The Gifted – 3 X 1

The holiday break is over, and The Gifted brings us back to grieve those who had to die to give the mid-season finale some gravitas, and brings new characters into the mix.

Title: “3 X 1”

Directed by David Straiton

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
Skyler Samuels as Esme
Danny Ramirez as Wes
Ray Campbell as William
Jason Burkey as Nate
Robert Bryan Davis as Purifier
Elliott Grey as Director Wolcott
Hayley Lovitt as Sage
Kate MacCallum as Inertia Hound
Michael Aaron Milligan as Gravity Hound (as Michael Milligan)
Omer Mughal as Crying SS Agent #1
Jermaine Rivers as Shatter
Javier Vazquez Jr. as Crying SS Agent #2

Premise:

As tensions heat up among the team at Mutant HQ, no one knows who they can trust. Fearing for his family’s safety, Reed rethinks their future at the compound. Meanwhile, Dr. Campbell proposes an improved program to Jace that could change everything. (From Trakt.)

High Point:

The Stepford Cuckoos Frost Triplets are different from their comic counterparts, but they represent a very distinct third party between the mutant underground and Sentinel Services.

Low Point:

The mutants feel that they are just being dragged along by the plot at this moment.  I am sure that is the intention, but the stars of the show should have a bit more to do with its plot.

The Scores:

Originality: 4/6 It’s still taking characters from the source material, but it is bringing them into new and different directions.

Effects: 4/6 The effects quality seems to have dipped a bit.  They seem to have cut the effects budget a bit, probably for the new sets.

Acting: 5/6 I am not sure the shooting schedule compared to when the show was actually on the air, but it feels like the actors all were re-adjusting after the break.

Production: 6/6 New sets, new locations!  They aren’t expansive, but they get the job done.

Story: 5/6 Now there’s three factions, but it hasn’t gotten confusing, at least it hasn’t yet.

Emotional Response: 6/6 The feeling Eclipse has where everything spirals out of his control was palpable.

Overall: 5/6 This is a strong episode, not featuring a jail break, that gets our story moving.

In total, “3 X 1” receives 35/42