Alphas

The soul of the show, though, is its conflicted "heroes," truly tortured, in palpable ways, recalling the best, early days of NBC's ill-fated Monday comic book. There's no cartoonery here. Just adult adventure and angst.

The premiere drops enough intriguing hints about the players' pasts without distracting from the main plot. You can't have a team without conflict, and every character seems to carry a quirk that rubs the others the wrong way.

As an origin story, Alphas hits some notes too hard and lacks a certain subtlety, yet there's potential in this tale, especially if it delves into the psychological cost of being extraordinary.

Even as tropes arrive in full force, exceptions to boilerplate good-versus-evil scenarios make occasional appearances.

Alphas is hardly the alpha show in this supernatural-hero genre, but it's still engaging.

It's neither here nor there: low on sci-fi mystery and intrigue and not yet convincing as ensemble drama. Right now it feels like the beta version.

Their take on human nature may develop, but right now it's cartoonish in the worst way and too reminiscent of similar shows.