S02.E15: Monsters

[Bort]

Quote

Lauren can't access her powers when it matters most, leaving Caitlin to take matters into her own hands when they are being pursued. Reeva finally reveals her plan for the Inner Circle and it's darker than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, Jace confronts some regrets about his actions and is torn between pressures from the Purifiers and his own beliefs.

Airdate: Tuesday, February 19, 2019

[Lantern7]

One more episode? Once again, I'm thinking that this lands somewhere where I'm not interested in paying, it would probably be for the best for me to let it go. Or maybe I'm feeling that more because I just saw Deadly Class, and the lead character took seven tabs of LSD. I don't think that would make The Gifted more watchable. Maybe if the writers took it . . .

Yeah, Lorna and Andy return, and it's all emotional with the reunion and Clarice's apparent death, but I think it's too little and too late. There are compelling stories, and John's manpain is understandable as he tries to break a wall down to get Clarice. But I feel the series has gone as far as it could go. Maybe reboot it in five years or more. Call it Re-Gifted. Yes, I am proud that I thought of that.

Clarice? I say "apparent death" because . . . well . . . it's a comics-based series. And maybe John could find her. Or maybe he's gone batshit, and it would take a long time for him to recover. On the other hand, if ther series were to go "Age of Apocalypse," maybe Jamie comes back. In the comics, Blink was a sacrifice leading up to the Generation X ongoing series, but the version of her in a dystopic hellhole world was very popular.

Maybe if Jace gets killed, this could be a wash for the series. Have Reed just decay him to death. Or maybe Andy and Lauren can Wonder Von Strucker and vaporize him. Give us something.

[SimoneS]

Not a bad episode. Good to see them all back together and Reed finally embracing and using his powers. I am not convinced that Blink is dead, she may have transformed into some other form. 

I love that Lorna and Marcos are back together. I am glad they had Marcos forgive her easily. Hopefully, when this is over, they will go get Dawn. I wonder if her helmet is the reason those annoying triplets couldn't read her mind. It is probably made out of the same material as Magento's helmet.

I didn't cry for that Purifier who Reed killed. He had it coming. Too bad he didn't kill Jace also. Caitlin has turned in a ruthless pro-mutant fighter. I like it. She is enjoyable when she isn't obsessing over Andy.

Whatever Reeva's screaming power is, I don't buy that she can kill any of the Van Struckers before they kill her. That family is dangerous and powerful as hell.

Edited February 20, 2019 by SimoneS

[HunterHunted]

15 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

There are compelling stories, and John's manpain is understandable as he tries to break a wall down to get Clarice.

As John was busy punching the wall, I kept wondering if he remembered that Clarice's portals aren't just to the space on the other side of the wall. She literally folds space around her. She could be anywhere between the tunnels and the alley. If she folded space in some atypical way, she could be anywhere on the planet, in the universe, or in another dimension. So yes, please keep punching the wall Wreck-It Ralph because that's really helping things.

This show is almost uncommonly stupid or has amnesia. Jace being shocked that these are just mutant families with kids trying to live their lives would be believable had we not been told that he'd been with Sentinel Services for years, seen him bust up regular homes with just a mutant tween or teen who had poor control of their powers, apprehend individuals for minor transgressions, raid mutant underground safehouses where they had children and makeshift schools, shoot at fleeing mutant families with children, and sit idly by while mutants (including minors) were being tortured and experimented on. This was all in season 1. Come the fuck on. The show wants to pretend like he didn't know any of this, but that's not freaking true. Furthermore when Reed and Caitlin break into the Turner house in season 1 to try and convince Jace how terrible the "Hound" program is, Jace's wife thinks it's monstrous and it precipitates her filing for divorce. Jace reveals that he knows all of this and doubles down.

Reeva was only using Andy and Lorna for PR purposes? I don't think this woman knows how PR works. If one of the biggest issues with the current mutant conflict is that most mutants don't want to take up arms, perhaps having the endorsement of two prominent mutant families known for their violent actions won't win over most average mutants. Maybe endorsements from the Summers-Greys, Xaviers, and Mystique's kids excluding her racist powerless son, Graydon Creed, who is probably the founder of Creed Financial (the bank that the Inner Circle hit), would be more convincing. Call me crazy but if you're trying to convince me to do or join in on something I'm largely opposed to, it helps if you get someone who is more similar to me than not to try to convince me. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by HunterHunted

[tessaray]

Jace is a lost cause. He's sad for a nano-second about mutant kids being targeted - until his creepy Purifier buddy gets killed by a mutant. While Reed sort of went overboard, the guy was trying to kill him and he wouldn't have stopped.  When you're being hunted down by genocidal lunatics, you should just be polite and an honorable good sport?  When the other guy has an assault weapon and SWAT teams for backup? 

I'm not really sure where this show goes from here. They seem to have written themselves into a corner.  In particular, the Mutant Underground is pretty much non-existent and in no shape to fight a war.  Mutants are beaten down and on the run - how do they figure into demand for a homeland when they have no power?  What little is left is about to be obliterated if Reeva starts bringing down buildings full of innocent civilians.  

I have a soft spot for Marco and Lorna, so I'm glad they are reunited.  I wish Andy had decided against leaving the Inner Circle though, the Strucker siblings are still creepy. 

[blackwing]

I'm glad that Andy is back with his family if only so we no longer have to hear Caitlin being all hysterical about him not being with them.  Glad that Lorna is back.  Not surprised at all that Clarice isn't really dead.

Couldn't care less about Jace and I don't care if he is finally growing a conscience... I would like to see him make the Ultimate Sacrifice in the season (series?) finale.

