Heroes

Over the last few seasons a number of shows -- 'One Tree Hill,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Lost' -- have used the concept of time jumping to generate public interest and open up new storylines. Now, 'Brothers & Sisters' will be making a small time jump between this season and next. Money was on this show, 'Gossip Girl,' or 'Phineas and Ferb.' to make the jump.

This, as usual, got us to thinking of other currently running programs that could use a time shift to freshen them up. Subsequently, this led us to put our thoughts down on the hyperlinked paged for debate and comment. After the jump are but a few examples and how a time jump could benefit them.

Some actors were just born to play bad guys, and Robert Knepper is one of the best. He terrorized the prisoners on 'Prison Break', manipulated the heroes on 'Heroes', and now he's gunning for the troubled Destiny crew on 'Stargate Universe'.

Knepper has been cast as a villain on the second season of 'SGU'. He's landed the role Simeon, a key member of a dangerous group of space pirates called the Lucian Alliance. Our pals at Gateworld have snagged some 'SGU' casting docs that say Simeon will come into serious conflict with Robert Carlyle's character, Dr. Rush, which will culminate in a tense standoff between the two.

Knepper's 'Heroes' baddie Samuel Sullivan might've flamed out at the end of last season, but he was still the best thing about that show all year. I can't wait to see him (and his soul patch) face off against Carlyle on 'SGU'.

Remember to head back to TV Squad next week for a review of the 'SGU' mid-season premiere, "Space," airing April 2 on Syfy.

No, we here at TV Squad haven't suddenly lost our minds. '24' is indeed on FOX, not NBC, but there's a possibility that the show could change networks if FOX decides that this is the last season of the drama, and NBC execs have talked about picking it up.

That's one of the topics talked about in The Live Feed's interview with NBC head programmer Angela Bromstad. It's unlikely that the show would come over to NBC because it's much too expensive, but Bromstead isn't completely ruling it out because it's something that has been talked about. As for other NBC shows, the network is very happy with the way 'Chuck' is performing and the same is true about 'Community,' though neither of those shows have been guaranteed another season.

As for that other show that people wonder whether or not is coming back, 'Heroes,' Bromstad says she met with creator Tim Kring last week and they talked over some things, but there's no word yet on whether that show will come back for another (probably final?) season.

(S04E19) Volume Five came to a climactic end, and as with past volumes, it was both exciting and a little bit of a letdown. But also in keeping with tradition, it left the door open for exciting possibilities in Volume Six, teased at the end of the episode, despite a fifth season not being a certainty at this point.

I suspect, though, that NBC will in fact bring the show back, despite it's lackluster ratings performance. A reboot, of sorts, to the franchise could revitalize it in the same way 'Chuck' has seen ratings improve this season. Properly handled, 'Heroes' is a show that could go several seasons. "Properly handled" is the key to that phrase, and it has been mismanaged for too long.

Bashing 'Heroes' has become a sport, much like bashing 'Saturday Night Live' became a sport several years ago. "It's not as good as it was" and "it sucks" are the phrases you hear most often when former fans (or fans that are still watching the show but always on the edge of leaving) talk about it.

Tim Kring tells The Onion that he knows what fans are saying about the show, but he also wants fans to know that there are things going on behind the scenes that they might not be aware of. For example, the writers strike hurt the show. Two, it's actually a more consistent show when more writers write an episode than having just one writer on an episode. Three, the writers don't even think of the show as being in "seasons," it's really all one continuous plot.

Monday is the finale of 'Heroes' (coming early because there were no repeats). I say "finale" because NBC hasn't decided yet whether this will be a season finale or a series finale. Greg Grunberg says the episode ends in a cliffhanger so he thinks the show will be renewed.

What do you think will happen? From the preview it looks like Samuel is finally putting his plan into motion with Emma and Peter and Sylar (yes, Sylar) team up to stop him. Do you think this will be a season finale or a series finale, and what could the cliffhanger be? How will Noah and Claire get out of the buried van? Will Sylar turn good for good?

[Watch episodes of 'Heroes' and other shows at SlashControl.]

(S04E17) While not quite as surreal as Pink Floyd's version, 'The Wall' still offered a pretty trippy experience for Sylar and Peter. Several years and a few hours later, it didn't seem like they were going to make any progress on Peter's hare-brained scheme to bust Sylar out of his mental prison.

The rest of the episode showed us Samuel's attempts to create a permanent rift between Claire and Noah by revealing to Claire, and us, the "Secret Origin" of H.R.G. By that I don't mean the origins of the odd fashion choice Mr. Bennett has made in eyewear, but the secret past he hasn't shared with Claire, Sandra or anyone in his life.

Why do this? Because apparently, and I still don't know why, Claire is important to Samuel's plans. In that she is a "special," I agree. In any other regard, she's not that remarkable. And where he left things, it seems he just might have figured that out.

Did you know that there are only two new episodes of Heroes left this season? It's ending a little early (no repeats), and from what we saw in the coming attractions after last night's episode, it looks like we're heading towards a showdown involving the carnival and Peter and Sylar trapped...somewhere. Sylar's mind or something, a big city they can't escape. Peter just rushed into Matt's house and immediately grabbed Sylar's head even though Matt was telling him not to. Serves him right if he's trapped.

