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Genesis (Heroes episode)
Encyclopedia
"Genesis" is the pilot episode of the NBC
science fiction
drama series Heroes
. It was directed by David Semel
and written by Tim Kring
. The episode focuses on several of the main characters discovering their superpowers for the first time, and attempting to find out more about them. Some cast members, including Greg Grunberg
and Leonard Roberts
, do not appear in this episode, and are introduced later in the season (scenes including Grunberg were originally included in this episode but were cut before it aired).
can instantly heal physical injuries
to her own body. Isaac Mendez
can precognitively paint future events. Hiro Nakamura
is able to manipulate time, travel through it, and even teleport. Peter Petrelli
has dreams of himself flying in Manhattan. Niki Sanders
witnesses a more violent and aggressive personality of herself in mirrors. Mohinder Suresh
tries to continue his recently deceased father's work by finding these people.
The central theme of human evolution, and the potential for superhuman changes, is introduced by the character of Mohinder Suresh
, a genetics professor in Madras, India. After receiving news of his father Chandra Suresh's death, Mohinder goes to New York to finish Chandra's research, believing it was the reason he was murdered. Mohinder's story also introduces the idea of an underlying conspiracy involving the "heroes". At his father's apartment in India, he hears (but does not see) a mysterious person
searching the apartment. The same man later gets into Mohinder's taxi, asking him several suspicious questions before Mohinder flees.
Two storylines in particular reflect a darker perspective on the newfound abilities. Isaac Mendez
is an artist and heroin addict in New York City
. He claims that he can paint the future
, but his girlfriend, Simone Deveaux
, believes it is just the influence of the narcotics. Later, following a severe overdose, he paints a mural of a nuclear explosion
destroying Manhattan
. Niki Sanders
, a webcam stripper
in Las Vegas, Nevada
, discovers her abilities when she and her son Micah are forced to flee from thugs approaching their house. During the escape, Niki believes she sees a reflection that is not her. She leaves Micah with a friend and returns home, where the thugs coerce her into stripping. She blacks out during the performance, awakening some time later to find that they have been savagely killed. Her strange reflection motions for her to keep silent. Both Isaac and Niki find their powers to be "an unwelcome change that they are forced to deal with."
Meanwhile, Hiro Nakamura
, a cubicle worker in Tokyo, Japan, discovers he can control the passage of time. Hiro is presented in a lighter, happier manner, as someone who is excited about the changes happening to him. His friend and co-worker, Ando Masahashi
, is skeptical, even after Hiro proves it to him by teleporting into the women's restroom at a bar. Hiro believes he is meant for something more, but Ando disagrees. Later, Hiro successfully teleports from a subway in Tokyo to New York City's Times Square
.
Other characters include Claire Bennet
, a high school
cheerleader in Odessa, Texas
, who has discovered that she regenerates from any injuries, and has her classmate Zach film her doing such things. She believes that if discovered, life as she knows it would be over. Heading home, they come across a train wreck, from which Claire saves a man, escaping unharmed.
Peter Petrelli
's story crosses paths with many of the other characters. A nurse in New York, Peter has recurring dreams of flying. He tells his brother, congressional candidate
Nathan Petrelli
, that he believes he can fly. Nathan responds by saying that Peter should put his time to better use. Peter tells his mother that he has a metaphysical connection with Nathan, but his mother is skeptical. Simone, who is the daughter of one of Peter's patients, tells him to bring morphine to Isaac's apartment. There, Peter sees a painting of himself flying. At the end of the episode, he summons Nathan to an alley in the middle of the city. Peter leaps off of the roof of an adjacent building attempting to fly, but instead it is Nathan who flies up and catches him, only to lose his grip and drop Peter. Kring credits the direct concept and idea for this last scene to Damon Lindelof
, producer on Lost
.
, which would become a recurring element throughout the first season of Heroes. An eclipse forms part of the series' logo, and also occurs in the season one finale, "How to Stop an Exploding Man
". As well, an image of the Earth eclipsing the Sun as viewed from an observation point away from the Earth, is used in the series' title sequence.
When the total solar eclipse occurs in "Genesis", it is witnessed directly by Peter, Claire, Hiro, and Niki, as well as indirectly by Isaac. It is implied that the event is seen simultaneously in New York, Texas, Nevada, Japan, and California, although this is impossible in the real world, as the umbra
is at most a few hundred miles wide. In fact, the Solar Eclipse that occurred on September 22, 2006 (the date closest to this episode's airdate), was Annular in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and Partial in South America, West Africa, southern Africa, the Antarctic Peninsula, and East Antarctica. It was not total anywhere. Early in the episode, Micah is making a pinhole camera through which to witness the eclipse.
