Heroes

I love Heroes--but I can see that turning to hate very, very quickly.

The hour-long NBC drama is clever, quick, and contains enough in-jokes to make any fanboy/girl smile. Sure, the opening/closing voiceover is nearly as unbearable as those of Grey's Anatomy (I say nearly because Sendhill Ramamurthy has a lovely voice). And I can't believe Marvel's landsharks haven't yet filed an intellectual property suit.

Among the things to love about Heroes is Hiro (Masi Oka), a charming, goofy fanboy who talks about his destiny, the heroic code, the heroic journey, etc., with all the seriousness of any goofy fanboy. This week, Hiro just about swoons when he finds out that in the future, he carries a sword. I'd love to hear how the show's producers convinced the network that one of the major characters would only speak subtitled Japanese. Bonus points: the only identification the cops find on him is a Merry Marvel Marching Society membership card.

Other elements are walking a knife's edge, and may at any moment plunge into uncool:
"Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" could either be a smug, ironic statement played for smart grins, or it could be really, really dumb.

And then, there's the supremely uncool baggage that Heroes has carried over from the comics medium: it's a feminist's nightmare. The two female characters with powers are, of course, Barbie look-alikes. Well, hell, it's network TV, we can work with that. Unfortunately, they're also powerless figures. Claire's power is to recover from any wound. This makes for some cool visuals and interesting plot possibilities; however, without adamantium claws and cigar, this power makes Claire merely the most efficient punching bag in history. Why, she can even be killed by a would-be boyfriend, and she bounces right back. Niki's power only kicks in when she's not herself-- when another personality has taken over her weak, female body. When left to her own devices, Niki survives by setting up a strip show web site-- her other half maims, kills, steals, prostitutes, threatens, and plots. Both of our Heroines have been sexually assaulted on-screen, and both have been left for dead. What pretty corpses-- they have only to be stuffed in a refrigerator to complete the picture.

So, yes, I do love Heroes-- but it's a guilty love, and it could burst at any moment.

Comments

[AJ, the little sister]

"Among the things to love about Heroes is Hiro (Masi Oka), a charming, goofy fanboy who talks about his destiny, the heroic code, the heroic journey, etc., with all the seriousness of any goofy fanboy."

He is so adorable!! I absolutely agree. I don't watch Heroes religiously (at least not yet...), but I also enjoy the show - although, I suspect I'd find it much more amusing if I were more privy to the insider view of comicbook heroes!!!!

[C]

I have only seen bits and pieces and find Hiro to be the best... although the freaky artist is interesting... I saw the part where the flying guy showed up at the diner. Hiro cracked me up. The "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" thing is already annoying.