Heroes, Lost and Sopranos…

Three of the TV shows I watch regularly… okay the only TV shows I watch regularly… have or are wrapping up for the season. I was so busy in the week leading up to my Orlando trip I was unable to watch the season finales of “Heroes” or “Lost” until well after the airdates, but I did get to see them eventually. “The Sopranos” is having it’s grand series finale on Sunday. Here are some thoughts on the shows:

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Heroes- I have to say I was a little disappointed in the finale. I thought it was all building up to a knock down-drag out between Sylar, Peter and some assorted mutants. The big fight scene was a giant dud. The implied one between Sylar and Peter in the ‘future’ episode was better. I thought Peter was finally growing a little backbone and not being such a whiny little wabbit anymore, but he barely put up a fight. In fact, Sylar had them all whipped but for some reason couldn’t stop a little Japanese man (with about one hour of sword fighting training from Mr. Sulu under his belt) from running him through, even though Hiro took a screaming, twenty foot run with the sword at him first. I was also unhappy that Sylar got away.

It goes without saying you need to suspend your disbelief in a major way with a show like this. However even given the acceptance of flying politicians and indestructible cheerleaders, they had some giant plot holes that were too conveniently ignored. They didn’t kill Sylar. Since he still has Ted’s powers, he can explode anytime he wants. In fact, why didn’t he just blow himself up while laying on the ground? Or in the sewer? Being too hurt doesn’t explain it, as a large premise of the plot has been that it takes control to KEEP from blowing up, not to do it. That makes no sense. The other major snafu was Nathan’s sudden appearance and sacrifice, carrying an about-to-go-nuclear Peter into the stratosphere so they would both die and save New York. Ummm, can’t Peter fly? Isn’t that the first power he absorbed? Why did he let his brother carry him and also die (presumably) when he could have just flown off himself? Why couldn’t Peter control the power when both Ted and Sylar seemed to be able to keep from going nuclear without much trouble?

Well, this show has been well written and very enjoyable all season, so I’ll have to forgive the unconvincing ending. The mention of an even worse villain than Sylar by the little girl was intriguing (more reason to wish they’d just killed Sylar) and the cliffhanger with Hiro in feudal Japan bodes well for next season. The announcement of the “filler” spinoff “Heroes: Origins” that will air during the long hiatus is also welcome. That sounds promising.

Lost- After floundering most of the season, “Lost” really got back in the groove the last 6 episodes. We are finally back to learning more about the island, the Others and what is really going on. The revelation that the rest of the world is being made to believe the passengers of Oceanic 815 are all dead, complete with found wreckage (were bodies found?) leads to more questions. Is it a cover up, or are they really dead and is this the afterlife? The creators said matter of factly in the outset of the show that it is not purgatory, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an afterlife of some kind.

I was totally taken by surprise at the end, when I realized the Jack scenes were not a flashback but a flash forward. I wondered about the beard and about the pills and booze, but I thought I was looking at his life after the tattooing incident and before his fateful flight. He mentions his Dad as being alive in one scene, and that kept any thought of anything other than a flashback from my mind. Good twist. The introduction of another party into the mix, ones that Ben insists are the real bad guys, also lends some new intrigue. What did Walt reveal to Locke to make him understand their purpose on the island? Dunno. I hope that with only 16 episodes a season over the next three seasons, we can expect more meaty episodes and less wheel-spinning in the future.

The Sopranos- This Sunday is the big end. I complained a lot about the ridiculously long time between seasons (almost two years in some cases), but when it was back I got hooked again right away. Very compelling TV.

Will Tony die at the end? I hope so. I hope everyone gets it. That’s one thing about this show… there are no good guys. There is not a single, likable character. Just when you feel sorry for one of them, they demonstrate traits that make you understand they deserve what they get. Tony is a sociopath with no conscience, or with one only as it suits his purpose. Carmela is a hypocrite, whining about her burdens and troubles while indulging in the financial spoils and social status the family business brings with little thought. A.J. has become so unlikable that having him get whacked would be on my Christmas list if the series lasted into the holidays. Meadow may be the only one with a hope of redemption, and she used to be a whiny little brat. Junior? Yuck.

The Sopranos themselves are all still alive while the crew has been dropping like flies. Surely they will not all survive, not unless Tony turns rat and goes into witness protection. I used to think that’s how it would all end… that he is selfish enough to give up on even his twisted sense of gang honor, and hypocritical enough to do it after killing one of his best friends for the same offense. Now I am more sure he’ll get killed.

Maybe they can do a crossover and Sylar can nuke New Jersey while Phil and his cronies are hunting for Tony, and we can all enjoy the moment!