“Heroes” is one of the greatest “what ifs” in television history. The first season debuted in 2006, and almost instantly became one of the most compelling “water-cooler TV shows" on air. Its multi-perspective storyline arcs, celebration of comic book aesthetics, and phenomenal cliffhangers had millions of viewers hooked within just a couple of episodes.
The first season wrapped up in May of the following year. Multiple Emmy nominations followed, and it looked like “Heroes” was going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of “Lost” and “Prison Break” as one of the era’s most defining TV shows. And then “Heroes” went off the rails, and I don’t just mean it strayed a little off course; it went down in flames, by the end limping through a fourth season before being put out of its misery.
Flash forward 20 years, and maybe “Heroes” will return to the spotlight because the complete original run has just been added to Netflix’s streaming library. I’m both delighted and a little melancholic to see the superhero drama resurface. Because while I will forever hold season 1 up as one of the best binge-watches in the business, the rest…not so much.
‘Heroes’ season 1 is bingeable TV at its very best
Years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe made superheroes mainstream, “Heroes” was laying the foundation. The show focuses on a group of seemingly ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary abilities.
There’s high school cheerleader Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), who can regenerate from injury. Beat cop Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), who can read minds. Office worker Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), who can freeze (and later travel through) time. And nurse Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), who doesn’t appear to have any powers, but his brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) can fly. And that’s just the start of the show’s roster of heroes.
Of course, every superhero story needs a villain, and “Heroes” had the perfect one out of the gate in the form of Sylar (Zachary Quinto), a mysterious, ruthless figure who is hunting down and murdering individuals with abnormal abilities. He’s one of TV’s great antagonists.
Across its 23-episode run, “Heroes” season 1 explores the core cast coming to grips with their powers, and slowly brings them together. The first half of the season revolves around a single warning: “save the cheerleader, save the world.” The second half builds up to an explosive premonition from painter Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera), who can sketch the future.
In its initial season, the show was acclaimed for its slick storytelling, strong ensemble cast, and clever tributes to the comic book medium. To this day, it remains an addictive watch that you’ll probably polish off in days rather than weeks. It’s just a shame about what came after…
Just pretend ‘Heroes’ was a one-season show
I’m not going to sugarcoat this: After “Heroes” season 1, the show’s quality ranges from subpar to downright stinky. However, I will give the creatives a little slack for the immediate drop-off.
“Heroes” season 2 was infamously impacted by the 2007-2008 Writers Guild strike. This hurt effectively every scripted show at the time (“Lost,” “Prison Break,” “House,” etc.), but the damage to “Heroes” was major.
Season 2’s episode count was reduced to 11, and the entire season-long story arc had to be hastily reworked. The show also fell into a trap of taking an age to deliver answers and pay off plot points. Narrative beats that could be delivered in one episode were stretched across multiple. “Heroes’” momentum stalled, and it was never able to recover it.
At least “Heroes” season 3 had its moments, though short-lived, and even its peaks were no match for the show’s brief, single-season heyday. As for season 4, well, truth be told, I can barely recall it beyond the addition of Robert Knepper as the leader of a mysterious carnival.
Even fans who hadn’t given up (and many had already; ratings dropped more than 50% from season 1 to season 4) were left largely unimpressed, and the show limped across the finish line, ending on an unresolved cliffhanger, cementing “Heroes” as a show with unfulfilled potential.
There was an attempt to revive the series in 2015, with “Heroes Reborn,” which was canceled after a single 13-episode season (I’ll admit to skipping it), and there are further online whispers of a second attempt to bring the series back. But personally I say let “Heroes” rest now. It’ll always be remembered for its truly exceptional first season, and a testament to the fact that catching television lightning in a bottle multiple times is tough.
If you missed the height of “Heroes” mania (yes, that was briefly a thing), or want to reminisce about the good old days when we all thought we might have a new all-time great TV show on our hands, go stream “Heroes” season 1 on Netflix now. Just skipped the rest, trust me.
Watch "Heroes" seasons 1-4 on Netflix now
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow Tom's Guide Entertainment on TikTok and Instagram. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.
More from Tom's Guide
