[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.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2024-04-03T22:13:01Z
[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.