‘The Gifted 1×04: eXit Strategy’ Review
If you are a fan of The Gifted, then you’ll probably feel the same way as me when I think it is time Stephen Moyer’s character was out of jail. Thankfully it appears the mutants have an eXit Strategy to get not only Reed (Moyer’s character) but Polaris (Emma Dumont) too.
Plans are put into motion this week to save Reed and Polaris from Sentinel Services. To do this though Eclipse (Sean Teale) must take a trip back to old friends he thought he left behind. When the plans are put into motion, another long-lost friend makes an appearance too, threatening the plan.
While there is plenty of action in this episode, the build up to it is surprisingly slow. The Gifted takes time to look at the emotional impact of the decisions made and build up the tension. This feels like a brave move for a show like this, but thankfully it is a move that is done successfully.
Examples of this can be seen in the tension between Reed and Polaris, especially with the threats he made towards her in the first episode. Thankfully this tension is looked past for the big escape, but Dumont works with Moyer well to show the hatred created from their previous encounters.
It is interesting this week that we see further signs that Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) and Andy (Percy Hynes White) are something special. We’ve already seen that Andy can’t control his powers well, but this week we see the second part of the puzzle. The brother and sister have to work together to focus the power and aim its destructive force. We’re sure to see even more examples of this in future episodes.
Thunderbird (Blair Redford) is probably the character that has the most interesting episode this week. Not only does he get a blast from the past in the shape of Pulse (Zach Roerig) but he also has to cope with Blink (Jamie Chung) who has been manipulated to believing he has feelings for her.
While it looks like the Blink story is still ongoing, Pulse is much more interesting. A character that was thought to be dead, he makes a return and almost puts a stop to the escape plan. His powers do tease him to be the first major foe, but the question is why? Obviously, he is now working with Sentinel Services, but has he been forced into this? If this is the case then maybe more mutants are working for them too?
What eXit Strategy proves is that The Gifted is really finding its footing, and is focused on a strong story that thankfully is working. We now have the Strucker family back together, and Sentinel Services are hellbent on getting them back. The tension is building well, and with the feel that there is plenty still to come, the show is really picking up pace.
While Legion is still my favourite X-Men themed television show, The Gifted is still a show that is catching my interest. Not every show has to be as original as Legion managed to be, it is good to have an action show with heart. This is what The Gifted manages to be. With plenty of promise, it is fair to say that this is a show to stick with.
****½ 4.5/5
The Gifted is shown in the UK on Fox TV on Sundays at 9pm.
