Sunday Service

YFN Spider-Man is the best Marvel on TV right now

While the reviews for Sam Wilson’s new venture are mixed, Marvel is fairing much better with the latest animated Spidey series. Thus far, Your Neighborhood Friendly Spider-Man has been the perfect synergy of comic book nostalgia and refreshingly smart and modern writing. This week’s trio of episodes found us hitting a pivotal climax in Peter’s story, as he met his match on the battlefield. Simultaneously, the rise of this threat intensified Lonnie’s descent with the 110th Street Gang, pushing him to a point of no return.

We also received two special cameos that expanded Peter’s world with the greater MCU. Charlie Cox cameoed as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in an awesome sequence with Peter. And Thunderbolt Ross (Travis Willingham) debuted in a scene with Norman Osborn. Both scenes allude to Osborn hiding ulterior motives in his partnership with Peter and the truth behind his feud with Dr. Octavius.

Another highlight was Nico and Harry's bonding. Many times supporting characters’ B-storylines receive the short end of the stick. But this show has managed to write strong narratives that give each member agency and motivations outside of being a friend or foe of Peter.

However, no moment gagged me more than Norman Osborn’s twist on the mantra associated with Peter Parker’s arc. Usually delivered by his late Uncle Ben, viewers received the “With great power comes…” speech, but the final “r” word wasn’t “responsibility” but “respect.” It’s a unique inverse of the mantra that focuses more on the individual receiving just due from their extraordinary prowess. While Uncle Ben taught Peter to keep others’ well-being in mind with whatever abilities he wielded, Norman wants Peter to impose his greatness in ways others cannot ignore, which can or cannot harm many in the process.

One cannot dismiss how race factors in this perspective, as Norman Osborn is Black in this iteration. Yes, he remains a capitalist, and his hue doesn’t change that or make him better, but his climb would be different. He would have had to face some challenges an animated Roy sibling or Bruce Wayne wouldn’t experience. He’d have to work 10 times harder to be revered as an equal among his white counterparts.

The final two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man arrive next week just in time for Daredevil: Born Again on March 4. The upcoming return to Hell’s Kitchen released a new sneak peek trailer. Pushed as more violent than the original Netflix series, the series drops with a two-episode premiere.

And then there were three…

After the failure that was last week’s team-building exercise, Apple TV+’s Severance returned for its fifth episode. Now halfway through the season, a team member’s loss has left our rebellious innies scavenging for a retreat. Dylan feels saddled with guilt over losing Irving B., and Mark S. is defeated unable to trust himself or those around him, even Helly R., who is horrified to discover her outie hijacked her body.

Irving B.’s sudden dismissal stresses Milchick as he faces his first performance review. He’s told leniency toward the MDR group has allowed their curiosities to grow. He promises to tighten the reigns.

Meanwhile, Irving meets Burt, who has been following his movements since the day of the Outside Contingency fiasco. Knowing both their innies were fired, the two plan to discuss and trade notes. As one potential couple unites, Devon and Ricken struggle as he works with Lumon to reshape his book for their use. Devon objects to her husband’s 180-degree turn in philosophy, citing he could hurt more people. Finally, Mark experiences a severe reintegration side effect that leaves him in tears.

While episode four’s bottle narrative peaked in its final moments, episode five carried tension and weight with every scene. The acting remains top-tier, with Britt Lower displaying just how different Helena and Helly are on screen. Adam Scott’s is magnificent as he channels through insurmountable grief he thought he had somewhat handled. And kudos to Sarah Bock, whose chilling Miss Huang stands 10 toes down with her castmates.

Captain America braves an ok world

Anthony Mackie’s foray as the leader of the inevitably reconvened Avengers began with this weekend’s Captain America: Brave New World. After struggling to accept the calling in the Disney+ series, he and Joaquin Torres’ Falcon (Danny Ramirez) embark on the rise of a threat too close to home. When original super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) is accused of an assassination attempt on President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam traverses a tangled web to uncover the truth.

Overall, the movie is fine. Marvel’s attempt to recapture the Winter Soldier vibes of espionage and political intrigue is painstakingly missing, leaving a film with some decent performances but nothing excitingly memorable. Everyone knows the tumultuous reshoots it endured and it shows. A glaringly bad edit at the beginning ruined the experience as I begrudgingly waited for it to end.

On a high note, Carl Lumbly is excellent and has some of the most powerful scenes. Mackie and Torres’ chemistry is solid and I look forward to seeing them on screen again. One large narrative sets up future films and I wish they would hurry up. Hopefully, they will fare better with Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four this summer.

Coming Attractions

• HBO’s White Lotus returns tonight, but I don’t know if I’m that interested

• Disney+ concludes its Spider-Man series’ first season — a renewal should be a no-brainer

• Netflix’s Zero Day with Robert De Niro in his first TV series arrives on Thursday