I recently picked up the newly minted Heroes boxed set and finally got a chance to watch the ‘Tim Kring cut.’ This version of the original pilot is a 72 minute extravaganza of how the show was supposed to go if Tim had his way.
I don’t intend to spoil anything here, but there will be indications of what characters and plot lines are in the pilot and may be slightly different from what was aired. If you don’t like that sort of thing, stop reading after the image.
In a nutshell, the episode is worth watching but this is definitely a case of the powers that be keeping a writer well in check. The aired episode was leaps and bounds better than this cut. If I had watched this cut instead of the aired pilot, my interest in Heroes may not have been as compelling.
One of the most interesting things about this extended cut is the inclusion of a couple of characters that we weren’t introduced to until much later in the season. Most notably is Matt Parkman who has a pretty huge role and is introduced as a much more integral part to the whole story.
Other characters (such as DL) are at least talked about more, even leading to a scene with Micah that wasn’t in the show at all. This is pretty interesting as it does give some insight into the characters. For example, a long held belief of the fan community is that Parkman is a diagnosed dyslexic. It was never confirmed in the show but there were certainly hints.
In this cut, his dyslexia is talked about openly giving the viewer a bit more insight into his character. With his character, it’s also interesting given his power. As someone who has a hard time processing information in the written form, there is irony in him suddenly being deluged with others’ thoughts.
There’s also an entire plot line that disappeared completely from the aired story line. It alludes to what exactly caused that train crash that Claire saved a guy from. If the subplot had stayed in, I don’t think Ted Sprague would have ever been introduced to the story.
I also laughed at some of the casting. Some of the characters that we meet in later episodes are in this pilot played by different actors. This makes the episode feel very surreal.
On another note, Linderman is referred to a whole lot more and his ties with some of the characters aren’t kept secret as they are in the official storyline. (Does anyone else find it funny that a powerful guy who is introduced first as loaning large sums of money to people has the name ‘Lender Man’?)
Most interesting of all may be how this pilot would have led to a completely different season of Heroes than the one we grew to love. Some of the plotlines and characters would have necessarily had to have gone different directions, making for a wholly different story.
Overall, it was an insightful look into the creation process of a series. It gives the viewer a good sense of not only what goes into making a tv show, but what goes into changing it to make the best television.
This version of the pilot isn’t as good as what was aired, and the parts that were cut were mostly deserving. For anyone who even has the slightest inclination of being a Heroes fanboy, though, this episode’s for you.