Spider-Man: TNAS "Keeping Secrets" Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

MTV premieres two all-new episodes of Spider-Man: The New Animated Series tonight, including this one debuting an all-new villain!


http://marvel.toonzone.net/spideytac/talkbacklogo.jpg

Episode #5 - Keeping Secrets
Original Airdate - July 18th, 2003

Spider-Man is out to catch Talon, a female thief who’s behind a series of high-risk robberies in the city. Things get complicated when Spidey learns Talon’s true identity – she’s his best friend Harry’s new girlfriend!

Comments?

[SNS]

It's a good thing I saw this topic, I forgot about the show being on Friday.

BTW, are they always going to show two new episodes or will they start showing only one after awhile? If so, when?

[Krypton710]

Isnt this show supposed to take after the movie, sorry to be a coutinuity geek but dosent he say in the movie before he goes to get his job at The Bugle he says to Harry "Doc Connors fired me today" Mabye Im just over obbsseing

[slackermonkey]

Isnt this show supposed to take after the movie, sorry to be a coutinuity geek but dosent he say in the movie before he goes to get his job at The Bugle he says to Harry "Doc Connors fired me today" Mabye Im just over obbsseing

Yeah it's supposed to be movie continuity. The best explanation is Doc Connors hired him again. <shrug>

[Space Cadet]

So, we get to see Episode 8 at 10:00, then Episode 2 at 10:30. Why can't MTV air it in production order?

[slackermonkey]

So, we get to see Episode 8 at 10:00, then Episode 2 at 10:30. Why can't MTV air it in production order?

Because it's MTV.

That's about all the explanation that needs.

Besides, I don't think these episodes need to be run in order since they probably don't have an overall arc for the whole season.

[Anarky]

did anyone else across the nation experience abrupt, mistimed commercial breaks? :mad: now i gotta tape this again

hey, petey's doing the Doogie Howser-thing, (neil's input perhaps?)

also, glad to see the gang wearing DIFFERENT clothes. I was starting to think Mainframe would give these guys the Mystery Inc treatment.

[DianaGohan]

Eve is Talon is Cheyanne is The Spiderman 2003 Episode Review of "Keeping Secrets"-

Another part Harry episode, this time with him dealing with getting a new girlfriend (one he can actually relate to) Cheyanne, who is really a supertheif known as Talon. Intresting parallel to see Peter/Spiderman trying to understand the villian more know that he has a personal connection to it, and who was he talking to on the web at beginning of the third act. GS122? Wonder who that is. Seems to know at least some of Pete's secret. Anyway, another good episode, although not as "fluid" as the one before it. A-.

EDIT: I though it was some kind of "injoke" but one that died in with a comic book special? Didn't see that one coming.

[panther3751]

I was a little nervous when I first started watching this series (I missed last week's).

But I have to say, I was pretty impressed.

The dialogue is pretty good, it's well animated (even though I was initially surprised that it was cell animation) and the combination of old and new is done quite well.

It makes me very sorry I missed last week.


P.S. does anyone know where I can get Spiderman pictures from this series? I looked around the net already, but I could find very little. I'm hoping to make an avatar of Talon. :sweat:

[Mister Intensity]

I actually liked Keeping Secrets more than Law of the Jungle. For some reason, the Jungle storyline didn't connect with me and I also felt it sufferred from the "too many coincidences" syndrome. Also, the ending of the episode was yet another villain "death." For some reason I was more into Keeping Secrets, although the banter between Spidey and Talon was annoying at times (although there was a good line or two). Harry's pain came through for me more in Keeping Secrets. At least the villain "survived" at the end. I get the sense that Talon thinks that Harry is Spider-Man at the end.

I do think Spidey is a bit reckless in some of his actions like when he stopped that car with his webbing while the thief was driving in Law of the Jungle. That was an accident waiting to happen.

I do wish that Spider Man had stronger stories. While the series is more adult in the sense that there is a real threat of death or injury, the stories should be a lot stronger and give the viewers a more emotional investment in the characters. That lack of emotional investment is the main weakness of this series thus far.

Mister Intensity

[slackermonkey]

Before I give my review, I have something to get off my chest.

Dear MTV, please stop having the villain "die" at the end of each episode. IT'S GETTING REALLY OLD.