The scenes involving Claire's excursion into the train wreck and Mr. Bennet getting into Mohinder's cab as Peter leaves were used again in Season 3's namesake Chapter Eight, "Villains," showing the events that happened before or during the two scenes, explaining what caused the train to crash. Similarly, one of the last episode of season 3, and volume 4, 1961
explains why Angela steals socks, something she did in this episode.
The mural of the nuclear blast in New York becomes one of the show's major plotlines for the first season and volume. Throughout the first season, much of the plot revolves around the events the heroes face in trying to prevent the nuclear explosion from happening and ultimately succeed in How to Stop an Exploding Man.
In Cold Wars, Matt Parkman, who has developed precognition as well, paints a mural of the nuclear destruction of Washington D.C. exactly where Isaac's mural in this episode is and looking exactly the same except a different city.
Conclusion:
, an appliance market competitor of NBC's owner General Electric
, filed suit in federal court against NBC. The suit was in regard to the scene when Claire Bennet
reached into an active garbage disposal unit
—labeled "InSinkErator"—to retrieve a ring and severely disfigured her hand. Emerson claimed the scene "casts the disposer in an unsavory light, irreparably tarnishing the product" by suggesting serious injuries would result "in the event consumers were to accidentally insert their hand into one." Emerson had asked for a ruling barring future broadcasts of the pilot, which was previously available on NBC's website and had already aired on NBC Universal-owned cable networks USA Network
and The Sci Fi Channel
. It also sought to block NBC from using any Emerson trademarks.
On February 23, 2007, the case against NBC was dropped. NBC Universal and Emerson Electric reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit outside of court. The episode in question was briefly unavailable in the iTunes Store
, but an edited version was soon made available for download. A non-edited version of the episode was shown in the BBC Two premiere on July 25, 2007. The DVD and HD DVD releases contain an edited version where the "InSinkErator" label has been removed from the scene.
This episode was submitted for consideration in the categories of "Outstanding Drama Series
", "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series" and "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
" on Santiago Cabrera
's behalf for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
.
The total viewership for this episode was 14.3 million.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama series Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
. It was directed by David Semel
David Semel
David Semel is an American director and television producer.- Film Director :* Lone Star State of Mind*Revelations* Campfire Tales - TV filmography Director :*Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip *Heroes...
and written by Tim Kring
Tim Kring
Richard Timothy "Tim" Kring is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his creation of the television series Strange World, Crossing Jordan, and Heroes.Kring is Jewish...
. The episode focuses on several of the main characters discovering their superpowers for the first time, and attempting to find out more about them. Some cast members, including Greg Grunberg
Greg Grunberg
Gregory Phillip "Greg" Grunberg is an American television actor. He is best known from starring as Matt Parkman on the NBC television series Heroes. Other notable roles included the characters Sean Blumberg on Felicity and Eric Weiss on Alias , both created and produced by childhood friend J. J...
and Leonard Roberts
Leonard Roberts
-Early life:Leonard Roberts was born on November 17, 1972, in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1995, Roberts graduated from DePaul University Theater School with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting.-Career:...
, do not appear in this episode, and are introduced later in the season (scenes including Grunberg were originally included in this episode but were cut before it aired).
Synopsis
Various people around the world discover evidence of real superpowers. Claire BennetClaire Bennet
Claire Bennet is a fictional character in the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. She is portrayed by Hayden Panettiere and first appeared on television in the pilot episode of the series, "Genesis" on September 25, 2006...
can instantly heal physical injuries
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
to her own body. Isaac Mendez
Isaac Mendez
Isaac Méndez was a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes. Portrayed by Santiago Cabrera, he had the ability to paint the future.-Genesis:...
can precognitively paint future events. Hiro Nakamura
Hiro Nakamura
is a fictional character on the NBC fantasy drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time. Previously, his ability allowed him to teleport, stop time, or travel through time, but recent events in the series have prevented...
is able to manipulate time, travel through it, and even teleport. Peter Petrelli
Peter Petrelli
Peter Petrelli, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia, is a fictional character on the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. He is a hospice nurse-turned-paramedic in his mid-20s with the power to absorb and mimic the powers of other people with special abilities, or powers...
has dreams of himself flying in Manhattan. Niki Sanders
Niki Sanders
Nicole "Niki" Sanders is a fictional character portrayed by Ali Larter in the television series Heroes. Niki is the wife of D. L. Hawkins and mother of Micah Sanders . Niki, a sufferer of Dissociative Identity Disorder, displays superhuman strength, being able to literally rip others in half...
witnesses a more violent and aggressive personality of herself in mirrors. Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh is a fictional character on the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Sendhil Ramamurthy. He is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and is a genetics professor at the University of Madras who holds a PhD in parapsychology...
tries to continue his recently deceased father's work by finding these people.
