Heroes brings the unexpected to network television
Posted by The Skyliner on October 7th, 2009Candice Paschall
Staff Writer
What do you get when you mix a paramedic with crazy speed and strength, an indestructible college freshman, a 20-something Asian man that can travel through time and a middle aged man that wears horn-rimmed glasses? Heroes. NBC’s phenomenon returned last Monday with a two-hour premiere that left fans speechless and wanting more, though that feeling isn’t uncommon when watching any episode.
Now in its fourth season, Heroes has garnered a loyal fan base that continues to grow with each season. For the newcomers, there are a few things one must know to keep from getting completely lost. The show is about ordinary people who discover that they have extraordinary powers: regeneration, super speed and strength, time traveling, mind reading and more.
There are many characters in the show, including Peter Petrelli, who is the paramedic; Claire Bennett, now a college freshman who is still known as “the cheerleader;” Matt Parkman, a cop who can get inside people’s minds; and Hiro, the Asian who can travel and stop time. Ando is Hiro’s friend who can shoot red lightning; Nathan Petrelli is Peter’s older brother who has multiple powers; Angela Petrelli is their mom, who dreams into the future; Tracy Strauss freezes anything she touches; and Noah Bennett is Claire’s dad, who is just a normal man without any powers.
The main villain is Sylar; he steals other’s powers by killing them, which in turn can give him any power he wants. In each season his death is attempted, but he always finds a way to escape it. Other than Sylar, a new potential villain named Samuel came onto the scene Monday in the form of one who travels with a carnival. His power was unclear.
The characters are the most difficult aspect of the show to keep up with since each episode can’t focus on every character at the same time. Despite having super-human abilities, they aren’t immortal, so the viewer must remember who gets killed off and which new characters are added in to avoid confusion.
The plot of each season differs from the last, making it easy for new viewers to get absorbed in the show. In season one, the heroes had to save the world. In season two, they had to keep a deadly virus from being released. Last season a formula was being developed that would give normal people “abilities,” and those who already had these “abilities” were seen as a threat, so the government was hunting them down.
Of course, Heroes is never exactly to the point, but that’s where its attraction lies: it is one of those shows that begs to be figured out, but just when the viewer thinks he knows what is going to happen, the unexpected occurs. So do not plan anything for Monday nights at 8 p.m.—you are going to be too busy trying to figure out the next theory behind one of the most riveting shows on network television.
Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 5