Compare The Gentlemen, Season 2 vs X-Men ’97 Season 2

Hour-long episodes divide opinion: one review finds the series overlong, while another calls the overall commitment manageable for a weekend binge.

One reviewer felt the sub-30-minute episodes use their limited runtime efficiently and still cover enough story.

The final episode is praised for violent payoff, a major character transformation and a provocative setup for the next season.

The finale is one of the most criticized parts of the season, with multiple reviewers calling it messy, rushed, or unable to match the buildup despite strong action and emotion.

One negative review finds the season oddly sexless despite its macho fantasy tone. Sexual material is otherwise not a major focus in the supplied reviews.

One reviewer explicitly approves of the absence of forced innuendo, preferring the more restrained approach to sexualized humor.

The darker tone is mostly welcomed as a meaningful evolution, though some miss Season 1’s breezier comedy. The best reviews praise how seriousness and absurdity still coexist.

Several full-season reviews describe a noticeable shift after the strong opening, with later episodes feeling uneven or like a different show.

Strong language, drug-related crime, beheadings, torture and adult themes make this a poor fit for family viewing, even when the comedy is playful.

The show’s darker material can push against its kid-friendly roots, but reviewers who address suitability still find it workable for a broad audience and say younger viewers are not shut out.

The finale earns strong approval for completing a major stage of Eddie’s transformation while delivering a memorable, violent setup for what comes next.

Finale reactions are sharply split: some find the ending emotional and moving, while others say the resolution is rushed, underbuilt, or too easy.

The Eddie-Bella romance is a recurring weakness, often described as rushed, underdeveloped or unconvincing. A minority view finds Bella a fitting match, but Eddie and Susie’s connection draws far stronger enthusiasm.

Romantic material gets both warmth and frustration: Rogue and Gambit are often praised, while Morph’s unreturned feelings and some relationship choices divide opinion.

Betrayals and shocks add momentum, but some reviewers feel major turns arrive before enough emotional groundwork is laid.

Unexpected story turns and reversals are generally welcomed, with reviewers enjoying that the season can still surprise knowledgeable fans.

The roughly two-and-a-half-year wait is widely treated as a problem, with writers linking it to weaker launch viewership and welcoming plans for a shorter gap before Season 3.

One reviewer dislikes the three-episode premiere, feeling it made the season seem to pass too quickly for an already established show.

The new Italian threat works better for some reviewers than others. Marco brings menace and scale, but one critic finds the season’s new kingpin far less intriguing than earlier antagonists.

Apocalypse is widely praised as complex, threatening, and unusually humanized, but several finale-focused reviews think his payoff weakens that buildup.

Acting is a major strength overall, though one dissenting review found several performances wooden or one-note. Most praise centers on the leads and a deep supporting bench.

Voice work is one of the clearest strengths, with repeated praise for the ensemble’s emotional weight and several standout performances.

Dialogue is divisive: some praise its clipped, zippy confidence, while harsher reviews call it clumsy, over-written or trailer-like rather than natural.

Dialogue is usually praised for its comic-book conviction, punchy exchanges, and emotional lines, though some repetition and corniness are noted.

Eight episodes feel manageable to some viewers, but one critic argues the season is still longer than its material needs because several side quests drag.

A repeated complaint is that nine episodes are not enough for the number of teams, arcs, and emotional beats the season tries to cover.

The season earns praise for reinventing itself into something darker and more focused, though one harsh review sees it as too derivative of Ritchie’s familiar formula.

Reviewers who discuss originality praise the season for feeling fresh rather than merely replaying old successes, even while drawing heavily from classic stories.

The dry, absurd humor remains a strength, but the darker shift means there is less comic energy than in Season 1. Several critics specifically miss Freddy and Jimmy’s lighter chaos.

The season’s comedy is generally appreciated as light relief, especially Morph’s quips and Jubilee’s snark, without undercutting the larger stakes.

The score is used effectively to intensify tense scenes, with one review highlighting its droning presence under volatile action.

The orchestral score receives strong praise for deepening the drama and evolving familiar themes without losing their identity.

