By Ben Wright (@Iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
Following the devastating events of Season 1, the X-Men are forced to deal with the fallout while facing new threats that push the team further than ever before. With new alliances, old enemies and the fate of mutants once again hanging in the balance, Season 2 expands the world of X-Men ’97 in some pretty big ways while still keeping the personal stories at the heart of the team.
Season 1 of X-Men ’97 was incredible. Emotionally devastating at times and some of the hardest-hitting television we’ve had in a long time, and I’m including live-action shows in that. So naturally, the anticipation for Season 2 was pretty high.
Thankfully, while a few elements don’t quite reach the heights of that first season, this second season was still an exciting, emotional and incredibly fun watch.
The first few episodes immediately reminded me why I loved this show so much in the first place. The animation remains fantastic, the emotional weight is still there, and I really liked the decision to bring some of the characters who took more of a back seat in Season 1 into the spotlight.
Nightcrawler, who is one of my favourites, gets a lot more to do this time around, while Rogue is also much more central to some of the season’s biggest storylines. I really enjoyed seeing more of both characters. Although I’m still holding out for that Beast-centric episode. Season 3 owes us one at this point.
This season also goes much, much bigger. Apocalypse, time travel and some pretty massive developments give us plenty of those jaw-dropping moments that have become such a huge part of the show’s appeal.
Personally, I enjoyed the grander scale for the most part. I actually think they used the time travel elements pretty well and, compared to the original animated series, they never felt completely overused. It was just about the right amount for me.
This is where I started to struggle a little, because the story gets very, very big.
I’ve always preferred my X-Men stories when they’re a little more grounded. The original series had plenty of huge stories, but whenever things became too cosmic or galactic, I found that some of the emotional weight started to disappear. I had a similar feeling here.
Season 1 had such a strong focus on prejudice, justice and what it means to be different. Those themes gave everything happening to the X-Men an extra layer of weight, especially because of how closely they reflect the real world.
We’re living through a period where hate, bigotry and the dehumanisation of minority groups are unfortunately still very real. Seeing those ideas reflected through the X-Men made the first season hit incredibly hard.
Season 2 doesn’t really have that same focus.
Instead, the story becomes much more concerned with the bigger picture and the fate of the universe. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and there are still some absolutely brutal and emotional moments throughout the season, but they hit differently.
For me, that’s the biggest reason Season 1 still has the edge.
The biggest problem for me, though, is the pacing.
There’s a lot going on here. Maybe too much. The show introduces some huge ideas, plenty of lore and multiple timelines, and at times it feels like it’s trying to squeeze too much into too few episodes. Things become particularly rushed towards the back end of the season, with some developments that I would’ve liked to see given a little more room to breathe.
Apocalypse is probably the biggest example. There’s so much build-up around the character that I was expecting something a little more substantial from the overall storyline. It’s not that it was bad, but I think the season occasionally struggled under the weight of everything it was trying to tell.
And yet, despite those criticisms, I still thoroughly enjoyed every episode.
That’s probably the most important thing.
Even when the pacing was moving a little too quickly, or the story became bigger than I personally would’ve liked, there was always something happening that kept me invested. The characters remain the heart of the show, and every one of them is dealing with something. Love, loss, grief, identity and trying to figure out where they fit into a world that doesn’t always want them.
That’s where the season is at its strongest.
And interestingly, the way Season 2 ends has me more excited for Season 3 than I expected.
Without getting into spoilers, there are hints that the series could potentially return to some of those more grounded themes that made Season 1 so powerful. If that’s where we’re heading, I’m all for it.
Don’t get me wrong, the rushed pacing is still the biggest criticism I have of this season. But it never stopped me from having a great time watching it.
X-Men ’97 remains one of the best animated series on television right now. The animation is stunning, the characters continue to be incredibly well written, and there are enough huge moments throughout this season to keep even the biggest X-Men fan entertained.
Season 2 increases the size and scale of X-Men ’97 to galactic proportions, and while the pacing can feel rushed and the focus occasionally a little unsteady, there’s still so much to love. It doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights of Season 1 for me, but it’s another fantastic, entertaining and often emotional chapter that continues to prove why this is one of the best animated series currently on television.
X-Geeks 