Category: TV

Lanterns “Trust Fall” Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle with a review/reaction of this week’s Lanterns episode, “Trust Fall.” If you’d like to see our review of last week’s Lanterns episode “Pilot,” check it out here. “Trust Fall” builds on “Pilot’s” great foundation. Like I said in the previous review, Lanterns “Pilot” does almost everything you’d want a first episode to do. And my concern of Lanterns avoiding the superhero genre expectations (costumes and powers) has waned. Again, I can see why Lanterns doesn’t want to blow its entire effects budget in the first episode or two, and “Trust Fall” shows us more of Hal Jordan and John Stewart in action.

If you haven’t yet watched Lanterns “Trust Fall” and you don’t want any spoilers, you may want to watch the show first and then return to this review/reaction to see what you agree or–most likely–disagree with in this post. I’ll wait. Are you done? Great! Let the spoilers commence. I mentioned it in the opening paragraph, but I like how Lanterns is easing the audience and its budget with the Green Lantern’s larger universe. Hal Jordan dons the uniform, travels to the Planet Oa (The Guardians’ home planet), and even meets with Sinestro. And of course, all this happens in the final five minutes of “Trust Fall’s” runtime. But it counts. I don’t need much, just a taste of Green Lantern goodness, and Lanterns‘ second episode delivers on some of these promises.

After watching this episode (twice), I have hope for the rest of the season/series. I meant what I said last week. Lanterns is a fantastic show. I enjoyed every minute of the pilot episode, but last week’s episode could’ve been the pilot for a show set outside the DCU. “Trust Fall” made the show feel as if it belonged in the DCU. I love Hal Jordan and John Stewart’s relationship. Sinestro hints that John may be more of a danger to Hal than the big bad alien threat developed during this episode (more on the Manhunters later). This rings true. It would make sense if Hal was nervous about John becoming Green Lantern soon. Jordan did say in the pilot that the Green Lantern job was his until the day he died. And Hal Jordan has been cagey about The Guardians. When John Stewart asks what The Guardians thought about what’s happening in Rushville, Hal Jordan dodges the question. It’s obvious Hal and The Guardians aren’t on speaking terms.

Through two episodes, Lanterns has done an excellent job of answering some questions but posing more. During “Trust Fall,” the name Manhunters gets introduced. Ah! The Manhunters are one of Jack “King” Kirby’s DC Comics creations. Kirby is best known for cocreating the Marvel Comic Book Universe, but he had several gems with DC Comics. Kirby had a knack for science fiction themed stories. His work on Fantastic Four is iconic, but Kirby also created Darkseid and The New Gods. It made sense for Kirby to build on Green Lantern’s lore. The Manhunters were the android precursors to the Lantern Corps. I won’t spoil too much of The Manhunters’ backstory here, just in case Lanterns uses a healthy dose of this comic book lore, but John Stewart has a history with The Manhunters, and I like the direction Lanterns is taking its first season. A Manhunter makes for a fantastic first season villain.

“Trust Fall” splits the two lanterns into separate stories. Hal Jordan continues his investigation of Rushville, Nebraska. Turns out, a Manhunter may be behind the odd goings on in the town. The town knows aliens exist, and they’ve rigged their metal detectors to spot alien lifeforms. Yeah, Macon’s benefactor may be The Manhunter causing mayhem. But this town has layers. The hospital has equipment that’s barely used. Heck, the hospital itself is a lot larger than one you would find in most rural Nebraska towns in the Sandhills. There’s a lot happening under the surface. Oh, yeah. Macon has one of his goons shoot Hal in the shoulder (a warning shot). Seriously, I love this town and it’s seedy underbelly. The two lanterns spilt up because Hal sends John to retrieve his lantern.

Yes! We physically see a Green Lantern’s lantern. Hal keeps it in a pocket dimension (classic), and we even meet Earl, an alien man-eating plant. Like I said, Lanterns “Trust Fall” sprinkles in enough Green Lantern goodness. I even like how members of the same alien race (who infiltrated Rushville, Nebraska) abduct John Stewart. These aliens implant memories of their home world getting destroyed and family members being killed by The Manhunters. And this does play out in a John Stewart Green Lantern story. Great inclusion here. And the introduction of Sinestro to the greater story could lead to a ton of fun.

Ah, Sinestro. Seeing him in all his pink-skinned glory made me smile, and so do the layers to the town of Rushville, Nebraska. I was on the fence about grounding Lanterns to the planet Earth. When one thinks of Green Lantern stories, one pictures planet hopping and exotic locales. Lanterns following Supergirl, which had a muted color palette and a lack of planet hopping (in relation to the source material, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) gave me pause. The show isn’t in the clear yet, but I like a slow introduction to Green Lantern’s larger universe. If Lanterns continues introducing more sci-fi elements at the rate it did from episode one to two, I’d call that a good escalation. And the largest use of a Green Lantern ring (John Stewart producing a bird) was adorable and showed how John and Hal differ as Green Lanterns.

