If the electromagnetic field is restored before the gold team stops Bastion, all the Prime Sentinels go back online.
X-Men '97 |OT| Previously On... (Disney+, two episode premiere on March 20)
- Thread starter GreenMamba
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Ahhh, thank you. A lot of things happening at once there :)
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Fun episode but I think it kind of got messy at the end. Still amazing to see Wolverine getting his adamantium ripped out in a series though. I really liked the choreography of the Sinister/Jean fight, though I really hope Morph gets his moment against Sinister, they've shown the Morph/Sinister part of the opening too many times for it not to pay off.
Too much is left unanswered for the finale for me to make too many definitive statements about the episode though. Really interested to learn where the hell Bishop has been since he dropped baby Nathan, lol.
Too much is left unanswered for the finale for me to make too many definitive statements about the episode though. Really interested to learn where the hell Bishop has been since he dropped baby Nathan, lol.
When was season 2 greenlit? Because if only one season 1 was greenlit I can see
Yeah pretty sure he shows up in the Fantastic Four cartoon
Yeah pretty sure he shows up in the Fantastic Four cartoon
season 2 is confirmed and the writing for it is already done. we know they're looking for a new showrunner, so season 3 is a safe bet too.
I know a lot of folks are disappointed with Magneto. I never like it when he goes full heel either.
But he did hint early on that he would let us down. :)
:(
Thinking about it, I really think they're setting up Scott to go full Rightclops. He's the only one keeping both missions in mind at the moment. Xavier is too ineffective and Magneto is too unhinged. Hoping Ororo takes more prominence as field leader at the same time.
But he did hint early on that he would let us down. :)
:(
Thinking about it, I really think they're setting up Scott to go full Rightclops. He's the only one keeping both missions in mind at the moment. Xavier is too ineffective and Magneto is too unhinged. Hoping Ororo takes more prominence as field leader at the same time.
Yeah, Disney disables it for some reason. There's a way to get around it by disabling hardware acceleration, but it has been a while since I've done it. It's irritating.
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Yeah I think there was importance to Cyclops explicitly *not* forgiving Xavier for anything in their conversation together. Cyclops is going his own way.
Supposedly it is along with Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer and Spider-Man.
Dunno how Silver Surfer fits 'cause I remember that show ending on a cliffhanger where the universe is basically destroyed.
it's not merely that Magneto has gone bad, it's that he goes genocidal and endangers the lives of the very people he's supposed to be protecting.
causing the global EMP was enough to put him at odds with Xavier and the rest of the world. he killed thousands to save millions. the stakes were high enough, the schism between the mutants was clear, and Magneto's actions were extreme and violent but completely in line with his ideology.
taking it a step further and making Magneto go full Targaryen in this episode only served the need to have their little Fatal Attractions moment at the end.
they had a plot beat in mind and forced the characters to make it happen instead of allowing the conflict to be character driven. that's the real issue.
I really think he will leave the team for a while next season. This whole thing has cost him way too much and no doubt he is going to be feeling extremely guilty about his decision leading to Wolverine being severely injured.
People complaining about the pacing is like…yeah, sure, but also did you even think we were going to get this? Do you think we're going to get 10 seasons to flesh these stories out properly in 30 minute bits? We'll be lucky if we get 2 or 3 seasons of the current season's caliber.
We've had like 5 or 6 outright abysmal X-Men movies, that only seem to somehow get worse, so I'll take 10 episodes of okay to really good episodes.
Like, it's amazing we even get this and they're doing a pretty good job of getting things in and riffing on it.
Easter egg: The intro sequence got altered again, as now you have Prime Sentinels running in lieu of humans towards the end of the intro.
We've had like 5 or 6 outright abysmal X-Men movies, that only seem to somehow get worse, so I'll take 10 episodes of okay to really good episodes.
Like, it's amazing we even get this and they're doing a pretty good job of getting things in and riffing on it.
Easter egg: The intro sequence got altered again, as now you have Prime Sentinels running in lieu of humans towards the end of the intro.
