User blog comment:WinstonMacdonald/Overrated character!/@comment-5928665-20140511141852

Heather is overrated. I've been in the fandom since the first season and, believe it or not, she really wasn't all that popular during TDI and TDA. It wasn't until TDWT that the fandom started going nuts for her. I guess I can see why. TDWT gave her more depth as a character whereas she was a fairly generic "mean girl" during TDI and didn't do much of anything in TDA.

It also helps that she looks good compared to most of the pathetic villains later in the series (Justin, Scott, and Mal, specifically).