From its inception the show has garnered as much hate as it has love. One of the strongest and long-running issues with the show is that it devalues heroism, promotes vigilantism, and proports that people can easily get superpowers. For once, many people agreed with the The Daily Slice when Jude Bragshaw wrote an opinion piece:
Beyond being garbage television, "Searching for Supernovas" sets a dangerous precedent that anyone can - and many should - be a superhero! If this serum exists and it does what they say, why not give it to our brave men and women fighting for our freedom? Why, instead, do we give it to a snot-nosed college student with a hero complex!
It was only the tip of the iceberg. With each season - even each episode - something else seems to get added on to the pile.
In the first season they stated after the intro of each episode that they "worked with and were approved by 'Athena's very own shield'" at the start of each episode. The serum was presented in a case by two people in suits and dark sunglasses. All of this was done to hint that they were partnered, and supported by, A.E.G.I.S. which granted them an air of legitimacy. Midway through the first season they were given a cease & desist letter forcing them to release a statement stating they were not endorsed by the organization.
Partway through Season 4 the winner of the first season announced that they never got superpowers, and the hero claiming to be them was another person entirely. The winner of the second season as a rebuttal showed themselves using their "won" powers. This launched an external investigation into the show which confirmed what a number of naysayers suspected: the serum didn't do anything. The first winner was given an NDA they signed (and breached, but got crowd funds for legal fees), and the second contestant had powers from the beginning that were hidden. They were guaranteed to win from the start.
Valiant tried to get in front of this controversy by distancing himself from the issue, claiming he believed the serum to work but had no part in the situation and that his "heart went out to those who were robbed of their prize". He also vowed in a press conference to have the show revamped from the ground up to prevent this. Season 5 was delayed a year and the structure of the show revamped - winners no longer won a 'mysterious serum' but were given a suit that granted them limited heroic abilities. A new segment was added for participants to design their costume and dream up the powers they wanted.
Surprisingly the delay and change of format created anticipation that launched the series into greater popularity once again.
The season 6 winner did a heel-turn and became a villain, putting the show under scrutiny. Once more Valiant attempted to get ahead of this and vowed to take the villain down personally.