This is a very tepid recommendation for Heroes and it's only fair to tell you, before you devote your time, that about three quarters in, the enjoyment seeps out and you might be left thinking that the doomsday scenario in the plot isn't such a bad thing so long as it banishes some of these characters forever (Mohinder in particular and the terribly annoying shape shifter).
But on the plus side, it really is an exciting and fun ride for awhile. I was pleasantly surprised by it until the writers felt that each and every plot had to mesh and come to a single conclusion. I won't dive too much into plot, I'd hate to take away the reveals and surprises, but would it have killed them to make the story more open ended, more expansive and less ultimately boring?
Imagine if Buffy based an entire season with absolutely no subplot (and no humor) around the master. Don't get me wrong he was an excellent villain and end of the world plots are grand, but it gets boring when nothing else is going on outside your main story arch.
And really, for every person that begins to grate on your nerves, there are character actors doing a splendid job with the material. I've always found Ali Larter appealing in a slutty actress way and she is formidable as the schizoid mother, Jessica/Niki. Zachary Quinto as Sylar too is impressive in a villain role that could be very hard to pull off with a lesser, more hammy actor. Of course Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura brings a world of charm (which is why people were justifiably upset when, in season two they decided to thrown him into feudal Japan with a white samurai teacher who manages to bleed all the enjoyable charm right out of him). Hayden Panettiere is also a far more agreeable young Hollywood presence than most.
So, proceed with caution and feel free to turn off (as most of the initial viewers have) once it gets tedious – I promise I will tell you what happens if you must know.
But what do you think?