“Are you on the list?”
Thus goes the tagline for the NBC hit series “Heroes”. The show’s first season has been an instant hit with viewers ever since it first aired last year. Hollywood is finally cashing-in on the recent Live-Action-Superhero-Movie craze. In light of the numerous innovations in special effects (CGI and otherwise), it really is a time to rejoice for fanboys who have been longing for their 2 dimensional heroes to be brought to life on the big screen (or in this case, the boob-tube).
“Heroes” tells the story of a diverse group of individuals from all over the world, gifted with abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Now before you think “Superfriends” or “X-Men”, one of the more important characteristics of “Heroes” (which makes it stand out from the normal comic book fanfare), is that it is set in a world that is strikingly like the one which we live in today. These people could be our neighbors… our friends… the man sitting beside you on the bus…. the grocer…. the newspaper vendor… heck, you could be one of them but not know it yet. Just imagine: the ability to fly, to read peoples minds, to manipulate time and space… all of these “fantastic powers” given to ordinary individuals not unlike you or me, living out ordinary lives and dealing with everyday problems like normal folk do. What would they do with these abilities? What would you do if you were in their place? Do these extra-ordinary abilities automatically make them “heroes”? If called upon, will they save the world? Can they?
Genetics plays a pivotal part in the story of “Heroes”. Relying on the premise that humanity is in continuous genetic evolution, and it is only a matter of time before the human body develops abilities beyond what we consider “normal”.
The key plotline of the series lies with Chandra Suresh, an eminent Indian Genetics Professor. Believing that human beings are beginning to ascend the evolutionary ladder, Chandra makes it his plight to locate these genetically gifted individuals in order to learn about their abilities and their role in inspiring hope and change for the future. Believing that the answers and the people he is looking for may be found in America, Chandra relocates to the West to obtain proof of his incredible theories.
But then, tragedy rears its ugly head.
During his research in America, Chandra is killed in an apparent accident. When word reaches Chandra’s son Mohinder, himself an up-and-coming Geneticist, he doesn’t believe that his father’s death was accidental. Instead, Mohinder believing that events relating to research on genetic mutation was the cause of his father’s demise, sets out to continue his father’s search for individuals with gifted abilities. Using a list of potential candidates resulting from Chandra's work, Mohinder follows his father's footsteps in search of the future of mankind.
“Heroes” presents us with a variety of individuals who have “special abilities” at the same time projecting that they are as normal as everyone else. Familiarity wafts through the air as we discover some of the primary characters of the series:
- Nathan Petrelli – running for congressman, Nathan will do anything necessary to win. He has high dreams for himself and for his family. Will his ability enable him to win the election and help him soar into new heights of greatness? Or will it be the catalyst of his downfall?
- Peter Petrelli – Nathan’s younger brother. Still on the road of professional self-discovery (to the disappointment of elder Nathan), Peter’s empathic nature and willingness to help others may very well be the abilities that sets him apart from normal people….or is it? Peter’s journey of self-discovery may end up being his own journey….into destiny!
- Hiro Nakamura – Star Trek fan, comic book geek, and all around nice guy; Hiro spends his time in his father’s company as an ordinary day-in day-out employee. But what if Hiro finds out that he can do something else.....with time itself?
- Matt Parkman – Beat-Cop Matt Parkman has taken the detective’s exam several times and consistently flunked each and every one. Matt’s depression with repeated failure to achieve Police Detective Level is putting a strain on his marriage. Will the discovery of his own special ability enable him to understand the minds of the criminals he seeks to apprehend....or will it unlock secrets to his family life he wished he was not privy to?
- Sylar – a mysterious serial killer that has baffled the FBI because of the seemingly random victims that he targets. His vicious methods of killing may be the result of a seriously disturbed psyche….or is something else going on inside his head?
- Niki Sanders & Family – a struggling single parent, Niki has had to take on the burden of bringing up her son Micah alone. Having her husband D.L. in prison doesn’t help her predicament much. She has had to rely on her strength of will to survive the difficulties that come their way. In the end…maybe her will isn’t the only thing about her that has strength….
- Isaac Mendez – a substance addict, Isaac has been making a splash in the art scene with his fantastic paintings, but only does so when he’s high on drugs. Do his paintings truly capture the imagination….or is it possible that they depict something more?
- Claire Bennet – Claire has been your average girl next door. Being in high school and keeping up with her studies while maintaining her position at the cheerleading squad is pressure enough for any teenager. But what happens when the average girl next door turns out to be not-so-average after all?
“Are you on the list?”
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