What a thrilling hour.
It’s easy for a show to get bogged down with needless storytelling after flipping its status quo, but The Gifted is not showing any signs of weakness nor is it slowing down anytime soon. One of the best compliments I could also give this show so early into its run is its impressive lack of filler, together with the fact that there aren’t any meaningless subplots or irritating supporting characters. Yes, this is already one of the best new shows of the year.
The brilliance of boXed in is that it takes all the tension and drama created from previous episodes and builds on it with an increased focus on character development. While most of the mutants are once again split up and in danger of getting caught, it doesn’t feel like a retread of a previous storyline. This time, everyone is trying to uncover whatever happened to Pulse after Sentinel Services took him (and gave him a cool minimalistic tattoo). It’s a compelling new way to keep the mystery alive on this show, and it will be interesting to find out what else happened to him when he was taken.
The Gifted hasn’t shied away from real-world parallels in this day and age, particularly as it tells the story of people who are treated as outcasts and consider crossing the border for their own safety in fear of getting locked up. This message is brought up repeatedly again this week between the Struckers who are starting to accept their new reality, which is all the more disheartening and indeed makes for compelling television.
Finally, the twist at the end with Jace returning home to his wife only to ask about his dead daughter’s whereabouts is a shocking and heartbreaking development. It’s made all the more horrifying thanks to Coby Bell’s impeccably nuanced performance and the realization that Dreamer telling Blink earlier that she can just as easily remove memories is a hint that she did just that with Turner earlier. What a genius move that effectively ups the stakes on one hand while simultaneously giving Jace a much more gripping arc. I can’t wait for next week.
Xtra Bits
– Absolutely chilling teaser as we flash back to the infamous 7/15 date when Jace’s daughter was killed. Also loved the aerial shot of him beaten down on the ground as his wife screams in the background.
– I’m still not sure what Johnny’s powers are and how they work.
– Eclipse and Polaris working together on the road to take down the drone was beyond epic!
– All my X-Men knowledge comes solely from the movies I grew up watching, but I did look up the name Aurora (which also means the Northern Lights) and apparently she is a Canadian superhero, the twin sister of Northstar and was involved with Sasquatch! I’m excited.
– Another epic moment is Polaris telekinetically taking the gun from Jace and pointing it at him. So badass.
– Incredibly intense scene as Lauren and Andy help Caitlin perform surgery on a mutant.
– The special effects continue to be impressive on this show. I was particularly amused by Lauren adding pressure on the mutant’s wounds during surgery and Reed bumping into Tex’s invisible car this week.
– Loved the cozy family dinner at the end.
Gifts & Quips
Eclipse: (to Polaris) We’re gonna have a weird kid.
Caitlin: If you told me three weeks ago I would be this happy to eat a rib-shaped barbecue pork patty, I would have said you were insane.
Reed: You know what, it’s not bad.
Caitlin: (laughing) It’s terrible. This is the best terrible meal I have ever had.
Conclusion
A thrilling hour from one of my favorite new shows. I have high hopes for the second half of the season.
Chris Rating
A
Took the words right out of my mouth Chris. I freakin’ LOVED this hour. It was thrilling, touching and everything in between. In fact, it was my favorite episode thus far, and proved to me that this is definitely a show I can watch for the long-term (if the quality is sustained that is).
How heartbreaking was that ending? Lately I’d been thinking that Jace was such a cliche, but that scene singlehandedly made me care for him. Excellent!
Yup agree that this is definitely something I want to watch long-term! And was absolutely crushed by that twist ending. Very cool considering I didn’t care about Jace at all last week.