Strategy X
Summary: The episode opens with a football game, one of the Bayville Hawks scores a touch down. Jean Grey comes over and takes a picture of him, the player asks if it’s for the yearbook, however Jean replies it’s for her “personal collection”. Up in the bleachers Cyclops is watching them walk off the field with his friend Paul (IRC) sitting next to him. So Jean and Scott aren’t together (yet); instead Jean is with Star Football Player Duncan Mathews (and as we soon learn classic Jerk Jock no. 11).
Another player sees Toad (renamed Todd Tolansky/Tolensky-I’ve seen it spelled both ways) at it “again”, playing “sticky fingers” in the bleachers so Duncan and his buddies no. 72 and no. 77 leave Jean behind go over to have a “word” with him. Up in the bleachers Scott and Paul see Toad snag another person’s wallet. Paul asks if they should call the cops, but Scott tells him to keep that option open as he goes to investigate himself (You know there was a security guard right in front of the bleachers… who Todd walked right past I can see why Scott might have thought it best to handle this himself).
Toad is picking another wallet when Duncan yanks him down. Duncan calls him “Toady Tolansky”; I guess they went for the name change for the pun of it. Toad tries to offer an excuse, but Duncan will have none of it and pushes Toad up against a wall. No. 72 suggests, “lets crush him Dunc”, which Scott counters with “lets not Dunc”. Scott goes on to suggest they let Toad return the cash and while Toad agrees, Duncan does not and tells Scott to leave, before throwing Toad to the ground and makes a move to stomp on him. Scott intervenes and tries to get him to stop. Toad uses the opportunity to flee which prompts no. 72 and no. 77 to chase after him and drop Duncan who they had been holding up into the mud. Duncan reacts like you’d expect and attacks Scott.
Jean (finally) arrives to see Duncan and Scott in the middle of a fistfight. She shouts at Scott to stop, which distracts him and gives Duncan an opening to knock Cyclops’s glasses off, blast Duncan, and ignite a propane tank resulting in an explosion. In hindsight while I can see why Jean would want Scott to stop fighting, it might have better if she shouted at Duncan and distracted him (less property damage that way). Also come to think of it what took Jean so long to show up? She were there, she saw where Duncan, no. 72, and no. 77 were going long before Scott did, what did she come to see what was taking so long for them to deal with Toad? I apologize if it sounds like I’m bashing her, but really where was she?
Anyways people flee from the explosion while Jean looks on in horror.
(Cue the Opening)
Rescue crews have arrived, as does Charles Xavier in a nice car. Jean meanwhile demonstrates her telekinesis to get Scott’s glasses from under some burning wood, after putting his glasses back on a “moment” seems to be starting between the two, but Jean looks to where some paramedics are seeing to Duncan, and tells Scott he should leave. The security guard from earlier asks Duncan what happen, but Duncan can’t remember. Xavier uses his powers to convince the guard there was a leak in the propane tank.
Jean goes over to see how Duncan is. I’m going to be nice and skip over Duncan’s “skull like concrete” line (Too easy). Not taking her advice Scott is watching Jean and Duncan from a distance as Todd comes up and thanks him, but Scott brushes him off and leaves. Todd watches him go and snags a fly with his tongue.
Seeing that everything has settled down Xavier tells the driver (Storm) that they better hurry as they have a train to catch. At the train station Storm is looking for Kurt and Xavier points her to a cloaked figure.
We cut to a road surrounded by forest where we are introduced to Wolverine riding his motorcycle. He stops by a mini-mart and sees from a newspaper what happen at the football game. After getting a bottle of water (and the paper) he leaves. In the distance Sabertooth (really who else would be stalking Wolverine?) is watching him.
We cut back to the Xavier Institute. Scott and Jean are heading out for the night but Xavier stops them so he can introduce them to Kurt, who keeps his hands in his pocket when Scott tries to initiate a handshake, but Kurt hesitates. Xavier reassures Kurt he’s among friends and Kurt reveals his three-fingered hand. Scott of course looks surprised and Kurt quickly retracts his hand so Xavier steps in to break the ice by explaining the purpose of the school before railing into Scott about the accident at last night’s game.
