PSA: This week’s X-Men '97 stretches the TV-14 rating to the limit

As detailed in our X-Men ‘97 review, I’ve been loving watching the rebooted Marvel series with my whole family. My wife, my 14-year-old, and definitely my 9-year-old who is obsessed with the X-Men have been having a blast with the generally all-ages adventures of Marvel’s merry mutants. And if you’re like me, you’re looking forward to sitting down with the fam and watching Episode 5, “Remember It.” If so? Be warned, because this episode stretches the TV-14 rating to the limit.

Look, there have been plenty of on-the-edge moments in the series so far, with adult themes like loss, prejudice, and pretty much non-stop action with the occasional cartoon blood. But this week’s episode is a step beyond.

The age rating is TV-14 for “Intense Violence,” and Disney+ isn’t lying there. Also of note, the episode warns: “Some flashing lights sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers.” And yes, absolutely, but I want to focus on the violence. And to do so, spoilers past this point.

In the episode, Magneto (Matthew Waterson), Rogue (Lenore Zann), and Gambit (A.J. LoCascio) travel to the mutant nation of Genosha to oversee its official induction into the United Nations. The first half of the episode plays heavily with the love triangle that’s been teased out all season. And while there is some very pun-filled innuendo, and one scene where we discover Rogue and Magneto were lovers back in the day, it’s nothing too objectionable. Everyone is clothed, and there is only the implication of hanky-panky. So far, so good.

Then, about halfway through a gala celebrating Genosha’s recognition as a sovereign nation, a massive robot called Mastermold attacks, and proceeds to murder hundreds, if not thousands of mutants. It’s horrifying, and while most of the mutants are taken out instantly with blaster fire, it’s emotionally harrowing as some fan favorites die instantly. We also get to see plenty of blood throughout as the survivors unsuccessfully fight back against the massive robot, and the still pretty large Sentinels it’s spewing out to murder people on a one-by-one basis.

This all leads up to two moments I want to call out that pushed this episode over the edge for me, and probably will be too disturbing for most younger children. The first is Magneto, who has been wrestling with whether he’s a hero or a terrorist, ends up protecting some mutants including a child named Leech from the Mastermold’s blasts. He is unsuccessful, and Magneto dies with the child looking into his eyes.

Following this, Gambit sacrifices his own life to save everyone – which he does by first graphically getting impaled by a tentacle from the Mastermold, and then charging it up, blowing up the villainous robot in the process. The episode ends with Rogue cradling Gambit’s lifeless body, sobbing as they’re both covered in blood and ash.

To be clear, is this more than you would see in your run-of-the-mill TV-14 age-rated anime? Probably not, and that’s exactly where this type of action and emotional intensity seems pulled from. There are also plenty of big, epic, gutting character deaths throughout the history of Marvel’s X-Men comics, so this is far from a betrayal of the franchise.

However, this is a big step up from where the show has been in the first four episodes. There’s more violence, more blood, and even for a full-grown adult like me, it is very upsetting to see the heroes die in such a realistic manner. As usual, you’ll know your own kids and their limits with this sort of thing.

But whereas the first four episodes felt like they undershot the TV-14, this is right in it. Younger than that, and you may want to prepare them for what they’re about to watch. Or skip this episode entirely.

X-Men ‘97 streams Wednesdays on Disney+.