We feel the pain of being the outsider firsthand in The Gifted Roundtable 1X03 “eXodus”

This week, Reed (Stephen Moyer) must follow through on the deal with Agent Turner to be reunited with his family. After being strapped with a tracking device, he approaches the bartender and convinces him to help. However, after meeting a mother and daughter who are running from Sentinel Services, Reed sacrifices himself to keep them safe. Meanwhile, Lorna (Emma Dumont) has been sent to a detention center and outfitted with a device of her own. It shocks her every time she tries to use her powers, which leaves her vulnerable. After taking a stand against a fellow prisoner, she is thrown into solitary.

RELATED | THE GIFTED 1X03 “eXodus” REVIEW

Kate (Amy Acker) tries to convince the others that there is a non-violent way to save Lorna. When they won’t listen, she and the children find their way to her brother Danny’s house. There, her brother refuses to help them, while his son accidentally brings a vigilante posse to their door. Marcos (Sean Teale) and Johnny (Blaire Redford) arrive in time to get them to safety with Clarice’s help (Jamie Chung). Later, Danny discloses to Kate that Reed and Lorna are being taken to the same detention facility.  The mutants know what they must do, and they are preparing to fight.

With the events of this episode, we know a showdown is coming. Before we get too excited though, let’s take a closer look at where everyone is. To help us, meet our roundtable:

Lydia (@lydia_sharp) – Author, Editor, and Marvel addict

Jeff (@JeffHarris7) – School Library Media Specialist, Artist, Wannabe Author, and Major X-Men/Comics Nerd

Carolyn (@CarolynsGeekOut) – Senior Writer at Marvel Report and contributor to Screenrant

Ander (@AnderWriter) – Co-host of Omni-Comics podcast and Aquaman super fan!

Heather (@xoheatherkw) – Quality control scientist, dog mom, fangirl extraordinare

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1. We’re all gooey over the fact that Polaris and Eclipse together creates a mini aurora borealis.  How are we feeling about the developing friendship between Thunderbird and Blink?

Lydia (@lydia_sharp): I was feeling really good about it until Blink was forced to believe they had something more. That’s going to create a flock of problems for them, but I hope that everything will be sorted out eventually and they’ll still be friends in the long-run, because they have a great dynamic even without romance. I was looking forward to seeing them get closer as friends in each episode, but now they’ve got this big awkward wedge between them that they can’t easily cast aside. It’ll be interesting to see what happens from here—but it’s also frustrating!

Jeff (@JeffHarris7): I am totally on the #Thunderblink ship, and it looks like it’s setting sail sooner than anticipated! I love the sparks and banter between them, and their friendship seems mutual, fun, and with just the right amount of snark. More Clarice & John scenes make me one happy Gifted viewer!

Carolyn (@CarolynsGeekOut): So first – I think that it’s very layered. The fact that she makes a joke about spirit animals to a Native American shows how casual racism can seep into the conversation even without meaning to, there were a lot of layers to that which I really appreciated. I love that he’s both the teacher but also unwilling to be the teacher is a nice change from the “mystical shaman” trope. He’s Yoda to her Luke Skywalker and I can’t WAIT to see how it turns out. It’s so layered and nuanced.

Ander (@AnderWriter): I’m really digging the relationship between Blink and Thunderbird! I love how he’s mentoring her and teaching her how to control her powers. It’ll be interesting to see how their friendship develops considering what happens towards the end of the episode!

Heather (@xoheatherkw): I think we all had that “aww” moment between Polaris and Eclipse, and I definitely hope we see more of their backstory. I’m enjoying the friendship between Thunderbird and Blink so far. He definitely wants to help her tap into her powers and get a better handle on controlling them. It’s great to see how they’re all supporting each other and helping each other in the mutant underground, they just go about it differently (like how Dreamer wants to solve Blink’s power issues, vs Thunderbird’s method). Overall I approve!

