July 26th, 2006
Heroes 1-Hour Pilot Episode Review
Well I finally saw the pilot episode of “Heroes” (this is the 1-hour — or to be exact, the 54-minute version), and scrapped together a review. My grade? Exceptional. I can’t wait for the second episode. Read on!
“Heroes” 1-Hour Pilot Episode Review
In India, geneticist professor Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) has just been informed that his father, whose research leads him to believe that humankind is about to evolve into something more, has been killed. Meanwhile, empathetic male nurse Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), who works with terminally ill patients, is having dreams that he can fly, but his politician brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) doesn’t want to hear about it (”Don’t go all Roger Clinton on me,” he tells Peter). In Sin City, Internet adult webcam proprietor and star Niki (Ali Larter) can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong with her mirror reflection, but a visit from the local goons to collect a long-overdue loan snaps her out of it. In Japan, office worker Hiro (Masi Oka) believes he can stop time and teleport if he just concentrates hard enough (or as he tells his only friend and fellow office buddy, “I’ve broken the space/time continuum!”). In Texas, cheerleader Claire (Hayden Panettiere) has just attempted to kill herself — for the 6th time, and failed again. And all across the globe, people are preparing for a coming eclipse�
Written and created by Tim Kring (”Crossing Jordan”), “Heroes” is a superhero series designed to be about ordinary people with extraordinary destinies. Superheroes set in real life, if you will, and the pilot (clocking in at 54 minutes sans commercials) does just that — introduce superheroes and their super abilities while situating the whole thing in the real world as we mere mortals know it. Because of this, the man who thinks he can fly stumbles around a beautiful woman; the indestructible Texas cheerleader can barely deal with her newfound powers with the school’s biggest game, the SAT, and homecoming right around the corner; and the adult webcam star can barely keep her lights on and her genius son from being kicked out of school because her tuition payment checks keep bouncing.
Saddled with the need to introduce its major characters in less than one hour, the pilot for “Heroes” works overtime, squeezing in as much character, drama, and personality as possible into its limited screentime. For the most part it succeeds, but at the cost of excising another hero, Greg Grunberg’s mind-reading cop, who has no screentime in the pilot at all. Curiously, there is a scene in a police precinct that one would think might be a prime spot for, if nothing else, at the very least a cameo appearance by Grunberg’s character. Alas, no, and we’ll just have to wait for the second episode to see what the ability to read minds does to a man who has to deal with the scum of the Earth 24-7. (That is, if NBC elects to show “Heroes” as a 1-hour pilot, and not the more logical 2-hour block when the show finally premieres in September.)
Overall, Kring and company succeeds in creating an intriguing universe and populating it with interesting characters that we will enjoy following for many years to come as they grow, come to grips with their powers, and learn to use it for good — or in some cases, for evil. (After all, how can there be heroes if there aren’t villains?) The only character that comes up a bit short is Isaac, a junkie artist who can paint the future when he’s high, a power that he is deftly afraid of. The problem with Isaac’s storyline is that the character comes into the pilot relatively late, and there is little set-up to his powers. This abrupt introduction is followed up by a brutal act that is shocking, but could have had twice the impact if only we had known Isaac sooner.
The pilot also offers up a man with glasses who, we learn, has a very complex relationship with one of our potential heroes. Early reports seem to indicate the involvement of some kind of government entity, or perhaps a private concern monitoring, if not outright trying to stop the coming human evolution, with the mysterious man being their frontman, if not someone of a higher position. I would hope it’s not another government conspiracy, as we’ve seen so many of this via “The X-Files” and others like it that another show based around a Government Conspiracy would be repetitive.
Tim Kring’s script does a fantastic job of interweaving the show’s many characters, tying them up to one another in believable ways. Mohinder’s coming to New York, Peter’s relationship with Isaac, and Claire’s Texas ties flow together seamlessly. The good writing is complimented by a fine cast, with Adrian Pasdar clearly groomed for the role of reformed team leader (if such a superpowered team should surface, that is), and Masi Oka’s Hiro (whose character never speaks English in the pilot) will clearly be the undisputed fan favorite among the cast. In fact, the nerdy Japanese officer worker’s obsessive quoting of “Star Trek” manifesto will only hasten his journey from unknown actor to fanboy favorite.
Pilots for new shows are notorious for either giving away too much or too little, but the 54-minute pilot for “Heroes” does just enough to keep you coming back, ready for more. It’s quite intriguing from beginning to end, and with such complex and affable characters, showrunner Tim Kring has, in all likelihood, another hit on his hands. Heroes unite!
