Trainwreck: Balloon Boy

I lived in Colorado when this happened as like many others that day I watched it all play out on TV news. When it all came out that the kid wasnt in there, people were not happy. And it quickly turned on the family when no one quiet believed the story. This guy was what would now be called a social media wannabe. That whole family was bred and raised to further his attempt to be TV famous. From the moment this guy got caught he did nothing but obfuscate, throw his kids under the bus, and outright lie. It was like if baby Jessica had been a hoax. People in Colorado immediately turned on him and the family. He got his 15 minutes but now one in that area will ever forgive this family for the hoax.

The episode isnt bad, but the first half is told from the family point of view, as if it was real. The dad is not likeable and the kids are only marginally better. I remember this but forgot the Larry King Live interview part. It was not as good as other episodes, but if you are too young to remember Ballon Boy or never heard of it, it is an interesting watch. I remember thinking it was a hoax at the time and after watching this, I still do. Hard to believe they are still going with their story, and they do try and sell it as it was real, but more likely it was all a set up for attention. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, but they didn't convince me it was real.

Yes, yes, Richard we were entertained. However, everyone knows you lied and that the whole family was in on it. Think its about time to give up the ghost. Kind of crazy how this one little stunt affected the way the entire family acts. There's a certain greasiness about all the kids now, sort of slimy attitudes you can't really trust due to this ingrained behavior brought about by this story their father told them they had to always stick to no matter what. They all sort of have that Wolfpack vibe now too, arrested development type thing. No surprise at the end that they are live in this gated compound now, afraid of the world. Hopefully that pardon makes them all less paranoid. I will give props to the wife though. That man found a woman that will stick with him through all of his crazy antics. Got to appreciate that I guess, he's found himself a real one. Also thanks to Netflix for not dragging this one out too long.

Richard Heene alerts the authorities that his son, Falcon, has climbed into a homemade UFO balloon. The giant silver, helium-filled structure flies off at a pace; it becomes a major news story. The balloon is tracked by the authorities, officials, and seemingly most of America.

This was such a bizarrely entertaining documentary, one of those where you almost watch in horror, but not for the reasons you may be thinking. Someone please explain to me why and how so many people were taken in by the story.

There was a lot of fascinating footage, including the initial lift off scene.

I thought Richard Heene was wonderfully charismatic and entertaining, but there was no way on earth he didn't know that Falcon was not in the balloon.

Richard definitely had a desire to grab a little bit of fame; why else would he have appeared on Wife Swap? His behavior on that show was designed to get himself noticed, no other reason. That moment where Falcon told the cameras that it was all a game was so revealing.

Did anyone truly think that Falcon was in that balloon? Genuinely? Let's be honest, this could only have happened in America.

7/10.

I like the Trainwreck series. It's kinda cheesy but fun to watch. But this... this is a disaster.

I'm sorry, but I won't buy it. It's clear every second of this is a script the father has concocted, forcing every family member to act. Absolutely bad acting, to boot. It's a terrible way to garner attention, and everyone noticed it, and they didn't give them the attention they wanted. But then years later, Netflix comes around and says, "Here's the attention you ordered." It's a huge disappointment that Netflix would give something like this a run for its money.

I feel bad for the kids, Richard and his wife are showing us what bad parenting is, moment by moment. And the man shamelessly acts like the victim, oh my God, how is such shamelessness possible?