*NOTE: As of this writing the final show of the
series which declared the winner had not yet aired.
And then there were two ... Fat Momma and Feedback.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't
been watching Sci-Fi channel's "Who Wants to be a
Superhero?," and I suspect you're not alone. Most
comics boards I troll online hardly mention it.
Still, there are some of who have been loyal and
watched and ... yes, found it compelling.
After all, with the popularity of role-playing games
(tabletop and online), and online role-playing chats,
many of us adopt other identities and enjoy being a
fantasy character for a few hours.
Stan "The Man" Lee serves as the sole judge,
eliminating the would-be "superheroes" at the rate of
two per episode. It's hard to hate Stan Lee; he comes
off like an elderly uncle. Still, I have yet to
accurately guess who's the next hero/ine to get the
boot. Stan has let go some who revealed their
"identity" in public, on hidden camera; or who have
changed into costume in broad daylight. But, some of
Lee's decisions seem to be arbitrary, if not
questionable.
Naturally, there's challenges in every episode, some
more daunting than others. Contestants have had to go
through a fenced backyard with snarling dogs to open a
back door for a little old lady, to visiting
"convicts" and have a rehabilitory chat, trying to
console them. (In my opinion, the series' worst
moment; it looked very, very staged -- which says
something for this series.)
But I think the show's true appeal is its heart.
There is something likeable and genuine about Stan
Lee, just as there is something genuine about most of
the show's competitors -- they take it very seriously,
almost to the point of breaking out in tears if they
let good ol' Stan down, failing a challenge. I don't
know who will win, nor do have a favorite at this
point. (My favorite, Lemuria, was already
eliminated.) You can make an equitable case for
either remaining hero.
In case you've missed the series, a DVD collection of
all the episodes along with extras such as auditions
and casting calls will be released in September.
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