Are the Purifiers going to work with Reeva to take down the government buildings?  Because if not, which mutants does she still have on her side?  As far as I can tell, it's just her, the Frosts, Punk Teleporting Girl and Thunder Clap.  I thought it was odd that they didn't try and figure out exactly what happened to Gambit Lite.  They believed that Sage accessed the security cameras but she has no offensive powers, how did they think she killed him?

[HunterHunted]

19 hours ago, tessaray said:

I'm not really sure where this show goes from here. They seem to have written themselves into a corner.  In particular, the Mutant Underground is pretty much non-existent and in no shape to fight a war.  Mutants are beaten down and on the run - how do they figure into demand for a homeland when they have no power?  What little is left is about to be obliterated if Reeva starts bringing down buildings full of innocent civilians.  

This! Many times over. Reeva has been destroying the movements and leaders who could have helped consolidate and coalesce mutants around her. And the reality is that she really does need a lot more assets (individuals who can help her organize these crumbling other movements) to be able to leverage her people power and make it inevitable that mutants be granted their own nation. And unlike things like some of the more radicalized movements in the real world, Reeva can't use the internet or social media to radicalize these mutants because their lives are so chaotic that food, shelter, and safety are their foremost concerns. Not videos with Reeva and the Frosts telling them to rise up. Furthermore, she didn't have troops ready to offer sanctuary to the displaced mutants. It's all so poorly thought out.

Edited February 21, 2019 by HunterHunted

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, HunterHunted said:

This! Many times over. Reeva has been destroying the movements and leaders who could have helped consolidate and coalesce mutants around her. And the reality is that she really does need a lot more assets (individuals who can help her organize these crumbling other movements) to be able to leverage her people power and make it inevitable that mutants be granted their own nation. And unlike things like some of the more radicalized movements in the real world, Reeva can't use the internet or social media to radicalize these mutants because their lives are so chaotic that food, shelter, and safety. Furthermore, she didn't have troops ready to offer sanctuary to the displaced mutants. It's all so poorly thought out.

It seems to me that her plan is just what Lorna was saying... she's just going to have the Frosts mind control people into being accepting of a mutant homeland.  Esme said something like "they'll come around and accept it, eventually".  Which to me is one of the flaws of the whole series.  It seems to me that the Frosts are some kind of deus ex machina solution to every problem.  Want someone to open the gate for you?  Blueeyes them.  Want someone to say a speech for you?  Blueeyes them.  Want someone to kill themselves?  Blueeyes!  Why does Reeva need any kind of Inner Circle or Purifiers to wipe out the mutant resistance when the Frosts are seemingly all powerful and can do whatever they want?  Why does she need any other mutants with offensive powers when her sonic scream is apparently more powerful than any other?  I don't get why Reeva just didn't waltz into the White House and have the Frost blueeyes the President into granting them their own plot of land for a mutant homeland and issue an executive order making it a crime to commit violence against a mutant.

[tennisgurl]

So, if Reevas big end goal is to mind control everyone in the world into creating a mutant homeland...what has been the point of any of this? Why didnt she just do that in the first place? Why bother with the Purifyers and the Circle and the giant lairs and all of that crap? I feel like I am missing something here. Or her plan is really poorly thought out. 

Despite all of that, I did like this episode a lot. I admit to loving Marco and Lorna, so I am thrilled they've reunited. Hopefully they can find Dawn again, after all this drama has chilled out. I was even happy to see the little moments between Lorna and John, and Lorna and the other Struckers. And Lorna got a sweet tiara/helmet out of it that possibly hides her thoughts from telepathy! And Marco and Reed team up and Reed starts getting control of his powers, Caitlin becomes increasingly hardcore, and the family finally reunites. And that asshole dirty cop finally gets his! Yeah, its sucks that Reed is clearly disturbed, and maybe its a bit harsh, but that asshole murdered children out of pure racism. I dont feel bad for him.

So Clarice is totally alive, right? Come on John, you didnt guess that one on your own? Oh well, I hope she comes back again soon, I miss her already! Give us a scene with her instead of a scene with Jace? Maybe?

Speaking of, uggggg fucking Jace. "Oh, you mean mutants can also be kids?!? And this obviously violent and racist hate group paramilitary organization running around with assault rifles that has already murdered a mutant teenager in cold blood...might be the bad guys?!?" God could this guy BE any more obtrude or more awful? And now he will probably be back to hating all mutants after one killed his buddy (who, about three hours ago, was shrugging his shoulders about massacring innocent families) and he will lead more violent lynch mobs completely ignoring the horrible historical irony of it all, until another innocent child or someone is murdered by him and the rest of the assholes, and he will sacrifice himself to save some mutant kid, as its finally gets into his stupid thick skull that he is the bad guy here. Oh, I just cannot wait to not give a shit. Also, why is everyone so alright with these random idiots running around major cities with assault riffles pointing them at civilians!?

Hey, its Chris Claremont! *Waves!*

[Lantern7]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Hey, its Chris Claremont! *Waves!*

Where? When I expect creator cameos, *sigh* it's usually Stan Lee.

[tennisgurl]

30 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Where? When I expect creator cameos, *sigh* it's usually Stan Lee.

He was the guy Jace watched online who was going on about Morlocks in the sewers!

[Arbor Tristis]

They did it again. 

They had me and my wife yelling at the screen again, that they were killing the wrong guy. When Reed was flambé-ing Jace's buddy (whose name I never bothered to remember), we were all, "No! Kill Turner! TURNER! Find Turner and roast his ass!" Not saying the other dude didn't deserve it, but we all know who deserves it more, and whose death is LONG overdue. 

Reeva's a terrible leader. Andy's still a monumental idiot. I too like Lorna and Marcos; give them their own spinoff show. Call it Mag-Lite. 

C'mon, Proudstar. Clarice is clearly hanging out in that space dimension she showed you in that flashback. Get a clue.