The Gifted Premiere Recap: “eXposed”
The Gifted season premiere out-shined Inhumans on ABC, and we’re here to recap the amazing episode, “eXposed.”
The X-Men and Inhumans have unfortunately been pitted against each other (literally and figuratively) in the comic book world since the former was sold to FOX. While The Gifted might not be enough for die-hard mutant fans, the pilot was so much better than ABC’s Inhumans.
The Gifted’s premiere was so much better, that it seems like the first time FOX might actually outperform Marvel in superhero properties. “eXposed,” doesn’t introduce anything new to the super-powered family genre, but the decent writing and terrific performances definitely set it apart from a show like No Ordinary Family.
Photo Credit: Ryan Green/FOX
“eXposed,” spends a lot of time introducing the persecution that mutants face in a time when simply carrying the X-gene could send them to prison. A ragtag group, made up of John “Thunderbird” Proudstar (Blair Redford), Lorna “Polaris” Dane (Emma Dumont), Marcos “Eclipse” Diaz (Sean Tale), has made it their mission to track down lost mutants who need to be relocated.
They find themselves in pursuit of Clarice “Blink” Fong, a girl who has just escaped a mutant detention center after Thunderbird is able to track her to an abandoned building. While they manage to save her, they lose Polaris to the police after her temper takes over and she attacks an officer who shot her boyfriend, Eclipse.
They aren’t the only mutants in trouble, with the introduction of the Strucker family. The youngest son, Andy (Percy Hynes White), is facing some severe bullying problems at school that his state prosecutor father, Reed (True Blood actor Stephen Moyer), is unable to solve despite the threat of litigation.
However, Andy is tired of his father and mother Caitlin (Amy Acker), of always treating him with kid gloves so he decides to sneak out to a school dance with his older sister, Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind). Of course, this decision is what ultimately sets up the main conflict in “eXposed” once he is targeted by bullies at the dance. After being dragged into a bathroom and held down through a boiling hot shower, Andy’s mutant powers surface with a deadly effect after he destroys the entire school gym. Thankfully, he’s saved just in time by his force-field creating sister, and the two are able to escape back to the safety of their home.
Photo Credit: Ryan Green/FOX
Unfortunately, the kids discover how mistaken they are to assume that their house would be safe incredibly quickly. The two reveal their mutant side to their mother, who then gets a knock on her door by Sentinel Services. While the head officer (Coby Bell), attempts to peacefully take the kids away, the other man ultimately ends up using force and knocking down Caitlin.
The attack on their mother spurs both kids into actions, with Andy beginning to lose control before Lauren is able to hold them back with a force-field. All three manage to escape, but Caitlin is the one who has to dole out the news to her husband that their family is now in danger.
Officially on the run from the federal government, Reed decides to seek help from Eclipse in hopes of getting his kids to safety. Thankfully, his connection to Polaris is enough to convince Eclipse to help, who sees it as an opportunity to get the soon-to-be mother of his child out of jail. Before they can successfully move the family underground, Sentinel Services come crashing in on the rendezvous.
Proudstar and Blink arrive just in the nick of time, however, a rough version of the “Sentinels” attack all of the mutants. With some help from Andy and Lauren, the group is able to hold off the machines long enough for Blink to make a portal but Reed gets left behind after suffering a gunshot wound. “eXposed,” leaves off on the cliffhanger as to what is going to happen to the former prosecutor now that he’s going to be on the other side of the court as a fugitive this time.
Photo Credit: Ryan Green/FOX
The Gifted might not have introduced anything new or groundbreaking to the genre, “eXposed,” is a genuinely good hour of television. Considering this is the pilot and a lot of the time needed to be taken up setting up the season, the show is all but guaranteed to get better.
Next: Fox reveals official trailer for X-Men series: “The Gifted”
With terrific chemistry between the parents and the kids, as well as the chance to see some of the X-Men who never got their due on the big screen, The Gifted could easily be the best superhero show of the year.