Overall, I like the layout and packaging of this Blu-ray release a little more...
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Note: Portions of the following review previously appeared in the HD-DVD review of "Heroes: The Complete First Season." However, with a year passing and an entire second season airing between that review and this review, the entire review has been re-edited and new paragraphs have been added throughout to reflect the past year.
Almost exactly one year ago "Heroes" made its debut on HD-DVD day and date with the DVD release. With the HD-DVD format going belly-up, Universal has pledge allegiance to the format that Sony built and wisely re-released the first season on Blu-ray to coincide with the release of season two on the high definition format. This was a wise move by Universal and I wish other studios would follow in their footsteps and provide timely updates to popular series on the Blu-ray format. My beloved "Lost" could take a clue from "Heroes" and deliver the first two seasons on Blu-ray before that show completes its six year run. Additionally, the fine folks at Universal have decided not to simply carbon copy the first season of "Heroes." It has been released in a slimmer and sexier packaging and a slight tweak to sound and bonus materials. Instead of seven discs, "Heroes: The Complete First Season" now inhabits only five platters.
My own experience with "Heroes" is a mixed bag. I had held some limited interest in watching the pilot when NBC started their marketing blitz. However, I soured towards the show when the number of commercials approached overkill. The show aired and I did not tune in. I love "My Name is Earl" and my favorite show is "Lost." After that, my interests were in "Carnivale," "Sopranos" and "Deadwood." I´m really not a television person and when I do invest my time into a series I want a continual storyline and substance. I love "Earl" because of the actors, but aside from that, only "Lost" has managed to keep my interest. After a few weeks of "Heroes," I finally caved into all of the hype generated by my friends and watched an episode. It was the highly touted "Homecoming" episode where the heroes finally saved the cheerleader to save the world. I wasn´t impressed at all and felt it was generally uninteresting.
The tide of my interest began to turn when I watched the first episodes in order during the break after the eleventh episode, "Fallout." I agreed to due so after a considerable amount of nagging from a good friend that declared that "Heroes" is far superior to a bunch of scantily clad castaways. Well, I couldn´t quite agree with my friend´s declaration, but I found the show to be fairly decent and watched the first eleven episodes in a matter of a few nights. I managed to get caught up so I could enjoy "Godsend" and then pass emails back and forth with my friends each week debating what had happened on the latest episode. Although the conversations were nowhere near as deep and puzzling as those generated by John Locke or the black smoke monster, I was enjoying my newfound fanaticism with "Heroes." Then, the show went on hiatus after episode eighteen.
I had forgotten to tune in to "Heroes" when the show returned for the first two weeks. At that point, I had hoped to catch up and resume my watching of the show for the May 7th show. One thing led to another and the season ended without me batting an eyelash towards catching up and enjoying the cataclysmic season finale. I had the best intentions and was looking forward to watching the show, but just never managed to fall back into the fanaticism shared by my friends. Our Wednesday night "Lost" group was in fervor with the latest developments and that finale just blew us away. It was all we talked about for weeks. The ´Other´ group of friends that did not partake in the love triangle of Jack, Kate and Sawyer didn´t seem as overly excited about the finale of "Heroes," so I soon decided to simply wait for the home release of the series on DVD or HD-DVD to finish watching what I had started.
Last year when I had received the HD-DVD box set, I was on the fence as to whether or not I´m a fan of the series. The show had gained my interest and enthusiasm and then lost it just as easily. Part of the reason was the roller coaster of a ride that completed the "Lost" season three and the other reason was partly from disinterest. I really wanted to see Hiro fight a dinosaur with a kitana, but ultimately felt let down when the dinosaur was just a museum exhibit. Of course, that wasn´t the reason for my disinterest, but my continual pathetic reason to offer up to my friends. After receiving the box set and spending nearly a week watching all twenty three episodes in order, I find myself again excited for the next season and the adventures that will unfold for the heroes. I admittedly enjoy the show, but I don´t feel it is quite on the same plane of complexity and character development that is "Lost."
"Heroes" is like "Lost" for those that want their answers now and don´t want to wait until the end of season six to find out what the big deal of events in season two were all about. In "Lost," us Losties must routinely wait six months or longer to find out the significance of anything. That average has dropped because in season three, we were finally awarded some answers to our questions. This was usually done by raising new questions, but we are finally getting somewhere with the plot. For me, as long as John Locke is around, I´m hooked. The man is a god. The plotlines in "Heroes" are commonly tied up at the end of each episode. The end of season one neatly concluded the entire chapter in the storyline. Not everything was revealed, but enough of "Heroes" has concluded that it could be a standalone series in its own right. In some ways, the ending of the first season of "Heroes" reminded me as to how "Carnivale" wrapped up its first two seasons at the end of season two. Many questions still remain, but one chapter in the storyline is clearly complete.
