TV Review: X-Men (3.2) – Out of the Past – Part II

First Things First…

I want to know what’s inside that ship! It practically put Professor X on his ass, so it’s got to be strong.

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4 Things I Like

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4. Who Can Forget Sinister?

I’ve said before and I’ll say again that I’m a sucker for continuity. That’s why I loved hearing Scott and Jean reference Mister Sinister at dinner. It’s just a quick mention of having defeated him, but it’s a reminder that the characters—just like the audience—remember the events from previous seasons and have been shaped by them.

3. Wolverine and Jubilee

“Just hang in there, okay? For me.”

Wolverine

I’ve always liked the dynamic between Wolverine and Jubilee. She’s the youngest team member, seemingly by a lot, and Wolverine is very protective of her. She also feels protective of him, in her own way, which is why she and Gambit followed him into the Morlocks’ tunnels last episode.

Here, after she gets her spirit sucked by the monster, Wolverine is incredibly gentle with her as he carries her away and tries to rouse her. And he continually reminds the others that they have to be careful how they attack the monster so they don’t kill it with Jubilee still trapped inside.

2. Still on Lady Deathstrike’s Hit List

“Today I owe you my life, Logan. But that changes nothing between us. When I am strong enough, you will see me again.”

Lady Deathstrike

I touched on this last episode when Lady Deathstrike first appeared—it’s cool to have a villain who matches Wolverine’s adamantium claws and skeleton. All the better that they have history, and she’s still pissed, even after he rescues her from the Spirit Drinker. Knowing she’s still out there plotting her revenge means we’ll very likely see her down the road, and it’ll be interesting to see if anything ever changes between them.

1. The Phoenix Saga Is Coming!

“But when I touched that alien craft, I felt things, sensed things, I have never known before, saw terrible visions of beings with ruthless unimaginable power. But I fear this was only the beginning.”

Professor X

It’s not a great sign for an episode or movie when the best thing about it is a teaser for something that’s coming in the future, but this is really cool.

The episode ends with Professor X revealing the visions he glimpsed on the alien spacecraft, and it looks like all-out interplanetary war. Then they flash a graphic saying the Phoenix Saga is coming soon. They’ve never done anything like this before, and this saga suddenly feels like the biggest thing the series has done to date.

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0 Things I’m Mixed On

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1 Thing I Don’t Like

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1. The Spirit Drinker

“Come on, you piece of alien gutter trash. Just try to suck me in! I hope you gag.”

Wolverine

After being excited to find out what was onboard that’s so powerful, the Spirit Drinker is pretty lame. Powerful, sure, but lame. It looks like a monster made of energy that doesn’t have a solid physical form (yet somehow adamantium cuts it). And the way the spirits it has absorbed take form inside it so they can speak to the others is so silly.