One random observation: a picture Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner graced Lanterns “Trust Fall” banner in my HBO Max app. Was Guy Gardner in this episode? Was he supposed to be at one point? Not gonna lie, I saw the pic and got a little excited to see Fillion’s Gardner again. We may need to wait for episode three.

Lanterns continues its solid start with this week’s episode, “Trust Fall.” I can’t wait for the next episode, and my fingers are crossed for a second season. No word on that…yet. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Pilot” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! The Lanterns pilot episode released this past week, and I’ve had some time to watch the show a few times. I’ve got some thoughts and if Season’s watched the episode, she may have thoughts as well. It’s time for another Geekly review/reaction of Lanterns “Pilot” episode. Before we begin, I’ll warn everyone that there will be spoilers for Lanterns “Pilot.” Okay, that’s out of the way. Let’s get into the show.

Kyra’s Take

Lanterns “Pilot” does everything a pilot episode should do for a series. It does a great job showing us the main characters (Hal Jordan and John Stewart) and their relationship, it creates intrigue (the question that must be answered by the end of the season), and the small town in western Nebraska even becomes its own character. Great work. If Lanterns wasn’t part of the DCU or based on the Green Lantern property, I’d probably give the episode a near perfect score. It is that good. But Lanterns has yet to follow through with two simple and easy genre expectations for a superhero show/movie: costumes and powers.

And this is on the heels of Supergirl (review here if you want to read it), which also featured a superhero who refused to wear her costume for three-quarters of the movie’s runtime. But at least Supergirl used her powers. Lanterns barely shows Hal Jordan using his ring, and John Stewart recounts what he does with the ring to the audience. Bubble wrap would’ve been nice to see. Superhero stories don’t have too many genre expectations, but not meeting either one (costumes or powers) is a little concerning. I’m concerned about Lanterns; we haven’t reached gripe levels yet. I could see saving money on special effects (powers), but you made the Green Lantern costume. Why not show Hal in the costume for more than fifteen seconds? I know. I know. Character reasons, but the DCU already did that with Supergirl. Will this become a trend? But I meant what I said. Lanterns “Pilot” is almost pitch-perfect.

I’m putting the costume/power concerns on the backburner. Lanterns comes out with a bang. The audience can tell Jon and Hal have a long history. I love their opening scene in the car. “Why do your ‘sirs’ sound like f*** yous?” Classic. Both men come from broken homes. Hal’s father died in a plane crash, and we don’t see John’s mother. The two react differently to their circumstances and this shines through their character choices. Jon using the ring for bubble wrap meant he totaled Hal’s car. Something Hal takes offense to. We do hear why Hal no longer wears his costume. Fair. He could’ve worn the costume under a bomber jacket and jeans. Just saying. And that’s where the show shifts to western Nebraska. Like I said, the little town becomes a character, an engaging character.

I like how Hal navigates the small town politics. Again, it’s obvious this isn’t the first time Hal has visited this Nebraskan town. He even mentions that the town is close to where he gained his Green Lantern ring. This town is more than it seems. The sheriff (portrayed by brilliant character actor, Kelly Macdonald) may try to deny it, but aliens regularly visit this Nebraska town. An alien entity has infiltrated this town, and the sheriff’s father-in-law builds a militia to fend Earth from the aliens he believes will colonize the planet. Lanterns has a lot to say about the world’s current climate. Xenophobia runs rampant in parts of the United States, especially parts like rural Nebraska. I can’t wait to see more of this town and its citizens. Lanterns does a great job of creating a fascinating web.

And that’s before we talk about the alien Hal and John encounter. Extraterrestrials do want to infiltrate this Nebraska town. It’s for the power ring. It’s gotta be for the power ring. A conversation between Hal and John in a bar all but confirms these aliens’ intent. And I love the bar scene from Lanterns “Pilot.” Again, we see how these two Green Lanterns tick. John shows far more patience than his mentor. Despite Hal giving John his ring for safe keeping, John refuses to put on the ring. He believes it’s a test. And knowing what little we do about this version of Hal Jordan, it may be a test. But my favorite moment was when Hal counterfeits a $20 to flood the bar’s jukebox with Melanie’s “Brand New Key.” He pisses off the bar regulars, and they fight him. All of this was a ploy to get arrested so he could interrogate the alien the town’s sheriff has in custody. Everyone, including John Stewart, dubs this a stupid plan. So good.

How this little town works could be its own show. Aliens and Green Lanterns are just a bonus. This may be where my disconnect derives. Lanterns “Pilot” is a great episode, but is it a story unique to Green Lantern? We’ll see. Hal’s bizarre behavior deserves more exploration. He frequents this Nebraska town, and the episode ends with his passing and missing his power ring. Uh oh! Again, brilliant way to open a series. I see a handful of flashbacks in the future while John Stewart unearths who has Hal’s ring, because it’s obvious John doesn’t. When he examines Hal’s body, John looks for Hal’s ring and doesn’t find it. Lanterns “Pilot” lays down a stellar opening for the series. This episode leaves us with plenty of questions and some characters that require more digging.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “Pilot” episode. Let us know yours in the comments. Looks like I’m on my own this week. Season may catch up for next week’s episode of Lanterns. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest” Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a review/reaction of X-Men ’97’s season two finale, “Survival of the Fittest.” If you want to read our view of last week’s episode “The Dead Man’s Hand,” check out this link. We’ll only discuss this week’s episode, “Survival of the Fittest.” I’ll kick off this review with my thoughts.

