Super Hiro

Heroes is freaking awesome. The new show that premiered during the US Fall season '06 on NBC is growing from strength to strength. It's being touted as the 'new Lost', which I disagree with mainly cause Lost was overrated and then some. Yeah, both shows have quite a huge ensemble, cliffhanger endings in each episode and a fair racial representation (re: Asians) but the buck stops there. The major difference being that while Lost quickly outgrew it's pre-island flashback style of exposition, every single character's arc in Heroes will eventually meld together to drive the story home.

Heroes is about a bunch of ordinary people suddenly discovering powers that didn't exist before. X-Men ripoff you say? Not quite. While there is the obvious similarity of ordinary humans finding out they're actually extraordinary, Heroes seems to put the idea of the development of a superior gene in the context of biology; natural selection and the possibilities of the other 90%++ of the brainspace we don't use. Also, there aren't any spanky yellow leotards or leather uniforms let alone an established "School for the Gifted". It's really about people coming to terms with their new power. Everyone is confused and/or continues to swim in the waters of De Nial, except one, Hiro, who hilariously embraces his power and new identity all too willingly. Seriously, every female viewer wants to make him her pet right now.

Why I think it will pay off unlike the gradual suckfest that is Lost? At the end of the pilot, it is revealed that there will be a nuclear explosion in a month's time. How many ways can you say dum dum dummm? The time constraint really amps up the tension throughout the season, especially as characters start to figure out that they're not alone and the prowess of the supervillian and other freelance agents is added into the equation. The Lost writers on the other hand hadn't even worked out season one's arc after the pilot went to air. I started watching because of Milo Ventimiglia, who by the way, has the gayest hair on network TV right now, but after the pilot I realize that even if he wasn't around I'd still be going apeshit over it. So do yourself a huge favour and start watching it. This is going to be awesome TV.

Also, the Amazing Race Asia is set to premier on Nov 9 on AXN. From what I gather on the site, there is a team from Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand and two teams from Phillipines and Malaysia each. Things that are particularly noteworthy:

- The Phillos are going crazy on the boards with national pride. No really.. their intensity is quite scary. In particular this user, "lexz06".
- The team from Thailand is made up of two Anglo-Saxons. Naturally, there's a huge debate going on in the forums on what constitutes an 'Asian' dude and I think the Thailand community is particularly torn about the race issue.
- There isn't the obligatory gay team that you see in the US version.
- There also isn't the obligatory septogenarian team. Heck, the oldest participant is merely 42!
- Of the twenty people participating, four of them lists 'model' as their profession. Heh. Guess they retained some things from the US version.
- So far people seem to be supporting based on national lines. It will be interesting to see if how that changes, if it does, once the season gets started and teams get eliminated.

That is all.