In our season finale of The Gifted, we begin with a detailed flashback to the day that the first large-scale mutant attack occurred on July 15th (When Jace Turner’s daughter was killed) We find out that this was what spurred on Reed Strucker to move to the Mutant Crimes Division.. The group start to plan for attacking Reeva and the Inner Circle before they begin their onslaught of attacks on government buildings and Sentinel Services, it become the plan, the only realistic plan for Lauren and Andy to take down the Sentinel Services building… to the dismay of the Strucker parents. Reeva deals with the threat of Andy and Lauren’s departure, feeling betrayed and violent, she sends the Purifiers after them via her pet, Benedict Ryan. Just as we thought Jace had maybe realized that he was involved in something way darker then he should be, and that he had been lied to and manipulated, with people like Benedict Ryan using his dead daughter to guide him towards the equivalent of the KKK.. the ‘Purifiers’.
We then witness Esme and her sisters break In and neutralize Lauren and Andy. Realizing that they need to go and get Andy and Lauren back –and that this is their main priority after staying alive – John resorts to single-handedly taking on / distracting the Purifiers out front while the others escape.
The Frost sisters (Esme & her sisters) begin literally torturing Andy + Lauren. We finally see Esme make the beginnings of a stand, however momentarily. She clearly is one that is on the fence about her thoughts and loyalties to the Inner Circle. We wonder if torturing teenagers will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Throughout the latter half of this series, we’ve been seeing her hesitation in moments of decisions when it comes to agreeing to Reeva’s ‘For the Greater Good’ mentality. And it seems that she is slowly moving towards a moment when enough is enough, having to go against her sisters though I imagine is where her fear lies. It’s a good medium for exploring the concept of morality and beliefs, if you find yourself led down a garden oath that initially had good intentions and you believed in ‘the cause’; but it turns into something detrimental and that you can’t physically agree with, ethically or morally. Just because the people your surrounded with are okay with this behaviour or actions, doesn’t mean that you should stay; having the strength to leave that situation is near herculean.
We see an unlikely combination of John aka ‘Thunderbird’ and Erg – who tells him that he needs to hit him as many times as he can so that he can redirect the energy towards the Purifiers. And finally get back at the man that killed Clarice: Turner.
When Lorna confronts Esme about what they’re currently doing to Andy and Lauren, reminding her of the story Esme had told her about how when her and her sisters were young, and the people at Trask labs would force them to do unspeakable things, and how it made them feel, what it did to them. She asks her how she thinks this is any different. Esme relents.
Lorna, Marcos, Kate and Reed break into the Inner Circle’s building, in an attempt to take out Reeva. Realizing that if they eliminate her from the equation, the entire threat will be neutralized. We’re getting ready for a showdown, Reed walks in, to the soundtrack of Benedict Ryan on the television, commenting on the destruction of the Sentinel Services building. And a particularly interesting conversation takes place. (or at least one that is sociologically intriguing)
Reed: ‘You can’t build a nation on the murder of innocent people.’
Reeva: ‘Read you history books, that is the only way that you can build a nation.’
While this sounds depressing, based off of everything I’ve learned about history and the cultivation of countries, how certain ones have won their independence or free governance, it’s a depressingly true statement. Reed Strucker physically becomes one of the most spectacular explosions, wiping out Reeva and the majority of the top floors of the building.
Sacrifices must be made, in order to change the world. Having the ending montage set to the song ‘To Build a Home’ by The Cinematic Orchestra – brings about so many feels.. and tears.. We have the painful juxtaposition of The Strucker’s leaarning and coping with the death of their father ,with Lorna and Marcos finally reuniting with their daughter, Dawn.
And our ending becomes one of sorrow, but also one of hope. Benedict Ryan (with the coercive help of Esme who’s now firmly on Team Mutant Underground) publicly admits to all his treacherous ways, the fact that he’s secretly been the head of the Purifiers for the past five years. We see the combination of the members of the Mutant Underground, Erg from the Morlocks, and Esme from the Inner Circle coming together to form the new and improved MU. Along with a surprise appearance by our favourite portal-making angel.. Setting up Season three pretty perfectly.
