Review: Heroes, Episodes 3.1/3.2, "The Second Coming"/"The Butterfly Effect"

The third season of Heroes debuted yesterday with the broadcast of back-to-back episodes, both written by creator/showrunner Tim Kring. If the first two seasons seemed deliberately paced, this one begins like a runaway freight train.

Picking up right where the second season ended, with Nathan Petrelli getting shot at a press conference just as he was about to reveal his superpowers to the world, we quickly learn the surprising identity of the shooter and why Nathan was targeted. That's only the first of several twists presented over the course of the two episodes, as we catch up with most of the other characters. There are some apparent plot holes, but more likely the audience is being set up for more surprises.

The third season will have twenty-five episodes, with the first thirteen forming a story arc called "Villains." These two episodes quickly lay the groundwork for what's to come, presenting choices between good and evil that some characters will have to make.

Although I enjoyed the second season, there were times when the show seemed to be spinning its wheels. Kring acknowledged that mistakes were made and vowed to fix them. He did. Big time. Welcome back, Heroes.