[Sci Fi Channel] "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?"

[Felon]

yeah, i knew they were actors. the producers wouldn't really put these people in a situation with hardened criminals, it just wouldn't be right. i mean come on, real convicts would have laughed thier asses off at these "crusaders" and would have done all manner of things to harm them in reality.

I knew for a fact that they were actors as soon as one of the guards took the handcuffs off one of them while in close proximity to one of the hopefuls. They'd NEVER do this with a real prisoner.

In many states, convicts are used to terrify civilians all the time in "scared-straight" style programs, and they aren't cuffed. Certainly there are plenty of folks in jail who are trying to behave themselves, if only to get a reduced sentence.

The really telling elements were A) the convict smarting off to the guard and the guard's relatively mild reaction (although note that this phony little exchange is staged purely for our benefit, not the heroes), and B) the whole thing takes place outside by a road for no legitimate reason.

Keeping in mind that thsi was a "secret task" game, the fake inmates probably had their own secret instructions, with certain gestures on the heroes' part earning them a window to perform their task. The convict complaining about the handcuffs, for instance, sounds like part of the game. If the hero gets the handcuffs off the inmate, the inmate gives them an opportunity.

 

[Felon]

Hey, I'm just glad Lemuria's out. She'd been annoying me ever since episode 3 with her ludicrous verbal assaults upon Fat Momma. Also, there was just something very "not right" about her. I think Creature, Monkey Woman, Tyveculous, and Cellphone Girl were all better suited towards being a superhero. That said, I'm surprised Lemuria made it to the final four.

Anyone else notice that Stan always mispronounced her name as "Lumeria"?

 

[Tuzenbach]

Well, actually Feedback was on the block twice as well. Once for failing to help the little girl in the first episode (of all the guys, only the Major succeeded), and then for teasing Tyveculus.

Well, by "on the block", I'm talking about "red cubed". For the little girl challenge, the three "on the block" were Nitro G, Iron Enforcer, and Monkey Woman.

 

[DonTadow]

In many states, convicts are used to terrify civilians all the time in "scared-straight" style programs, and they aren't cuffed. Certainly there are plenty of folks in jail who are trying to behave themselves, if only to get a reduced sentence.

The really telling elements were A) the convict smarting off to the guard and the guard's relatively mild reaction (although note that this phony little exchange is staged purely for our benefit, not the heroes), and B) the whole thing takes place outside by a road for no legitimate reason.

Keeping in mind that thsi was a "secret task" game, the fake inmates probably had their own secret instructions, with certain gestures on the heroes' part earning them a window to perform their task. The convict complaining about the handcuffs, for instance, sounds like part of the game. If the hero gets the handcuffs off the inmate, the inmate gives them an opportunity.

Yeah but there's no logicaly way that convicted hardened criminals are going to be put into the general populace again without guns trained on them at all times. Those criminals whom do the scared straight are usually the "better" of the prison population and not 3 time murders as described in the show. Plus their reactions wernet that real.

I think by now at least we know that the superheros know their playing a game and are "getting it" so they are seeing through the tasks more easily.

 

[Villano]

The garbage can is supposed to be evocative of the classic Spider-Man cover depicting Peter Parker is walking away from a trash can, with his Spidey costume stuffed in a trash can (Spider-Man 2 alluded to it).

I'm a comic fan (and a Spidey fan from way back), but I never picked up on that reference. Then again, it loses something when the garbage can is in a living room.

They don't come right out and say it, but the heroes were not supposed to think they might actually fall to their death, but instead that they would fall off the beam into a safety net (and thus fail their challenge).

Even that is incredibly dangerous for amateurs. Blindfolded is even worse. You can still hurt yourself pretty bad if you land wrong.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Then again, it loses something when the garbage can is in a living room.

FWIW, I think the garbage can is a great idea. IMHO, the garbage can respresents failure. The only object more indicative of failure would be a toilet, but they'd just clog it every week with capes 'n crap!

 

[DonTadow]

I'm a comic fan (and a Spidey fan from way back), but I never picked up on that reference. Then again, it loses something when the garbage can is in a living room.





Even that is incredibly dangerous for amateurs. Blindfolded is even worse. You can still hurt yourself pretty bad if you land wrong.

Yeah, perhaps they should have done it fear factor like and used a saftey harness and tight rope (r something that wasn't as hard as a plank of wood) to make it sound more reasonable.

 

[Fast Learner]

This outtake from the show certainly implies that (a) Stan is not live, and (b) some of what the contestants say is prescripted. The former doesn't surprise me, and though the latter doesn't either, I am surprised that SciFi put it iin the clip.

 

[Just_Hal]

http://video.scifi.com/v/?linkId=27183&sender=matthew@genimuse.com&name=Matthew]This outtake from the show[/url] certainly implies that (a) Stan is not live, and (b) some of what the contestants say is prescripted. The former doesn't surprise me, and though the latter doesn't either, I am surprised that SciFi put it iin the clip.

Page not found

 

[Fast Learner]

Fixed it.