Radio Times

Episode 1/23 Genesis

When his father dies in suspicious circumstances, Indian geneticist Mohinder Suresh scours the dead man's work for answers. As he uncovers evidence that humans are entering a new phase of evolution, across the globe ordinary people are discovering they have extraordinary abilities: a nurse who can fly; an indestructible cheerleader; a single mother with a murderous alter ego; a clairvoyant artist; and an office worker able to stop time. Guest-starring Richard Roundtree.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 25 July 2007)

Cast from your minds all images of primary-coloured costumes, cape-flapping mid-air rescues and catching bullets in the teeth. For what begins as a kind of low-key X-Men is a very different beast by the end of the opening salvo.

Heroes plays its fantastical premise with a stubbornly straight bat, so you'll just have to take things on trust during the treacle-slow opening episodes. Even so, you could be caught in its silky web from now till Christmas. It's classy escapist fare, dazzlingly designed and effortlessly watchable.

Episode 2/23 Don't Look Back

Why is policeman Matt Parkman the only one able to hear the cries of a missing child? Where's the videotape cheerleader Claire made of her miraculous regenerative powers? And who's responsible for the deaths of two thugs found brutally murdered in Niki's garage? As they each ponder these disturbing questions, Hiro explores New York - and discovers he's the star of his very own comic book.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 26 February 2007)

So far the series has been darkly intriguing rather than the earth-shattering spectacle advance word had us believe. And despite sporadic glimmers of greatness - token nerd Hiro's rescue of a schoolgirl from the path of an out-of-control truck is worth the tune-in alone - the fragmented narrative means it still isn't hanging together.

Episode 3/23 One Giant Leap

The ever enthusiastic Hiro drags his sceptical best friend Ando to America on a quest to save the world. Meanwhile, Claire's date with high-school quarterback Brody takes a tragic turn, Niki unearths something macabre in the desert, Nathan uses Peter's "accident" for his own political gain, and the murderous Sylar is pursued not only by Matt and the FBI, but also by Mohinder.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 1 August 2007)

It's darkly intriguing rather than the earth-shattering spectacle you might expect, and the comic-book content is deceptive: there are ugly scenes that make it unsuitable for youngsters.

Keep your eye on Hiro (played by former effects boffin Masi Oka): his performance throughout the series brings a smile to the face.

Episode 4/23 Collision

On a trip to Las Vegas, Hiro uses his powers at the gambling tables. Nathan's also in Vegas, attempting to raise campaign funds. Niki's forced into a sordid scheme when her mob debtors catch up with her. And events test Claire's powers to the limit - but Isaac's latest paintings suggest there's even greater peril in store for her. Meanwhile, Matt encounters two men with surprising insights into his special ability.

Episode 5/23 Hiros

Awakening after another blackout, Niki finds the police at her door - her husband has escaped from prison. Matt uses his mind-reading ability to improve his relationship with his wife. A distraught Claire confides in her father. Back in Las Vegas, Hiro and Ando may have bitten off more than they can chew. Meanwhile, Peter receives a life-changing message: "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 12 March 2007)

This is more like it. The grown-up comic strip seems to be picking up pace after its sluggish start and is dovetailing some of the plot strands at last. The episode works because it's more playful than earlier, gloomier offerings. When the material is this fantastical, surely you can have a little fun with it?

Episode 6/23 Better Halves

A gambler makes Hiro and Ando a tempting proposition. Mr Bennet arranges for Claire to meet her biological parents. Can they shed any light on her amazing abilities? Peter - infatuated with Isaac's girlfriend Simone - intercepts a message for Isaac from Hiro. Mohinder bids farewell to new friend Eden before returning to India to bury his father. Niki receives a visit from her fugitive husband DL.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 22 August 2007)

Is it all right to say that I'm not sure what all the fuss is about? But perhaps patience is needed, as we certainly are taking an awfully long time to get wherever it is we're supposed to be going. Let's hope it's worth the journey.

Episode 7/23 Nothing To Hide

Niki awakens to find DL and Micah gone. It's time for her alter ego Jessica to step in. Matt's facing domestic problems too but he's determined to prove himself at work, as the Sylar case takes an unexpected twist. After quailing at the first sign of danger, Hiro questions his own heroism. Nathan and Heidi concoct a scheme to win the election. Claire gets her revealing videotape back - but not for long.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 29 August 2007)

Episode 8/23 Seven Minutes to Midnight

In India for his father's burial, Mohinder has a revealing dream. Eden watches over Isaac as he struggles to beat his addiction. Stopping off at a diner in Texas, Hiro encounters some fellow gifted people. Determined to see one of Isaac's prophetic paintings, Peter pressures Nathan into helping him. At home, Claire prepares for Homecoming, blissfully unaware of the sinister portents gathering.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 5 September 2007)

But something keeps me watching, possibly just curiosity but probably a sneaking affection for the brave, good-hearted, time-stopping Hiro and the similarly noble, mind-reading cop Matt Parkman.

