REVIEW: The Gifted, Episode 101
One of the most awaited series premieres of this fall is probably The Gifted. Well, the wait is finally over, because last night this new show kicked off with its pilot entitled “eXposed”.
Because this is a show which has history behind it, and also doesn’t at the same time, I think it will gain a big audience real quick. By that I mean that a lot of people know about the X-men, and it has a big fandom, so that will draw attention. But it also doesn’t at the same time, because people don’t really need to have watched those movies to understand the show, and this is of course a plus, because it draws both kinds of people.
Moving on to the story now, this is a little bit classic X-men: 2 teenagers who find out they have the gene, and they drag their family on an escape from people who want them locked away. The only difference is that they don’t have Professor X to protect them. But, of course, that with the X-men gone, there are new mutant protectors: The Mutant Underground Headquarters. This escape requires two very different sides to work together, and that is always nice to watch: a mutant leader and a guy who hunts mutants. Of course, they didn’t trust each other (and they probably won’t for a while), and that is what is greater about it.
Another great thing about it, was the scene in the high school dance. It was really a very intense scene, full of suspense and emotions. I think it makes sense the gifts first reveal in an intense moment of people’s lives, since that is usually when we do things we didn’t know we could (of course that in the daily life it isn’t such unlikely things). It was even greater they added, before all this, that scene in which Andy and Lauren were talking about mutants, and how Andy was a bit racist.
In this pilot, we were able to see some mutants already, and I have to say that I always love seeing people with different abilities work together. It is so amazing how some people/powers complement each other when fighting the bad guys. I think this really is something I will never get tired of watching.
This is still the pilfirst episode, but I can already see a great story unfold. There are really many great possibilities for future episodes/seasons, and, unlike some shows, I think this show will be able to tell a long story, without getting cut off. The story is great, the cast is great, the special effects too. There is really no reason for cancelation here (adding what I already mentioned about the X-men connection).
Also, I think this show can even be something we can connect to our daily life, if we see the mutants as a metaphor to other outcast people in the community, like black people or LGBT members. As long as there is an “us” and a “them”, there will always be trouble and war (maybe not like a world war, but nevertheless a fight between the two sides). And this is exactly what we see in this show: people who see things in sides and that are not able to give in, always seeing themselves as superior and the others as a threat. The thing is that, of course, things always change when it is someone you know, like what happened with Reed. People can say they hate mutants all they want, but this is all up until a certain point. “Things change when it comes to your kid”, as Jace said, and this is really true for everything.
Overall, as I have been saying, this was a great pilot, full of action, suspense, thrill… everything a pilot needs to get people’s attention. The story was set in a good way, and we can hope all this will continue. I am giving this episode an 8.3/10 (I don’t want to raise the bar too high, since this is just the beginning).
Next episode is going to air next Monday, October 9th,and it is entitled “rX”, so don’t miss it.