A comic book is the best facsimile I can give towards "Heroes." Each episode is a different issue of the "Heroes" comic book, but instead of hand-drawn cells, we are given live action frames to detail the dialogue and action in the comic book. There is a greater story and a larger world that contains the "Heroes" storylines and characters, but you can generally pick up an individual issue (or in the case of the show, tune in for a week) and be entertained. There is certainly more enjoyment by following each episode, but its comic book structure is a culmination of a collection of stories that slowly details what the greater story entails. It is also fairly easy to close your eyes and imagine "Heroes" as a comic book. The dialogue and events would nicely flow through the pages in white bubbles. It isn´t the science fiction soap opera that "Lost" has become. No, "Heroes" is a prime-time, living comic book.
Its comic book nature is also where the shortcomings of the show are created. "Heroes" has an ensemble of characters and each is quite different. The characters are more like an image lifted from a comic book and often lack the depth and character development that other shows possess. I don´t feel it is a shortcoming on the writers´ part, but a problem with trying to fit every character into every forty minutes of actual episode length. We can build some idea of a characters motivations and inner thoughts from what we see and how they behave, but we are not given much knowledge towards that character. "Heroes" simply does not spend a lot of time in this area. To cover an entire subplot in one episode with the number of characters it possesses and deliver its answers on schedule, the show must move on and we are given a comic-book like look at each character.
The show´s storyline feels weak at times due to its structure as well. With so much answered on a consistent basis and the large amount of information that is revealed throughout the show, there really is not a lot of mystery or drama carried on between episodes. At the most, the show requires its audience to wait three or four episodes for desperately craved answers. This allows an audience to accurately surmise what will happen in the coming weeks and doesn´t allow for a lot of reflection as to what happened previously. Its structure of having each episode act as a story unto itself creates a false feeling of shallowness within "Heroes." I don´t feel the show is poorly written, but I do feel its quick result delivery does not allow "Heroes" to be nearly as deep as we would hope it to be.
Yes, I have some reservations against "Heroes" and feel the show could be better with some improvements in plot and characters. However, this would change the structure of the show and put at risk some of the elements that have made it tremendously popular. Regardless of my reservations, I still feel it is an above average show. I do enjoy it and have full intentions of watching each episode as it is aired once the new season starts. This should help me pass the long wait until the fourth season of "Lost" begins, but I´m hoping the more powerful Sylar and new heroes create lots of action and excitement. "Heroes" is a show I can recommend to most. It isn´t nearly as complex as "Lost" and rewards its viewers far more frequently with answers and the plot has yet to become so confusing that a discussion group is required to figure out what the heck is going on. I love complexity, but this show is not necessarily about that. Comic books aren´t fun anymore when they try to rival War and Peace. "Heroes" is the comic book to "Lost´s" War and Peace. "Heroes is a good show, but it is not a perfect show.
Now, most of my words so far have been borrowed from the previous HD-DVD review and those words were written before the second season of "Heroes" aired. I began with enthusiasm for the second year, but with that season derailing due to missteps by the writers and creators and the eventual writers´ strike, my interest in "Heroes" fell to an all time low. I missed a few episodes and simply moved away from the show. Fortunately, thanks to the modern technology of Internet and digital recorders, I was able to catch up. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in the second season of "Heroes" and feel it is important to mention that this first season is far superior to the follow-up. Anybody that is curious about the show and would like to jump into the "Heroes" waters should not skip over this first season. That would be a tremendous mistake. This was by far the better season and sets the stage for season two.
The Plot as told through its Characters:
"Heroes" has roughly a dozen main characters. An even greater number of supporting characters exist on the show, but the primary twelve protagonists and antagonists populate each weekly episode and it is through their actions and words that the plot is revealed. I typically write up some sort of plot summary for my reviews, except for the recent "Streets of Fire" and a lack of a plot summary in that review earned some unhappy emails. With twenty three episodes and so many characters, a plot synopsis of "Heroes" would be large and it would also spoil the fun of sitting down and watching the show. I wouldn´t be half as interested in "Lost" if I knew who the Others were and why everything is so damn odd on the island. You wouldn´t watch "Heroes" if I divulged all of the details of the season finale in this review and drew you an accurate map of how the pilot episode go there. Instead, I´ll give a summary of the characters with a word or two about my thoughts on each character and how they relate to the plot.
Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oksa): For me, Hiro is the John Locke of "Heroes." He is the character that I enjoy the most and the one I hope appears in each and every episode. Sure, I once shaved my head and sported a green t-shirt in celebration of Locke rising from a near death situation, but I also enjoy Hiro considerably. Hiro´s powers are an ability to bend the space-time continuum. He can teleport and he can freeze time, while still moving freely through space. It sounds like something from "Star Trek" and the show makes a few references in that direction. Masi Oksa is a great young talent and I can see great things for him in the future. As long as Hiro is part of the shows continuum, then "Heroes" will be entertaining. Hiro possesses a comic book that details the adventures. He knew that the cheerleader needed saved and helped to stop the detonation of New York City.
Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere): The cheerleader. Claire is the near invincible and self healing cheerleader that had the nation in fervor after Hiro declared "Save the Cheerleader. Save the World." She is adopted by Noah Bennet and cannot embrace her special ability because she feels she is a freak. She videotapes numerous suicide attempts to catalog her abilities, but doesn´t want anybody to know what she is capable of. She befriends Peter Petrelli when she is saved, but a later revelation stops any romantic involvement between the characters. Hadyen is a beautiful young lady and perfectly executes any moves as the young cheerleader in this show. Like Masi Oksa, I can see Hayden Panettiere sticking around in the spotlight for a long time.
Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia): Pete is a thirty year old male nurse who is introduced to the audience while caring for a dying man ("Shaft" himself, Richard Roundtree). Peter is the brother of a politician who begins to dream that he can fly and attempts to do so and nearly kills himself in the process. Peter´s power is the ability to absorb the powers of those around him. He can heal like Claire and fly like his brother after coming into contact with them. He can paint stick figures of the future and the show concludes with Peter having come into contact with the villainous Sylar, who also absorbs others´ powers. Peter´s abilities eventually create a situation that comes to a head during the first season finale. Miko succeeds in bringing the affable Peter to life and Peter can almost be viewed as the glue of the group of heroes.
Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar): Nathan is the older brother of Peter and in the running to be a congressman for the state of New York. He is the sleazy and underhanded politician of yore and goes as far as claiming his brother attempted suicide to try and boost his poll numbers. Nathan has the ability to fly and this power is what awakens Peter into believing he is a hero. Deep down, Nathan is not ruthless and he is a good guy who wants to save the world and stop Sylar, or whoever else is responsible for the future visions of a New York City in flames from doing what they are going to do. Nathan first comes into contact with Niki Sanders and has ties to a wealthy business man, Mr. Linderman (Malcolm McDowell) who has a role in the superheroes being. Nathan has an unusual link to another main character in the show, but revealing that would be a huge spoiler. Pasdar is perfect as Nathan Petrelli. I still enjoy the moment he walked into a diner with nothing but pajama bottoms. It showed his ability to be both human and a politician.
Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg): Matt is a Los Angeles police officer who suffers from dyslexia and because of his reading impediment, is unable to pass a test and become a detective (SWAT officer in the original pilot). When Matt begins to realize his special powers, it is through hearing a little girl hidden in house. He later finds out that he can hear others´ thoughts. He teams up with FBI agent Audrey Hanson (Clea DuVall, "Carnivale") as they track down the murderous Sylar. Parkman´s relationship with his wife is in trouble. Matt is perhaps my second favorite character after Hiro. He has a human quality to him and a greater depth of character than most others on the show. He is a hero, but he is flawed. Matt is a character you want to see good things for. Greg Grunberg is an everyman kind of actor. He delivers the humanity in the character.
Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman): Noah is Claire´s adoptive father and the head of a secret government-like organization that monitors and polices those with DNA that have allowed them to become superheroes. Mr. Bennet is the show´s "Horn Rimmed Glasses" character and the secretive government man that rides the line of being either a good guy, or a bad guy. He and his assistant completely wipe out memories of those that get into his way or discover too much about what is going on. Noah cares greatly about Claire and protects her. He also imprisons Sylar and has a solid grasp on much of what is going on in "Heroes." Jack Coleman could have easily been in "The X-Files" or in any number of period films that depict a government man in the Sixties or Seventies. While I feel the characterization may be a little over the top, Mr. Bennet is a very interesting character thanks to this actor.
Simone Devereaux (Tawny Cypruss): Simone is not a hero, but a tie that bonds a few of the heroes together. In the early going, Simone is the girlfriend of future painter Isaac Mendez. She is knowing of Isaac´s drug problem, but wants him to seek help. Simone´s father is the elderly gentleman that Peter Petrelli is a care-giver to. Peter has a romantic crush on Simone and a relationship occurs when Simone and Isaac break up. This brings together the two heroes, but creates a rift between them over Simone. Towards the end of the season, Simone attempts to have Nathan Petrelli make the heroes´ powers known to the public. Simone´s character finds an unfortunate turn towards the end of the series as a result of the relationships she has had with Peter and with Isaac. In my opinion, Simone is a forgettable character and I generally felt little towards whatever happened to her. Tawny Cypruss was just fine in the role, but the character was not one to be sympathetic with.
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