Kyra’s Take

“Survival of the Fittest” does a great job of tying up enough major story threads for X-Men ’97 season two and introducing new threads to explore next season–and next season looks to be another doozy. Obviously, we’ll have spoilers for “Survival of the Fittest.” You’ve been warned. If I’m being honest, I nodded along with the first half of “Survival of the Fittest.” The episode played out like a checklist of the story threads that needed to be concluded. “Survival of the Fittest” began like a workman episode. But X-Men ’97 season two’s finale hit its stride with its second half. Raising the stakes (Rogue striking a deal with the same Celestial that gave Apocalypse his power and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice) made all the difference.

Before I commit to jumping to “Survival of the Fittest’s” second half, let’s discuss the episode’s first half. I like the symmetry to X-Men -97’s second season. The season began with Apocalypse and the Celestial, and it ended with Apocalypse and the Celestial. Clean and tidy. X-Force and X-Factor joined forces and fought against the X-Men. This made sense. The two groups’ goals aligned, and underneath this partnership, one could see the American government distrust Charles Xavier and his X-Men–something that will rear its head during “Survival of the Fittest’s” mid-credit scene (more on that in a bit). The audience was even treated to a Gambit-X-Men reunion before Cable shoots Gambit, allowing Apocalypse to take over Remy. This felt inevitable.

Honestly, I could see this outcome a mile away, but that’s a good thing. “Survival of the Fittest” did a great job of setting up this ending. Once Gambit loses consciousness and Apocalypse assumes complete control, X-Men ’97 hints at The Huntsman storyline I mentioned a few weeks ago. Again, this was expected but in a good way. I’d wager most of the audience hasn’t read The Huntsman/Weapon XII. For those of us who have, X-Men ’97 did a good job adapting elements of this story to the second season’s finale. My favorite moments during “Survival of the Fittest’s” first half were the reveal of the Celestial ship, and Cable fighting his parents, uttering the line “Have you met my parents?” Priceless.

I didn’t know how X-Men ’97 season 2 could top Magneto’s death in the middle of this season. The middle of this season? Wow! Magento’s been out of commission for half a season. Nothing could beat the shock of Apocalypse disintegrating the Master of Magnetism. And “Survival of the Fittest” didn’t try to match that moment. Rogue and Gambit are star-crossed lovers. “Survival of the Fittest” set up a scenario where Rogue would have to sacrifice herself for Gambit. The story demanded it. It looked as if the episode delivered on this promise, but after Rogue saved Gambit, she didn’t die. X-Men ’97 had one more trick up its sleeve. Nightcrawler substituted himself for his sister. Brilliant and heartbreaking. I should’ve seen this coming, but that’s what makes X-Men ’97 such a good series. It takes risks, it lulls viewers into one reality, and subverts expectations.

Season won’t take this ending well; she’s a self-proclaimed Nightcrawler fangirl. But this move makes sense for Nightcrawler’s story arc and character. X-Men ’97 has been building Rogue and Nightcrawler’s sibling relationship over two seasons. Nightcrawler would sacrifice himself so his sister could have a chance at love. This sacrifice is what makes Nightcrawler who he is. This sacrifice is what makes someone like Season a Nightcrawler fangirl. He’s awesome. We all know it. And I didn’t prepare Season before she watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I just told her to have the tissues ready. After Magneto’s death, she was ready for anything. Anything except this. Again, I love how X-Men ’97 keeps viewers on their toes.

Season three looks to be another banger. The mid-credits scene shows Graydon Creed becoming President of the United States. Yes, the same Graydon Creed reintroduced during “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Mystique’s other son, Graydon Creed. And we catch a glimpse of Mystique grabbing her file during this scene. I didn’t realize we hadn’t seen Mystique in an X-Men ’97 episode. Two seasons of the show, and this is the first time we meet her. This goes to show the X-Men ’97 cast’s depth. Season Two featured a fair amount of Summers’ family drama. I’m down for Season Three featuring Mystique-Rogue-Graydon Creed drama. After all, The X-Men’s greatest enemy may be humanity.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest.” Season hasn’t yet watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I’m sure she’ll have thoughts and may write down her take in a future post. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “The Dead Man’s Hand” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle back again with another review/reaction of an X-Men ’97 episode. If you’re looking for last week’s episode “Strange Land, Savage Heart,” here’s a link to our review/reaction to that episode. Today, we’ll be discussing X-Men ’97 season two’s penultimate episode, “The Dead Man’s Hand.” Things begin to click into place as X-Men ’97 season two reaches its finale. I’ll kick off this post by sharing my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “The Dead Man’s Hand.”