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2. Agent Turner told a very pretty story about losing his daughter to a mutant fight. Do you buy it, or do you think he’s got an ulterior motive?

Lydia: I totally buy it. But that’s just me, I am a sucker for that kind of stuff. My first instinct is always to give people the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe even the baddies have a heart.

Jeff: While I believe that what he says likely occurred, I think that he’s let his vendetta lead him down roads he probably can’t come back from.  He’s used his tragic past as an excuse to take down any and all mutants, regardless of whether or not they’re truly guilty. To him, the ends justify the means, but to me, it’s prejudice and injustice. I would like to see flashback scenes from him in future episodes, though, so we can get more sense of what he had to deal with and how it shaped his character.

Carolyn: Everything seems to hint at Turner being a true believer, but one can hope that if he’s aware of Campbell’s work that he might end up changing his mind. It’s doubtful that the show would try and redeem such an excellent big bad (and Coby Bell is really relishing and honoring that which is awesome.) but I’m a sucker for a good redemptive arc. One hopes that Turner might come around if he sees what Campbell is turning other mutants into but I’m not holding my breath. Still, his motives are true. Only losing someone truly close to you could make a person THAT convicted.

Ander: I actually believe Agent Turner. He lost someone very close to him and he’s now more driven than ever. Could it be an excuse to mask his bigotry? Perhaps, but I think it’s more about making sure another family doesn’t have to go through the pain he went through. However, what he and Sentinel Services do to mutants is wrong and it’s sad to see them treated so horribly and stripped of their rights.

Heather: I bought it when he was telling it, but he might also have ulterior motives from a professional standpoint (promotion/recognition) or just personal standpoint to make sure that what happened to his daughter doesn’t happen to any other families. You can see Reed struggling with it when Agent Turner reminds him to do it for his family, but ultimately he can’t put other families at risk to save his own family.

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3. With all the strain that Polaris is taking to use her powers, what kind of effect do you think it’s having on her baby?

Lydia: Really really really hope the baby is okay! Not only because it would be awful if she has a miscarriage, obviously, but also, think of all the potential their child has. We saw what happened just from Polaris and Eclipse casually mingling their powers. It was beautiful and exhilarating and left me a little awestruck. I’m clinging to the hope that their baby is some kind of super-mutant and could survive anything. Maybe every time Polaris has these…power surges, the baby actually gets stronger!

Jeff: I can’t imagine that it’s all that healthy, but given the danger that she’s in, I can’t say that I blame her for pushing her powers to their limits in an effort to free herself. Hopefully the Mutant Underground team will have better luck in freeing her from her captors before she causes irreparable harm to either herself or her baby!

Carolyn: It would be really fascinating to explore what happens with the strain of incarceration on babies. In the US there have been people who have had children and then died in jail, there’s precedent for it. It’s an unbelievably painful storyline and I hope they treat it with sensitivity. I’d LOVE to see them have a gorgeous very powerful mutant baby but man, it’s clearly going to be a huge plot-point for the show. If the baby lives (I can’t believe that has to be a question.) then they’re going to have a Polaris like life where they might end up being adopted or taken.

Ander: I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of that! I fear what’s going to happen to the baby after all of the stress Polaris is putting on her body. Perhaps the baby will have powers it can’t fully control as a result? Or have no powers at all…

Heather: I hope her baby is okay! You can see just how determined Polaris is to work around the mutant collar, and I think her reasoning is for her baby. She doesn’t just want visitation rights to see her own child, I just hope she isn’t putting her baby at risk to accomplish that. Can we get this girl a check up at the prison, please? Maybe next episode?

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4. We know that Thunderbird was in trouble, but do you think it was ethical for Dreamer to manipulate Blink’s memories?

Lydia: Nope. I disagreed with it 100%. But I also understand why she did it, and that it was a tough call for her to make. She knows she created a mess, too. The fallout from this is going to be difficult for all three of them.

