ORBzine - 2002.06 UK Television Review: "Mutant X"

ORBzine Mutant X June 2002

[Season 1 !Season 2 !Season 3 ]

  • Victor Webster as Brennan Mulwray
  • Victoria Pratt as Shalimar Fox
  • Forbes March as Jesse Kilmartin
  • John Shea as Adam Kane
  • Lauren Lee Smith as Emma deLauro [ 1-2 ]
  • Tom McCamus as Mason Eckhart [ 1 ]

    Season 1

    mutantx Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 1] The Shock of the New (1)
    Shown 17th October 2001 - Wednesday

    It's night in the big city, and a late-teens girl [ Lauren Lee Smith ] with a terrible hairdo is on the run. The bad-guys catch up with the babe, but she is saved by Mutant X, a group of super-heroes led by John Shea [ Lois & Clark ]. His sidekicks are a guy who can change his density, and Victoria Pratt , whose speciality is irritatingly unconvincing wire-fu. In comparison, the villain can only use his powers when it's relevant to the plot.

    This is the newest adaption of a Marvel superheroes comic. It was written by Howard Chaykin, a long-time Marvel comics scribe. The director is TJ Scott, veteran of Xena: Warrior Princess and fiance of Ms Pratt. the scenes with the mutant professional thief are directed with flair.

    The mutants get their super-powers from genetic enhancements performed on them by a company named GenoMax. The heroes, Mutant X, are on the run from GenoMax and its disfigured albino bad-guy leader. If you think this show sounds very similar to Dark Angel , you're right. This reviewer even thought it was that show, before the starting credits rolled.

    Of note, the show was co-produced by Tony Thatcher [ Relic Hunter ].

  • mutantx Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 2] I Scream The Body Electric
    Shown 24th October 2001 - Wednesday

    This is the second part of the Pilot story. The Mutant X team band together to rescue the tall one who got captured. Of course, everything is as predictable and cliched as you can imagine.

    mutantx Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 3] Russian Roulette
    Shown 31st October 2001 - Wednesday

    The two Mutant X guys are jumped by a pair of Russians with the technology to detect and neutralise mutant superpowers. Brandon, the criminal one with electro-powers, gets zapped and loses his powers. He spends most of the episode out of sight, which gives the density-changing dude a lot more screen time.

    The Ruskies are bounty-hunters in the pay of evil Eckhardt, who for some reason has gone without his usual henchman Mr Thorn.

    mutantx Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 4] Fool For Love
    Shown 7th November 2001 - Wednesday

    Shalomar [ Victoria Pratt ] takes point this episode. She is assigned to deal with another Feral woman, who is involved in some secretive dealings. While investigating, Shalomar meets the man of her dreams. TJ Scott, Ms Pratt's fiance, directs.

    In contrast, Emma struggles to get the guys to treat her equally. She trains in hand-to-hand combat, and gets herself an Emma Peel-style leather jumpsuit. Hmm, could this possibly be a blatant attempt to increase ratings.

    mutantx Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 5] Kilohertz
    Shown 14th November 2001 - Wednesday

    A new mutant who calls himself Kilohertz starts a campaign of electronic sabotage. Shalomar [ Victoria Pratt ] and Jesse are almost killed when he shorts out their plane. They have to track down the saboteur before the worst happens.

    Meanwhile, Evil Eckhart sends a rookie agent after Kilohertz.

    mutantx Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 6] The Meaning of Death
    Shown 21st November 2001 - Wednesday

    A strange virus is killing off New Mutants. John Shea tries to develop a cure, but Evil Eckhardt sends a man to kill him and steal the cure.

      7.   1- 7        108     17 Nov 01   Lit Fuse
      8.   1- 8        109     24 Nov 01   In the Presence of Mine Enemies
      9.   1- 9        105      1 Dec 01   Crime of the New Century
    
    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 10] Dark Star Rising
    Shown 19th December 2001 - Wednesday

    Shalomar takes on a couple of renegade New Mutant ferals, but gets taken out by Ralf Moeller [ Gladiator ]. It turns out they're survivors of a Special Forces unit named Dark Star.

    Eckhardt has a new sidekick - Andrew Gillies [ Codename Eternity ], head of the Biomed corporation that Dark Star are targetting.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 11] Whiter Shade Of Pale
    Shown 20th February 2002 - Wednesday

    An invisible mutant breaks into the top secret Mutant X HQ and steals Adam's fancy new toy, the Genetic Resequencer. Adam tracks the mutant down - it is his ex-GF from 16 years ago, when they worked together at Genomax.

