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The Gifted: rX

Review by An Honest Fangirl

"Just because something seems impossible doesn't mean it didn't happen."

I do like how they're capitalizing the "X" in the episode titles. It happened last episode too, so I'm assuming that it'll be a pattern going forward.

The more I watch of The Gifted, the more excited I become. I thought that this was a very strong second episode that did essentially everything that I was hoping it would do.

We had a couple of different storylines, so I'll go through them one by one, starting with Reed and Agent Turner. Is it bad that I'm kinda rooting for Turner? There's just something about him that feels inherently sympathetic to me. I don't necessarily want him to succeed in capturing the mutants, but I wanted him to win the battle of wills with Reed.

Maybe I just don't like Reed all that much yet. I did like that his 20 years as a federal prosecutor came in handy once he was on the other side of the table, but it just seemed a little too easy to me. He was a little too smug. I'm just not connecting with him in the same way that I am with the vast majority of the other characters. I am curious to see how this deal plays out. Reed may be perfectly willing to sacrifice the Mutant Underground to save his family, but I don't think that the rest of the Struckers will go along with it.

Lauren and Andy certainly won't. Both of them, Lauren especially, stepped up this week when it came to protecting the Underground and using their powers. They definitely feel like they're integrating into the group. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Lauren decides that she wants to remain with them once it becomes time for the family to escape to Mexico. The flashback in the beginning showed that she has a fairly strong moral streak in her, even if it doesn't extend to not cheating in bowling.

Last week, I said that I hoped that The Gifted would delve into some real world social issues through the context of mutants. Well, that's what Caitlin's story was all about. I do appreciate that they aren't afraid to go there so quickly, but the process of... enlightening Caitlin to the issues that mutants face felt a bit heavy handed at times. It feel into "preaching" territory a few times during the car ride conversations between her and Marcos.

That being said, I did really enjoy those sections and the dynamic between Caitlin and Marcos. Both of them were instrumental in securing the medicine for Clarice. Their different skills were equally important. I hope that they get matched up again in the future, especially if they try to get Lorna and Reed out of prison.

Lorna's scenes might have been my favorite of the entire episode. There's something about her snark, her quiet inner strength, and her vulnerability that is just incredibly compelling to watch. She must be seriously powerful too if she managed to override that shock collar in order to throw the table. I'm curious to see how her pregnancy will affect things going forward. As long as something doesn't happen to the baby while she's imprisoned, of course.

Random Thoughts

What happened on July 15th?

The special effects were really good again. I liked how the portals sometimes looked like ghosts zipping through HQ towards the end.

What's so special about mutant siblings? That Dr. Campbell at the end there can't be a good guy. There's no way.

Loved Lorna's green hair. The scene where she washed out the dye was rather beautifully shot.

I didn't really talk about Clarice going into shock and losing control of her powers, but it was really tense and well done. Something definitely happened on that road, though. She didn't keep opening a portal there for no reason.

Quotes (They're all from Caitlin. No Shame.):

Caitlin: Yes, he's prosecuted mutants but–
Marcos: But some of his best friends are mutants?

Caitlin: No! I'm not leaving my daughter here to close space holes!

Caitlin: A lot of people have been fighting this fight for a long time. And now it's our turn.


It's still early, so there's plenty of time for The Gifted to crash and burn. But these first two episodes have given me a lot of hope. I'm glad that I decided to pick this show up.
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An Honest Fangirl loves superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, and really bad horror movies.

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