We've finally reached it: the Season Finale of X-Men: Standing Guard. Well, almost. This is Part 1 of the three-part Season Finale. I decided to go with Days of Future Past for the season finale because it was the most obvious for the first season (at least the way I wanted to do it) and it helped set up Season 2 (which is going to be my crown and joy). View Season 1 as a Prologue. We've set up Seasons 2 & 3 as well as a spinoff series Bishop, which you can find out more about on my profile. My review is below, but first, I'd just like to say this: Thank you all for your support on this series so far, we've gotten enough reviews to be renewed for a Season 2 as well as green-light the Bishop pilot! Thank you all so much! The episode title and description for next week's episode (Episode 13) is up on my profile, go check that out! Also, I've been teasing the Season Finale, Season 2, and Bishop on my Twitter. That's also where I'll be releasing the dates for the early Bishop pilot as well as the premiere dates for X-Men Season 2 and Bishop! Follow me there! (Link on Profile)
No, you didn't miss the Epilogue. Neither Episode 12 nor Episode 13 will have an epilogue (but I make up for that with Episode 14!), so as to keep with the theme I'm going for: one story split into three episodes. I will have a sneak peek at next week's episode out tomorrow as usual, so don't worry about that!
To start off with, let me explain the most difficult thing to explain: Time Travel. Here's how time-travel works in the story: you can travel through time if you have the ability, and you can take anyone with you. You can travel through space and time independently, and have to choose a location. You can't just rewind time to an hour ago and be in the exact same spot. Everything you did and said prior to you entering that section of time is the same. However, there is only one you, so the second you appear in a specific section of time, you disappear wherever else you were; hence how Kitty and Kurt were right behind the X-Men at the end of the episode, but those Kitty and Kurt disappeared the second the "real" Kitty and Kurt stepped into that moment in time. Does this make sense? If it doesn't, message me your questions and I'll answer them.
We started this episode off with some flashbacks. I couldn't very well entitle the episode Days of Future Past without going into the past. Besides, these flashbacks are very important for Season 2 (even the one including Emma!).
That vial that Rogue took to "heal" herself was a vial of X-23's blood. No, Rogue isn't a vampire (or is she!), but she does have quite a few tricks up her sleeves. Now, X's blood has limited effects, as we'll find out in Season 2. (There's a lot about Season 2 going on here, isn't there?)
Onto the main battle: I think a few of you thought maybe Captain America the Winter Soldier would play out when I reintroduced HYDRA last week, and sure enough it did. This is going to have some huge reprecussions in…you guessed it…Season 2! But for now, it's screwing things up as royally as shit in the present day. I originally killed off three characters in the battle in Washington, but I realized that you knew those deaths were fake by the way I wrote them, and I wanted the deaths to be as realistic as possible, so I narrowed it down to Jean. Obviously after that Scott was useless, so he had to go. Xavier had to go as well, so I killed two birds with one stone (haha, get it? Both were killed by one piece of debris from the crumbling Institute! Haha! Not funny?...okay…). Also, Iceman. Keep an eye on him.
What about Lorna's powers? As Gambit so eloquently put it in Wolverine and the X-Men (2011): "Got her daddy's powers and her sister's anger." I think Magneto retreated to change his pants after seeing Lorna's abilities. I love that line Xavier said about them being X-Men and standing guard…I actually published that on Twitter about two weeks ago. See! It pays to DO WHAT I SAY! ;)
You'll see in Episode 14 X's new costume and name being put to use. Why didn't I put them to use here? It's more of a symbolic reason really: this was the past, the old days. When she dons her new costume, it's the dawn of a new era.
Okay, maybe that whole Trask ordering S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA taking over S.H.I.E.L.D. thing was confusing, once again: deleted scene. In this deleted scene, a HYDRA agent posing as Secret Service overhears Trask wandering how to take out the mutants. The agent tells him he knows people who are ready to take over S.H.I.E.L.D. and follow his orders (hmph, yeah right), and so that is why HYDRA acted when they did. Speaking of S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogue's death. Yes, I know it was premature and definitely gave away the fact that these deaths weren't permanent, but I needed her to die for reasons I'll explain after the Season Finale.
Finally, what did Wanda do? To that, I say: screwed some serious shit up. You'll get a fuller explanation about it in next week's episode, but until then, speculate!
This is a Season Finale. Expect the Easter eggs:
-The red-headed girl in the time-continuum. Who could that be? Season 2 spoilers abound, but leave your guesses below! Special reward for the person who gets it right!
-"Given that it's a stupid ass decision…" Nick Fury; The Avengers (2012)
-"Only Pierce does!" Alexander Pierce, head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and leader of the New HYDRA in Captain America the Winter Soldier (2014)
-Merriem Drew/Madame HYDRA (The woman who betrayed Fury on the Heli-Carrier)
-IN-01 through IN-03 Captain America the Winter Soldier (2014)
Thank you for all of your support! We've got all of the reviews we need, but leave them anyway! It helps me know that you enjoy my series. It's the only way, really. I can not stress how important it is to read the next two episodes. "Unthinkable" is the understatement of the year. Anyway, have fun, thank you for the support, and come back tomorrow for an exclusive look at the next episode!