Of course I don't agree with Magneto's methods, but the dude has been through it and then some.
I also go the impression that Magneto was gonna try and make some sort of refuge for mutants on his asteroid, he just didn't have time since he was fighting the X-Men. A lot happened this episode and most of it was in the midst of two major brawls, so I think we'll get some better clarity next episode or the following season.
There's also the idea that Bastion and/or Sinister fucked up Magneto. Those two are super genuises that would've taken into account that he is exactly the kinda guy that keep afford to keep around unless it serves them very well. I also think there's a decent chance that this Magneto is a clone.
If you upset with the heel turn, I totally understand. I think the show deserves some grace though, and shouldn't be judged too harshly before we see how it sticks the landing.
I also go the impression that Magneto was gonna try and make some sort of refuge for mutants on his asteroid, he just didn't have time since he was fighting the X-Men. A lot happened this episode and most of it was in the midst of two major brawls, so I think we'll get some better clarity next episode or the following season.
There's also the idea that Bastion and/or Sinister fucked up Magneto. Those two are super genuises that would've taken into account that he is exactly the kinda guy that keep afford to keep around unless it serves them very well. I also think there's a decent chance that this Magneto is a clone.
If you upset with the heel turn, I totally understand. I think the show deserves some grace though, and shouldn't be judged too harshly before we see how it sticks the landing.
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Wasn't Asteroid M destroyed in the original series? If Magneto completely rebuilt it from scratch he did a bang up job of remaking it to look exactly like it used to.
It crashed into the ocean, which is why he pulls it out of the ocean in this episode.
Sure, why not.
The only series that don't seem like they fit are Avengers: United They Stand, Spider-Man Unlimited (maybe?), and Silver Surfer (since that show redid the Surfer bringing Galactus to Earth but omitted the Fantastic Four. They also redid Frankie Raye becoming Nova).
Time for mutant boot camp cyclops next season
Why not both XD. Onslaught is the uneasy feeling building in the background of a major batlle
It was actually very sweet, got a ping of teary ness at the scene.
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90s Cyclops wearing a cowl just looks so odd for some reason. Same thing with Morph wearing a capeless version of his yellow Exiles costume.
Ah, gotcha. That makes more sense.
This series is easily one of the best things Marvel Studios has ever produced.
That being said, I think this was the weakest episode. It was the first time where the pacing didn't work for me, with certain things that weren't communicated well or happened offscreen, making certain moments feel rushed or slightly confusing.
I have full faith that they'll stick the landing though!
It's easy to assume this because they all aired during the 90s at roughly the same time but they're actually split between three separate universes.
Earth-92131: X-Men and Spider-Man
Earth-534834: Iron Man, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk
Earth-634962: Silver Surfer
To make it even more confusing: when Iron Man, War Machine and Human Torch appeared in Spider-Man, they used the same voice actors from their respective series.
Oh, and despite airing together as part of the Marvel Action Hour and taking place in the same universe, Iron Man and Fantastic Four never had a crossover.
That being said, I think this was the weakest episode. It was the first time where the pacing didn't work for me, with certain things that weren't communicated well or happened offscreen, making certain moments feel rushed or slightly confusing.
I have full faith that they'll stick the landing though!
It's easy to assume this because they all aired during the 90s at roughly the same time but they're actually split between three separate universes.
Earth-92131: X-Men and Spider-Man
Earth-534834: Iron Man, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk
Earth-634962: Silver Surfer
To make it even more confusing: when Iron Man, War Machine and Human Torch appeared in Spider-Man, they used the same voice actors from their respective series.
Oh, and despite airing together as part of the Marvel Action Hour and taking place in the same universe, Iron Man and Fantastic Four never had a crossover.
one last thing before I go to sleep far too late~
Rogue with Gambit's oversized trench coat was top-tier and she should've kept it instead of leaving it on Xavier's sorry shoulders.
Rogue with Gambit's oversized trench coat was top-tier and she should've kept it instead of leaving it on Xavier's sorry shoulders.
