TV Shows I'm Watching - Heroes (Eps. 1-3)

I have been avoiding most of the new television shows this season, not because they don't sound interesting (I'm a huge fan of serialized television shows), but because I was burned last year by getting hooked on interesting shows only to watch them be cancelled at the last minute - I'm talking 'bout you Invasion.

So, now that it can safely be said that Heroes is a hit (I hope I'm not setting myself for disappointment here) I have decided to dive in and watch the first few episodes.

Here's what I think so far.

Episode 1 - Genesis **1/2 out of 4

Suddenly, people across the world start to recognize that they have special abilities. That's the premise of this show which at least has the decency to reference X-Men as an inspiration. The show seems to be less plot driven right now and more about getting to know each of these heroes and where they come from.

In that respect it's a so-so pilot that leaves a lot to be desired. I got the feeling that there was too much teasing, and not enough meat on the bones. We are introduced to a handful of characters who are mostly mopey and uninteresting. Peter Petrelli, a man who believes he can fly, comes across as a colossal bore in this episode which is a pretty bad first step since I get the feeling that he is at the center of the show. While the idea of the regenerating cheerleader character is pretty great, I felt like the show was more interested in showing her power (look, it's gore!) than exploring who she was. In fact the only character who really comes to life is Hiro, the Japanese business man who can bend space and time. His enthusiasm at learning he is special is infectious and he instantly steals the show.

As for the plot we are treated to a few little surprises at how the characters are connected which are unexpected, and the final revelation of Isaac's painting definitely piqued my interest. It goes without saying that these heroes will eventually have to save the world and those plot elements are, maybe not solidly planted, but at least planted in this episode.

It's an okay start that is frankly kind of dull. Everyone tells me it gets better, so I'll stick with it.

Episode 2 - Don't Look Back - *** out of 4

Now, had they aired the first two episodes as one big two hour event, I think it would have made more sense. Episode 2 is where the plot kicks into overdrive.

While I'm still finding the Boy Who Can Fly story to be painfully boring - okay, he can fly and so can his politician brother - the story revolving around Hiro teleporting himself to New York is great! I love how he gets tied in with the psychic painter Isaac, and the final moments of the episode took me by surprise - now here's a plot twist that adds urgency to Hiro's story.

I'm still not sure what I think of Niki, the Internet stripper, who has some kind of doppelganger. Her kid's cute, but her story about getting tied in with the mob seems like a diversion that I don't want to take right now...do we really need another being chased by the mob storyline?

I do have to admit that this episode made Claire (the regenerating cheerleader) much more interesting by exploring her relationship with her father, who is clearly being set up as the villain of our story right now. I'm hoping that they don't make him purely evil...I think having genuine devotion to his daughter will make him much interesting down the road.

And I'm pretty pleased to see Greg Grunberg in the cast especially since his storyline has a lot of potential. He's Matt, a telepathic police officer who gets involved in a serial killer case that is all kinds of messed up (the killer, known as Sylar, impales people with household objects and will sometimes perform his own labotomies).

So, I'm still not sold on the flying brothers, the internet stripper dopelganger, and the Indian scientist, Suresh, searching for his father's secret genetics research (too boring to have mentioned earlier), but the other stories are taking shape.

Episode 3 - One Giant Leap *** out of 4

The stories that weren't interesting before still aren't interesting (although Suresh finding Sylar's apartment was kind of cool), but the stuff that is working keeps moving along at a nice, albeit relaxed pace.

Hiro now tries to convince his friend Ando that he is destined for greatness, and his first steps to becoming a superhero are comical and exciting. Claire has a pretty gruesome experience with a tree branch (I'm not complaining, but man...they really are getting away with some graphic gore shots for primetime television), and Matt comes face to face with Sylar.

It's the Sylar stuff that has me most intrigued right now. He's got a pretty big arsenal of superpowers based on the short, but exciting confrontation he has with Matt. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that Sylar's name is found amidst Suresh's father's research (it's complicated just writing about this).

Despite the title, I felt like this was a small step episode, but one that was important to flesh out the characters. Even the stories I'm not particularly enjoying (Flying dudes), I'm starting to forgive a little because I'm giving the writers the benefit of the doubt that they know what they're doing. Solid steps to be sure, but I'm still waiting for that one episode that will really deliver on all fronts.