TV - "Heroes"

"Heroes" is a very successful TV serial that has been around for a while, naturally I have never seen it before as my work on a cruise ships means I might as well live on space ship - I have seen boxed DVD sets in various shops around Europe and always assumed this is something with flying teenagers. Well, it wasn't far from the truth. The basic of this story looks very similar to "X-Men" cartoon-turned-movie blockbuster (which I quite enjoyed) with bunch of characters who suddenly discover they have special powers and they all got connected one way or another into complicated soap opera that goes on and on.

Honestly it didn't look very interesting at first - I have actually suffered trough few first episodes until I found myself finally being mildly intrigued (and than I was already well on the 7th episode) mainly because script, acting and overall package appear so darn unrealistic, forced and silly. I must admit that I have problem with most of US TV production where certain aesthetic values don't appeal to me at all - ranting moralistic monologues with serious music in the background, characters who sooner or later blame their parents for everything, script that has everybody sleeping with each other without any logic or reason, big explosions with lots of destruction, special effects that by far overshadow the story, lots of people who are completely confused and repeatedly scream "But... but... I don't understand!" and embarrassing words that come out of actor's mouth (backed by thunderous symphony).

A perfect example is a character of young Indian scientist Mohinder Suresh who suddenly leaves his job in India because he suspect his father (genetic researcher) had died under strange circumstances in New York. Suresh Jr. stands in the rain screaming "I must find out! It's my father! My father!" but once he arrives in New York, suddenly he started muttering about his father never loving him anyway and now he wants to pack his bags and leave back to India? (Symphony plays in the background) Apparently he wasn't aware of all this until the moment he travelled half a world to remember. But we are aware of the dark forces around poor Suresh and the fact that he will be drawn into super-humans saga later against his will. I cringe every time young Sendhil Ramamurthy comes on the screen trying bravely to appear serious and worthy with these banal phrases.

None of characters are happy about their newly discovered super-human powers (which they had for a long time but now became aware of) so naturally they are all confused, angry, scared and unhappy - therefore annoying. Except my favourite character who is actually enthusiastic about all this and he is probably the main reason why I bother to watch this silly serial - he is Japanese office worker Hiro Nakamura obsessed with SF comics and thrilled to discover he has powers to manipulate time and space. The only one of all these "Heroes" who has a lovely human touch, Hiro is funny, childish, lovable and comical - when he teleports himself in New York's Times Square and screams "Yatta!" ("I did it!") he won me completely and so far I only watch "Heroes" because of him. He also have a friend with him (skeptical Ando) that serves as English translator because poor Hiro can't actually say much but he uses his hands and laughs often, so it doesn't matter. We feel sorry for a poor guy who tries to save the world in all this mess, not speaking the language and all. I love Hiro (and couldn't care less for other characters and their selfish little preoccupations with themselves).