Time is running out for everyone on The Gifted in this episode, titled “eXploited.” The mutant underground starts off divided on how to handle the current situation, as Lorna fears that Trask Industries could have access to all information regarding the mutant underground HQ. Kate and Reed fear the safety of their children. Meanwhile, Jace makes a deal with a newly-recovered devil, and Esme’s backstory and plan are revealed.
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The Mutant Underground Comes to a Decision
The start of The Gifted picks up shortly after where the previous episode left off. Everyone who wasn’t arrested is back at the underground HQ, arguing over their next plan of attack. The fear of the Hound Program fills Lorna, and she desperately wants to get into Trask Industries to get Dreamer, Blink and the Strucker children.
Reed and Kate don’t want to go in all guns blazing. That would just make it all worse, but Lorna is adamant that they need to attack now. It takes John to calm the arguments down to pull the underground together. The Struckers are part of the underground now, so everyone needs to work together to save all.
While Kate and Reed run through their contacts to see if anyone can help, Esme listens in and gets flashes of Reed’s memories of his time under arrest. She suggests they go to Jace to at least get the mutants out of Dr. Campbell’s labs. Being in prison is better than being part of the Hound Program. It’s enough to convince them to go to him, but they need to figure out the best way to get in touch with him. They’ll go to his house, where there’s a lower chance of being arrested.
Esme Breaks the Struckers’ Trust
Esme’s backstory is the one revealed in this episode of The Gifted. There’s a flashback to two months earlier, where Esme has infiltrated an electoral campaign. She gets a telepathic message from someone that Sentinel Services knows that mutants have infiltrated the campaign. Esme gets out just in time, but others are taken and they call to Esme to help her.
When the Struckers leave, Esme turns to Lorna and Marcos to tell them where the Struckers are going. John realizes that going to Jace could be a good thing. If Jace decides to take the mutants back to Sentinel Services, the mutants can use the chance to get the mutants out of the prisoner transport. They just need Sage and Shatter (who have already been sent to Trask Industries to keep an eye on the situation there) to tell them when the prisoners are being moved.
Marcos isn’t overly happy about the plan, as he’s seen enough killing because of the cartel. However, Lorna makes it clear that she is done living in fear and doesn’t want that for their child.
Jace Hands the Mutant Prisoners to Dr. Campbell
While Lauren and Andy sit in jail cells, Dreamer and Blink are held in interrogation. Jace is questioning Dreamer and admits to her everything that happened to his memories of his daughter. Dreamer never meant for something like that to happen, shocked that her abilities were able to do something like that. Dreamer starts to doubt herself, realizing that she is creating too much hurt and pain with her abilities. Being in captivity starts to play on her mind, and Blink has to give her a pep talk to keep her fighting.
When Dr. Campbell (who has recovered from his injuries in the blast thanks to one of his mutant hounds) calls, Jace offers both Dreamer and Blink. However, Dr. Campbell wants the Strucker children. As they haven’t been processed yet, Jace doesn’t want to hand them over, but Dr. Campbell offers information on the mutant underground. It’s enough for Jace to change him mind.
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Dr. Campbell Tests the Strucker Children
With the Strucker children in his lab, Dr. Campbell has the chance to test them in a specially created room that won’t be destroyed. The two refuse to cooperate, so Dr. Campbell shocks Lauren through her neck collar. When they continue to refuse, Dr. Campbell turns off the communication software and leaves the siblings to wonder what will happen next. All Lauren knows is they can’t give Dr. Campbell what he wants because it can’t be good.
After a short while, Dr. Campbell turns the communication software back on and reveals Dreamer and Blink. Dreamer tells the Struckers not to use their powers, not to give Dr. Campbell what he wants. Annoyed, Dr. Campbell shoots Dreamer in the chest.
With the gun pointed at Blink, Andy and Lauren decide to show their powers off to Dr. Campbell. They are able to use their joint powers to the full extent. They are able to damage the indestructible room.
Blink mourns the loss of Dreamer, as Lauren blames her and Andy for Dreamer’s death. They still just gave Dr. Campbell everything he wanted. In the end, Dr. Campbell gets the results he wanted and is able to get information to create a solution to the mutant problem permanently.
The Strucker Parents Work with Jace
Kate and Reed take a trip to Jace’s house, where Kate shares her regrets for turning a blind eye to things happening to the mutants. She knows everyone else in Jace’s neighborhood would do the same. When they get to Jace’s house, they try to reason the father within him to get him to release the mutants from the Trask labs.
Jace refuses to help because the testing facility has been approved by Congress. Reed’s anger gets to be too much, so Kate explains everything she’s seen first-hand with the drugs and mental conditioning. While Jace tries to argue that at least the Strucker children are alive, Kate argues that the torture the children will receive will be worse than death.
Jace’s wife wants to understand more about the testing to find out if it’s true. She’s upset that Jace would allow something like this to happen and do it in his daughter’s memory.
Jace goes to Trask Industries to release all the mutants and take them back into custody. This movement is just what the mutant underground needs to get their friends back.
Esme offers to be part of the plan to help. In the end, she tasers Marcos so she can carry out her own plan. Using her telepathic abilities, she’s able to convince the majority of the men from Sentinel Services (except Jace) to kill each other and themselves and turn off the collars on the mutants.
All the mutants get out of the prisoner transport, and it turns out that the ones who had infiltrated the election campaign with Esme are her identical twin sisters with the exact same abilities. Esme is able to carry out her plan, but innocent people have lost their lives.
Did you expect Dreamer’s death? How will John react? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The Gifted season 1 returns Monday, January 1, 2018, at 9/8c on FOX. Want more news? Like our Gifted Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Alexandria is a full-time freelance writer and journalist. Alexandria studied Computer Science at Aston University and Criminology at the Open University. She enjoys writing about TV shows and entertainment news. Other than writing, Alexandria loves reading, exploring new countries, and relaxing with her family.
