Spawned by the popularity of super hero shows, Fox gives up The Gifted, a post X-men tale of mutants trying to survive in a world very literally out to get them. The X-men series has always outright tackled themes of racism, violence against minorities, and systematic prejudice.
Important note: While Marvel shows (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Inhumans) are considered concurrent with the movies (Iron Man, Avengers, Thor), the DC shows (Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash) are considered a different version of the comic canon than the movies (Justice League, Suicide Squad). I’m not sure if The Gifted plans to follow the Marvel style (since it is a Marvel comic series) or not. The X-men movies are considered outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe because they are licensed to a different production company.
First off, we meet Lorna Dane (Polaris, canon character), Thunderbird (also canon), and Eclipse (not canon) as they try to get to Blink (canon), a mutant who escaped a detention facility. As part of the Mutant Underground these three try to protect mutants from systematic injustice (the Holocaust kind). Polaris is captured.
The prosecutor assigned to her is Reed Strucker, a human, who, of course, quickly discovers his children are mutants when they “initiate a terrorist attack” on their high school during a school dance. Daughter Lauren (not canon) has force field powers. Son Andy (not canon) has powerful telekinesis. When Sentinel Services (mutant hunter government agents who have a number of different incarnations in the comics, most notably as giant robots) comes for the kids and the family runs, right to the Mutant Underground for help.
While predictable (it is a pilot) it is engaging while touching on cliches (like the perfect white bread nuclear family who are suddenly under attack by OMG racism that everyone else sees and deals with daily.) Lauren has a very Hayden Panettiere-vibe (the whole family does, with the dad being a “bad guy” to begin with too.) However, The Gifted goes more for action and plot than dramatic mood like Heroes.
Reed tries to proclaim his family American citizens with rights, but quickly discovers what the mutants already know, that rights mean little when the people behind the badges see you as a threat, not as a human.
Again, while predictable t the point of cliche, The Gifted has enough going for it (like solid effects, characters comic fans have yet to see on screen before, and the parallel of the show’s politics and real life politics) to keep me interested.
Contains: Violence, racism