S01.E10: eXploited

[Bort]

Quote

At a moral crossroads, Jace is forced to hand over something valuable to Dr. Campbell. The team at Mutant HQ is divided on what they should do next, so Reed and Caitlin take matters into their own hands.

[janeta]

Ok, well we all knew Esme wasn't on the up and up, but i gotta admit i'd like to see the tables turned and the mutants winning for a change.

[bow]

We could try approaching him at home? Bad idea, although it ended up working out.

Adamantium from British Columbia?

Wow, I did not see Sonya’s death coming. I was more upset than I expected.

I don’t remember anyone crying before, but literally half of the main characters have cried this episode.

I knew Esme was trouble. Those girls are tough. I expected there to be five, though.

This was a great episode. Never trust a telepath.

Edited December 12, 2017 by bow

[notcreative enough]

Why did Esme need to go to all this work of tricking the underground if she could just tell people what to do? But there wouldn't be a story otherwise. Couldnt she just force the sentinel guy to do what she wanted instead of hoping the Stuckers could get through to him. The one time the government moves super fast it's to transfer mutant from one secure facility to a prison. After last time you would think they would spend a few days to plan. There just seems to be a lot that could go wrong with Esme's plan and alot of moving pieces that needed to fall into place.

Killing Dreamer seems like poor planning on the evil guy. Would you really want to kill the mutant with the power to read and manipulate people's minds and memories. Maybe he thought 2 out of 3 evil Esmes were enough. This is one way to end a love triangle. For me this is a case of I don't really like the character but now she's dead and I'm bummed she's gone.

Weren't there more then a bus full of mutants at Trask a few weeks ago where did they all go?

So Lorna and Johnny hear all this gunfire and they don't investigate at all. Girl are you not concerned about your baby daddy at all.

[Lantern7]

"In three weeks, you will go Cuckoo for The Gifted!"

Damn, I wouldn't want to mess with those two kids. Another thought: if you're testing people who might have power-beyond-power mojo, could you make sure they do the demonstration nowhere near you? What, was the other side of the building holding fragile and valuable china? I was thinking that Andy and Lauren would short out the power, and we'd have a mutant escape. Happy ending . . . until you realize that Sonya is probably going to be chopped up for science, and that's the best case scenario.

And dang, Jace was close to tipping over. I don't think any mutant can convince him using the truth. "Okay, so we picked up a psychic girl, and we thought she was cool. Turns out she used us to spring her 'sisters,' and she forced everybody except you to kill themselves and each other. Yeah, I know, our vetting process needs work."

I'll be back in three weeks. What's this about the X-Men entrusting their future to these second-stringers? All that's missing is Johnny saying that out loud, followed by Prof. Xavier zooming by in a  wheelchair, shouting, "I did no such thing!"

[tennisgurl]

Oh man, looks like Emse has gone Cuckoo, just as I suspected she would. I am already liking like the three evil Esmes, cant wait to see more of her in three weeks. I guess she didn't just control people because she wanted to actually gain a foothold in the mutant underground, and she cant keep mind controlling everyone forever? Her and her two sisters were creepy, pretty much what I imagined they would be. The actress is good at jumping from sweet to sinister really fast. 

Poor Sonia. She might have been morally grey, but I dont think she was a bad person, and it sucks that she died so quickly. Also, pretty dumb of Evil Science Guy. They dont want someone as powerful as her in their evil recruitment program. 

The Struckers finally get Jace to maybe see the error of his ways, and then Esme attacks. Of course. Now all thats down the drain, plus Jace is going to be in trouble at home. 

I could watch Johnny break stuff in annoyance all day. Looking good today, Johnny. 

Super exciting episode, cant wait to see what happens next, especially with the Cukoos here. Also, maybe we`ll get to find out what Reeds power is? You know that it will pop up at some point in the future. 

[neptunewaves]

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, I still can't believe they killed Sonya off in such an unceremonious way - she was my very favorite right next to Lorna and Marcos, dammit! (Couldn't they have taken one of the Struckers out instead? We have like four of them!) I Imagine they figured they did not longer need her now that they have the Stepford Cuckoos (!!!) and best get her out of the way to advance that Clarice/John thing they hinted at several episodes ago (because God forbid they write a proper falling out of love arc without throwing the third wheel under the bus) but still.

