The Gifted Review: unMoored (Season 2 Episode 2)
Another week means another stellar episode for The Gifted.
It’s a painful episode though, that’s for sure; maybe it should have the subtitle everybody hurts. I do prefer character episodes rather than big action episodes. The Gifted Season 2 Episode 2, “unMoored,” definitely falls into the category of a character episode.
Almost everyone in this is dealing with something painful—whether it’s guilt over the past or the pain of not being next to a loved one. Then there’s Reed, who is dealing with actual physical pain in addition to that of the emotional.
Not only is his family falling apart, but his powers are coming back. He’s not exactly dealing with either all that well.
While Caitlin is focusing on getting Andy back, Lauren is dealing with immense guilt over what happened in Atlanta and her fear that if Andy comes back it will happen again. Frankly, the Struckers need to sit down and actually talk to each other; otherwise, it is going to explode at the worst possible moment.
On to more interesting arcs: like how John is dealing with everything (hint: it’s not well). We get a great flashback to what John was doing before being in charge of the Mutant Underground. It’s very telling, not only because it’s how he met Evangeline Whedon, but because of his state of mind.
John is a man who needs a cause and right now he is, well, unmoored.
This episode sheds a light on how mutants truly lost it all after 7/15. John served two tours for his country and had badges of honor, yet that meant nothing after 7/15. How many times have we heard a similar story in our own lives?
It’s the story of someone who dedicated themselves to their country only for that same country to turn their back on them, not because they did anything wrong but because of something they can’t change.
This makes the arc particularly powerful to watch because of how it resonates with the audience. It deepens our connection to the characters because we see something in them that we recognize.
X-Men and the mutant story, after all, have always been an allegory to the plight of minorities.
Blair Redford is incredible at showing how lost and guilty John is feeling after Atlanta. Maybe it isn’t his fault but being the leader makes it his responsibility. With 15 deaths, his co-leader defecting while taking one of their members, and the knowledge that they’re supposedly dead fugitives, it’s not exactly a win.
Evangeline calls him out, and we see how affected John is by everything. I love how Marcos stands up for him at the meeting. Evangeline can say whatever she wants, but she’s in a shiny office while the Underground has to keep fighting and moving from place to place.
Marcos: Lady we’re out there fighting every day, losing people while you hide in here like a freaking lizard of Oz
It doesn’t help that John doesn’t open up to Clarice. This team would function a lot better if they were all honest about what they are feeling. Keeping everything bottled up is just going to hurt them in the long run.
Marcos has been a mess of emotions, but at least he’s the only one being upfront about them.
Speaking of Marcos, we get another wonderful performance from Sean Teale. The man has definitely seen better days. It doesn’t cross his mind that he wouldn’t be there when his child was born, he even bought the same champagne he and Lorna had on their first date.
This is tearing him apart, and it shows us how affected he is by the loss of his family.
It’s in the interactions Marcos has with Caitlin and John that we get two great tidbits. John tells him not to give up hope, and Caitlin says not to give into despair. Those are wildly important because the moment either of those happens, it means they’ve lost.
The Inner Circle is a powerful enemy, and the Underground needs to be at their best if they want to have even the slightest hope of defeating them.
We still have no idea what the Inner Circle is planning, but it’s probably not good. This episode gives us more ruthless Reeva Payge. She almost kills a 15-year-old because she thinks he isn’t committed to her mission.
Reeva is here to keep the characters and spectators on their toes at all times because you never know what she’s going to do next.
The only one that seems aware of this is Lorna. Just like I mentioned in my review of The Gifted Season 2 Episode 1 “eMergence”, Lorna does not trust the Inner Circle or Reeva. Thankfully, she’s a much better liar than Andy so for the moment she’s safe.
We do get a hint at what Lorna was feeling at the end. The moment she sees the Aurora Borealis Marcos creates she gets a wistful look on her face.
Lorna: Look Dawn, daddy is saying hi.
Additional Insights:
- I love Thunderblink, but I hope that Clarice gets more to do outside of that plot.
- Esme seems to have second thoughts about killing this episode, will we see her breaking away from her sisters?
- Marcos breaking the bottle to make an Aurora Borealis for Lorna and Dawn is my favorite moment of the episode.
- Evangeline gives John a name, which means the Morlocks are coming soon, right?
- We get the return of Jace Turner… I get that we need the human element but hopefully, his plot is better this season.
- Once again, I am forever worried about Dawn.
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.