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Heroes

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Hero-driven drama is "super" for teens and up.

Themes in this show include:   family relationships, loss, revenge

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Overall the show's messages are similar to those of most superhero stories -- it's right for good to triumph over evil, characters who see the light deserve a second chance, etc. But plotlines can get very convoluted, with characters changing sides/alliances frequently, and it's sometimes hard to keep that in mind.
  • Role models:

    While most of the heroes have flaws (some quite significant), their collective goal is noble: to save the world and the people in it. That said, many characters switch allegiances, and it's sometimes hard to keep track of who's "good" or "bad" at any given moment. On the plus side, the cast members are a generally diverse group.
  • Violence:

    Significant amounts of blood and guts, and several graphic murder scenes. Some of the visuals are shockingly gory and may turn even the strongest of stomachs. Characters are constantly in peril and/or risking themselves to help others. Frequent images of potential Armageddon -- explosions, destruction, etc. The characters' goal is to prevent that from happening, but the images are frequent and scary.
  • Sex:

    One of the original "heroes" is a Las Vegas stripper who runs a Web pornography business out of her home and is shown stripping for a webcam (no real nudity) and seducing another character in her underwear. Other characters are shown in bed together (no sex on screen), with implied nudity. In at least one episode, two young women share a kiss.
  • Language:

    Occasional use of words/terms like "crack whore," "bitch," "hell," "hump," and "screw."
  • Consumerism:

    Some product placement (cars, etc.)
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    One hero has a heroin addiction; other characters (including some underage) are shown drinking socially on occasion.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Heroes was written by Kari Croop

Parents need to know that, while teens are definitely going to want to watch this comic book-like fantasy drama, it's at the far end of iffy due to its significant graphic violence. A central character who's incapable of getting injured frequently suffers debilitating injuries (burning, falls, mutilation), only to walk away unscathed; there are some disturbingly gory murders (heads cut open, bodies impaled by knives and other sharp objects); and explosive images of potential Armageddon are frequent. The show also has some relatively mild sexual content and language to watch out for, but the violence is the big issue here.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the nature of the word "hero" and what it means in everyday life. Do people need to have super-human powers to be heroic? And is being drastically different from everyone else a curse or a blessing?
  • Since the ensemble cast includes a diverse mix of sexes, ethnicities, and personality types, families can also discuss cultural bias and sexism. Are male superheroes more powerful than females -- and why do we often assume that they are? Are Americans more heroic than people from other nations -- and why is it such a rarity to see a "foreign" superhero?
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More on Heroes

What’s the Story?

In HEROES, life suddenly changes for a far-flung group of seemingly ordinary people when they begin developing superpowers. New York nurse Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) has been having strange dreams about flying, a quirk that his politically ambitious brother, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar), wants nothing to do with. Las Vegas Web-cam girl Niki Sanders (Ali Larter) has begun to see her dangerous alter ego's reflection in mirrors, while Japanese office worker Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) has literally started turning back the clock. Cop Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) realizes that he can hear what other people are thinking, and jailbird D.L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts) finds out that he can walk through walls. Texas cheerleader Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) has discovered that she's incapable of getting hurt, and artist Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera) is painting horrifying images that seem to show future events. Meanwhile, Indian genetics professor Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is picking up the pieces of his deceased father's research surrounding a global event that could change the course of all mankind.

Is It Any Good?

By merging the stories of these drastically different characters from all over the world into one gripping plotline, Heroes creates addictive television drama on a near-epic scale. One of the reasons it's so good is that the show's creators clearly understand the power of the cliffhanger, a device that's bound to propel it into "must see" territory for die-hard TV (and sci-fi/fantasy) junkies.

But as a programming choice for young kids, Heroes falls short of "super," due mostly to the flat-out graphic violence. Much of it is connected to Claire -- she comes away unscathed from some nasty injuries, including a hand down the disposal and a neck-breaking blow from a football player -- but plenty of other scenes depict bloody murders, sawed-open heads, Armageddon-like explosions, and more. Some of it is so gory that most adults will have to turn their heads And kids? Well, they'll likely have nightmares.

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    I love this show but sometimes it could be a little bloody and have some sensuality. The plot is very interesting. Probably ages 10 or 11+

  2. Parent Reviewer
    Kids ages: 12
    I rate this title on for age 15 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    VERY gory! Do not watch if faint of heart!

    VERY gory! I think that, what's her face, the girl who can regenerate goes a little crazy with testing her power and it gets really bloody! I also thought that the mobsters in the garage were pretty creepy! Our family only saw the first 2 episodes! Then we quit and started LOST! LOST is much better! :D

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Good Show, but it's pretty SCARY!