After that, I was actually cheering Esme on as she unleashed the Five-In-One's (Three-In-One?) fury on Turner's men. Figures Jacey boy encounters an actual terrorist when he finally decides to do the right thing. So what, are Esme and her sisters taking Fenrir to whatever remains of the Hellfire Club?

All I see now when watching Lauren and Andy together is struckercest. Thank you, Internet!

Edited December 12, 2017 by neptunewaves

[bow]

I just had a thought. Maybe they can still turn Sonya into a hound even though she’s “dead?”

[neptunewaves]

2 minutes ago, bow said:

I just had a thought. Maybe they can still turn Sonya into a hound even though she’s “dead?”

So Johnny can have yet another loved one go after him in their now literal zombie state? Fingers crossed it will happen right after he acknowledges his feelings for Clarice!

[Jlina]

Show still has its foot on the throttle, and it's not a very fun ride. All anguish, all the time.  HATED the Esmes - and if the doctor had a thing for twins wouldn't they already have been tested on since, you know, they look like twins?!  Plus I don't think you can ominously warn war is coming!!! (the sky is falling!) if you are the one who ensured there would be war.  Also the Dr. got whatever he needed so it really doesn't matter he lost the siblings as far as what they showed on screen, the damage is done.

Poor Jace - should've got his memories back while he could.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Jlina

[TiffanyNichelle]

Every time Jace gets close to having even a little bit of sympathy for mutants, another mutant shows up to blow that out of the water. Damn telepaths. I was irritated that it turned out that Jace's wife had no idea what lengths he was going to with mutants. I thought for sure she knew everything he was doing and was in full support. I thought she wanted as much vengeance as he did for their daughter's death.

I'm a little shocked that Dreamer's death seems to be real. I thought for sure that maybe one of the Cuckoos was there to make the Struckers and Blink think she was shot. I'm glad Esme's plan was finally revealed. She was taking too long sneaking around messing with everyone's minds.

[PhoneCop]

Why did I think this season was ten episodes, period?

I'm wondering if Sonya's essence escaped on that last wisp of smoke she exhaled and she'll live on in another body. Probably a longshot, and it wouldn't bring Elena Satine* back, but at least there's an out for the character to be revived.

*Although I suppose the show could always introduce its version of Masque. Well, now I'm pretty much in fanfic territory.

[Jazzy24]

It didn't do anyone any good and just made everything worse but I was happy with Esme and her hive offing everyone. I'm so disgusted on how these characters on the show are being treated that I'm more than fine when they say "fuck it" and unleash everything they got on the Sentinels  and that evil Doctor. 

There is suppose to be five of them so I wouldn't be surprised if two died because of the Sentinels. They're still creepy. 

[Chas411]

Ugh I'd rather have kept Dreamer over the suckfest that is Clarice.

[Bort]

I can't say I'm surprised by Dreamer's demise. I had been wondering why the actress for a fairly prominent character was listed only as a guest star. Now I know.

[Efzee]

What if the Strucker siblings had simply refused to "hold hands"? The scientist would have killed Blink, too? And then what... no more leverage? It's such a stupid plot that's overused in shows. It's not like the Struckers are that close to Dreamer or Blink.

[SimoneS]

14 minutes ago, Efzee said:

What if the Strucker siblings had simply refused to "hold hands"? The scientist would have killed Blink, too? And then what... no more leverage? It's such a stupid plot that's overused in shows. It's not like the Struckers are that close to Dreamer or Blink.

It is a threat that works because unless you are a sociopath, most people care about other human beings on a basic level even if you are not close to them. 

[Raja]

So if the twins went full power and only the walls were protected by the leftover metal from Wolverine's skeleton then how did the cameras and sensors,  much less the damping collars survive? 

[SimoneS]

2 minutes ago, Raja said:

So if the twins went full power and only the walls were protected by the leftover metal from Wolverine's skeleton then how did the cameras and sensors,  much less the damping collars survive? 

I was wondering the same thing. They should have been able to destroy everything else and even take down the whole floor.

[piequinn35]

8 hours ago, Chas411 said:

Ugh I'd rather have kept Dreamer over the suckfest that is Clarice.