Kyra’s Take

I’m torn with this week’s episode of X-Men ’97. “The Dead Man’s Hand” does everything you would want a penultimate episode for a season to do. It wraps up just enough threads to keep viewers interested. It brings the disparate groups of X-Men and other entities together for what should be a fantastic final confrontation. And it even manages to bring back a fan favorite. Not to mention that Nightcrawler gets to show off his moves in “The Dead Man’s Hand.” The scene where Nightcrawler got to work made me jump from my chair. Bamf! But I’m confused by the big bad’s motivation and scheme.

This review/reaction will have spoilers. Consider yourself warned. Apocalypse brought Gambit back to life and as a result, became a desiccated corpse. While it looks like Apocalypse wanted Gambit as his new personification of Death (one of his horsemen), the transformation backfired. I still hold out hope that X-Men ’97 plans to introduce The Huntsman or Weapon XII, but the events in “The Dead Man’s Hand” show Apocalypse behind this plot. Did he intend for Gambit to absorb his consciousness? Unclear. Apocalypse’s feud with Candra (External) fell a little flat. Sure, the seeds of this conflict go back to episode four from this season (“Rise of Apocalypse: Part II”), but I would’ve liked more lead up to this moment. Perhaps a quick nod to what happened earlier this season.

Despite what appears to be a half-baked plan by Apocalypse (for now), “The Dead Man’s Hand” has plenty of stand up and cheer moments. The Nightcrawler fight I mentioned before is one. Holy poop! Any scene where Rogue and Gambit try to reconnect manages to pull at the heartstrings. Cable playing his parents to get close to Gambit so he can kill Apocalypse inside Remy’s body was cold, on-brand for Cable, and twists the knife, reminding Cyclops that he wasn’t there for his son’s coming of age. The Summers family has a messed up history, and I’m here for it. I even liked the hinted at team up of X-Force and X-Factor. Half of X-Force defected to the X-Men (Jubilee and Sunspot), and the prospect of Cable, Psylocke, and Archangel working with X-Factor is juicy.

X-Men stories have always featured characters hopping from one faction to the next. This doesn’t bother me. In fact, I like it when X-Men stories present two compelling sides to the same argument. I don’t know where X-Men ’97 intends to take its season two finale. Typically, I’d say this was a good thing. But I’m less confident with Apocalypse’s goal, and Gambit’s return lacked a little something. I think that something was knowing what Apocalypse planned to do with Remy’s body. Did Apocalypse’s plan backfire? Does he intend to skinwalk in others’ skin for the rest of his existence? That would track with what we saw in “Days of Past Future” (the first episode of this season). A disembodied Apocalypse planned to insert himself within Cable.

“The Dead Man’s Hand” is one of those episodes that needs context. We’ll have to wait for next week’s episode to find that context. Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “The Dead Man’s Hand.” Let’s check in with Season.

Season’s Take

I’m ecstatic that Gambit made his return, but the execution felt lackluster. I’m not sure what I was expecting outside of Apocalypse resurrecting Gambit to control him, but I didn’t think he would inhabit Gambit’s body. While that tracks for Apocalypse, I was hoping he wouldn’t be the big bad of season two. It would’ve been so cool if Marvel threw in a twist villain. External made an appearance, but I thought she would play more of a role. She basically went poof.

I loved the moments between Gambit and Rogue. They did an amazing job of portraying Rogue’s conflicted feelings. It was animated beautifully. I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope season two has an amazing ending.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here and today we’re reviewing this week’s episode of X-Men ’97, “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” If you want to read our review of last week’s X-Men ’97 episode, here’s a link. This week’s episode saw the return of one popular X-Man, the introduction of another great villain (who had not be on screen prior to this episode), and a focus on Nightcrawler. Let’s talk about it.

Kyra’s Take

I left out Graydon Creed in that intro. He’s one of those X-Men villains you love to hate. As you can tell, “Strange Land, Savage Heart” packs a lot into a thirty-minute X-Men ’97 episode. The second season of X-Men ’97 has had a focus on family. It began with Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Cable (the Summers family) and even managed to throw in Havok (Cyclops’s brother) into the mix. Magneto and Polaris were explored last episode. This episode reintroduced Colossus and his sister Magik, while adding in the craziness that is the Nightcrawler, Rogue, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Graydon Creed family tree. Yikes!

Honestly, I prefer the Nightcrawler-Rogue family drama more than the Summers family saga. I appreciate last season’s episodes that showed the Cable/Madeline Pryor backstory. That has never been portrayed onscreen before. The Summers family is important, but they see a lot of play in X-Men shows and movies. The Nightcrawler-Rogue-Mystique connection doesn’t get nearly as much airtime. While the Summers family has some messed up revelations (with some more to come, I’m sure), The Nightcrawler-Rogue-Mystique family has some brutal trauma. Mystique abandons Nightcrawler because he can’t pass as a normal human. I love any X-Men episode/movie that pays Nightcrawler respect. And “Strange Land, Savage Heart” centers its story on Nightcrawler. The audience sees the events unfold through Nightcrawler’s eyes.

