I wanted to drop the show after episode 3. I looked at the descriptions of later episodes, and gave the show until episode 7, the introduction of the Green Goblin, to see if the show would improve and at least do this iconic character right.
And well, they failed. An utterly disappointing failure.
The Green Goblin is sidelined for most of the episode in his own debut to focus on the rubbish high school drama. The opening was just a tease. I dislike the design of the Green Goblin character model a lot.
After the incredible adaptation of the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1, you would think that future shows would have learned how to do it right. But no, they haven't. Spider-Man 1 still has the best incarnation of the Green Goblin i've seen.
What's worse, is Harry being the Green Goblin. What's even worse is why he becomes the Green Goblin. The origin is utter rubbish and ridiculously rushed. Though it might also be Norman because he said something about spilling secrets to Tombstone. But we saw Harry take the formula earlier.
The bad joke is that this is considered the best Spider-Man show, or equal to Spider-Man The Animated Series, also considered the best. Half the episodes so far have been mediocre. At least The Animated Series maintained a consistent above average quality. It was also more faithful to the comics and the essence of the characters than this show.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-09-08T21:05:45Z
[8.2/10] This one centers on two fancy parties -- one a high school dance, and the other a high society benefit -- and the way the show contrasts the two, while showing how each has its own web of connections and social (and literal) combat between the attendees is fantastic. There’s a lot packed into “Catalyst”, but it all feels pretty seamless.
On the high school side of things, you have Peter showing up to the dance with Mary Jane, which sets off any number of chain reactions. My one minor complaint here is that MJ is a little too perfect. I do like how easily she brushes off the “in-crowd”’s jibes, but she so enraptures everyone she meets, and she’s nigh-unbelievably tolerant and supportive of Peter, in a way that makes her feel like a fantasy more than a real person, but I suppose there’s time for the show to give her more dimension.
But I like the effect her arrival has on everyone. For Peter, it gives him a confidence boost and, however wish-fulfillment it may seem for now, a legitimate win for a kid who sorely needs one. For Gwen, it makes her feel even more put out since Peter said he wasn’t going, and her being unaware of Aunt May’s grand scheme, it makes her think that Peter just doesn't want to go with her. For Eddie Brock, it gives him another reason to take issue with Peter, though he once again doesn't know the whole story. And it has an effect on the rest of the popular kids too, as Flash is made a fool, Sally gets shown up, and Liz seems surprised that Peter could land a girl like MJ. (Randy is, as usual, pretty cool about everything.)
But the most interesting effect this has on the fall formal side of things is in how MJ’s arrival with Peter manages to steal Harry’s thunder. This is supposed to be Harry’s night, with him doing well in school, being a varsity player on the football team, and landing a date to the dance. He’s spreading his money around and taking the cool kids in his limo, only to find that Peter and MJ are the focus of the attention rather than him. To add insult to injury, Kenny shows up, apologizes, and manages to woo Glory away from him.
It’s some really nice development for Harry as a budding villain. The sense of being put upon, rising above it, but having your lowered station shoved in your face once more is a solid motivation for his turn and resentment. The fact that he downs a vial labeled “Green Goblin” serum is a little much, but I’m appreciating the slow burn of his turn to the darkside, and how well-motivated and gradual it is.
The fancy benefit side of things is anchored by Spider-Man’s fight with the Green Goblin. I really liked Gobby here. He had the cackly, vaguely Joker-inspired predilection toward chaos and mayhem that I appreciated, and he and Spidey have a really fun dynamic and banter together (to the point that Peter even comments on it). Their fight, both in the event hall, and through the skies, is thrilling and creative, and has some well animated moves like Gobby’s remarked-upon building-slicing backflip onto his glider.
But I also like the mix of connections going on at the party itself. For one thing, I appreciate how Tombstone is trying to maintain his calm while not revealing his business dealings and standing up to Goblin. We get a taste of the heroic side of John Jameson (returning to help Spider-Man find the pumpkin bomb), and of J. Jonah Jameson’s sentimentality where he’s proud of his son and wants to take him out for a last night before his shuttle flight. (And I’m sure everything will go just fine and have no issues whatsoever with that flight.)
Plus you even have the goings-on at the Bugle, where Robbie is authorizing Ned Leeds(!) to hunt down Spider-Man’s identity. And it also provides the motivation for Peter to go from one party to another since he has to take pictures of the Goblin spree. There’s a lot of moving pieces, particularly with Gobby’s scheme to overthrow Tombstone, but they all sync nicely, with a neat action set piece to boot.
I particularly like the ending exchange with Spider-Man and Tombstone, where Lincoln tells Spidey that he’s essentially doing the job Tombstone asked him to for free. There’s some complicated moral territory there, especially with a loving aunt struggling to pay the bills at home, and I like it.
Overall, we’re only half a season in, but this is still the best that Spectacular Spider-Man has had to offer, and I’m on board with it.