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Experience the suspense, mystery, and electrifying twists
as this series follows seemingly unconnected, ordinary people
around the globe who discover they have extraordinary powers.
As they come to terms with their unique abilities, their risky
decisions will affect the futures of everyone around them...
and the world...
Heroes
was
an almost overnight success and it's not hard to see why.
The show follows a group of normal people from around the
world who suddenly discover that they've got unusual super
powers. None of these powers are duplicated amongst those
that have them. Some of the powers are welcomed by their owners,
but not all of them.
As
the first season (or "volume" as the series like
to call itself) reaches a close I was surprised to see how
shallow the storyline actually is if you strip it down. Basically,
and this isn't spoiling anything, we are building towards
a single, catastrophic event that will take place in New York
City - effecting the entire planet. And, in a nutshell, that's
it. The entire second half of Season One slowly limps
its way to this big show down (which happens rather quickly
in the last 10 minutes of the last episode, I might add).
Sure all the suspense and excitement of getting there is wonderfully
built, and to be honest the show's creator, Tim
Kring, is a genius. He's built up so many regular
characters with so many twists and turns that you never actually
question the main narrative. So a simple event, that on any
other show (say The X-Files, or Buffy for example)
would have been over in a two-part episode at a push, can
carefully be stretched over 23 episodes without it feeling
like we are being cheated out of any real story. Thread in-between
this a lot of little mini-stories to keep the audience from
seeing where you're going, and there you have it: Kring's
masterpiece banged to rights.
Sounds
like I hate the show, far from it - I loved every second of
it. I even enjoyed the rather clichéd season ender
- yes even the bit with the manhole cover. The show does offer
something new to the sci-fi genre; it does have fantastic
actors; it does have incredibly high production values; and
it is a joy to watch.
There
are some incredible guest stars in the second half of the
season, including George Takei, Christopher Eccleston (who
plays an invisible man who is an Obi-Wan Kenobi like character),
Eric Roberts, Stan Lee, an almost unrecognisable Ellen Greene
(Little Shop of Horrors) plays Sylar's mother, and
Malcolm McDowell. There are more than a few surprises too
for a lot of the main characters. The great thing about having
so many main characters is that it's not hard to simply kill
off several as you go. I suppose it stops the actors from
demanding more money as the show goes on - as they know that
they are dispensable - but it also gives genuine jeopardy
to the events that unfold. You have no idea if any of the
characters will die at any moment and that really gives this
show a serious edge that you just don't get in TV programmes
these days.
Extras
include audio commentaries on every episode with various cast
and crew members; deleted scenes for most episodes; Profile
of Artist Tim Sale (11 minute interview with Tim Sale,
who provides all of Isaac's paintings - although he doesn't
colourise them as he admits to being colour-blind) The
Stunts (10 minute interview with stunt coordinator, Ian
Quinn, which looks at a couple of the stunts in the show);
and The Score (9 mins look at the use of music in the
series. Includes interviews with composers Wendy Melvoin and
Lisa Coleman and audio engineer, Michael Perfitt).
While
the episodes themselves are worthy of a finished mark of 10/10,
the fact that Universal Pictures are blatantly trying to squeeze
as much cash out of fans of the show as is possible is almost
criminal. For fans that have bought this in two half-season
box sets the entire season will have set you back £70.
Also
released on the same day as Season 1 - Part 2, is The
Complete Season 1 box set which retails at £60.
The Region 1 DVD, which has been available in America for
months before the UK release, contains the entire first season
for $60 (around £30) and you get the exact same extras.
In this day and age, where almost everyone owns a multi-region
DVD player you've got to ask yourself why UK consumers are
having to pay more for a half-season box set than our American
cousins do for an entire season.
Fantastic
show, great episode, rip-off UK retail price. You're better
advised to buy the entire season box set, or better still
you might be better off purchasing the American box set from
Amazon.com.
Darren
Rea
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£24.98
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£24.99
(Play.com) |
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£26.99
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£29.74
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£21.93
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£25.93
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