Season

Harley Quinn: “Family Feud” Review

Published on March 7, 2025March 7, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Kyra’s Thoughts

Harley Quinn races toward its season finale with its latest episode “Family Feud.” Offline, Season mentioned that Harley and Ivy made up too quickly for her liking. I agreed but then I looked up Harley Quinn’s remaining episodes. “Family Feud” is the eighth of ten scheduled episodes for this season. We only have two episodes remaining. What? While I would’ve liked to have seen the tension between Harley and Ivy last another episode, there aren’t that many episodes remaining. Harley Quinn needed to set up the final stakes in this episode, hint at how the gang plans to overcome the stakes, and then spend another episode assembling the supporting cast (King Shark, Clayface, Bane, and Lex Luthor) so they’re ready to enter the fray before launching into the season finale.

Yes! We have a Lex Luthor sighting. It’s always fun when Giancarlo Esposito joins the cast. He didn’t have much to do in “Family Feud” because the gals broke him out of jail, and he was incapacitated in a patented way only Harley Quinn could pull off. Harley’s mom runs him over with Harley’s car.

Harley’s family is where the episode’s title “Family Feud” derives. Truth time. I forgot about Harley’s piece of crap father until he showed up in this episode. It took me a while to remember Harley’s past with him (we haven’t seen him since season 1–four seasons ago), but Harley’s family past came screaming back as soon as Mr. Quinzel double-crossed Harley for money. That rang a bell. Nick Quinzel dies for real in this episode, and Harley doesn’t get the closure she wants.

Meanwhile, Ivy sneaks into Lena’s apartment to figure out a way to infiltrate Brainiac’s lair and free Frankette. I never thought that Harley and Ivy would stay at odds for long, but “Family Feud” may have been better served if the exploits of Harley and Ivy were reversed. I may have believed Ivy forgiving Harley as quickly as she did if she had to deal with Floronic Man or someone else from her past and learn the lesson that Harley did during this episode about being there for someone you love even after they screw up. Heck. Being there for someone after they screw up may be the most important time for someone to show their love. This was a missed opportunity.

This small gripe doesn’t detract from an otherwise fun episode. “Family Feud” balances its three threads well (Harley and her family, Ivy infiltrating Lena’s apartment, and Lena’s master plan) and the episode sets up Harley Quinn for what should be a hilarious season finale.

Season’s Thoughts

The pacing of Harley and Ivy patching things up was too fast for my liking. It shouldn’t have been set up if it was going to be a rush job. I get that relationship drama pulls in an audience, but they didn’t give themselves the space to work with it. I agree with Kyra that this small thing doesn’t detract from the rest of the setup “Family Feud” provides for the season finale.

Even though I also forgot about Nick Quinzel, I enjoyed the moments between him and Harley, even though they hated each other. I think Harley and Ivy grow more as characters when they’re apart than when they’re together. Sure. Their relationship with one another and how they love each other matures throughout the series. But they tend to face their pasts alone and then confide in one another after the fact. Harley did help Ivy with Floronic Man, but Ivy tried to deal with him herself first. I think Harley Quinn does a good job of showing Harley and Ivy as individuals, and I definitely got that from “Family Feud.”

I found it amusing that Lena didn’t have any plans to harm Frankette. She waved her hand and was like, “Get out of here.” This makes me wonder if Frankette will pull off some inside work for the season finale and save Metropolis. That would be a fun twist.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Harley Quinn: “Frankette” Review

Published on February 28, 2025February 27, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

I’m going to preface “Frankette” by saying I was a bit shocked by the ending. Not entirely, but the buildup to Brainiac being the season finale villain was being hammered home so much that I wasn’t expecting him to fizzle out this episode.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Harley and Ivy this episode. We got to see a volatile argument play out due to extenuating circumstances. Both of them wanted to honor Frank in their own way and butted heads (to put it mildly). It was nice to take a break from the lovey-dovey stuff they’ve been doing in previous episodes. That said, I think Ivy’s normally the one who expresses extreme anger when she’s upset. Harley’s been more of the pushy one between the two of them. I think their fallout at the end of “Frankette” is reparable. If it isn’t, that’d make for an interesting story.

On to Frankette herself. Her birth was hilarious. Frank giving a sermon at his own funeral just so she could pop out of the soil over his grave was done in a way I’d only expect from Harley Quinn. I’m not entirely convinced Ivy genuinely cares for Frankette outside of Frank telling her to rescue Frankette. Their moment at the end of “Frankette” was heartwarming, but I think Ivy is still seeing Frank, despite her initial rejection of Frankette. I think she’s getting there, but “Frankette” happened over the course of a day.