This was the best choice for point of view character. “Strange Land, Savage Heart” features Magneto’s acolytes. Again, this is another first appearance for a mutant group in an X-Men property. With Magneto gone, his acolytes, lead by Exodus, carry on his legacy. They construct a safe haven in the Savage Land, something Magneto had once done in the original X-Men: Animated Series. Exodus is the perfect foil for Nightcrawler. “Strange Land, Savage Heart” hint at Exodus’s past. After encountering Apocalypse in the 12th century, Exodus was given immortality. Exodus’s costume echoes his past as a crusader. Exodus calls his mission his “crusade.” Nightcrawler calls Exodus a “Templar.” Nightcrawler is willing to give people second, third, and fifteenth chances. Exodus has little patience. Graydon Creed needed to be punished.

And watching Nightcrawler defend his hateful brother while Exodus lays out every reason Nightcrawler should lose hope in his brother was fantastic. Colossus as the judge showed his alignment (friend of both sides), and it was great to see Colossus reintroduced. He’s a fan favorite, and I hope Colossus continues to make appearances in this series. X-Men ’97 does give us hope of that. Polaris’s character was developed quickly in last week’s episode. I like that X-Men ’97 didn’t drop her. I also like her blooming romance with Bishop. X-Men ’97 features villains and characters the original X-Men: Animated Series didn’t portray or in Nightcrawler and Colossus’s case, got put on the backburner.

Exodus can’t be dead. Graydon Creed shoots Exodus near the end of this episode, but as I said, Exodus is immortal. He’s too good of a foil for Nightcrawler to be a one and done villain. Nightcrawler chastising Graydon at the end was perfect. “You may not be a mutant,” Nightcrawler said, “but you are very much your parents’ son.” Ouch! That’s so good. This is why you’ve gotta love Nightcrawler. Thank goodness he’s a main cast member in X-Men ’97.

And we get to “Strange Land, Savage Heart’s” final moments, the pre-credits scene that sets up the following episode, and it’s a doozy. X-Force–that’d be the one with Cable, Jubilee, and Psylocke–discover an Apocalypse drained of his lifeforce and burnt playing card. I’ve been predicting that X-Men ’97 is building up to Apocalypse and the Age of Apocalypse storyline by the end of this season, but it could be developing something far more interesting. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see Age of Apocalypse adapted to the screen, but we’ve seen Magneto, Apocalypse, and Mr. Sinister on this show. What if the show went in a different direction?

X-Men ’97 could be building up to the Huntsman (Weapon XII). This villain seems more in line for next season’s big bad. X-Men ’97 introduced X-Corp last episode. The X-Men’s new outfits (pictured in the image above) reflect this change. The Huntsman represents a threat the X-Men have never faced on any screen. It consumes its host’s identity. Weapon XII is an alien being with a hive mind. Think the Borg from Star Trek. I hope X-Men ’97 goes in this direction. A Huntsman story would also push X-Men stories into the 2000s. This also makes sense for X-Men ’97’s third season. We’re headed to a new millennium.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Thoughts

As a Nightcrawler fangirl, I loved seeing Kurt as the main protagonist of “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” The dynamic between Nightcrawler and Graydon Creed was so tense I’m surprised Graydon’s neck didn’t snap from tension alone. Nightcrawler’s defense of Graydon was almost believable. Almost. I understood where he was coming from, but I’m siding with Colossus on this one.

I liked the pacing for “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Each character got enough screen time for what was necessary, despite “Strange Land, Savage Heart” being one of the shorter episodes of X-Men ’97. I’ve never seen Weapon XII before, so I’m hoping they get some screen time. I was not expecting a withered Apocalypse at the end of “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Also, will there be a Bishop and Polaris romance on the horizon? Yes, please.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

XMen 97 Season Two Review 01

X-Men ’97 “Danger.exe” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of an X-Men ’97 season two episodes. Today’s topic is “Danger.exe.” If you want to see our writers’ thoughts about the previous episode, “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs,” check out this link. We saw some great developments in “Danger.exe.” I don’t know if Season will have time to share her thoughts this week. We’ll see. Regardless, I’ll get things started with my thoughts on this week’s episode of X-Men ’97.

Kyra’s Take

“Danger.exe” does a great job of showing Professor X dealing with the loss of his friend (Magneto) and links this loss with Polaris, Magneto’s third child (aside from Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, which is sometimes debated depending on the world). While I would’ve liked to have seen Polaris in more episodes before “Danger.exe,” X-Men ’97 has woven her into the post-X-Men reality created at the end of last season. Honestly, I can’t remember much of Polaris from X-Men ’97 season one; it’s been a couple of years since I last watched those episodes. I believe Polaris did show up in the previous season, primarily in the Genosha episodes, but I could be wrong. I know for certain that Polaris shared a moment with Jubilee in this season’s episode, “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” Polaris freed Jubilee, allowing her to free the rest of the entrapped mutants.

So, it doesn’t come as a shock when Polaris rages against her current employer, the government-sanctioned X-Factor. She had one foot out the door when we last saw her. Polaris has a mean streak. She has that in the comic book as well. This is nature over nurture. We learn that Professor X raised her; she gets her temper from her father, Magneto. And I love the moment she and Professor X share after this week’s threat, more on Danger in a minute. Professor X tells Polaris that he felt Magneto when Polaris let loose her rage; Polaris tells Professor X the same. It’s a tender moment.