I just watched the episode and decided to read the initial reactions here first and I agree with you too. Even if it seemed hackneyed I wish they instead had Magneto do what he did and immediately feel regret and attempt to undo it right before Sinister controlled him and caused him to keep down the genocide path; it would've been better than what they went with. What the show did in this episode feels forced.
I agree with this. I think we'll get 4 seasons if we are lucky. Also it's not like they are doing classic one-off, villain of the week episodes, rather it's a huge single story which takes inspirations and mixes different stories from the comics which I think makes it work really well.
Episode 5 felt like it had time to breathe. It really worked well in that regard. Something of a unicorn.
Magneto commits. 100%. Every time. He doesn't act and then feel remorse. After some time passes he might, but in the moment, near the moment, when he decides a course of action needs to be taken he takes it and feels nothing about it. If he had an ounce of doubt in what he was doing, he wouldn't do it. Contrasted to Xavier who will do the exact same thing, but feel guilty about it even as he insures that it is carried out (which is why Wolverine went on this mission in the first place. No one else would pull the trigger on Magneto).
If you want to talk about a betrayal of the character, having him act and then boo hoo about it? That's a betrayal. Magneto is not a Good Man. He is a wounded survivor with all kinds of trauma and an itchy trigger finger only mediated by his own sense of dedication to conviction. He is trying to do what's right for his people and depending on just how far that trauma has been pushed that can range from coming to the table with humanity to wiping humanity out even at the cost of some number of mutants. There's a reason he's a villain. He's not wrong, but he does wrong.
I know he isn't the best of pals with Logan, but I can absolutely see Cyke butchering Magneto and abandoning Charles to save Logan.
He didn't act intending to kill Kitty (which he'd thought he'd done) and then regret the decision to kill her. He attacked her, injured her worse than he'd expected, believed he'd killed her and the shock of that had him wanting to die.
This is not the same as deciding "the world needs to die" and ten minutes later going "maybe I was too harsh."
Even before the finale, this is now my 2nd favorite Disney+ program to date. (Andor still holding that #1 for me)
This is the shot in the arm that I feel like mainstream X-Men really needs right now, and I think Deadpool & Wolverine is probably going to be a very delightful (but a lot less meaningful) time too. A great year for X-Men's mainstream presence.
Even if MCU X-Men ends up being kinda weak for whatever reason, I hope this show continues to hold the torch -- while I always wish each subsequent season gets better and better, maintaining this level of quality would still satisfy me. MCU X-Men being great is the dream, but I also know MCU has a lot of baggage and weight already that might kinda stifle X-Men's strongest storytelling traits.
This is the shot in the arm that I feel like mainstream X-Men really needs right now, and I think Deadpool & Wolverine is probably going to be a very delightful (but a lot less meaningful) time too. A great year for X-Men's mainstream presence.
Even if MCU X-Men ends up being kinda weak for whatever reason, I hope this show continues to hold the torch -- while I always wish each subsequent season gets better and better, maintaining this level of quality would still satisfy me. MCU X-Men being great is the dream, but I also know MCU has a lot of baggage and weight already that might kinda stifle X-Men's strongest storytelling traits.
The post-credits scene is just gonna be a redone version of this.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUh9VIVJ18Q
If only. =(
What an episode
- Charles showing cracks; I like the scene where Scott tells him that again, they never were given the choice and that Charles made another decision for them. For all intents and purposes, Charles isn't a bad man; he is just has his flaws too. Cool to touch on it.
- What dad, you are going to tell me to watch out? 'Give them hell'
- Heelturn from Rogue and Roberto isn't surprising.
- Okay, why does Storm have so many great lines? She is throwing bangers left and right. Again, Storm <3
- MORPH SMASH. A Thunderbolt Ross cameo, Hulk… loving this show.
- Jean vs. Sinister was gooooood. Jean actually doing stuff is refreshing.
- I understand people not liking the direction for Magneto, but, you know, eh. Magneto always leaned into the extreme side of things. Being disappointed by mankind as a man of Jewish descent, as a mutant… and time after time being hit with a curveball.
