Tread Perilously is a podcast in which hosts Erik Amaya and author Justin Robinson watch the “worst” episodes of popular TV shows, attempting to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on the most off-key moments.

This Week: Generation X‘s Pilot

Tread Perilously enters a month of failed television pilots with the 1997 Fox TV Movie/backdoor pilot, Generation X.

When Jubilation Lee blows up a SEGATM Virtua Fighter arcade cabinet with her weak mutant powers, she soon finds herself headhunted by Emma Frost and Sean Cassidy, the headmasters at Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. There, they train the next generation of mutants to fight for a world that fears and hates them. But with an incoming class of reprobates and a new villain on the scene with the ability to enter their dreams, can the White Queen and Banshee get the kids to come around to the Xavier philosophy and wear hideous uniforms?

Erik tries to recall his dim memories of the Generation X comic book series. He and Justin profess their love for artist J.H. Williams III and their occasional dread of his wild page layouts. The dismissal of DC Comics former co-publisher Dan DiDio gets discussed. Justin suggests installing Bernie Sanders as his replacement. Finola Hughes is named a show favorite. The terrible mid-90s fashion choices get skewered. Erik dubs the Latinx character “Flex Alvarez” while Justin tries to figure out why Husk is missing from the cast. They also examine Chris Claremont’s dependency on cultural catchphrases and produce better Irish accents than the person playing Sean Cassidy. Also, Justin recreates Wolverine as a “typical” Canadian, and Matt Frewer makes a big impression.

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