Tell-Tale TV Series Premiere Panels: Heroes Reborn

We’re especially excited about discussing this one!

In the two hour premiere of Heroes Reborn,  after a terrorist attack that left Odessa, Texas destroyed, people with abilities were blamed for the incident. One year later, these extraordinary people are hiding or on the run. Some vigilantes, such as Luke and Joanne, are searching for people with abilities in order to get revenge. New and old heroes cross paths in order to save the world.

Our panelists are:

• Lizzie Lanuza Sáenz, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Sim Jasra, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Ashley Bissette Sumerel, founder and editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV
• Allison Nichols, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV

1. Give it to me straight, did you like the premiere?

Allison: I did. I’m intrigued. I was instantly sucked back into the world of Heroes. There were a couple of issues, like how the whole traveling to Evernow (and the specifics of the existence of the game) was never explained, but other than that, I enjoyed it.

Lizzie: I want to answer no, but yes. I expected a little more from the episode, especially for a two hour premiere, but in the end it was still Heroes, if a little more subdued. And I liked Heroes then, so what’s not to like now?

Sim: I was intrigued enough to watch the whole two hours. I liked the darker themes and the grittier feel. I liked the new cast (Yay Zachary Levi) and I liked seeing a show dive right into its plot. Sure, there were one too many unanswered questions, and I found myself a bit distracted during the video game scenes, but other than that, I liked it — yes.

Ashley: Yes! I think what I like the most is the nostalgia. It’s still Heroes, just in a different time and with some new characters.

2. What’s the show’s biggest problem?

Allison: There are so many characters and locations. It’s hard to keep track of everyone. When there are that many characters with their own secrets and mysteries, it gets complicated. On top of that, it’s hard to remember what happened in Heroes. There aren’t a lot of references to the previous series, but there are enough to make you scratch your head and try to remember.

Lizzie: Pacing. Too many stories, not enough emotional connection, and just …too much going on at once. The reason Heroes worked was because I cared about those people, I cared about Claire, Peter, and Mohinder. Here I don’t care about anyone, not yet.

Sim: There were too many locations, timelines, and new people and they jumped all over the place. Maybe if they had allotted a set amount of time to each character that told their story leading up to a certain time — that would have been nice. But I found myself a bit confused, and not relating to any of them on a personal level just yet.

Ashley: I agree with all of these points. Too much going on, no reason to be invested in the characters yet, and I found myself wishing I had done a thorough re-watch of the original series first. Okay, maybe I should have, but like Allison says, it’s an awful lot to try to remember either way.

3. What’s the show’s greatest strength?

Allison: Odds are, if you are watching Heroes Reborn, you watched Heroes. Most of the audience is already invested. We’re already hooked. You don’t have to spend time trying to convince us why we should care. We already do.

Lizzie: Nostalgia. And, of course, there’s the fact that they don’t have to waste time on backstory. We already know the backstory. So they can delve right into the action — which, for a limited run series, is a pretty good thing.

Sim: The greatest strength is that the possibilities are endless. This is a show about people with superpowers. Literally almost anything can happen. Also, right now, we live in a world where super powers are sexy. Ten years ago, we had the original Fantastic Four and Ben Affleck was the Daredevil. Today, we have Gotham, and Arrow and Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D., and being a nerd is sexy, so this genre isn’t going anywhere for a long time.

Ashley: I also think it’s the nostalgia. The show has done a good job with using small details to stay consistent with the original series. The music, the overall setup, and so on. It feels like it’s very well thought out.

4. Who or what do you want to see more of?

Allison: Miko and Ren! They are adorable. As far as new characters go, they are definitely my favorite. I already ship them hardcore.

Lizzie: Miko was my favorite part of the episode. That, and the little glimpse we got of Mohinder. I need more Mohinder. An explanation would be good, but even if Mohinder is in jail staring at the wall, I want to see him. He was always my fave.

Sim: I want to see more of the old cast, and how they will intervene with the new one. I want to see Mohinder, and The Haitan and Hiro! I want them back, and I want them to help progress the plot!

Ashley: I would also really love to see more of the original cast. Hopefully that will happen.

5. Who or what needs to go away and never come back?

Allison: There’s nothing that really bothered me that I think could continue in future episodes. The one moment in the premiere that I didn’t like was the super emotional and dramatic moment between Carlos and his brother as he died. It was just too much for the premiere. Other than that, nothing else bugged me.

Lizzie:  I love Zachary Levi, but Luke and Joanne Collins did nothing for me. In fact, at times, they actively bugged me. I know they need an antagonist, and I’m fine with that, but I thought, as far as antagonists go, Luke and Joanne were a bit flat and cartoonish.

Sim: Joanne needs to go away. So much. I only say Joanne and not Luke, because Luke has already shown that he can be a real human being — with feelings. That, and I think Zachary Levi can do no wrong. It would be nice to see Luke’s character arc go from being absolutely evil and killing people in cold blood, to at least having a bit more of a conscious.

Ashley: I’m going to say what we’ve already touched on, which is the amount of characters and storylines and details to keep up with. Though I imagine as the series moves forward, that issue will go away.

6. Favorite quote/moment from the premiere?

Allison: I enjoyed Tommy’s initial reaction to seeing Luke at Moe’s Ice Cream Shop. He was so innocent and thought that somehow Luke survived and just happened to be in the same area as Tommy. It just made me laugh. I like that Tommy is still innocent enough that he doesn’t always assume in the worst in people, even though he probably should.

Lizzie: Miko entering the game for the first time was the highlight of the episode for me. I had a definite OMG moment there. In fact, my favorite quote was her whole “Do not touch my sword” thing to the guards.

Sim: My favorite moment was Luke and Joanne being stuck in that no window room. It was fun to see Joanne really trying to talk about her feelings and why she thinks they’re doing right, while Luke just sort of nodded along, but actively searched for a way out. It just seemed like a natural, and well acted scene to me.

Ashley: Tommy making Joane and Luke disappear, all while saving Emily. I’m rooting for that kid more than anyone at the moment.

Enough about what we thought, what was your impression of the premiere? Leave us your thoughts in a comment below.

Heroes Reborn airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.