I enjoy Lena being the main villain of Season 5. Her taking over Brainiac’s ship at the end of “Frankette” for her own best interest was very much in character. I’m excited to see where else Harley Quinn is going to take her.

Side note: Bane is the best babysitter.

Kyra’s Take

Season did a great job covering “Frankette’s” plot points, so I won’t get into too much detail. Harley Quinn has a knack for heel and face turns. These turns happen numerous times during a season, but the showrunners find ways to keep them fresh and unexpected.

Parenthood has been a not-so-hidden theme for Harley Quinn’s fifth season. The show took a detour a few weeks ago when it explored Bruce’s relationships with Dick Grayson and Damien and the Joker with his stepdaughter. Harley Quinn followed that episode with one of Brainiac’s family and loss. It was only a matter of time before Harley and Ivy would be thrust into parenthood. Heck. Harley babysat Shaun the Shark a few times before Frankette made her debut. Even Bane makes his return with his adopted daughter Goldilocks in this episode. Despite her shocking origin, Harley Quinn’s creative team built up Frankette. Those “detours” that I mentioned before weren’t detours at all.

Harley Quinn’s creators do a fabulous job of world and character-building. Lena stays true to herself. Perhaps, we should’ve seen that she would become Season 5’s main villain. But are we sure Harley Quinn doesn’t have another turn or two for the balance of power to shift again? A lot can happen in three Harley Quinn episodes. I could see another tectonic shift. Superman and Lois Lane are still in play. Harley and Ivy’s relationship is on the rocks again, and that tends to add a little spice.

Harley Quinn needed to inject some turmoil into Harley and Ivy’s relationship. I agree with Season that the fallout at the end of this episode should be reparable. Harley and Ivy working through their problems is a strength of this show. It shouldn’t be easy for the power to make amends. Only time will tell. My biggest gripe is that this season of Harley Quinn only has three more episodes.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Harley Quinn: “Bottle My Heart” Review

Published on February 21, 2025February 20, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

“Bottle My Heart” took a turn this week. I have a hunch about the ending, but we’ll get to that later. Who’s ready for some “Brainiac: The Musical?”

“Bottle My Heart” didn’t take off into too many different subplots and focused on one story line. That was a nice change of pace since we’ve weaved in and out of side stories in previous episodes in Season 5. Since that’s the case, I have a feeling the rest of Season 5 will remain focused as the season finale ramps up.

Lena Luthor switching sides is always entertaining. She didn’t get her end of the deal from Brainiac, so she turned on him. I wasn’t sure how they were going to have the other characters find out about Brainiac, but this was fun. I hope Lena’s true colors stay out for the remainder of Harley Quinn Season 5.

Despite the campiness of “Brainiac: The Musical,” it covered loss. Harley Quinn has covered loss in the past with the death of Mr. Freeze. Frank passed at the end of “Bottle My Heart,” which hit differently than Mr. Freeze’s death. We’ve been with Frank since “‘Til Death Do Us Part” back in Season 1. I’ll admit, some tears welled up when I watched this scene.

On to my hunch. I’m pretty sure Brainiac poisoned Frank in some capacity. At the end of “Bottle My Heart,” Brainiac says, “Now you know what it feels like.” I’m not sure if he poisoned Frank to get at Ivy, Harley, or both of them. He seems more fixated on Harley. Maybe we’ll get some answers next week.

One last question: Did you remember your hemorrhoid cream?

Kyra’s Take

I like how Harley Quinn tied up loose ends last week. The creative team abandoned the Gotham City Sirens storyline and gave that storyline closure, so they can concentrate on Brainiac this week and going forward. I agree with Season that Harley Quinn will (and should) focus on this singular story, with maybe a side story here and there (we might get at least one more Shaun the Shark sighting), for the remaining four episodes.

I don’t know how Alan Tudyk does it. He voices Clayface, portraying Brainiac and singing in a musical with his character’s usual flourishes. Ko–Kooooh! Awesome!

Lena Luthor always looks out for herself. Harley, Ivy, and the gang’s desires match hers for now. I wonder how much Lena regrets telling the gang about Brainiac’s plan to bottle Metropolis. She hopes they will write an expose about Brainiac and alert Metropolis’s citizens of their impending doom. She says as much to Poison Ivy as they watch from box theater seats, but as Ivy says, “This (a musical) is what they came up with.” I like Lena’s jabs at Harley’s costume choice. She would never wear that tacky blazer.

