The Gifted is the superhero show of the year–but its best episode yet stems from sheer humanity.

There’s a very real reason why The Gifted’s world is so divided. Unlike Supergirl’s supposed ‘alien amnesty’, this is nothing to do with equal rights. So, determined and brazen, The Gifted mutants plot to free Polaris (Emma Dumont) and Reed (Stephen Moyer). Just because they’re gifted though, things aren’t easy. Firstly, shoving prosecutor Reed and Polaris of all people together is simply not a good idea, though their interactions bring out the snarkiest (and best) of Polaris.

Meanwhile, Eclipse (Sean Teale) works on finding out the extraction route. The Sentinel Services’ plan is to transport the prisoners to a secure facility. Clarice (Jamie Chung) finds herself troubled by Dreamer’s (Elena Satine) “memory”. Yet as the underground mutants, who lost six during a facility breakout two years ago, back out of Eclipse’s plan, it angers young Struckers Andy and Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind, Percy Hynes White).

RELATED l The Gifted ‘eXodus’ Roundtable

But the real saviour comes in the form of the only blatant human (who, er, matters) on the show–Amy Acker’s stark Caitlin. She’s the one who suggests the alternative way to break Reed and Polaris out. Caitlin, after persuasion, trusts her kids enough to save them. Heck, she even sticks a tranquiliser in a guard’s neck and then hijacks a car! And it’s all because she’s a freakin’ good mother.

Lauren: “Mom, please. I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. But think about what you said last night. About how sometimes we have to take risks.”

Lauren’s right, yes. But when Zach Roerig’s Pulse is introduced, a mutant working for the Sentinels who can essentially block the mutants’ powers, yet again, the gang’s plans go horribly wrong.

But…hey, Polaris, right?

After so long imprisoned, Polaris breaks free–as John (Blair Redford) smugly tells an amazed Eclipse “she didn’t need us after all”. Damn right she didn’t. As Caitlin and Eclipse reunite with their loved ones, they flee the horror of the truth: Coby Bell’s Turner doesn’t care. He wants them dead. Not just Eclipse & co–but he’ll terrorise every mutant, sympathiser and colleague known to them.

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Bonus points for Caitlin Strucker this episode: the only non-Gifted underground member who is gifted as heck.

Okay, okay. We know Root was a kind of a badass on Person of Interest. Amy Acker is no stranger to roles that involve her kicking everyone’s ass, so Caitlin Strucker is a huge departure. A strict mother with strong fundamentals, she’s got a lot to prove. And she shouldn’t have to. Yet she admits everything: yes, she’s scared. She’s doing this for Reed and her family. And she will risk everything. No, she won’t refuse to cry. Emotion is Caitlin’s base, but that becomes her strength, and definitely not her weakness. And neither is her non-mutant gene.

Caitlin: “Look, I know I can’t shoot lasers from my hands, but I do have an idea.”

Surprisingly, all of her ideas are valid and strong. Not only does she recognise risks must be taken, she thinks far beyond the mutants’ “let’s go bash some Sentinels” approach. When it comes to the actual fight, she fights. Like a mother (oh Caitlin) she brings first-aid supplies. But that’s where the comparison stops. She hijacks a car to send her kids to safety, stabbing a guard with a tranquiliser (yes for the first-aid stuff!) and then squeals in with the mutants’ getaway vehicle. Her reunion with Reed is just so moving that it’s immensely rewarding.

Caitlin lived in this mutant world, pretty much alone save for her kids–who are off discovering their powers anyway. Now she’s finally reunited with someone who–she can’t help it–grounds her. It takes away none of her appreciation for the mutants. In fact, she undergoes arguably the largest character arc this episode–and wins it.

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You could call them…Polar-is opposites…

Matt Nix, you minx. Sticking the most sarcastic, bitter prisoner of all time (of all time) together with the mutant-world famous prosecutor Reed Strucker was a genius move. It’s the contrast we need.

So when we finally get to see a mutant/non-mutant hatred explode, so intimately, it’s wonderful. Moyer is excellent as the guilt-ridden Reed, who tries to find forgiveness but cannot. Furthermore, he knows it. He knows looking at Polaris in the face is the exact reminder of why, really, he can’t be redeemed. Emma Dumont continues to steal the show as she reminds him of this:

Polaris: “You want forgiveness? Ask the little boy I strapped into a bus while he screamed, begging to to join his mommy in prison where you sent her. You know, ask the hundreds of families of lives you and your friends ruined. Don’t ask me.”

