Only three hours of “The Gifted” remain this season.
One of those hours airs on New Year’s Day.
The fall finale saw Esme, through aggressive, murderous means, help numerous mutants (including Andy, Lauren and Clarice) escape the custody of Sentinel Services. She also revealed herself as one of the identical Frost sisters (Stepford Cuckoos).
Entitled “3 X 1,” Monday’s new “The Gifted” picks up in the aftermath of that finale.
In addition to providing plenty of insight into the Frost sisters, the episode reveals how the key entities — the Mutant Underground, Sentinel Services and Trask — are responding to the events.
The episode ultimately sets the stage for the two-hour season finale, which will air on January 15.
Headline Planet had the opportunity to screen “3 X 1” ahead of Monday’s broadcast. Based on that screening, we can share 7 things to expect.
We refrained from any major spoilers, but those who want to watch “3 X 1” with completely fresh eyes may want to stop here.
Flashback: Clarice/Blink
Clarice/Blink is the focus of this week’s flashback. We see an incident from her life before imprisonment; the scene informs her stance regarding the Frosts and the battle against Sentinel Services and Trask.
Characters Mourned
The very early portion of the episode finds the key characters at funerals, of sorts, for the key casualties of the fall finale.
The Mutant Underground says goodbye to Dreamer, while Jace concurrently mourns his partner Ed Weeks.
The juxtaposed scenes are set (at least in the version made available for review) to Daughter’s “Youth.”
Meet The Frosts/Cuckoos
The closing moments of the fall finale saw Esme reunited with her identical sisters. The development confirmed what many “X-Men” aficionados had expected: the character is one of the Stepford Cuckoos/Frosts.
Naturally, the sisters take center stage in this episode. We get clarification on their abilities (and see those powers in action). We receive insight into their motivations.
Perhaps most importantly, we gain a sense of whether the sisters will be friends — or foes — of the Mutant Underground as the narrative moves forward.
More Marvel/X-Men References
Along with a proper introduction to the Frosts, “3 X 1” makes references to other components of the Marvel universe. While the references are not necessarily focal points of this week’s episode, they figure to become more relevant down the road.
Focus On Polaris
“3 X 1” covers a myriad of plot points and characters.
One particular area of focus is the Polaris/Lorna character.
With a specific, vocal stance on whether the Mutant Underground should collaborate with the Frosts, she factors heavily into this week’s narrative.
Her relevance is not, however, limited to her perspective on the suspicious sisters. She also appears to be undergoing a personal development.
The episode, moreover, includes noteworthy references to her backstory/history.
Struckers On The Run?
Having seen their children captured and having heard about the incident with the Frosts, Reed and Kate Strucker no longer feel safe in the Mutant Underground safehouse. They consider reviving their original plan to head for Mexico.
As mutants who are very much part of the fight, Lauren and Andy may have a different perspective on the matter.
A More Powerful Trask
Lauren and Andy are no longer in Trask custody, but the data from their “experiment” very much is. Dr. Campbell finally has a sense of how the Strucker kids (and their grandparents) were able to combine their powers, which means he has a potentially dangerous new weapon at his disposal.
We recently shared production photos from the “3 X 1” edition of “The Gifted.” View those here.