TV in 2008: The bad and the ugly

Now it’s time for the bad news.

Here are some TV lowlights from 2008:

Heroes
It hurts to say this, but “Heroes” was awful this year, with the only bright spots in the sci-fi drama being my eternal favorites, Milo Ventimiglia’s Peter Petrelli and Zachary Quinto’s Sylar.

The idea of redeeming Sylar — plus that visit to the future that showed him as a doting dad — was great. But that plot was promptly tossed when he inexplicably killed love interest Elle and returned to his bad boy ways.

Their budding romance had heat, unlike the one brewing between Parkman and Daphne. When Daphne was introduced, her character was cute and spunky. Now that she’s saddled with Parkman, that spark is slowly disappearing. Their relationship is out of left field and completely unbelievable.

I’ve always been a fan of the time traveling on “Heroes,” but this season it went too far. How can we really invest in anything — a death, a life-changing action — if it can be undone a week later?

And there were so many convoluted plots that I often forgot who was doing what and why.

Claire turned into a petulant, whiny brat bent on revenge (she should stick to cheerleading); Nathan continued to let his ambition trump common sense; and Mohinder started turning into a scaly monster.

Mohinder’s scenes usually get fast-forwarded through in my house. I can’t stand that guy! He’s always been boring and pretty useless. But what does it say about the character if the writers couldn’t even make him interesting as a villain? What a snooze fest.

Elsewhere, Hiro’s mind reverted to that of a 10-year-old after a run-in with Arthur Petrelli. But even before that, the once loveable Hiro was plucking my nerves. If he hadn’t opened his father’s safe, Arthur never would have gotten his hands on the formula that gives people powers in the first place.

Remember the tough, future Hiro we got a glimpse of in the first season? Maybe it’s time the writers started moving in that direction. Because this version is doing the show no favors.

Time to grow up, Hiro.

True Blood
I’ve probably ragged on this show enough, but I continue to be amazed at how bad it is — and why I can’t stop watching. I tuned in right up until the season finale, and now I’m worried that it was Lafayette, one of my favorites, dead in the back of that car.

The show, which is about vampires living among us, could still do without lead vampire Bill, who has zero chemistry with supposed soul mate Sookie (I’d much rather her take up with Bill’s vamp boss, Eric).

Tara’s sudden shift in behavior after moving into that strange woman’s halfway house/mansion is so random, but that’s all par for the course on “True Blood.”

Then there was that nonsense with Jason and his addiction to vampire blood, plus his bumbling role in Amy’s kidnapping plot. His new anti-vampire stance is sure to make him even more annoying next season.

There’s one other thing that’s a pretty safe bet about next season: I’ll still be watching.

I just can’t help it.

The Ex List
At least CBS had the good sense to cancel this mess.

Just like “True Blood” heroine Sookie, Elizabeth Reeser’s Bella dressed ridiculously in baby doll sheaths and other outfits that look too small on her already tiny frame. Dress your age, woman!

Maybe it was the outfits, maybe it was something else, but I just didn’t like Bella very much. So her often-predictable search for love wasn’t that interesting.

Go ahead and cross her off your list.

Grey’s Anatomy
Izzie sleeping with Denny’s ghost. Interns operating on themselves. Callie and Erica’s chemistry-free romance. Lexie and Sloan’s about-to-be chemistry-free romance (her “teach me, teach me, teach me” to get him into bed was pathetic and embarrassing).

“Grey’s,” I think it’s time to break up again.