Genosha being destroyed by another man made weapon and Bastion keeping him locked up, that's pure torture and he snapped. This is the straw that broke the camels back. Fully giving in to those extreme tendencies.
- Did chuckle when he told Charles to shut up. Charles and his dreams which are wellworded, but man, can it be exhausting. Sorry not sorry.
- And that scene for Wolverine…. They actually did it the mad lads. I see people being puzzled why the man with an adamantium skeleton would be on the team fighting the master of magnetism, but Logan always had a bone (pun intended) to pick with Mags.
Even in the comics where they are on the same side, it's always been very cautious when those two are around each other.
Plus, Charles will never publicly admit it, but Logan will not hesitate to make the difficult decision. If he needs to hurt or even kill, Logan will do so. Its a recurring theme for his character. When he joined the Avengers, Cap was opposed to the idea. He killed in the past. Stark said Steve was right, but having Logan would mean having someone "to go there" when other Avengers wouldn't as a failsafe.
Even within in the X-Men this discussion returns every now and then. In Remenders X-Force Logan was okay with Fantomex killing a child Apocalypse, which shocked his teammates. Hell even Deadpool was disgusted by that haha.
- Charles showing cracks; I like the scene where Scott tells him that again, they never were given the choice and that Charles made another decision for them. For all intents and purposes, Charles isn't a bad man; he is just has his flaws too. Cool to touch on it.
- What dad, you are going to tell me to watch out? 'Give them hell'
- Heelturn from Rogue and Roberto isn't surprising.
- Okay, why does Storm have so many great lines? She is throwing bangers left and right. Again, Storm <3
- MORPH SMASH. A Thunderbolt Ross cameo, Hulk… loving this show.
- Jean vs. Sinister was gooooood. Jean actually doing stuff is refreshing.
- I understand people not liking the direction for Magneto, but, you know, eh. Magneto always leaned into the extreme side of things. Being disappointed by mankind as a man of Jewish descent, as a mutant… and time after time being hit with a curveball.
Genosha being destroyed by another man made weapon and Bastion keeping him locked up, that's pure torture and he snapped. This is the straw that broke the camels back. Fully giving in to those extreme tendencies.
- Did chuckle when he told Charles to shut up. Charles and his dreams which are wellworded, but man, can it be exhausting. Sorry not sorry.
- And that scene for Wolverine…. They actually did it the mad lads. I see people being puzzled why the man with an adamantium skeleton would be on the team fighting the master of magnetism, but Logan always had a bone (pun intended) to pick with Mags.
Even in the comics where they are on the same side, it's always been very cautious when those two are around each other.
Plus, Charles will never publicly admit it, but Logan will not hesitate to make the difficult decision. If he needs to hurt or even kill, Logan will do so. Its a recurring theme for his character. When he joined the Avengers, Cap was opposed to the idea. He killed in the past. Stark said Steve was right, but having Logan would mean having someone "to go there" when other Avengers wouldn't as a failsafe.
Even within in the X-Men this discussion returns every now and then. In Remenders X-Force Logan was okay with Fantomex killing a child Apocalypse, which shocked his teammates. Hell even Deadpool was disgusted by that haha.
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When Magneto said he had always wanted to say 2 words I was thinking "uh welcome to die is three words"
Reader since the 80's aside... I want to give my thoughts. I'm doing this as the show is its own entirely self contained unit, at face value.
Shocker... I enjoyed the episode
I think Magneto did the only thing I think he could have done at that moment to stop the horror that was happening. He had the right thought, leave Earth. Take as many as you can and find a new homeworld. Let Charles help... with his fancy connections, though that may be easier said than done.
Magneto has become the thing he most feared. Genocide of an entire race isn't acceptable.
