The Gifted S2E15 “oMens” – A War Ends, a New Chapter Begins (But Probably Won’t Continue)

The flashback goes back to 7/15, the date of the mutant terrorist attacks. Reed and Caitlin Strucker watch the news coverage with a very young Lauren and Andy. Reed tells Caitlin in private that he wants to transfer to the mutant crimes division, reminiscent of Americans joining the armed services after 9/11.

Andy, who sort of apologized for being the kind of terrorist his father risked his life against, has been welcomed back into the Mutant Underground and his family with open arms. Meanwhile, John Proudstar/Thunderbird, Marcos Diaz/Eclipse, and Lorna Dane/Polaris look through documents on the Mutant Underground. They realize the files don’t matter now that their faction is the only one still standing.

Jace Turner and the Purifiers surround the apartment containing what’s left of the Mutant Underground. Lauren and Andy look at what they’re up against. Andy’s ready to kill all of the Purifiers to get away but, unlike Andy, Lauren still has a soul. Suddenly the Frost Sisters appear, hidden by a friend of the Inner Circle who kept them invisible, to steal Lauren and Andy away. By the time their parents walk in they’re gone.

Desperate to get Lauren and Andy back before mind controlled to destroy Sentinel Services headquarters, the Mutant Underground tries to figure out a way to get past the militia surrounding them. John volunteers to distract the Purifiers as the others escape. He seems ready to die after losing Clarice/Blink and eager to kill Jace Turner for taking her away.

John dons Native American war paint, grabs a tomahawk, and runs towards Jace and his friends. He fights them long enough for the others to drive away and even escapes himself. Expert military strategist Jace is not.

We flash back to years later 7/15. A teenage Lauren calls her parents, crying, saying there was a mutant attack at a sleepover, most likely her own abilities manifesting. Reed says everything happens for a reason, which doesn’t seem like a great way to make someone feel better, but it will sort of relate to his decision later in the episode.

The Frosts force Lauren and Andy to follow them Sentinel Service headquarters. Esme worries they’re pushing them too hard with their telepathy, but her sisters insist they keep moving. Upon reaching their destination and the siblings are forced to join hands and use their combined power burn the building to crisp.

The Mutant Underground arrives and the Frosts almost force Lauren and Andy to kill them. But Lorna pleas to Esme, reminding her that the Frosts are doing what her captors did to her and her sisters. She breaks her tether to Lauren and Andy, giving Marcos the chance to knock Sophie and Phoebe out.

Erg finds John as he’s running away, wounded. Together they take down the Purifiers and for the first time John refers to himself as Thunderbird, fitting given his attire. He’s a second away from killing Jace before he shows mercy.

A parking garage is home to an all-out battle between the Underground and Inner Circle, highlighted by Amy Acker shooting an invisible man strangling her husband. Reed tells Caitlin that the energy from his reemerged power  is about to tear him apart. Before that happens he’ll use it to take Reeva down. He finds her and has a elementary school level philosophy debate with her before expending his power and his life to blow the building up and everyone in it.

It looks like the Inner Circle is dead but it’s more dangerous for mutants than ever. Benedict Ryan tries to escape reporters asking him about claims that he was connected to the Purifiers and Reeva before the Frosts compel him to confess his crimes.

Erg tells the Mutant Underground that he’s heard that new mutant groups are gathering. Their stories and Reed’s sacrifice inspired them and it seems like the larger Underground is about to be rebuilt, with our cast as its leaders.

John hears something and runs to see traces of Clarice’s teleportation abilities. Clarice, somehow alive, comes through and tells them there’s something they need to see…

It’s extremely unlikely The Gifted will see a third season. It’s FOX’s lowest rated drama and unlikely its least expensive with mutant-powered battles every episode. Creator and showrunner Matt Nix said that if the series were to be renewed it would be on a streaming channel. But even putting licensing issues aside, I can’t see any service believing the series would be good for their platform.

Disney buying FOX is another gigantic reason not to renew this lowly-rated show, if it needed one. We’ll have to see how Marvel getting the X-Men back affects mutants’ presence on the small screen. I plan to get into that next Wednesday with an article that will post at 10am, the same time as these recaps. See you then!