I got really ticked with Netflix last night for that weird "we don't have the first disk in a series...so sucks to be you if you want to see it" for Heroes. I'm not gonna wait this time. I'm still waiting for Planet Earth from the BBC to drop from Long Wait.



I made my way through the first disk and it's pleasant looking back. I'm convinced the best of TV should not be seen on broadcast television. At best, plug it into a TIVO, DVR or pull it from a VOD source. It's very unpleasant when you can't slow a particular part to catch or rewatch a critical moment. Also, I don't like having the ad-placers deciding when I can take a break. Part of why premium channels are so nifty, even though they have much shorter runs. I am really looking forward to the HBO adaptation of "A Song of Fire & Ice" by George R.R. Martin. A season a book...mmmmm



But back to Heroes. I watched the unaired version, which gave me a neat, insider sort of sensation since I've never made it as far as Comic-Con (I haven't leveled up to that state of geek-cred yet...only an anime/video-game/books geek, but I'm a girl so it's been an uphill battle).

I found it interesting, if a bit confusing, how the 'chapters' played out in the early pilot. With multiple chapters in each episode, the season may have wound up with around 50 or so by the end. I wonder if they'll be doing something like that for the second season, since they've said they want to create smaller arcs in the course of the season.




Pilots are interesting because I've heard enough DVD commentary to know they may take place many many months before a show eventually gets picked up. In a serial show, this can be especially difficult because the next episode then needs to be a seamless transition.





For Heroes, I'm still bewildered they didn't digitally insert Erick Avari into the Chandra Suresh moments like the photograph or at least redub it with his voice. Same goes for Sylar, who just sounds strange without Zachary Quinto's presence and far too old. These are simple edits to me. Heck, when the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya came out on DVD, all sorts of errors were digitally fixed! (Download that show now if you don't know it...don't keep reading. Go somewhere and find it. It is among the greatest science fiction works, blending humor, amazing voice-over writing which makes all other voice-over writing pale in comparison, and non-linear storytelling. Don't get it on DVD, Bandai botched it like they botched everything but Cowboy Bebop. Get it yet?) And that's a relatively small-budget anime show when compared with a prime-time US TV production.




It just irks me that with all the planning they did, that they didn't go back and fix these particular flaws which would seem easy to fix. It's a real shame. But I'm ultimately willing to overlook it.

So far as the other changes, I am so very glad they pulled out the Muslim terrorists subplot. It didn't ring very true to me and felt desperately-hurried. The moment with Matt Parkman finding the little girl is a lot better than the one with him, coifed in uglier hair than he has in the 2nd episode, finding the hidden terrorist.

I don't think I would have wound up liking Amir as much as I did Ted Sprague but then I didn't like HRG after those first two episodes, so you never know how things will work out in the long-run.

I liked the little scene with Parkman's wife, even though it's clear she was recast in the series. I also noticed that it was the one they used to introduce him in the previews for the series.

I actually liked the music better in this version, even if they were just placeholders till the final score.

The Micah run-away plot was weird even though I liked how his abilities were better foreshadowed in this version.

Despite all the positives, I think the version that ultimately aired was better because it keeps a faster, more efficient momentum through the entire episode. Certain parts in this version feel wedged in and slow things down when it would be better to just get on with a new plot thread.

The deleted scenes were interesting.

On another note...the 2nd episode, neck-snapping hit taken by Claire is still really funny to me. Maybe I'm just morbid like that...

I really recommend the DVD set to anyone with a passing interest in comic books or serial shows. It's a fun program which is only better on DVD, rather than on NBC. I do feel annoyed that a certain number of extras were left off of the DVD release and instead placed on the HD-DVD release. I know why it was done (temptation to HD-DVD peoples) but it still smarts. At least the pricing is different...I'm intrigued to see how the HD-DVD will sell at the price-point it's been given (100 MSRP) vs. the regular DVD version (60 MSRP and...from Best Buy $40.04 total when I picked it up).

Addendum - I could swear it was 36.99 from Amazon the other day and now it's up to 40. Is NBC-Universal futzing with their prices for DVDs like they wanted to with their iTunes prices?

Despite the fact NBC-Universal can go F themselves, this is a great series run which I highly recommend to anyone.