And I like how X-Men ’97, following in the original X-Men: Animated Series’s footsteps, allows a character to vanish for some time. Yes. X-Men ’97 is an animated series based on a comic book, so death doesn’t always mean the end. But X-Men ’97 retires characters long enough for other characters (and fans) to miss them before bringing them back. More on another previously “dead” X-Men later. I don’t expect Magneto to stay dead. But I do expect Professor X, Polaris, and the rest to explore what it means to live in a world without Magneto. Watching them cope and deal with the loss yielded some powerful moments in “Danger.exe.”

I knew from this episode’s title, “Danger.exe,” that the X-Men would tussle with Danger. I squeed. Not gonna lie. Danger is yet another villain I didn’t think would ever make a television or movie appearance. And she’s one of the X-Men’s deadliest enemies. Danger is the Danger Room’s artificial intelligence (AI) run amok. This is a perfect villain for the modern world. Most people distrust AI. Danger plays into this distrust. The X-Men put too much of themselves into the Danger Room’s programming. When the AI malfunctioned, becoming Danger, it knew which pressure points to exploit.

I wish we had more buildup with Danger. She’s too good an X-Men adversary to be a villain-of-the-week. While I believe the Danger Room never saw Polaris’s full power (she was worried she’d turn into her father), Danger’s defeat was too quick and tidy for my liking. It felt like X-Men ’97 used Danger to introduce Polaris to the team. I’ve always liked Polaris as a character. I even liked Emma Dumont’s portrayal of Polaris in The Gifted. Polaris is such a great, conflicted character. Perfect for X-Men ’97. I’m happy Polaris is a permanent member of the X-Men. But I’m also disappointed we won’t see more of Danger in the near future. The X-Men will monitor the Danger Room’s programming like a hawk. In short, I would’ve liked Danger’s story to be a two-parter, but I’m happy with X-Men ’97 season two’s finale setup.

During another mid-credit scene, Apocalypse resurrects Gambit. It’s on. I don’t think we’ll see Gambit (as Death) in the next episode, but X-Men ’97 has done a fabulous job setting up this season’s finale. According to the leaks, X-Men season two’s finale will be titled “Survival of the Fittest.” This season began with Apocalypse, and it will end with Apocalypse. My money is still on X-Men ’97 building up the classic alternate reality story Age of Apocalypse for the following season. I didn’t think a movie or television show would ever adapt Age of Apocalypse from the comics, but I also said that about Danger. There’s hope. I’m stoked.

“Danger.exe” could’ve built up Danger. X-Men ’97 could’ve explored one of the X-Men’s most powerful enemies–and that’s saying something because the X-Men have one of the most powerful rogues’ galleries in comics. But I’m glad that Danger made an appearance and Polaris joined the X-Men in earnest. Something tells me the X-Men will need Polaris in the coming battles.

Those are all my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Danger.exe.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

I also would have liked more buildup to Danger. I don’t recall X-Men ’97 foreshadowing her as a villain in previous episodes. I thought Danger would have exploited more weaknesses of the X-Men in “Danger.exe.” She let Jean Grey and Cyclops off way too easily. I hope she makes a comeback, but we’ll see.

Polaris is such a cool character. She’ll probably be with the X-Men for a while, but I can also see her deciding to join a different group or go solo for a bit if she gets the urge to. I would have liked to see more of her struggle with figuring herself out. We saw hints of it in previous episodes, but it felt a little too quick. It was touching that she got to see more of Magneto through Charles, but that interaction felt like it was more for Charles than Polaris. It was still heartwarming.

I’m excited to see the next installment of the Apocalypse saga. “Death” is sure to be a treat.

X-Men ’97 “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

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.

XMen 97 Season Two Review 03

X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! This post is our fourth post of the day. Fourth! That’s coconuts. We’ve watched the first four episodes of X-Men ’97 season 2 and have shared our thoughts on each episode. This post will only cover “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” If you’re interested in reading what we had to say about the previous episode, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1,” check out that post here. Let’s get into the climax of Apocalypse’s story: “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.”

X-Men ’97 is officially the best X-Men adaptation. I don’t think it’s up for debate. Sure. One may like any number of the Fox X-Men movies. Logan may still be the greatest Wolverine story told on camera. The original X-Men: Animated Series also did a great job of bringing Marvel’s mutants to the small screen. But “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” is the moment X-Men ’97 leaves no doubt that it is the definitive X-Men adaptation, like the entire X-Men team. I held off saying this for a few episodes, but this entire season (and the one before it) does a great job of articulating each mutant’s desire and viewpoint of life. And that’s the crux of X-Men. Numerous mutants have similar goals, but they pursue those goals in different ways, causing friction.

By this point, Magneto has joined Xavier’s non-violent vision wholesale, but he remembers a time when he tried to solve conflicts with violence and can empathize with En Sabah Nur. Rogue, who has some amazing scenes in this episode, envisions a world where the Genosha attack (from Season 1) didn’t occur, and Remi (Gambit) won’t die, so her end goal of turning En Sabah Nur peaceful aligns with Magneto’s. And this is just one strand of the web X-Men ’97 weaves. Most characters have similar goals but different means or similar means but different goals. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” is a master class in character development.

