Just What the Doctor Ordered

Heroes: The Plan to Fix the Show

Bryan Fuller talks about his return to the series and how things will change.

by Eric Goldman

Original Source: IGN

December 10, 2008 - Bryan Fuller confirms his return to Heroes in a new interview with EW.com's Michael Ausiello. The Pushing Daisies creator talks about where he thinks the show has gone wrong in his absence since he left at the end of Season 1, and what is being done in the next volume, "Fugitives," to set things right. It also turns out Fuller is coming back one episode earlier than expected – episode 19 of this season, rather than episode 20.

Fuller tells Ausiello he feels Heroes has become "too dense and fell into certain sci-fi trappings. For instance, in the 'Villains' arc, when you talk about formulas and catalysts, it takes the face off the drama. And I think the goal for everybody is to put a face back on the drama. You have to save something with a face; otherwise you don't understand what you're caring about." Fuller also assures Ausiello that the writers on the show already knew what was needed to be done to fix the show, before he returned.

As for "Fugitives," Fuller praises the work done by former co-executive producers Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander – who worked on several episodes of the story -- saying the new volume , "is a fresh start. All of the characters are back in their real lives. You see Peter as a paramedic. Claire is looking for colleges." That being said, after what he thinks is a strong start, Fuller does say the story "gets a little dense in the middle in terms of the mythology. So I came in right at the point where everybody was realizing, 'Oh, we're getting too dense here and we need to put faces on stories because there is no face to a formula; there is no face to saving the world.' So it's turning this big ship back into a character stream, and everyone on the writing staff shares that desire. We need to get back into a character place, because that's where this story started: Very clean, superhero metaphors to everyday."

Fuller also reveals, "People will die. And some will return. Matt's wife [Janice] comes back. We'll find out what happens when you have a superbaby."

As for those who feel Heroes jumps back and forth between stories without enough time developing for any one arc, Fuller remarks to Ausiello, "We're also going to tell fewer stories per episode. We're going to limit it to three or four with one big one that you can wrap the stories around. We're altering the structure of the show so that there's a very clear A story that takes up a larger percentage of the show so that that story gets traction."

Fuller says his working relationship with Heroes creator Tim Kring has been positive, though he insists Kring still has final say, noting, "I'm a consultant. My job is to help facilitate the vision of the show, and the vision has been a little inconsistent. But 'Fugitives' is such a great sea change. I think people who have been critical of Heroes will come back."

Fuller also says he intends to be a part of Season 4 of the show, which wasn't clear initially, under the terms of his new deal with Heroes producers Universal Media Studios.