This season’s worst kept secret is that Adrian Pasdar’s character on NBC’s “Heroes” was being killed off this week. This end to Nathan Petrelli was undoubtedly publicized to keep interest in the show, but you got to ask, “Is Nathan really dead this time?” or is this just a publicity stunt to desperately beg viewers to come back?
“Heroes” has had a rough time in the ratings this season and Pasdar’s exit seems to have helped the show. This season viewership has fallen to less than seven million viewers, but this Monday’s episode showed an upturn in the numbers- up 14% (5.9 million versus the previous week of 5.2 million). “Heroes” is on top of the game with its best rating in the 18-49 demographic since November 2nd and largest total audience since September 21st.
Pasdar seems good with this departure:
“…some deaths really need to stick. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to have this long of a run.”
Show creator, Tim Kring addresses this issue:
“On a show where you put characters in life-and-death situations with real stakes, characters have had to die,… but we were starting to run out of ways to keep that character around.”
Adrian Pasdar states that he’d be interested in coming back to direct an episode of “Heroes” and perhaps re-appearing in a flashback scene.
Clip from this week’s “Heroes”- Death of Nathan Petrelli:
Note to international readers: I’m hoping that this clip will be available on Youtube sometime later this week so you guys can see this emotional scene.
