Too Many Heroes in the Kitchen

Is it just the Bag Man or is everyone on Heroes a Meta, an extraordinary human with special powers? In the past few episodes “Heroes” creator Tim Kring has introduced us to several new power infused characters.

• D.L., the gang-member father who can phase through solid objects.
• Micah, son of D.L. and split-personality-internet vixen Niki/Jessica Sanders, revealed his ability to magically communicate with electronics.
• And now we have a Meta, Ted, with some form of radioactive-fire power, possibly the same power that Hiro saw cause the destruction of New York City in the future. Ted blatantly forshadows the inevitable. “Maybe I’ll wipe out this entire city like an atomic bomb.” Which would also mean one of my earlier theories was right. Whoever Syler is, he can somehow take control of another Meta’s powers.

Don’t get me wrong, the characters’ powers are all done well, but has anyone noticed the excessive number of side plots in this virgin show. The Bag Man’s just suffering from a super-powered subplot overload. Most of these side plots revolve around civil-relationship disputes: a wife-crippling cheating Nathan, Peter’s threesome, Mark Parkman’s unfaithful wife and the dysfunctional Bennett and Petrelli families.

Hopefully, over the next few episodes, the writers start focusing on the developing the characters they have, rather than introducing new people and powers. Save that for season two. We’re having enough trouble trying to figure out if Niki has real powers or if she’s just some split personality reject. My guess is that when she gets angry she turns into the pseudo-Hulk, just without the green-juiced-up-gamma-ray muscle.

Let’s see if the creative team can pull all these seperate story lines together seemlessly. The Bag Man is betting that if anyone can do it Kring can.