Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction to an X-Men ’97 season two episode. This week’s episode is “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” If you’re looking for last week’s X-Men ’97 episode, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2,” here’s the link. Yes! Wolverine is going back to his roots: The Weapon X Program. I’ll start this post with my thoughts on “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.”

Kyra’s Take

The previous episode’s mid-credit scene perfectly set up “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” We knew Wolverine intended to take on the Weapon X Program and that he had assembled a team tied to the program. I scratched my head when I saw Wolverine’s team. Maverick and Garrison Kane were great choices. Real deep cuts. You love to see it. Morph tagging along made sense. They’ve been tied with Wolverine since the previous season, and a lot of their relationship with Wolverine gets explored in “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” More on Morph in a little while. But it’s the final two members that confused me. I had to suspend disbelief with Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike’s inclusion. How did Wolverine manage to convince those two to join his team? That could’ve been an episode all on its own, and “Weapon X, Lies and DVDs” handwaved the backstory. Okay.

Not explaining how Wolverine convinced Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike to join him is my only small gripe. Sure, one can handwave the backstory by saying Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike hated The Weapon X Program more than they hated Wolverine. Moving on. “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” features the first time the actual Brood take center stage in an X-Men show or movie. Sure, an altered version of The Brood, called the Colony, made an appearance in the original X-Men: Animated Series, and the real Brood made a cameo in “Mojovision,” but we got a great introduction to the Brood in “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” The tension rises whenever Wolverine and company explore Weapon X storylines. Add in the Brood, and you have a party.

Morph steals this episode. Their complicated relationship with Logan drives “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs’s” story. Maverick and Kane are old war buddies. I’m still unsure why Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike joined Wolverine. The only one on this team who truly cares for Wolverine is Morph, and J.P. Karliak (Morph’s voice actor) always brings a much-needed sense of levity to Wolvie. “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” is clearly an allusion to the classic Eighties film Sex, Lies, and Videotape. The episode is set at a Weapon X facility. The staff uses DVDs to chronicle their experiments with The Brood. But the “Lies” come from Wolverine. He wants his adamantium back. While he may not mind betraying Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Maverick, and Kane, pulling the wool over Morph’s eyes cuts deep.

While “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” doesn’t quite reach last week’s episode–how could it?–it does a good job at delivering an action-packed episode. Wolverine wasn’t going to keep his bone claws for long. X-Men ’97 has a way of incorporating classic comic book covers in its episodes. Wolverine #1’s (1982) cover makes an appearance, and just in the nick of time. So good. X-Men ’97 is a love letter to the X-Men. You love to see it. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Omega Red’s appearance. Pitting Omega Red against The Brood was a great touch. Even better, Omega Red intended to join forces with The Brood. “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” managed to raise the stakes (both personal and global) throughout its runtime. I can’t believe this episode packed so much into thirty minutes.

And I can’t wait to see the fallout from “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” Morph and Wolverine’s relationship may never be the same. They certainly weren’t on the best of terms. I will cite another small concern, or perhaps it’s a wish. Wolverine got his adamantium back far too soon. I would’ve liked to have seen him struggle with bone claws for most–if not all–of this season. X-Men ’97 could’ve done more with exploring a depowered Wolverine. This might have made Wolverine’s regaining of his adamantium more powerful at the end. Getting back to that ending, Morph was fantastic. Even though “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” was a Wolverine-centric story, Wolverine spent half the episode infected by The Brood. Morph carried the emotional weight of this episode. I’d like to see X-Men ’97 pull at the threads it introduced at the end of this episode.

Season’s Take

Hey, Alphas! Morph really was the highlight of “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” Their emotional struggle throughout the episode was gold. You can see them convince themselves in real time that they have to help Wolverine regardless of his intentions behind the mission. Something tells me Morph is going to pull away from Wolvie and join Team Jubilee. Or something.

I’m also unsure why Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth were there. They did try to dip out after they saw Cornelius transform into a Brood. I guess Cornelius is the main reason they showed up. I’m hoping Wolverine takes the events of “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” and tries to better himself. Then again, it’s Wolverine. He’s a mixed bag. Omega Red’s inclusion was a nice touch. Something tells me he’ll be making another appearance in X-Men ‘97.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” I also forgot to mention the last time the original X-Men: Animated Series visited the Weapon X Program in “Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape.” Ah! Guess we no longer use videotape. The next Weapon X story must be called “Weapon X, Lies, and Streaming.” LOL

What are your thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs?” Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.