Settle this, Malcolm X style (by any means necessary); there can be a middle ground, folks.

Now, NBC has a ratings problem across the board, (Chuck is down significantly from Deal or No Deal last season, and Journeyman is pretty much last of the new non-CW shows) which is bringing Heroes down with it. But you can't pin any specific decline on the show itself, because it doesn't exist this season. Ratings are not the problem.

Maybe the "hidden" good news is that they will focus on Heroes first, repair it, and then be open to a spin off once it is healthy again.

Here's hoping West (HEROES) and the SWEDE (FNL) conspire to convince HRG that DAN is the "Boogeyman."

"You'll condemn yourself to hell!"

"I know."

This seems like a good new way to get rid of screenwriters you signed on it a fit of insane generousity but later bitterly regretted (re Eli Roth, Kevin Smith). At least this way, you get out of it with a little grace (see Silent Bob getting the hoof off of GALACTICA by Ron Moore, complete with shit "I forgot, we double booked" excuse!).

But starting a strike just because you can't say "I don't love you any more" may seem more than a little harsh. Damn those heartless Hollywood suit fucks!!!

And regarding Heroes: Origins....who knows if this is a good thing or not that it's being axed. Perhaps they would have had a much better approach with just one story to focus on a time...

Note: I'm just stating facts, not criticizing Chuck.

Note: I'm just stating facts, not criticizing Chuck.

Note: I'm just stating facts, not criticizing Chuck.

TV shows have writers?

I've worked for SAG/AFTRA and the WGA. All 'strikes' have been bullshit for more than 20+ years. All parties have planned their strikes with whom they plan to strike against.

Here's an idea: Write a contract that foresees beyond your big toe, bitches! Hell, I'm guild and I know this simple rule.

This is yet another union that needs to look strong to those that can't think beyond their recently bought Dachshund they bought a Bee costume for for Halloween.

But please...keep blaming the producers that pay UP FRONT for actors, lighting, film stock, extras, food, general production, set design, marketing, special effects, and everything else. They pay out, you get paid up front. And the problem is what?

Seriously?

T he problem is you as a writer work harder than a person that builds a house? Does a heart transplant? Designs a rocket?

Grow up and take charge of your life. So few of you are 'artists'. Many more are storefront trained performers. You need to step down, take your nice pay for your one idea and fade.

How's that for public support?

Oh hey, G@be, thanks for the fucking essay, douche. Off-topic much?

How about an episode where Matt uses his powers to solve a case and catch some bad guys. Or have Claire use her power to do something good instead of doing something stupid and childish.

The perfect example of this is Hiro's adventure in Japan. That could have been a cool story arc that would have taken place over four or five episodes. Instead the story is pushed to the background as a series of flashbacks told through stories that Ando is reading off little slips of paper.

I was looking forward to Heroes: Origins just to see some more focused stories and less filler.

I think ratings absolutely played a part in this decision, but probably wasn't the only factor.

To drastically oversimplify the issues, the main deal is... have you ever bought or rented a TV show on DVD or downloaded one from iTunes or watched streaming video on the network web sites? Well the writers who created those shows would like part of the profits. Also, the people who write for the reality shows want credit and pay instead of getting buried as "creative consultants"

I support the creators, not the suits.

I agree with the above poster who said reality shows can never replace scripted TV, but for a different reason. The more the main broadcast networks air reality shows, the better it is for networks like TV Land, Nick and Nite, TNT etc. which specialize in showing classic scripted series.

Someone thought the Wolverine movie was patterning it's title after the Heroes spin-off. first I heard of it, but anyway, didn't Marvel have a Wolverine graphic novel called "Origins" several years ago? Yes, they did.

Until S6 of 24, it started fast and kept going. S6 started fast and then dissolved into mush, but that is another tb, another day.

So the plan some seem to support is that each new season of Heroes can start with 6 or so dull episodes until it finds its legs again? Why set low expectations?

I would hope that fan reaction this season will RAISE expectations on the writers for S3, not endorse mediocre starts each season.

It appears that 24 got the message last season, and apparently Bionica is getting a mid-season reaming and retooling. Don't buy in to "well, as long as it gets going about halfway thru, that is okay" and the writers will have to step up their game.

and a successful Origins spin-off would be good, too.

maybe they will just focus on Heroes for now, and go back to the Origins idea later...

That dog don't hunt....

In season 2, Heroes have no purpose, and begin acting like people with powers and abusing them, or, even more fatal to a Story, using them to be dull: "let's use our powers to get you on the cheerleading squad, let's use powers to jump rope, let's use powers to hide in pubs, let's use powers to write little notes and hide them in swords, let's have people with powers spend a lot of time sleeping on screen, but, above all, let's NOT have anyone with powers do anything Heroic.

So far the only character doing anything remotely interesting is HRG--who mysteriously was able to retain his cahones from S1.

I want Heroes to be like S1, not with the "slow start formula" but with the writing that made me say "is it over ALREADY?" at the end. So far, S2 has me looking at my watch and thinking "is it over YET?"

It will now be retitled CSI: HEROES and magically its ratings will skyrocket back up. Which the more and more I think about it, is really not a bad plan!

Oh, and anyone trying to be SUCH an apologist for HEROES and its truly dismal and shitty writing this year by arguing "Sure it's been slow, but last year started slow too!" is TRULY CLUELESS. Chromedome above was right on target by pointing out the most basic notion of all: just because Season 1 started that way, that's no reason to think Season 2 should have had the exact same structure versus hitting the ground running and keeping the momentum FROM Season 1 going.

Besides if that's your argument -- and assuming the show survives to a Season 3 -- I guess we can expect Tim Kring and company to pull the same bullshit all over again...which means you now know that you don't have to bother watching Season 3 till after Christmas or into the Spring when any plotlines would FINALLY be moving with SOME degree of interest. But, hey, think of the up side -- you'll save an hour of your life each week during the Fall NBC season...

;-)

Heroes' producers and writers would be truly afraid if they realized how seldom so much agreement occurs on AICN.

check Mark Evanier's NewsFromME site for updates from the pro writers POV.

I have nothing against sub-titles, it's subtleties I can't stand. I want to be hit over the head with every plot point clearly spelled out - and no large ensemble casts or shows with more than two ongoing plots at a time! No more subtlety!

Fortunately, Heroes and Events have aligned themselves to Save The Cheerleader's Spot On The Squad, Thus Saving the World.

Take THAT, Stupid SplodoVirus!

And wait.

and wait....