In one heart-breaking, shaking, tear-jerking monologue, Emma Dumont reminds us why she currently is the star of the show. We don’t possess the X-Mutation. But every word she forces out as her mouth quivers in hatred resonates deeply. It’s not just segregation of mutants that hits so hard. We can’t relate to that–it’s science-fiction! But do we remember real-life segregation? Real-life ethnic cleansing, the kids in the Blitz, the entirety of World War Two? Yes. We can. And what superhero shows and movies do so well is integrate all of that in a removed, fun world we can enjoy and emote with. Then performances like Dumont’s yank us back into realising just why we relate so much.

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For a moment, The Gifted risked jumping the shark–until it brought all-out war and Pulse into the show.

When, by episode four, the plan is to break out a prosecutor and clearly the most powerful (or fan-favourite) mutant on the show, you must be thinking the show’s actually gone bonkers. And call it prejudice, but it was a little disappointing, too. Of course we want Polaris freed. What we don’t want is for the story to end there. How could it go any further? A happy reunion between Polaris and Eclipse, whilst the Struckers are together once more?

Yeah, Nix and Agent Turner had other ideas.

Boy, are we grateful.

We’ve had so many shows jump the shark this year and the results have been atrocious. Frankly, the concept is appealing. Of course you want to stage the biggest moment ASAP: you need to hook your viewers. Then you must convince them you are capable of carry on such awesome storytelling. The problem is: most shows lose it after that. After so much hype about it being ‘the best superhero show ever’ etc., (it had some dull competition) it was easy to forget The Gifted could make a fatal error. Also easy was forgetting the vastness of the X-Men universe, so when Agent Turner mercilessly declared war on all mutant associates and then Pulse was revealed, whoever didn’t shout at the television is a robot.

Moreover, it’s very interesting. The way Turner declares war is absolute. It’s non-debatable. This isn’t just societal mistreatment. The Gifted is paving way for active hunting of the mutants, and if that doesn’t ring any history lesson bells, then we don’t know what will.

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FINAL VERDICT: Save the cinema tickets and watch The Gifted. Four episodes have proven it’s far beyond just a superhero-themed television show.

This. Is. It!

There are so many victorious, ugly noises that should be made across the world right now because this show is what television needs. There are straight-up comedies, mind-blowers, truly bad eleven-seasoners, but this is brilliant. It’s not perfect: that isn’t what we meant. But it is brilliant. It’s nothing short of it.

The Gifted is one of those rare shows that packs everything into one episode. Whereas structurally, and historically, it’s made sense for seasons to slow down and pick up with character-centric hours or plot-focused ones, The Gifted lacks that. Instead, it feels like an hour-long movie every single week. And sometimes, it really doesn’t work. Yet like this week, it really did.

Because it’s a season and not a film, that structure is allowed to work because The Gifted isn’t a procedural, really. Its character arcs and plot progression doesn’t stall because of how it’s produced, and that’s why it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Bearing in mind it boasts not only screen legends but also young stars (Dumont, Chung) it’s got an arsenal of promise. Story-wise it has seasons of worth packed into it.

Moreover, it hurts. (And it feels good).

Matt Nix’s scripts and especially Polaris’ dialogue this episode shone–as did Karen Gaviola’s direction of the interception scene. Everything screamed disorder and mayhem but it was so methodically shot that the illusion of chaos was truly brilliant. And possibly, alongside Polaris’ rage at Reed, the best scene of the four episodes.

Kudos, The Gifted. Here’s to many, many more episodes to rave about.

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Stay with us, because the eXcitement’s just begun.

• Just let me know when these headers are getting so bad, okay? I’ve had no complaints but I think that’s because you’re all busy groaning or facepalming.
• On a personal note: I have metal screws in my body from an accident. I would rather go to jail than let Polaris do that to me. Who knows? Maybe we’ll riot like Orange is the New Black. It’ll be fun. We’ll share Cheetos.
• Anyone else a fan that Caitlin is so capable? In a show that can be overrun by mutant geniuses and superheroes and supervillains, it offers humans a chance to help, too.
• Do you think Reed is ultimately forgivable? I don’t mean sorry. Reed is clearly knowing he deserves whatever comes to him and I find that honourable. But can he ever be exonerated from his crimes?
• On a darker level, do you think Reed’s only form of forgiveness now is…well…death? (Sorry!)
• Gaviola’s lovely shots of Carmen’s nightclub and the chat between her and Eclipse was nicely done. I’m a fan of flashy lights.

THE GIFTED airs MONDAY, 31st OCTOBER, at 8/7c on FOX