X-Men '97 Episode 9 - Tolerance is Extinction Part 2 *spoilers*

[Saturius]

I know comics Xavier is a prick, but TAS Xavier has always been a saint, so it really pisses me off that so many folks online are acting like he deserved all the disrespect and abuse everyone shoveled on him today. Bro should have stayed with Liandra and let the Shi'ar wash his memories clean of all these mouthy little ingrates.

I'm not on social media so it's surprising to hear people reacting negatively to Xavier. He's done nothing wrong here. And to be fair, the only people in the show who gave him crap was Cyclops and Rogue. But it was annoying as hell to see him constantly beating himself up. He didn't deserve those tongue lashings.

[Havok83]

Bravo, bravo, bravo! What a GOOD episode!

I was not expecting that Jean vs Sinister showdown and Cable turning on her.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

Everyone keeps saying everything was too rushed.

Just think of it as a decompressed comic. You still get more story in one twenty-minute episode than you do in a six-dollar issue.

[Gnostic]

Does anybody else get the feeling that Magneto is going to die from his wounds to mirror his "death" in the Morrigan run?

[ChronoRogue]

This was... not my favorite. Not only super predictable, but DeMayo rushes to check the plot points off while running over most of the characters. The only ones who you can tell there's a care for their development and characterization are Jean and Cyclops. The others feel like pieces getting moved to get to a particular scene.

I don't disagree with most of your points but just want to restate what yogaflame mentioned earlier that this wasn't written by Beau De Mayo. De Mayo wrote EP 1, 2, 3 (co-wrote), 5, and 8 (co-wrote) so far.

This is Anthony Sellitti's first solo episode.

Though Beau is credited as the executive director for the episode so he did sign off on it I suppose.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

And to be fair, the only people in the show who gave him crap was Cyclops and Rogue.

And the president, Roberto, and Magneto. And Rogue got really extra when she used his wheelchair as a coat hanger. Damn, Anna Marie, I know your man died but did your manners have to go with him?

[Hi-Fi]

I don't disagree with most of your points but just want to restate what yogaflame mentioned earlier that this wasn't written by Beau De Mayo. De Mayo wrote EP 1, 2, 3 (co-wrote), 5, and 8 (co-wrote) so far.

This is Anthony Sellitti's first solo episode.

Though Beau is credited as the executive director for the episode so he did sign off on it I suppose.

Normally, the showrunner creates every plot point and scene breakdown before giving the episode to the assigned writer. He also rewrites stuff when the episode comes in. So while I get your point, this episode is still a reflection of Beau's vision for the show.

Again, he's doing a great job overall but I feel like this episode felt short of delivering the emotional punch it should have had (at least to me) and that's because he was more focused on plot and cool scenes and, frankly, his pet favorites lol

[Muffin Crud]

This was... not my favorite. Not only super predictable, but DeMayo rushes to check the plot points off while running over most of the characters. The only ones who you can tell there's a care for their development and characterization are Jean and Cyclops. The others feel like pieces getting moved to get to a particular scene.

For instance, what are Wolverine thoughts on Genosha? Or about Magneto during the entire season? We don't know. Why didn't Magneto talk to Storm about her taking the hit for him? Why didn't Storm mention Gambit (TAS established she's the one who knows him best), why is her relationship with Rogue being hijacked for her relationship with Jean? Rogue's characterization, by the way, lost all of the complexity it was given in Episode 5.

Cable feels like an aftertought, only there to enhance Jean and Cyclops stories. Whenever he appeared in TAS, he had a mission statement, a big role to play. His showing here was bad. Storm's showing was also whatever. Her big comeback and she's there to uplift Jean.

Jean vs Sinister was the best part.

Last episode was so much better in a lot of surprising ways.

Hopefully the next one will be a return to the more complex take from past episodes.

This episode didn’t land for me, either. Way too many important character beats completely glossed over.

[Havok83]

Is the voice actor playing Xavier, Canadian? I ask bc I was noticing an accent as he tried to pronounce some words that didnt sound American

[ChronoRogue]

Normally, the showrunner creates every plot point and scene breakdown before giving the episode to the assigned writer. He also rewrites stuff when the episode comes in. So while I get your point, this episode is still a reflection of Beau's vision for the show.

Again, he's doing a great job overall but I feel like this episode felt short of delivering the emotional punch it should have had (at least to me) and that's because he was more focused on plot and cool scenes and, frankly, his pet favorites lol

It's hard to say, not all writers have the same vision as shown even with comics. I feel like a showrunners role would be closer to an editor wouldn't it? He can tell them to rewrite scenes but he's not going to do it himself.

