This week we start off with a number of mirroring techniques that are littered throughout the show, throughout the episode we’re shown previous progressions of the characters past, how they came to be the leaders they are today. Firstly, we meet the young, troubled and lost soul that is John, who’s effectively head-hunted by Evangeline. Who offers John a position and an opportunity to do something that matters again.
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The most notable of the mirroring being the theme of torn apart families. Which not only strikes a chord with Lauren (& the Struckers in general) as they’ve lost their son to the baddies. We see a young girl who’s lost her sister and is desperate to find her again, with Lauren being the main one she turns to, it’s enhancing the confusion and pain she’s in due to Andy’s decision to leave. The families being torn apart in governmental factions because of discrimination and asylum seeking, rings a lot of resonance with what’s been happening currently in the United States..
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When it comes to Andy and Lauren, we’re given a deeper insight into the curious connection that they share. Last week’s episode made it appear as if the ‘dream’s that Lauren was having had the potential to be more then just dreams, now we know that the siblings are capable of entering into a shared consciousness in their dreams, leaving the door open to other avenues when it comes to their connection and powers. When we see Lauren throw herself back and off the roof to break the connection to Andy’s hand that can cause destruction, Andy wakes up in horror.
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Reed and Kate (Strucker parents) are each attempting to deal with their grief and trauma in their own way, and handling things… unsuccessfully. The entire family are suppressing their issues instead of dealing with them or opening up about them. Kate wants to find Andy at any cost, while Reed recognises that Andy made this decision, even if they did find him it would be no guarantee things would end well. We also find out that Lauren is a lot more confused and tortured about what happened when her and Andy took down the headquarters building.
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We see Andy struggling a lot, with what appears to be a combination of anxiety, PTSD, grief and confusion. The shared dreams he’s having with Lauren are messing with his head, which results in becoming more and more despondent and dejected. He attempts to call Lauren at the shelter on a burner phone, simply wanting to hear the sound of his voice, but when his father answers, he pauses – seemingly hit with a strong emotion, and then hangs up, incinerating the phone.
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Esme and Reeva nearly come to a disagreement in regards to Andy, knowing that because of Andy’s poor performance if Reeva deems him unfit or in any way against them she’ll neutralize the problem, showing just how ruthless this leader is. Esme cautions her saying ‘He’s fifteen.’ To which Reeva responds ‘If we have a problem, it needs to be solved. Thankfully Andy ends up, however reluctantly, confiding in her about what’s been troubling him, at the exact moment that Reeva was preparing to use her power on him, to either incapacitate him… or kill him. We’ve yet to be shown the full scope of her powers. She’s been referred to as one of the most powerful mutants in the game, but so far we’ve only physically seen her power disorientate those she’s used it on. It would appear as if we’re supposed to begin to see a subtle but potent enough (in comparison) change in Esme, her morality and ethics seem to either be growing significantly, or her mindset has been altered.
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Papa (Reed) Strucker’s continually growing power is strengthening by the episode if the progression we’re seeing is anything to go by. Now physically crippling him, whilst also becoming incredibly destructive and uncontrollable.
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Lastly, we see a depressed new father, Marcos, replicate something he did for Lorna on their first date together, and shine it like a beacon or bat-signal into the skies, knowing that she’ll see it.
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Buuuut… the cliff-hanger, when she goes to take her newborn out of the cot to see what his father was doing to ‘say hello’, she finds him unresponsive and feverish. Our last image is one of panic.
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