The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, February 2, 2009 - 7A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, February 2, 2009 - 7A Tv igEHeEW Saving' Heroes' Manners vs. makeup 'Heroes' looks to right itself in its fourth season By DAVE REAP Daily TV/New Media Editor While it's no secret NBC's "Heroes" needs resuscitation, Heroes how to rescue the super-powered Mondays ! action-drama at 9 p.m. is one of televi- NBC sion's greatest mysteries. "Heroes" creator Tim Kring was once overwhelmed with praise for the show's outstanding freshman season. But after two years, ithas become commonplace for Kring to apologize to fans for the series' rapid deterioration. He does, after all, have plenty to apologize for: beloved characters have been mishandled, tiresome plots have been recycled and sim- ply uninspiring storytelling has become the norm. Though Kring's mea culpas are often laced with promises of a forthcoming resur- gence, this has yet to come, and ratings have steadily declined as viewers have grown impatient. All this begs the question of whether the series can survive if it doesn't receive the much-needed boost. A strong start to the show's fourth season, titled "Heroes: Fugitives" (which begins tonight), could help put an end to such fatal- istic thinking. Admittedly, this all sounds familiar. The series's third go-around, "Heroes: Villains," which began in September, was supposed to atone for the show's lackluster second installment - but it didn't. With "Villains," Kring and his creative team sought to re- energize the "Heroes" fan base by introducing characters who use their powers for nefarious purpos- es. They also promised a season- long battle royale between these new evil characters and their more moralistic counterparts. Instead, the "Villains"overloaded theseries with empty new characters and nonchalantly toyed with viewers' conceptions of the originals. As the season progressed, it became clear "Villains" wasn't as much about providing meaningful character development - which fans have beenyearning for - as it was about merely shocking people. Accordingly, Kring's declara- tion that "Fugitives" will restore "Heroes" to its former glory should be taken with a grain of salt. Yet there is also reason for his opti- mism to be infectious. Racking their brains to find the root cause of the show's recent problems, the "Heroes" creative team reached a compelling diagnosis, and the "Fugitives" storyline has been designed to directly correct the ills. Kring's theory is that his central characters have become too much like superheroes and less like nor- mal people with superpowers, mak- ing them less relatable. He recently explained to Comic Book Resources how "Fugitives" will help remedy this problem: "Once (the charac- ters) are on the run they become much more ordinary. ... (We can get) back no who these characters are by making them fugitives." NBC released footage online that shows the cast blending back into society and carefully using their powers so they aren't discov- ered. Essentially, Kring has devel- oped a thoughtful way to make his heroes less super by revoking their status as masters of their environment, putting them back in the vulnerable position they were in throughout the show's highly acclaimed first season. Undoubtedly, "Heroes" is at a crossroads. It certainly seems that Kring has the vision required to save his show, and now it's just a matter of execution. Perhaps "Heroes" is cursed to never come close to matching its opening act, but if there was ever a time for Kring to show us that it can, the time is now. By CAROLYN KLARECKI Daily Arts Writer Reality shows have simply become too formulaic in the past several years. It's easy to cre- ate drama by *k selecting the right mixture of True Beauty people (the crier, Mondays at the instigator, 10 p.m. the hot people A who always hook ABC up, etc.) and then giving them a common goal to fight over, whether it's the love and affection of Mr. Sexy or being dubbed the best singer/dancer/ model/hairstylist in America. ABC's "'True Beauty" breaks that mold and puts a new spin on the overplayed, ordinary format. The contestants of "True Beau- ty" (four men and six women) think they're being judged on appearance alone for the prize of being featured in the "100 Most Beautiful Peo- ple" issue of People. Each episode, they're given a challenge to prove they're stylish, photogenic and capable of being among the world's most attractive people. Granted, this follows the typical form of real- ity television. And just as expected, the contestants gossip, sabotage and back-stab. But here's the catch: The contes- tants are actually being judged on their "inner beauty." Each episode contains several hidden challenges to test their compassion, charity and honesty - and thank goodness for that. The contestants are conceited, materialistic and in great need of the lesson the show is trying to teach: True beauty comes from within. Lo and behold, the concept makes for a surprisingly entertain- ing show. In this grand-scale social experiment, it's impossible not to wonder who is going to hold the door open for the man who has his hands full and who is going to let the door shut behind them, leav- ing the man outside (yes, someone actually did that, and it resulted in her elimination). It's satisfying knowing the contestants are going to get what they deserve, and the creators aren't just keeping the annoying people on the show to fuel the drama. "True Beauty," however, is not without flaws. The producers have practicallycreatedtworealityshows in one, which definitely poses some problems. Unfortunately, the nicest peopleontheshowaretheoneswho suck at the petty, superficial beauty competitions, and the contestants are already getting suspicious as to how those people weren't already eliminated. Similarly, those who lack inner beauty often perform well in the beauty challenges, forc- ing the judges to fabricate vague reasons for why they should be eliminated ("I just don't think your look is unique"). The judges try to solve this conundrum by episodi- cally putting one contestant who Barely deeper than skin deep. fails the beauty challenge and one who fails the "hidden" challenge up forelimination; but this makes it unbelievably easy for the audience to guess which of the two is going to be kicked off. Despite the show's many poten- tial problems - "True Beauty" may only take a few more episodes for the contestants to figure out the catch - itsunique and original con- cept is refreshing and it compen- sates for the imperfect execution. "True Beauty" is an honest show with an inspiring message, though it's uncertain whether or not any of the contestants will take this mes- sage to heart. the michigan daily SPACIOUS 1 BDRMS at Hill and FUNDR Church. $825 - $925. 