem (as I see it) was that even though we are to suppose that both Hiro and Kensei loved Yaeko, we didn't see it because there was almost no focus on Yaeko at all. The story was about Hiro and Kensei, who were more focussed on each other than on her. That made the romance very unconvincing. And at the end? Hiro sacrificed his love for her - abandoned her, even though she loved him. Kensei remains important to his story, though he doesn't know it. Yaeko doesn't. She's an excuse for a fight, no more.

Kring regrets sticking Claire (Hayden Panettiere) with a super-dud boyfriend

The problem isn't really with West, dull though he is. The problem is with Claire.

If West had an interesting personality, the story might have worked, but he's a sort of pushy Clark-Kent clone - with none of the characteristics that make Clark Kent at least potentially interesting. The only interesting thing about West so far is the mark on his neck.

Worse, the relationship has made Claire regress several years and change her personality. It wasn't long ago that she was grateful for her father for saving her and saving the world. Really, in her self-centred sulkiness with the new life she's leading, she seems more like six than sixteen. I don't have much sympathy for Claire at the moment.

Since Kirsten Bell is in the story now, I was comparing Claire Bennett and Veronica Mars in my mind. Both are pretty blondes from California. They can only be, at most, two years apart in age at the beginning of the story. Both are unpopular at school. Each loves her father very much. Each is struggling with recent personal trauma - in Veronica's case, date rape and the murder of her best friend; in Claire's case, strange physical powers and attack by a supervillain, not to mention the narrow avoidance of nuclear holocaust. Each has had a change in circumstances - for Claire, a move to Texas and a change of name; for Veronica, her father lost his job and her mother walked out. Each has boyfriend troubles: Veronica was dumped by Duncan; Claire is seeing West without telling her father.

So why is it that Veronica, despite her convincing problems, was umpteen times more mature, smart, witty, entertaining, and resourceful than Claire? And why did I like Claire so much more last year, when she appeared to be maturing emotionally by leaps and bounds?

It isn't that I want Claire Bennet to be like Veronica Mars, or that I'd like West to be Logan. I just want Claire's story to be interesting.

And that's the one 'candid' point that Tim Kring doesn't make: that the female characters in Heroes just aren't as interesting or well-written as the men.

Comments

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

Interesting... though I'm not really ready for the season to be over in another three episodes. Guess the writer's strike may mean it will be whether we want it or not. I'd just like to see them sit down and fix the things he thinks they can fix. Romance really ISN'T a good fit on this show. It's just never been written believably. And that's okay. I don't need romance. A lot of great friendships and interesting connections give me more than enough subtext to create romance on my own if I want it. I just want the fire back. The last episode seemed like a strong step in the right direction.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Guess the writer's strike may mean it will be whether we want it or not.

That depends on a lot of things, including how long the strike lasts. It may not last long at all. It might change everything. We shall see.

If they could write romance properly - and there's no reason they can't - romance would fit on this show as well as on any. They just haven't found the right angle, and there's no reason they should, or that they need to. It's the shoehorning it in when it doesn't fit the characters or make a good story, that's the problem.

So I'm not really looking for romance themes in "Heroes", but I'm not against them, either. I just want them, if they happen, to be worthy of the characters involved. A lot depends on acting ability and the scripts. I think many people liked the Claire/Peter chemistry - until he turned out to be her uncle.

And yes, there is terrific subtext.

The last episode seemed like a strong step in the right direction.


I agree! Looking forward to next week.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

No, I'm not against romance in Heroes by any means, but I also don't feel it's needed. Some shows need some sexual tension... this one has enough interesting connections without the sexual angle being necessary. That isn't to say I wouldn't enjoy well written romance on the show if it became appropriate, I just don't feel that, like you said, they need to force it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And clearly, when they try to force it, it doesn't work - so it's better for them not to.

We as fans can find plenty of ways to amuse ourselves in the meantime.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

We as fans can find plenty of ways to amuse ourselves in the meantime.

So true! :)

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

My best friend's b/f was at the library today checking out VM season three, haha. He scolded me for not keeping up on it. :O

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well, if the library has the DVDs, you can always catch up! Wonderful show, but sadly truncated.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I can, but it kind of lost me at one point and I lost interest. Maybe I can try again...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Don't if it wasn't working for you! I thought first season was brilliant, but it's all one basic story arc. Second season wandered, and hte story arc was weaker. Third... wandered even more. They started depending on the characters rather than the plot.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I loved season one but it was very concentrated on her friend's death and I liked that. Second two was ok, didn't get very far in season three.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Season 3 never really figured out what it was doing or where it was going. At least they finished up the murder plot. I wanted more about Logan, though.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes, more Logan is always important.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I thought so! At that point I wanted a spin-off show, "Logan Echolls".