Plot
As the series pilot, "Genesis" establishes the stories of most of the main characters, as well as the series premise. Robert Canning of ign.com describes the episode as "short on action", but with "much to look forward to."The central theme of human evolution, and the potential for superhuman changes, is introduced by the character of Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh is a fictional character on the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Sendhil Ramamurthy. He is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and is a genetics professor at the University of Madras who holds a PhD in parapsychology...
, a genetics professor in Madras, India. After receiving news of his father Chandra Suresh's death, Mohinder goes to New York to finish Chandra's research, believing it was the reason he was murdered. Mohinder's story also introduces the idea of an underlying conspiracy involving the "heroes". At his father's apartment in India, he hears (but does not see) a mysterious person
Noah Bennet
Noah Bennet, also known as the man in horn-rimmed glasses or simply Mr. Bennet, is a fictional character from the NBC drama Heroes played by Jack Coleman. The role was initially recurring, but became regular as of the 11th episode...
searching the apartment. The same man later gets into Mohinder's taxi, asking him several suspicious questions before Mohinder flees.
Two storylines in particular reflect a darker perspective on the newfound abilities. Isaac Mendez
Isaac Mendez
Isaac Méndez was a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes. Portrayed by Santiago Cabrera, he had the ability to paint the future.-Genesis:...
is an artist and heroin addict in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He claims that he can paint the future
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
, but his girlfriend, Simone Deveaux
Simone Deveaux
Simone Deveaux is a fictional character in the TV series Heroes. She is portrayed by Tawny Cypress.-Genesis:When Simone Deveaux is introduced in the premiere episode, she is an art dealer living in New York City who is romantically involved with artist Isaac Mendez...
, believes it is just the influence of the narcotics. Later, following a severe overdose, he paints a mural of a nuclear explosion
Nuclear explosion
A nuclear explosion occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from an intentionally high-speed nuclear reaction. The driving reaction may be nuclear fission, nuclear fusion or a multistage cascading combination of the two, though to date all fusion based weapons have used a fission device...
destroying Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Niki Sanders
Niki Sanders
Nicole "Niki" Sanders is a fictional character portrayed by Ali Larter in the television series Heroes. Niki is the wife of D. L. Hawkins and mother of Micah Sanders . Niki, a sufferer of Dissociative Identity Disorder, displays superhuman strength, being able to literally rip others in half...
, a webcam stripper
Cam whore
A camwhore is an individual who performs sexual services on the Internet with webcam software in exchange for money, goods, or attention. Some of the common ways of doing this is by a fixed per minute fee, by encouraging viewers to purchase items on their wish lists or add to their online accounts...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, discovers her abilities when she and her son Micah are forced to flee from thugs approaching their house. During the escape, Niki believes she sees a reflection that is not her. She leaves Micah with a friend and returns home, where the thugs coerce her into stripping. She blacks out during the performance, awakening some time later to find that they have been savagely killed. Her strange reflection motions for her to keep silent. Both Isaac and Niki find their powers to be "an unwelcome change that they are forced to deal with."
Meanwhile, Hiro Nakamura
Hiro Nakamura
is a fictional character on the NBC fantasy drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time. Previously, his ability allowed him to teleport, stop time, or travel through time, but recent events in the series have prevented...
, a cubicle worker in Tokyo, Japan, discovers he can control the passage of time. Hiro is presented in a lighter, happier manner, as someone who is excited about the changes happening to him. His friend and co-worker, Ando Masahashi
Ando Masahashi
is a fictional character on the NBC science fiction television drama series Heroes, portrayed by James Kyson Lee.The character was billed in a recurring role during the first season, and was promoted to series regular in the second...
, is skeptical, even after Hiro proves it to him by teleporting into the women's restroom at a bar. Hiro believes he is meant for something more, but Ando disagrees. Later, Hiro successfully teleports from a subway in Tokyo to New York City's Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
.
Other characters include Claire Bennet
Claire Bennet
Claire Bennet is a fictional character in the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. She is portrayed by Hayden Panettiere and first appeared on television in the pilot episode of the series, "Genesis" on September 25, 2006...
, a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
cheerleader in Odessa, Texas
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, who has discovered that she regenerates from any injuries, and has her classmate Zach film her doing such things. She believes that if discovered, life as she knows it would be over. Heading home, they come across a train wreck, from which Claire saves a man, escaping unharmed.
