Heroes Season 1 Review

The most interesting character on the show

TV is so full of unfunny sitcoms, unrealistic forensic shows, and pure chick shows that decently intelligent sci-fi sticks out like a sore thumb.


Heroes Season 1 Review

The first season of Heroes is in the books, and it was mostly a good one. While NBC tries to sustain interest over the summer with ‘Heroes Origins,’ we’re all really waiting for Season 2 of the original show to begin in the Fall. But before we look forward to Season 2, we have to look back at Season 1.

I've had a chance to review some of the video and some notes, and here are some of the highs and lows of Season 1, IMHO:

Highs

* The Whole Show – it’s about time we get some good science fiction on television. Sure, we’ve seen a lot of the Heroes stuff before – X-Men comes to mind – but TV is so full of unfunny sitcoms, unrealistic forensic shows, and pure chick shows that decently intelligent sci-fi sticks out like a sore thumb. Bravo to NBC for seeing the need and taking the risk.
* Mr. Bennett – though he is not a mutant, he is easily the most interesting character on the show. He started off as a seemingly evil guy, but ultimately wants to protect his daughter. Yet he showed that softer side without losing his ruthlessness. Great mix of traits, and well portrayed by Jack Coleman.
* Sylar – the most interesting mutant, Sylar is able to absorb other heroes’ powers by killing them. You truly get the feeling that he’s evil, so he stands out in that regard. I would have liked a bit more backstory relating to his motivation: why is he so bent on eradicating the heroes? He was spurned by his dad, and likes to see how things work, but that doesn’t seem like enough motivation.
* Candice, the shapeshifter – hot, hot, hot. She indicates that her true form is someone way uglier, which I guess makes me Shallow Hal. But I’ll watch her anytime. Her shape shifts are quite obvious – I can immediately tell when it’s her because the presence of the character she’s assuming is usually completely out of place, poorly timed, or obviously mis-portrayed – or a combination of the three.
* Isaac the Artist – or, more accurately, the concept of Isaac. I like that they have this painter who is telling to the future for all of them. And yet, they can’t seem to avoid it. It’s an interesting way to link all the characters together, and it seems to indicate that there is more of a link than we think…
* The Guy Who Can See the Tracking System – Remember in the last episode, the tracking system girl mentions that there’s one mutant she won’t track because he can see her in return. That’s a great teaser and a very interesting mutant. Also, it’s another indicator that the entire mutant community is bound together in a way that we don’t know yet.
* The 5 Years in the Future episode – looking 5 years into the future of the show was a pretty cool spin. I was a bit disappointed at a few of the giveaways, but that’s pretty hard to avoid when taking such a plot risk.
* The Haitian – he was a pretty cool presence, able to block others’ powers.

Lows

* Peter – this guy is WAY too whiny, even at the end of the season. Dude is the most powerful mutant out there (along with Sylar)…act like it! Stop bothering your brother and take some freaking action, you wuss.
* Dr. Suresh – what value has he brought to the show? OK, so his dad did some research that could unlock the whole hero mystery. But way to follow in your dad’s footsteps, Mohinder. At first you drop everything in India to come over to America and work on the issue. Then you abruptly drop everything after a few days because you don’t believe it, even thought there’s overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Then, you’re back in, only to take Sylar on a hero-pilfering, cross-country drive and ultimately let him get away! Pick a side and make a contribution!
* Nikki/Jessica – her hero power is that she has a psycho side to her personality. That would make about half the female population “heroes.” That’s not a power, that’s a reason to break up. To add to it all, she’s really not all that hot. So what’s she bringing to the show, again??
* DL, the wall-walker – DL actually has two powers: (1) walking through walls and (2) being a terrible parent. One of those powers is also shared by many average people across the country. Nix this guy.
* Micah – rounding out the unnecessary family is this kid, who is able to talk to machines and make them do whatever he wants. I wish I could ‘talk’ to my TV and remove this character from the show.
* Hiro – from his childish, comic book attitude to his 15 minute Samurai lesson from Dad, Hiro has been a major disappointment. Ando, as his best friend, should be honest with him about that.
* “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” – Really? Well, they DID save the cheerleader, and the bomb still goes off (as evidenced in the 5 year future episode, unless that was one of many time trajectories – which I doubt). I can understand that the show needed a hook point right off the bat, so this is nitpicking a bit. And, maybe it will somehow have relevance later on.