On Heros and Uninterested Felines...

Save the cheerleader, save the world…

I’m hooked on the NBC show “Heroes” and have not enjoyed television this much since the “Bionic Woman” and “Emergency!.” I’d heard decent reviews before the show began and decided to set the ol’ DVR to record the show… you know, in case of boredom.

We watched the first couple of episodes and mostly enjoyed the Japanese Hiro…I mean, total bubble of internal joy every time he exclaimed, “I DID IT!!” in subtitles… but I had some ambivalence toward the rest of the show. I’d had a new episode waiting on my DVR and kept putting off watching it until, finally, I needed something to watch while working out. That one did it…I couldn’t wait to watch the next one and ultimately found myself oozing, “Awesome!!” to the cat (my only companion at the time) after the most recent episode. When I talk to the cat, it must be good.

Essentially, “Heroes” is a modern day superhero tale. Perhaps it is especially engaging for us children of the 70s who grew up with the superhero genre and crave the nostalgia of our youth. Not unlike the Bionic shows, “Heroes” manages to supply rich character development in addition to the fun of the superpower. All the characters are discovering their abilities, and ultimate purposes, while wrestling with life in general. Believe it or not…

My biggest fear is that the show will follow “Surface” into obscurity. If I spend this season seeking to understand how the indestructible cheerleader fits in to total world obliteration, watching alter ego porn girl (who bares a striking resemblance to Diana Krall) integrate, sympathizing with the mind reading cop…. Only to have NY go boom in the season cliffhanger and NBC cancel the show without any resolution… Oh man, let’s not even think about it. I’ll have a lot more to say to the cat if that happens.

NBC hasn’t exactly been its tip top self since it lost the super-sitcoms of yesteryear—well, and Anthony Edwards. Still, I’m impressed with its efforts to generate shows that provide imaginative storylines (not just “gritty” crime shows), engaging but not Hollywood perfect characters, and non-reality storytelling. Kudos, even if you are loosing money, NBC.

Unfortunately—and I’m only saying this because I’m a parent and I remember how much I adored my childhood heroes—“Heroes” is not appropriate for the youngin’s. Most of it is, but it has adult themes—mainly promiscuity/internet porn… I’d rather not explain that to my 8 year old… but also gore, violence and politicians. I mean, you know…

However, for us 70s kids, this show is—so far—heaven. A balance of good/evil, humor, suspense, personality, mystery, intelligence… it can go anywhere it has a mind to. After all, it’s dealing with space-time continuums, leaping tall buildings, ass-kicking mirror images…. Entertainment candy for those of us who are pretty darned sick of reality at the moment and relish some heroes to root for.

I think one can catch up—if you haven’t been watching it already—by watching episodes on the internet. Save the cheerleader, save the world…