By Diana PETRE (MAM-S3ENB)
Edited by Lapo James AMORDELUSO (MAM-S4ENB)
Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth, most famous for playing Thor in the Marvel series, has paired up with National Geographic to go on an epic mission to discover how to live better for longer. With the help of world-class experts, family and friends, he’s embarking on a series of unusual and complicated challenges aiming to push himself to new limits and stop the diseases of old age before they take hold. In this series, Chris discovers how we all can unlock our potential to stay fitter, healthier, and happier throughout our lives.
The show was released in November 2022 in USA and although it only has 1 season with 6 one-hour long episodes, it immediately became a huge success. It has an 8/10 rating on IMBd and Rotten Tomatoes, which are two of the most famous movie and TV show raters.
Episode 1 (Stress-proof)
It was Chris Hemsworth’s first episode, and he really had to push himself to the absolute maximum to captivate the audience. For his first appearance, he partnered up with psychologist Modupe Akinola. Her job was to help Chris deal with stress in his life and teach him to stay calm during intense situations. By learning how to do this, Chris can more effectively combat the risk that stressful situations pose to his long-term health. To prove that he’s learned this valuable lesson, Chris needed to complete a challenge: staying calm during a terrifying walk along a crane that’s projecting from a skyscraper.
Episode 2 (Shock)
In this episode Chris invited his two brothers Liam and Luke to join him in another challenge. Some scientists believe that exposure to extreme temperatures can trigger our bodies’ own defence mechanism against the many deathly diseases of old age. The three brothers journeyed together all the way to the freezing Arctic to test this out and take on the ultimate cold therapy.
Episode 3 (Fasting)
People say fasting benefits your body and unlocks its very own anti-aging powers. So yet again, Chris wanted to test this out, but this time with the help of longevity doctor Peter Attia. Together, they found out how changing your eating habits helps the quest for longevity. Funnily enough, the answer is to eat no food at all for four days, which helps your body unlock those anti-aging powers.
Episode 4 (Strength)
We all know Chris plays the famous God of Thunder, Thor, but to play the part of a god, Chris needed to look like one, so obviously he had to bulk up and gain a lot of muscle. As the actor bulked up for “Thor: Love and Thunder”, he not only needed to build a body that looks like one of an immortal god, but he also wanted the kind of muscles that are scientifically proven to ensure he stays strong and healthy in real life.
Episode 5 (Memory)
Chris has always worked to keep his body healthy through nutritious meals, exercising, etc, but now it’s time for him to look after his brain too. He invited Neurologist Dr. Sharon Sha to challenge him to go off-grid, into the wilderness without a GPS, map or tracker. Throughout the travel, Chris showed off his skills from episode 1 as he remained calm and stress-free. Moreover, the hike stirred up some of Chris’ most precious memories.
Episode 6 (Acceptance)
Chris has done everything possible to delay the aging process, but now, he’s come face to face with his most extreme and emotional challenge. He was testing the theory that millions of people throughout the world don’t want to: accepting it. This theory suggests that the best way to combat aging and fear of mortality might not be to fight it, but to simply just accept it.
Episode 7?
Chris Hemsworth made a surprise appearance at an Ed Sheeran concert in Romania as the singer’s drummer. Chris learned how to play the drums from scratch and played them in front of 70,000 fans during this concert. He did this brain-boosting challenge for a new episode in his series.
“So basically, what’s happening, is that Chris emailed me last December saying he’s doing an episode for his new series Limitless, on cognitive health and the benefits of learning an instrument. He came to visit me, and he has learned drums, and he’s coming on stage in front of 70,000 people in Romania”, Ed Sheeran explained. The two celebrities are actually good friends, so of course Ed helped Chris out and the two of them, along with the rest of the band, delivered an amazing concert.
I am looking forward to the release of the new episode and I hope I’ve convinced you to watch it too.