Tag: tv

Clayface Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn: “Bottle My Heart” Review

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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.

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

Published on 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).

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

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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 02

Harley Quinn: “Big Pasta Dinner” Review

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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.

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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “Tangled Web” Review

Published on by SkyeLeave a comment

Skye’s Thoughts

It’s safe to say: I’m hooked on Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. After the previous episode, “Scorpion Rising,” “Tangled Web” complements it perfectly. Considering how heavy and action-packed the previous episode was, this episode is more introspective and patient. As a result, some of the most emotional moments of the series so far came out of this episode.

Peter doubts his abilities as Spider-Man after being put out of commission by Scorpion. It feels genuine and heartbreaking when Peter breaks down in front of Aunt May. That was the closest I’ve come to tearing up in this series so far. I imagine I’ll be bawling when Lonnie passes the point of no return.

Speaking of Lonnie, his progression from lovable meat-head genius to cruel and hardened gang member, has been done believably. Getting him into the 110 in the first place was kinda forced, but now that he’s in it, he’s started embracing the violence. In a way, it reminds me of Walter White’s progression from Breaking Bad. Only much faster. He starts committing criminal acts to protect his family only to eventually realize he loves it and fully surrenders to crime. There are many opportunities for dramatic moments here, and they start with Pearl breaking up with Lonnie. 😦

Norman’s development is the most interesting. In a surprise twist, the creators make us think he’s going to coin a famous Spider-Man phrase, but he spins it. In the process, he reveals his true personality. Instead of saying “With great power comes great responsibility,” he says “With great power comes great respect.” Norman thinks Peter needs to use his powers to make these criminals submit to him, and I’m getting excited about the Green Goblin’s introduction. We already saw the Goblin Glider in the last episode.

I could talk about Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man for pages on end; I love it that much. Also, never once have I skipped the intro. And I never will. There’s a lot that went down in this episode, and plenty I didn’t discuss. Season, what are your thoughts?

Season’s Take

I also liked Norman changing the famous “responsibility” to “respect.” He makes the phrase his own. This is very telling for his character. It’s a very “Norman” thing to say.

Harry played quite the role in “Tangled Web,” acting as Peter’s confidant when he didn’t think he could talk to anyone else. It’s a little on point when Aunt May said she wanted Peter to have a person he could confide in like Uncle Ben. However, I’m digging the exploration of Harry’s character.

Nico takes a back seat in this episode, and that’s warranted. I don’t think there was much they could have done with her in this episode. Pearl and Lonnie breaking up makes me wonder if this will be the catalyst for Pearl becoming Wave in the coming episodes. I kind of hope it’ll happen before the end of Season 1.

We saw him in “Unicorn Unleashed!” as Dmitri Smerdyakov. Today, we saw him as “Chameleon,” dealing as an information broker. I never thought a plain white mask would be so iconic.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 6, 7, and 8’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 03

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “Scorpion Rising” Review

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Skye’s Thoughts

So…things are looking pretty bleak right for the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man gang. Nico and Peter’s relationship is on the rocks. Pearl just found out Lonnie’s secret. Norman’s second identity is starting to appear. And, to top it all off, Scorpion nearly killed Spider-Man. Despite the huge moment at the end of the episode, I still found myself caring a lot about Peter’s and Lonnie’s social life.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man balances genuine character moments with harsh comic-book action well. I was worried in the last episode that the show wouldn’t be able to deliver on the plot threads it set up. Thankfully, the show is proving me wrong. Now that we’ve had ample time to get to know these characters, their personalities, choices, and struggles are falling into place. Considering this is a superhero story, the social drama is surprisingly fun to watch. In my opinion, because it subtly reveals a lot about Peter’s friends’ backstories.

With Nico, we’ve seen her win an impromptu street race with the help of Harry’s rich car, and her crystal necklace. As someone who’s into crystals and tarot, this speaks to me. Not only that but the way she and Harry have been interacting shows who they are. Harry has a shaky relationship with his father. After learning Norman called Harry to talk for Peter and not his own son, Harry deflates. Nico has a difficult family life too, and the show implies she and Harry would make good friends.

With Lonnie, it’s not looking good. Both he and Pearl got caught up in the Scorpion’s attack on the 110, and this makes me even more excited for what’s to come. I will say, the way Pearl found out Lonnie’s secret was a bit forced. Dre texts her because he somehow knows Pearl’s phone number. I don’t know.

