The Gifted – calaMity

By: Darryl Ley

Four years ago Benedict Ryan (Peter Gallagher) is at a small regional radio station hosting his own anti-mutant radio program. After finishing, he gets a visit from Reeva Payge (Grace Byers) who reveals that she has researched his background and offers him a chance to become powerful. She also reveals that she is a mutant and he initially baulks at the offer but then listens as the opening credits roll.

In the present Benedict Ryan and Reeva meet at the Lincoln Memorial and she hands over a new target for the Purifiers. Ryan thinks the operation will be a suicide mission, but Reeva suggests he motivate Jace Turner (Coby Bell) to lead the mission. At the apartments Lauren Strucker (Natalie Alyn Lind) is experiencing the effect of the serum while her parents Reed Strucker (Stephen Moyer) and Caitlin Strucker (Amy Acker) argue over effectively taking Lauren out of the fight.

While they argue Lauren begins speaking German in her sleep and Reed reveals that Lauren found a letter in the music box and Caitlin wonders why he failed to mention it before. At the Inner Circle Esme (Skyler Samuels) explains to Reeva that they failed to recruit Lauren. Reeva says that her recruitment has to be put on the back burner as she addresses all of the Inner Circle. Reeva announces that Max (James Carpinello) has gone missing prompting Andy Strucker (Percy Hynes White) to ask if something happened to him and Heather (Chelle Ramos) to react angrily.

At the apartments Marcos Diaz/Eclipse (Sean Teale) is recovering from being shot when John Proudstar/Thunderbird (Blair Redmond) comes in to check on him and finds he is worried about Lorna Dane/Polaris (Emma Dumont). John reassures him that Lorna will be fine and then compares Marcos’ situation with Lorna to his with Clarice Fong/Blink (Jamie Chung). Marcos tells him that she definitely cares for him while he questions why she left.

In the Morlock tunnels Blink goes to Erg (Michael Luwoye) and Mason (Jordan Cox) to lobby him to allow more mutants from the city to take refuge with them. They argue back and forth about whether they should get involved before she angrily leaves.

At Ryan’s office we see that the intel provided by Reeva was detailed maps of the Morlock’s location in the city’s tunnels. Jace looks over the intel as Ryan explains he wants the Purifiers to wipe the Morlocks out. Jace is initially hesitant to run the mission, but Ryan promises that if he is successful he’ll be made head of Sentinel Services which gives him pause.

At the Inner Circle Lorna goes to her room to check in with the Mutant Underground only to find that cell service in the building is being blocked. As she leaves she finds Andy arguing with Sage (Hayley Lovitt) because the building is on lockdown. At the Purifier headquarters Officer Wilson (Tom O’Keefe) and Jace explain the plan and ask for volunteers for the main team going directly in. It takes a speech from Jace to motivate a number of men to put their name forward.

Afterwards, Wilson asks to come along with Jace on the main team but finds Jace reticent to let him come along. They eventually agree after Tom says he wants to protect Jace like Jace protected him. At the apartments Caitlin and Lauren talk after she wakes up. Lauren tells her about how the research on her family history, the letter and music box helped make her stronger which Caitlin herself encouraged. Caitlin speaks with Reed and he tells her about the effect that the music box had on him. She talks about encouraging Lauren to be more aggressive and the fact that if they choose to keep using the serum on Lauren it won’t last long.

In the Morlock tunnels Clarice returns to Erg’s quarters to apologise for earlier. They argue good naturedly before Mason arrives to announce that there are intruders in the tunnels. As Erg prepared with Membrain (Fedor Steer) providing surveillance, and Iris (Rebecca Ray) using illusions to confuse them, Clarice recognizes Jace and warns them that he is relentless. Mason reveals that they can flood the tunnels and seal them off as a last resort. Erg sends Mason and a team off to attack while he instructs Blink to begin evacuating non-combatants.

Jace notices that the map doesn’t match the layout he is physically seeing and finds a fake wall. At the Inner Circle Reeva announces that Max has been killed in a car fire at the liquor store. In the elevator Reeva and Esme discuss the investigation noting that Sophie and Phoebe are scanning the shop owner to learn more.

At the apartments Reed is on the phone arranging the evacuation when Caitlin comes in and he updates her on what is happening. They are discussing who stays with Lauren when she comes in to say she is going, too. Lauren has also decided not to take the serum anymore and after a discussion they head out.

In the tunnels Jace and his team make their way closer to the Morlocks and they begin to hear mysterious sounds. Then, one of the team is taken by a tentacle of wind with another taken soon after. Clarice organizes the evacuation as Marcos and John arrive at the meeting spot. When they meet up John attempts to reconnect and reassures Blink that if she calls he will come.

Back in the tunnels Jace’s team finds their two comrades who have been killed by the Morlocks. This causes the rest of the team to freak out and Jace tries to rally them to move forward. At the Inner Circle Lorna confronts Reeva over the lockdown but is interrupted by the Frost Sisters (Skyler Samuels) who reveal that they have found the spy.

Reeva and the Frosts confront Sage after finding out that the security cameras were accessed before Max was killed. The Frosts can’t read Sage’s mind due to the effect her mutant power has on her mind. Sage begs Reeva to believe her but is executed anyway. Lorna is in her room when Andy knocks on her door to tell her that Sage was the spy and Lorna is racked by guilt.

As Reed, Caitlin and Lauren drive to pick up the Morlocks evacuating he announces that he plans to stop taking the serum and apologizes for the effect his denying of his powers has had on the family. Caitlin argues that stopping the treatment could kill him, but Reed reminds her that the supply is limited and will run out.

In the tunnels Jace’s team appears to be retreating so Erg tells Mason and his team to press their advantage. They find the two dead team members laid on the ground and when they investigate the bodies they set off a booby trap and are dosed with gas. Mason tries unsuccessfully to flood the tunnels but is killed before he can. Clarice insists that now they have to evacuate, and Erg reluctantly agrees and prepares a barricade to hold off the Purifiers.

Both teams of the Underground arrive as Clarice portals in more refugees and she quickly leaves despite John’s protests. Clarice takes the last group of non-combatants to an area in the back and opens a portal, but an explosion breaks her concentration as the Purifiers blow a hole in the wall to gain access. The two sides engage in a firefight as Clarice re-establishes the portal.

At the rendezvous point the Morlocks are split into several groups with Reed taking one vehicle and Caitlin and Lauren taking another. Caitlin and Lauren are quickly surrounded by police cars and Caitlin (after Lauren reveals her powers have still not returned) shoots at the police and then drives through their blockade.

In the tunnels Jace realizes that shooting Erg is only powering him up and he directs the rest of the team to shoot at the rest of the Morlocks on the blockade killing them all. Clarice returns to get Erg out and finds Faith still in the tunnels. Erg and Faith get out but before Clarice can escape she is shot several times by Jace as John watches on with her portal failing. In the tunnels Jace finds a teddy bear and looks deeply disturbed by what happened while John sees Clarice’s blood on his hands.