The Spectacular Spider-Man: Natural Selection; Episode 3 Review

Thoughts from The Abstract on episode 3 of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Spidey’s next challenge comes in the form of The Lizard, but how can the Webhead possibly take him down without hurting him? Especially when the Lizard seems to have no qualms about inflicting a little pain.

Plot: Spider-Man, appearing to be on top of the world, is knocked down a couple levels when his boss and friend, Doc Connors, transforms into The Lizard. The Lizard goes on a rampage in the New York City Subway system, and makes his last stop at the Bronx Zoo. Spidey has to figure out a way to not just defeat The Lizard, but cure Doc Connors in the process.

Review:OK, let me get this out of the way: Of the first three episodes, this is the best. That is not to say that the previous two are bad, but this just seemed elevated in terms of writing and emotional depth, which are key to a good Spider-Man story in any medium. The episode maintains a dark, ominous tone throughout, and it meshes perfectly with the subject matter. The opening scene with Doc Connors has a since of foreboding, bringing home the idea that even though he has managed to have a break through and regenerate his arm, something bad is coming down the line. Speaking of which, showing his arm regenerate completely, not in the shadows, not off camera, was also a good way to set the tone. Many fans felt the series would be dumbed down and even a bit soft since it would be on the CW, but that first scene is just one of many that should put those fears to rest. From this point on, we see a very gradual hesitation, with his eyes shifting a couple times, and then scales slowly taking over his body. As the first half of the episode continues, he begins to lose the rational human part of his mind and he begins his transformation. With any character, there must be ways to illustrate core concepts of the character, whether it be through thoughts, actions or words. Obviously, getting a 6 foot Lizard to speak would be quite the task, so its through actions that we see how savage The Lizard really is. When he first transforms, he almost attacks his wife, Martha Connors. When he and Spidey fight in the subway, he breaks Spidey’s hand and almost bites his head off. There is no conscience, there is no remorse, but it’s because the audience knows who he truly is, that we feel for him.

Before I get into Peter, I want to talk about Eddie Brock. Eddie has been in all three episodes, but it is in this episode that we begin to see his reckless side and his competitive side. When The Lizard first appears, Eddie leaps on to him, trying to save everyone. When he escapes the lab, Eddie is the first to chase after him, and in the climax between Spidey and The Lizard, Eddie tries to be the hero himself to an extent. It may not seem like much, but it’s a smart way to convey this dangerous streak that Eddie has inside of him, something that will become more obvious in future episodes. Also, Eddie seems to be in a little competition with Pete. When he, Pete, Gwen, Martha and Doc Connors are trying to figure out a cure, Pete comes up with something that Eddie is quick to shoot down, and the voice actor conveys this sense of Eddie looking down on Pete in a way, possibly through jealousy or just because he is older than Pete. Again, something that will become more obvious as the season continues.

Although Doc Connors was the tragic figure of this episode, it is in fact Peter who has the biggest emotional arc. In the opening scene, he beats up a couple crooks and feels he is on top of the world. He’s even managed to set up his camera to take pictures of himself while he’s in action. After this point, it’s all downhill for him, as the Parker Luck is in full effect. There are two scenes I want to highlight, one as Peter Parker and the other as Spider-Man. While at school, Pete’s spider-sense tells him that Flash is about to bombard him with water balloons, so of course, his instinct kicks in and he dodges a couple of them, but looks TOO good while doing it. His voice of reason kicks in and he decides to take one in the face to protect his secret identity. Even when he is trying to do the right thing, he still can’t win, and that’s Peter Parker in a nutshell. Later in the episode, he goes to stop The Lizard, but has to lie to Gwen and Martha, making himself look like a coward in the process. Then, to top it all off, after he has saved the day and reunited the Connors Family, he gets fired from his internship at the lab. He managed to get a picture of himself fighting The Lizard, but it just so happens the picture is printed in the very next edition of the Daily Bugle with his name right in the byline. Martha Connors says she can’t trust Pete, and Eddie is angry that Pete left the lab to take pictures. As the audience, we know that Pete needed the money to help Aunt May, but he’s never been the type to want people to feel sorry for him, so he takes being fired on the chin. The last scene is great, but I won’t spoil that one for you.

Likes: The fights between The Lizard and Spidey were intense, especially for a Saturday morning cartoon. I especially liked the fact that Pete made a splint for his hand out of his webbing as a nod to the comics. I liked the friction that began to show between Peter and Eddie, which makes their future confrontations much more meaningful. I also liked the resolution Peter comes to on why he continues to be Spider-Man and how he is going to have to deal with the stress as long as Spider-Man gets results.

Dislikes: Its a minor complaint but in the episode, they show a couple people taking pictures of Spider-Man using camera phones, so how is it possible Pete is the first one to send a picture to the Daily Bugle?? To me, that touched on an issue that never really got resolved. Also, maybe this is just the New York in me coming out, but it looks like Doc Connors lab is located in Manhattan, especially since the Lizard started terrorizing Grand Central Station. Now, how can little Billy Connors skateboard all the way from Midtown Manhattan, to the Bronx Zoo. Any one who’s ever been to New York or lived in New York knows thats a BIG hike, so for a little kid to decide to skateboard that far, nah, I don’t buy it.

Rating: 5 Webheads out of 5. Even with Billy’s magical skateboard trick, the episode still gets a perfect score. It told a great origin story for The Lizard and dove a little deep into Pete’s psychology.