LightPhoenix
First Post
I had the opportunity to see the pilot for Heroes recently (one good thing comes out of friends that went to SU 
), and I figured I'd give it a review for you all. It will contain some spoilers, so be forewarned. Even so, the bigger ones I'm going to be putting spoiler blocks, so as those of you who don't want to be spoiled completely can still read.
Heroes, in case you haven't heard, is one of NBC's latest hour-longs to debut in the fall. In short, it kind of seems like NBC's answer to the emergent popularity of shows with season-long arcs as well as the increase of "light" sci-fi in mainstream television. Or in more relativistic terms, a cross between Lost and The 4400. At this juncture I'll point out I enjoy both of those shows very much, though their recent seasons (second and third, respectively) have been a bit lacking.
The premise is actually pretty simple - a bunch of people around the world have developed super-powers, and they have a destiny. What is that destiny? That remains unknown, and probably will be one of the show's Big Secrets (see below). For those that would like a hint, as revealed late in the pilot, that destiny is presumably
.
Great, but how's the show? Honestly, it has most of the problems that a larger-cast (I counted seven main ones), arc-oriented pilot has. That is, it resorts to some degree of stereotypes in order to quickly establish character, and with the possible exception of one character, doesn't really build on it. Sure, there are some surprises, but overall you don't really feel at the end of the episode that the characters, or the story for that matter, has gone anywhere. It was basically one giant set-up, perhaps necessary, perhaps not. The actors don't really get enough meat to flex their muscles, so it's hard to say whether or not they're good. The main character for the pilot seems decent enough, but even he doesn't really get to do anything.
That said, there's a lot of potential in the show if it manages to overcome those crutches. The characters are interesting enough to maintain some degree of interest, and there's definitely room for development. Similarly, the basic plot hook for the arc shows some degree of promise, if they can, again, manage to bring it somewhere instead of letting it hang.
Also, there's some gore in the show that in some cases felt like it was tacked on for shock value or to "keep it real", but in at least one VERY definite case, actually punctuates what it going on. I had to cringe at a couple of points, so if you're thinking about letting little kids see this, keep that in mind. I don't know if that will be toned down for the actual airing, but unless it's airing at 10pm, I'd guess it might be.
Overall, a show that shows some promise, if it can grow out of the pilot into an actual show. I'd definitely recommend checking it out, at the very least.
As a side commentary on "show mysteries"...
I read an interview with the creators of The 4400, and they said how remarkable it was that the show managed to get a second (and third) season, seeing as how they were pretty much forced to reveal what they considered the "Big Secret" at the end of the first season. Many people are a little disgruntled with Lost because nothing is (was) being revealed. This is kind of my point - the Big Secret doesn't really help a show. If you invest a season's worth of watching a show, you want some answers. Getting them is ultimately satisfying. Look at The X-Files, which was strung along for how many seasons? The Big Secret is not something to be hidden, it's something to be revealed at the right time because ultimately, it's not the end-point but the springboard.
), and I figured I'd give it a review for you all. It will contain some spoilers, so be forewarned. Even so, the bigger ones I'm going to be putting spoiler blocks, so as those of you who don't want to be spoiled completely can still read.Heroes, in case you haven't heard, is one of NBC's latest hour-longs to debut in the fall. In short, it kind of seems like NBC's answer to the emergent popularity of shows with season-long arcs as well as the increase of "light" sci-fi in mainstream television. Or in more relativistic terms, a cross between Lost and The 4400. At this juncture I'll point out I enjoy both of those shows very much, though their recent seasons (second and third, respectively) have been a bit lacking.
The premise is actually pretty simple - a bunch of people around the world have developed super-powers, and they have a destiny. What is that destiny? That remains unknown, and probably will be one of the show's Big Secrets (see below). For those that would like a hint, as revealed late in the pilot, that destiny is presumably
to prevent NYC from being nuked
Great, but how's the show? Honestly, it has most of the problems that a larger-cast (I counted seven main ones), arc-oriented pilot has. That is, it resorts to some degree of stereotypes in order to quickly establish character, and with the possible exception of one character, doesn't really build on it. Sure, there are some surprises, but overall you don't really feel at the end of the episode that the characters, or the story for that matter, has gone anywhere. It was basically one giant set-up, perhaps necessary, perhaps not. The actors don't really get enough meat to flex their muscles, so it's hard to say whether or not they're good. The main character for the pilot seems decent enough, but even he doesn't really get to do anything.
That said, there's a lot of potential in the show if it manages to overcome those crutches. The characters are interesting enough to maintain some degree of interest, and there's definitely room for development. Similarly, the basic plot hook for the arc shows some degree of promise, if they can, again, manage to bring it somewhere instead of letting it hang.
Also, there's some gore in the show that in some cases felt like it was tacked on for shock value or to "keep it real", but in at least one VERY definite case, actually punctuates what it going on. I had to cringe at a couple of points, so if you're thinking about letting little kids see this, keep that in mind. I don't know if that will be toned down for the actual airing, but unless it's airing at 10pm, I'd guess it might be.
Overall, a show that shows some promise, if it can grow out of the pilot into an actual show. I'd definitely recommend checking it out, at the very least.
As a side commentary on "show mysteries"...
I read an interview with the creators of The 4400, and they said how remarkable it was that the show managed to get a second (and third) season, seeing as how they were pretty much forced to reveal what they considered the "Big Secret" at the end of the first season. Many people are a little disgruntled with Lost because nothing is (was) being revealed. This is kind of my point - the Big Secret doesn't really help a show. If you invest a season's worth of watching a show, you want some answers. Getting them is ultimately satisfying. Look at The X-Files, which was strung along for how many seasons? The Big Secret is not something to be hidden, it's something to be revealed at the right time because ultimately, it's not the end-point but the springboard.
Maybe a mod can merge mine into yours?