Who knows but you're right that at the end of the day he did sign off on it so maybe it was satisfactory enough to him. Just noticed that most of the best episodes were the one's he wrote himself. I'm not sure if he's responsible for the break-neck pacing, but I think only his writing can handle it best.

[FlawedCoil82]

When this series started, I felt like I had won the lottery. All my numbers came up. The first 8 episodes….were virtually perfect. Then I get to episode 9 and it feels like I just got informed the terrible news that I had forgotten to actually play the numbers for that drawing. I am crushed right now. This was NOT the direction I ever wanted or hoped this show would go. I already knew the uniform bait & switch was going to be a massive dealbreaker, but I really didn’t think they would also go ahead and spoil the “Fatal Attraction” storyline with Wolverine as well (I figured they would only borrow some elements from it).

In hindsight I now feel like they did cram too many focal stories into bullet point speed runs of important moments, that now it feels like they decided to take the “X-Men Forever” route; where it is just one shocking tragedy, revelation or calamity after another. Wolverine will have the totally useless bone claws and likely leave the team now too. As awesome as “Fatal Attractions” was, that was the first event that I felt tarnished the “perfection” the ”X-Men” book had, as I hated to see him leave the team.

I used to imagine what it would be like if they made a feature length movie about “Fatal Attractions”, but now that potential has been lost. It somehow didn’t feel “earned” here. I mean what’s left?! X-Cutioners Song?! I suppose they will just wrap that storyline up by the end of Episode 10, so long as there is still enough time after we also conclude Onslaught, Operation: Zero Tolerance and House Of M by next week’s finale.

I also have a hard time accepting that Rogue could switch that easily and fight against the very team she viewed as her family for years and who came to comfort her just two episodes ago (and sadly I was right about her getting the bland green and white hood). I had a hard enough time believing Colossus when he did it. I DID like that she was wearing Gambit’s coat briefly and the fight between Jean and Sinister was cool, but that pretty much sums up the only things I liked about this episode. And I can’t believe Storm never even mentioned Gambit given their history.

As it stands, this was, BY FAR, my least favorite episode of the series so far. I am actually scared now to watch the Season finale before it can completely deconstruct, change and finish off the cherished animated series team as I knew and loved them. The episode shocked me but for all the wrong reasons. It literally felt like I was watching an entirely different show filled with all-new characters. It feels like this should have been epic. But the completely out of place uniforms were a massive distraction for me. And I feel like they turbo-rushed it to get here. I really don’t see how this damage to the show can be fixed short of time travel. I don’t know….I just feel so discouraged now after what I saw and the realization that the 90s party I was still so excited about even just 24 hours ago could very likely be all over for me now.

[DearMachine]

I've said this elsewhere, but I think the breakneck pacing means that important story and character beats don't land as they should. It's hard to get invested in anything when it gets wrapped up five minutes later, just so we can get to the next Omega-Level Feat or Tragedy or Shocking Decision. For instance, Rogue turns her back on the X-Men? Oh well. Wolverine's getting his adamantium ripped out moments later, so she's going to be back with them after she realizes Magneto's vision doesn't align with hers.

It frustrates me especially because there are obvious cuts in the season to be made so they could give the narrative more room to breathe. If I use my editor's eye, I absolutely would have cut Lifedeath and Motendo. That's 1/5 of the season running time you get back. I also don't think you need Inferno. Don't get me wrong. They're great stories (other than Motendo, which was mid), but I don't think these versions of them were great because they were so rushed. Focus the first season on OZT/E for Extinction/Planet X/Fatal Attractions as your strongest material, and do it justice.

[remydat]

And the president, Roberto, and Magneto. And Rogue got really extra when she used his wheelchair as a coat hanger. Damn, Anna Marie, I know your man died but did your manners have to go with him?

Her man did not die. She ended it with Gambit before he died. She needs to stop lying to herself and everyone.

It is laughable watching her diss Storm for leaving to deal with her trauma as if she didnt abandon Gambit due to her own trauma.

[CGAR]

I sometimes really dislike Rogue and Storms dialogue. It seems dated sometimes.

But we got a lot in this episode.

[remydat]

Also if you going after a dude that controls metal then probably best not to send the guy with 300 pounds of metal inside of him. Seems fairly obvious if you splitting into 2 teams Wolverine should go with the team going after Bastion.

Of course it had to happen so we can get the iconic moment but not the best tactical decision their Cyke.