There’s been so much hype around Disney/ Marvels continuation of the classic X-Men the animated series, I myself was sceptical; the still shots from the promos, the lack of trailers, the tight lips around the plot, and the sudden and swift departure of Beau De Mayo to much silence also gave me pause.
But when the Marvel logo dropped and the iconic theme song came on I was transported back to my childhood tv room on a Saturday morning ready to see how my mutant brethren were going to fight the injustices of racism and xenophobia – well, honestly the last part is me being an adult but you get what I mean.
The show is tight! In two episodes they gave us iconic moments with our favourites that made the adrenaline rush of nostalgia go into overdrive, while closing off the old plot lines of TAS and introducing new characters and setting new plots for the ‘97 era.
Cyclops and Magneto see the most interesting character developments: two sides of Xavier’s dream who were bitter enemies now have to find a way to do justice to the man they both loved deeply.
Scott comes to terms with being a Boy Scout and Pick me, into a seriously well balanced man who’s about to be a father. Magnus, meanwhile, is visibly struggling with his ideals and morals to be a better man in the memory of Charles.
Jean, Storm, and Rogue also get some depth to their journey, and set some very real stakes that could lead to a lot of emotional tension later on. But let me tell you something: every scene Storm stepped into was iconic, and I quickly forgave the editorial decision to butcher mother’s hair. Storm fans ate well with this debut.
They’ve also given Jubilee some maturity, and a love interest that I can’t wait to see explored. I think they will steer away from making her the damsel in distress and into a really robust character. The rest of the supporting cast all get some love, and also get to show case their kick ass mutant powers.
The two parter ended with a huge cliffhanger, and a real gut punch that I won’t get into for spoiler reasons – but all in all it didn’t not disappoint at all.
Also, I will say, the stills of the animation do not do it justice at all – it really all comes together.
Now, when does the next episode drop? Because I will be seated, ready and waiting patiently to see how this all turns out.