On this week's episode Reed worries as Lauren becomes intrigued by her ancestors and their violent powers.
Lorna begins to reevaluate her trust in the Inner Circle after figuring out the past of Reeva's new trainees.
Meanwhile, Benedict Ryan continues to encourage Jace to take action with the Purifiers. Marcos asks Clarice to go to the Morlocks in search of information on the Inner Circle and Thunderbird gets a call from Evangeline. (Source)
SCENE-BY-SCENE RECAP
We begin with Andreas von Strucker in 1985, New Orleans. He visits an antique shop to check on music box he was having fixed and swiftly murders the shopkeeper after he tries to goad Andreas into selling it - but also to keep the secret.
Present day, that same music box is playing quietly on Lauren's bed as she studies the history of her lineage and Fenris. Reed is worried about her. She's been obsessively researching and training since their fight at the Purifiers compound. He thinks something may have changed with her, that she could have been affected by fighting alongside Andy.
Caitlin is ready to go at Reeva and the Inner Circle with guns blazing but as Clarice and Reed point out, John is still sedated after taking a pound of buckshot to the chest and the Underground has mostly gone dark. The four of them can't even hope to take on the full might of Reeva and the twins without help. In an act of desperation, Caitlin suggests going door-to-door to anyone who may be willing to assist them.
Interrupting Lorna while she's reminiscing about her kiss with Marcos, Andy tells he to come check out Reeva's new recruits. In the training room, Reeva has brought in three of the mutants who escape from prison and gives them a speech about their planned agenda in the Inner Circle. One of the mutants, Max, is cocky and takes the chance to show off his abilities as he believes they don't need training. The three of them together show off some of their talents but Reeva is able to best them with ease, demonstrating the necessity for training and also discipline. The triplets are there as back-up and eventually Max, who is the spokesperson for the newbies, agrees to her terms.
Andy is impressed by the new guys but Lorna isn't as happy about it. She confronts Reeva afterwards. The new mutants are mass murderers which is what Reeva wanted. They want to terrify the humans so they'll leave mutants alone for good and she promises Lorna will have a big part to play in rebuilding from the ash. She is royalty after all.
The divorce papers have been signed and delivered between Jace and his wife. He ponders whether or not to send a final message to his now-ex when Benedict calls him into his office for a campaign meeting. Before dealing with what happened in Atlanta, Benedict wants to get on the same page as Jace about how they're going to win over America's hearts.
Lauren falls asleep with the music box still playing and has another dream, this time Andy is absent but Fenris is present. Lauren's powers begin to manifest offensively as she shoots discs around the room and chops her dresser in half and sends the ceiling fan plummeting to the floor. She witnesses Andrea die and it seems like she can feel some connection to her by the anguished look on her face when it happens. Caitlin and Reed rush in at the noise of destruction.
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| THE GIFTED: L-R: Amy Acker, Natalie Alyn Lind and Stephen Moyer in “meMento” --FOX ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Annette Brown/FOX. |
At the Purifier's church, Ted feels left out when all he gets is a text from Jace about their intention to get back on the streets to find mutants but Jace claims it wasn't intentional to make him feel that way. He knew he was still recovering from the compound but Benedict wants things to move along swiftly. Ted looks a little conflicted as Jace walks away.
John is healing but slower than anyone would like. Caitlin wants him ready to fight again but Clarice is worried for what will happen when he is. She tells her a story about when Reed was a prosecutor and nearly died from a car bomb due to a case he was working on. She points out that their will always be risk but people can't change who they are, they may bend and adapt but John will always be John. Caitlin gives her some hope by reminding her they love each other and will find a way to work things out.
Their chat is interrupted by a phone call from Marcos who isn't having much luck in finding mutants with combative powers willing to fight but he still has a few more stops left. Suddenly his car is hijacked by none other than Lorna and the two have another emotional confrontation about what happened ever since Lorna left him for the Inner Circle. She's desperate now though and against what Reeva has in mind with her new recruits. She doesn't need Marcos to forgive her but she needs him to help her put a stop to this before thousands of innocent people die.
Marcos informs Clarice about the situation with Lorna and she's pretty shocked by the change in alliances. It has Marcos rattled though, I mean what is Reeva planning that has Lorna running for the hills? He mentions that he thinks their last resort may be the Morlocks and Clarice wastes no time in calling him out on his hypocrisy since he was calling her a traitor for even talking to them not that long ago.
Elsewhere, Reed and Caitlin are discussing Lauren's increasing power and reclusiveness. Reed is more worried than Caitlin. He points out the song the music box is playing is called "Erkling" and it's about an evil force that comes to steal children away and the parents that ignore it.
The purifiers arrive at a safehouse of sorts and they're totally unwelcome but it doesn't stop Ted and Jace from busting in, threatening, and harassing two mutant teenagers anyways.