    Eckhardt has a new sidekick - a Feral who rats out his fellow mutants. The rat wants a promotion, so Eckhardt puts him on salary and sends him out to collect the invisible woman and the gadget.

    John Shea tries to keep the episode afloat. However, the plot is threadbare and unoriginal. The invisibility SPFX are far inferior to those on the current TV show The Invisible Man (1999) .

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 12] Double Vision
    Shown 27th February 2002 - Wednesday

    Lightning-Boy and the psychic girl go to meet with the thief's underworld contact. They get ambushed by the bad guys, and the psychic girl gets caught in the crossfire of two energy blasts. Her associate manages to drag her to safety, but the villains also capture her. Yes, in a blatant rip-off of the Trek episode she has been split in two!

    The villains have managed to genetically alter humans and give them mutant powers. Andrew Gillies [ Codename Eternity ] is the scientist responsible ...

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 13] Blood Ties
    Shown 6th March 2002 - Wednesday

    Jesse, the density-changing guy, has a surprise when his father comes to town. Dad isn't a civilian, he happens to be an ex-Secret Agent on the run from some cohorts of Genomax!

    Genomax sends its newest field agent, an African-American with super-hearing. Why the fool volunteers for the job is unknown, though he must know that every one of his predecessors met a grisly fate at the hands of their boss!

    The director was John Fawcett [ Ginger Snaps ].

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 14] Altered Ego
    Shown 13th March 2002 - Wednesday

    Adam tries to save the daughter of his old enemy. However, the girl blames Adam for her father's demise and has the power to turn good people evil ... Yes, not unlike pretty-boy Billy in Angel [Season 3]

    Eckhart sends in a goon who has the power to suck the oxygen out of peoples' lungs. He captures the girl's weaselly boyfriend, and intends to recruit the girl to destroy Mutant X from within.

    The episode does get better, though. Adam gets turned evil, and procedes to kick the crap out of his Mutant X kids.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 15] Lazarus Syndrome
    Shown 20th March 2002 - Wednesday

    Ron Perlman plays an architect and ex-commando who has strange visions. He witnesses his ex-wife getting murdered. Peter DeLuise [ SeaQuest DSV, Stargate SG-1 ] is the police detective assigned to investigate.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 16] Interface
    Shown 27th March 2002 - Wednesday

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 17] Presumed Guilty
    Shown 3rd April 2002 - Wednesday

    Eckhardt's minions this week include a memory-sucker and an acid-spitter. They frame Adam for murder ...

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 18] Ex Marks The Spot
    Shown 24th April 2002 - Wednesday

    The team co-opt a new guest-star sidekick. He can detect what is on the other side of a wall, and display a hologram of it. OTT or what?

    To add to the drama, the new guy is Shalomar's ex. Has he changed his ways, or is he the untrustworthy git she remembers?

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 19] Nothing To Fear
    Shown 10th April 2002 - Wednesday

    The Mutant X team are infected with a virus that puts them all in a shared psychic illusion. Only Adam can deal with the man who put them there ...

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 20] Deadly Desire
    Shown 17th April 2002 - Wednesday

    The Electricity Guy seems to be having a special friendship with Victoria Pratt . This makes it difficult for her to accept when he gets seduced by a rogue new mutant [ Krista Allen ]. Not only is she beautiful, she has scorpion DNA which means she has a great set of pheremones. And a hidden stinger.

    Eckhardt is after a mcguffin that the scorpion-woman has obtained.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 21] A Breed Apart
    Shown 8th May 2002 - Wednesday

    A new group of mutants appears on the scene, at war with both Genomax and Mutant X. Their leader is the most powerful New Mutant, and he manages to take care of Genomax with frightening ease.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 1, Episode 22] Dancing on the Razor
    Shown 1st May 2002 - Wednesday

    A freelance reporter type gets hold of footage of Mutant X in action. If the footage is broadcast, both Mutant X and Genomax will suffer. Shalomar falls for the suspect ...