Xavier explains Scott’s powers to Kurt who decides that means its okay for him to take off his hood and finally start talking. Jean asks if he has a special gift that brought him to the school (like having three fingers, blue skin, and pointy ears isn’t enough?). Kurt demonstrates his teleportation skills and replies “Maybe” (add prehensile tail now as well). Xavier tells the two he’ll be helping Kurt get settled in and they can talk more tonight.
We cut to Bayville High where we see Toad being called into the Principal office. The Principal notably calls him into the office as “Mr. Tolansky”, but as soon as they are alone she refers to him as “Toad”. She starts talking to him about his new friend “Scott Summers” (oh what could this all mean, just who is the Principal?) and how they need to know more about him (and of course the X-Men). Toad is reluctant, but of course the Principal will have none of it and turns into a blue skinned Predator/Alien knock-off with very sharp teeth and tells Toad he will do as he’s told.
We cut back to Kurt who is showed his new room and given his Image-Inducer, upon seeing his “normal” reflection he is delighted, but Xavier tells him he is normal without it, and that the watch is to just help him blend in at school (well he doesn’t say that exactly, but that’s obvious why the writers made it).
We cut back to school where Scott is getting his lunch out of his locker when Toad arrives (though we’re tipped off by what I’m pretty sure is the beat of his theme song he’s going to show up). While no one is around Toad demonstrates his abilities, and swipes Scott’s glasses with his tongue (not really smart given what happen last time someone did that. Come to think of it how did the Principal or Toad know Scott’s powers were responsible for the explosion? Toad was gone by that point and the Principal wasn’t even there). Anyways, Toad asks if they can hang out and get to know each other better. Scott tells him he’ll think about it.
Elsewhere Cerebro is detecting Toad’s use of his powers. Scott calls and they talk about Toad for a bit. Scott is unsure describing Todd having the personal hygiene of a dead pig, but Xavier reminds him they can’t turn anyone away. Scott asks if he should bring him in, but Xavier tells him there is no need. Kurt pops in and Xavier explains how he used Cerebro to locate him. Kurt asks if Toad is one of them while Xavier says that remains to be seen. He contacts Storm telepathically and asks her if she could “audition” someone for him.
We cut away to outside the mansion’s gates where night has fallen and Toad in his battle gear hops onto the scene (Wait we went from lunchtime to nighttime just like that?). One hop later and he’s over the fence and makes his way towards the mansion. Storm flies outside and starts to make it rain and shoots lightning at Toad. Eventually blowing him through the mansion’s front door and right into Kurt. A battle of wits, insults, and a chase that causes countless valuable items to be broken ensues. Xavier and Storm discuss Toad’s possible recruitment (“he could be one of us”) with Storm expressing her doubts.
After a few more broken windows Xavier announces the test is over and says Toad is welcome to join them if he desires. Toad still angered at Kurt grabs him and the two teleport into the Danger Room. We soon learn it has automated defenses. Xavier alerts Cyclops and Jean who apparently were in the process of suiting up (well that’s certainly convenient isn’t?). Interestingly when he does Xavier refers to both “Nightcrawler” and “Toad” by their codenames when before it was just “Todd Tolansky”. Which I guess implies Xavier was aware of Toad’s true allegiance.
So Toad and Nightcrawler are struggling to survive the cannons and tentacles when Jean and Cyclops come in to help. Jean saves Kurt while Cyclops saves Toad from being squashed. Xavier and Storm arrive in the Control Room and shut down the Danger Room. Kurt realizes it’s a Training Area and tries to deactivate a cannon only to make it go nuts, Storm swiftly takes it out (must of jumped through a control room window), but not before it blasts Cyclops and Toad.
Toad having seen enough flees, Cyclops calls out trying to stop him, but having taken the brunt of the blast isn’t able to go after him. Cyclops apologies to Xavier who tells him it’s okay and that Toad wasn’t ready to be one of them yet. Kurt decides he doesn’t belong here either and teleports away while Xavier calls after him. Cyclops tells the Professor not to worry and goes after Kurt.
