{"id":527025,"date":"2026-07-05T23:34:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T23:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/527025\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T23:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T23:34:15","slug":"netflix-just-got-one-of-the-most-bingeable-seasons-of-tv-ever-just-pretend-the-other-3-seasons-of-heroes-dont-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/527025\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix just got one of the most bingeable seasons of TV ever \u2014 just pretend the other 3 seasons of \u2018Heroes\u2019 don\u2019t exist"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHeroes\u201d is one of the greatest \u201cwhat ifs\u201d in television history. The first season debuted in 2006, and almost instantly became one of the most compelling \u201cwater-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.<\/p>\n

The first season wrapped up in May of the following year. Multiple Emmy nominations followed, and it looked like \u201cHeroes\u201d was going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of \u201cLost\u201d and \u201cPrison Break\u201d as one of the era\u2019s most defining TV shows. And then \u201cHeroes\u201d went off the rails, and I don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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Flash forward 20 years, and maybe \u201cHeroes\u201d will return to the spotlight because the complete original run has just been added to Netflix\u2019s streaming library. I\u2019m 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\u2026not so much.<\/p>\n

Latest Videos From\u2018Heroes\u2019 season 1 is bingeable TV at its very best<\/p>\n

Years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe made superheroes mainstream, \u201cHeroes\u201d was laying the foundation. The show focuses on a group of seemingly ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary abilities.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s 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\u2019t appear to have any powers, but his brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) can fly. And that\u2019s just the start of the show\u2019s roster of heroes.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

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\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: NBC \/ Maximum Film \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

Of course, every superhero story needs a villain, and \u201cHeroes\u201d 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\u2019s one of TV\u2019s great antagonists.<\/p>\n

Across its 23-episode run, \u201cHeroes\u201d 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: \u201csave the cheerleader, save the world.\u201d The second half builds up to an explosive premonition from painter Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera), who can sketch the future.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

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\u2019ll probably polish off in days rather than weeks. It\u2019s just a shame about what came after\u2026<\/p>\n

Just pretend \u2018Heroes\u2019 was a one-season show<\/p>\n

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\"Hayden\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: NBC \/ Photo 12 \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to sugarcoat this: After \u201cHeroes\u201d season 1, the show\u2019s quality ranges from subpar to downright stinky. However, I will give the creatives a little slack for the immediate drop-off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeroes\u201d season 2 was infamously impacted by the 2007-2008 Writers Guild strike. This hurt effectively every scripted show at the time (\u201cLost,\u201d \u201cPrison Break,\u201d \u201cHouse,\u201d etc.), but the damage to \u201cHeroes\u201d was major.<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

Season 2\u2019s 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. \u201cHeroes\u2019\u201d momentum stalled, and it was never able to recover it.<\/p>\n

At least \u201cHeroes\u201d season 3 had its moments, though short-lived, and even its peaks were no match for the show\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Even fans who hadn\u2019t 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 \u201cHeroes\u201d as a show with unfulfilled potential.<\/p>\n

There was an attempt to revive the series in 2015, with \u201cHeroes Reborn,\u201d which was canceled after a single 13-episode season (I\u2019ll admit to skipping it), and there are further online whispers<\/a> of a second attempt to bring the series back. But personally I say let \u201cHeroes\u201d rest now. It\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

If you missed the height of \u201cHeroes\u201d 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 \u201cHeroes\u201d season 1 on Netflix now. Just skipped the rest, trust me.<\/p>\n

Watch “Heroes” seasons 1-4 on Netflix<\/a> now<\/p>\n

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