Pacing is one of the clearest fault lines: many praise the strong back half, while several reviews criticize a tentative first half, meandering detours or rushed subplots.

This is the clearest recurring weakness: many full-season reviews say the back half moves too quickly, skips needed character fallout, or feels overstuffed.

Story reactions range from ecstatic to sharply negative. The strongest consensus is that Eddie’s darker arc works, while the sprawling criminal web and side quests can make the season feel uneven.

Most reviewers find the season compelling and ambitious, especially its opening arcs, while a smaller but forceful group sees the overall story as messy or badly organized.

Fans of stylish British gangster drama are likely to find plenty to enjoy. Enthusiastic reviews call it a refreshing and highly satisfying return to Guy Ritchie’s crime territory.

Reviewers enjoy how the season moves between superhero drama, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and soap opera while still feeling recognizably X-Men.

The best episodes are praised for making separate threads serve the larger plot, and late turns can elevate otherwise merely solid chapters.

Separating timelines into focused episodes is frequently praised for clarity and depth, although some later standalone or filler-like chapters are seen as poorly placed.

Clarity is uneven: some reviewers find the season easier to follow than Season 1, while others say the many deals, factions and MacGuffins overload the story.

The multi-timeline setup is often praised as surprisingly readable, but critical reviews flag confusing time-travel logic and plotting that becomes harder to follow later.

New mythology and mysticism around Bobby and Stanley add unusual lore to the crime story. One positive review finds that weirdness surprisingly effective in clarifying the season’s larger vision.

The season leans deeply into Apocalypse, X-Force, X-Factor, time travel, and wider mutant mythology, a major draw for reviewers who enjoy dense comic lore.

Individual episodes vary sharply. Some action-heavy chapters fly, while the falcon side quest and a few middle episodes are criticized as slow or meandering.

Early episodes are often praised for focused momentum, but several reviews call individual chapters rushed or too compressed when major developments pile up quickly.

Susie and Geoff attract especially warm responses, with Susie called iconic and Geoff a secret weapon. Their competence, loyalty and humanity make them standouts even in a morally compromised ensemble.

Reviewers respond strongly to characters such as Morph, Lorna, and the X-Men as a flawed but relatable ensemble rather than idealized heroes.

Suspense is a consistent strength once the season gets moving, especially in the forest action, the home assault and the back half’s betrayals. Several reviewers describe late episodes as tense or heart-pounding.

Tension is a strong point in the best episodes, with danger, uncertainty, and Apocalypse’s threat keeping viewers on edge.

The tight focus on Eddie, Susie and Bobby can keep the story clear, but several critics dislike how Season 2 sidelines Susie or beloved comic supporting players for long stretches.

The season often uses its split timelines to give overlooked characters more room, but later reviews repeatedly argue that the huge roster sidelines some core X-Men.

Eddie’s evolution from reluctant participant to ambitious crime boss is one of the most consistently praised elements. Reviewers also note stronger growth for several supporting characters.

Character work is widely praised, especially for Jubilee, Cyclops, Rogue, Polaris, and Apocalypse, though rushed transitions leave some arcs underexplored.

Action is consistently praised as propulsive, nerve-wracking and well staged, especially the chase and late-season home assault. The violence-heavy set pieces rarely feel monotonous to positive reviewers.

Action is consistently praised as inventive, fluid, colorful, and exciting, with multiple fights singled out as season highlights even by more critical reviewers.

The season-ending cliffhanger is described as massive and shocking, creating strong forward momentum into the already confirmed third season.

Major episode endings are effective hooks, leaving reviewers eager for the next chapter even when the cliffhangers carry mixed emotions.

The season is much bloodier, with beheadings, torture and brutal finales. Positive reviewers say the gore remains exciting rather than over-the-top, while mature-audience warnings are consistent.

The darker violence is generally seen as effective, with reviewers noting brutal or graphic imagery that heightens danger without treating it as empty shock.

