"Heroes" returned to Fox Monday night to an audience who wasn't sure they wanted to continue watching the show. Previously in season three, just about every character underwent major changes and acted completely contrary to their previously established traits. The show was rapidly losing popularity, as the writers turned everything we had once known and loved about the show upside down. Tuning back in to the series for the continuation of the season was a risky task, but one that ended up being worth it.The first half of season three left audiences with mixed emotions. Apparently, the villain since season one, Sylar, had been killed off, but at what cost? Peter Petrelli and Hiro Nakamura lost their powers and seem to be out of luck in terms of getting them back, and some of the other characters appeared to have completely lost their minds. Heck, the first half of the season even had some people liking Sylar for a while! It seemed that season three could go nowhere but downhill from there, taking the entire show with it.Then, writers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb were fired.May the "Heroes" fans rejoice, the show is returning to how it was in season one!What made the show so popular in its first season was its focus on the characters. The story line was simple, but the characters were rich and complex. One of the crucial aspects that made the show so fascinating was watching the diverse characters interact with each other. As writers, Alexander and Loeb were more focused on action and twists in the story. While the twists are shocking, and were often used in the first season to shock the viewers, it seemed like every episode in the second season and first half of the third season contained one of these twists, taking the show from intriguing to absurd.The second half of season three is already showing much more promise. One of my favorite scenes harked back to season one, when Peter and Mohinder first met in a taxi cab. The two jokingly review that dialogue, commenting on how things have changed. This scene is also refreshing because Mohinder is no longer going crazy, though he does have powers. The basis of this season is Nathan Petrelli's plan to round up all the people with super powers and 'detain' them - hence the name of Volume Four of the series is "Fugitives." The newest episode ended with a plane crash. Let's hope that instead of taking a nosedive, the show continues to get better from here on out.