Peter Petrelli
Peter Petrelli
Peter Petrelli, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia, is a fictional character on the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. He is a hospice nurse-turned-paramedic in his mid-20s with the power to absorb and mimic the powers of other people with special abilities, or powers...
's story crosses paths with many of the other characters. A nurse in New York, Peter has recurring dreams of flying. He tells his brother, congressional candidate
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
Nathan Petrelli
Nathan Petrelli
Nathan Petrelli, portrayed by Adrian Pasdar, is a fictional character on the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. He is a New York lawyer-turned-senator with the power of self-propelled flight. Ambitious and pragmatic, Nathan has a decidedly anti-hero streak, which exacerbates his complex...
, that he believes he can fly. Nathan responds by saying that Peter should put his time to better use. Peter tells his mother that he has a metaphysical connection with Nathan, but his mother is skeptical. Simone, who is the daughter of one of Peter's patients, tells him to bring morphine to Isaac's apartment. There, Peter sees a painting of himself flying. At the end of the episode, he summons Nathan to an alley in the middle of the city. Peter leaps off of the roof of an adjacent building attempting to fly, but instead it is Nathan who flies up and catches him, only to lose his grip and drop Peter. Kring credits the direct concept and idea for this last scene to Damon Lindelof
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American television writer and executive, most recently noted as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series Lost. He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed...
, producer on Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
.
Symbolism and recurring themes
The episode features a solar eclipseSolar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
, which would become a recurring element throughout the first season of Heroes. An eclipse forms part of the series' logo, and also occurs in the season one finale, "How to Stop an Exploding Man
How to Stop an Exploding Man
"How to Stop an Exploding Man" is the twenty-third and final episode of the first season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. The episode was written by Tim Kring and was directed by Allan Arkush. It is the conclusion of the three-part finale for season one.The episode started filming...
". As well, an image of the Earth eclipsing the Sun as viewed from an observation point away from the Earth, is used in the series' title sequence.
When the total solar eclipse occurs in "Genesis", it is witnessed directly by Peter, Claire, Hiro, and Niki, as well as indirectly by Isaac. It is implied that the event is seen simultaneously in New York, Texas, Nevada, Japan, and California, although this is impossible in the real world, as the umbra
Umbra
The umbra, penumbra and antumbra are the names given to three distinct parts of a shadow, created by any light source. For a point source only the umbra is cast.These names are most often used to refer to the shadows cast by celestial bodies....
is at most a few hundred miles wide. In fact, the Solar Eclipse that occurred on September 22, 2006 (the date closest to this episode's airdate), was Annular in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and Partial in South America, West Africa, southern Africa, the Antarctic Peninsula, and East Antarctica. It was not total anywhere. Early in the episode, Micah is making a pinhole camera through which to witness the eclipse.
The scenes involving Claire's excursion into the train wreck and Mr. Bennet getting into Mohinder's cab as Peter leaves were used again in Season 3's namesake Chapter Eight, "Villains," showing the events that happened before or during the two scenes, explaining what caused the train to crash. Similarly, one of the last episode of season 3, and volume 4, 1961
1961 (Heroes)
"1961" is the twenty-third episode of the third season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes and fifty-seventh episode overall. The episode aired on April 13, 2009.-Plot:...
explains why Angela steals socks, something she did in this episode.
The mural of the nuclear blast in New York becomes one of the show's major plotlines for the first season and volume. Throughout the first season, much of the plot revolves around the events the heroes face in trying to prevent the nuclear explosion from happening and ultimately succeed in How to Stop an Exploding Man.
In Cold Wars, Matt Parkman, who has developed precognition as well, paints a mural of the nuclear destruction of Washington D.C. exactly where Isaac's mural in this episode is and looking exactly the same except a different city.
Narration
Introduction:Where does it come from? This quest... this need to solve life's mysteries for the simplest of questions can never be answered. Why are we here? What is the soul? Why do we dream? Perhaps we would be better off not looking at all. Not delving, not yearning. That's not human nature, not the human heart. That is not why we are here.
Conclusion:
This quest... this need to solve life's mysteries. In the end what does it matter when the human heart can only find meaning in the smallest of moments? They're here... among us... in the shadows, in the light, everywhere. Do they even know yet?