Eddie and Susie are repeatedly called the show’s beating heart, with Theo James and Kaya Scodelario praised for charged, layered chemistry. Reviews are most enthusiastic when the pair share the screen.

One review especially praises the chemistry around Xavier and Magneto, calling the interplay between their performers a continuing highlight.

The season lands harder emotionally than its predecessor, with betrayal, grief and Eddie’s moral decline adding weight. Some rushed relationships, however, blunt moments that might otherwise hit harder.

Emotional beats are a major strength, with grief, family, sacrifice, and loss repeatedly described as heartbreaking, moving, or devastating.

Season 2 goes deeper into ambition, class, power, legacy and moral corrosion. Even reviewers who miss the lighter comedy often acknowledge the richer thematic intent.

Family, destiny, prejudice, power, survival, redemption, and love give the season unusual thematic weight for superhero animation.

Interest in more episodes is high: several reviewers say they cannot wait for Season 3, and news coverage treats the early renewal as reassuring and deserved momentum.

Despite criticisms, reviewers repeatedly express strong interest in Season 3 and want to see where the story goes next.

Multiple reviewers describe the eight-episode run as easy to tear through in a weekend. Even critics of the plotting expect viewers to keep watching quickly.

Several reviewers say episodes fly by or leave them wanting the next installment immediately, giving the season strong watch-more momentum.

Costume choices and performance details are used to keep evolving characters visually coherent with their worlds. Eddie’s transformation is especially praised for feeling gradual rather than abrupt.

Wolverine’s episode was praised for reframing his self-image without changing the core of who the character is.

The season is widely praised for lush, beautiful photography, from English estates to northern Italy and Lake Maggiore. Several reviewers rank the visual presentation among its strongest assets.

Visual framing earns praise for comic-book composition and memorable shots, including creative camera work that makes individual frames feel deliberately staged.

The move toward straighter, darker drama works for many reviewers, who find the higher stakes and character consequences more compelling than before.

The season’s melodrama is treated as a feature, with reviewers praising its heightened family conflict, emotion, and classic X-Men soap-opera energy.

The House of Lords and legalization storyline gives the show room for sharp class-and-power commentary. One episode recap especially praises how criminal money collides with inherited political privilege.

Social commentary on prejudice, oppression, radicalization, and coexistence remains meaningful to several reviewers, though one finale review feels the season drifts away from that relevance.

The show remains heightened and occasionally implausible, but its best episodes preserve immersion even when graphics, mysticism or outrageous criminal logistics enter the frame.

One review praises the show’s gritty emotional realism, especially the way flawed heroes make choices driven by survival and love.

Writing is highly divisive: some praise sharp character work and immersive structure, while the harshest review calls both dialogue and plotting atrocious.

Writing receives polarized reactions: many praise the early arcs and emotional construction, while the harshest full-season reviews criticize weak plotting and rushed execution.

The darker, more brutal tone makes Season 2 less immediately rewatchable for at least one reviewer, especially compared with the lighter first season.

One reviewer says a favorite emotional scene was compelling enough to rewatch whenever it appeared in their social feeds.

Most reviewers find Season 2 highly entertaining despite structural complaints. The mix of crime, absurdity, style and escalation keeps even uneven episodes watchable.

Even reviewers with structural complaints still describe the season as fun, exciting, or enjoyable, with action and character moments keeping it engaging.

Audience response is mixed in the numbers: Season 2 rebounded strongly in week two and topped charts, but several writers flagged a steep decline from Season 1.

Fans of the first season and longtime X-Men viewers are expected to respond especially well, while one review cautions that the season is not the easiest entry point for newcomers.

The season is clearly aimed at mature viewers comfortable with strong language, drug crime, violence and adult themes. Its content is presented as appropriate for that audience rather than younger viewers.

The mature edge generally lands well: reviewers note that darker imagery can get gnarly, but the show still remains accessible to younger viewers without talking down to its older audience.

The story expands across Italy, politics and new criminal factions with mixed results. Many find the growth organic and exciting, while others think the international scale spreads the show too thin.

One review likes how the season expands the mutant world through new teams and settings, while still wanting broader connections beyond the X-Men corner.

