X:Men '97 episode 5 theory - wait, it's fixable!

The entire internet wailed yesterday upon watching the fifth episode of X-Men '97. It's a fact, not even an overstatement.

Three HUGE deaths, an entire city destroyed, and... a solution? A glimpse of hope?

I've got a theory that's as juicy as a ripe mango on a hot summer day. Before we dive right into it, I would feel like a jerk if I didn't add a SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT WATCHED "REMEMBER IT". READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

I'm specifically diving into the time-twisted world of Cable, the muscle-bound, time-traveling mutant with a penchant for big guns and even bigger dramas.

Imagine, if you will, Cable, the man out of time, caught in a loop faster than a hamster on a wheel. Our boy's been bouncing back and forth through the timelines like a ping pong ball at a championship match, all in a desperate bid to stop the destruction of Genosha. Why? Because, dear readers, in the latest heart-wrencher of an episode that we were given in the wee hours of the morning yesterday, we witnessed Genosha getting turned into dust faster than you can say "Sentinels."

Now, here's where it gets spicy.

Cable, in a moment that tugs at the heartstrings harder than a lovesick teenager with a guitar, appears through a portal with a look that says, "Not this rodeo again." He begs Jean to turn off the music (classic party pooper move, but totally understandable at that moment) and pleads for everyone to hightail it out of there before being sucked back into his time-traveling whirlwind, leaving behind a very heavy "I'm so sorry, Mom."

But did you catch what he says before he apologizes to mama?

"Not again."

Oh yes, that's the golden ticket! This isn't Cable's first rodeo. It's not even his second. This dude has been trying to stop Genosha's destruction more times than we've tried to start a diet on a Monday. He's been here, done that, got the T-shirt, and then came back for the sequel. Each time, Cable jumps back, thinking, "This is the one. This is the timeline where I get it right." He probably lands, dusts off his giant shoulder pads, and gets to work. But no matter what he tries, it's always the same old story. Boom. Bam. Pow. Genosha goes kaboom, and Cable's left with that all-too-familiar taste of defeat.

But why, you ask, would he keep trying? Well, my friends, because Cable's got that stubborn streak a mile wide. Plus, he's got a heart bigger than his biceps, and that's saying something. He knows the stakes, he knows the pain of loss, and if there's even a sliver of a chance he can change the outcome, you bet your bottom dollar he's going to take it.

This also serves as a way for me to not flip my shit over the fact that, in a 5-minute span, we lost Madelyne Pryor, Magneto, and Gambit. Three incredible heavy losses. There is absolutely NO HECKIN' WAY that this all doesn't get fixed by time-traveling shenanigans done right this time, whatever "time" this is.

So, as we buckle up for the final episodes of X-Men '97, keep your eyes peeled for more time-travel shenanigans. Will Cable finally break the cycle? Will Genosha get a new lease on life? Or are we doomed to watch our favorite time-traveling tough guy go through the wringer again?

Not to mention that, if you watch really closely, you actually see Uatu - The Watcher from Marvel's What If...? series. You know he doesn't meddle in things unless the situation is dire or completely wrong - yet he doesn't seem to do much other than just watch. He watches as Cable pops in, has his moment, and then zooms out of there. Has he been watching Cable do this for gods-know how many times? Is he going to bring in reinforcements in the shape of other well-loved and known Marvel characters? Don't forget - director Jake Castorena has hinted at some Marvel cameos, after all.

One thing's for sure, Cable's not giving up without a fight, and neither should we. With all of this in mind, I'd say prepare for a finale that promises to either mend our broken hearts or run them through the shredder. Again. Because in the world of the X-Men, anything's possible, and when it comes to time travel, it's always a wild ride.