The Gifted: S1 Ep. 5: ‘boXed in’
Episode five of The Gifted introduces some new characters, delves deeper into the background of Sentinel Services frontman, Jace and we get even more fantastic chemistry from Polaris and Eclipse. We also see Reed thrown into a figurative ‘pit of vipers’ as he’s now in a contained space with many of the very mutants he had harassed in the past.
**Spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched this episode**
At the beginning of episode five, we finally get a glimpse into that July 15th incident that’s been referred to in the past – the driving force of Jace’s (Coby Bell) work with Sentinel Services. Sharing a peaceful moment with his wife and daughter at the park, Jace and his family are victims of an accident that occurs when a nearby Mutant Rights rally gets out of hand and his daughter gets killed.
In the meantime, Thunderbird (Blair Redford), Polaris (Emma Dumont) and Eclipse (Sean Teale) are back on the run. When Thunderbird warns them of an incoming drone, the trio splits up, leaving Polaris and eclipse to deal with the drone before it finds any of them.
Of course, things aren’t easy for Reed (Stephen Moyer) once he gets back to the Mutant Underground headquarters. He is instantly recognized as the prosecutor who works for Sentinel Services, which obviously divides many of the mutants hiding at headquarters. A fight ensues and Reed has to prove why he can be trusted, but that’s easier said then done. To be frank, I wouldn’t trust Reed as far as I could throw him either. He isn’t exactly a pillar of justice.
However, Reed wants everyone to know that he is not the enemy and that he is willing to do whatever it takes to show them which side he is on. To prove this, he signs up for a dangerous mission which could cost him his life – using himself as bait in order to distract Sentinel Services and steer them in the wrong direction.
During this time, Polaris has kidnapped Jace. She wants to get information out of the Sentinel Services officer, specifically just what they did to turn Pulse (see review of last episode) into a weapon. Although Eclipse is opposed to the idea, Polaris convinces him by reminding him that what happened to Pulse, would have happened to her had she not been rescued.
Jace doesn’t want to reveal anything, so Polaris calls in Dreamer. She will get the information by force, if necessary. While Dreamer is working her magic, Sentinel Services sends in their troops. They use tear gas in an attempt to draw the mutants out, but Blink helps them escape, creating one of her portals to help them escape back to headquarters.
Upon watching Dreamer’s interaction with Jace, Blink finally realizes that Dreamer had done something to her. She confronts her fellow mutant and Dreamer admits to altering her memories. Blink tells Dreamer to stay away from her from now on, which is sure to cause bigger rifts in future episodes of the show.
It will be interesting to see just what exactly will happen with the team during next episode. There is so much division between them all when it comes to how Polaris handles things (she’s most definitely her father’s daughter), Dreamer altering Blink’s memory and also the added tension that Reed being around has added to the group.
Now, while this episode may not have been as action-packed as the one prior, it has been one of the most important as it pertains to both the mutants and the outside forces that cause them to hide. The Gifted is definitely five for five right now.
Be sure to check out The Gifted Monday nights on FOX at 9:00pm EST.