Episode 9/23 Homecoming

As Claire prepares to be crowned Homecoming Queen, her adoptive father - and Peter - struggle to protect her from imminent danger. Hiro travels back in time to right a wrong. As Micah enjoys spending time with his father DL, Niki's deadly alter ego pursues them. Back in India, Mohinder continues to have vivid, revelatory dreams about his family that might rekindle his passion for his father's work.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 12 September 2007)

Episode 10/23 Six Months Ago

Hiro accidentally travels six months into the past, where he finds Charlie alive and well. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Chandra Suresh is recruiting a test subject for his research, and in LA, Matt, Eden and The Haitian cross paths. At the same time, in Texas, Claire discovers she's on the cheerleading squad. At an AA meeting, Niki encounters her estranged father. In Nevada, Nathan is involved in a car crash.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 19 September 2007)

It's an absorbing journey, made even more piquant because of all the knowledge we've gathered about these people during the previous nine episodes.

Episode 11/23 Fallout

Back in the present, Jessica causes havoc when she catches up with DL and Micah. In custody, Peter is questioned by Matt and Audrey, but a strange interference prevents Matt from using his mind-reading ability effectively. At Primatech Paper, Sylar threatens to steal Eden's powers, forcing her to take drastic action. Meanwhile, Mohinder returns to New York to continue his father's research. And Isaac's new painting reveals a dramatic future for Hiro.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 26 September 2007)

The pace really picks up in the second episode. Eccleston's brief "appearance" as the invisible man - the bearded, tramp-like Claude - marks the start of his guest-star run in the show. His chipper Manc bluster gives the show some pep at just the right time.

Episode 12/23 Godsend

Determined to save his comatose brother, Nathan turns to Simone for help. Hiro and Ando go in search of the samurai sword wielded by Hiro in Isaac's latest painting. Niki attempts to turn herself in to the police, but alter ego Jessica has other ideas. Matt leads a SWAT team to Primatech but fails to find any evidence of Sylar. Mohinder shares his father's list with the FBI. And a new hero (Christopher Eccleston) reveals himself.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 30 April 2007)

If you've wondered what Christopher Eccleston has been up to since leaving the Tardis in 2005, tune in to [this] mid-season episode of the glossily watchable Heroes. His brief "appearance" as the bearded, dishevelled Claude marks the start of his guest-star run in the show.

But the series still belongs to the irrepressible Hiro (Masi Oka), the likeable geek who's far more engaging and funnier than any other character. And if nothing else, Heroes is the best-designed show on the box: its comic-book-font credits and roving subtitles are works of art.

Episode 13/23 The Fix

As Hiro and Ando flee from unknown pursuers, Hiro realises his powers have deserted him. Acting on information from The Haitian, Claire and Zach search for Claire's biological parents. As Matt prepares to face the review board, he convinces Janice that he really can read her thoughts. Peter seeks help from the invisible man, but Isaac is determined to prevent Peter from destroying New York.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 3 October 2007)

There's a bonus for buffs tonight with the guest appearance of not one, but two actors from sci-fi bedrocks: Christopher Eccleston from Doctor Who and George Takei, alias Mr Sulu in Star Trek.

As Claude the Invisible Man, Eccleston is typically perky, and thankfully has rejected the traditional English-actor-in-a-US-drama accent; while Takei is glimpsed briefly in the role of Hiro's father. And although the plot hardly shifts at warp speed, there are enough bite-sized intrigues to keep regular viewers hooked.

Episode 14/23 Distractions

Peter begins his lessons with the invisible man, Claude. Isaac and Simone are intent on finding him before the destructive prophecy in Isaac's painting becomes reality. Hiro struggles to explain his new path in life to his unsympathetic father (George Takei) and sister. As Sylar escapes from Primatech, Jessica attempts to free herself from hospital. Claire traces her birth mother to a trailer park, where she makes some stunning revelations.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 10 October 2007)

The arrival of Christopher Eccleston as Claude the Invisible Man has breathed a bit of much-needed quirkiness into Heroes, which takes itself too seriously. There's a great scene as Claude argues on a rooftop with the po-faced Peter Petrelli, then brings the conversation to a shuddering, unexpected halt. It's brutal, but it made me laugh, as I think it was meant to. Maybe Peter gets on the writers' wick as much as mine.

Episode 15/23 Run!

The identity of Claire's real father is revealed. Suspended from the force, Matt takes a job as a bodyguard for crooked attorney Aron Malsky - inadvertently placing himself between Linderman's newest assassin and her target. Continuing their quest for the sword, Hiro and Ando return to Las Vegas, but are sidetracked by a damsel in distress. Mohinder unwittingly puts himself in danger when he tracks down one of the people on his father's list.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 17 October 2007)

A soap-scented offering takes the pan slightly off the boil in the slick, well-designed comic strip. It all potters along watchably if over-earnestly, but let's hope they drop Mohinder's cod-Confucian spoutings come season two.

