The Gifted season 2, episode 1 premiere recap: ‘eMergence’

Don’t mess with the new inner circle on this season of The Gifted.

FOX’s The Gifted, is arguably the most underrated superhero on television. “eMergence” is the show at its best, with each of the characters equally interesting. Last season the Struckers were a bit underdeveloped compared to the other mutants, but now everyone serves a purpose and this season looks like it’s going to be one exciting ride.

The premiere opens up with newcomer Reeva Payge speaking with the inner circle. They’re upset about the actions she took in Atlanta to secure Polaris and Andy. Unfortunately, Reeva isn’t that apologetic, and she takes down every member of the circle alongside the Frost sisters. It’s an explosive introduction for a character who has the potential to really mix things up this season.

Speaking of Polaris, the flash forward shows her very pregnant. She’s feeling lonely and reminiscing about her time with Marcos. It certainly can’t be easy to bring a baby into the world knowing that you’re about to do it alone. Luckily, she has Andy beside her who promises to do his best. Yes, his new haircut and makeover make him look like a groupie for My Chemical Romance, his interactions with Lorna are a nice touch. It’s easy to feel the camaraderie and loyalty that has grown between them in the past few months.

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While the inner circle seems to be thriving, the Mutant Underground feels just as run down as ever. The Gifted still has them trying to save as many mutants as they can, with the group flying under the radar because the government believes they’re dead. They’re a well-oiled machine at this point, with John, Marcos, Blink, and Lauren going in for extraction. Caitlin is working at a hospital while Reed hides in a storage room making new identities for the victims as well as listening to police chatter. The series struggled to integrate both Caitlin and Reed last season, but at this point, they work well now.

However, the Strucker family and Marcos are dealing with a lot more than their letting on. Marcos is desperate to get in touch with Lorna and gets even worse as the baby’s due date gets closer. He’s reached out to some hackers who could potentially have information but the rest of the group shoots him down. Everyone except Caitlin, who has gotten equally desperate to find her son.

She’s driving away everyone she cares about and even Reed is beginning to notice. Caitlin has made Lauren work at the local shelters to get information which has only isolated her daughter. Reed encourages letting Lauren find work with kids her own age, but Caitlin immediately refuses. Unfortunately, things are getting more complicated for Lauren who seems to be having prophetic dreams. She sees Andy (in his new style) atop a rooftop where he forces her to use their Fenris powers. It leads her to wake up screaming and certainly has us terrified about what could be coming.

While Reed cautions they don’t read into it too much, it sends Caitlin running to Marcos for help. Their friendship was one of the highlights of The Gifted season one so it is nice to see them continue that partnership. The two go to meet the hacker Marcos mentioned before who quickly demands more money when he discovers they’re looking for the Hellfire Club. A hardened Caitlin is able to physically take the guy down and demand the information. Look out Sarah Connor, there’s a new badass mom in town.

Speaking of new mothers, Polaris is terrified to become one. The Inner Circle has gotten her a munitions building which should sustain the damage caused by her labor. However, a discussion with Reeva leads Lorna to believe that the new leader of the Inner Circle will happily let the baby die in favor of Magneto’s prodigy. She begs Andy to protect the baby at all costs, and the seeds of disarray are already beginning to show.

Co. Cr: Eliza MorseFOX

As the Mutant Underground searches for their lost family members, Blink and John are trying to help out a young telekinetic mutant. She won’t leave for safety until her twelve-year-old sister is found. Unfortunately, John is only able to track her to a bus stop before she was picked up. Before the two can go back out looking, Caitlin and Marcos come bounding in with the former nursing a bullet wound.

Reed and Lauren are finally out of patience. He’s dealing with secret mutant abilities which are coming to the surface violently. While Lauren is tired of her mother pretending as though Andy was kidnapped. The truth is he left, and Lauren won’t keep searching for someone who doesn’t want to be found.

Andy, meanwhile, is trying to keep Lorna’s spirit up by offering to throw out some baby name suggestions. It will be interesting to see if his loyalty to Polaris will be tested this season for his love for his family. Nevertheless, the labor begins and Polaris is rushed to the munitions factory in the nick of time.

The premiere leaves things on a complicated note as Lorna goes into labor. All of Washington DC is suffering from power surges as she tries to give birth. Luckily, this helps confirm for Marcos and Caitlin that their loved ones are in this area. Not so lucky for Lorna, who isn’t dilating for some reason. Reeva and the Frost Sisters step in to help get rid of the mental block which shows a very peaceful future for her daughter. While we don’t believe that’s what Reeva’s endgame actually is, it does help inspire Lorna to fight for her daughter.

However, when the power goes out, Marcos no longer knows if the baby or Lorna survived. He’s heartbroken and no one can blame him. “eMergence” closes with the Inner Circle looking on as Lorna happily swaddles her daughter.

What did you think of the season 2 premiere of The Gifted? Be sure to tell us in the comments below!