The musical has an effect, but it’s not the one the gang planned. Metropolis citizens sympathize with Brainiac’s story. To be fair, Brainiac and Mr. Freeze’s backstories parallel and both are tragic. Brainiac lost his family. His only tether to his past is Koko, but Koko is long gone. Brainiac: The Musical opens his eyes to this loss, which is heart-breaking, and Brainiac (presumably) poisons Frank. This won’t be the end of Brainiac’s terror.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 04

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “If This Be My Destiny…” Review

Published on February 20, 2025February 20, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

We’ve come full circle in the season finale of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. I thought we were building up to a Green Goblin debut, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The entirety of Season 1 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man felt like a pseudo-rendition of the Hero’s Journey. We started with Venom and ended with Venom. Granted, the characters are in different stages of growth now than they were at the beginning of Season 1, but things are calming down while they set up Season 2 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. It’s debatable how big a role Venom will play in Season 2. I’m guessing we’ll see more Venom given the setup at the end of “If This Be My Destiny…”

Since we didn’t see Green Goblin in Season 1, I suspect we’ll see him in Season 2 now that Norman has Spider-Man’s DNA. We may even see Chameleon in Season 2. While Osborn didn’t go full Green Goblin on us this time, he let his destructive ambition with the space door slip through the cracks.

One last thing I want to touch on is Dr. Strange. His making an appearance and time traveling with Spider-Man makes Season 1 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man feel like a time loop. Peter’s own DNA was used in creating Spider-Man. Freaky.

Skye’s Take

These folks really know how to end a season. Going off what Season mentioned, this episode made the season feel much more satisfying. While I hadn’t thought of it as a “Hero’s Journey” before, I absolutely saw it as its own self-contained story. Everything coalesces in this episode which makes the wait feel earned.

Of course, my favorite detail in this episode was how it tied back to the first. I imagine most people who saw this had similar thoughts. What I liked about it was that it proved that this story has been carefully constructed since episode one. As an unassuming viewer, I didn’t know what plans the writers had in mind, but it’s obvious now they know what they’re doing. Kudos!

Also, my inner fangirl went crazy seeing those last-minute developments at the end of the episode. I could list them here, but I won’t. There’s just too many of them. Given what they showed us, I can’t wait for Season 2’s premiere. Sure, I still have small issues here and there with some aspects of the writing, but I think focusing on them is doing the show a disservice.

It’s safe to say that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has strung me up in a web of childhood nostalgia. Can’t wait to see y’all next time!

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 9 and 10’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “Hero or Menace” Review

Published on February 20, 2025February 20, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

Well, we certainly have a lot to unpack in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s “Hero or Menace.” Will Lonnie embrace his life of crime after seemingly taking over the 110? Will Spider-Man’s DNA be used against him? Highly likely. Let’s swing into “Hero or Menace.”

Who knew Big Donovan was such a coward? He seemed fine with taking other people’s lives in one way or another but, when it came to his own, he turned tail and ran. I thought this was done rather well since you never know how somebody’s going to behave when their life is in jeopardy. I’m not sure if Lonnie will become an anti-hero or a straight up villain. I’m leaning toward anti-hero, but that could change.

Nico and Peter making up was a sweet moment. I hope we get to see some spellcasting in the coming episodes from Nico. I feel like she’d fit right in with Spider-Man’s crime fighting. The pacing for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has been consistent, so we may see more of a focus on Nico in Season 2.

Norman visiting Otto in jail to gloat was gold. I know their feud is serious and is affecting people’s lives, but this encounter was comedic for me. I’m anticipated full-on Green Goblin in “If This Be My Destiny…” That sinister cackle Norman gave at the end of “Hero or Menace” is very telling.

Skye’s Take

Alright! We have solid action, relatable characters, big-name villains, and a compelling story. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is coming along well. By this point, the animation has grown on me. That and the frequent build-up for future villains.

In the case of “Hero or Menace,” I was mostly surprised with how Lonnie’s character progressed. At this point, it’s nice to see that he still has enough morality in him to help Spider-Man take down Gargan. However, I’m in no way holding my breath that it’ll stay this way. I’m actually hoping that Lonnie will become full-fledged Tombstone because that would create more complexity for his and Peter’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I’ll still cry when that happens. If you can’t tell, Lonnie’s still my favorite.