Episode #1.02 - "Keeping Secrets"
I just know I'm gonna be one of the few who actually enjoyed this episode. I liked how this episode had more to do with the dilemma of being both Peter Parker and Spider-Man rather than sticking to the 'freak of the week' formula that "The Party" seemed to suggest, or the simple Spider-Man vs. [insert villain here] formula. I only have two complaints: Talon was essentially Black Cat (only without the 'bad luck' gimmick) which makes me wonder why they didn't just use her. And secondly, someone please tell Eve that just because her career relies on her voice, it does not mean she should be a voice actress. I got annoyed real quick every time Talon opened her mouth. The first is a minor complaint, but the latter is unforgivable and I have to drop off points for that.
Final Rating - A-

And something I noticed about "Keeping Secrets"... anyone notice that the person Peter was talking to on Instant Messenger had the screenname 'gs122'? Can anyone say Gwen Stacy? And Amazing Spider-Man #122 was part 2 of the two-part 'Death of Gwen Stacy' storyline. Coincidence? I THINK NOT. I don't think she'll actually show up, but it was a cool little shoutout to the fans.

Next week's episode with Pterodax looks exciting. Should be cool to see an episode that doesn't technically use a supervillain.

[Mister Intensity]

Dear MTV, please stop having the villain "die" at the end of each episode. IT'S GETTING REALLY OLD.

Episode #1.02 - "Keeping Secrets"
I just know I'm gonna be one of the few who actually enjoyed this episode. I liked how this episode had more to do with the dilemma of being both Peter Parker and Spider-Man rather than sticking to the 'freak of the week' formula that "The Party" seemed to suggest, or the simple Spider-Man vs. [insert villain here] formula. I only have two complaints: Talon was essentially Black Cat (only without the 'bad luck' gimmick) which makes me wonder why they didn't just use her. And secondly, someone please tell Eve that just because her career relies on her voice, it does not mean she should be a voice actress. I got annoyed real quick every time Talon opened her mouth. The first is a minor complaint, but the latter is unforgivable and I have to drop off points for that.
Final Rating - A-


Bingo, you summed up my feelings towards the Keeping Secrets episode. Peter's concern for Harry's happiness and how to deal with his knowledge of Talon's identity packed an emotional punch that was lacking in the Law of the Jungle episode.

Mister Intensity

[Matt-Man]

"Keeping Secrets" was also a pretty entertaining episode for me. It showed the ol' Spidey/Peter dynamics. I liked seeing his classic dilemma problems again. The Talon was an interesting character, but Eve kinda sucked at her voice. I think Talon's design was too mature looking for Eve's voice. Plus her voice is pretty annoying already, as El Goober said.

But anyways, I grow more and more pleased with the episodes.

[KAW]

Anyway, I give Talon a B. They're really starting to develope these characters and showing what makes them tick, something I happen to like very much.

I await next week's episodes.

[Brainiac]

UGH. I thought this episode was horrible. By far the worst out of the three I've seen. I thought the villain was horrible, and her voice acting was boring and god-awful. Spider-Man's quips were fun, but the plot just didn't seem to move. Who is she? Why is she stealing, again?!? Backstory?!?!?! This was just a really bad episode, IMHO. And it just ended so abruptly, without any explanation.
F

-Brainiac

[Krypton710]

"Keeping Secrets" was the best like Spidey yelling "This is so not spandex!" and his comment while reading the Bugle "Talon who comes up with these names? Newspaper guys read too many comic books"

[Beat]

You know Eve's episode is bad when it starts out with her stealing the MTV movie award. Eve, unlike Rob Zombie, sucks as a VA. The Lizard ep was better for that reason. Next week looks really cool, though.

[Anarky]

some funny jokes in "Keeping Secrets"

1. Talon ripping the Golden Popcorn Trophy
2. anyone notice Harry's Sony Ericsson cel phone (as Spidey is present to us by SONY..product placement BLING)
3. not really a joke but did anyone else pick up a hint of X-Men: Evolution music in this ep? The part after Talon suits up and is en route to her next target (sounds like the part when Jean descended on Mystique in "Blind Alley")


my only beef: those annoying pop-ups during the 2:30am & 3:00am airings. Now I have to re-re-record these two eps (hoping these pop-ups won't be obstructing or distracting)

oh...and why isn't Ed Asner reprising his role of JJJ

oh, btw, loved the Lizard...however I do miss the tattered lab coat and purple pants. They could'bve at least had him wear that after his first transformation, just to keep it old school. Then they could let him be primal from then on.

