Premise: A group of people discover that they have extraordinary powers, ranging from the ability to fly to hearing other people's thoughts.
First Impressions: This didn't play particularly well for the assembled crowd of advertisers, but for our money it's maybe the most intriguing thing NBC previewed this week. The premise is easy to get your head around, yet there's almost endless territory to mine as the characters grapple with their newfound abilities. It could be really good, or, if it's not executed properly, a total mess. We're hoping, not without reason, that it's the former.
Stars: Greg Grunberg ("Alias"), Ali Larter ("A Lot Like Love"), Milo Ventimiglia ("Gilmore Girls"), Hayden Panettiere ("Ice Princess"), Adrian Pasdar ("Judging Amy"), Leonard Roberts ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Santiago Cabrera ("Empire"), Tawny Cypress ("Third Watch"), Masi Oka ("Scrubs"), Noah Gray-Cabey, Sendhil Ramamurthy
Studio: NBC Universal TV
Producers: Tim Kring ("Crossing Jordan"), David Semel ("House," "American Dreams"), Dennis Hammer ("Crossing Jordan")
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This topic will contain spoilers of the episodes that have aired in the United States of America!!!!
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1.01 Pilot
GENESIS--As a total eclipse casts its shadow across the globe, a genetics professor (Sendhil Ramamurthy, "Blind Guy Driving") in India is led by his father's disappearance to uncover a secret theory -- there are people with super powers living among us. A young dreamer (Milo Ventimiglia, "Gilmore Girls") tries to convince his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar, "Judging Amy") that he can fly. A high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere, "Ice Princess") learns that she is totally indestructible. A single mother (Ali Larter, "Final Destination") struggles to make ends meet to support her young son (Noah Gray-Cabey, "My Wife & Kids"), discovers that her mirror image has a secret. A gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera, "Empire"), whose drug addiction is destroying his life and relationship with his girlfriend (Tawny Cypress, NBC's "Third Watch"), can paint the future. And in Japan, a young man (Masi Oka, NBC's "Scrubs") develops a way to stop time through sheer will power. Yet, unbeknownst to them all, their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world...
1.02 "Don'T Look Back"
AS PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD FIND THEIR LIVES DISRUPTED BY THEIR NEW, EXTRAORDINARY ABILITIES, AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE SEVERAL BIZARRE, GRUESOME MURDERS -- GREG GRUNBERG ("ALIAS") JOINS THE CAST AS MATT PARKMAN, A POLICEMAN WHO CAN HEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS; CLEA DUVALL ("CARNIVALE") AND NORA ZEHETNER ("EVERWOOD") GUEST STAR. -- Outside a bizarre, gruesome crime scene, Los Angeles beat cop Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) is the only one who can hear the cries of a missing little girl. Claire (Hayden Panettiere) almost reveals her secret ability to the entire school after learning that her injury attempt tape has disappeared. Thinking she's going crazy, Niki (Ali Larter) loses another block of time after waking to find some brutally murdered thugs in her garage, only to be confronted by Social Services about son Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey). While office drone Hiro (Masi Oka) investigates New York, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) confronts Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) following his plunge off a building. Sendhil Ramamurthy, Santiago Cabrera and Tawny Cypress also star.