popplers

More guilty pleasures

So, we've watched the first two episodes of SciFi's Who Wants to Be a Superhero? I like it enough that I'm going to watch a few more, even though it's very cheesy. My thoughts on the second episode:

First 15 minutes: I really dislike the anonymous bitchy Q&A. This kind of crap is why I don't like "reality" shows.

The first "challenge" rocks— little old lady locked out of her house/ go 'round the back and let her in/ oops, she has vicious attack dogs.

:16 min - Excellent showing from Ty'veculus. Good strategy & speed from the firefighter-- he hits the target in just :16.
:17 min - Creature goes down in :12. Granted, she weighs less than the 2 dogs. Bzzt.
:18 min - The dogs really seemed to lay into Iron Enforcer (perhaps they know shit when they smell it?) That said, I expected him to make it to the door easily, and was really surprised that he freaked when he lost his footing & gave up so close to the goal. Bzzt.
:19 min - Feedback going for distance, but not going for speed. Success in :33.
:20 min - Fat Momma proves that well-trained dogs will not go for the donut when there's human flesh to be had. Kudos for trying, though. Bzzt.
:21 min - I love Major Victory. Perhaps it's because I was raised on 1960s Adam West Batman, but I think MV embodies the perfect combination of superhero bravado, self-deprecating humor, and camp that I have come to expect in a costumed do-gooder. "I salute you, you ferocious animals. I love you guys, you guys are sexy… Feel the love, baby!" Victory in :17 and his hair looks fabulous.
:22 min - Lemuria is a tasty biscuit. :19 in, the safety helmet starts to pop off, and she's toast. Bzzt.
:23 min - Cell Phone Girl. No signal after :04 seconds. Can you hear me now?
:27 min - Monkey Woman totally pwns Iron Enforcer's ass. Tenacity is an important character trait in a superhero, and I have tremendous respect for anyone (especially a 100 lb. chick) who can tire out 2 German shepherds and hit the damn target. 9:42. Awesome.

The Reckoning, Part I: Cell Phone Girl ("I had a headache"), Iron Enforcer ("No, really, I have a spiritual side"), and Creature ("Laughing doesn't mean I'm not taking it seriously") are called forward. By all rights, the steroid-using Iron Enforcer should have been the one eliminated, but instead Cell Phone Girl gets disconnected. Buh-bye.

:37 min - Fabulous costume makeovers for everyone! (Mystery Men did it better, and you had The Sphinx offering pearls of wisdom to boot.) On to the costume changes:

1. Lemuria gets some jazzier gold lame. B+
2. I liked Ty'veculus's original costume better. D- (Fortunately, they let him keep his own threads)
3. Major Victory - "Yes! Mr. Shiny Pants!" LOL A+
4. Fat Momma - She's like a hot pink American Maid— big improvement over her original outfit. A
5. Feedback - Better construction & materials, but the old costume had a certain je ne sais quoi. B-
6. Creature - thumbs up on the crazy mop-hairstyle, but her makeup makes her look like an understudy for Barb Wire. C
7. Monkey Woman - Not a lot different— I liked the fake fur on her old bikini, though. B
8. Iron Enforcer - gets a bigger BFG9000. BFWhoop. C

The Reckoning, Part II: Ty'veculus, Iron Enforcer, Feedback. Ty'veculus gets called on the carpet for initially lying & saying that he liked his new costume. Feedback gets smacked for making snarky fun of Ty'veculus's makeover. Iron Enforcer gets a dressing down for basically everything about him: un-superly behavior, packing heat, being a jerk, and just not looking the part. Commercial break, then the stunning conclusion: the bouncer gets bounced— sayonara, Iron Enforcer! And good riddance, sez I.

Ooh— twist ending. I didn't see it coming, but I have to agree that IE will make a far better supervillain than superhero. The lab-coated assistants whisk him off into the van and turn him into Baron Von Underbheit The Dark Enforcer. If the supervillain gig goes south, he can always tour Europe in a death-metal band.

And that's it for this week's installment of Who Wants to Be a Superhero?… I'm entertained enough that I'll keep watching it.

Posted by rv at August 6, 2006 01:18 PM to tv