[7.8/10] There’s a lot to like in this one. For one thing, every member of the Web Warriors has something to do. In some cases, that’s a little simple. Miles basically just gets an amusing running joke about ghosts. And Cho reverts to his tech roots, saving the toyetic spider jet and coming up with the idea the freeze the bad guy.
But Peter and Scarlet get much meatier things to do. I’ll admit, the bit with Scarlet Spider happens very quickly, but it still works for me. Maybe it’s just the benediction (no pun intended) from Aunt May. I like the idea that she’s perceptive enough to see the newly-dubbed Ben’s tough front, but also the caring soul that would cause him to look after his ally’s aunt even when he claims not to care. It’s done well (despite the itty bitty scar claimed to be a disfigurement), and offers some nice character growth for Scarlet.
I also dug Peter’s arc of feeling the pressure of filling in for Fury as the leader of Shield Academy. His efforts to lead the team while feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do are a nice organic place to take things in the show. And while most of it comes down to the usual combat, the fact that he does come up with a plan and, with the help of his friends, save the day, is an encouraging finish. I even like the grace note where things are running much more smoothly at Shield Academy after all this excitement.
Plus god help me, I just like Hydroman. I think I’m a sucker for particle/shape shifting characters in animation, because it opens up so many visual possibilities. Watching him sluice through a grate or turn into multiple fighters or create a water vortex makes Hydroman one of the more visually interesting villains. Plus, I still have some appreciation for the utter creepiness mixed with scariness mixed with the tragedy of the character from the 1990s animated show.
The episode doesn't do bad plotwise either. Morris playing the Web Warriors for fools is a nice twist, and gives Spidey reason to doubt himself. The webs being a sponge after failed attempts at freezing works in context. Hell, I even like the small touch that Hydroman’s presence helps water May’s garden.
Overall, there’s definitely flaws here (Hydroman’s contrived but inevitable escape for one), but also a lot of strong elements that come together for a really enjoyable episode.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-03-14T03:52:04Z
[7.8/10] There’s a lot to like in this one. For one thing, every member of the Web Warriors has something to do. In some cases, that’s a little simple. Miles basically just gets an amusing running joke about ghosts. And Cho reverts to his tech roots, saving the toyetic spider jet and coming up with the idea the freeze the bad guy.
But Peter and Scarlet get much meatier things to do. I’ll admit, the bit with Scarlet Spider happens very quickly, but it still works for me. Maybe it’s just the benediction (no pun intended) from Aunt May. I like the idea that she’s perceptive enough to see the newly-dubbed Ben’s tough front, but also the caring soul that would cause him to look after his ally’s aunt even when he claims not to care. It’s done well (despite the itty bitty scar claimed to be a disfigurement), and offers some nice character growth for Scarlet.
I also dug Peter’s arc of feeling the pressure of filling in for Fury as the leader of Shield Academy. His efforts to lead the team while feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do are a nice organic place to take things in the show. And while most of it comes down to the usual combat, the fact that he does come up with a plan and, with the help of his friends, save the day, is an encouraging finish. I even like the grace note where things are running much more smoothly at Shield Academy after all this excitement.
Plus god help me, I just like Hydroman. I think I’m a sucker for particle/shape shifting characters in animation, because it opens up so many visual possibilities. Watching him sluice through a grate or turn into multiple fighters or create a water vortex makes Hydroman one of the more visually interesting villains. Plus, I still have some appreciation for the utter creepiness mixed with scariness mixed with the tragedy of the character from the 1990s animated show.
The episode doesn't do bad plotwise either. Morris playing the Web Warriors for fools is a nice twist, and gives Spidey reason to doubt himself. The webs being a sponge after failed attempts at freezing works in context. Hell, I even like the small touch that Hydroman’s presence helps water May’s garden.
Overall, there’s definitely flaws here (Hydroman’s contrived but inevitable escape for one), but also a lot of strong elements that come together for a really enjoyable episode.