This is the only episode that I've had a complete reversal of opinion on since I was a child.  At 12 years old, I HATED IT!  I had become a hardcore Marvel zombie and had no desire to see new characters created when existing Marvel Universe characters could have been used.  On top of that, this episode is FILLED with sappy "love-at-first-site" clichés.  I still think today that the relationship between Peter and Ariel is over the top and completely out of character for Peter "Responsibility" Parker.  Having experienced and witnessed a lot more in the almost 20 years since, people, even responsible ones, really do stuff about as crazy as what Peter did in this episode at some point in their lives.  Sappy?  Oh yes.  It happens to the best of us.  Though the episode has quite a few weaknesses (I know infatuation can make people really talk like that, but, geez, it's hard to witness), I really feel like the ending is pretty powerful stuff with great background music for a 1980s cartoon. 


To be brutally honest I loathed this episode as a child.  At eight years old I was adamant that Peter and Angelica should become boyfriend and girlfriend, they did after all date occasionally and obviously liked each other so I found the presence of Ariel to be EXTREMELY annoying!  At 24 I still don't like this episode very much but just like Jon, now appreciate that it has it's more positive points.  I like the Zodiac costume party, I like Doc Ock as the villain but most of all I like the fact that it snowed!  However I just can't bring myself to believe that Peter would EVER walk out and desert his Aunt May without so much as a good bye. They call this episode 'The Girl From Tomorrow'...long may she stay there!

  

Hard to believe that I would give an episode such a low rating being that the villain was Doc Ock whom I consider to be Spidey's number two villain (I'm not a Venom fan. Sorry).  Still Dr. Octopus doesn't do a whole lot but wait around and then no big battle in the end.  We spend most of the episode watching Peter fall madly in love with Ariel, the girl from the future.  Now unlike Caroline I didn't need to see Peter and Angelica finally get together but I had a hard time believing that Peter would not act on his obvious feelings for Angelica and then suddenly just dive into this relationship. Just like Caroline the biggest problem I have is that Peter would go off and not say goodbye to Aunt May.  Actually I don't think he'd even go with or without the chance to say "goodbye".  I mean that would be beyond cruel.  But the way Peter almost left would have been cruel to Bobby and Angelica.  I mean he left those two to explain to May why Peter was never coming home again. Finally what was up with Michael Bell voicing all the extra characters this episode?  It is just kind of cheesy to hear the same voice for all the extra characters.  Kind of makes it seem low budget. Normally I don't notice these things but it seemed fairly obvious to me and was just the icing on the cake to how bad this episode is, even by 1980s cartoon standards.