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| THE GIFTED: L-R: Sean Teale and Jaime Chung in “meMento” -- FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Annette Brown/FOX. |
Back at the Inner Circle compound, Lorna decides to do some flirting herself with Max. She learns the Ignavus cruise group have been living in separate cells for years and now that they're back together they're in a celebratory mood. Intel is lacking, even with Lorna's coy smile, Max tells her as long as he gets paid he'll do whatever Reeva tells him to.
Something tells me Reed may not have convinced that landlord as well as he thought he did since cops show up at the apartment complex with supposed reports of mutant activity. But Lauren thinks quick and tells Caitlin to pretend to be anti-mutant to send the cops on a false trail away from them. She causes destruction outside to make them think the attacks are coming from elsewhere and lead them away from the apartment.
Underground, Marcos and Glow almost share a kiss but turns out he isn't over Lorna, not even close. Anyone with eyes could see that.
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| THE GIFTED: Guest star Michael Luwoye in “meMento” -- FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Annette Brown/FOX. |
Back with Jace and Ted, Jace gets a much-needed reality check from one of the teenagers he chases. He is black just as Jace is and he points out the Purifiers are no different from the KKK or any other hate group. He ran from them because they're just like the Klan and Jace should know that from his own heritage. Jace says he doesn't hate mutants but before he can really continue there is a gunshot from the other room. Ted has killed the other kid, claiming he was going to use his mutant abilities on him.
Jace lies to the police officers and tells them that the teen was about to attack and use his powers to try and help Ted stay out of prison. They both appear remorseful about how things went but not sure what they expected when they busted into a house with their guns out.
Reed is upset about Lauren using her powers but Caitlin points out it's not only his decision to make. He's been wanting things to go his way but it's not his choice. Now more than ever, they need to be strong and Caitlin doesn't think they should hold Lauren or her burgeoning powers back.
Lorna visits Marcos and they reconcile with Marcos forgiving Lorna and Lorna being genuinely apologetic for the decisions she's made.
It's an episode of reconciliations it seems as Jace's wife calls him to talk after seeing the lies on The Ryan Hour about he and Ted saved those kids. At least Jace has the decency to admit Grace wouldn't be as proud of him as she thinks. May this finally be a turning point for him?
John is finally awake. Clarice brings him soup and he apologizes for what he said about Urg before everything happened with the Purifiers. He loves her and he's afraid of losing her the same way he did Pulse and Dreamer. Clarice is too. Then Evangeline calls to tell him she's gathering the leaders of the Underground so he should ready his people. They're going to fight to keep their community from collapsing.
In the music box is a note tucked away in a secret alcove from the original von Struckers. It includes a lock of hair from both members of Fenris and a mission to continue on when they cannot. Lauren reads it and then goes to threaten the landlord, destroying items in his room to get her message across that he will never be safe because their are mutants everywhere, hiding in plain sight.
Lorna and Marcos get a tip about where Reeva will be and they find her meeting with Benedict Ryan of all people! What are they planning together?
MY THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS
- I find Reeva's desire to recruit mass murderers a bit odd. I mean yes, the Inner Circle's intentions have always been extreme but she looked genuinely devastated and shocked by Rebecca's actions at the bank. I feel like this is a regression of her character and I wish they would have explored the direct emotional impact from the bank massacre more within the members of the Inner Circle. They never intended to kill all the people at the bank, but now she wants to do something "monstrous"? It's a little confusing. They were all affected by it or they wouldn't have locked her in a cell afterwards. Now it's like she was never there in the first place and they're repeating the same mistakes.
- Benedict Ryan has always been an overt parallel to our current political climate but this episode was especially on the nose with the "Make America Safe" slogans while our government is the second longest shutdown due to a wall stalemate and the hate speech towards mutants.
- It's interesting how The Gifted has established two radical groups and then you have the Underground who are firmly rooted in the center of them. I wish this split didn't come with some of the rushed character development and inconsistencies in some cases but I'm curious to see who ends up where by season's end.
- "It's not about hate," the writing for Jace has gotten all over the place. He's said he hates mutants all along, now it's just about ones not following the law?
- I'm so excited about Lauren finally learning more about her abilities and using them offensively. I've been waiting for this for ages.
- Wow I was truly shocked by Reeva meeting up with Ryan!? I'm trying to figure out what they could be cooking up together. I can't think of much unless Ryan is secretly a mutant or something maybe? But that doesn't seem likely. They both must have a common goal. Currently I can only think of them both wanting people to fear mutants, but if Ryan wants to keep attacking them I don't know how that would help Reeva unless they're trying to set up a catastrophic accident?
The situation turns dire on an all-new The Gifted, Tuesday, January 15th on FOX.
