The flashback for the penultimate episode of season (and likely the season, given The Gifted’s ratings) features John/Thunderbird in bed with Clarice/Blink, who was killed at the end of the last episode. Clarice discusses when she was the Brotherhood, which might be the first reference to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She says that when she was with them she was miserable and just dreamt of the stars, opening up a portal with her abilities so it looks like they’re within an arm’s reach.
Caitlin and Lauren Strucker plus a half dozen escaped Morlocks are in a car chase with the police. They decide to split up to evade the cops. Caitlin and Lauren head off together.
John starts a shouting match with Erg for his role in Clarice’s death. He throws a punch and Erg is ready to retaliate but a young Morlock girl tugs on his arm and he leaves with her, even giving John an apology, for what that’s worth.
Reeva goes over plans with the Inner Circle to destroy “the institutions of a nation that hates them.” Lorna is scared of what they’ll be asked to do. Andy, of course, seems excited to be a terrorist. Lorna calls Marcos/Eclipse who says he’ll grab her from the Inner Circle headquarters tomorrow. Reed asks about Andy and Lorna says she doesn’t know if he’ll leave since he believes in what they’re doing.
Jace’s Purifier buddy Wilson wants to keep hunting for innocent mutants but Jace is still hesitant after seeing a teddy bear in the Morlock tunnels. He says he expected to find monsters, not kids. Wilson heads off with the rest of the Purifiers while Jace stays behind.
Lorna asks Andy if he realizes that destroying government buildings won’t be like a video game. Andy says he does but with such casualness that he either doesn’t or he’s a psychopath. He tells Lorna that her ripping the plane out of the sky in Season 1 to save them is what made him join the Inner Circle, which horrifies her.
Marcos walks up to John, who’s taking out his anger by breaking the bricks of an abandoned building with his fists. John tells Marcos about Clarice’s death and Marcos convinces him they have to get out of the area while Purifiers are combing the streets.
Reed, meanwhile, is seen by Wilson, who holds an assault rifle to his head. Reed is about to talk his way out of it before his veins start glowing. He stops Wilson from grabbing his gun and, when provoked, grabs him by the throat and incinerates him. Which is a good thing in my book since the guy killed an innocent kid a couple episodes ago. Reed, John, and Eclipse take off.
Back at their home, Reed asks John to help track down his family. He can’t because all he can feel with his heightened senses is Clarice. Reed tells Marcos that he stopped taking the medicine keeping his powers dormant. He asks what Marcos thought his powers were for. Marcos says that his father thought they were from the Devil, and though he hated him Marcos didn’t necessarily disagree. He asks Reed if something is going on but before he gets an answer they hear about an upcoming bust to take down hidden mutants on the police scanner. The two of them head off to help.
Esme tells Lorna and Andy they should rest before their attack tomorrow. Lorna gets Esme to admit her role in it, which is for the Frosts to mind control humans into convincing them that, when things get worse, a mutant homeland is the best option.
As they continue to run from the cops, Lauren realizes that her mom had everyone split up so they were more likely to escape even if some of the Morlocks died. Caitlin defends herself by saying people are counting on them. They get in a shootout with the police and Caitlin is about to sacrifice herself to save Lauren when her powers reemerge. She shields the police’s attacks long enough for Reed and Marcos to save them.
Lorna tells Andy all she’s learned about Reeva working with the Purifiers and Andy denies that it’s possible, playing into his political archetype all too well. But he’s upset once he realizes it affected him since his mass murderer girlfriend died working with the Inner Circle. He doesn’t think he can go back to his family after everything that happened, which I cosign but I guess his family actually still wants him back?
Lorna calls Andy’s family so they can tell him to come home but Andy doesn’t want to because he’s a monster who belongs with the Inner Circle. No disagreements here but Reed tells Andy he understands what he’s going through after his anger caused him to kill the Purifier. Andy hangs up and whether or not he comes home remains a question mark.
Jace walks into Benedict Ryan’s office to tell him the Morlock’s hideout wasn’t what he was told. Benedict changes the subject by telling him that Wilson was killed, which keeps Jace in line, at least for the time being.
In the last moments of the episode Andy comes home and every member of his family gives him a big hug, ugh. Lorna reunites with Marcos and they glow from their abilities as they embrace. John stands sadly in a thunderstorm, remembering his time with Clarice, and things he hears her amongst the thunder, which given her power set might be feasible? The rest of the Mutant Underground comes to keep him company.
The Frost Sisters tell Reeva that Lorna and Andy are gone. Reeva says it’s such a shame they’ll have to kill the heirs of two great mutant families.
I still contend that Jace remains beyond redemption, finding a teddy bear wasn’t enough to change that. But the episode had a lot to like about it, with emotional moments between characters that had been building all season and were executed well. For the whole series Marcos, John, and Clarice were the highlight for me, and this episode had some of the best stuff particularly from John I’ve seen in quite a while. I wasn’t sure if I could say it before, but I can say now I’m genuinely looking forward to next week’s season (series?) finale!
very good article
Comments are closed.