Cyclops is an idiot. There had to be some better way to get to Xavier other than severing his connection to Magneto. This was a rookie move, and one that I personally feel that Cyclops Wouldn't make. He's not a teenager, and he understands the stakes. This is my big problem with the episode. Yeah... he's all emotional about Jean, but he is experienced enough to stay cool and think rationally. ANY chance for Magneto to reassert control would potentially be enough to doom earth.
I've been shitting on Magneto for a while, so I'm going to come and defend him for one of his most heinous crimes... brutally torturing one of his own. Magneto needed to neutralize Wolverine, and he had very few options on how to do it. Magneto could throw him off of the asteroid... on to earth, or in to outer space, and leave Wolverine to die, but he chose to do it in a way, that while horrific, takes him out and presumably allows him to survive and recover once Magneto won.
The one big beef I have with this episode is that Scott would purposefully break the link once they had Magneto under control. Rather than beam the dude... think for a half second. Bring the Juggernaut (bitch) from some deep dark place down below to interrupt them, or allow Rogue to beam something at Xavier and break his concentration... anything but Cyclops doing something so moronic.
Just my thoughts as a show observer taking everything as presented in 97'. I'd love to hear counter opinions.
Shocker... I enjoyed the episode
I think Magneto did the only thing I think he could have done at that moment to stop the horror that was happening. He had the right thought, leave Earth. Take as many as you can and find a new homeworld. Let Charles help... with his fancy connections, though that may be easier said than done.
Magneto has become the thing he most feared. Genocide of an entire race isn't acceptable.
Cyclops is an idiot. There had to be some better way to get to Xavier other than severing his connection to Magneto. This was a rookie move, and one that I personally feel that Cyclops Wouldn't make. He's not a teenager, and he understands the stakes. This is my big problem with the episode. Yeah... he's all emotional about Jean, but he is experienced enough to stay cool and think rationally. ANY chance for Magneto to reassert control would potentially be enough to doom earth.
I've been shitting on Magneto for a while, so I'm going to come and defend him for one of his most heinous crimes... brutally torturing one of his own. Magneto needed to neutralize Wolverine, and he had very few options on how to do it. Magneto could throw him off of the asteroid... on to earth, or in to outer space, and leave Wolverine to die, but he chose to do it in a way, that while horrific, takes him out and presumably allows him to survive and recover once Magneto won.
The one big beef I have with this episode is that Scott would purposefully break the link once they had Magneto under control. Rather than beam the dude... think for a half second. Bring the Juggernaut (bitch) from some deep dark place down below to interrupt them, or allow Rogue to beam something at Xavier and break his concentration... anything but Cyclops doing something so moronic.
Just my thoughts as a show observer taking everything as presented in 97'. I'd love to hear counter opinions.
Jean kicking Sinister's ass was the highlight of the episode for me. That, plus the final shot. This show is so fucking good.
Yeah, I agree. Personally, I loved the episode. The pace of the show has been rather fast since jump, and, to me, that's expected, in a 22-25 minute animated series. I wouldn't/didn't expect it to be like Invincible, with 45+ minute episodes.
As for Magneto, I agree again. He has experienced no shortage of trauma, and witnessed atrocities that he sees on the verge of repeating. Honestly, those atrocities are already repeating. He tried to followed Charle's way and honor his memory when he took charge. It didn't change a god damned thing. Once again, his people are being targeted and exterminated. Enough is enough.
As a Black man living in America, I can empathize with his rage at seeing the same shit play out that my mother experienced growing up in the 50's and 60's. That my grandparents experienced growing up in the 30's and 40's.
spoilering my rant/ramble for length:
I don't agree with Magneto's methods, in the same way I didn't agree with Killmonger's methods in Black Panther, but I understood the path both took to get to where they were at by the time we pick up the story. There's a difference between trying to be better, and being better. Of wanting to do the noble thing, and doing the noble thing.
Magneto tried, but his trauma, pain, grief, anger, and actual power to do something, anything, won out over his reason.
Riots are the cries of the unheard, MLK said. Riots are also an expression of the oppressed simply being overwhelmed by having to constantly be put in a position to fight for their very rights, and right to exist. If the oppressed had the power of Magneto, I imagine many of them would want to do the same thing. It doesn't make it right, but it certainly makes it understandable, at least in my opinion.
