In Short

Season Two of X-Men: Evolution offers only slightly more entertaining episodes than Season One, but does shine by introducing many, many re-imagined characters from X-Men lore that will certainly entertain the X-Men fans. The introduction of Beast is very well done, showcasing Hank McCoy’s fear of what he’s turning into, and his addition to the team (along with many other students) really helps make the Xavier Institute feel more like a school for mutants than it did in Season One.

Unlike the first season, several episodes stand out and will stay with the viewer for some time after. Unfortunately, the show is still plagued by bad dialogue and occasionally horrible episodes that seem to completely lack a plot. Continuing in the footsteps of Season One, Season Two’s finale is fantastic and will encourage many viewers to continue on to the much better Season Three.

The Good: Beast is handled very well in all ways, including dialogue and voice acting, and his introduction generally improves the show. A plethora of minor and not so minor characters from X-Men lore, from Cannonball to Sunspot to Jubilee, appear this season and they’re all well done. Good use of foreshadowing is done with Principal Kelley, and he is another example of an adversary from the X-Men universe (Senator Kelley) being redefined for the high school based show.

The Bad: Some episodes could easily be cut out of the show and they would not be missed. One episode, for instance, involves Cyclops and his brother being stuck out in the ocean. Nothing interesting happens to them, they simply float there and worry until they’re eventually rescued by the X-Men at the end. The dialogue is still atrocious at times, but has generally improved. Characters are often very one dimensional, especially villains, and the show makes no attempt at exploring their motivations. Many of the writers ideas concerning high school and computers seem dated, to say the least.

The Physical Thing

The physical quality of these DVDs is substantially the same as Season One. As of this writing Season Two has been released on four single DVDs, each containing about 4 episodes for about $10 each. The DVD packaging is poor on several levels. First, the cases are flimsy. While they are made of a harder card stock, the plastic latches can be annoying and the cases generally lack the strength and ease of use of a simple plastic case. Second, the small number of episodes per disc results in frequent disc switching.

Season Two makes generally unexceptional use of special features, including such lackluster options as trivia, but still including decent behind the scenes coverage. A simple menu and “Play All” option leads to an easy to use interface.

Note: The very high current cost of this product should make the Rating more like a 2/2. I anticipate the 4 DVDs will be collected in a single volume eventually, and many consumers may be able to find the current volumes at significant discount. Still, if you're cost conscious you may want to pass on this one for now.

My Take

Season Two is, in many ways, a transition season. The characters use their powers more openly and by the end of the season live footage of the “Mutant Menace” is being broadcast on all TV channels. The addition of many new characters does more than entertain long time X-Men fans, as many of these characters receive significant screen time in both this season and Season Three. These additional characters help propel the show forward from being about the high school exploits of mutant teenagers to mutants dealing with a world that hates and fears them.

Romance is another common theme in Season Two. Shadowcat and the villain Avalanche have an odd relationship that receives spotty screentime, while Cyclops and Jean Grey have a sort of unspoken love for one another that often reappears when Jean’s current boyfriend, Duncan, is on screen. Unfortunately, both romances are uninteresting. There’s little tension or chemistry here, and Jean’s interest in a clearly offensive and rude character is strange to say the least.

While many of the new characters will only be identifiable to long time X-Men fans, the inclusion of Beast is well done. A chemistry professor at the local high school, Hank McCoy used special serums to keep his inner beast in check. When the serum no longer worked well enough he attempted to cure himself of the mutation and permanently altered his form to become the blue and furry character many viewers are familiar with. The only downside is that the series pays little attention to Hank’s inner turmoil with being a brilliant man in a monster’s body. Perhaps this is due to a similar theme being explored with Nightcrawler, but it feels like a missed opportunity.

The best that can be said of Season Two is that it’s just better than Season One. Several more memorable episodes are found here. The introduction of Angel is excellent, and involves a wonderful scene in a large Cathedral where Magneto and Angel do battle in the air. Operation Rebirth remembers the adventures of Wolverine and Captain America during World War II, all while Wolverine leads a mission to prevent Magneto from acquiring a super serum. Joyride provides a simple but fun story involving various kids at the Institute stealing the Blackbird jet and losing control in the sky, all while Avalanche is trying to join the X-Men to be close to Shadowcat.

The finale here is just as strong as Season One’s. Over a dozen major mutants from X-Men lore are manipulated into a death trap, the first Sentinel is unleashed, the media becomes aware of mutants and their deadly powers, and the show suddenly takes a much darker turn. Indeed, Season Two continues marching the show away from the light hearted Season One and the finale makes this clear.

If you enjoyed Season One then this is an improvement in every way. If you didn’t care for Season One but thought the show had potential, then stick with it. Season Three is a real treat, and even these episodes are much more enjoyable than Season One. Do recognize, however, that the show will continue to become much darker (more like the comics, really) and the light hearted fun of Season One becomes rarer as the show continues.