    Heroes is a pretty cool show, but it's very gory. For instance, even on the 1st episode, a woman wakes up inside her garage to find it completely COVERED in blood and bloody dead bodies all over the floor. Guts (At least I think it was guts.) were spilled and one guy even had a razor in his neck. Also, a teenager is pushed into wooden planks. When her "friend" picks her up, there's a long nail in her neck. But, the good thing is that she can regenerate body parts. When she comes back to life, her chest is wide open and all the meat and bones and... well, I guess you understand. There's also a little stripping. They don&'t show anything, but it's a little graphic. There's language like "Bi***" and "D***" and other words. There are some drugs in it too. A guy can paint the future (If someone will die, he paints their dead body.) as long as he's high on drugs. Other than all that, it's a great show for teens!

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    Jaw Dropping Freshman season isn't enough to make this show a classic.

    If I were reviewing only the first season of this show, I would give it 5 stars. Incredible characters, character development, story, you name it. Even the highly criticized second season I myself found to be brilliant. While I enjoyed seasons 3 and 4, there's no denying that each season gets progressively worse. With the first season getting 5 stars, I will give the second season 4 stars. Certainly a slower moving story, but since I watched it on DVD, that wasn't a problem for me. The third season I give 3 stars, and the fourth I give 2 stars. Overall, then I give the show 3 stars.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Heroes Review

    Rating: IFFY 13+ for gory violence, sexual situations, and some language.

  6. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Super-Drama.

    The perfect mixture of angst and power; love and the extraordinary; violence and...well, violence. A more mature show than what your kid may not be used to, but it's something that would certainly make for a few interesting family TV nights.

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

  8. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Good show to relate too.

    Everyone is saying these Heroes are role models and that they have flaws. No one is perfect. I found a hero that is my role model because we share the same ideas AND THE SAME FLAWS. People need to realize that role models are not always going to be perfect.

  9. I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Perfect... just perfect!

    Heroes, Heroes, Heroes - what can I say about Heroes? Well... it's EPIC. The first season, obviously, is the most compelling - purely, for me, as it is the original line up of characters, problems, relationships etc. Season two, although (only slightly) not as good as season one, introduces some awesome new superpowers and characters who are intriguing (my only major problem with season two was Kaitlyn - while i was glad that Peter left her in the future, it was kind of unrealistic). Season three was on a similar level to season two for me, very unexpected twists and a weird but entertaining finale. I've not started season 4 yet, although i think its on like episode 6 or something here in the UK - i have them recorded ;) Overall, Heroes will not disappoint it has something for everyone: Hiro and Ando provide the comedy, all the characters' personal situations provide the drama, explosions, decapitations, face-offs, and epic season finales provide the drama, Peter & Nathan provide not only tension and drama of their own through their on off brotherly relationship, but also gorgeous eye candy - especially Peter ;) and every characters story, though they all intertwine and have the same starting point, is completely unique. Also, i found that as the seasons progressed so did my opinions on the characters, i found myself falling in and out of a friendship with Bennett and Angela and especially, Nathan in season 2. But that's the beauty of the show - you get to make a connection with these characters and share a common interest... 'save the cheerleader, save the world!' Yatta!

  10. Parent Reviewer
    Kids ages: 15, 16
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

  11. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

    my favorite show!!

    LOVE THIS SHOW!!! peter is really hot, and i love all of the "abilities!" great story line, great characters, great everything! my favorite show on television right now!

  12. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    have to be at least 17

    i like it but i think you have to be at least 17

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    13+

    i love it but yes there is some sexual stuff and blood and language but otherwise i highly recommend it. The only real problem is the violence.

  14. I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models

    only for mature tweens and older

    I think heros is violent and there is a little sexual activity and a tiny bit of language but i think it is a good show and it is interesting and fun to watch. I don't think it is too scary i have seen much scarier it is kinda like a nowadays version of lord of the rings i love it.

  15. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    I love this show! This is definately my favorite tv show! It is violent though.

  16. I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Evidence of a Clear and Obvious Double Standard

    This show is incredibly violent. The violence includes a serial killer who cuts of half of his victims heads. A woman who blacks out and wakes up with bodies graphically broken bodies around her with guts and gore exposed, an angsty teenager who can burn the flesh of his victims, people being frozen to death and shattered to bits, electrocutions, and much more. This is a very graphic show. Role models include cheating husbands, heroin addicts, and serial killers, but also good role models like good, honest kind hearted people who really want to save the world. There are several depictions of women in lingerie and sexual situations, but nothing especially violent. There are a few curse words, but nothing that a ten year old wouldn't hear. It's a good show but not for anyone under fourteen. Now, for the double standard part, games like Mass Effect get a "Not for Kids" rating but THIS gets 14+? Ridiculous.

  17. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    good for tweens and above

    It may be a little vielont but besides that it is a good show for 12+. i think it is between iffy and on

  18. I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

  19. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 5.0

    Great if you aernt scared

    I love heroes, but its not for people with weak stomaches. sometimes it gets pretty scary and gory You might be able to notice that I love that stuff though :D

  20. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in California
    Kids ages: 18
    I rate this title off for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

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