Ultimately, I don't think the show is trying to say Magneto is right, Charles is wrong, or Charles is right, Magneto is wrong. I think it's saying that both of them are wrong; Charles in his idealistic view of peaceful co-existence, and Magneto's view of "by any means necessary." The reality is, much like our real world, that there is always going to be a divide amongst people, whether they be humans against humans, or humans against mutants in this story.
So the question becomes, how do we navigate that harsh, hard reality? Especially when neither side is willing to let go of their hatred and fear and distrust of the other? Personally, I don't think there is an answer to that question. We could all literally be carbon copies of one another, and yet we'd still manage to find a way to hate one another. Or judge one another. Or oppress one another. Does that mean we should give up and stop fighting for a better future? No, of course not. We should continue to push back against oppression and injustice every chance we get. At the end of the day, I truly believe that there are more of us wanting that peace, than there are those that don't.
In the context of the X-Men and this show, I can't imagine there being a solution that will wrap everything up in a neat bow. The bigotry and hatred at the root of the X-Men is never going to be resolved. They'll stop Bastion. They'll stop Magneto. But the fight for tolerance and acceptance will continue, just like in our world. With incremental steps towards change that, unfortunately, move much too slowly when lives are being impacted by the way things are.
I enjoyed seeing Magneto try to walk the "noble" path. But I also enjoyed seeing him finally reach his breaking point. As someone who has experienced racism and intolerance many a time in my life, I found it satisfyingly cathartic to see him pop off. Yet there is also the rational part of me that was saddened that he did what he did. Like, "Oh no, what are you doing?"
With that said, I understand why some wanted to see him continue to be the "good guy," but I also think it sets things up for some potentially compelling stories once this particular arc is complete. Magneto failing to hold on his promise to Charles, makes where his story goes next significantly more interesting to me than him just suddenly being a good guy, like it's some kind of anime where the main antagonist has a change of heart, and starts palling around with the protagonists like the bullshit he had been pulling up to that point is water under the bridge.
If anything, this series has shown that the showrunners aren't afraid to go hard, and go to uncomfortable places, but they also aren't afraid to blur the lines between "heroes" and "villains," when so many superhero stories have a much sharper delineation between the two.
It's part of why Killmonger is often seen as one of the best antagonists in the MCU.
And it's not just Magneto I'm talking about. The X-Men and Charles themselves, are also painted in shades of gray, which I very much enjoy. It's not so black and white. Struggling to reconcile that they are all fallible human beings (albeit human beings with superpowers), is one of the reasons why I've loved this season so much. There are no Steve Rogers or Clark Kents here (not that Cap and Supes are perfect, but you get what I mean). It adds a layer of complexity and interest to what could have easily been a typical "superheroes confront supervillains" story, which this show still very much is.
I also understand how some can feel like Magneto's actions causing the EMP conflict with his desire to protect his people, since it's not just going to be humans impacted by his actions, but like I said, dude is experiencing a complete breaking point of his trauma, grief, anger, disappointment, and exhaustion. He is completely blinded by it, and his trauma response was to revert to his previous way of thinking, because it's what is familiar, comfortable, and what he has more control over. Trying to walk Charles' path would be like me trying to write with my right hand. It's just not natural to me.
For someone to change, and I mean truly change, they have to make that decision for themselves. It can't be forced upon them. Magneto wasn't attempting to co-exist peacefully with humans because it's what he felt in his heart. He was doing it because he felt obligated to Charles' memory to do it. That's why he failed and snapped when his resolve was tested, and broken by Genosha.
After the Genosha massacre, I personally couldn't imagine a scenario where Magneto would be able to stay on that path. Did he go too far? Hell yeah, he did. Did he hypocritically endanger the very people he swore he wants to protect? Absolutely. Were his actions out of left field and unbelievable? Not at all.
