The Gifted Review: coMplications (Season 2 Episode 3)
The Gifted keeps up the pace with yet another home run. This episode gives us Colombia flashbacks, a Marcos and Lorna reunion, plus we get to see Marcos meet his daughter. The Gifted Season 2 Episode 3, “coMplications” has it all.
Pretty much everyone in this cast is very talented. I just can’t always talk about all of them. We’d be here all day.
Everyone brings their A-game to this episode, but none more than Stephen Moyer, Sean Teale, and Emma Dumont.
The Strucker family is finally talking to each other! It only takes them sixteen episodes, but hey it’s progress. When you accidentally destroy a steering wheel in front of your mutant daughter, I guess there’s no use keeping quiet.
Stephen Moyer kicks it out of the park with Reed’s reactions to everything. He is terrified of the powers, of what they mean, and of hurting his loved ones.
His talk with Lauren leads to one of the best Strucker scenes in the show. Reed thinks the secrets will tear the family apart even more, but Lauren tells him it’s the opposite. We get the story of how all the secrecy started.
Natalie Alyn Lind shows how scared Lauren was about her powers. We see the guilt on Moyer’s face as he realizes she couldn’t trust him. He failed her back then, and he can’t fail her now.
Fatherhood is the prevalent theme on this episode.
We see terrible fathers and fathers who are trying their best. Reed has screwed up in the past ever since he learned the truth last season he is trying to change and be better. Jace Turner is supposedly doing this in the name of his daughter.
We catch a glimpse at how terrible Marcos’ father was in the flashback. Then there’s Marcos himself.
Lorna: I would do anything to save my daughter.
Sean Teale shines in a way that has little to do with his power. First of all, as a Latina, I love it when American shows let their Latino/a characters speak Spanish.
It feels natural for the character because most of the time when we’re with other Spanish speakers, we speak Spanish. The way Marcos switches between the languages, as he gets angrier? That is also very relatable.
Marcos: Heaven? You might be able to fool the sisters but we both know where you’re heading.
The flashback is great at showing us why Marcos is the way he is. We see the resentment towards his father. He feels his father has a hand in his mother’s death, as he made her hide her powers.
This leads us to understand why not failing Dawn is so important to him. As we found out in last’s week’s The Gifted Season 2 Episode 2 unMoored, Dawn gets sick and it turns out only Marcos can help.
Lorna is willing to do whatever she needs to save her daughter. We see Marcos and Lorna in the same room again while Marcos gets to meet Dawn.
Marcos: Dawn? You in know in Spanish
Lorna: Her name would be Aurora
Sean Teale portrays the scene beautifully as all the different emotions come across his face.
All he has wanted over these three episodes have been to hold his daughter, and now she’s in his arms. Teale and Dumont have gorgeous chemistry together; hearts break when he begs her not to break apart their family.
You can see the love these two have for each other, but also Dumont’s heartbreak at thinking love isn’t enough.
Considering their love is stronger than the triplets’ hold on him, not all is lost for Marcos and Lorna. Marcos might have lost this battle against Reeva, but he’s not going to lose the war, he’s got extra motivation now.
Extra Observations:
- I pointed out the connection between the names Aurora and Dawn back in my review of The Gifted Season 2, Episode 1 eMergence and I’m glad I was right.
- The scene between Amy Acker and Stephen Moyer is beautiful and thankfully she knows about his powers now.
- John opens up to Clarice but now Clarice has her own secret.
- The Morlocks are definitely interesting and I’m excited to learn more about them.
- One of the best moments is when Marcos gives his daughter the gift he made for her.
What did you think of this episode of The Gifted? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Gifted airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Fox.
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Maii Trueba de Buen
Maii is a 28-year-old writer who can be slightly invested in characters and their stories. She tries to give credit where credit is due but isn’t afraid to be honest in her writing. It's probably best not to ask about Lucifer or A Song of Ice and Fire, because you'll never hear the end of it. She graduated in film and has a certificate/minor in Art History. She brings that into her writing because, well, she’s a nerd. The only thing that beats her love of writing is her love of Pandas.