The season’s glossy, tailored visual identity remains a major draw, with lush landscapes, stately interiors and expressive wardrobe choices carrying much of the atmosphere.

The season’s colors, retro-modern art direction, distinctive locations, and comic-panel energy draw heavy praise, despite a few complaints about isolated designs.

Production design is a standout, pairing manor houses, villas, wine, art and criminal spaces with a polished old-money aesthetic. Reviewers repeatedly praise the sets and locations.

Distinct locations and richly designed backgrounds help the past, present, and future timelines feel visually separate and give the season its own identity.

Wardrobe remains a signature strength, using tailoring, watches and accessories to communicate rank, confidence and changing identity. Season 2 is described as an elevation of an already distinctive look.

The season’s new costumes are enthusiastically received, with one reviewer especially enjoying how the refreshed looks make characters feel older and cooler.

The soundtrack is praised for helping exposition and action keep moving without overwhelming the show’s darker moments.

Music is repeatedly praised, from needle drops to the returning theme and score, with reviewers saying it strengthens the period feel and action.

The central performances are a major consensus strength, especially Theo James’s darker Eddie and Kaya Scodelario’s controlled Susie. Ray Winstone also draws repeated praise for Bobby’s authority.

The returning voice ensemble is repeatedly praised as confident, emotionally committed, and completely at home in the roles.

The supporting cast is a major asset, with Vinnie Jones, Hugh Bonneville, Daniel Ings, Ray Winstone and others repeatedly singled out for memorable turns.

Guest and newly added performers receive strong praise, with reviewers describing them as an important part of the season’s expanded ensemble.

Reviewers largely see the revival as justified rather than empty nostalgia, praising how it updates the classic series while still feeling purposeful on its own.

Animation earns near-universal praise for its fluid action, vibrant presentation, and stronger modern execution, though a few reviewers note inconsistent or weaker dialogue shots.

The newer cast additions are welcomed enthusiastically, with Polaris in particular described as feeling immediately at home in the series.

Continuity is a recurring weak spot in the more critical coverage, especially around time-travel logic, past relationships, and convenient character decisions.

One reviewer specifically applauds the use of BCE as a more inclusive historical label, reacting positively to that small representational choice.

Direction is praised for retaining Guy Ritchie’s kinetic visual grammar while allowing darker material to breathe. Eran Creevy and Nick Rowland are also credited with fitting smoothly into that style.

Editing is praised for playful energy and feverish momentum, particularly when events spiral quickly or the show shifts into heightened action.

One reviewer criticizes the handling of Psylocke’s identity history, calling the retained presentation uncomfortable in light of the comics’ later reckoning with it.

Comic fans frequently praise the season for honoring classic stories, continuity, and visual ideas while remixing them rather than copying them scene for scene.

The season’s links to the wider animated Marvel world and returning X-Men continuity are treated as rewarding rather than distracting in the reviews that discuss them.

Crude British slang and strong language are part of the show’s identity. Some reviewers enjoy that texture, while the mature language helps keep the season firmly adult-oriented.

The retro presentation, 1990s tone, music cues, and comic-book styling are repeatedly praised for evoking the era without feeling like a hollow imitation.

One reviewer especially praises the creative, larger-scale use of mutant powers and how the season lets abilities feel more spectacular.

Luxury watches and rare wines are integrated with unusual attention to character and setting rather than simply dropped in as prestige labels.

The screenplay draws the harshest criticism from negative reviewers, who call it over-written and under-revised. Positive coverage focuses more on character arcs than script polish.

One enthusiastic review considers Season 2 not only better than Season 1 but also an improvement over the original film, strengthening the television spin-off on its own terms.

Coverage notes that critics responded more favorably to Season 2 than Season 1, with strong aggregate scores and repeated praise for the darker character work.

One reviewer appreciates that trailers concentrated on the opening episodes, preserving later-season material rather than giving too much away.

One finale review praises the eerie removal of sound during Rogue’s Celestial encounter, using near-silence to make the sequence more unsettling.