Can't kill Clarice, Blink is in the X-Men movies :>

The Stucker mom is so annoying.

[marcee]

Not sure why Esme needed any of the Underground in on her plan when she just knocked her partner out anyway? Explain to me, again, why she did do all this when she planned on just going for it on her own anyway? Maybe she just doesn't know how to drive? So confused.

Edited December 12, 2017 by marcee

[tiredofwork]

Ok.. I've watched all season.. I like the show..   This is not a complaint "per se" of the diversity of the cast BUT...., while they certainly have persons of "ethnic ambiguity" and certainly women,  I am disappointed there are no African-American female mutants with any screen time..   Also.. While there are 2 African-American male mutants.., they are strictly secondary...  And with those 2,  I am confused with what one of their abilities are??? The one brother turns invisible.., but not very efficiently as a few episodes back the fool was exposed in plain sight and he was thinking he was not being seen and got shot in the gut..   The other one (and I assume he is Af-American) has a charcoal black face with silver streaks... and I don't know what the "F" his mutant ability is..  Anybody able to explain what he does??? Thanks.

[piequinn35]

16 minutes ago, tiredofwork said:

Ok.. I've watched all season.. I like the show..   This is not a complaint "per se" of the diversity of the cast BUT...., while they certainly have persons of "ethnic ambiguity" and certainly women,  I am disappointed there are no African-American female mutants with any screen time..   Also.. While there are 2 African-American male mutants.., they are strictly secondary...  And with those 2,  I am confused with what one of their abilities are??? The one brother turns invisible.., but not very efficiently as a few episodes back the fool was exposed in plain sight and he was thinking he was not being seen and got shot in the gut..   The other one (and I assume he is Af-American) has a charcoal black face with silver streaks... and I don't know what the "F" his mutant ability is..  Anybody able to explain what he does??? Thanks.

His name is Shatter- a mutant who can turn his skin into a hard, protective crystal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatter_(comics)

[piequinn35]

1 hour ago, marcee said:

Not sure why Esme needed any of the Underground in on her plan when she just knocked her partner out anyway? Explain to me, again, why she did do all this when she planned on just going for it on her own anyway? Maybe she just doesn't know how to drive? So confused.

IKR, we thought she was also a spy of SS like the Chinese lady so the Underground mutants get captured, but all along she had her lone agenda to just free the other Cuckoos, kill the SS agents (except Jace), at least, they don't kill the other mutants yet? 

She can't do it on her own because of all the security, she needed the other mutants or have the SS transport the prisoners so she can do her plans.

[tiredofwork]

Thanks Piequinn35...   While I guess his abilities have some self-preservation, defensive properties...., I think I would rather have some "offensive" minded talents..    By the way, have they ever shown "Shatter" to use those abilities on this show?

Edited December 12, 2017 by tiredofwork

[piequinn35]

I don't think so, he's always in the background, did whatever Johnny tells him to do that was not actually shown in the show.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, piequinn35 said:

IKR, we thought she was also a spy of SS like the Chinese lady so the Underground mutants get captured, but all along she had her lone agenda to just free the other Cuckoos, kill the SS agents (except Jace), at least, they don't kill the other mutants yet? 

She can't do it on her own because of all the security, she needed the other mutants or have the SS transport the prisoners so she can do her plans.

I too thought she gave up a pawn to get herself in. With so few mutants willing or able to fight her actions, especially in front of the Trask prisoners might be useful for recruiting the more aggressive. 

[AnimeMania]

It would have been just as effective to shoot Sonya in the leg as it was to kill her, the kids would have done the experiment to prevent any further harm.

[Miles]

Adamantium is not indistructable. It can't be, because it can be worked into a sceleton coating or wall paneling. It's just very very tough. Since the Strucker children take things apart on a molecular level, or at least that's what it seems like, even adamantium shouldn't have been much of a problem for them. They should have blasted through that wall no problem.

That also would have been a far more satisfying conlusion than what we got. Trask could have gotten away by the skin of his teeth and in the last scene he could have accessed the data at a remote site. How they actually let it play out was lame.

 

19 hours ago, bow said:

This was a great episode. Never trust a telepath.

