SPOILER WARNING

Wow. The finale of “Heroes” Volume 2 was fantastic. It had everything I could have asked for with Sylar back in action, a dramatic showdown over the Shanti virus, surprising heroes rising into action, and a hell of a surprise finish. The best may have been how the episode put all of the main characters in key roles and brought many of them together in the way fans have been waiting for all season.

The thing that I really liked about the episode include:

• The use of Hiro’s powers in a confrontation. Volume 1’s finale left fans a little disappointed with the way Sylar was brought down by Hiro. Hiro’s part in Adam’s takedown was much more dramatic and believable.
• Elle. Not only is she beautiful, she is a fantastic wildcard. I really like how she was used in the finale in a positive role.
• The presence of Nathan. One of first season’s best characters was all but forgotten this season. He played a key role and his speech provided for a shocking conclusion.
• How Mrs. Petrelli is a master wordsmith and a constant enigma. I’m aware that the power of her speech is her true power, but what is her true agenda?
• The characters that the writer’s chose to kill. Nikki’s death was predictable and long coming, but Nathan’s made for an excellent surprise. I didn’t think Maya would survive Sylar’s wrath, but I was pleasantly surprised.
• Finally, that the writers opted to set up Volume 3 even though it’s unknown when the first episode may air.

Let’s face it, Volume 2 did not start off to the glamorous success as Volume 1, but I thought it concluded just as well, if not better. I wasn’t really sure how well it would work when I found out that Volume 2 would end mid-season, primarily because of the writer’s strike, but I think the decision actually dramatically enhanced the quality of episodes after that point. The second half of Volume 2 was very exciting and culminated with an excellent finale.

The only problem now is the writer’s strike. What will be the fate of “Heroes?” When will we get to see the next episode? I have to believe that “Heroes: Origins” is canceled for this winter. Will the idea ever come to fruition?

Without question, ‘Truth and Consequences’ was an excellent episode of “Heroes.”  Tonight’s episode felt just like an episode from last season. The episode was full of suspense and plot twists and the story lines of the characters are finally beginning to come together. Though the episodes this season were a little weak early on, the recent episodes have all been fantastic. Tonight’s was one of the best.

One thing that I really liked was the presence of Sylar. I think Sylar is one of the best characters on the show because he makes a fantastic villain. When Sylar is in an episode, none of the characters’ lives are safe and that adds a nice element of suspense.

I also like how the writers have guaranteed a showdown next episode with the close of tonight’s. I really like Peter, so it is kind of hard seeing him being used as a pawn by Adam, but I trust that it will all play out for the best in the end. Peter’s character is far too popular to kill, so I think he will realize and rectify his mistake in the next episode.

Finally, I am excited about next week’s episode because the previous few have been very good. I’m not as excited as I was about last season’s finale, so hopefully this won’t be it for this season. I also like how the preview promises the deaths of two heroes next week. I think the inclusion of too many characters hurt the progress of the story this season, so I’m actually glad that the writers intend to shore down the cast. I think it will be Maya and Adam personally.

Just as Tim Kring promised, it seems that “Heroes” Volume 2 is going to end with a bang. The quality of each of the last several episodes has been much improved over that of the previous episodes. I’ve been very pleased with the last few episodes and I was equally pleased with tonight’s as well.

I really liked that the writers finally introduced a little action into Claire’s story. Up until tonight’s episode, Claire’s story had really been pretty lame. It was cool to see Mr. Bennett as a man possessed again and the showdown at the end was fantastic. I couldn’t believe that Suresh had it in him to actually pull the trigger. The best part was that it all built up to a shocking cliffhanger ending. When I saw the blood dripping, I just assumed it was going into Nikki.

I also liked seeing Hiro come to terms, not only with his father’s death, but with the moral responsibility associated with his power. Hiro was also forced to realize a cruel fate in the unmasking of his father’s killer. I don’t think his identity came as a big surprise to most viewers, but it must have been a horrible shock to Hiro.

Matt Parkman is not the most exciting of the heroes, but he is a good character and I like seeing how his powers are developing and he has been playing a major hand in uncovering the truth about the original heroes and the intents of hero-killer Adam.

The only thing I could find to complain about was that so many characters were neglected. Peter was one of my favorite characters last season, but this season his story has been so underplayed. The same is true of Sylar and Maya. After nine episodes neither character has played a big part in the larger story. I expected both Sylar and Maya to be into the thick of the story at this point. I’m not so concerned about Maya, but I think Sylar is a very intriguing character and he could add a nice variable to the larger plot.