But wait, there’s more. Yes. I deliberately wanted to sound like a salesperson there. We’re entering spoiler territory here. You’ve been warned. X-Men ’97 also managed to throw in some fan service. The mid-credit scene shows Wolverine reuniting with Captain America and Black Widow, reimagining the classic Uncanny X-Men #268 cover. Wait! Comic books only cost a $1 in 1990. Ah! I wish that were still the case. Weapon X intrigue is sure to ensue. I can’t wait. Before then, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” reveals who Rama-Tut really is. Kang. Yes! I knew this twist would come, and I’m glad X-Men ’97 stayed true to the source material. We haven’t seen much in the way of Marvel Animated Universe (MAU) shows crossing over, but there’s a chance Kang could return in a different MAU series. The Marvel Cinematic Universe failed to deliver on Kang’s promise. Fingers crossed that Kang will get a better adaptation. And there’s Candra.

Candra is the Egyptian woman Rama-Tut speaks to as he makes his escape to the future he’s molding in his image. Candra has ties to Gambit. When Rama-Tut says, “Fear not, your destiny starts today, for his power can only be challenged by a force that is external.” Ah. John de Lancie is a treasure. He’s going to make a great MAU Kang. Anyway, Candra is an External, an immortal subset of mutants. She becomes the God of Thieves, so a clear tie with Gambit. X-Men ’97 is pitch perfect.

The show continues in the footsteps of the original X-Men: Animated Series by not being afraid to sideline or kill fan-favorite characters. Alright, the next bit is a huge spoiler. If you haven’t yet watched “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2,” you should skip to the next paragraph. Apocalypse atomizes Magneto. X-Men ’97 shows as much as it can, mostly through the horrified look on Charles’s face and the reflection in his eyes. Brilliant!

X-Men ’97 hasn’t spared viewers of classic and potentially gory details of the X-Men’s past. Last season, viewers were treated to Magneto stripping the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. This show goes as far as it can with its visuals, while remaining true to the original X-Men: Animated Series. I can’t wait to see where the show goes next. I mentioned season two building up toward the Age of Apocalypse storyline. I had my doubts if X-Men ’97 would do the storyline justice. I no longer have those doubts. X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man serve as excellent cornerstones of the Marvel Animated Universe. The MAU is on a roll.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” Let’s hear Season’s thoughts.

Season’s Take

Wow. Just wow. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” is an emotionally mixed cliffhanger to leave on until next week. I loved “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” En Sabah Nur becoming Apocalypse was inevitable. I know. I’m stating the obvious. I loved the way X-Men ’97 handled Apocalypse’s origin story. Brilliant.

I won’t rehash the details, but the pacing in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” was amazing. It did a great job of picking up where “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” left off. If this is the definitive storyline of the MAU, that’s cool with me. I haven’t read the comic Rise of Apocalypse, but I’m unsure what kind of outcome I’m hoping for this storyline. I really want to see Kang again. He is pure evil personified.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97: Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” What are your thoughts on “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2?” Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here again with a third post. We’re back for a third installment of X-Men ’97. This post will cover the third episode of X-Men ’97’s second season, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” If you’d like to see Geekly’s thoughts on X-Men ’97 season two’s previous episodes, you can find them here: “Days of Past Future” and “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” I’ll kick off this post with my thoughts on X-Men ’97 season two, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.”

Kyra’s Take

Oh my! I can see why X-Men ’97 released three episodes during its opening event. Each episode showed what our three sets of intrepid mutants are up to since the end of season one. “Days of Past Future” took us to the future, where Cyclops and Jean Grey reunite with their son, Nathan (Cable). “A Force to Be Reckoned With” brought us back to the present day (the Nineties) and what’s occurred since the X-Men disappeared. But the third episode (“Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1”) delivers on season one’s cliffhanger. And it also ends with yet another cliffhanger, but we’ll get to that in a minute. When I saw X-Men ’97’s release schedule, I originally thought Marvel wanted to drop as many episodes before Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s release date. Spider-Man’s next cinematic installment could’ve played a factor, but X-Men ’97 made the right decision to release the first three episodes of season two. Anything less would’ve felt incomplete.

I’m sure some viewers waited for X-Men ’97 to show the goods, revealing Apocalypse’s origin, and X-Men ’97 sure does deliver. “Rise of Apocalypse” gets its story from the comic book mini-series of the same name. We’re going to Ancient Egypt. I like how Magneto tries to rewrite mutant history by guiding En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse’s original name) toward a path of peace. This continues the dynamic between Magneto and Charles Xavier from the previous season. The two have a tenuous truce. They may both want the same thing (peace between humans and mutants), but they have very different means to accomplish this goal. Classic.