DVD Director's Cut version
On the Season 1 DVD release, the original 74 minute long pilot is included. This version had significant differences with many characters and overall plots, compared with the pilot episode which ultimately aired.- A subplot involving an engineer with radiation-based powers and ties to an Islamic terrorist cell was cut. The terrorist cell was responsible for the train derailment in Odessa, Texas where Claire saved a fireman. The overall plot for the cell had to do with acquiring nuclear fuel for a bomb being created. Matt Parkman was to be connected to the engineer, as they were childhood friends and lived together for a short time. Elements of the engineer character, including inducing cancer in his wife, were reused for the character of Ted Sprague. The leader of the terrorist cell was played by Ntare MwineNtare MwineNtare Guma Mbaho Mwine, is an American-Ugandan stage and film actor, playwright, photographer and documentarian.-Background:Mwine was born in New Hampshire to Ugandan parents in 1967. His father was a Harvard Law School-educated attorney...
, who went on to play the African pre-cog painter character of Usutu starting from Season 3. - Matt ParkmanMatt ParkmanMatthew "Matt" Parkman, Sr., is a fictional character of the NBC science fiction serial drama Heroes, played by Greg Grunberg. Matt is a police officer, who works for the LAPD and NYPD in Seasons One and Two respectively...
finds one of the members of the terrorist cell hiding underneath the stairs. This was remade later with Matt finding Molly Walker the same way. Also, a different actress played the role of Matt's wife. - SylarSylarGabriel Gray, more commonly known by his assumed name of Sylar , is one of the primary antagonists and antiheroes in the NBC drama Heroes. Portrayed by Zachary Quinto, he is a superpowered serial killer who targets other superhumans in order to steal their powers...
is introduced as Paul Sylar instead of an alias for Gabriel Gray. Sylar is shown making contact with Mohinder by the end of the episode. - Isaac MendezIsaac MendezIsaac Méndez was a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes. Portrayed by Santiago Cabrera, he had the ability to paint the future.-Genesis:...
handcuffs himself to a pipe to try and go cold turkeyCold turkey"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication....
from heroin. He later cuts off his hand with a saw and subsequently overdoses. - Micah steals $300 from Tina and leaves on his own, apparently to buy a bus ticket to Moab, Utah where his father (DL) is imprisoned at the Moab Federal Penitentiary.
- DL is introduced as being an inmate at the Moab Federal Penitentiary. His power of being able to phase through solid objects manifests while he is sleeping and he wakes up in different spots in the prison outside his cell. In this version of the pilot, he has a vendetta against Nathan as Nathan was the prosecutor responsible for his imprisonment.
- Unlike the "leaked" version, the director's cut used the original series' music.
Legal issues
On October 2, 2006, Emerson Electric CompanyEmerson Electric Company
Emerson Electric Company is a major multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri, United States. This Fortune 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for a wide range of industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.Emerson is one of the largest...
, an appliance market competitor of NBC's owner General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, filed suit in federal court against NBC. The suit was in regard to the scene when Claire Bennet
Claire Bennet
Claire Bennet is a fictional character in the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. She is portrayed by Hayden Panettiere and first appeared on television in the pilot episode of the series, "Genesis" on September 25, 2006...
reached into an active garbage disposal unit
Garbage disposal
A garbage disposal unit or waste disposal unit is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and the trap which shreds food waste into pieces small enough—generally less than —to pass through plumbing.Garbage disposal units are widely used in...
—labeled "InSinkErator"—to retrieve a ring and severely disfigured her hand. Emerson claimed the scene "casts the disposer in an unsavory light, irreparably tarnishing the product" by suggesting serious injuries would result "in the event consumers were to accidentally insert their hand into one." Emerson had asked for a ruling barring future broadcasts of the pilot, which was previously available on NBC's website and had already aired on NBC Universal-owned cable networks USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
and The Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
. It also sought to block NBC from using any Emerson trademarks.
On February 23, 2007, the case against NBC was dropped. NBC Universal and Emerson Electric reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit outside of court. The episode in question was briefly unavailable in the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, but an edited version was soon made available for download. A non-edited version of the episode was shown in the BBC Two premiere on July 25, 2007. The DVD and HD DVD releases contain an edited version where the "InSinkErator" label has been removed from the scene.
Reception
Heroes director/producer Greg Beeman considers the premiere to be "exciting" and "inspiring". IGN.com's Robert Canning described the episode as "creating a realistic, modern day world where ordinary people have suddenly found themselves blessed (or cursed, depending) with extraordinary abilities."This episode was submitted for consideration in the categories of "Outstanding Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys ceremonies, and has changed names many times in its history. It was first called Best Dramatic Show...
", "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series" and "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama Series
This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.-1960s:*1960: no award*1961: Roddy McDowall – Not Without Honor*1962: no award*1963: no award...
" on Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera
Santiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
's behalf for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
.
The total viewership for this episode was 14.3 million.
External links
- Watch "Genesis" at NBC.com
- Beaming Beeman: Episode 1: Genesis Director's blog on the filming of this episode.