Why “Heroes” could be the best show on TV – ever….

Take a widely disparate set of people…a heroin addicted painter, a senatorial candidate and his brother, a Japanese “sarariman”, an LA cop, a Texas highschooler and an Indian physicist along with a Las Vegas single mother and her mixed-race child…then give them a distinct super power each.

What do you get – easily one of the best serial dramas on recent US television.  As the official release of the first season DVD nears, it has practically become a bonafide international phenomenon, undoubtedly driven by a rabid online fanbase (I can attest to the various theories being buzzed about the BBS forums devoted to the series); while download links to newer episodes continue to be traded, its producers are capitalizing on this by providing Web-exclusive side stories devoted to specific characters.

 I’m talking about “Heroes” – where I live, it is being aired on not just one but two channels – the free-TV Channel 9 (Sun. 8-9pm) and the cable channel C/S (Crime/Suspense) (Mon. 9pm); across the region, it can be seen on Star World on Wednesdays from 9-10pm.  I can say proudly that I haven’t missed a single episode on Channel 9 (Episode 12 airs tomorrow).  It has proudly become my Sunday night fix; missing an episode would make me feel like Isaac (the abovementioned painter) denied the source of his creativity.

Is it because it manages to crib from various pop-culture sources – and ever so subtly; there are comic-book and anime references galore within each episode.  Does it remind you of  the chrous from The Flaming Lips’ “The Yeah Yeah Song”

 ”…With all that power
  With all that power
With all that power
What would you do???”

in terms of the great philosophical question/s it peruses?  Certainly, these “ordinary” people do not need to wear costume of any kind, but if one is given a specific power, shall he/she use it for the greater good of society or for personal gain/notoriety?  As the season progesses, a major villain emerges in the form of one named Sylar (the resident Voldemort-figure who apparently has much riding on in marking and eliminating the super-powered ones), and major revelations are in store with regards to why these people have been specifically “gifted”.  In effect, the “heroes” of  “Heroes” find themselves bound to a common destiny, with the fate of the world at stake; undoubtedly, that brings the feds to their tail, along with spouses, exes and even pissed-off Vegas high-rollers.  As in Marvel Comics’ “X-men”, they would find out that posessing super-powers makes them more alienated from society than ever; thankfully, they never had to deal with anti-”mutie” lynch-mobs.

Presentation-wise, what makes “Heroes” rise up above a lot of genre shows on TV has to deal with its seamless integration of human drama and awesome FX; no “monsters-of-the-week” here, but an awesome conspiracy that stretches across the oceans as well as backwards and forwards in time. It becomes a puzzle box which becomes more fascinating with each unravelling, as you find out which character winds up “saving the cheerleader” and, in effect, “saving the world”.  One just couldn’t wait to count down to the season ending episode wherein which sides would be determined, lines drawn, and destinies fulfilled. 

 In the words of Hiro Nakamura (the Japanese sarariman) – “Gambatte”
(More power!!!)   

                                                     

(apologies to rubs_chokedamp for the links to his Flickr site)