Looking forward to Kingpin, Silver Sable, & Kraven. Will Dr. Otto Octavius be making an appearance in the first season? I hope they bring him in first as a scientist, then in a future episode re-invent him as Dr. Octopus. Hopefully the series gets picked up for another season so we can get the likes of Mysterio, Shocker, Sandman, Hydro-Man, Venom, Tombstone, Hobgoblin (Harry?), The Vulture, Morbius, & the Slayers.

Oh, and is there any doubt that both Daredevil & The Punisher...and (gasp) possibly the X-Men will be making appearances (Daredevil DVD out 7/29, Punisher film in '04). I can see a story where Mystique (film version) in NY recruiting new mutants for the Brotherhood, Spidey gets involved, gets his head kicked in and awakens in the infirmary beneath the Xavier Institute. The X-line-up could include Scott, Jean, Logan, Rogue, & Kurt. Perhaps Remy Lebeau can be one of Mystique's recruits.

[randomguy]

Well, "Keeping Secrets" bored me horribly (despite some admittedly very clever dialogue), but I really enjoyed "Law of the Jungle", which had easily the best animation we've yet seen. I like the more savage, animal take on The Lizard.

[Artemis]

Eve sucks as a VA. Rob Zombie rocks as a VA. I liked the primal take on Lizard too and "Keeping Secrets" had some clever dialogue and a better insight on Harry's character. I enjoyed "Law of The Jungle" more, though.

[shoujoaifan]

If this show lays off some of the deaths, keep the blood and body parts :lol, and do what's its been doing for drama, this should be a good, adult Spider-Man ( and with " gs112 ", we know they aren't just skimming the comics for ideas )

[Anarky]

actually the screenname was gs122, though it'd be best suited if the screenname was gs121. it's all good though, at least some of us get the meaning there.

[SNS]

Since this series is supposed to be in the same continuity as the movies, they probably won't introduce Doc Ock because he is supposed to be introduced in the second movie.

[BlackCat]

There really isn't much to say that everybody else already said. Artemis basically summed up my thoughts on these two episodes.



Eve sucks as a VA. Rob Zombie rocks as a VA. I liked the primal take on Lizard too and "Keeping Secrets" had some clever dialogue and a better insight on Harry's character. I enjoyed "Law of The Jungle" more, though.

[Brainiac]

"Keeping Secret" bored me and made no sense (where was the conflict...? We had NO idea why the hell Eve's character was doing what she did...plus her VA sucked).
-Brainiac

[Conekiller]

I finally got to see the new show, So I'll post first impressions along with episode comments.

First Impressions: LOVE the animation. the acting is ...alright, I really don't dig Spiderman/Peter's voice, he puts no feeling into very witty dialogue. MJ looks liek a CG version of the new April O Neil. Music doens't suck as bad as I'd feared. Harry doens't anny me as much as I'd been led to beleive, but 2 Osbourne-centric eps in a row was a bit much on the brooding loner bit for me.

Keeping Secrets: Not as bad as I thought it would be, but not that great either. Talon needed at least one more name drop. Eve's acting was bad her voice screamed out "listen to Meeee I'M A BLACK CHICK WITH ATTITUDE!!!!" that got annying fast. She had good dialog tho ("if you want some incentive, I'm getting naked down here")

Next week's looks interesting.

[Viper]

After seeing the first 4 eps of this new version, I LIKE IT!!! :D The computer animation is terrific and the VAs do a great job! :) Also, I'm glad to see that Ed "Lou Grant" Asner is back as J. Jonah Jameson...he was great in the mid-90's version! :D Oh, in the 4th ep, I thought rap star Eve was great as Harry's girlfriend. She had some good dialogue, IMO.

Well, those are my opinions. It's a hit! :D

[langden alger]

the only major problem i have thus far is with the opening theme and closing 'next week on spiderman' narration...it just sounds like one of those 'storybooks on tape' (you know, those old "turn the page when you hear r2 d2 beep like this' cassetes) not what would fit with the whole feel of this show..i think it would have been cool to get saliva to do a new 'hero' reprise type theme song. or just use the actual hero song itself.

[Aberration]

I don't have much to add that hasn't been said already:

* Eve bad

* The "gs122" thing was a cute reference, although it kinda seems like a cop-out to see Peter vent to some character that we've never seen before.

