‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ is the defining TV show for the web-slinger. It set out to capture the heart of the original Lee/Ditko/Romita stories, combined with elements of the more recent Ultimate comics, and was successful. And although the series will not likely ever continue, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the great episodes we have. So here is my countdown for what I think are the top 5 best episodes in the series. My criterion for selection is based on story arc, character usage/development, and tone. Enjoy!
SPOILER ALERT: If you are currently watching this series or intend to, I would strongly advise you to not read any further and enjoy the element of surprise in the show.
5. Episode 20: “Identity Crisis”
Story: “Peter Parker, are you Spider-Man?” In this episode, Peter has to deal with one of the greatest fears of any superhero: getting your secret identity revealed. Throughout the episode, the Daily Bugle interviews all of Peter’s closest friends to see if they can find any supporting evidence. Meanwhile, Eddie Brock (who became Venom in Episode 13) returns to Peter’s life, threatening to expose his identity to the world. Venom stages a battle with Spider-Man in front of the media, attempting to both prove he is Peter Parker and get him to swallow the gene cleanser so he will lose his powers. But Spider-Man manages to nab the cleanser and forces Venom to swallow it, resulting in Eddie Brock getting taken to the nut house. And of course, Peter’s identity remains a secret.
Characters: Eddie Brock is portrayed as the cocky rival we all know from the comics. Not only does he casually waltz back into Peter’s life like nothing ever happened, but as Venom he also hams it up in front of the media as he brutally takes down Spider-Man. This attempt to destroy Peter’s life takes a new toll here. Peter and Gwen are still awkward after the kiss that ended season 1, and even though Peter is dating Liz Allen, you can see in moments like in the heart-shaped cave that they still want to be together. This teasing only makes you want to see them together even more. We also get to see Flash Thompson take on a heroic side as he dresses up as Spider-Man only to confuse the media even more about the issue. Throughout the series, I love seeing the Flash/Peter/Spider-Man thing grow as Flash resents Puny Parker, but admires Spider-Man. This is also where Peter begins to suspect that Captain George Stacy knows he is Spider-Man, but understands that a secret identity is intended to protect those closest to you.
Tone: The later episodes in the series that feature Eddie Brock have a much darker tone to them than his earlier appearances, where him and Peter were “bros.” The fight scenes only add to the intensity, as Peter desperately tries to convince Eddie that the symbiote is evil, but gets beat in the process. It is really humorous to see everyone’s reactions to Peter Parker being Spider-Man. For example, Aunt May laughs it off and thinks she is being punk’d. This brings a much more light-hearted feel to the episode.
4. Episode 23: “Gangland”
Story: New York has become the breeding ground for a new criminal empire, and the three parties we’ve seen in past episodes finally gather together to talk business at the opera. This includes “The Big Man” Tombstone, “The Master Planner” Doctor Octopus, and Silvermane. Of course, they realize that none of them called the meeting, and violence erupts amongst them. So Peter Parker, being called by the Bugle, must leave his dinner date to shoot photos. Spider-Man then comes onto the scene and one by one takes each criminal out, even when they try to team up together. Spider-Man defeats them, and puts them behind bars. The criminal empire is still present, but crippled. A twist reveals that the Green Goblin was in fact behind all this, and he intends to become the new Big Man of crime.
Characters: The ongoing criminal empire drama reaches its climax in this episode, making some of the interactions with these characters the finest yet. The tension between Tombstone, Doc Ock, and Silvermane is at its all-time highest, making their conflict all the more dramatic. When Spider-Man once again gets into their business, their anger is accelerated, and we see Spider-Man once again struggling to silence these criminals. The tension between Tombstone and Spider-Man has been building since the beginning of the show, and we are not disappointed with this brief final fight between them. This is also where we get to see the Mary-Jane-makeover Gwen Stacy, which bears more resemblance to her 616 counterpart. It is so neat to see their whole group of friends interacting together on screen like in the comics. Flash asking Peter for advice is priceless. And J. Jonah Jameson’s dislike for opera is quite amusing to watch as well.
Tone: I would consider this to be one of the more mature episodes of the series. The fight scenes are more brutal, and the conflict between characters such as Hammerhead and Silver Sable just feels more adult. The opera music from the stage show that plays throughout all the violence only enhances this tone.
3. Episode 17: “Shear Strength”
Story: After the Sinister Six failed to stop Spider-Man (another great episode), the Master Planner Doc Ock has one more idea up his sleeve. With the help of Electro, Vulture, and Tinkerer, Doc Ock gains control of all the computer technology in New York, setting the city into chaos. All the while, he orders for Gwen Stacy to be kidnapped. He notifies her father Captain Stacy, and threatens to kill her if he does not get a code from homeland security that would allow him to control all government computers in the world. He complies, but fortunately Spider-Man arrives and saves the day. Bitter, Doc Ock destroys his lab and calmly bids farewell to Spider-Man. Spider-Man becomes trapped and is beginning to die, but is motivated to keep going when he sees Gwen and fights to save her. The episode ends with Gwen getting returned home safely, but being put on hold as Peter shares a kiss with Liz Allen.