Poor Prof. X. What has he ever done to earn your mistrust?

Edited December 12, 2017 by Miles

[piequinn35]

8 minutes ago, Miles said:

Adamantium is not indistructable. It can't be, because it can be worked into a sceleton coating or wall paneling. It's just very very tough. Since the Strucker children take things apart on a molecular level, or at least that's what it seems like, even adamantium shouldn't have been much of a problem for them. They should have blasted through that wall no problem.

According to wikipedia based on comics:

Quote

Marvel Comics' adamantium has an extremely stable molecular structure which prevents it from being further molded even if the temperature is high enough to keep it in its liquefied form. In its solid form, it is described as a dark, shiny gray like high-grade steel or titanium. It is almost impossible to destroy or fracture in this state, and when molded to a sharp edge, it can penetrate most lesser materials with minimal force.

I guess the whole room, including the floors and collars, is made of adamantium??

[Miles]

You shouldn't have cut off the first part of the segment on wikipedia. The first sentence you quoted doesn't make any sense without the previous.

I guess there is some bullshit comic science behind why adamantium can't be reworked once hardened (and that it has to be shaped within 8 minutes after creation), despite being a metal alloy. But even then, if you can take stuff apart on a molecular level it shouldn't stand a chance.

Also, like I said it would have been the cooler ending. Plus, it would have actually shown that the strucker children are these powerfull unstopable machines of destruction. Up to this point we've been told as much multiple times, but they haven't actually done anything to show it. Even if they brought down a building (which they still haven't actually done), a lot of mutants can do that on their own, without combining powers. Vaporising an adamantium room, now that would have been impressive.

So I think really, I'm upset about the squandered narrative opportunity.

[neptunewaves]

3 hours ago, tiredofwork said:

The one brother turns invisible.., but not very efficiently as a few episodes back the fool was exposed in plain sight and he was thinking he was not being seen and got shot in the gut.

1

He only was exposed because Pulse was there to neutralize mutant powers; Marcos, John, and Clarice were also briefly depowered.

 

The more I think about Dreamer's death, the angrier I get. Just how incompetent is this Campbell guy supposed to be? Did he even know what she could do? What's there to gain for murdering the one mutant who could potentially execute their brainwashing program ten times more efficiently they could ever dream of (no pun intended)? I swear Trask and the Sentinel get stupider by the second. And nope, still not feeling an ounce of pity for Jace and his racist ways. "What have you been doing in our little girl's name?", indeed. WHY did Esme spare him???

This show would benefit greatly from an Ames White type of villain. Someone unabashedly evil yet smart enough to no pull a Campbell in an asinine attempt to inspire fear. Too bad Martin Cummins is already taken.

I hope Lorna go berserk when she finds out about Dreamer (I know John will be too busy wooing Clarice, gah).

[sjohnson]

Reed and Caitlin told his wife on Jace. No wonder the dude decided to drop the mad science torture for regular jail. The arbitrary plotting where he's the only character who doesn't instantly die from perfectly aimed gunshots will be matched only by his not being fired for leading so many men into an ambush and losing nine mutants. A catastrophe like that, heads roll, and it won't be Campbell's even if he did simply shoot a civilian dead. Cops do that, with nothing but embarrassing explanations, but when cops get killed, that's not how it works. 

Campbell announced to the audience he hoped to get to Otto Strucker's research first, so I think we can guess the next item of the chore list, finding it first. Whether "it" is a MacGuffin is anybody's guess. The nonsense words about what the biometrics showed are pretty uninterpretable. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a cure for mutant powers, a bioweapon that kills only mutants or a handy weapon that can kill anybody Campbell wants dead. Perhaps the point is merely to start with mutants? I'm not even sure what these people think "biometrics" means. The old Bertillon system was biometrics, as were the fingerprints that replaced it. 

