Quick Summary:
Blink is collapsing and the whole Mutant Underground is going to go with her if Caitlin doesn't get the right medical supplies to save the day. Meanwhile Polaris is showing her true colors and trying to stay alive while Reed makes a deal with a devil.
Societal Concerns:
What already sets The Gifted apart from the regular tv show is that it is trying to make the viewer think (while also enjoying all that is to be seen). The beginning of the hour finds the Struckers not doing much when a mutant child displays her gift at a bowling alley. Sure, Reed doesn't turn them in and offers advice but this isn't anything that effects them so they look the other way. Time to just continue to bowl. Then later on Caitlin sees first hand the prejudices mutants face and is shocked by it. Until it touches you, you only think you understand.
This sets up a character arc (in just one ep- tres amazing) for Caitlin. She goes from pretending like this issues weren't a real problem a year before to really becoming one of the best ally's of the mutants. She isn't just in this fight now because of her kids, she has to do. While Andy's powers awakened from fright at the bully treatment, Caitlin's "powers" awaken when she realizes her past mistakes. She now instead of not acting, goes full throttle to help Blink and really the rest of the mutants. Their fight is now her fight. Golly, she even leaves her kids to go into brutal harm's way to save Blink. It is one thing to be a warrior with powers or SWAT behind you but another to do it just as a normal person in scrubs.
Character Reveals:
This ep does a wonderful job of revealing who these characters are, showing they are more dimensional. John stays with Blink and is protective. Blink has something in her past...something about that road but she can't talk about yet. Lauren finds how powerful she can be and is heroic and Andy shows that he can start fostering his great power. Marcos is intense but probably because of what happened to him as a kid. He found the love that he longed for with Lorna and a place to call home. Polaris acts tough but is scared for herself, for Marcos and for their baby. Jace has some humanity in him but has let grief and anger cloud his judgement. Reed is all about his family but is there something less heroic about him or is just playing into Jace's hand for now?
The biggest character reveal is Caitlin who does a wonderful 180 as she finds who she is and who she needs to be in this new, scary world that she now lives in. Caitlin is powerful without having any mutant gene.
Bravo, Bravo:
This is an ep that allows two of its female cast the real chance to shine. Jaime Chung has to portray everything happening to Blink while lying down. The performance could be cliche, laughable or not as impressive in lesser hands. Chung, though, makes the audience feel like we are on that horror rollarcoaster with Blink.
Amy Acker gets to do a year's worth of tv acting in one episode. Caitlin Strucker changes so much and has a lot of action. Acker does a masterclass in acting in each of the scenes she is in. From the bowling where we see a different Caitlin to the scene where the doctor assumes Marcos is beating her and realization comes to Caitlin. Any young actors wanting to learn how to act...watch Acker in this ep. Always a scene stealer as the lead actress here Acker is such a wonderful, commanding force. Like Caitlin who has found her leadership abilities, the show is allowing Acker the chance to showcase her talent not just as the wonderful supporting character but as the one leading the series into a more special place. Caitlin and Acker have at least one thing in common: they are a secret weapon.
Also congrats to Matt Nix, Len Wiseman, Sharon Gless, the make up/hair and visual effects crew. The ep was brilliantly written, expertly directed, Gless as top notch as ever and the crew needs their Emmy STAT.
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