Review by An Honest Fangirl
Well, this season started off with a bang, didn't it? Or I guess it technically was a few of bangs.
The Hellfire Club is dead, long live the Hellfire Club. Seriously, what an introduction to Reeva. I'm not quite sure what to make of her yet, but she's definitely an intriguing antagonist. Her desire for a mutant homeland is an interesting one, although I get the feeling that she wants to destroy the existing world order as opposed to build a homeland alongside it.
I'll be curious to see just what she's willing to sacrifice and how that conflicts with everyone else. We're already seeing the cracks with Lorna worrying that Reeva would let her baby die in order to save her. Honestly, it's not a bad fear. I have no doubt that Reeva will use Dawn to manipulate Lorna the moment that she feels the need to. But I wonder if Andy and the Frost Sisters will let her. Yes, the Frost Sisters. I got the sense that they actually genuinely cared for Lorna and her daughter, not just as a tool or a weapon, but as a person. It'll be interesting to see what side they ultimately end up taking by the time the season is over.
That being said, I am a little concerned that they limited the Hellfire Club a little bit too much. The whole scene with Wire talked about how scary the Inner Circle was and how they made people disappear, but all I could think was "aren't they all dead?" Unless I'm misunderstanding things. Reeva and Frost Sisters did kill the Inner Circle, right?
On the other side, we had what was left of the Mutant Underground trying to do what they've always done, albeit on a smaller scale. Honestly, the most interesting thing going on there is what's happening with Marcos and Caitlin. They're both desperate to find the people that they lost last season. Except that Lorna and Andy aren't really lost, are they? They made a decision, and both Marcos and Caitlin are having a difficult time accepting that.
Caitlin moreso than Marcos, I think. I think that he just really wants to be with his family again, to support Lorna through her pregnancy and birth, to be a father. His desperation rings a lot more true and authentic to me, while Caitlin's was more grating. Her insistence that Andy was taken from them feels like she's deliberately ignoring the true situation, which I can understand. I can't imagine how hard it must be to watch a child turn his back on you. But I also just wanted to shake her for being blind and stupid. Which is unfair. But while I'm excited to see Marcos' continued search for Lorna, I'm really hoping that Caitlin snaps out of it very quickly.
Regardless, I did enjoy the scenes that they shared together. I've enjoyed their dynamic from the start, and it's always nice to see Amy Acker kick some butt. I also loved how Lorna and Andy have bonded. Even though we haven't seen the past six months, we can feel the strength of their connection and it feels like a natural progression for them.
So, what am I looking forward to for the rest of the season? Reed is sometimes a rather bland character, so I'm curious to see if the Red Worms of Doom crawling under his skin will make him exciting again. Those have to be his mutant powers reawakening, right? I wonder what they'll be, since I can't imagine the Powers That Be giving him the same powers as his children. That would be redundant. I am also looking forward to Andy and Lauren actually reuniting. If the weird dream/vision that Lauren had means anything, I'm sure that it won't be a very happy meeting.
I'm... cautious about the introduction of Dawn. (Not gonna lie, I did roll my eyes just a little at her name.) I was genuinely surprised that Lorna gave brith so quickly; I would have put that further into the season. Babies tend not to have a good track record on genre shows. I'm hoping that The Gifted can avoid the most common pitfalls, but I'm not all that confident in that.
Random Thoughts
Looks like "M" will be capitalized this season.
New Hair Report: Caitlin and Blink went wavy, Lorna went long and wavy, and Andy is channeling his inner Draco Malfoy.
How convenient that everyone magically ended up being in the same city even after six months apart.
I really like how Blink and John are in a stable, loving relationship. Please let them stay that way for the rest of the season. Don't break them up for needless drama.
Did it feel jarring to anyone else that Reed was leading the Mutant Underground meeting as opposed to John?
Quotes:
Caitlin: Don't do drugs.
Blink: Do you really want to get me in the mood? Finish the dishes.
John: Alright. That's manipulative. It's highly effective, though.
Reeva: The first thing I ever felt was alone. I was hated for my poverty, then for the color of my skin, then for my powers. But we're here to change that. Together.
Overall, a very strong season opener. They got some interesting things in play here. I'm curious to see where they'll take them.
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An Honest Fangirl loves superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, and really bad horror movies.
Gifted is a really charming show. It captures so much of the feel of the good X-men fare. I'm so happy it's back on air.
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