1x04 Motendo / Lifedeath (1)

I give it a 7 die to the cool references. The videogame being in the shape of a Sega Genesis with the cartridge having the same artwork of the X-Men game was perfect, but it was spoiled by calling it "Motendo?. What? Should be Monesis. Writers are clueless to the amateur mistake they made. Looks like they are zoomer phonies trying to write 90s inspired story and not doing their homework.
The videogame inspired soundtrack was on point. Roberto's Portuguese lines were cheesy and cringe as hell. No Brazilian would say al those lines in succession like that. He sounded like an alien trying to pass as a human.
Less cringe character on this episode was Mojo, and that's saying a lot.
Also it wasn't clear what Spiral was up to. Is she back with Mojo, was she saboiting the game? Not a clue.
Also it was really predictable they were going to kiss at the end, since they made sure to let us know Jubilee was now 18. Heaven forbid a teenager kissing someone, tight Hollywood?
Anyways "Days of Future Past" artwork almost made all this go away and earned a grade of 7 for me. That was the best part of the episode. Without that my rate would go to somewhere near 4.

[7.7/10] I loved the X-Men arcade game growing up, so an episode of X-Men ‘97 that pays tribute to it, while advancing the ball for Jubilee and Sunspot both personally and romantically, pushes all the right buttons for me.

I appreciate all the little touches in this one, from the tributes to the intro, aesthetic, and sounds of the arcade beat-em-up; to the homages to The Matrix built into this “trapped in a digital space” conceit; to the cheeky mention of Dazzler. (Fun fact: that famous X-Men arcade game was not actually based on X-Men: The Animated Series, but rather a peculiar one-off special called Pryde of the X-Men which featured Dazzler as a main character.) In many ways, the target audience for this show is Millennials who are nostalgic for their 1990s childhoods and adolescence, and this episode feeds that need expertly.

But it also deconstructs that idea, which is, if anything, even more laudable. The tone is cheeky, but the idea of a newly adult Jubilee yearning for the days when she was a kid without expectations or responsibilities who could while away the day at the mal resonates with a lot of the crusty grown-ups like me who grew up with the original show. The lesson and theme, that nostalgia is fun, but it’s important to keep growing and not retreat to the past, is a worthwhile one, especially coming from a show whose very existence depends on nostalgia.

Adding that disclaimer is commendable. The fact that it comes from an older Jubilee, voiced by Alyson Court, who played the role in the 1990s show, gives it some added resonance, for Jubilee and for the audience. When the person who gave up the role is the voice telling you it’s okay, even necessary, to move on, it can't help but hit harder.

The Sunspot arc is a little weaker. The connection between him not wanting tot ake the risk of people finding out what he really is, especially his mother, and him taking some risks in the video game world, is pretty thin. But it’s still something, and the fact that after going through the wringer together, he and Jubilee can admit their feelings adds some oomph to his part of the story as well.

The only thing I’m mixed on here is Mojo. In truth, he was one of the most annoying characters from the show’s original run, so I wasn’t exactly enamored to see him back. But this new incarnation of him is less grating than the old one. Plus, despite the episode’s themes, there is a certain novelty to seeing him and Spiral back in action, which helps buoy the character.

Overall, this was a hell of an enjoyable lark for fans of the X-Men arcade game, which goes beyond cheap nostalgia and uses its novel premise to advance the characters and some interesting ideas at the same time.

[7.5/10] So let’s start with the obvious. It’s really weird to have the first part of your duology on heartrending regret and recovery start as the abbreviated back half of an episode that's a whimsical lark. My guess is that it’s an homage to back-up stories in comic books? Who knows! Either way, it’s odd.

All of that said, I like it! I am a sucker for slow-spun stories of two people working through their issues together and becoming closer to one another in the process. I’m glad to see the show exploring Storm’s emotional struggle with losing her powers, rather than just having her disappear and then return fixed when it’s convenient. Seeing how this experience is as much about her acclimation to being a normie, healing of the mind and not just of the body, deepens the character. Frankly, it’s more than we ever got in terms of her overcoming claustrophobia in the original show.

Likewise, despite appearing in multiple episodes (and points along the timeline) of the original show, we never got to know much about Forge as a personality. So I like how this deepens him too, giving him regrets about his role in designing anti-mutant collars, explicating a little bit about his time in the war, doling out tidbits about how his powers work, and motivating him with a quest for redemption. He feels like more of a person here than he ever did in the 1990s, and I’ll take it.

There’s also a lovely, almost lyrical tone to the episode. Something about the quieter, more intimate pace of Forge helping Storm recover, with romance and attachment subtly bubbling under the surface, works well as a change of a pace for the normally explosive X-Men. This is an easy episode to vibe with, cozier and more inviting than the average outing for the show.

It’s also a tragic romance. That angle on it is well done, given how easy it is to see Ororo and Forge slipping into something amiable together, only for it to be shattered by Forge’s revelation. His speech about Storm being a goddess, regardless of her powers, is stirring as all hell, and her angry rejection is no less heartbreaking.

I’m less on board with the appearance of “The Adversary”, who already feels like a retread of Storm’s encounters with the Shadow King. But its design is cool and creepy, and as I’ve said before, I jive well with the dream logic, impressionistic presentation style, so there’s still hope on that front.

Overall, this seems like it would make more sense as its own thing, joined with its second part rather than stapled onto “Motendo”, especially when streaming services mean you don’t have to be as strict about runtimes. But it’s still a good outing on its own merits.