That aside, there were a couple standard things in this episode. Not bad necessarily, just standard. They showed Peter and Nico make-up and Spider-Man almost killing Gargan. I think the Peter/Nico thing made sense and fit well in the show. At the same time, it’s a standard friend breakup you know isn’t going to last. Peter and Nico are still cute, but it’s a commonly used trope.

Then there’s the Spider-Man/Gargan battle. I have few issues with this fight. It’s well laid out, tense, and gets you invested in the action. The only thing that’s standard about it is how it ends. Spider-Man has the opportunity to kill Gargan, but Lonnie talks him out of it. While this ties into the struggles we’ve seen Peter go through in previous episodes, the “what it means to be a hero” trope has been done, especially with Spider-Man.

In fairness, this episode got me excited. After seeing it, I can’t wait to dive into the next episode. Stick around and see our review drop at 11:00am.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 9 and 10’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

Harley Quinn: “Big Pasta Dinner” Review

Published on February 14, 2025February 13, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

Not going to lie. I have no idea where to start with “Big Pasta Dinner.” There were so many good moments and an even balance among the characters featured in this episode.

If I had to pick a focal point of this episode, I’d say Harley took the stage most of the time, but only by a small margin. The bat family definitely had more of the heartwarming moments. The Bruce Wayne/Joker heart-to-heart in the sauna was the most surprising. Definitely not something I’d expect in any other DC show. We got to experience Bruce grow as a person in real time. Well, save for his taste in girlfriends.

Shaun the Shark being featured in “Big Pasta Dinner” was a treat for me. Even though we’ve had a lack of King Shark in Season 5, Shaun’s shenanigans this episode helped lighten the heaviness of the bat family.

Speaking of shenanigans, Alfred turning on the bat family was a fun twist. It wasn’t out of left field for a show like Harley Quinn, but it also wasn’t something I was necessarily expecting, either. It was a bit off to me that Dick forgave Harley for killing him after she saved his life one time. Other than that, I enjoyed this episode.

Kyra’s Take

Agreed. Alfred exacting revenge on the bat family, and Bruce Wayne in particular, may seem odd in any other show based on DC Comics besides Harley Quinn. Bruce had it coming. This version of Bruce doesn’t even know Alfred’s surname. He calls him Alfred Butler. Butler? Try Pennyworth. It’s sad when Harley knows Alfred’s surname and Bruce doesn’t.

Like I said at the beginning of this season, the original Harley Quinn creative team has taken back the reigns in Season 5. They pivoted hard from the Gotham Sirens and let the Dick Grayson revenge thread slide for half a season. Dick returns in “Big Pasta Dinner,” and the show gives another nod to DC Comics history. Dick dons the Red X disguise, which is an alternate outfit he wore to get close to Deathstroke during a Teen Titans comics storyline. An excellent way to resolve the story that this creative team didn’t start in Season 4 and an amazing reference.

I agree with Season. We can use as much Shaun the Shark as possible; he is a treat. But Shaun became more than comic relief for the episode’s heavier moments. I also like how Harley Quinn worked Shaun’s penchant for destruction in her favor. This did a lot to merge the two disparate story threads.

I loved the Joker and Bruce as middle-aged dads thread. Season mentioned their heart-to-heart in the sauna. I have to agree that it was surprising. Joker giving Bruce parenting advice with his clown makeup running was hilarious and endearing. And Bruce’s son and Joker’s stepdaughter dating by the end of the episode set the show for more parental shenanigans.

Thank you for reading. Wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Harley Quinn: “Breaking Brainiac” Review

Published on February 7, 2025February 6, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

Brainiac has been hinted at for the past few episodes. Now, it’s his time to shine. And boy, do we get a lot of Brainiac this episode.

I’m going to be honest. I wasn’t expecting the first half of “Breaking Brainiac” to include Brainiac’s backstory. I suppose I should have expected it since we saw the creation of Floronic Man in “Back to School.” It was emotionally charging for me, but it wasn’t as dark as Ivy’s backstory in previous episodes. Since “Breaking Brainiac” didn’t have as dramatic shifts in tone, the inclusion of jokes throughout Brainiac’s backstory softened the blow for his family’s demise.

Lena Luthor flips a switch in this episode. Well, I guess she was going to do whatever she felt was best for her. I wasn’t sure which way they’d decide to go with her. Who knows? She may help out Harley and Ivy in the future. I think she’ll come out the other end of the Brainiac saga relatively unscathed.

I liked the lack of Harley and Ivy in “Breaking Brainiac.” We had two heavy Ivy episodes in a row. The way things were set up by the end of “Floronic Man,” it looked like we’d have another heavy Harley/Ivy episode. They haven’t had a chance at being side characters for a bit.

