The Gifted – threat of eXtinction

The Gifted returns to the higher quality episodes we saw earlier in the season, while drawing even more from the source material.  We are even treated to a few shots of the people I expected Andy and Lauren to be.

Title: “threat of eXtinction”

Director: Steven DePaul
Written: Carly Soteras

Cast:

Stephen Moyer as Reed Strucker
Amy Acker as Kate Strucker
Sean Teale as Marcos Diaz / Eclipse
Natalie Alyn Lind as Lauren Strucker
Percy Hynes White as Andy Strucker
Coby Bell as Jace Turner
Jamie Chung as Clarice Fong / Blink
Blair Redford as John Proudstar / Thunderbird
Emma Dumont as Lorna Dane / Polaris
Garret Dillahunt as Dr. Roderick Campbell
Elena Satine as Dreamer
Raymond J. Barry as Otto Strucker
Zach Roerig as Pulse
Michelle Kim as Chloe Tan
Paul Cooper as Andreas von Strucker
Caitlin Mehner as Andrea von Strucker
Steve Alderfer as SS Agent
Jim Dougherty as Pastor
Liza Fagin as Norah
Hayley Lovitt as Sage
Renes Rivera as Hulking Mutant
Jermaine Rivers as Shatter
Marco Schittone as Young Boy
Ilan Muallem as Interpol Agent
Skyler Samuels as Esme (uncredited)
James Sterling as Mutant (uncredited)

Premise:

More refugees pour into the Mutant Underground, but the group faces a threat when they discover one of them is a spy working for Sentinel Services. Meanwhile, Reed visits his estranged father and learns that secrets from his family’s past could prove useful. (From Trakt.)

High Point:

“You don’t turn your back on desperate people just because one of them might be dangerous.”

Less political, I enjoy the nod to the X-Men canon, such as the old-thymey Fenris Twins, Kick, and Esme.  All of this was done well enough that my wife (who’s only exposure to the comics is from me) wasn’t confused by it.

Low Point:

What coincidental timing that everyone visits Otto at the same time and in full force!

The Scores:

Originality: 4/6 It’s about time someone used their gift to communicate when traditional methods fail.

Effects: 6/6 The effects weren’t unique, but they were seamless.

Acting: 5/6

Production: 6/6 I enjoyed the fact that Lorna’s pregnancy has started showing.

Story: 4/6 While the story was good and well told, there were a few too many things done for the sake of plot for me to keep the score too high.

Emotional Response: 5/6 They hit what they were aiming at this time, and I could empathize with the loss.

Overall: 5/6 This episode brought back up the show after a few “filler” stories.

In total, “threat of eXtinction” receives 35/42