X-Men ’97’s showrunners know their characters. I had my doubts when the show was first announced several years ago, but X-Men ’97 has exceeded my most optimistic expectations. The new series maintains everything the original X-Men: Animated Series built, while working toward something new and exciting. The show has built up characters like Cable and Jubilee. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” does the same for Apocalypse. He was already one of the X-Men’s most impressive foes. X-Men ’97 season two looks to humanize him. And watching Magneto try and teach Apocalypse a path to non-violence showed how much he’s grown. His actions end the way one might think they would (he fails), but I love how Magneto tries to reach Apocalypse. He notices they aren’t that different.

I don’t want to get into too many spoilers with these posts. Needless to say, the X-Men attempt multiple times to find their way to their timeline and fail. Tensions rise. And we’re left with another cliffhanger. Since “Part 1” is included in the episode’s title, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” sets up the following episode, which we’ll cover later today. I’ve been writing these reviews/reactions as soon as I finish one episode. I haven’t yet watched “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2,” but X-Men ’97 has my full confidence. I love the direction the Marvel Animated Universe has taken. I’ve been more excited about X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s second seasons than most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s offerings this year. I can’t wait to watch the next episode.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

As soon as En Sabah Nur said, “He was not fit to live,” I shouted, “You are not worthy.” I really hope En Sabah Nur says that in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” He has to finish the quote. It’s a requirement. Side note: Apocalypse looks good with long, wavy hair. He should bring that back.

I appreciated the tender moments between Magnus and Charles in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” Magnus wanting to try things Charles’ way was endearing. Something tells me it won’t last when they inevitably part ways, but I hope we get to see more of these moments in X-Men ’97. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” was very human.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those were our thoughts on X-Men ’97: “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 Season 2 “A Force to Be Reckoned With” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! This is our second of four planned posts today. Four posts in one day? Yikes! X-Men ’97 graced us with three episodes last week–we’re still catching up on those episodes–and a fourth episode dropped this week. If you want to read our review of the previous episode, “Days of Past Future,” you can check that out here. In this post, we’ll only discuss the events of “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” I’ll kick things off with my thoughts.

Kyra’s Take

“A Force to Be Reckoned With” may have done the near impossible. It made Jubilee cool. Seriously. Her breakout scene, near the end of the episode, catapulted her into one of X-Men ’97 season two’s better characters. And that’s saying something. But I’m getting ahead of myself. X-Men ’97: A Force to Be Reckoned With” didn’t need as much setup as the previous episode. The episode’s title originates from X-Force, which is famously Cable’s team from the Nineties, and how they fight for mutant freedom against X-Factor, a government-sanctioned team of mutants. The power struggle between these two teams is comic book accurate and excellent.

Neither team embodies the X-Men. X-Factor is a government lapdog; they’re an extension of the mutant registration program. And Cable assembled X-Force to take down Apocalypse by any means necessary. He doesn’t care as much about human-mutant relations and mutant freedom, and this gets me back to Jubilee. She joins Cable’s side of the aisle because it’s closer to the X-Men’s ideals.

When she has a chance, Jubilee frees mutant children held captive by X-Factor. I want to take a moment and take note of the volume of various lesser-known mutants held captive in X-Factor’s helicarrier and/or shown during “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” Here are a few: M, Mark, Kid Omega, Chamber, Penance, and the Stepford Cuckoos. The Stepford Cuckoos may be the best example of how callous X-Factor treats these mutants. Each one of the Stepford Cuckoos has a power dampener around their necks, and X-Factor still placed one of the triplet sisters in a different cell. Sure. The Stepford Cuckoos use their powers as a trio, but they have power dampeners. Separating them was cruel.

Through her act of freeing the captive mutants, Jubilee did the most to live up to Charles Xavier’s example. She reminded the rest of X-Force what they’re fighting for. Cable’s mission to take down Apocalypse is a noble one, but he often gets blinded by this goal. Again, all of this is mostly comic book accurate. The original X-Men: Animated Series made sure to stay as close to the source material as possible, and X-Men ’97 continues that tradition.

There’s little else to discuss with “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” This episode feels tighter than “Days of Past Future,” not that the previous episode meandered too much. I just wanted to note “A Force to Be Reckoned With’s” great pacing. Maybe that’s the trick with making Jubilee cool. Leave the audience wanting more. The original X-Men: Animated Series used Jubilee as a surrogate, so Jubes showed up in most scenes. We physically see less of Jubilee during “A Force to Be Reckoned With,” but the episode does a lot to show her true character. And shout out to Polaris and Havok. I love Jubilee’s snide remark of Havok being “Knock-Off Cyclops.” LOL

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” Let’s see what Season has to say.

Season’s Take

I can’t believe I was actually rooting for Jubilee. Outside of being cool and sticking to her guns, her cheeky moments were cute, too. The scene of her jumping off the roof was iconic.

I appreciated the lack of exposition in “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” “Days of Past Future” was good and had a lot of emotionally charged moments, but there was a lot of repetition with Jean Grey’s and Cyclops’ dialogue. Their feelings about leaving Nathan behind were sad, but they lost some impact each time they expressed themselves. The emotional moments in “A Force to Be Reckoned With” combine punchy dialogue with action. It feels like each moment doesn’t linger.

Also, kudos to the alternate intro. X-Force ’97 has a nice ring.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97: “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.