The Gifted Finale Recap: “eXtraction/X-roads”

The Gifted finale might have been relatively predictable based on the storylines this season but it doesn’t make “eXtraction/X-roads” any less exhilarating.

The two-hour end to The Gifted‘s freshmen run is fast-paced as the mutants fight for their survival. Ultimately, the episode ends as many people expected: A new Brotherhood forming alongside a new generation of X-Men. However, the battle lines being drawn destroyed a lot of relationships along the way.

The first hour splits time between the Strucker family and the leaders of the Underground during their team-up with the Frost triplets. “eXtraction/X-roads” puts a lot of focus on the dynamic between the Strucker siblings, especially in the first half. When Reed discovers that Sentinel Services is going after his mother (again), the family races together to save her.

The parents manage to get to her in time, however, Andy and Lauren get in a squabble in the parking lot during guard duty. Turns out, the younger Strucker longs to embrace his ancestral roots and become the villain that their grandparents once were.

He easily takes down the agents sent after his grandmother, but decides that killing them would be a more effective deterrent. Lauren, being the morally incorruptible child, takes on her brother to defend them and the two end up injured by the other. Luckily, the family learns of a researcher, Madeline Risman who used to work with Otto and give the Underground a leg up on Sentinel Services.

With the Frost siblings, “eXtraction/X-roads,” shows how uncomfortable some of the group are working alongside them. John is seeking vengeance, so he overlooks how Esme is attempting to sway members of their team. When they’re unable to kidnap Campbell at the “Humanity Summit,” the group argues over their next move.

Eclipse, Blink, and John (with the latter two sharing a kiss) agree that they made the right call to let Campbell go since he was using children as a shield. However, the Cuckoos aren’t convinced that easily and they manage to convince Lorna to embrace her father’s legacy. She has them drop her off at an airport, where she waits for Campbell to depart alongside his mutant-hating Senator. Despite her friends begging her to stand down, she vows to build a better world before destroying the plane in the sky.

Back at Mutant Underground headquarters, everything has taken a turn for the worse. Agent Turner finally tracks down the abandoned building and plans to storm the place with his Hounds. Caitlin immediately takes charge, and gets one of the mutants to evacuate the small children to safety before Sentinel Services takes the place down.

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However, they’re the only ones who escape before the fighting ensues. Thankfully, she manages to get one of the mutants to bust a hole through the bank vault for an alternate exit while the “combat trained” teenagers keep Sentinel Services from busting in. To protect everyone else, Andy and Lauren put their differences aside to use their Fenris powers to bring the building down to cover everyone’s tracks.

“eXtraction/X-roads” ends with the Underground converging at a small way station while they think about their next move. Lauren is distraught over having to kill the Hounds, while Andy is still angry that they didn’t take out the remaining agents. He finally gets a place to direct his newly forming hatred for humans when Polaris shows up with the Cuckoos to form the new Brotherhood.

They convince Sage, Shatter, and a few other nameless members of the group to join before Andy finally gets up. His parents and sister beg him to stay, but it’s too late. He’s made up his mind and warns them not to stand in his way after he uses his powers against them.

From the beginning of The Gifted, it’s been clear that a new Brotherhood and X-Men would have to form. “eXtraction/X-roads” feels like a natural culmination from the events of the season, and it sets up an even more compelling season two.

Next: The Gifted Recap: “3 X 1”

The introduction of Madeline Risman (known as Matthew in the comics) and Agent Turner’s dramatic exit from Sentinel Services also promises a “Purifiers” plotline that is bound to separate the mutants even more than this season. No matter what side audiences feel is the right one, there’s no denying that The Gifted has successfully set up a show that deals with the complexities discrimination, war, and immigration.