X-Men '97 episode 7 review: Turn the lights on, it's too dark

Okay, friends. Let's settle in and dive deep into the dark depths of Disney Plus' X-Men '97 episode 7, "Bright Eyes" which is a total contradiction because the episode is just so damn dark.

This episode turned the lights out, put on its best villainous smirk, and unleashed yet another gut ounch that had us clinging to our seats.

SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED "BRIGHT EYES" - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

This episode opens with our beloved X-Men still reeling from the gut-wrenching events at Genosha. If you thought things couldn't get any worse after Sinister and Trask’s deadly dance, you were sorely mistaken. Enter Bastion, the shadowy figure pulling strings in the background all this while. But who is this new menace?

Bastion is a sentinel on steroids, a mix of Master Mold and Nimrod, which means he’s not just bad - he's a nightmare wrapped in metal with a PhD in mutant misery.

We get to see the fallout of what happened in Genosha - Rogue literally going rogue, even attempting to intimidate "America's top cop", Captain America, into helping the mutant cause by not following things by the book. We get to see a woman's complete rage after losing not just one man, but two. Her pain, anger, and thirst for vengeance are screaming for violence and justice, and we get to see just how far she'll go to get that thirst quenched - including murdering Trask by dropping him from the top of a building. Can't say I wouldn't do the same if I were in her shoes, but it's always a bit jarring to see an X-Men do the things she does in this episode.

When Trask dies, he becomes the ultimate human sentinel, and neutralizes Morph, Jean, Rogue, Beast, and Wolverine. Notice I say neutralized and not eliminated. They're still alive but... have they lost their mutant powers? It remains to be seen after this intense episode, but my theory still stands - this is still very much fixable (I hope, please Gods of Marvel, please tell me I am right.

So, who brought the darkness? None other than Bastion, the high-tech terror who makes Mr. Sinister look like a kindergarten prankster. The way he straight-up kills Henry Gyrich was a smidge disturbing.

The second shocker this episode drops is how Bastion isn’t just after mutant domination - he wants to flip the script entirely. He’s got Magneto, yes, The Magneto, shackled, unable to use his mutant powers, and at his mercy. But that’s not all. The big reveal that Trask has been turned into a human sentinel (talk about a career change) sets the stage for what could be the most thrilling face-offs in mutant history. Also... That last scene was entirely bone-chilling. The music, the flickering lights, the "You were born for this"... CREEPY FACTOR DIALED UP TO 11. Thanks, I hate it.

Now, let’s theorize what darkness awaits in the upcoming episodes, shall we?

First, there's the ominous OZT, or Operation: Zero Tolerance. This isn’t just any plan - it’s THE plan to end all mutant-kind. With only three episodes left this season, titled "Tolerance is Extinction" (chilling, right?), we’re likely heading towards a cataclysmic clash. Bastion’s scheme might just revolve around using Magneto as a pawn to further his genocidal agenda. Imagine Magneto, stripped of his will, turned into a prime sentinel - what a twist that would be. And let’s not forget, Bastion has got Trask playing the terrifying Tin Man now. He's down due to Cable's EMP grenade, sure, but he could very well still be alive. Or... functional? You know what I mean. More importantly, this could mean a new legion of Prime Sentinels ready to make life hell for our heroes.

Cable, our time-traveling tough guy, has made it clear that defeating Bastion is critical for any semblance of a bright future. And with Professor X’s return in the previous episode, could he be the key to turning the tide? Perhaps Charles Xavier will outsmart Bastion by using his own game of deception against him, revealing secrets and strategies that could dismantle the villain's master plan.

And here’s the kicker - what if the X-Men use Bastion's own technology against him? Imagine a hacked army of sentinels turned to fight for justice, led by none other than the newly liberated Magneto and a rehabilitated Trask, all orchestrated by the genius mind of Professor X.

Now that’s what I would call a season finale.

My only complaint is that the overall pacing of the show still feels a bit too fast for me. I think that if the episodes were a little longer, there would be more time to enhance certain plot points and give us all a bit more time to digest and prepare for just how dark this got and how fast it happened. But, that's just me.

So, as we brace ourselves for what's sure to be an explosive conclusion to this season of X-Men '97's first season, one thing’s for sure - the battles will be epic, the stakes astronomical, and the drama absolutely mutant-sized.

The night is darkest just before dawn, and something tells me the sunrise over Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters is going to be spectacular.