Wipeout lives up to the hype of MXC

Despite what I had said about Wipeout in my previous blog concerning how much I didn’t like the sneak preview episode, the regularly formatted, non blind date version of Wipeout is actually really entertaining. Though they did have a questionable theme for the final wipeout zone, it wasn’t prevalent in the qualifying rounds and didn’t take anything away from what the show is ultimately meant to do, make people fall on their faces.

John Henson was actually cracking some pretty funny and cheesy jokes that were fairly representative of the classic MXC commentators. On the other hand, John Anderson was still lame, he needs to stick with hosting ESPN because his personality is really bland, his voice is very monotone, and he was practically reading off a script. I think the producers could have found a better suitor for the show.

The initial qualifying rounds were the best part of the show. They had some great contestants that were really entertaining and made the show fun. My personal favorite was the crazy opera singer who was singing the whole time she was going through the obstacles. Plus she wasn’t the most coordinated contestant which always makes for more entertainment. I also have a crush on the female host Jill, I think the producers were spot on casting her as the co-host. You can always attract more viewers with a good looking host.

When it came to the actual competition, the first qualifying round was by far the best part of the show. The hammers behind the doors were particularly awesome. Watching people open a door and instantly get smacked in the face and knocked off the walkway into a pool of mud is simply epic. And as usual the big balls proved to be unconquerable as every contestant failed to cross them. The second round of qualifying, the double cross proved to be entertaining as well. Watching contestants trying to hurdle the bars, get clipped at the last second, face plant on the platform, and flip into the water is always fun to watch. However, I wasn’t a fan of the “Unclaimed Baggage” round. Though the contestants were constantly being pelted in the head with large bags and boxes, it simply wasn’t as funny to watch.

When it came to the final round (The Wipeout Zone) after the contestant pool was narrowed down to four individuals, the contestants had to go through what I thought was a pretty lame course. The contestant all had their game faces on and weren’t very animated and comical which in my opinion is what makes the show so good. I really didn’t care who won at that point and really just wanted to see a compilation of falls. My one other quam about the final round was that once the contestant failed the obstacle once, they made it easier the second time around. Why is that necessary?

Henson’s closed the show with, “Goodnight and big falls,” followed by a compilation of the best crashes of the day (i.e. the most painful eliminations of the day). That’s all anybody really wants to see, nobody really cares who wins, we just want to see people fall, and fail miserably so that we can feel better about ourselves.