In July I made a video defending X-Men ’97. I said the show earned its swings, and I meant it.
This finale does not get that from me.
“Survival of the Fittest” lands exactly where you expected it to, and that is the problem. There is a difference between a setup that is seeded and a setup that is telegraphed, and it is the difference between a payoff and an announcement. This episode announces everything. Nightcrawler’s sacrifice. The faith line. What happens to Gambit. You saw all of it coming, and the show is counting on the fact that seeing it coming feels like satisfaction.
It doesn’t. Here is the case, with receipts.
The full Season 2 verdict lands Saturday.
Timecode Chapters
00:00 – The Finale Was Gorgeous, But It Was Built Wrong
02:38 – Nightcrawler’s Unearned Sacrifice & “Faith”
05:55 – The Graydon Creed Post-Credit Payoff
06:43 – Cable Shoots Gambit: Directing for Cheap
07:36 – The Missing Connective Tissue on Apocalypse’s Ship
09:09 – “Key Jangling” Iconic Comic Moments Without Consequence
11:53 – Sentinels in Genosha: The Emotional Miss
13:23 – Cliffhangers vs. Post-Credit Stings
15:20 – The Know-It-All Index
16:48 – Your Turn: Where Did This Episode Lose You?
WATCH NEXT
Why I Let X-Men ’97 Get Away With This: https://youtu.be/w2qK9o9Zg5A?si=SxDmg2p7tjnxTiu3
Every X-Men ’97 video: https://www.youtube.com/show/VLPLBGSuYLD3wwg?sbp=KgtRM1Z4eEZ1eHBXMEAB
Strange New Worlds Season 4: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEAKeH4ZYLkM&si=B8sxFhIGgm0POFYj
Spoilers for X-Men ’97 Season 2 Episode 9 throughout, including the post-credits scene. Nothing beyond.
source