More and more I've been finding the Struckers the more engaging part. I think it's because they are still making choices. The others are not so much, because in the end they are hopelessly trapped in a dilemma. They are powerful enough to win fights, but in the end it does them no good if they can't eat, sleep, and basically live a life. They have to have enough people to have their back to do those things, and the show is premised on the reality that most people aim at their back instead. The thing is, comic book superheroes are basically fantasies about how you can do anything when you grow up. If you try to ground the fantasies, like where these mutants need to make a life, aka get a job, to be grown up, then, powers or no, a real life involves other people. But the show refuses to admit other people. None of the mutants has family, and Marcos is the only one with a friend. But the only ones with a family are the Struckers, so the Lauren and Andy in a way the only mutants who are dealing with outside society, in the form of their parents. .  So, with the YA mutants the show is basically setting them up with a problem, them refusing to let them try to solve it. It just one job at a time, none of which is really going to address their problems. 

Wifi sending the data would have served. Yes, it would have made more sense if they did trash the room. What makes zero sense is them somehow reaching past the room to trash just a little bit of the wall. I can't think of a reason why their power didn't destroy the collars, but since the script says they didn't, then Campbell could just shock them if they got out of hand. Wouldn't it have made more sense if Lauren and Andy got the special adamantium collars?

Edited December 13, 2017 by sjohnson

[thuganomics85]

Yeah, I had a feeling Sonya/Dreamer was only temporary since Elena Satine was only listed as recurring, and as soon as she was captured last week, I knew it was only a matter of time.  Whenever three regulars and one guest get captured by the baddie, that means someone has to die and it ain't going to be the other three! I do wonder if Campbell will still be able to resurrect her as one of his mutant zombies, but I'm still a bit bummed since I enjoyed the character, flaws and all.  Although Clarissa's reaction was a bit over-the-top, since she only just stopped hating her episodes ago.

Of course, no one really won here since Sentinel Services and Trask Industries just got royally fucked up by Esme and her "family", which seems to consist of two identical twins, who aren't mere telepaths, but can actually control minds.  Now, those are some dangerous mutants right there!  A bit too cliched though that Jace someone gets inadvertently spared.  Coby Bell's got the special plot armor thanks to being a regular!

Honestly, neither one of the Strucker parents really impressed me with their pitches.  Only reason it worked was because Jace's wife was there.

It's only a matter of time before Marcos and Lorna go down their separate paths.  They're basically becoming Xavier and Magneto, only with 100% less wheelchairs and 100% more pregnancies between them!

[nikita]

Very disappointed that according to my closed captioning the show will be calling the Stepford Cuckoos the "Frost Triplets."

[sjohnson]

LaureN AND ANDy....my goodness, that sounds so much more forced (otherwise mumbled) than Andy and Lauren, which to my ear just sounds smoother. But I guess the point is that Lauren is sexy, therefore senior in the hierarchy, therefore she comes first. Speaking of which, when she berates Andy for giving in, being senior, I think that is supposed to give the show's position. Andy's breaking because of the threat to Clarice was him being a weakling and a fool. It is obvious why Andy wasn't tortured to break Lauren. 

[Shimmergloom]

On 12/12/2017 at 0:46 PM, marcee said:

Not sure why Esme needed any of the Underground in on her plan when she just knocked her partner out anyway? Explain to me, again, why she did do all this when she planned on just going for it on her own anyway? Maybe she just doesn't know how to drive? So confused.

I don't think she is as powerful without her sisters.  She needed to get her sisters out of the facility and needed the mutant underground to help make that happen.  Once they were out, then the 3 of them were powerful enough to do everything on there own. 

[sjohnson]

Automatic guns aimed by sensors aren't affected by mind control. Esme needed help either to take them out somehow (the original plan to cut the power) or to get the prisoners away from the automated security (the hail Mary appeal to transfer them.) The moment the prisoners were in her reach, she didn't need the other...and she promptly tased Marcos. But she did thank his unconscious body!

[SimoneS]

On 12/12/2017 at 2:10 PM, tiredofwork said:

This is not a complaint "per se" of the diversity of the cast BUT...., while they certainly have persons of "ethnic ambiguity" and certainly women,  I am disappointed there are no African-American female mutants with any screen time..   Also.. While there are 2 African-American male mutants.., they are strictly secondary...

I feel the same about the lack of African Americans among the mutants, especially the lack of women.