Kyra’s Take

I agree that Harley Quinn does well when it takes a break from the title character, and “Breaking Brainiac” was a welcome break from Harley and Ivy. We’ve gotten a lot of heavy Harley/Ivy episodes lately.

Despite Harley Quinn weaving in Floronic Man’s backstory into present events during “Back to School,” Brainiac’s flashback in “Breaking Brainiac” dominated this week’s episode. It may have taken up more than half of the episode. I don’t know how Harley Quinn could have done this differently. Even though this was a major shift, the audience needs to know who this version of Brainiac is, and following the episode where Harley and Ivy get kidnapped by Brainiac is a good excuse to hit rewind and explore this new character.

Harley Quinn stays true to classic DC Comics characters while taking these characters in a different direction. “Breaking Brainiac” is no exception. I squeed when Brainiac’s son shrank a city filled with people and waited for Harley Quinn to show us Kandor. Harley Quinn delivered on that promise. It also delivered with a heart-felt Brainiac story. I’ll echo Season’s sentiment, jokes soften the blow of Brainiac’s family’s demise. These jokes come in the form of an android suffering through domestic bliss.

When we catch up with Harley and Ivy and the now, we see Brainiac struggling with the loss of his family. However misguided, he wants to achieve perfection so no one has to suffer the fate his family did. Ironically, he views Harley as Metropolis’s biggest imperfection, which makes me wonder why Lena Luthor, who is revealed to be working with Brainiac, invited Harley to Metropolis and why she insists on Harley staying. My tension sense is tingling.

“Breaking Brainiac” lays down a great foundation. I can’t wait to see where this season goes. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 02

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “The Unicorn Unleashed!” Review

Published on February 6, 2025February 5, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

We’ve hit the third episode in a row this week. More revelations come to light at the end of the episode in addition to some friendship woes. Let’s go!

“The Unicorn Unleashed!” features four Russian criminals working together. They outright say what their villain counterparts are (except for Dmitri, the Chameleon). This episode centers on Mila Masaryk as The Unicorn through Otto Octavius’s gear. She busts her friends out of jail but gets power-hungry. There already wasn’t much of a sense of camaraderie among the four in “Hitting the Big Time,” so this wasn’t unexpected. I’m unsure if Mikhail’s son is going to be the Rhino in future episodes or if they’ll have Mikhail be the Rhino. I’m leaning toward the latter.

Peter’s friendship with Nico is suffering as he’s making less time for her and being dismissive. This could lead into her origin story and I’m hoping it does. This uneasiness was sprinkled throughout this episode more than it was in “Hitting the Big Time,” so I’m hoping they explore it more in future episodes. That brings me to Lonnie.

We got a lot of Lonnie in Episode 4. They kept that momentum going with Episode 5. Lonnie gets called into a gang fight against the Scorpions and saves Big Donovan’s life. I half-expected him to ask for his freedom from the gang as a reward. Instead, he asked Big Donovan to stop calling him “Superstar.” Tombstone is born.

Skye’s Take

Lonnie continues to be my favorite character. Despite not being the focus of this episode or the previous, he steals the screen every time he’s on it. Especially now that he’s officially “Tombstone.”

Even though Lonnie’s transition is good, the Peter/Spider-Man stuff is still cool. Things move forward in his story: his new relationship with Harry (after discovering his identity), his current relationship with Nico, and crime fighting. Weirdly, I’m more interested in Lonnie’s story. Don’t get me wrong, I like Spider-Man as much as the next person, but now that Lonnie’s story is popping off, Spider-Man feels like a side story. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen Spider-Man done so many times before. Some of the general crime-fighting fare is a bit old to me now. Heck, even Peter struggling with his social life is a bit overplayed.

While more villains were established, mostly with Doc Ock in the opening and the gender-swapped Unicorn, it still doesn’t seem like much is being done with them yet. I can respect the creators biding their time and waiting for the opportune moment to release them, but it feels like cliffhanging for viewers. If you promise enough villains for seasoned fans, eventually you’ll hook them whether or not you deliver.

Lonnie’s story alone is enough to keep me coming back to this show. Although, if they unveil a big-name Spider-Man villain soon, that’d help spice up the Peter stuff.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 3, 4, and 5’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “Hitting the Big Time” Review

Published on February 6, 2025February 5, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

Last episode, Peter waffled back and forth between partnering up with Norman Osborn. This episode, they go full swing into a partnership—with a twist ending.