I want to keep talking about this show because it ignites the imagination. If you’d like to discuss the show with us, leave a comment and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. I don’t want to take too long though, so let’s let Season have a turn.

Season’s Take

I agree with Skye that Pearl showing up at 110 did feel a bit forced in the sense of the timing. I think she would have shown up regardless due to her worry for Lonnie and Dre’s being upset with Lonnie for taking “his thing.” She just happened to show up at a violent moment in the show because drama.

I like that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has, so far, not been as centered on Spider-Man himself as opposed to Spider-Man stories in other mediums. Don’t get me wrong. We see a lot of Spidey. I’m just enjoying the time we get to spend with not just the other characters, but how other characters in the show interpret Spider-Man/Peter Parker. There are moments sprinkled throughout the show of people speaking for Peter when he’s not around (mostly Nico and Harry).

Speaking of Nico and Harry, I thought it was cute watching them become friends naturally. The scene with Nico racing in Harry’s car to stand up for him was one of this episode’s highlights.

I thought Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was more of a kids’ show at first glance. After watching “Scorpion Rising” through to the end, I’ve changed my tune. I don’t think many kids’ shows have stabbings in them. The Easter egg of Norman Osborn’s Goblin Glider swooping in to save Spidey at the end served as a nice precursor for what’s to come.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 6, 7, and 8’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: “Duel With the Devil” Review

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Skye’s Thoughts

Ah, another Wednesday. Time for more Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man! In my opinion, this episode laid out interesting future story threads. While I was intrigued by the ideas in the previous episodes, I mentioned that it didn’t feel like they were progressing. Now, everything is falling into place.

In fact, so much happened in this episode that it’s difficult to cover in one post. Just a heads-up: Spoilers. Lonnie’s connection with the 110 Gang catches up with his everyday life. School is getting difficult for Peter, Pearl, and Nico. Especially after Nico found out Peter’s secret. Thanks, Harry. There’s more to Norman than what’s on the surface after Spider-Man’s encounter with Daredevil (hence the episode title). And Mac Gargan’s Gang has tracked down the 110’s hideout while getting outfitted with Octavius tech. Yeah. That’s a lot.

If I had to nitpick anything, the show’s feeling overcrowded. Sure, each of these developments makes me want to keep watching, but there are a lot of them for one episode. I can see why these episodes are 30 minutes. Despite longer episodes, will it be possible to give each of these story threads the attention they need?

I mentioned in the past that it felt like the show was looking for excuses to keep audiences watching. By throwing in major developments at the end of episodes, it seemed like the show was desperate for viewers. What I like about these new developments is that, after the buildup of the previous plot threads, it feels like they’re starting to amount to something. That’s where I give leeway.

Of course, there’s still time for this show to either wow me or disappoint me (I hope it’s the former), but let’s throw it over to Season before I start rambling.

Season’s Take

For me, “Duel with the Devil” didn’t feel overcrowded so much as expecting to have a long run with the dozens of characters. I mean, it’s Spider-Man. They’re likely going to get several seasons out of this show. Spider-Man also has a large rogues gallery. If this show is taking notes from Harley Quinn, they’re going to explore many of Spidey’s rogues.

That said, I do like the time the show takes to pull in smaller Spider-Man villains as part of the main cast. As someone more familiar with the prolific Spider-Man villains, it’s nice to see something different. The show progressed naturally with this episode having a lot of rising action regarding relationships between the characters and themselves. We saw a bit of doubt in previous episodes, but “Duel With the Devil” brought that doubt to the forefront.

The way it is now, the show is somewhat predictable. We know Norman Osborn is going to be the Green Goblin at some point and we already saw Lonnie get his nickname as Tombstone. Nico will likely become Sister Grimm or The Gloom. I really hope they go with the latter. Harry’s a bit of a wild card. I’m curious to see who he chooses once the inevitable Green Goblin/Spider-Man showdown occurs. If I’m wrong about my predictions in future episodes, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, follow this link for episodes 6, 7, and 8’s Secrets (Easter Eggs).

Harley Quinn Animated Series 01

Harley Quinn: “Breaking Brainiac” Review

Published on 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.

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

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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).

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

Published on 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).