Toad makes it outside and runs into Logan who makes a move to stop him, but Xavier tells him to let Toad go. The two old friends greet each other.
Nightcrawler ports to were the Blackbird is stored. Cyclops comes in and comforts letting him know its okay to make mistakes. Kurt agrees to join the X-Men especially if it means flying the Blackbird (Okay, I’m confused here because I know in a later episode Kurt says he needs to know where he’s going and he’s obviously never been here before, I can overlook the Danger Room since that was an accident. Also if he was leaving why didn’t he just port to his room to start packing?).
We switch back to Bayville High where we get the early warning noise Magneto is near when a bunch of bikes fall over. The Principal shouts at Toad for his failure and tells him to get out of her office. Let’s be fair though you were sending The Toad of all people to spy on the world’s most powerful telepath you should have known it was doom to fail before it even started.
The Principal then changed to her true form: Mystique (like you already didn’t know). Items in the room start flying around her as Magneto’s voice can be heard telling her not to be hard on Toad, as that might drive the boy away from them, and reminds her that this is only the beginning. The episode closes with Magneto appearing in the window.
Review: I think this episode would have done better as a two-partner. The first half of the first episode was okay, best part of the whole thing I felt was Kurt and Scott's interactions, but as we got into the second half-namely: Toad's spy mission things seem to get rushed and I started to get confused. The mission details are never really stated is Todd supposed to be befriending Scott (which is what it looked like at first) or is he supposed to be literally sneaking into the mansion. In which case wouldn't that be a role better suited for Mystique? Again you're sending TOAD to SPY on the world's most powerful TELEPATH. Also if Toad WAS invited showing up in battle gear seems rather suspicious.
Based on Xavier’s “no need” reply to Scott’s question about bringing Todd in and the fact he would later switch from Todd/Mr. Tolansky to “Toad” I suspect he already knew who that Toad was working for Mystique and was being sent to spy. Again world’s most powerful telepath people. Still Xavier asks Storm “to audition someone for him” so that makes it sound like Toad was invited and he later does say things that indicate he is considering Toad as an X-Men. Also while I can understand Scott’s issues with Toad, Storm’s a different kettle of fish. What was her issue with him? Isn’t the Institute supposed to help mutants?
The whole “test” just felt weird and uncharacteristic of Xavier, I know characters can have different portrayals over the years, but he was having Storm shoot lightning at a unwary teenager who they were looking to recruit. Speaking of is that something Storm would do? This whole set-up just felt off to me.
I want to be neutral towards the characters, but I wonder if Xavier manipulated things (to an extent) with the intended purpose to scare Toad away? Think about it: Toad knew the Principal was Mystique, something Xavier didn’t want his other students know just yet nor was he sure he’d be able to protect him if Mystique sought retribution for his defection. So it was better to just scare Toad away.
I’m sorry for going on about this, but this “test” is one of the reasons Xavier got bashed in this series and those who know me know I’m not a fan of bashing. I also suspect being voiced by the guy who voiced Megatron doesn’t help (when he lectured Scott about “control” I could just hear Old Grape Face slipping in). My “purposely scare Toad away to avoid exposing Mystique” theory is just me trying to make sense of it.
The Scott-Jean-Duncan Love Triangle: Well seeing as Wolverine was an adult in this I figured that’d look awkward and they needed someone to take his place. Of course it doesn’t take a mind reader to figure out what sort of guy Duncan is (seriously who goes to a dance, and doesn’t dance?). I believe Jean is-or was as the case will eventually be-dating Duncan to feel normal and to fit-in (as her way of dealing with her powers) and ignored his worst traits focusing on his good ones (or what she convinced herself were good). Even without mutant powers getting involved, it’s not a surprise their relationship ended. Will talk more about this as it progresses.
Not really sure what to say about the other characters quite yet, but Scott already seems to have his Designated Leader and Hero personality down. Personally I would like to have seen Scott grow more into his role as leader since the X-Men are just starting out.
I noticed a Star Wars Shout-Out this episode with Todd calling Kurt “wookie boy”. This will not be the last time Star Wars comes up in the series.
