Heroes Season 1

NOTE: There really aren't any updates for today from the fire.

One of the best new shows in quite some time had its season finale on Monday. Series creator Tim Kring gave us something of rare quality (if not truly original) in Heroes. I remember seeing previews for this last summer and wondering if it would be any good or not. Honestly, I wasn't convinced after the first episode, but it took about three episodes to really set the stage. I'm a bit surprised that America's short attention span tolerated this; however, Heroes went on to be NBC's only show to consistently break the top 20 in the weekly ratings.

Season 1 was built around the premise often repeated, "Save the cheerleader. Save the world." If you are new to the series, the only real way to get into it is to start with episode 1 and watch them straight through. Each week builds on the previous week, and sometimes they reach back multiple weeks to connect the dots. We intend to rent the DVDs over the summer to watch it again from start to finish fully expecting to understand things more fully now.

So what is it about this show that is so appealing? At its core, it is about the struggle of good vs. evil. However, it is not a simple sunshine experience where things always go the way of the good guys. You see people struggling to deal with the curve balls that life throws them. Many search for meaning and a purpose beyond their own self gain. Also, they are not perfect. Some make decisions or take action that lead them down a bad path, but you get the satisfaction of seeing them come around and redeem themselves.

Some have compared this show to ABC's hit Lost. I see a significant difference between the two. While Lost can be summarized as a tease and ultimately frustrating, Heroes does not string you along indefinitely. Season 1 (or Volume 1 as it is referenced in the finale) reaches a logical conclusion while giving a glimpse into Volume 2 - Generations. To me this shows that they paid pretty close attention to what people liked and didn't like about Lost.

So take the summer and get caught up. This is one of the few shows out there worth watching.

Until next time...
PH