Everyone’s suffering from a guilty conscience in “afterMath,” and with good reason, really, because most of the people suffering from guilty conscience have done some questionable shit in the last few episodes.
First, there’s Andy, who seems to be playing whose-turn-is-it-to-have-feelings with Lorna, they can’t both have a conscience or demonstrate actual feelings in the same episode, they have to rotate, or something. Not that he hasn’t earned the right to his guilty conscience, he did hurt Lauren, and it could have been bad, while Lorna never truly hurt Marcos, or anyone for that matter.
He gets over this too fast as soon as a pretty girl bats his eyes at him, which really Andy? I expected better of you.
Then John, who feels responsible for absolutely everything, in a way that will surely come back to bite him and every one of the people he feels responsible for in the ass, because he’s trying to compensate for something he hasn’t done, and that never, ever ends well. If you add to that Clarice’s crisis of faith and the fact that she clearly relates more to the Morlocks than the Mutant Underground, well, you’ve all the makings of an explosive mid-season finale, or season finale.
And then, of course, there’s Caitlin, who was getting on my nerves the first three episodes of this season and might now be the character I’m most relating to, torn between the love for a son that made a different choice from hers, and for a daughter that wanted to believe as much as her mom that they could really save Andy.
Because Caitlin is a mom first, and she’ll protect her own. She’s shown that before. Even if that means doing questionable shit. Even if that means lying. She won’t let anyone harm those people she deems as hers, no matter the cost.
Guilt, however, as understandable as it is, doesn’t really help anything. It’s a normal human emotion, yes, but it’s not a transformative one. Andy, John, and Caitlin all need to find ways to put it aside if they’re truly going to accomplish anything, and by the end of the episode, they’ve all kind of managed that.
Except guilt doesn’t disappear that easily, no. Guilt lingers. It comes back when you least expect it. It gnaws at you. And the only way to really, truly get rid of it, is to actually address the specific thing you’re feeling guilty about.
My money’s on all of them having a chance to do that before the season is over.
FREEDOM
Lorna and Andy have a passing conversation as he’s walking out his ‘date’ for a taste of freedom, and yet, as fleeting as this conversation is, I think this is setting the groundwork for what’s going to be the real breaking point for both of them this season in the struggle to choose between The Inner Circle and the Mutant Underground they left behind.
Yes, I’m still sure it’ll all come down to the people Lorna and Andy love, and I’m still sure when it really comes down to hurting Marcos and Lauren, really hurting them, Lorna and Andy won’t be able to, but I also think there’ll come a time when they realize that, despite how much they believe in what they’re working towards, this is not their goal.
It’s Reeva’s. It’s the Inner Circle’s.
They’re goal is freedom, for themselves, and for all mutants. But even as they now fight for that, are Lorna and Andy really and truly free? The answer is clearly no. Now the question is, how long will it take them to realize it?
Things I think I think:
- Shirtless John is pleasing to my eyes.
- Oh, yay, Jace is watching the FOX News of The Gifted.
- Let’s talk about your hair, Lorna. The Inner Circle has money, so is that really a haircut you chose? Because you’re gorgeous and all, but that’s not your best look.
- I’ll even take Andy’s hair over yours.
- Not that I want to agree with Andy, because I’m mad at him, but treating new girl as a weapon isn’t the way.
- “Want something done right, ask a woman.”
- Jace is and his little neo nazi group interest me a total amount of -5.
- All this sowing the seeds of forgiveness with Marcos shit is good and all, but do I really have to wait for the end of the season for the actual confrontation?
- No, Andy and his date don’t really interest me either.
- Except for the part where they went and blew up that cop car for no reason. Andy, come on son, that’s not you.
- I could care less about Jace’s conscience that only comes out when it’s too late.
- Yeah, yeah, we know, Clarice is going to leave the Mutant Underground and go live with the Morlocks at some point. We get it.
- The happier Andy looks the less happy Lorna looks. Loooovely.
Agree? Disagree? Share with us in the comments below!
The Gifted airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.