    Though this is listed as Ep 22, since it centres around Genomax it must pre-date Ep 21, A Breed Apart.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 2 ]
    Shown th June 2007 [Wednesday]

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  • Season 2

     23.   2- 1        201      5 Oct 02   Past as Prologue
     24.   2- 2        202     12 Oct 02   Power Play
     25.   2- 3        203     19 Oct 02   Time Squared
     26.   2- 4        204     26 Oct 02   Whose Woods These Are
     27.   2- 5        205      2 Nov 02   The Future Revealed
     28.   2- 6        206      9 Nov 02   No Man Left Behind
     29.   2- 7        207     16 Nov 02   Crossroads of the Soul
     30.   2- 8        208     23 Nov 02   Sign from Above
    
    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 9] Body and Soul
    Shown 30 Nov 02

    A ghost possesses people, and goes for revenge on a Doctor [Shalomar's new luv interest].

    Street [ Earth: Final Contact ] is an interfering reporter.

     32.   2-10        210     13 Jan 03   Understudy
     33.   2-11        211     20 Jan 03   The Grift
    
    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 12] At destiny's End
    Shown 27 Jan 03

    Adam's team protect a pollution company.

    Emma goes undercover and bonds with Precog eco-terrorist [who looks like Jesse]. Yes, this ep owes more than a little to Point Break.

    Brendan is self-richeous [ironically hypocritical, considering in a previous ep he had a GF].

    The villain's plan is to release the Doorways bacteria.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 13] Within These Walls
    Shown 3 Feb 03
    Shown 17th December 2005 - Saturday

    A pair of thugs rescue a convict, Maddox [Steve Baccic - Andromeda ]. Not only is he a highly-trained assassin, he's also a super-powered mutant!

    Adam's contact is a former lover of his, and Maddox's ex-boss. Adam visits her to get more info, just at the same time that Maddox and his cronies drop by for revenge.

    With Adam and his ex trapped in the basement, will jealous electro-boy and the others rescue them in time?

    Emma's hair is bright red, and she's on roller-skates!

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 14] Hard Time
    Shown 10 Feb 03
    Shown 17th December 2005 - Saturday

    An old pal of Brendan's escapes from jail, but dies soon after. Brendan and Jesse go undercover as convicts to discover the truth.

    It turns out that the cons are used as cage-fighters. Yes - for all you ladies out there who are annoyed by the proliferation of Babes on TV, here's some specimens of hunky shirtless man-meat rolling around together!

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 15] Under the Cloak of War
    Shown 17 Feb 03
    Shown 24th March 2006 [Friday]

    Someone hires a secret group of international assassins to assassinate Adam before he can make a public speach.

    Luckily, the Assassins' base is in a local bar. Shalomar goes undercover, and gets cosy with top hitman Sebastian Spence [ First Wave ]. He's tough, but he's not a feral.

    Jeffrey Cooms [ Star Trek: DS9 ] is boss of the Assassin group.

     38.   2-16        216     24 Feb 03   Once Around
     39.   2-17        217      7 Apr 03   Final Judgment
    
    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 2, Episode 18] Inferno
    Shown 1st January 2006 [Sunday]

    The team are hunting an arsonist who turns out to be a Pyrokinetic.

    Emma reads the mind of a dying man, and part of his personality is absorbed into her brain. The new split-personality Emma becomes obsessed with catching the arsonist.

     41.   2-19        219     21 Apr 03   One Step Closer
     42.   2-20        220     28 Apr 03   Reality Check
     43.   2-21        221      5 May 03   Reawakening
     44.   2-22        222     12 May 03   Lest He Become
    

    Season 3

  • Karen Cliche as Lexa Pierce [ 3 ]
  • Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 1] Into the Moonless Night
    Shown 29 Sep 03

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 2] Wages of Sin
    Shown 6 Oct 03

    Adam and Lauren Lee are gone.

    In their place, Lexa [ Karen Cliche ] is a bossy agent after Dominique [arch-villain].

    The team attend an auction in a casino.

    . The new Brunette's superpower is invisibility.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 3] The Breed
    Shown 13 Oct 03

    Adam's pal is in an NBC lab. Predictably, it has a Resident Evil scenario.

    Jesse doesn't use his powers this ep. Regardless, the Team must save the day.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 4] Where Evil Dwells
    Shown 20 Oct 03

    The movie ripped off this week is Silence of the Lambs . An Indian TP babe is the Clarice character, and a male model with stubble is Lector.

    Shalomar must trace copycat killer. The TP mindrapes the convict, but he likes it [no morality].

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 5] The Taking of Crows
    Shown 27 Oct 03

    Lexa is drugged. The only one who has the cure is an ex-Genomex scientist now in prison.

