10 TV Shows With Great First Episodes

Heroes is one of those shows that began as one of the most exciting and refreshing things on TV, before unravelling in its second season and ending as a huge disappointment. It's a shame, because its first season truly is one of the greatest explorations of the superhero myth in history, and a damn good TV show in its own right.

The pilot, Genesis, is an absolutely blinding starting point. It introduces the key players, and the stories that would eventually bring them together, giving us characters who possess super powers, but are very much regular people, living in a world easily recognisable as our own. Instant standouts were enthusiastic Japanese time traveller Hiro Nakamura, indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennett, and empathetic nurse Peter Petrelli. Other characters, like the mysterious HRG, would become fan favourites in time, but this core trio were already beloved by the time the first episode had ended.

Genesis expertly dropped small hints as to the larger mysteries of the show, gripping the audience and leaving them desperate for answers. Each week, Heroes would add further layers of mystery, hit its viewers with startling revelations and shocking twists, and increase the danger and excitement until its breathless finale. That slow build is part of what made the first season so great, and its starting point has a large part to play in how well it turned out.