Episode #50 - Courage
Original Airdate 23rd September 1995

Morph finally returns home, but is he ready? He'll soon find out as the Sentinels return!

Credits
Written By: Sandy Scesny, Michael Edens
Music Composed By: Shuki Levy
Animation Services By: AKOM

Review: An episode I’d been hoping to see since the second season finale finally happened, at long last, Morph was back! It was great seeing him again but unfortunately for him, The Sentinels returned too! The basic plot of the episode is simple enough, but it was executed in a great way, entertaining the viewer throughout.

Despite parts of the episode being predictable, there were just as many surprises present. The return of Trask and Gyrich wasn’t something I saw coming, and neither was Master Mold! I love the continuity in this show, especially how none of the characters ever really forget. Each of the villains had motivations to their crimes, and it was great to see Master Mold go after Xavier, the man who originally defeated him.

When it came to reviewing/screen grabbing this episode, it occurred to me that it’s one I hadn’t seen in years. Watching this as an adult (if you consider a 19 year old to be an adult!) I enjoyed it even more. I couldn’t help but feel for Morph as he sat there frozen, crying, unable to save his Professor from The Sentinels. I thought his return was handled excellently, everything from Wolverine’s joy of his return to Cyclops initial unease, before their handshake. I always liked Morph, and was never surprised by the characters popularity. He’s also one of the prime examples of how to “undo” a death.

His original death wasn’t some throwaway shock value tactic, it was a pivotal point in the series, and created the potential for a lot of interesting stories. Part of me wishes we saw more of him, but in all honesty, I think using him sparingly was the wisest option. I was thrilled to see him again in Graduation Day, I honestly don’t think the episode would’ve been the same without him.

The finale of the episode was very well done. It was obvious that he wasn’t quite ready to return home, but despite the sad ending, it does give hope for the future, it has a real optimistic tone. Simply a brilliant episode by any person’s standards.

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