Jeff: Necessary in the moment? Yes. It gave her the motivation she needed to use her teleportation abilities to save Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Mrs. Strucker. Ethical? No. Especially if she’s not going to reveal what she’s done in the near future. If she doesn’t, Blink is going to have a continual infatuation with Thunderbird that isn’t built on the genuine feelings that may or may not have already existed between them, and that damaged trust is going to be extremely hard to repair later, for all parties involved. John was right to warn Dreamer not to misuse her powers to tinker with people’s brains. Can what she did to Clarice be reversed? We will have to see.

Carolyn: Oh gosh can I say no? That’s TOUGH but again it’s an important discussion to have. I think because it’s so outside of the realm of possibility that maybe it’s difficult to consider it with our definitions of “ethical”. By our standards in the real world no, not even just from a moral or emotional standpoint but if Blink finds out she was manipulated she could attack and they’d end up losing 2 team members. It’s a calculated risk that probably won’t pay off in the long run and it puts Thunderbird in a REALLY tough spot. She brought drama to the team that they don’t really need.

Ander: From an ethical standpoint, no…it wasn’t ethical at all. I guess you could argue “desperate times, desperate measures” but she messed with Blink’s mind without her permission and that’s wrong. I can see this having some negative consequences, especially for Dreamer.

Heather: That’s a tough question to answer, and you can even tell Dreamer looks conflicted right after she used her powers on Blink. I’d say it was the right choice for the greater good because the team needed rescuing, but we haven’t seen the full repercussions of inserting that memory into Blink. I feel like I need to know a bit more about Dreamer’s powers to answer that, in particular how has it gone badly in the past? How will that affect Blink when she’s aware that the memory isn’t her own, and it didn’t actually happen?

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5. We’ve all had that moment where we were judged for something we couldn’t control. Of everyone we’ve met so far, which person has dealt with it prejudice you would/have?

Lydia: This is a tough one, because I haven’t completely seen myself in any of the characters yet. But I’m leaning toward Eclipse. What we’ve seen of his backstory so far, and was emphasized further in this episode, is that for a long time he just felt…lost. He was hurt by the people who should have helped, and he got bitter before he got better. Without divulging details, let’s just say I can relate to that.

Jeff: I think that Thunderbird has probably reacted to things the way that’s closest to how I would in the team’s situation. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, thinks things through rationally and logically, and wants to do whatever he can to save his friends, fellow mutants, and even strangers, but not if it means compromising his integrity or putting others in danger without their consent. He’s taken on a great mentoring role with his fellow mutants, too, and is trying to use his experiences and expertise to help them grow. I’d like to think that I’d handle things half as well as he has. A close second would be Lauren, who appears to be doing better at handling her transition than her brother by far!

Carolyn: I’ve been Caitlin Strucker and her side of the family more times then I care to admit but I’d like to think I made the Reed Strucker choice. Caitlin Strucker is doing a lot of stuff that I, as a person with white privilege has done in trusting the system without accepting that there are things you can’t trust authority with. As for prejudice I’ve faced as a member of the LGBT community and a differently gendered person (I’m non-binary) I think that the only recourse I have is to deal with it like Marcos does – calmly and trying to forgive others and work towards the betterment of people.

Ander: I’d like to think I see myself more as Thunderbird. He understands that they’re being persecuted and hunted, but he’s not impulsive. He’s smart, tactical, and isn’t willing to take unnecessary risks. While it’d be easy to lash out like Andy, it’d put everyone at risk and could result unexpected casualties.

Heather: Out of everyone on the show, I feel that I’m most similar to Amy in finding the good in everyone, which has definitely backfired for her in this episode with her brother/the “concerned” neighbors. Which then (probably) caused some trust issues/judgment with the mutant underground, even though they could understand that she did it because she believed her brother could help. Amy’s intentions were good, but it almost ended in an all out fight between the mutants and the pissed off neighbors. I can’t say that my trusting nature has resulted in anything like that, so I’m calling it a plus for me.

