First Things First…
Mojo was just filler and gave Jubilee and Roberto a chance to grow their relationship—and for Jubilee to grow up a little more. Episode 6 is called “Lifedeath – Part 2,” so I assume we’re not checking back in with Storm, Forge, and the Adversary yet. So that leaves this—and I’ll be honest, I’ve heard this episode is monumental. The description says it’s about the ongoing storyline related to Genosha joining the U.N., which has been in the background so far. Also, Nightcrawler is in the thumbnail, and I love him in the original series, so I’m excited to have him back.
7 Things I Like
7. Cable Knows What’s Up
“I’m so sorry, Mom.”
Cable
Cable knows what’s up. It’s such a tease that he slips back through time before he can reveal anything.
When he arrives at the U.N. gala on Genosha, he knows an attack is imminent. He tries to warn everyone but can’t. Most interestingly is that he says to his mother…
“He’s coming.”
Who?
Maybe he just meant the giant three-headed Sentinel that causes so much devastation. But I assume he means whoever is behind the attack. I hope it’s not just Gyrich and Trask, but whoever it is, I’m dying to find out.
And I’ll be happy to see more Cable. He’s about to become an instrumental character now that we saw his birth in the present and his departure with Bishop for the future.
6. Genosha’s Glow-Up
“They be busy doing a bit of renovating since Gambit’s last visit.”
Gambit
Genosha looks a lot different than when it was unceremoniously—but accurately—nicknamed “Slave Island” in Season 1 of the original series. Now it’s like giant bazaar.
Visitors are greeted by giant statues of the two heroes of mutant-kind, Professor X and Magneto.
There’s a monorail and a cool-looking skyline of futuristic buildings. Everything is clean and new, glossy and cool.
Plus, the place is overflowing with mutants, including the Morlocks and many like them who could never blend in with “normal” humans.
Not only is it fun to see how far this place has come, but seeing the beauty, the burgeoning culture, and the peace and prosperity mutants are afforded here makes it so much sadder and more infuriating when the country is decimated at the end of the episode.
5. A Promise Kept
“Don’t worry. Leech knows Callisto will find us. If not her, Magneto. He promised Leech would never be scared again.”
Leech
Magneto has done more for the Morlocks in a short time than the X-Men ever did over the course of years. (Except, of course, when Wolverine saved Leech’s life one Christmas. But even then, the Morlocks remained in the sewers, with the X-Men never doing anything to help them live with dignity.)
By arranging for their relocation to Genosha earlier this season, Magneto changed all that. He brought them to a place they could call home and live in freely and openly. More specifically, he told Leech he’d never have to be afraid again.
The attack on Genosha changes all that. At least, it should… but Leech maintains his faith in Magneto.
And for his part, Magneto honors his promise. He forms a plan that he, Rogue, and Gambit carry out to rescue the Morlocks. And with his dying breaths, Magneto reiterates to Leech not to be afraid.
This is the truly caring side of Magneto. This is when he shows that he genuinely wants what’s best for all mutants. And he’s willing to sacrifice himself to keep his word.
4. Attack on Genosha
“Some vile Godzilla Sentinel. You go at it, you end up dead. Can’t even dent it.”
Gambit
Well, somebody doesn’t want Genosha to join the U.N.
I’m still confused about how the attack happens. Cable shows up and knows it’s about to go down, but I don’t know where it comes from or how the Sentinels get there.
Regardless of who’s responsible, a ton of Sentinels are unleashed on Genosha. They’re practically coming off the assembly line right there on the battlefield. This includes a three-headed Sentinel that’s virtually indestructible.
Despite the best efforts of Magneto and the X-Men who are there, Genosha is decimated. There’s death everywhere. It seems Magneto is killed, but that’s almost an afterthought compared to the most emotional death.
This whole scene is the best action scene they’ve ever done. It surpasses the fight against Master Mold in the series premiere, which was already better than any fight scene in the original series.
The aftermath is devastating, too, especially the news report as the X-Men who stayed behind watch in horror.
3. Bad Day for the Boy Scout
“I said, because you’re normal. You’re ungrateful. We fight, risk our lives for you. Evil mutants, robots, crazy aliens. I gave him up. I gave him up because you can’t say thank you. Because I have to stomach your questions and prove that I’m a person. I lie because the truth is we’re nothing like you. Thank God, because it’s the only reason you people are still alive.”
Cyclops
The Boy Scout is losing it.
