Landman's Ali Larter Is Right, Her 19-Year-Old Superhero Show Does Feature "One Of The Best Seasons Of TV"

Ali Larter is getting attention for her role in Taylor Sheridan’s Landman, but the actress was in another great show 19 years ago: Heroes. And although the superhero show fell off after just one outing, Larter seems to view the series with fondness. She’s certainly right about one thing: despite its inconsistent quality, Heroes boasts one of the greatest TV seasons of all time. Even after nearly two decades, its best outing stands out among similar fare — and that’s saying something, given the wave of edgy superhero shows on modern television.

Speaking to Collider at the Newport Beach TV Festival, the topic of Heroes came up, highlighting the show’s lasting legacy. Although its later seasons were poorly received, it’s clear people are still thinking about the show; that’s why there’s enough demand to warrant the Heroes: Eclipsed reboot that’s coming down the pike. Larter was unaware that the series was being revamped yet again, but she suggested it would be difficult for the reboot to top its best season. And it’s hard to disagree on that front, as it really is among the greatest outings of modern television.

Ali Larter Believes It Will Be Hard For The Upcoming Reboot To Top Heroes Season 1

Heroes Reborn Didn’t Accomplish It

Larter was asked whether she’d consider returning for the upcoming Heroes reboot at the Newport Beach TV Festival, and she admitted she hadn’t heard about the project. However, she offered a reminder that the first attempt at revisiting the show — 2015’s Heroes Reborn — didn’t exactly recapture the magic of original story. Its 46% Rotten Tomatoes score speaks to that fact, but even if the show had been better received, it likely wouldn’t live up to Heroes season 1. As Larter noted:

“I think they tried it a second time, but it didn’t quite click. The first season, I think, will always be one of the best seasons of TV. It was really special. It was powerful. It was kind of one of those magical moments.”

Larter has a point: to some extent, Heroes season 1 feels like it caught lightning in a bottle. Even the show’s later seasons never fully reached the heights of the first one, with all of them being critically panned. There are multiple reasons they had a negative reception, from the writing quality to inconsistent storytelling. Much of Heroes season 2’s decline in quality can be chalked up to the Writer’s Guild of America’s 2007-2008 strike. The subsequent outings never recovered, but Heroes season 1 remains a fantastic piece of media.

The Landman Star Is Right: Heroes Season 1 Is One Of The Greatest Outings Of Television

It Remains Highly Regarded, Even If Its Overall Legacy Is Messy

The overall legacy of Heroes might be messy, but season 1 is undeniably one of the greatest outings of television, especially within the superhero genre. It was a fresh and exciting addition to its category at the time, and it successfully managed to hook viewers from beginning to end. Its 82% Rotten Tomatoes score speaks to that, though one could argue that the number doesn’t do it justice. Larter is right that it withstands the test of time, even if parts of the series have aged. Heroes season 1 simply stands out, and there are a few reasons it’s still so highly regarded.

What Makes Heroes Season 1 Stand Out

Its Gripping Mysteries & Ensemble Cast Helped It Shine

There are a few reasons Heroes season 1 shines, both compared to other TV shows at the time and to today’s superhero series. For one, the first outing presented genuinely compelling mysteries that kept viewers on edge and eager for more episodes. While not completely falling into the mystery box category, it had a similar appeal to shows like Lost. There were so many intersecting storylines and questions to be answered that Heroes never felt dull. It was constantly thrilling, and that’s a strength that’s proven difficult to recapture.

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Additionally, Heroes’ great ensemble cast ensured that viewers got invested in all the characters, from the heroic and likable ones right down to Zachary Quinto’s complex but cruel villain, Sylar. The fact that these characters weren’t necessarily your traditional superhero archetypes also made Heroes more compelling, setting it apart from similar offerings at the time. While subverting the superhero genre has become more common now, Heroes felt incredibly unique. And it still does, helping it maintain its legacy all these years later.