KJwon on Monday, 07 August 2006 at 6:14 pm said:

I actually rewound the reaction shot on the TiVo so my wife could see exactly how put-on his reaction was. I didn’t buy it for even a second.

Ain’t nuthin’ getting by you, pal! The nerve of them to even try.

They should certainly know better by now.

I actually rewound the reaction shot on the TiVo so my wife could see exactly how put-on his reaction was. I didn’t buy it for even a second.

Ain’t nuthin’ getting by you, pal! The nerve of them to even try.

Greg on Monday, 07 August 2006 at 4:28 pm said:

First off, great commentary on the show. I’m a huge fan, and wrote a big review of episode one myself.

I agree with you 100% about Iron Enforcer failing the dog challenge on purpose to justify him being kicked off so that he could become a supervillain. It’s obvious that the invitation to become a supervillain was staged - I don’t think anyone thinks he was just walking down that road and was surprised to encounter that TV with Stan Lee’s face.

My first reaction on seeing Iron Enforcer come so close to completing the challenge only to throw in the towel at the last minute was a sort of gloating, “in your face” satisfaction (Sad, isn’t it? They’ve got me right where they want me.). It wasn’t until a few beats later that the incongruity of his sudden surrender struck and I started suspecting that he had taken a dive on purpose. After his elimination and recruitment by Stan Lee, it all made perfect sense.

I’m okay with rigging the deck a little for dramatic effect. So long as Iron Enforcer is the final plant (or at least perceived plant), I think the show will remain spontaneous and fun.

I agree with you 100% about Iron Enforcer failing the dog challenge on purpose to justify him being kicked off so that he could become a supervillain. It’s obvious that the invitation to become a supervillain was staged - I don’t think anyone thinks he was just walking down that road and was surprised to encounter that TV with Stan Lee’s face.

Rob on Monday, 07 August 2006 at 2:11 pm said:

I watched to show again on tape.

I don’t think Iron Enforcer was a plant. Iron Enforcer, when asked to be a supervillian, has this totally dumb look on his face. His mouth just sort of falls open. If he’d known it was coming, he could have at least kept from looking so pole-axed and stupid.

Instead, I think they picked someone out that they knew would fail from the beginning. Had Iron Enforcer tossed the gun and tried to work with the group, he might have stayed. But really, anyone with people experience could have picked this guy out as the outcast of the group.

Tyveculus was their backup for super-villian, I bet. He also got the “costume not quite right” bit on the off chance Iron Enforcer made a turnaround. I wonder how many other people got that where it wasn’t shown?

It is, in fact, “scripting,” but in the way that all of these shows can be scripted. By leaving the correct material on the cutting room floor, everyone can be made to look like a villian or hero.

While you make some interesting points, I still think Iron Enforcer was a plant. In fact, I’m pretty sure he deliberately failed the second challenge in order to give Stan Lee another reason to oust him. He was less than two feet from the door when he threw in the towel, and he’s the strongest of the heroes (with the possible exception of Ty’veculus); I just can’t see any reason to give up when the goal is so close.

As for Iron Enforcer’s reaction to Stan Lee, I’ll have to directly disagree there. The entire thing looked staged (obviously it was) and scripted to me (which is where you and I disagree). I actually rewound the reaction shot on the TiVo so my wife could see exactly how put-on his reaction was. I didn’t buy it for even a second. That’s a perfect example of how subjective even something so simple as how “real” we feel a reaction is.

I also understand that the producers can pick and choose what they want the audience to see with respect to each individual, but there’s only so much you can do with editing when you’ve got a strong personality like Iron Enforcer; either he’s going to come across as an arrogant, self-centered blowhard or they’re just not going to show a lot of him.

The third alternative is to actually have two sets of dialogue for him: one in which he’s a jerk and the other in which he’s portrayed as a really nice guy. That option would require massive scripting and completely pull the rug out from under the whole idea of a spontaneous “reality” show.

P.G. Holyfield on Monday, 07 August 2006 at 1:43 pm said:

This is definitely one of those shows you have to watch from the beginning. My wife walked in on this one and though she is open to most of the things I watch, she saw the guy describing his gun and she ordered me to change the channel (thank goodness for tivo, this crap is just too funny).

That’s why I made sure my wife was in on it from the beginning. She’s hooked now.

I don’t think Iron Enforcer was a plant. Iron Enforcer, when asked to be a supervillian, has this totally dumb look on his face. His mouth just sort of falls open. If he’d known it was coming, he could have at least kept from looking so pole-axed and stupid.

Instead, I think they picked someone out that they knew would fail from the beginning. Had Iron Enforcer tossed the gun and tried to work with the group, he might have stayed. But really, anyone with people experience could have picked this guy out as the outcast of the group.

Tyveculus was their backup for super-villian, I bet. He also got the “costume not quite right” bit on the off chance Iron Enforcer made a turnaround. I wonder how many other people got that where it wasn’t shown?

It is, in fact, “scripting,” but in the way that all of these shows can be scripted. By leaving the correct material on the cutting room floor, everyone can be made to look like a villian or hero.