If the show runner(s) and writers room really wanted this season to be a "redemption arc" for Magneto, I don't think they would have framed his motivations being that of honoring Charle's memory.
I think they are very much going to change Magneto, but it's going to be part of his over-arching arc and role in the series over the course of seasons, not the few episodes we got where he explicitly told us that he was only playing nice because it's what Charles would have wanted. Not what he himself wants.
In short, it simply wasn't coming from the heart for him.
I do think it's possible that Bastion and Sinister may have done something to Magneto, considering that he "died" in Episode 5, and re-appeared alive in Bastion's clutches a few episodes later, and i agree that I'm not so sure they'd want to keep such a powerful player in the game unless they were planning something/have some use for him. It's also possible that they didn't expect him to EMP the whole fucking planet either.
In either case, I feel like every choice they made with this show has been deliberate, including the scale of Magneto's transgression, and how short sighted his actions were in how it also endangered, and most likely killed, his people as well. The fact that we're discussing such things about a show that's a continuation of a 90's kids cartoon is already pretty damn awesome to me. I grew up on that show, and I never imagined we were going to get something like this in its revival. It's crazy, in a good way! lol
I'm very excited to see how they wrap up this season, but even more excited to see where it goes from here with season 2. I doubt they're going to kill off Magneto next week. He now has potentially the most compelling arc of everyone in the show (an adamantium-less Wolverine is another).
I'm with-holding judgment, although I enjoyed this last episode a lot anyway.
Sorry for the ramble, but I had so much I wanted to say, and I had been holding off contributing much to this thread until I caught up on the episodes, and I usually like to take in the whole season before I really express my thoughts. But we're close enough to the end at this point lol
Magneto tried, but his trauma, pain, grief, anger, and actual power to do something, anything, won out over his reason.
Riots are the cries of the unheard, MLK said. Riots are also an expression of the oppressed simply being overwhelmed by having to constantly be put in a position to fight for their very rights, and right to exist. If the oppressed had the power of Magneto, I imagine many of them would want to do the same thing. It doesn't make it right, but it certainly makes it understandable, at least in my opinion.
Ultimately, I don't think the show is trying to say Magneto is right, Charles is wrong, or Charles is right, Magneto is wrong. I think it's saying that both of them are wrong; Charles in his idealistic view of peaceful co-existence, and Magneto's view of "by any means necessary." The reality is, much like our real world, that there is always going to be a divide amongst people, whether they be humans against humans, or humans against mutants in this story.
So the question becomes, how do we navigate that harsh, hard reality? Especially when neither side is willing to let go of their hatred and fear and distrust of the other? Personally, I don't think there is an answer to that question. We could all literally be carbon copies of one another, and yet we'd still manage to find a way to hate one another. Or judge one another. Or oppress one another. Does that mean we should give up and stop fighting for a better future? No, of course not. We should continue to push back against oppression and injustice every chance we get. At the end of the day, I truly believe that there are more of us wanting that peace, than there are those that don't.
In the context of the X-Men and this show, I can't imagine there being a solution that will wrap everything up in a neat bow. The bigotry and hatred at the root of the X-Men is never going to be resolved. They'll stop Bastion. They'll stop Magneto. But the fight for tolerance and acceptance will continue, just like in our world. With incremental steps towards change that, unfortunately, move much too slowly when lives are being impacted by the way things are.
I enjoyed seeing Magneto try to walk the "noble" path. But I also enjoyed seeing him finally reach his breaking point. As someone who has experienced racism and intolerance many a time in my life, I found it satisfyingly cathartic to see him pop off. Yet there is also the rational part of me that was saddened that he did what he did. Like, "Oh no, what are you doing?"
With that said, I understand why some wanted to see him continue to be the "good guy," but I also think it sets things up for some potentially compelling stories once this particular arc is complete. Magneto failing to hold on his promise to Charles, makes where his story goes next significantly more interesting to me than him just suddenly being a good guy, like it's some kind of anime where the main antagonist has a change of heart, and starts palling around with the protagonists like the bullshit he had been pulling up to that point is water under the bridge.
