# X-Men ’97 Season 2 Review RC the Commission and co-host Sam Howe break down the highs and lows of X-Men ’97 Season 2, from the show’s crowded storytelling and uneven pacing to the emotional fallout around Magneto, Gambit, Rogue, and Wolverine. They also look ahead to Season 3, including where the series might go with Graydon Creed, Onslaught, Krakoa, and a more politically charged mutant conflict. ## Key topics - In this episode, RC the Commission and Sam Howe give their overall Season 2 score and both settle on a mixed response, with Sam landing at a 6 out of 10. - They argue that the season felt wildly uneven, especially after the Wolverine standalone episode, which Sam calls the standout of the season. - They discuss how the season seemed to suffer from rewrites after Bo DeMeo’s exit, including the possibility that an originally planned 10 episode season was cut down. - They compare Season 2 to Season 1, saying the first season worked better because it had decades of X-Men history to build on, while Season 2 had to build mostly from scratch. - They criticize the back half of the season for feeling overloaded, with too many characters and arcs competing for space, including Polaris, Danger, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Weapon X, and X-Factor. - They talk about how the season often used characters as plot pieces rather than giving them meaningful development, especially Rogue, Storm, Mystique, and Graydon Creed. - They break down the Gambit storyline and say his return, sacrifice, and emotional payoff felt muddled despite the character’s importance. - They praise Nightcrawler’s trial scene with Graydon Creed as one of the best character moments of the season, especially for how it handled forgiveness and self hatred. - They say the show lost some of its political edge in the second half, with Graydon Creed’s rise to power feeling rushed and underexplained. - They look ahead to Season 3 and expect the series to move toward a stronger mutant versus government conflict, possibly involving Krakoa, Onslaught, and a more adversarial Xavier and Cyclops dynamic. ## Timestamps 00:00 - Opening the Season 2 review and setting expectations 00:43 - First impressions and overall score 01:57 - Why Season 2 felt more crowded than Season 1 04:08 - Original plans for Onslaught, Polaris, and the Age of Apocalypse 06:05 - Rogue, Storm, and the emotional weight problem 07:31 - Why the Wolverine episode worked and where it fell short 09:24 - Death, resurrection, and why consequences felt cheap 11:31 - Story prioritization over character development 13:13 - The abandoned Onslaught setup and rewritten back half 16:35 - Xavier and Magneto as emotional subtext 18:35 - The season’s weakened political viewpoint 20:55 - Graydon Creed, Val Cooper, and rushed government plotting 24:06 - Nightcrawler’s standout trial scene 25:42 - Why Danger EXE was the weakest episode 27:48 - Too many new characters, too little time at the school 29:24 - Why Season 1 felt more specific and satisfying 31:18 - Where Season 3 could go from here 34:15 - Xavier and Cyclops as morally gray leaders 39:29 - Thoughts on casting and the MCU’s mutant setup 41:34 - How Spider-Man: Brand New Day overstuffed its story 43:14 - Early casting reactions, including Adam Driver as Mr. Sinister 45:36 - Krakoa, Genosha, and the next mutant status quo 47:02 - Favorite part of the season: returning to the X-Men world 49:47 - Worst part of the season: lack of direction and consequence 51:17 - Why Gambit’s arc was the biggest disappointment 52:44 - Favorite late-season moment: Xavier’s attack on Apocalypse 53:47 - Why Season 3 needs to arrive faster and do more 55:07 - Closing thoughts and Patreon shoutout ## Notable quotes > “It is a wildly uneven season.” > “The best writing is so specific that it becomes universal.” > “I need to go back and watch anything from my childhood.”