[FiveByFive]

On 12/12/2017 at 2:10 PM, tiredofwork said:

Ok.. I've watched all season.. I like the show..   This is not a complaint "per se" of the diversity of the cast BUT...., while they certainly have persons of "ethnic ambiguity" and certainly women,  I am disappointed there are no African-American female mutants with any screen time..   Also.. While there are 2 African-American male mutants.., they are strictly secondary...  And with those 2,  I am confused with what one of their abilities are??? The one brother turns invisible.., but not very efficiently as a few episodes back the fool was exposed in plain sight and he was thinking he was not being seen and got shot in the gut..   The other one (and I assume he is Af-American) has a charcoal black face with silver streaks... and I don't know what the "F" his mutant ability is..  Anybody able to explain what he does??? Thanks.

I think they dropped a hint at the beginning of the episode when Campbell said one of their mutants patched him up after he was in that explosion.  I think it's totally possible that mutant was called in, they'll heal her and make her a hound. So then we get more angst several episodes later when James has to confront her while she is attacking people. Plus since everyone thinks she's dead so no one will be looking for her in the meantime.

On 12/12/2017 at 0:46 PM, marcee said:

Not sure why Esme needed any of the Underground in on her plan when she just knocked her partner out anyway? Explain to me, again, why she did do all this when she planned on just going for it on her own anyway? Maybe she just doesn't know how to drive? So confused.

The thing is, if Esme just wanted to free her sisters she could have told the Underground and they would have helped her anyway. I think what she/they really want is the assistance of the people they just freed to do "something" and if they don't help -- they will make them. 

On 12/12/2017 at 2:10 PM, tiredofwork said:

Ok.. I've watched all season.. I like the show..   This is not a complaint "per se" of the diversity of the cast BUT...., while they certainly have persons of "ethnic ambiguity" and certainly women,  I am disappointed there are no African-American female mutants with any screen time..   Also.. While there are 2 African-American male mutants.., they are strictly secondary...  

I agree. I think there are a few problems:

• The first is sadly there are very few African American female mutants, period.
• The second is there are a few that just don't fit the story like Krystalin or Shard since they're from the future.
• The third is they probably have to get permission to use certain people. Storm is out. Silhouette might be out if they plan to use her at all on The New Warriors since she's Night Thrasher's sister. The same would apply to Cecelia Reyes who is in The New Mutants movie despite their poor casting.

Someone like Cipher, Bling or Oya might work on the show well on the show.

I'd personally love to see Frenzy and/or (M)onet although I think Monet would be the most fun and would bring something unique to the table. Although both have resistance to injury and super strength like Thunderbird -- Monet has a rich girl attitude.

Edited December 15, 2017 by FiveByFive

[bow]

On 12/12/2017 at 5:26 PM, Miles said:

Poor Prof. X. What has he ever done to earn your mistrust?

He’s done quite a bit actually, including faking his own death and lying to this students.

[paulvdb]

5 hours ago, FiveByFive said:

 

On 12-12-2017 at 8:10 PM, tiredofwork said:

Ok.. I've watched all season.. I like the show..   This is not a complaint "per se" of the diversity of the cast BUT...., while they certainly have persons of "ethnic ambiguity" and certainly women,  I am disappointed there are no African-American female mutants with any screen time..   Also.. While there are 2 African-American male mutants.., they are strictly secondary...  

I agree. I think there are a few problems:

• The first is sadly there are very few African American female mutants, period.
• The second is there are a few that just don't fit the story like Krystalin or Shard since they're from the future.
• The third is they probably have to get permission to use certain people. Storm is out. Silhouette might be out if they plan to use her at all on The New Warriors since she's Night Thrasher's sister. The same would apply to Cecelia Reyes who is in The New Mutants movie despite their poor casting.

Someone like Cipher, Bling or Oya might work on the show well on the show.

I'd personally love to see Frenzy and/or (M)onet although I think Monet would be the most fun and would bring something unique to the table. Although both have resistance to injury and super strength like Thunderbird -- Monet has a rich girl attitude.

I'm not a comic book reader so I don't know any of those names, but they could always do like The Flash did with Iris West (and her family) and change the ethnicity of a comic book character. Or they could just make up their own characters for the tv series.

[phoenics]

10 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I'm not a comic book reader so I don't know any of those names, but they could always do like The Flash did with Iris West (and her family) and change the ethnicity of a comic book character. Or they could just make up their own characters for the tv series.