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6. With every iteration involving mutants, there’s always an obsessed researcher “particularly interested” in them. What do you think Dr. Campbell wants?

Lydia: Something for free out of a vending machine? Andy and Lauren can do that, no sweat. Okay, but seriously…I can’t even guess yet.

Jeff: Something extremely ominous. It seems that even Agent Turner was spooked by him.  Given what we know about him already, that can’t be a good sign! I imagine that he would probably want to exploit mutants, experiment with them and their powers, and use them to further his own ends and to track other mutants down. He was responsible for creating the Hounds as Ahab in the future that Rachel Grey came from in the comics.  That may be an avenue Dr. Campbell could be taking on the show.

Carolyn: In the comics, he wants power and control because of he, like Turner, lost something that was important to him. He’s Ahab trying to hunt down and control all mutants. I sincerely hope for a completely amoral asshole because I want to see how Turner reacts to him.

Ander: I could see Dr. Campbell acting sort of like a new Bolivar Trask. Perhaps he’s using mutants and repurposing them to track or hunt down the mutant underground? Whether that’s by brainwashing, creating clones or whatever I’m not sure, but Dr.Campbell is definitely not one to trust.

Heather: Ooh, I’m really intrigued with what he wants to find out. Maybe there’s previous cases of siblings using their powers together and increasing those powers, beyond what they can do individually. Or maybe there’s a certain genetic characteristic of Reed and Amy that caused both children to become mutants, that would clue him in on exactly where the gene for mutants is in the DNA.

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7. Let’s have some fun. If you had to think of something positive to hold onto for your powers, what would it be?

Lydia: Confession time: there is a personal reason I don’t want Polaris to lose her baby. It’s because I’ve lost babies of my own and wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone, not even a fictional character. But I do have one miracle child, who had the odds stacked against him and survived. So the answer to this is easy—my son. He is the most positive thing in the world to me, and I do believe that with just the thought of him in my head, I could accomplish what seems impossible.

Jeff: I would think of, ironically (or appropriately) enough, my comic book collection. What could be more empowering than a bunch of stories of super-powered people doing super things? That, or bacon. Lots and lots of bacon.

Carolyn: I have some very dear coworkers that I would probably step up for.  I also like the guests at my job so I’d probably try and work for them.  I’m going to have to give this a think! This is a tough question cause if I stepped it up at my work, in a world like The Gifted, I’d probably be fired. What a world!

Ander: To help focus on my powers, I would think of my family. That might seem like an easy answer but that would definitely help, especially if I knew using my powers would protect them.

Heather: My husband <3

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Final Verdict: The Gifted 1X03 “eXodus” reminds us that no matter what side we’re on, we all want the same things

This week was harrowing for many reasons. Lorna is trapped between staying out of trouble and staying alive. Johnny tries to defend Clarice’s free will, only to be rescued because of Dreamer’s manipulation. Kate comes face-to-face with the realities of mutant life. Reed is trying to stay alive long enough to see his family again. Of course, there’s also Marcos, who is just desperately trying to save his family from harm. Even Agent Turner dealt with pressure to produce success after failing to capture the mutants as promised. Writer Rashad Raisani definitely kept us on the edge of our seats!

We understand why it was important for Dreamer to be introduced at this point.  However, the romance between her and Thunderbird felt forced in many ways. It explained how she gave Blink the memory, but also came out of the blue.  The two of them appeared to have only professional interactions in 1X02. We’re not sure if it is a pacing issue or something ended up on the cutting room floor. Either way, it made the subplot less fluid than the rest of the episode.

Everyone being driven to do what it takes to protect someone they love is this week’s theme. Next week, it looks like it’s all about fighting for what’s right and what’s yours.  We know that path is unlikely that will bring peace anytime soon.  However, it certainly will keep us tuned in to find out what will happen next!

The Gifted returns next Monday, October 23rd at 9/8C on Fox.