Masked Mom's Media Monday: Heroes

At first glance NBC's Heroes isn't the kind of show I would usually get into. Oh, I might sit in the room while the kids or Hubby watched it, but I'd have a book open on my lap and if anyone asked my opinion of something that just happened or was about to happen, my answer would most likely be, "Huh?" Actually, that's exactly what happened through the first episode and a half and then, all of a sudden, with no conscious thought on my part, I realized I was actually paying attention to the show.

Sure, it's got a science fiction bent with a Japanese guy who bends the space-time continuum (simply by thinking hard about it) and a heroin addict whose paintings (under the influence) are prophesies of a coming apocalypse and, of course, the flying politician (c'mon now, tell the truth, who hasn't wanted to see a politician take a flying leap?), but it's got just enough campiness to let you know it doesn't take itself seriously.

One of the best characters is single mom Niki Sanders whose "power" is an ass-kicking alter ego who does a lot of very dirty work protecting Niki and her son, Micah (who may or may not have powers). It remains to be seen whether Jessica, the alternate, is a good or bad guy in the grand scheme, but what mother hasn't wished for a stunt double to do the dirty work--of course in most of our cases, the dirty work is dishes, laundry and groceries while in Niki's case the dirty work is killing off loan sharks and other nasty types, but still.

The character I most identify with, though, is Hiro, the one who can bend the space-time continuum. On the one hand, he takes his responsibility very seriously but is positively gleeful at moments, bringing a boyish charm sorely lacking from most "End of the World" scenarios. It's not Hiro's charm I can identify with, though, it's his power.

You see, I, too can bend the space-time continuum. Witness: I left my house at 8:47 this morning, dropped the boys off at volleyball practice, swung back around for Baby Brother, made a pit stop for Diet Dr. Pepper (Breakfast of Champions, I'm tellin' ya'), dropped Hubby and Baby Brother at work, and still was only three minutes late for my 9:00 job. And I did all of it without Hiro's scrunchy-faced trademark bending the space-time continuum expression--a look which Matt Lauer described this morning as "like you just ate a bad oyster." Well, I didn't look like that at all--I'm sure I looked like I ate something much worse than merely a bad oyster--this was pre-Diet Dr. Pepper, after all.

Anyway, yes, there are some science fiction elements, but there's also humor, and intelligence and enough suspense to keep you guessing. And then there's the catchphrase: "Save the cheerleader; save the world." How can you not love the show that gave us those immortal words?

Masked Mom's Media Monday: Fun. (On Monday--now that is heroic!)