Tim Kring Talks Heroes Season Finale: A Cliffhanger and New Characters?
By Sam | May 18, 2007 (11:47 am) | More: Crew: Tim Kring (Producer/Creator), Heroes Season 1 Spoilers/News, Heroes Season 2 Spoilers/News
Writer/producer/creator Tim Kring has got a couple of things up his sleeve for the Season 1 finale of Heroes. In this interview with Sci Fi Wire, he talks about “new characters” that will be introduced in the season finale, and how the show will end on a cliffhanger that will “slingshot into next season”. This follows previous reports that the last 3 or so minutes of Chapter 23, “How to Stop an Exploding Man” will also be the first 3 minutes of the Season 2 premiere episode.
Here’s what Kring had to say:
“There are several new characters coming in the immediate future… The idea of the show from the start was always to basically honor the origin story of the first sort of blush and discovery of these powers. And so, in order to do that, new characters will have to be cycled into the show. And by extension, older characters will cycle out of the show.”
What exactly does he mean by “older characters”? Are we talking Linderman, Mama Petrelli? Or is he talking about “old” meaning “they’ve been there for a while”, i.e. Peter, Niki, etc?
He goes on:
“The idea of multiple generations has started to crop up on the show… And in the second season we will deal with that more, hence the title, ‘Generations. … The idea was that we wanted to make it easy for viewers to be able to come on in the second season. And we thought if we wrapped the show too tightly around itself so that you had to watch 23 episodes before, I would be harder for new viewer to find the show. And we always want to be a show that has the barrier of entry low enough so that new viewers can join if they want.”
Translation: “We are doing everything humanly possible not to follow in ‘Lost’s’ foosteps.”
Kring confirmed that the show will indeed end on a cliffhanger, but one that hopefully won’t be frustrating for the viewers. “No, I think it’ll be intriguing more than frustrating,” he said. “The idea was to end one idea of the show, one story, and then slingshot you into the next season.”
Now I’m even more intrigued by this. Where will our heroes end up? In the past? In the future, maybe? In another dimension?
On a final note, the Sci Fi Wire article says that the finale will be 2-hours. Again, this is in contrast to the NBC media guide, which has the episode listed as 65 minutes.
"it must be him who shot nathan."
What the hell, did you not read anything I said in the above post? 
I think it was Peter who shot Nathan. Future Peter, I mean. Remember season 1 where they were talking about ...
Thank you! I was wondering if that was him in the video. My husband said it wasn't :op 
i reckon a few characters will turn bad i think peter will turn bad after what happened to nathan i ...
I have a feeling Peter will become a villain, i don't know why but he will be forced to go ...
Stryfe on 18 May 2007:
Good questions… since the title “Generations” will leave that open to anything… future or past, plus if Molly talks about a “present” villain, I am indeed hoping it all takes place in the future… love the present cast… what can I say.
woogy on 18 May 2007:
Oh the old company of heroes, i think Simone and her father might come back. Anyway there is much time till Season 2 starts :\
Nick on 18 May 2007:
Its funny that they say that the show is made in such a way where new viewers can join in without having to necessarily watch the previous episodes. I say this because every person I have introduced to the show (most of which were introduced around episodes 13-16) couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. Nothing against Heroes, as it is the greatest thing since BEFORE sliced bread, but the statement “…we always want to be a show that has the barrier of entry low enough so that new viewers can join if they want” is simply not the case.
Finnape on 18 May 2007:
when does the second season start?
Ikin on 18 May 2007:
Foosteps?
macmikey on 19 May 2007:
I agree about Kring’s comments being… not plugged into most people’s understanding of “new viewers can join if they want.” I’m just glad NBC makes the episodes available, or I’d be COMPLETELY in the dark. (I came on around episode 15).
derek on 19 May 2007:
i think peter takes candices powers and makes everyone think that there has been an explosion. when there is not. just cos i dont think no one will die and that a explosion or wat looks like one has to happen because issacc has drawn it
mei on 19 May 2007:
oh no. Please do not remove “Peter” and the few other main characters. The show will not be the same without them!!! =(
ZEN on 19 May 2007:
I assume that Season two will need a whole new story line. However, I believe we have all connected to the series regular like Peter and Claire and surely they won’t go away for a big while. So fans can make peace with that.
I’m just wondering and cannot figure out how they can introduce new characters in the episode finale. Does it mean the new character will have effect on rescuing the bomb? or just leaving ‘tempation’ to the viewer to watch Season 2?
Somehow, I believe there’s going to be a “awe” surprise in episode finale. I don’t think Tim Kring will leave the episode 23rd ended the way people can estimate at the moment. Or even a “TWIST” of the story line about the bomb!
Is it possible that … during Linderman was still alive, he had HEALED some of the dead characters along the way, and perhaps that character may play an important role in the series finale. That would show a legacy of Linderman, and a happy smile to the viewers.
All I know is… 23rd episode will make us “awed” and “smile”. Just don’t know how.
(sorry for my poor English, I hope my English would be in progress as soon as Hiro in the story)
Bill Harris on 19 May 2007:
I would like to point out to zen that his theory of linderman is completely unfounded. Im not trying to trash talk a fellow heroes fan by any means but if you had read the online graphic novels and paid close attention to everything linderman has told us you would know that he cannot heal the dead he can only heal the dying. Just wanted to clear that up so nobody gets confused and i cant wait for the final episode like zen said im gonna be in a state of “awe” the entire evening!
jerry on 19 May 2007:
i think to save ando hiro offers sylar his own brain and then ando kills sylar that would be awesome
Heroes’ creator Tim Kring interview - season 1 finale slingshots to season 2 on 20 May 2007:
[...] than ever, I can’t wait for Monday’s episode to begin! Oh, and Heroes the Series hints that it may be a 2-hour [...]
kenshi on 21 May 2007:
it is only 65 minutes
kenshi on 21 May 2007:
with commercials
josh on 22 May 2007:
ok…peter is still alive, nathan is dead, caller ID man is the new criminal, hiro will meet his old relatives & ancestors, everyone is somehow related, and if they get rid of the cheerleader i will stop watching the show. she’s the only eye candy on there.
David on 22 May 2007:
Hiro in kyoto japan the past. Now, i might sound crazy, but could it be that Takezo Kensei (The guy in hiro’s dads bedtime stories) is actualli hiro when he went to the past, since takezo kensei kinda loks lyk Hiro, as they both have goaties.
Also, I need to point out that, when Tim Kring said that about the “barrier of low entry” he meant that new people can join at the beginning of each New series, because they all go on to a different Subject (Series 1 about the Bomb exploding, Series 2 about something completely different)
Not tryin to be a smart ass or anythin, but yh, thought you would lyk to know
Apostolos on 28 November 2007:
Sorry
Carolos on 6 February 2008:
Nice!