Exactly.  It's really sad that a comic book series that was based on the oppression of black people (Magneto=Malcolm X, Xavier=MLK) never seems to feature that many black comic characters.  I hate it when oppression that impacts/impacted black people is repackaged and exploited for white consumption, erasing the black people the story was inspired by.

I love X-Men, and all of these stories, but sometimes it gets tiring when you and people who look like you continually get left out of the narrative anyway - and your struggle inspired the whole thing.

That being said - I really like this show... I was shocked when Dreamer was killed off - I had no idea the actress was only a guest star... what a shock for me.  I literally yelled at the screen and was just shocked.  Wow.  Great episode - they got to the Fenris stuff a lot faster than I thought they would... and the Cuckoo plot totally took me off guard - that was AWESOME... though I feel badly - this will just ratchet everything up to a level 10.  

The Johnny-Dreamer-Blink triangle certainly had an abrupt and unexpected ending to me - I think Johnny-Blink have searing chemistry (that kiss dream Dreamer planted was whew!) but I really liked Dreamer - she was complicated and very very gray, but she was a good person and a good friend.  She - like Lorna are just both "at any cost" types more like Magneto than Xavier, while Johnny and Marco are totally more like Xavier.  I like the drama still.

I feel bad for Lauren and Andy - the guilt they must be feeling... poor things.

I also wasn't sure what the doctor managed to create?  Or does he still just have data?  Confused.

Edited December 15, 2017 by phoenics

[sharifa70]

I really liked this show at first and looked forward to it every week...until every episode seemed to turn into either someone getting captured or someone getting rescued from some super-secure facility that is impossible to escape from. I’m going to have to downgrade this to “read the recaps and tune in if it’s not a prison break episode.” 

I don’t even feel particularly bad about Dreamer, alas. The show really didn’t give me much of a chance to care about her.

[Wayward Son]

I actually think Dreamer may still be around even if Elena Satine is gone. While watching I thought the purple smoke escaping from her mouth was going to be an indication her essence/soul surprised and transferred to someone else. 

 

Im not a comic reader so perhaps the post death smoke held some signifiance related to the comics? 

[blackwing]

I am beyond pissed that they killed Sonia and not Clarice.   Sonia as played by Elena Satine was an interesting character.   Morally ambiguous but believes in the cause and does what she needs to do.  Clarice as played by the horrific Jamie Chung has been nothing but useless and whiny and bitchy.   It's especially hurtful that Sonia was killed because she was being a good field leader and telling the kids to be strong.  Meanwhile, Clarice, who could have done something, anything, to help the team avoid capture, says nothing and lives.   

I still don't understand why she couldn't have ported them away before capture.  Even if she can only do line of sight, ok, that was a long hallway.  She could have ported them to the end of the hallway.  In the previous episode, she ported John to a space in the air above the drugged out female speedster.  She did that quickly and fluidly without any of her usual "I can't" whining.

Why didn't Andy and Lauren take the opportunity to bust their collars while they had access to their powers?

Esme's storyline makes zero sense.  Her sisters are captured and being held, but why did she even need the Underground mutants at all?  When she was stuck in that church barn or whatever, why didn't she just take control of the guards then?  I don't buy that she needed to be near her sisters to grow her power... they had inhibitor collars on and would not have been able to use their powers. Esme could have just told the guards to let her inside and she could have just walked in without resorting to killing everyone.

Also, why not, you know, tell John and Marcos and Lorna upfront that she is one of the "Frost Triplets" and they are powerful telepaths?   Why the need for the duplicity?  She should have been part of the strike force instead of the thoroughly useless Clarice and Sonia wouldn't have died.   I know, plot.  But still.  It bugs.

As far as Clarice having to survive because she is in the X-Men movies... I've decided that one must be an alternate timeline Clarice.  Because this version of Clarice sucks donkey ass and there's no way I would ever believe she grows to become a competent strategic fighter.

Edited December 18, 2017 by blackwing

[blackwing]

Re the lack of African-American females... they could have just as easily made up a new character.  No need to resort to established comic characters like Storm.  Eclipse as far as I can tell is a completely new character, although his powers resemble that of the Brazilian Sunspot and Havok.   The Strucker siblings are new characters.

