Title: The Gifted: “3 X 1”
Network:Â FOX
Air Date: January 1, 2018
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Thriller, AdventureÂ
After a relatively long break for The Gifted, “3 X 1” was a solid return for the series before the season finale next week. The aftermath of Esme’s attack on Sentinal Services led the humans and mutants both on a similar journey, one where the pain of loss and the fear of the future has forced their hands. Jace Turner was brought back into the fight despite the meeting he had with Reed and Kate, while The Mutant Underground was baited by the Cuckoo Sisters (Esme and the other two blondies) to join her and the rest of the Hellfire Club in their quest to defeat Trask Industries and Sentinal Services.
There was a lot that you didn’t know–but could’ve guessed–revealed this week, and that was one of the major pulls for me. The Cuckoo Sisters (also known as the Stepford Cuckoos in the comics) were unknown to me until Sage revealed that their surname was “Frost.” I began to connect the dots as I remembered some of the older comics revolving around the Hellfire Club and Emma Frost. I liked that Matt Nix was able to incorporate some obscure antagonists, the Cuckoo Sisters, because in doing so he has expanded on the X-Men universe even further than even the movies.
What has made The Gifted so unique in its selection of which mutants to use for the show has been the way in which these characters connect with each other. For example, Andy and Lauren have always been separate mutants, but when they combine their powers they have the potential to do some major damage. In “3 X 1”, The Cuckoo Sisters showed that their connection with one another was less physical and more mental; while Trask Industries exploiting two mutants with different powers in order to combine them (using the research from Andy and Lauren) indicated that The Gifted will begin to concentrate on the importance of these types of mutants as it moves forward, especially if others were to oppose Lauren and Andy.
Other developments that were well-done have a lot to do with Polaris and her backstory within The Gifted universe. Esme revealed to her that her father was a “King” of the Hellfire Club. For those of you who didn’t know, Polaris’ ability to manipulate metal has never been an accident. In the comics, Polaris was a mutant that evolved from her original mutated self into a more concentrated form that allowed her to absorb negative emotions and use them as her strength. From what I saw in this week’s episode of The Gifted, I’d have to say that that was where her character was heading. By next week, you can expect a major event to transform Polaris into her second form. I liked that the show has been loyal to her character, and that she is played by such an excellent actress.
The problem with including the Hellfire Club in The Gifted resided with how they were introduced. There hadn’t been many hints that this group of elite mutants were behind the actions of the Cuckoo Sisters, so when they’re revealed in “3 X 1” I thought it was out of place. Their involvement makes sense when taking into consideration Emma Frost and her clones (the Cuckoo Sisters), Polaris, and the pull they already have over some of the show’s major characters. They were briefly mentioned in the last episode, “eXploited”, where a newspaper clipping revealed that Andrea and Andreas (Andy and Lauren’s ancestors) were a part of the villainous group. I just thought that there could’ve been more hints throughout the season that suggested the Hellfire Club’s involvement in the current time, as to remedy the issue that throwing a major group of mutants into the conflict without much notice has on the pacing of the show as a whole.
Verdict: “3 X 1” was a great episode. It pushed the limits of your expectations by presenting a familiar situation with different outcomes at stake. The mutants were showed to be more than what you could see, as Polaris’ evolution suggested. The Hellfire Club and the Cuckoo Sisters provided you with a unique take on how certain mutants have taken to their current situation of being hunted by Sentinal Services and Trask Industries. Yet, more hints that the Hellfire Club has been involved with the Cuckoo Sisters would’ve helped the overall pacing of the show, especially since the season finale is next week.
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