Episode 16/23 Unexpected

Peter is unaware he's being watched as he continues his lessons with Claude. Claire is furious with Bennet after discovering that he has manipulated her mother's mind. Matt is reunited with the radioactive Ted Sprague - who introduces him to a new companion with an intriguing ability - while Mohinder and Sylar approach another gifted person. After blood is shed, Hiro is forced to make a difficult decision.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 24 October 2007)

I can't believe we've got this far (only seven episodes left) and so little has actually happened, apart from a few episodic set pieces. I live in hope, though.

Episode 17/23 Company Man

Mr Bennet's past catches up with him when Matt and Ted arrive in Texas seeking answers. As they take Bennet, his family and Claire hostage, Bennet's recollections reveal that he formerly collaborated with some familiar faces - and one mysterious figure. As the hostage situation intensifies, Matt realises that Ted is willing to commit murder to get what he wants. After a protracted, mid-season lull, the glossy saga of telegenic superhumans looks like moving up a notch.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 31 October 2007)

A tense and teary chapter that exudes more warmth than all previous episodes put together.

Genre junkies will be in a frenzy by now, with yet another cast addition to hit their buttons: Eric Roberts (once the Master in Doctor Who) joining recent signings Chris Eccleston and George Takei. But it's the affecting father/daughter scenes - including the long-awaited "You're adopted" discussion - that sets this apart, with Hayden Panettiere given the chance to show her acting chops as chirpy cheerleader Claire. If only Heroes were this involving every week.

Episode 18/23 Parasite

Mourning the loss of Simone, Isaac resorts to using heroin once more - and is soon painting disturbing new prophecies. Nathan agrees to wear an FBI wire when he meets Linderman, but the crime boss later makes an offer that may change Nathan's allegiance. The Haitian insists Claire leave the country for her own safety. Hiro's quest for the sword nears its end. And, too late, Mohinder realises Sylar's true nature.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 11 June 2007)

While Hiro and chum Ando again enjoy all the warmly comic moments, the misdeeds of psycho supe Sylar make it an edgy, violent episode.

Episode 19/23 .07%

Linderman reveals his plans - and abilities - to Nathan, who realises he must make some difficult decisions about the future - for himself, his family, New York City and the world. Meanwhile, Linderman drafts in Jessica. As Thompson (Eric Roberts) uses every tool at his disposal to find Claire, Bennet, Matt and Ted plan their escape. Hiro's resolve only strengthens in the face of a grim reality. And there's a showdown between Sylar and Peter.

Episode 20/23 Five Years Gone (aka String Theory)

Hiro and Ando are thrown five years into a frightening future. Following the destruction of New York City and the deaths of millions, those with special abilities are persecuted as terrorists. As the US President takes his first steps towards a "final solution," Hiro and Ando encounter both new - and disturbingly familiar - heroes, and are caught up in what could be their last battle.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 21 November 2007)

This dark comic-book fantasy has always teetered on a precipice. The more plot strands there are, the longer the series can continue, but tension dissipates proportionally. In a bid to do something different, tonight's episode leaps ahead five years to a post-bomb future (at times, the post-9/11 echoes are deafening).

But in the scheme of the show, it's an episode that just doesn't matter. Even the normally dependable Hiro (Masi Oka) looks glum.

Episode 21/23 The Hard Part

Jessica and DL begin to understand their place in Linderman's plans, while Angela persuades Nathan to go along with Linderman in order to secure his election to Congress. Having learned his own bloody destiny, Sylar seeks validation from his mother. Hiro and Ando follow him and soon find their resolve put to the test. Meanwhile, Thompson brings a new face into the company fold.

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 28 November 2007)

So, which one of our Heroes is the bomb that will turn New York to rubble? That's the $2 million-an-episode question.

Well, the writers are tossing red herrings around like they're going out of fashion, so don't expect much to be nailed down yet, but at least they've considerably upped the incident count. About time, you might say, considering there are only two more episodes left.

Episode 22/23 Landslide

Poised to grasp political power, Nathan considers Linderman's prophecy and the potential cost to his loved ones. As Hiro prepares to confront Sylar, his father reveals the details of his lineage. Peter and Ted attempt to leave New York City ahead of the foretold explosion, while Mr Bennet and Matt learn the surprising truth about the "tracking system" being used to find the heroes.

Episode 23/23 How to Stop an Exploding Man

As Isaac's terrible predictions unfold before them, the heroes gather at New York City's Kirby Plaza for a final showdown with the murderous and powerful Sylar. Can he be stopped? Is there a way to prevent Peter from destroying the city and claiming millions of lives? What sacrifices will be required? And who will be left standing when it's all over?

RT Choice (Mark Braxton, 16 July 2007)

The slick but stiff-necked sci-fi saga ends not with all CGI cylinders firing but a relatively low-key and touching resolution.