TV Review: Heroes - Episode 2 "Don't Look Back"

Picking up right where last week's episode left off, the show continues to explore the ramifications the mysterious powers have on our heroes’ lives while still finding time to further the overall plot and introduce some new characters.

Mohinder Suresh meets a friend of his father's and finds the cockroach isn’t the only bug in his apartment. He also makes a discovery that may lead him to what his father referred to as “patient zero.” Suresh may not have any superpowers, but Sendhil Ramamurthy manages to make him interesting enough that we’re never bored when he’s on screen. He also has the perfect voice for delivering the philosophical opening and closing narration for each episode.

Single mother and Internet stripper Niki heads out of town with her kid, along with a couple of dead guys in the trunk. How did they get there? And what’s at the destination marked on the map she finds in the shiny new convertible? It seems her blackouts hold the answer. Ali Larter was one of the more recognizable members of the ensemble cast, having had a major role in the first two Final Destination films and a memorable appearance in Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. As mom on the run Niki Sanders, she conveys the scared intensity of the character perfectly and I can’t wait to see where her story leads next.

We don’t really find out much about cheerleader Claire this week. We do get confirmation that her mysterious stepdad is aware of her indestructibility, but then that was pretty much a given. Plus, one of the other chearleaders takes credit for her heroic rescue last week. Claire Bennett could easily have been a Buffy clone, but, thanks to Hayden Panettiere, she’s developing into much more. She’s one of my favourite characters on the show and not just because I like looking at young girls in cheerleader outfits.

Brothers Peter and Nathan come to terms with the shocking revelation they can both fly. Peter is probably the weakest character, but that has more to do with him being written as a whiny rich kid than any lack of ability on Milo Ventimiglia's part and I’m sure we’ll see him develop into a more interesting character as the show progresses. He’ll shortly be seen in Rocky Balboa as Rocky Jr.

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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