Creators:
Tim KringCast:
Jack Coleman, Hayden Panettiere, Masi Oka, Sendhil Ramamurthy, James Kyson, Ali Larter, Milo Ventimiglia, Adrian Pasdar, Noah Gray-Cabey, Kristen Bell (more)VOD (1)
Seasons(4) / Episodes(78)
Plots(1)
Experience the suspense, mystery, and electrifying twists as this astonishing series follows seemingly unconnected, ordinary people around the globe who discover they have extraordinary powers. As they come to terms with their unique abilities, their risky decisions will affect the futures of everyone around them and the world. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (7)
First season – excellent; second season – praiseworthy; third season – oh well, I turned it off after three episodes... I wasn't enjoying it that much, I was repulsed, but why? What happened? It's still the same heroes, the same characters, only what had they gotten into? What kind of storyline was that? I just don't get it... That's why I'm only rating up to season 2, but maybe one day I'll take the plunge and watch the rest of season 3 and find out that the maglaz was just for show and it's actually okay again, but what if it's not?
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I was very pleasantly surprised with the pilot. And I’m also pretty curious how things are going to pan out from here. So far the most interesting character seems to be the spacetime Jap (I think his name is Hiro) and the fox played by Ali Larter has two main features (a) she’s a fox, b) an ability to look like really really really weird? :-). Several episodes later... What we saw in the pilot was chicken feed. Season one of Heroes has had an incredibly high tempo from the start and thanks to the generally high quality screenplays, it maintained that tempo to the end. The wonderfully written characters were excellently cast too and the actors do more than just a good job. And Kring managed to think up some really ingenious powers that he equipped the heroes with and he has great fun with them. He also has a good idea of what people want to see and so he gives them that. Most important is how easy it is to identify with the characters. And the problems that they find themselves in. That is Heroes’ trump card. Because you care if Hiro manages to change the future because you care if Peter learns how to fly (or later how to control himself). And the constantly growing mythology. Characters who are not as they originally seemed and events that you hadn’t thought important turn out to be crucial. I just can’t wait for season two and season one has only just finished. Chapter two, due to the screenwriters’ strike, was one eleven episodes long and, you have to admit, it was a lot less powerful than the excellent season one. The beginnings of season two seem to copy the first episodes of season one. But here we no longer have any moment of surprise, no new heroes and not even any suspense. I expected more and I think everybody did. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the preview of chapter three of Heroes. Because the fact “that He is back" is much more significant for me than the entire second season. P:S: I think the only thing that made me happy was the electric Kristen Bell. Chapter three (certainly not season three) literally takes your breath away. Events pick up speed, time travel back and forth and Mr. Petrelli comes onto the scene to add to things. I call this really exploiting potential. The newly arrived characters don’t matter, but don’t stick in the memory at all (apart from the aforementioned daddy) and thanks to the serum, the cards dealt to Ando and Hiro were shuffled very inventively. And if you add the situation between the two main brothers... well, we’re in for some interesting stuff. P:S: I really relished the double episode with the eclipse of the sun, which brought in a unique, uncustomary atmosphere. Chapter four heads off somewhere completely different than was hinted at in the first half of season three. Everything is more down to earth all of a sudden. Even so, the illogical bits are annoying. This could have been a 24 with superheroes. Too bad. It’s disappointing that they put Sylar out on the sidelines, sending him off to find daddy. While his involvement in the main story always produced the best episodes (this is very evident at the end). If it were up to me, I would rename the series “Sylar" and forget about the other heroes. Let’s see what the next season has to offer. Things look very promising so far. Chapter five marked my words about the series focusing more on Sylar and at the beginning we’re even offered two versions of him. Luckily the quality of the other characters’ stories has risen (even Claire’s) and the new villain Robert Knepper is really good, as was the whole idea with the carnival. I’m curious if we’ll get another season, because the short clip got me interested.
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After Lost, I needed something to replace it at least a little. There's a chance that Heroes will eventually pull it off... The first season is really engaging and interesting plot-wise. The individual characters are surprisingly detailed. But the second season got off to a rather muddled start, and I'm leaving my initial enthusiasm behind. I have the feeling that they might get carried away in the 3rd season and invent one stupid thing after another. 3.5 stars.Favorite characters: Claire
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Heroes is by no means a B-series, as its reception in the United States was exceptional, and indeed, expected. It stems from the tradition of American superhero comics, but it is naturally adapted to the needs of today's mainstream audience. This is not a problem at all because the superheroes are much more down-to-earth, and the series does not overflow with the same level of pathos and exaggeration that is typical of traditional American superhero comics and which is rather laughable in the European context. Of course, there have been many films and series on this topic in the last twenty years, but Heroes managed to come up with a very elaborate and ever-evolving world. It is a fantasy that does not differ much from our familiar world, it is just much more thrilling, mysterious, and colorful. Your neighbor or schoolmate could easily be a superhero. Some are unaware of their exceptional abilities, while some, on the other hand, are unsure how to deal with them, and some abuse them. Evil in the series is cunning, ruthless, and strong enough to maintain the tension until the last second. The screenplay is carefully handled, although an attentive viewer will eventually realize that the heroes with supernatural abilities often unnecessarily complicate things. Despite their best efforts, Heroes could not avoid some genre clichés, such as the villain's end, or rather the escape into the second season really didn't surprise me. In terms of direction, the episodes have maintained a decent level regardless of the director, and the cast was also appealing with the authors utilizing several previously unseen young faces, who did not disappoint alongside such established actors as Malcolm McDowell or new stars like Ali Larter. The screenwriter strike in the United States halted the production of the second season of the series. My relatively sober assessment is based on my cooler attitude toward superhero themes in comics, as I prefer realistic European comics or avant-garde fantasies like "Sandman." Overall impression: 75%.
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Review of Season 1: Very engaging and worthy of 5 stars. Even though it gets more and more convoluted with each episode, the narrative still makes sense and you can easily find your way around. Unlike Lost, for example, I didn’t notice any filler and it’s a joy to watch such a perfectly thought out story. People who get hives when they hear the terms "fantasy" and "sci-fi" should avoid it. Review of Season 2: Somewhere around 3*. It starts to become an overcomplicated mess with many illogical moments, and script-wise, it's getting stale. Let’s see what will happen on Season 3. Review of Season 3: A bloated screenwriting farce that doesn't know where to go. Absurd, nonsensical and overcomplicated. The only thing that it’s missing is a superhuman that can kill with farts. The interweaving of fates makes absolutely no sense. There’s a nice word to describe this, “shite”. After the 5th episode I gave up and stop being interested in Kring's work. Final assessment: as a whole somewhere near the bottom of the ratings, but I leave 4* for the great first season only, and I will try to forget the rest.
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