Heroes

Heroes is the big show phenom these days, taking the internet by storm and replacing former heavy hitter like LOST in the minds and hearts of the viewers. Last year, Digg.com was inundated with LOST information, spoilers, screen captures, etc. This year, the darling of the blog is Heroes.

What is it about Heroes that is so appealing? Is it the writing, or the characters, or some other thought that makes this show great? Not necessarily. The writing, in any given episode, goes from abysmal to inspired in the blink of an eye. Some characters seem to always have good situations. Hiro and Ando, Claire and her dad, Peter and Nathan Petrelli. While I am always interested in Hiro and Claire's screen appearances, the rest can get tedious. Peter's lines are wooden and confusingly delivered at times. Nathan tries too hard to be a bad guy and that can become dull. I'm convinced the reason Simone was killed was because she was superfluous to the story. We liked her better with Isaac, but we wanted to like her with Peter. Isaac became boring once he stopped using drugs and while I'm no advocate for drug use, I still think that the depiction gave Isaac hardened edges, which is what was needed for his gift. Now that it is at will, the drama of finding out what his drawings mean are lessened, which makes their effect less impactful, less dramatic. Nikki/Jessica is another storyline that grows tiresome with repetition. It seems there should be a better way of showing the duality. Mirrors everywhere? The stairwell, when Parkman was trying to guard the guy, was the most interesting depiction of the two since the first time we discovered Jessica. We've seen the dual personality done well before, though it was CG animation, in Lord of the Rings. Smiegel/Gollum was a fantastic rendition of good/evil in one individual. Yes, they used the water as a mirror at times, but it wasn't forever utilized, just randomly to remind us that yes, there is something else there. I think Ali Larter does a good job of changing her voice between the two, but less mirrors and more situations that show that dichotomy would make her storyline more interesting.

"If it's so badly written," you say, "why do you watch it?" I don't think it's so badly written. I just think there are other shows that are better written. I watch the show because gaining, having, and using super powers is interesting to me. I watch because Hiro is totally engaging and his scenes are not only well written, but well acted. I watch because I want to see how they stop Peter from blowing up NYC. I watch because I want to see them work together like a team and I want to see Hiro turn into that badass that stopped time and talked to Peter on the train. I watch because something about the ending of each episode makes me want to go back. I watch because, though it is only a mediocre written and sometimes mediocre acted show, it is such an awesome, modern day super hero story. They have not done anything new, but they've made something we've become use to exciting again. I want those early show chills of the characters meeting each other and aiding in getting the next mission done. I want the present show's inclination of giving us answers which only begs more questions. I really like Heroes and am forced to watch it every Monday for my own entertainment and enjoyment. It goes to show that even shows that are not the best written can be a huge hit. Enjoy the spotlight, Heroes. You deserve it.

If you've never seen the show, you'll have to wait for it's return April 23. For the previous episodes, click on the Heroes link above to catch up with the show online.