“Hitting the Big Time” had quite a bit of Lonnie. We get to see his encounter with the Scorpions. Lonnie didn’t seem to fully understand the gravity of his situation until his chat with Big Donovan after this encounter. I’m thinking he’ll take down Big Donovan in the coming episodes then continue to run the gang as the ringleader if we’re to go by his comic book counterparts.

We get to see Spidey go through a myriad of costume changes. We won’t talk about the individual suits here, but this segment provided a pseudo identity crisis for Spidey. I say “pseudo” because Osborn pressured him into trying the different suits that didn’t fit. Spidey knew who he was from the beginning. Getting to see the different suits in action was a goofy treat.

Toward the end, Spidey’s identity gets revealed to Harry Osborn by mistake. Oops. On the plus side, Harry seems to think it’s cool. Spoilers, we also catch a glimpse of Otto Octavius. End of spoilers.

Skye’s Take

This episode was entertaining despite not having too much bearing on the story. The biggest additions in this installment involved Lonnie while Peter worked with Norman.

Lonnie deals with gang life and he’s not ready. Things get real when Lonnie meets a rival gang, led by none other than Mac Gargan. Lonnie’s reaction to this shift is believable. At first, he treats gang life as an excuse to get some study time in. After learning that belonging to a gang puts a target on his back, he reluctantly continues doing jobs for them to protect his family. Clearly, the wheels are turning for him to become what we all know who he’ll become, and it’s legit riveting. At this point, Lonnie’s my favorite character.

Back with Peter and Norman, they try out a series of different suits to see what works. It’s pretty funny. While it’s not essential to the plot, it is fun to watch and is much funnier than the humor in earlier episodes.

While I like where this series is going, I still have one problem. A lot of future villains are being teased right now. Newly added villain teasers are The Scorpion and Doc Ock, but when are they going to, you know, do something? By this point, several future villains are set up, but nothing is being done with them.

Although maybe that’s to come in the next episode. I can only hope. And I’m excited to find out. 😉

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 3, 4, and 5’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “Secret Identity Crisis” Review

Published on February 6, 2025February 5, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

I said last week I expected to see Norman Osborn as Green Goblin within the next few episodes. Now, I’m kind of hoping that’ll be the Season 1 finale. Without watching Episodes 4 and 5 prior to this review, let’s swing into “Secret Identity Crisis.”

We didn’t linger too long on Peter’s mental crisis after Norman revealed that he knew of Peter’s identity as Spider-Man. Normally, I’d like to explore this a bit more but, for this show, it would feel out of place. That said, we got to learn a bit about Nico’s situation during this segment. She’s in foster care. If they’re going to lean into a variant of the Runaways narrative, I’m digging this backstory.

I’m not sure I cared too much for Lonnie’s kid brother joining a gang. He seemed disgruntled but, overall, a good kid. It wasn’t entirely unexpected since we saw how Lonnie was followed by the cops (among other things) in “Amazing Fantasy.” This felt a bit forced. However, Lonnie turning himself over to the gang to save his brother does make sense for his character. I’m curious to see how he’ll become Tombstone later.

One last thing. I thought it was endearing to see Peter save Uncle Ben’s camera. The camera backstory isn’t something I’ve seen much of. I found myself saying, “Aw.”

Skye’s Take

While I started having doubts in the last episode, the show is back on track with this one. At first, I thought the show was moving too fast and I couldn’t tell where they wanted to take the show. Their intentions are now clear. In fact, this episode was kinda cute.

I latched onto each character. Not gonna lie, I was surprised to see how caring and positive each character is, especially Norman Osborn. Considering how the previous episode ended, I expected him to go into full Goblin mode real soon. However, he’s far from that. Norman seems genuinely pleasant and willing to help Spider-Man after learning his identity, and that’s a nice spin on the idea. The Spider-Man stuff is getting more interesting as Spider-Man’s “Guy in the Chair” is literally the Green Goblin.

I agree with Season on the Lonnie stuff. His brother Andre joining a gang was out of left field, but the show needed to get Lonnie into a gang somehow. It also makes Lonnie a more complex character. Knowing his future as Tombstone, seeing him vulnerable around his family sets him up as a tragic character. I’m looking forward to the episode when they rip my heart out with him becoming Tombstone.

With minimal gripes on this episode, and prior to watching the other two, I’m back on board. Let’s keep this Spider-Train a rollin’ with more great episodes.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 3, 4, and 5’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).