* I'm kinda getting used to the show now, so I don't have as many complaints as last week. Still, the characters come off looking like zombies sometimes, with some flat line deliveries combined with that dead look in everyone's eyes... Action scenes are still great though.

[NinjaJack]

I'm losing faith in this show.
The voices:
Eve is a terrible VA
Peter dosen`t have the chuckle that every Peter VA has had since the 60's.
Where is the heart of spider man? There use to be a time when Spidy did a better job of portraying his human side to the villians, Secrets almost had that but it lacked any point.

Heres the thing that irks me about that ep.
Wouldn't it have made better sence for Eve's character to use Harry to get access to some high tech goverment project or something that would actually give her presence in the ep some purpose other then being a some name off the street?

Theres no begining middle or end to this show, it`s just there.
This MJ is mocking up a perfectly good track record of previous MJs.
MJ is a fighter, a strong willed girl who knows what she wants and tends to get it. She Peters most trusted friend, and sometimes lover and it's weird to see her become such a ditz when she's more the anti-ditz.

Harry is lacking the seriousness he had in the movies, comic and cartoon.
Harry just dosen`t seem to be doign much of anything and it's getting boring to see the son of a multi billionaire just spend his whole day hanging with peter.

Where are their lives? They spend their time together almost like their joined at the hip. Bring back Peter's walks alone in the park, bring back Harry's solotude moments of deep thought and envy. Heck bring back MJ's personal life. This show has great potential that seems to be wasted on trying to apeal to the masses who never watched Spider Man. Thats well and good but not when they have to put a MTV standerized joke in just for kicks.

The villians are also lacking, theres no "Oh crap, is that a laser gun on your arm?!". Sans Lizard, Peter has fought foes with honor, who don`t really want to hurt him .....oy Rhino is needed, Scorpion, Vultre heck even Silvermane.

This show seems more like a Joel Shumocker directed movie every episode.....gee I wonder did they read the Cameron script?

Final rating, 2 Ninja Cookies.

[Conekiller]

After seeing the first 4 eps of this new version, I LIKE IT!!! :D The computer animation is terrific and the VAs do a great job! :) Also, I'm glad to see that Ed "Lou Grant" Asner is back as J. Jonah Jameson...he was great in the mid-90's version! :D Oh, in the 4th ep, I thought rap star Eve was great as Harry's girlfriend. She had some good dialogue, IMO.

Well, those are my opinions. It's a hit! :D

Asner was not Jameson, he was the cop. why they did that, I dunno, it makes no sence.

[langden alger]

yeah, the whole breakneck speed pacing and vivid full range of heroes and villans from the old fox series is really lacking here...i always wanted them to slow it down a bit on that show, but not quite to the way it is on mtv...i really love the dark and mature approach to the feel of the show, and the overall look is a nice change of pace that doesn't look bad to me at all. but the whole "mtv feel" of the show's style really weighns down on what the spiderman world is all about- moody and angsty yes, but also a rollercoaster..alot of elements of the show are way more 'smallville esque' than they should be.

[Mike Toole]

I think it's nothing special so far, but decent enough to make me want to continue watching.

I like the look of the series. My only complaint is that some movement-- particularly the way the characters move their hands when they're just standing around talking-- still looks incredibly stiff.

I like Harris' Spidey, simply because he manages to deliver Spidey's trademark wisecracks fairly effectively. As for Ed Asner... well, I didn't much care for the mid-1990s Spider-Man-- the definitive JJ for me was always Paul Kligman. :D

I'd like to see a stronger story arc than just these rinky-dink, single-episode encounters. I also want to see more classic Spidey bad guys, like the Vulture and the Rhino and Mysterio.

[Anarky]

[QUOTE=Brainiac]I think this is how MTV runs ALL commercial breaks...it's pretty horrible for those of us who tape it...last week, when this happened, it took me by surprise the first time, and I had to tape it again...

no, what happened to me was that MTV kept going from Spidey to commercial and back
i missed the fight scene at the police precinct and i missed the part in Jameson's office.

i had to re-re-re-record both eps
my only beef is w/ the network...for running those pop-ups at the top of the screen. They should do it on the bottom, like CN or ESPN or EVERY OTHER NETWORK ON TELEVISION.

hey, i loved both of these episodes
there's a character to watch for in this fresh new series, it's Digweed's score. The music is sweet.

i have to disagree w/ the FOX/ABC Family contigency.
I've been a Spidey fan since '91 and I absolutely hated Spider-Man on FOX. It had all the elements to be as great as Batman: The Animated Series. But it was almost hokey at times. I hated those forced computer-generated citybackdrops. They butchered characters like Carnage & Morbius and gave us corny ones like The Rocket Racer & The Spot...and that god awful Wheel of Doom.