He gets caught in a lie on camera during his interview for a generally positive TV piece about mutants and then blows up at the reporter. He’s never expressed so much anger and resentment toward humans before. But I think he only lies about having a son at first because he doesn’t know where to even begin explaining the real story—clones, mad scientists, time traveling, techno viruses. And he realizes the lie is necessary because regular people could never accept that truth.
But there’s still soooo much more…
Scott and Jean try to reconnect—until Jean discovers that he’s psychically bonded with Madelyne. I’m not sure he even knows who he’s in love with. He says he loves them both. And in his defense, how could he know which one he loves when he doesn’t even know how much of his relationship over the past few years was with Jean and how much was with Madelyne.
There’s also an aspect of this I never realized. Jean was changed by the Phoenix, even after it left her. She was different. She wanted more. But she stayed because of her love for Scott. She tells him…
“Whole galaxies beckoned me. But I turned my back for you.”
That’s a lot to give up, if she had the ability and desire to travel the cosmos but stayed behind for a man.
Then there’s also something that’s been brewing forever—Jean finally kisses Logan.
Scott doesn’t even know about this—yet. But if he finds out, which seems likely, his bad day will get infinitely worse.
To Logan’s credit, he immediately gives Jean an out, saying…
“You’re Jean Grey. He’s Scott Summers. Those are the rules. You just forgot ‘em for a sec. Enough said. Now go talk to that overgrown Boy Scout.”
At times, with everything he’s going through, you have to feel for Scott. Not only is he rightly confused about the Jean/Madelyne conundrum, he’s also grieving his loss of Nathan. And it’s a different type of grief. Not necessarily easier or harder, but different, knowing Nathan is out there, but that he gave him up because it was the only way to let him hold onto life.
But Jean has also been through the ringer. She doesn’t even know how much she’s been through. And Scott’s self-centeredness when he should be trying to help her work through their shit makes him come off as a jerk.
And then there’s that anger toward humans that I mentioned. Cyclops already started out this series very much improved from the old one. Now that he’s going through so much, he’s more compelling than he’s ever been.
2. Another Messy Love Triangle
“I can’t touch you, Remy! Your heart may beat for me, but I can’t feel it. You light up everything you touch, but never me.”
Rogue
We finally find out Rouge’s history with Magneto when she shares it with Gambit. Mystique is to blame for pushing them together in the first place, but it looks like Magneto really fell for her.
We also learn Magneto’s electromagnetism protects him from Rogue’s powers.
I’m glad to get answers to both those questions. I was curious as hell. But I’m even happier Rogue finally has a conversation with Gambit.
He’s understandably upset. He says…
“You never wanted to make things official. I respected that. I played the swamp rat.”
But otherwise, he takes it better than I expected. The woman he loves is about to leave him behind to rule Genosha with Magneto and be his queen, and he says he’ll still be her friend. He doesn’t throw out the entire relationship.
Amazingly, Rogue comes around to Gambit’s point of view before long. After her incredible dance with Magneto—set to an even more incredible Ace of Base needle drop…
… she realizes she wrong, and that she loves Gambit, even if they’ll never be able to touch.
Of course, that’s before the attack…
1. Remember It
“The name’s Gambit, mon ami. Remember it.”
Gambit
Gambit never seemed like the one to make the sacrifice play.
That’s why he’s the best choice to make the sacrifice play.
It’s breathtaking and heartbreaking.
The wide shot of Gambit impaled, looking tiny next to the three-headed Sentinel that’s impaling him, is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen in this series or the last.
Then, Gambit, belligerent to the very end, uses his powers, even as he’s impaled, to charge the metal stuck inside him and destroy the three-headed Sentinel…
All while making sure it knows his name before it gets blown to smithereens.
And in the episode’s final shot, we see just how much deeper than skin deep Rogue’s love for Gambit is. She finally gets to touch him. She holds his cold, dead face in her bare hands and says through her tears…
“Sugar. I-I can’t feel you.”
Her final words play over a black screen, which leads right into a slow, somber, organ version of the theme song that we’ve never heard before.
Who knew the swamp rat scoundrel would gut us all in the end.
1 Thing I’m Mixed On
1. Happy-Go-Lucky Nightcrawler
I was so excited to have Nightcrawler come back. I loved him in the first series.
He’s just as excited to be here… to work on the Council with Genosha’s faith communities… and to see his friend, Gambit, and his half-sister, Rogue.
And that’s kind of my problem with this.
It’s a nitpick in an episode bursting at the seams with amazing storytelling. But this playful, happy-go-lucky guy is not the Nightcrawler I remember. I remember Nightcrawler as somber and serious. Tortured, even.
I know he’s developed since last series, but this is such a departure from who we’ve seen him be before.
Tim Matassa
