The Gifted

I've always been a huge fan of the X-Men universe, so when a new show centered around an ad hoc batch of mutants was announced I decided to check it out.

Season 1 introduces us to the Strucker family, whose kids, Lauren and Andy, turn out to be both mutants. Unfortunately for them, their parents are not just scared like most of the world of their powers, but their father, Reed, is a lawyer working with Sentinel Services to capture and jail all mutants.

Andy is just finding out about his abilities and has a hard time controlling his powers, so things go south and his sister has to step in to protect him. When Sentinel Services target them, their mother, Kate, flees with them. Reed now has to find them in order to reunite, but his job means he's considered the enemy by the Mutant Underground, a lose group of mutants fighting for their survival, and he's not trusted anymore by Sentinel Services given he's now involved with the mutants.

Overall, this season is pretty good. The visual effects are well done, the plots are fairly solid, and it's easy to get invested in the mutants' struggle for their future in a world that sees them as a threat.

Grade - Season 1: 7

Season 2 ups the stakes by introducing the Inner Circle, a mutant group more interested in taking the fight to the humans rather than just trying to survive in the dark. The group is led by Reeva Payge, considered one of the most powerful mutants, who seems willing to stop at nothing to get what she wants. Unfortunately, Andy Strucker decides to join the Inner Circle, putting strain on his family once again.

The Mutant Underground is squeezed by Sentinel Services while it tries its best to stop the Inner Circle from provoking all out war with the humans.

While the addition of a competing mutant group might work on some level, the arc of the stories becomes more strained and outlandish, lowering the overall quality of the show. Some characters, like Jace Turner, also turn into caricatures and strident plot devices.

The show was canceled after this season, so it's unknown what the showrunners had in mind for our heroes, but the last episode hints to more to come, so clearly they didn't know and therefore couldn't close out the storylines.

Grade - Season 2: 6