I feel the same way about the lack of Asian-American males.  The Asian-American male is seemingly the most ignored and underrepresented race/gender combo in shows like this.  When they need an Asian character, they introduce a female, I suppose because Asian females are viewed as beautiful and exotic?  Thus we get Clarice and the drugged up speedster.  

It's funny, because when children's toys and stuff recognized the need for diversity and there was a revamp to introduce diverse characters... if there were only four characters, the combo invariable went something like a white blond boy or girl, a dark haired girl or boy that could arguably be Hispanic, an African-American boy and an Asian-American girl.  Check it out.  I can recall Fisher Price Little People and Chutes and Ladders off the top of my head being like this, and I am sure there are more.  Somewhere along the line, I guess marketers decided that the African-American girl and the Asian-American boy weren't desired.  I see the same on this show.  Sad.

[tiredofwork]

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 Sonia as played by Elena Satine was an interesting character.  

I'm not versed at all on the mutant character Sonia or the actress playing her.  I like the show, but Sonia as played by that actress got on my nerves..  It was like every scene she was in she was either pouty or sad or in the case of any of the dudes, it was like she was gonna "push all up on him". 

Edited December 18, 2017 by tiredofwork

[Gwen-Stacys]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

 I still don't understand why she couldn't have ported them away before capture.  Even if she can only do line of sight, ok, that was a long hallway.  She could have ported them to the end of the hallway.  In the previous episode, she ported John to a space in the air above the drugged out female speedster.  She did that quickly and fluidly without any of her usual "I can't" whining.

 

I didn't get that either. The only explanation has to either be plot or she just doesn't do well in stressful situations unless John's involved (which....ew)

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Esme's storyline makes zero sense.  Her sisters are captured and being held, but why did she even need the Underground mutants at all?  When she was stuck in that church barn or whatever, why didn't she just take control of the guards then?  I don't buy that she needed to be near her sisters to grow her power... they had inhibitor collars on and would not have been able to use their powers. Esme could have just told the guards to let her inside and she could have just walked in without resorting to killing everyone.

The Stepford Cuckoos (formally known as the 5 in one, one time known as the 1,000 in one, and now simply 3 in 1) aren't all that powerful separately. They don't have a lot of range (she needed to be close) and can only control a single person at a time ---unlike Xavier and maybe Jean Grey who can do multiples...(sometimes hundreds if pushed). And even after the collars were off, Esme still never controlled more than one other person at a time, her sisters killed the guards on the bus (they knew the collars were off as soon as Esme knew...bc Telepaths). It wasn't until the three of them were close together that they started controlling more than one person at  time. That is just how their power works. They're weak apart, but Alpha (almost Omega? someone correct me if I'm wrong) when they're together.

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Also, why not, you know, tell John and Marcos and Lorna upfront that she is one of the "Frost Triplets" and they are powerful telepaths?   Why the need for the duplicity?  She should have been part of the strike force instead of the thoroughly useless Clarice and Sonia wouldn't have died.   I know, plot.  But still.  It bugs.

Emma Frost is not a good guy and they wouldn't know who the Frost triplets even were. And technically they're 

Spoiler

quintuplets. Secret clones of Emma Frost, grown in a lab. She kind of takes them on has her proteges...but after Esme and the other one died. I'm guessing Esme's not dying here as they chose to use her. I'm guessing the other two are Mindee and Phoebe, maybe?

And Esme's gonna creep bc Esme's just a creeper. She's always been the more underhanded sister in the comics. It's just who she is.

 

Mark me down as one of the ones that don't believe Sonya's dead dead.

[tiredofwork]

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I feel the same way about the lack of Asian-American males.  The Asian-American male is seemingly the most ignored and underrepresented race/gender combo in shows like this.  When they need an Asian character, they introduce a female, I suppose because Asian females are viewed as beautiful and exotic?  Thus we get Clarice and the drugged up speedster.  

I agree... moreover, even though I am Af/Am and not Asian, I cringe nowadays when they always, always use what I believe has become the stereotype of a "martial arts" expert whenever they do introduce an Asian character in anything.., and that stereotype in non-gender specific when it comes to Asian characters.

Which is why I really have no problem so far in the Blink character as she displays almost no hand to hand combat skills.