NETWORK: NBC
AIR DATE: September 22, 2008
STARRING: Kristen Bell, Jack Coleman, Noah Gray-Cabey, Greg Grunberg, Ali Larter, James Kyson Lee, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, Zachary Quinto, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Dania Ramirez, and Milo Ventimigilia
CREATED BY: Tim Kring

Even Sylar knows last season of Heroes had problems. With all the buzz about a restart to the show from within, even from creator Tim Kring, do you think it's a coincidence that Sylar (Zachary Quinto) refers to his adventures in Mexico last year as "like a long night after a bad taco"? We know how he feels. So, does the reboot take? I've got good news, Heroes fans. It's only one episode, but things look very promising. I was more frustrated than most with season two of Heroes. The show started to feel like an obligation. I had to watch just because I had already committed so much time to the show. Now, after one episode, I not only want to see the second chapter of "Villains", I can't wait.

The writers of Heroes maintain the standard structure for the premiere of Volume Three - "Villains", Chapter One - "The Second Coming". Almost every episode of Heroes focuses on three or four settings and plotlines that involve (usually) two to three characters. This week's adventures feature Mohinder & Maya, Claire & Sylar, Hiro & Ando, and Nathan, Peter, & Matt. The episode opens, however, with a different pairing in a different time. A running Peter comes across a gun-wielding Claire four years in the future. Clearly, the future is messed up yet again and heavy on black leather outfits. How messed up is the world of tomorrow? Claire tells Peter that she's always loved him before she shoots him. But it's hard to kill a man who can stop time, and the whinier Petrelli does just that before zapping back to present day and pulling the trigger on his brother before the politician can tell the world about his powers. Apparently, the dark future exists because of the general population's awareness of our favorite heroes (shades of Singer's X-Men movies), and 2012 Peter wants to prevent that from ever happening. Post-shooting, Nathan flatlines and dies. But not for long. He bounces back to miraculous life and credits not his powers, but, believe it or not, God.

Meanwhile, Claire opens her bedroom door to rush to her father's side only to find Sylar waiting for her in the hallway. An expertly staged showdown follows with Sylar trying to steal the impervious (and, arguably, most important) hero's powers. At the same time, Mohinder is dealing with the deadly Maya, who has come to him for a cure, and Hiro is learning that he holds a potentially deadly secret that could be one of the keys to the dark future awaiting mankind. Jessica/Nikki and Matt only have minor scenes and, still my favorite character, Claire's dad doesn't even have a line.

What's the purpose of the first issue of a new comic book series? Set enough plates spinning to keep readers counting the days until the next one hits the stands. Heroes 3.1 does exactly that, and in a significantly better way than anything that happened in season two. The writers recognized that there wasn't enough of the basic theme of Heroes in that sophomore season - good vs. evil. By sending Sylar to Mexico, Peter overseas, and Hiro to the past, they drained the show of its urgency. They correct that storytelling flaw quickly in the premiere of season three. It's almost TOO crowded with storytelling. We meet a new superpowered character - the speedster - who could be good or bad. Two characters undergo a major transformation and a vision of the future makes clear that a third major character has some interesting days ahead of him.

But it's not just the storytelling that's interesting in 3.1. There's a thematic confidence that was missing last year. Of course, we've done the "heroes need to save the future" thing before, but the faith vs. science issue that Nathan's resurrection brings to the show could be very interesting, and the third season will clearly deal with issues of free will. Both themes raise fascinating questions, and it's always questions that need to be answered that bring viewers back week to week. Did God give them their powers? Are they actually angels? And if you could be a hero tomorrow, would you? What would you be willing to sacrifice? The tone and pacing of this third season already feel darker, more urgent, and more entertaining. If the writers can keep it up, Heroes will not only be back to the prime it displayed in season one, but it will very quickly surpass it.