And one of the worst lines ever: "If ever my spider-powers meant anything before, THIS IS THAT TIME!!!" Rank right up there w/ "Bat-Magic!"

The MTV series does NOT need to follow the serial approach of its predecessor. The only subplot we need is the potential mental breakdown of Harry and I think we're getting plenty of glimpses of that. Plus the network shouldn't show all their cards so soon. The should keep back some villains for the future. We don't need to see all the rogues coming out of the woodwork. Pete's still in college, he's got enough on his plate. We don't need the Sinister Six just yet. I like the balance between classic villain episode and urban street crime eps. Looking forward to the terrorist ep this Friday, hopefully the one w/ Silver Sable.

looking forward to seeing other mainstays like Aunt May, Felicia Hardy, Flash Thompson, & Robbie.

And Eve was hilarious as Talon. I guess you have to be from The City to appreciate it. "Stick to the crimefighting, cuz you SUCK as a social worker!" everything about this program is tight

[KAW]

[QUOTE=Brainiac]I think this is how MTV runs ALL commercial breaks...it's pretty horrible for those of us who tape it...last week, when this happened, it took me by surprise the first time, and I had to tape it again...

no, what happened to me was that MTV kept going from Spidey to commercial and back
i missed the fight scene at the police precinct and i missed the part in Jameson's office.

i had to re-re-re-record both eps
my only beef is w/ the network...for running those pop-ups at the top of the screen. They should do it on the bottom, like CN or ESPN or EVERY OTHER NETWORK ON TELEVISION.

hey, i loved both of these episodes
there's a character to watch for in this fresh new series, it's Digweed's score. The music is sweet.

i have to disagree w/ the FOX/ABC Family contigency.
I've been a Spidey fan since '91 and I absolutely hated Spider-Man on FOX. It had all the elements to be as great as Batman: The Animated Series. But it was almost hokey at times. I hated those forced computer-generated citybackdrops. They butchered characters like Carnage & Morbius and gave us corny ones like The Rocket Racer & The Spot...and that god awful Wheel of Doom.

And one of the worst lines ever: "If ever my spider-powers meant anything before, THIS IS THAT TIME!!!" Rank right up there w/ "Bat-Magic!"

The MTV series does NOT need to follow the serial approach of its predecessor. The only subplot we need is the potential mental breakdown of Harry and I think we're getting plenty of glimpses of that. Plus the network shouldn't show all their cards so soon. The should keep back some villains for the future. We don't need to see all the rogues coming out of the woodwork. Pete's still in college, he's got enough on his plate. We don't need the Sinister Six just yet. I like the balance between classic villain episode and urban street crime eps. Looking forward to the terrorist ep this Friday, hopefully the one w/ Silver Sable.

looking forward to seeing other mainstays like Aunt May, Felicia Hardy, Flash Thompson, & Robbie.

And Eve was hilarious as Talon. I guess you have to be from The City to appreciate it. "Stick to the crimefighting, cuz you SUCK as a social worker!" everything about this program is tight
Yeah, I agree. Have you ever noticed that in the 90's series, Spider-Man didn't punch anyone for 5 straight seasons, and those laser guns instead of real guns, how much did that suck? I like this animated series, Spidey always needed a mature show.

[Spider-Man]

YTV airs this episode tonight at 12:30am (ET). We get to learn a bit more about Harry while Spider-Man chases a hi-tech thief.


http://marvel.toonzone.net/spideytac/episode/keepingsecrets/05.jpg

[Stu]

I know I'm in the minority, but I really like this episode, despite it's annoying villain. I loved Peter's reactions to Cheyera after he found out she was dating Harry. The villain herself was incredibly annoying (thanks Eve!) and honestly, what kind of name is The Talon?

Despite that and a slightly rushed ending (this episode was in dire need of a follow up!) I find this episode to be perfectly enjoyable.

And who couldn't love Peter's "Cheyera, did you know Harry's rich?!" :)