If anything, this series has shown that the showrunners aren't afraid to go hard, and go to uncomfortable places, but they also aren't afraid to blur the lines between "heroes" and "villains," when so many superhero stories have a much sharper delineation between the two.
It's part of why Killmonger is often seen as one of the best antagonists in the MCU.
And it's not just Magneto I'm talking about. The X-Men and Charles themselves, are also painted in shades of gray, which I very much enjoy. It's not so black and white. Struggling to reconcile that they are all fallible human beings (albeit human beings with superpowers), is one of the reasons why I've loved this season so much. There are no Steve Rogers or Clark Kents here (not that Cap and Supes are perfect, but you get what I mean). It adds a layer of complexity and interest to what could have easily been a typical "superheroes confront supervillains" story, which this show still very much is.
I also understand how some can feel like Magneto's actions causing the EMP conflict with his desire to protect his people, since it's not just going to be humans impacted by his actions, but like I said, dude is experiencing a complete breaking point of his trauma, grief, anger, disappointment, and exhaustion. He is completely blinded by it, and his trauma response was to revert to his previous way of thinking, because it's what is familiar, comfortable, and what he has more control over. Trying to walk Charles' path would be like me trying to write with my right hand. It's just not natural to me.
For someone to change, and I mean truly change, they have to make that decision for themselves. It can't be forced upon them. Magneto wasn't attempting to co-exist peacefully with humans because it's what he felt in his heart. He was doing it because he felt obligated to Charles' memory to do it. That's why he failed and snapped when his resolve was tested, and broken by Genosha.
After the Genosha massacre, I personally couldn't imagine a scenario where Magneto would be able to stay on that path. Did he go too far? Hell yeah, he did. Did he hypocritically endanger the very people he swore he wants to protect? Absolutely. Were his actions out of left field and unbelievable? Not at all.
If the show runner(s) and writers room really wanted this season to be a "redemption arc" for Magneto, I don't think they would have framed his motivations being that of honoring Charle's memory.
I think they are very much going to change Magneto, but it's going to be part of his over-arching arc and role in the series over the course of seasons, not the few episodes we got where he explicitly told us that he was only playing nice because it's what Charles would have wanted. Not what he himself wants.
In short, it simply wasn't coming from the heart for him.
I do think it's possible that Bastion and Sinister may have done something to Magneto, considering that he "died" in Episode 5, and re-appeared alive in Bastion's clutches a few episodes later, and i agree that I'm not so sure they'd want to keep such a powerful player in the game unless they were planning something/have some use for him. It's also possible that they didn't expect him to EMP the whole fucking planet either.
In either case, I feel like every choice they made with this show has been deliberate, including the scale of Magneto's transgression, and how short sighted his actions were in how it also endangered, and most likely killed, his people as well. The fact that we're discussing such things about a show that's a continuation of a 90's kids cartoon is already pretty damn awesome to me. I grew up on that show, and I never imagined we were going to get something like this in its revival. It's crazy, in a good way! lol
I'm very excited to see how they wrap up this season, but even more excited to see where it goes from here with season 2. I doubt they're going to kill off Magneto next week. He now has potentially the most compelling arc of everyone in the show (an adamantium-less Wolverine is another).
I'm with-holding judgment, although I enjoyed this last episode a lot anyway.
Sorry for the ramble, but I had so much I wanted to say, and I had been holding off contributing much to this thread until I caught up on the episodes, and I usually like to take in the whole season before I really express my thoughts. But we're close enough to the end at this point lol
Jean and Storm made me tear up, when Storm was giving her the pep talk. The voice actress is so incredible - legit sorry I made fun of her as a teenager because of those weather callouts.
Ah that explains it. I didn't recognize Morph's outfit. But I never read Exiles back in the day.
90s Cyclops wearing a cowl just looks so odd for some reason. Same thing with Morph wearing a capeless version of his yellow Exiles costume.
Ah that explains it. I didn't recognize Morph's outfit. But I never read Exiles back in the day.