First Things First…
It looks like Wolverine’s Inuit friends were just a one-off, considering Sabretooth burned down their camp, and Pooyetah said it’s time for them to move on. That’s a bummer. I’d love to see Wolverine spend more time with them. But I’m also intrigued about his next move. Does he head right back to the mansion?
But that’s secondary right now. It looks like our main story will be the follow-up to Gambit, Storm, and Jubilee’s misadventures on Genosha. I was mixed about how that storyline played out last episode, but I still want to see what’s next. Is Genosha really a Gyrich plot, as I suspect? Or, if not, is a new player responsible?
5 Things I Like
5. X-Mansion Destroyed
This cliffhanger doesn’t seem to be related to the rest of the episode, and it’s literally only the last five or 10 seconds, but it’s still intriguing. When the team returns from Genosha, the mansion has been destroyed!
4. Good AND Evil Mutants Enslaved
The Leader doesn’t discriminate. He’s enslaved good and evil mutants. It’s not just X-Men and other heroes.
This is important because it adds to Magneto’s argument against humanity. People like the Leader and Gyrich are a different type of threat. So is the Sentinel program. And so will be the entire U.S. government if Senator Kelly gets elected president. Even though Magneto has nothing to do with this episode, he’s likely going to find out what’s happening on Genosha and use it as ammunition.
On top of that, it’s just cool to see a bunch more mutants.
I don’t know who all the others are. There are some I recognize but don’t know by name. But at least I know for sure Mystique and Blob are two of the enslaved. Mystique is a huge part of the movies, and Blob is in Wolverine’s first solo movie. So it’s pretty cool to see them.
3. Storm’s Claustrophobia Strikes Again
When Storm gets sequestered in an enclosed box, in solitary confinement, following her ill-advised—check that… IDIOTIC escape attempt, her claustrophobia immediately flares up.
I thought we’d never hear about it again after she overcame it underground during the fight with the Morlocks. But I’m glad it wasn’t that easy. Storm still has to contend with this problem.
2. Can We Trust Gambit?
Gambit has been a little pricklier the last couple of episodes.
It’s one thing to want to fight Cyclops. But he’s kind of a dick to Jubilee now. And he blows up her plan to enact his own plan. In the end it works—more on that soon—and he comes through and helps Jubilee and Storm escape.
But when Jubilee apologizes on the flight home for doubting him and says she knew he’d never really betray them, he shadily asks, “How do you know that, petite? Maybe you been fooled again, non?”
Is there some truth when he says to Gyrich, about the X-Men, “They’re not my friends. They don’t like me, don’t trust me. They’re just using me, like you”? Does he feel underappreciated? Because if not, why would he even say something like this and plant a seed of doubt in Jubilee’s mind?
1. Enter Cable
“His name is Cable. An American, apparently. He was a mercenary in the Leader’s army, until he found out the Leader wasn’t the champion of democracy he claimed to be. We’re not sure, but we suspect he’s a mutant. So he threw his wages back in the Leader’s face and took to the hills to start a revolution.”
Cameron Hodge
I wasn’t prepared for Cable to make his debut. I had no idea he comes into the show this soon. But he enters like a badass. He makes the save for Gambit, and he’s waging a one-man war against the Leader on Genosha. I’m excited to see more of this mercenary.
1 Thing I’m Mixed On
1. Xavier’s Old Friend
We get our first tease of Moira MacTaggert and Muir Island when Professor X calls her. That’s as far as it goes, so I can’t judge one way or the other yet. I don’t remember much about her or the island, just that they’re important. And the person who answers the professor’s call responds with “Muir Island Mutant Research Center.”
3 Things I Don’t Like
3. Cat Got Cyclops’ Tongue?
When Wolverine returns, the one thing I was hoping wouldn’t happen is this—he shows up, and other than a quick line from Jean about trying to reach him for days, nothing is made of him running out on them.
Cat got Cyclops’ tongue, I guess?
Cyclops talked all kinds of shit when he realized Wolverine had left. Maybe they’ll still have a confrontation about it down the road. But if they don’t, they’re leaving a lot of genuine drama on the table.
2. From Bad… (Storm’s Impromptu Escape Plan)
It’s a bad episode for X-Men’s plans.
First, Storm does exactly what the bad guys just said not to do. She tries to fight back and escape as soon as they turn the depowering collars off, even though they were told if they tried anything, the collars would immediately be reactivated.
She’s mid-flight when she loses use of her powers. She falls from the sky, is captured, and is about to be terminated by a Sentinel until Gambit talks his way into saving her life.
It’s so dreadfully stupid, and clearly not thought out.
1. To Worse! (Gambit’s Fully Thought-Out Escape Plan)
WTF is Gambit’s plan, really?
He talks Gyrich into bringing him back to the U.S. so he can personally hand over the X-Men. Then, while being transported in a hovercraft, he elbows two guards in the stomach and jumps out. And then what?
The hovercraft stops, the guards aren’t incapacitated, and he still can’t use his powers.
I just don’t get what he’s going for here. And unlike Storm, he actually had time to think this plan through.
He just lucks out that Cable shows up at the exact right moment to save his ass.
Tim Matassa
