Heroes

It's not easy to create compelling webisodes that tie-in to a hit TV series.  The online content has to feel like it's part of the same universe as the television show, but it can't reveal any major information or contain big twists for important characters.  The people behind the Heroes webisode series, entitled "Going Postal," decided to sidestep this issue by introducing fans to an entirely new character.  "Going Postal" revolves around postman Echo DeMille, who finds himself on the run from The Company due to his deadly sonic scream.

Part one of the three-part series debuted last week, and today the second installment was released at NBC.com.  Unfortunately for Heroes fans, part two of "Going Postal" may be even worse than its predecessor.

The second webisode begins with Echo rushing home to inform his wife that he just killed a man with his sonic scream.  She had hoped to spend the afternoon rolling around naked with her husband, but that plan is put on hold when The Constrictor breaks in and holds her hostage.  Echo tries to negotiate with the snake-man, but when that doesn't work he decides to kill him with his super-power instead.  A knock at the door (could it be Bob?) interrupts the proceedings as the webisode comes to an end.

Last week I complained about the poor writing and directing in the first webisode, but it almost looks like a masterpiece compared to the second installment.  I've been pondering who's responsible for the shoddy quality of "Going Postal," and I've decided that director and co-writer Yule Caise is to blame.  His IMDB profile reveals only two other directing credits (including a movie called Swishbucklers), and his inexperience shows.  For an example of how silly the direction is, just watch for the moment when Caise zooms the camera in on a cat for no apparent reason.  "Going Postal" looks about as polished as a daytime soap mixed with R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" video.  This may not be surprising since it's debuting exclusively on the Internet, but similar online content for shows like The Office and Lost has proven that even web content can have high production values.

I'm also going to blame Caise for the poor performances from lead actors Kiko Ellsworth and Rebeka Montoya, who fail to be believable as a panic-stricken couple.  Ellsworth has been effective on other shows such as Dexter, and though I haven't seen Montoya on anything else, her subpar performance could be a byproduct of Caise's direction.  Mark Steger also isn't particularly good as The Constrictor, but at least he's not given many lines.

Despite a couple of effective moments, such as Echo blasting The Constrictor's brains out with his sonic scream, "The House Guest" is a huge dud.  We'll see if the third and final installment of "Going Postal" is any better when it appears next Monday on NBC.com.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)