Ricky Church reviews the fifth episode of Marvel Studios’ X-Men ’97…
Wow. That is the first thing that popped up in my mind at the conclusion of ‘Remember It’, the halfway point of X-Men ’97‘s first season. It delivered the biggest emotional gut punch in the series so far, even one of the biggest of any X-Men story, and has pushed the characters and series toward new and darker territory. It is especially significant as ‘Remember It’ moves further away from the Chris Claremont-inspired 90s adventures (a fact which half of last week’s episode sent viewers on a nostalgic trip) and into the 2000s Grant Morrison-led mutant tales.
If nothing else, ‘Remember It’ is an example of the show’s excellent writing and character work as the story was divided between the goings-on at the Xavier Mansion and a trip to the mutant island Genosha where lots of progress was being made in mutant harmony and acceptance. Magneto, Rogue and Gambit got the spotlight with great dialogue between them while Nightcrawler’s return – along with his original X-Men voice actor Adrian Hough – was quite a joyous moment. There was a lot of drama for the episode to handle – even before things went to hell – but it balanced everything very well where each character beat was captivating and emotional, but one couple stood out among the lot.
Rogue and Gambit have long been considered the fan-favourite couple of the X-Men, what with both of their Southern charm and devotion to each other despite Rogue’s inability to connect physically. The distance that has seemingly separated them since Magneto’s entry to the team was finally brought out into the open as Rogue revealed her past relationship with Magneto and the conflicting feelings she had for them both, contrasting Magneto’s immunity to her mutant power to Gambit’s deep love. The writing for them were incredibly well written and emotional. Both A.J. LoCascio and Lenore Zann knocked it out of the park with their performances throughout the episode, but especially in the final few minutes as they attempted to stop Genosha’s destruction from the mighty Sentinel machine.
In that vein, X-Men ’97 took a turn into Game of Thrones‘ Red Wedding territory with a fairly dark and graphic sequence as the Sentinels blasted mutants indiscriminately. The animation throughout the climax was detailed with the red and dark colours brought about from destruction as well as the choreography of Magneto, Rogue, Gambit and Nightcrawler trying to save as many mutants as they could. Even prior to the carnage, the mutant ball offered quite a sight of varying colours and costumes along with a lovely and sensual dance between Magneto and Rogue. The defense of Genosha, though, is something that is not going to be forgotten any time soon. It is bittersweet that such an amazing sequence resulted in the tragic end to a beloved X-Man.
The death of Gambit certainly cemented the tragedy of the episode. It was quite a note to end on, providing an awesome heroic sacrifice as Gambit used the last of his energy to destroy the Wild Sentinel only to focus on the tragic loss and Rogue’s heartbreak immediately after. Zann’s last line was soul crushing, letting us hear the pain in her voice as Rogue cradled Gambit’s body. This also happens to show the advantage of a week-to-week release strategy rather than premiering it all at once like other streaming services. Not only is it currently a hotly discussed topic among fans, but they have a week to fully digest the loss of Gambit and sit with the emotions the production team so clearly wanted us to feel.
This is all without mentioning Cyclops and Jean’s troubles. While their story wasn’t as significant as the events in Genosha, they still laid out the groundwork for it as they tried to put on a good front for a reporter in a series of interviews about life as a mutant and the general peace they’ve achieved with humanity. It is notable that in their argument both Scott and Jean had valid points and were also wrong in how they were handling their issues, with the series even adapting Scott’s psychic affair by swapping Emma Frost for Madelyne Pryor. Ray Chase and Jennifer Hale gave great performances, making their frustrations and anger feel earned rather than drama for drama’s sake.
‘Remember It’ is one of the best episodes of TV that has been produced within the last couple of years due to its strong writing, emotional hooks, stellar animation, intense action and the Newton Brothers’ incredible score. Zann, LoCascio and Matthew Waterson delivered fantastic and moving performances for their respective characters that made the climactic final minutes much more tragic and memorable. It’s not just the halfway point of the season we’ve crossed, but the Rubicon as the world of the X-Men has been radically changed in a way that may not be undone and with the character development we’ve gotten so far the possibilities for what is ahead are quite exciting and nerve-wracking.
Rating: 10/10
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
