Season 2 was off to a promising start with Apocalypse as the main antagonist. And he did feel like a proper threat till like the 5th episode, where Magneto succumbs at the hands of Apocalypse. But after that very episode it felt like the show's whole narrative shifted towards Gambit's revival and his reunion with Rogue than the actual threat here. 

The last episode bids a good emotional farewell but feels anticlimactic in its essence. Magneto's death also felt like it went completely in vain. Who was remembered up to the next episode at best, helping Polaris find her center.

The best thing about S1 was the show's writing and setting up the villain, Bastion. Bastion was someone I had zero prior knowledge of and the show did an incredible job of establishing him as a proper threat. It was a war against the X-Men with the prime sentinels.

Apocalypse on the other hand has been a widely recognized figure in all media formats, be it live action movies and animations. And still his character hasn't been done justice to the threat he possesses as we've known him for. The OG series also overused him to an extent, although the "Beyond and Evil" storyline remains one of my favorite arcs from that show. That being said, I was genuinely not very interested in seeing him here again, but I believed in the show after how strong S1 was. 

Learning about his origins as En Sabah Nur with Kang and all was interesting to watch, but nothing after that makes me care about him in the slightest. It's crazy to think that how the villains were handled in its two seasons, one might think Bastion is more powerful than Apocalypse, for how much of a threat he imposed on the X-Men in comparison to Apocalypse. 

Various X-teams were introduced this season often clashing with one another, and the show manages to adapt from old to modern storylines neatly however it does tend to get a little jammed in 30m episode structures. I really loved Polaris' addition to the team this season. Animation is still sick, and I love the little details they throw in the intros, often adapting key arcs from the OG series. 

All in all, this season wasn't bad per se but it definitely pales in comparison to S1. I hope the next season turns out to be better now with the new writing team, now that all the mess Demayo left behind is done for, and Magneto and Nightcrawler's sacrifice pays off. 

Season 2 Started Strong, But Pales in Comparison to Season 1