Heroes - Review

Save the cheerleader, save the world – A review of Heroes. 

It’s hard to imagine a time before superhero films were absolutely everywhere, but that time did exist. Before Marvel took over the cinema industry, superheroes weren’t as popular as they are today, and Heroes were relatively unique for the times.

The premise of Heroes was intriguing and started with so much potential. Ordinary people find that they suddenly have superpowers, and their lives intertwine as they come together to try to stop a dystopian future and the end of the world.

Season one was excellent. That’s the only way to describe it. Critically acclaimed, amazing viewing figures, award winning, season one of Heroes was incredible television. Episode by episode, character by character, the season developed into something remarkable.

Sylar was an intriguing villain, a serial killer who would murder others with superhero abilities to take said abilities for himself. The main protagonist, Peter Petrelli was a hospice nurse with the ability to mimic the abilities of others just by being near them – for example, if he was near someone who had the ability to heal someone, he could take on this ability as well. These were by no means the only interesting characters though; Hiro Nakamura was an incredibly likeable character with the ability to bend space and time, who understands the importance of saving cheerleader Claire Bennet, who had the power of regeneration. These are but a few of the intriguing characters in the show, and watching their lives begin to intertwine and their fates become linked was fantastic.

If only Heroes had stayed this good.

Heroes only made it to four initial seasons, and sadly it’s not very surprising. After the incredible first season, fans were excited to see what was to come, but sadly the show had lost its high quality. Whilst season two wasn’t necessarily awful, it didn’t come close to season one. Hiro in feudal Japan was interesting at first, but this story line went on for seven out of eleven episodes, which was just too long and too drawn out. The characters were still interesting, but the action packed, perfect pacing had been lost, and sadly the show never regained it.

This is reflected in the viewing figures and ratings of the show after the first season. It had started so well, but with each season the quality dropped more and more, until it was eventually cancelled after season four. Writing strikes, a meandering, badly paced plot and rushed story lines made the show feel like it had lost its direction. Those of us who stuck with it hoping for a return of the quality of season one was bitterly disappointed.

In 2015, Heroes returned with a mini-series, Heroes Reborn. I can’t say I wasn’t excited – maybe this would be a return to form. With some familiar returning faces, and with the reviews of the last couple of seasons being pretty scathing, that would surely mean that lessons had been learned, and the audience would get what they wanted?

Sadly not. Heroes reborn was another disappointment. Much of the series doesn’t tie to the original at all, as the show was supposed to be completely accessible to new viewers, yet there are still several moments which rely on viewers being aware of the original seasons to understand what’s happening, such as Noah’s story line. The plot isn’t overly engaging, and the new characters just aren’t as memorable. Whilst I had hoped this would be a return to the excellence of season one, it just wasn’t the case, and Heroes Reborn was cancelled after a single season.

So, is Heroes still worth watching today? I must admit, I would find it difficult not to recommend season one at least, as it truly is brilliant. After season one, you’ll likely want to keep going, having invested in the story, but I’m afraid to say you’ll likely be disappointed. It’s such a shame to watch a show with so much potential get so lost, to watch a show that started off so well slowly get worse and worse over time until ratings and low viewing numbers led to its end. If you enjoy superheroes, you’ll love season one; after that though, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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