The first season of Heroes is almost perfect – here’s why — SkimNews
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- Heroes first aired 20 years ago this month, blending comic book aesthetics with a glancing interest in evolution in the wake of the Human Genome Project; after a stellar first season, the show ran three more outings of 'questionable quality.'
- The author says their rewatch was prompted by news that Hayden Panettiere, who played indestructible 16-year-old cheerleader Claire Bennet, had died.
- Mohinder Suresh, a geneticist seeking to complete his late father's work, reaches out to similarly gifted individuals including hospice nurse Peter Petrelli, who dreams of flying, and Isaac Mendez, who paints the future while under the influence of heroin.
- Creator Tim Kring built what the source calls 'a wholly original idea inflected with the tropes of classic comic books,' positioning the series as one of the best 'Lost-alikes' with qualities 'its successors are thoroughly lacking.'
- The series score, featuring ethereal vocals from L. Shankar, became what the source calls 'a landmark score in television history,' anchored by Hiro Nakamura's catchphrase 'Save the cheerleader, save the world.'
Why it matters: The 20th-anniversary reappraisal positions Heroes — long dismissed as a post-decline cautionary tale — as a template for high-concept TV, with the source arguing its first-season craft, from Panettiere's performance to L. Shankar's landmark score, is something 'its successors are thoroughly lacking.'
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