Greg Grunberg talks to Digital Spy and he has a lot to say about the rest of the season (and a possible fifth season). While he repeats what he said about the season finale not at all being a series finale (NBC still hasn't made up its mind about a new season), Grunberg also says that the network screwed up the show this season by moving it to 9pm and not telling anyone about it.

Does he have a point? I think Chuck got more press for coming back in Heroes' time slot than Heroes got for moving to 9pm, but people have been abandoning it anyway.

(S04E17) Forces are starting to converge at the Sullivan Bros. Carnival as we get closer and closer to the finale -- two weeks away now! After last week's stunt where he wiped out an entire town, the "family" at the carnival is understandably a little wary of Samuel. He did, after all, erase a small town killing hundreds of people. I'd give him a wide berth.

Maybe if I was invulnerable, I'd be more willing to get closer to him. Claire certainly has no reason to be afraid, right? She stumbled upon her father's plans regarding taking down Samuel and shutting down the carnival for good. Like Edgar, she is concerned about Noah's plans to break apart the family. Noah, as usual, is bull-headed and stubborn. I'm just not sure under what authority he was acting throughout this episode.

As for Sylar, we saw him at the Parkman house. And we know how powerful Matt is. Maybe, just maybe, this psychopath can be taken care of for good. Not hardly.

(S04E16) "Objection, your honor. He's reciting the opening to Quantum Leap." -- Adam Monro, prosecuting attorney in Hiro's mind-trial

This week, it was time to deal once and for all with that pesky tumor in Hiro's brain. This isn't Eli Stone, after all. Not to mention how downright loopy he's been lately. So apparently the resolution is for his body to collapse while he faces a strange trial in the diner where he met, failed-to-save, and then did save Charlie. David Anders reprised his role as Adam Monroe to prosecute our time traveling hero, while George Takei presided over the thing as his father and the judge.

The rest of the episode was split between Sylar's quest to figure out why Lydia's ability was directing him to Claire, and Samuel's attempts to woo Vanessa after he'd kidnapped her. I can say, that I thought he was off to a rough start on that one.

(S04E15) Doesn't it always come down to a girl? I'm not sure why I didn't see it.

This week saw many of the pieces coming together for the endgame coming soon between Samuel and whatever band of heroes Noah can put together to take him down. But then again, Noah's not the only one gunning for Samuel at this point, is he? Other than Sylar and Tracy, we touched base with just about everyone in the cast, and for the first time in a long time, this series is starting to feel the same way it did during that exciting first season, when it had three times as many viewers.

If you were irritated trying to keep up with Hiro's bizarre "geek culture" speak, you'll be pleased to know that it comes to an end this episode.

This isn't an official announcement at all, but Heroes star Greg Grunberg says that Heroes will be back next season (and he can read minds, so he should know).

Grunberg tells Michael Ausiello that the show just finished filming the season finale, and that even though the episode is "cliffhanger-y and exciting," it would not serve as a series finale for the show. There are too many plot points still up in the air. He's sure the show will be back.

While I wouldn't be surprised at all if a TV network cancelled a show before giving it a "proper" ending, I think Grunberg is probably right about this. The show does good enough, it's strong in time-shifted viewing, and the DVD sales are good. Like Grunberg, I think NBC will announce that next season is going to be the last, and that way the writers will know the show is ending and will be able to give it the ending that fans deserve.

(S04E14) See, Heroes does answer questions. Now we know what happened to Claire's flying boyfriend, West. SPOILER ALERT! They're Facebook friends.

This second episode in a two-hour Heroes extravaganza returned attention to Sylar's storyline, last seen walking away from Peter, having fully regained control of his body. Does that mean Sylar is back 100%? It may not be that simple. We also got the wake of Nathan's funeral, where we learned that Peter isn't finding it very easy to let go.

I also am going to choose to believe that Nathan's wife and kids were there somewhere. It's been so long since we've seen them, if they were there I'm not even sure I would recognize them. But I'll give the writers the benefit of the doubt on this one. We didn't see everyone.

(S04E13) Samuel's plans are coming together as he finally tracks down one of the last pieces he knows to make his utopian dream of a home for people with special abilities a reality. At least that's the snowjob he spends most of the episode feeding Claire. And in typical Claire fashion, she remains just as conflicted and confused as she always is.

Speaking of confused, remember when Hiro spouted off some nonsense and then disappeared last time we saw him? I thought maybe it was a reference to something I'd forgotten -- it happens -- but instead it was just the first sampling of whatever that dude did to his brain. It takes Sam's "swiss cheese memory" from Quantum Leap to a whole new level.

Yes, the whole "Heroes isn't good anymore" thing has been debated ad nauseam, but I'm still curious to see how many of you fans are sticking with the show, which returns to NBC tonight at 8 with a two-hour episode. I've been watching the show since the beginning and, yup, I'm in it until it's over. Does it have that new car smell of the first season? No, but I still find it (mostly) fun.

Will you watch it tonight?