Characters: Now in this series, we see Spider-Man deal with a lot of crap; he is put in so many deadly situations, and usually comes out of them with little-to-no problem. But few are as perilous as the climax of this episode. What we see is a Spider-Man who is willing to fight no matter what obstacles are facing him. His physical stress of being trapped under metal and the emotional stress of Gwen being kidnapped is enough to motivate him to use all his strength. We also see the mentorship of Norman Osborn in the life of Peter, and Norman continues to be as intimidating as ever on screen. I love that we get to see more Electro in this episode; their darker take on the character really pays off. Doc Ock has quickly come a long way from the cowardly scientist who worked for Oscorp at the beginning of season 1. His kidnapping of Gwen and threat on her life against George is perhaps him at his evilest in the series. And having Doc Ock drink from a mug that says “Evil Genius” really is…genius.
Tone: This episode has more of a Batman-type tone than usual Spider-Man in that it is more realistic and less fantasy (Spider-Man even interrogates a man by dangling him off a building). Doc Ock’s plan could very well happen in our modern age, and Spider-Man, although a superhero, is portrayed as more human, giving the episode more realism. He makes less quips than usual, and must struggle to ultimately save himself and Gwen. The homage to Amazing Spider-Man #33 “The Final Chapter” is undeniable.
2. Episode 12: “Intervention”
Story: Peter visits his Aunt May in the hospital after her heart attack. Stressed by the hospital bills, he lashes out against his closest friends, who only want to help. Desperate, he approaches Tombstone in his black costume, and sells himself as a hired hand. After pushing his friends further away and being confronted by Flash, Peter goes off to reflect about the effect the symbiote has on him. Peter then flashes back to what is essentially his origin story. He relives the spider bite (from a genetically altered spider), relearns his powers, and refights in the wrestling arena. He is forced to relive Uncle Ben’s death and confrontation with the Burglar. The symbiote uses all this to convince Peter that they need each other, and demands that their bond become permanent. But Uncle Ben steps in to remind him that, “with great power comes great responsibility” and shows him that he is not alone in life. Spider-Man fights the symbiote, wins, and then returns the symbiote to ESU, where Eddie bonds with it, and Venom is born.
Characters: As Peter Parker continues to bond with the symbiote, he seeps further into darkness. This episode shows what would’ve happened if Peter handled his uncle’s death the wrong way, becoming a villain instead of a hero. And like all of us, when life takes a darker turn, we need to be reminded of what is truly important. This is the perfect Peter Parker story.
Tone: This is when the series went from really good to really great. We see in this episode a struggling teenager having to battle his inner demons and fight to become a hero once again. This is perhaps the show at its darkest, but is also hopeful as the moment that solidifies Spider-Man as a true force of good, a real superhero. And of course the nod to Amazing Spider-Man #100 in the episode is also really cool.
1. Episode 26: “The Final Curtain”
Story: Spider-Man grows weary of fighting the Green Goblin’s henchmen every week, and when interrogating, they fail to provide him with his whereabouts. But Gwen calls Peter, and he comes over only to find a broken Harry Osborn waiting. He confesses not only to being on the Globulin Green drug (an ongoing issue he’d been facing throughout the series, and a great nod to the comics) but also to being attacked by the Green Goblin, revealing that he is not the Goblin after all like Peter thought he was. Meanwhile, Peter’s relationship with Liz is failing, leading to their break-up. Peter and Gwen finally confess their love for another, and decide that they should be together, but not until Gwen breaks up with Hairy. Spider-Man then rushes to check on Harry, suspecting now that Norman is the Goblin. But the Green Goblin shows up and Spider-Man is once again thwarted by this mystery. And after a series of more mysterious events, it is finally revealed that Norman is in fact the real Green Goblin, and that the Chameleon has been disguised as Norman from time to time. After one last battle with Spidey, Gobby falls into a pile of pumpkin bombs and dies. At Norman’s funeral, Gwen decides to stay with Harry, but Peter is just relieved that the city is finally safe. And as the Connors family is leaving on a plane to Florida, a man who appears to be like Norman (but is probably the Chameleon) gets into the plane, ending the series on a cliffhanger.
Characters: If “Intervention” is the perfect Peter Parker story, then surely this is the perfect Spider-Man story. Spider-Man must finally face his greatest foe, the nightmarish Green Goblin who haunted his dreams. No other villain in this series, not even Venom or Doctor Octopus, messed with Peter’s mind as much as the Goblin had. Their conflict reached its ultimate climax; the dialogue combined with the action made for a pretty epic final showdown. This episode also reveals how ruthless Norman Osborn truly is, even revealing that he would cripple his own son just to keep the Goblin identity a mystery from Spider-Man. This series provided Harry with a lot of depth, and we continue to see through this episode that he is a broken teen, neglected by his father, and desperately seeking approval. And we finally see Peter and Gwen ready to be together. I had been waiting for this the entire series; and although I am bummed that they weren’t together at the end, I thought the ending did justice to a typical scenario that Peter Parker would be faced with.
Tone: It is truly a bummer that this show did not continue. But if the series had to end, I’m glad it ended with this. This episode captures everything we love about Spider-Man. The comical jokes, unfolding mysteries, teen romance, great action, it’s all here! So the tone is comprehensive of all that make for a great Spider-Man story.
This was an incredibly difficult list to compile. Every episode is filled with so much content and all of them accurately depict the various themes of the Spider-Man mythos. But like all TV shows, some episodes are just better than others.
What are your favorite episodes/moments in ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’? Feel free to discuss in the comments below.