The Stuff of Legends 4: Heroes TV series

I went to spend a few days with my friend Tommy Brown from college this past January. Tommy had been going on and on about a show called Heroes for months by that time. Heck, longer than that. I think he was watching the series when it first aired. I hadn't seen it yet. I thought it was another one of those "one shot episode a week" jobs. I voiced my concern to my friend, and I'm guessing he let a big goofy grin spread across his face as we were walking through a Walmart parking lot late one Saturday evening.
"Oh that's not it at all," he tells me. "Dude, you say you love comics and never get the chance to read them, right?" I agree with him as we rush toward his car with a couple of frozen pizzas in hand, trying to evade the biting January cold.
"Bob, man, this show is a comic. I freakin promise it is. Every episode has one of those cliffhangers at the end of it and i know how much you like those types of series!" He's really animated at this point, undoubtedly talking with his hands like most people do around me even though I'm not able to see them. I enjoy that, actually. It lets me know that they've forgotten about my blindness and that they are comfortable around me, no longer walking or talking on eggshells. It lets me know that I have done my job.
So we arrive back at his apartment after cruising around town a bit. He pops in the first season of Heroes. He asks me how much I know about the show. I tell him that from my research about it online, I've deduced that it is about ordinary people having to deal with unusual powers.
"But I don't think it to be some x-men knockoff," I tell him. He tells me he's glad I feel that way as I hear him rise to his feet and enter his kitchen, clanking several dishs together as he prepares a few pizzas.
Tommy always does a wonderful job when it comes to describing movies or tv to me. Needless to say, I was hooked when i heard the theme music and when he read the prefatory matterial at the beginning of volume one, directly prior to the pilot. I felt like a kid again preparing to view some action packed blockbuster film. How can I describe that feeling? You know for a fact that the film or series you are preparing to watch is going to be ground breaking. You know that you are going to watch it over and over again, and you haven't even made it past the opening credits. Your heart is beating away in your chest. The world around you has been forgotten as you leave it behind for a little while. A writer has certainly done his job if he is able to captivate his audience from the very first scene. Tim Kring and company did that and more. But it also takes a patient guy like my buddy Tommy when it comes to giving sufficient play by plays.

One thing Tommyboy kept saying throughout the episodes was,"Everything connects in some way, dude. Everything." That guy really knows how to advertise a series. He could probably sell a deaf kid a pair of headphones if he wanted to. He had me wanting to watch the show long before I visited him back in January. Tom always makes sure to describe everything in vivid detail. Not too many people out there with such a gift.
We only got to watch the first five chapters from volume I while I was visiting him. But the next week, I rushed to my local Walmart to nab the first season or volume. Yes, Heroes is very visual. There are entire scenes from episodes in which one of the main characters, Hiro Nakamura(Masi Oka), speaks Japanese. That's why I'm thankful for the Heroes wiki page. These guys post every little detail under episode synopses. I doubt anyone anticipated a blind guy getting hooked on this show, but I'm glad it has such an analytical fan base with time enough to describe everything. It makes things easier on my end. So thanks go out to the fans of Heroes and shows like it who take time enough to write such detailed summaries. As a result, I'm able to enjoy and appreciate these works of art even more so.

I don't need to tell you that I flew through the remainder of the first volume. Tim Kring, the producer of the series, is a brilliant writer. I wish they'd make more serials for TV. I've never seen a live action series as good as this. I suppose it is due to me being such a sucker for comics and sprawling story arcs as well as plot continuity.
I haven't watched the second volume, Generations, yet. I'm waiting for the dvd. I don't watch a series unless I have the entire season in front of me. I love cliffhangers, but I don't like having to wait every week to see what happens next. No, I don't look up spoilers to stave off my curiosity in the mean time. I'm simply waiting to own the second volume. I want to watch each episode back to back if I can.
The cast is terrific. These men and women don't work halfheartedly. They give it all they've got when they're acting. The writers work with just as much dilegence, and so do the composers. I can't give you an opinion concerning the costume design or the backgrounds, but I'm sure it is "so artistically done," as a legendary Star Wars villain would say.
Who's my favorite character? Well, that's a tough one. Hiro Nakamura comes to mind. He's one of the few people who seem to genuinely care for others. He's got a good heart. There's something inside him the world hasn't wittled away as it has done to so many others. I don't know if it is an inocence or nobility. He's like the kid you see on Christmas morning with that big wide eyed look I hear so much about. Only this guy has it all year round. Sure, he can be hurt and of course he can get angry at times. But I don't think he's one to let bitterness cultivate in his heart. I'm not sure if he'll stay this way as the series progresses, but here's hoping he does. Although, I wonder if he'll go dark at some point. Hopefully, if he has to face a devistating loss, he can bounce back from it. He's already had to say good bye to someone close to him and seemed to do alright. So maybe he'll continue to walk the straight and narrow in spite of the events surrounding him. He's just one of my favs though. I have lots of them. Far too many to mention in one post.
Noah Bennet and his daughter Claire are also of interest. So too are the Petrelli bros and their mother Angela. Pete's a real trooper because he also has a love for people and their well-being. This guy seems like he'd give you the shirt off his back if he found you in some ditch and in need of assistance.

There's alot more to say about this exciting serial, but I don't have much time today. I'm trying to give an overview of these shows at present. I wish I had more time to jot down my thoughts, but there are only 24 hours in a day and I like so many TV series as well as novels. Hopefully, I'll be able to cover them all in more detail as the months and years go by. But that's all for today. Will try to post again tomorrow if time is on my side.