734-260-4003. +/Hr. at pus, flex WE BUY CAMPUS RENTAL telefund.u HOUSES want to sell your student rental house (248) 626-0614. eded A being aI WE WILL BE there - will you? U of tact requ M Housing Fair, Michigan Union ball- room 02-04-09 12-4:30; we will HOUSE have deals, specials, giveaways, and sional w fancy dress! Stop by and find yoor of school. housingd for next year..now! 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It's something very different from Warhol's time, where Monroe's face became icon- ic because of its repeated presence within the print media - Obama's face became iconic because of its repeated presence on websites and places like Facebook. The media is just moving online. In this sense, Fairey's "HOPE" poster has risen to its iconic status because of both its pop- art roots as well asits ability to be quickly mass-produced and spread. Just as the Marilyn prints were created using silk-screening, which is used to efficiently mass- produce a single image, "HOPE" was created by a graffiti artist who utilized the internet to mass- produce his own work. While the idea of mass-visibility might have once concerned print publications and the placing of graffiti tags or images where peo- ple can see them (illicitly on public buildings, for example), the Obama poster has become a type of vir- tual graffiti: an art for the people, spread by the people. 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Free workshop on hoa to avail the highest creative force fo healing and reach a deeper perspectiv( on your state of health. Crazy Wisdon Bookstore, Main St, Ann Arbor, up stairs meeting room, Sunday, Februar 8th, 2:30-4:00pm. 734-255-7691 WHTDO (-c- HODESIMARSHALLIMITCHE SCHOLARS DO AFTER THEIR STUDIES Hel hsgybcm Add --president. For Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009 ARIES (March 21to April 19) You'll be more involved with group activities, classes, clubs and organiza- tions in the next two months. Some of you will work on a project with a friend. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your ambition is aroused in the next six weeks. You're trying to prove your- self to others, especially bosses, parents,. teachers and VIPs. GEMINI (May 21 toJune 20) Travel plans and matters related to publishing, higher education, the media, medicine and the law are a big focus in the next two months. People from other cultures are helpful. CANCER (June 21to July 22) You're very focused on shared prop- erty, inheritances, insurance matters and how to divide something fairly with someone else. You're also feeling rather sexy! LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) Be patient with others in the next two months. Four planets oppose your sign, and one of them is fiery Mars. Disputes can arise easily. VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) You're gung-ho to work hard now at four job. Delegate as much as you can. Don't be judgmental of others who aren't as willing to work as hard as you. LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) You feel playful in the next few months. This is a highly creativetime for you. It's also a romantic, exciting time. Woo, woo! SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Increased activity and some chaos will take place at home in the next few months. This could be due to renova- tions, redecorating projects or residential moves. (Be patient with family mem- bers.) SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) The everyday pace of your life will pick up in the next six weeks. You're particularly keen to persuade others to agree with you about something. (Don't come on too hard.) CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) For some reason, you seem to identify with something that you own in the next few months. You feel that it represents your status in the outside world. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) You will be much more of a fighter for your rights than usual in the next two months. Make no mistake about this! Your physical energy is quite high. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) A secret project is keeping you busy right now. You're definitely working behind the scenes or alone on something that you prefer to keep quiet. YOU BORN TODAY You're a perfec- tionist; you notice details. Many of you develop advanced technical skills in your chosen field. Your fine sense of timing makes music an obvious choice. Despite your high standards in whatever you do, you're surprisingly casual about other areas of your life - easy come, easy go. Set aside some time to learn or study something important in the com- ing year. Birthdate of: Stephen Euin Cobb, writer/futurist; Tiger Williams, hockey player; Warwick Davis, actor. What will you do? Anything you want. You've written your own game plan so far in life. Why not take it one step further and become a Rhodes, Marshall, or Mitchell Scholar? theia niteSn ufmtn, rea19o20 the United States of America, 1992-2000 Work alongside fellow students while Marketing Classified display and ine ads to clients Obtaining and building client rela- tionships Gaining priceless sales experience Improving your resum , Making a commission-based salary ...and having FUN at the same time Please e-maildailyclassifed@gmail.com, call (734) 764-0557, or stop at 420 Maynard to apply Deadline is March 2, 5:00pm Don't LetThis Great Opportunity Pass You By! Come to a Rhodes/Marshall/Mitchell Orientation Session: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 * 5:00-6:00pm Koessler Room, Michigan League Thursday, January 29, 2009 * 5:00-6:00pm Pierpont Commons Center Room Thursday, February 5, 2009 9 5:00-6:00pm Kuenzel Room, Michigan Union To learn more, please contact the Provost's Council on Student Honors at 734-763-8123 or visit the website at WWW.provost.umich.edu/scholars/ 2009 King Features Syndicate, Inc.