Heroes Reborn - Series Premiere - Advance Preview

The moment I started watching Heroes years ago, I knew I would enjoy it. And although the quality of the show deteriorated as it progressed, I still stuck by it and to this day, it remains one of my favorite dramas ever. So when NBC announced that Heroes will be returning as Heroes Reborn I was overjoyed.

When I got my hands on the series premiere this weekend, I could not contain my excitement. However, before I started to watch it, I was worried about one thing, something I had been worried about ever since the show was announced: what if the revival is not as good as the first season of the original that made me love the show? But after watching the two-hour premiere of Heroes Reborn, I am happy to say that it did not disappoint.

The series begins 4 years after the events of the series finale of Heroes. EVOs and humans alike have gathered at the annual June 13th Odessa summit. Our frontman Noah Bennett is also there, hoping to meet his daughter Claire Bennett for the first time after their estrangement which happened because of her revealing her powers to the world. However, before the two get to meet, and incident occurs, which can also be seen in the prequel web series to Dark Matters. The series then jumps a year to the present time where EVOs have been forced into hiding or are being hunted and killed.

The series premiere, which is actually two individual episodes and not a single two-hour long one, introduces (or in some cases reintroduces) us to the characters, new and old. The premiere can be divided to four story arcs with different characters. Firstly is our returning character Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman), who after the incident at the Odessa Summit, has taken a new identity of Ted Barnes, a car salesman and is living an idyllic life with his fiancée who is busy planning their upcoming wedding (maybe third time’s the charm for this guy). However, his new life is turned upside down when he tracked Quentin Fraidy (Henry Zebrowski), a character first introduced in Dark Matters.

Our next character is Tommy (Robbie Kay). He is an EVO who lives with his mother. Ever since the Odessa incident, he and his mother have been moving from state to state because Tommy doesn't completely understand it his power and is afraid of it. He and mom have now relocated to Illinois where he is once again trying to live a normal life and also hoping to get together with a girl from school he likes called Emily (Gatlin Green). However, will he finally be able to live a normal life or will his powers once again come in his way?

The antagonists introduced in the premiere are husband and wife Luke (Zachary Levi) and Joanne Collins (Judith Shekoni). After losing their 9 year old son in the incident at Odessa, they have devoted their lives to hunting down EVOs for their son. They have an interesting relationship and you will find out about who is more motivated at hunting down EVOs when you watch the premiere. Zachary Levi plays the villain perfectly, but is his character really heartless? You'll see.


Other characters include Miko Otomo (Kiki Sukezane), a girl from Tokyo, Japan who finds a sword left by her father that is literally the key to finding him. Carlos Gutierrez (Ryan Guzman), an army vet who after returning from Afghanistan and getting a medal of valor, is trying to find his purpose in life. In Miko's search for her father, you will see something you will definitely not expect, which is nevertheless very cool. On the other hand, Carlos finds a destiny waiting for him which he did not expect. I am quite happy that Miko is as badass as I hoped she would be.

We also get to see some other mysterious characters, who will surely play a huge part in the story as the show progresses.

The premiere is pretty much the set-up for the rest of the show's 13-episode season, which as confirmed by series creator will be a "closed-ended story that has a beginning, and a middle, and an end". However, he leaves a door open for the show to return, if the network permits. The premiere contains mysteries, intrigue and action, similar to the original series, which set the show in motion for what's coming. The episode starts with a bang (quite literally) and ends with one too. I found the premiere well written and thoroughly enjoyable and there wasn't a single moment in the premiere which bored me. By the end, it left me wanting more (in a good way). And after watching the minute long "this season" promo at the end of the episode I am excited about what's to come and optimistic that this revival of Heroes will not disappoint.

Heroes makes its triumphant return as Heroes Reborn on September 24th. If you are an old Heroes viewer or a new one, be sure to tune in.