    Lexa and Shalomar go undercover in prison farm [skimpy tshirts]. They re-used the solitary set from previous ep.

    MacKay from Stargate: Atlantis is a mutant drug-lord.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 6] Shadows of Darkness
    Shown 3 Nov 03

    The Team investigate Suicides in an asylum.

    Shalomar's phobic of hospitals [unlike 2 eps ago]. Jesse exhumes grave [because Shalomar's too girlie!].

    The cinematography is nice [widescreen and splitscreen]. However, they re-use the same solitary set.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 7] The Hand of God
    Shown 10 Nov 03
    Shown 14th September 2005 - Wednesday

    The team are sent to find a healer-mutant in a remote area. Shalimar is wounded. Luckily the healer is around. Odd how the main characters never incurr a potentially fatal wound unless the magic healing power is pre-established in the ep.

    Another female mutant [a feral?] is also after the healer. And she has a mercenary thug to help her.

    Like previous ep, there is a downbeat ending. The show is cynical about Lexa's boss The Dominion.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 8] Wasteland
    Shown 17 Nov 03

    Locust swarms destroy crops.

    Jesse's background is revealed [apparently he is a millionaire] but in Season 1 his dad was ex-CIA.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 9] No Exit
    Shown 12 Jan 04

    Jesse's VR game takes over the base.

    A Telepathic villain from a previous ep controls it.

    The team must defeat Adam's security!

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 10] Brother's Keeper
    Shown 19 Jan 04

    The team must capture a super-mutant [Lexa's brother]. He's unstable - mentally as well as physical. His alter-ego is an evil Klingon!

    A villainous organ-stealer is after the Klingon's heart. Turns out the villain was formerly Eckhart's head of Security - back when Lexa worked there.

    Lexa must choose between her psycho bro and the man she loves.

    Shalomar's a sadistic bitch. Which is good news for her fans. And Jesse does some field-work, but doesn't use his powers.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 11] Possibilities
    Shown 26 Jan 04

    A time-travelling babe helps the team defuse a bomb. When they get it wrong, she gives them yet another chance.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 12] Conspiracy Theory
    Shown 2 Feb 04

    Lexa is thinking of quitting.

    B and S hunt aliens with a conspiracy journalist named Eddie [not Crazy Eddie from First Wave ], who lost his job for a Genomex photo of Brendan.

    They uncover a US Govt conspiracy to make Mutant assassins.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 13] Art of Attraction
    Shown 9 Feb 04

    The team are after info hidden in art collection. Shalimar gets an anonymous tip.

    The Dominion's contact man is George Buza [ Sinbad ].

    Lexa gets laid.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 14] A Normal Life
    Shown 16 Feb 04

    5 Dominion council-members are kidnapped.

    Shalimar helps framed scientist [love interest].

    The secret helper is still feeding her info.

    Soon Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 15] Divided Loyalties
    Shown 23 Feb 04

    An ARV gang is after Dominion secrets. Brennan goes undercover.

    We finally get a good fight [no wire-fu].

    As the plot arc appears, the team get a secret helper!

     60.   3-16        316      5 Apr 04   Age of Innocence
     61.   3-17        317     12 Apr 04   She's Come Undone
     62.   3-18        318     19 Apr 04   In Between
    
    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 19] Dream Lover
    Shown 26 Apr 04

    This is a non arc story.

    An Eeeevil scientist clones women for slavery, so Shalimar and Lexa go undercover as exotic dancers ...

    Jesse does something for a change. 2 things, actually.

  • He uses his superpowers
  • he has UST with Lexa.
  • Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 20] The Prophecy
    Shown 3 May 04

    new v/o intro, not john shea

    Jesse and Lexa flirt. Brendan and a TP bountyhunter [ Monika Schnarre ] chase monster [ref to Ashlocke].

    It is a travesty that this got s3, while Dark Angel got cancelled.

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 21] Cirque des Merveilles
    Shown 10 May 04

    Brennan and Shalimar go undercover at Mutant Cirus. This leads up to an Eckhardt cameo.

    The soundtrack includes a song by Tia Carrere .

    Mutant X Mutant X [Season 3, Episode 22] The Assault
    Shown 17 May 04

    Shalimar [in a t-shirt negligee] and Brennan end the UST.

    Jesse survives his sell-by-date, so the Dominion try to capture him and Adam.

    Lexa goes after the creator. This leads up to the cliffhanger ending to S3.

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