It’s just under a week to go until the fantastic new superhero show Heroes premieres on South African TV. Hopefully, the juicy promos for it on SABC3 have caused you to feverishly cross the days until it starts off in your diary.
If not, then I recommend you go to your GP to get your heart tested because I am fairly sure you are dead. But never fear, even dead people can enjoy the awesomeness of Heroes.
Now if I sound like a bit of a crazed fanatic extolling the virtues of Heroes, then it’s because I am. Having already gotten a sneak peak at the first few episodes of the show, I immediately became an acolyte of the Cult of Heroes. Never fear, ours is a welcoming cult which doesn’t require any monetary donations. All it requires is that you devote your soul to the worship of Heroes. Simple, right?
Why must you join the cult of Heroes, you ask? Besides the fabulous free keyring you get upon signing up, there are numerous reasons for watching:
Twists and TurnsThe first episode is one of the best pilots I’ve seen and sets the mood for the show. It features not just great introductions to the characters but a number of awesome reveals and twists, some of which you might possibly see coming and most of which you won’t. The plot tends to move in unexpected directions and often twists out of your grasp just when you think you have it. You just have to sit back and let it take you on one hell of a ride.
CliffhangersOf these twists and turns, the most jaw-dropping of the episode is usually left for the cliffhanger. And let me tell you, these cliffhangers are pure evil. They leave you gasping for breath and panting for more like a junkie looking for his next fix. They will leave you pleading to see the next episode right away. And you will have to wait a week. It is painful. I didn’t say it was easy being a Heroes addict.
Brilliant VisualsNow I’m not just talking about special effects here although those are certainly good. I’m talking about the look of the show in general. Although Heroes isn’t based on a comic book, many of the people behind it have been involved with comics and it shows in the visual aesthetic. There are many shots that just take your breath away and stick in your head. It also has a cinematic feel where it looks like a movie extended over 24 weeks rather than just a TV show.
CharacterisationWhile the show’s look is highly reminiscent of comic books and graphic novels, it isn’t just a one-dimensional show that looks good. It’s well-written too, both in overarching plot direction and in its sympathetic characters. They are not superhero caricatures, they are fully-realised characters who have to deal with the worries of everyday on top of their newly awakened powers. Even if you don’t like one or two of the main characters, the show devotes almost equal amounts of time to all of them within each episode so your favourite won’t be shoved into the background.
HiroArguably the best character on the show (and by arguably, I mean absolutely without a doubt) is Hiro Nakamura, the Japanese comic book geek. He is awkward, sweet, enthusiastic and adorkable. He provides most of the show’s comic relief while still managing to serve as an audience proxy. He’s the heart of the show and you’ll find out just how awesome he is when you meet him.
Eyecandy
Hey, this is an American network show and when last did you see one of those with an ugly cast? As written, the characters are very sympathetic and real people, but the cast is not so real in the looks department They’re bloody hot, just to satisfy your shallower desires. From Mohinder, the world’s sexiest academic to Niki, who has an absolutely killer body, this show has someone loin-enflaming for everyone, no matter what your persuasion.
The Cool FactorYes, yes, I know not all shows have to be cool but this one is. It looks cool with its blue-tinged New York streets and abovementioned visual brilliance. Cool things happen; things which leave you with the urge to shout out geeky things at the screen. I might even call it the coolest show on television. Not going to explain further because you can’t deconstruct cool. Cool is a state of being and Heroes has it in spades.
InteractivityYou know how Lost has a billion
multimedia ‘extras’ which you have to study in excruciating detail just to understand one fifth of what’s going on? Heroes also does this, except not as crazy and you can quite easily enjoy and understand the show without them. Each episode has a companion online comic which expands on the episode and gives some new information or background on the character. There are also other extras available such as a character’s MySpace page or another’s campaign video. Think of them as bonuses.
The Mad Fan CommunityYes, we mean us. After each episode, the Heroes fanatics will no doubt be discussing this show like mad; dissecting it to death, laughing at the best bits, gasping out breathless sentences at the shocking bits, and making jokes.
The forum looks like it will be crazy busy – it already has several threads which go on for pages, all before the show has even aired. I reckon the Heroes forum will be the place to be in a week so join us, will you?.
Heroes premieres on Wednesday the 23rd of May, at 20:31 on SABC3. Be there and become part of the Heroes collective.