Exit Strategy

**eXit strategy** is the fourth episode of the first season of *The Gifted*. It is the fourth episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

**THE MUTANTS DEVISE A PLAN TO TAKE DOWN SENTINEL SERVICES** — When the mutants devise a plan to take down Sentinel Services, Eclipse seeks out an old friend from his dark past in order to obtain some useful information. Meanwhile, Lauren and Andy attempt to combine their powers in order to help the group.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Two years ago, the Underground infiltrated a mutant relocation center somewhere in Georgia. Thunderbird stood on the outside of the fence alongside Pulse, a fellow member of the Underground. Pulse questioned why they didn't send him in first since his power of disrupting electronic devices would have served more sufficient in knocking out the electricity. They could've used this to their advantage, however, had they done that, they would've lost the element of surprise. Which is why they're sticking with the original plan, to wait for the others to get to the second fence and send them the signal to move in. The longer Pulse stood around, the angrier he grew as he was once a prisoner of the facility. Though, Thunderbird assured him that they would free the other prisoners. Unfortunately, their plan went awry as gunshots rang out in the night. Eclipse and Sage made it back to them alive and well, however, Randall and Elsa, two other members of the team, weren't as fortunate. The facility's defense system of automated guns and infrared trackers were far more advanced than they had expected. With his ability to disrupt systematical electronics, Pulse volunteered to shut down their system to the automated weapons in order to buy the rest of them some time to escape. However, after successfully doing so, he was shot down and supposedly killed.

Present day, at Sentinel Services Regional Headquarters, Agent Turner transports Lorna to her cell, though she will only be there for a couple days before being transferred to one of their facilities. Considering that he is sending her to what she refers to as "Hell", Lorna requests that he refer to her as "Polaris" rather than birth name. Lorna is then taken into her cell only to discover that Reed is in the next cell over. She questions why her prosecutor has been imprisoned but all Agent Turner will tell her is that he has legal problems of his own and that they are heading to the same facility. Lorna is amazed at the fact that Reed, the same person who tried to use her unborn child to get her to turn against her friends is going to prison as well. As Agent Turner leaves the room, Reed attempts to inform Lorna of his deal with the Underground, but she refuses to hear him out, especially after learning that he almost got Marcos killed.

John and Marcos call a meeting at Headquarters to discuss breaking Lorna out of prison. They know that she is being held in a cell at the Sentinel Services Regional Headquarters with Reed. They are being moved soon to an ultra secure facility. They don't know much about it except that the people who are taken there don't come back, thus forcing their hand in attacking Sentinel Services head on. Many members are reluctant in volunteering to help save Lorna, Sage included. She reminds John and Marcos that they lost six people the last time they went up against the Sentinel Services directly, which was merely a relocation center with a fence and a few guard towers. This time around it is a prison they are attempting to infiltrate, whose systems have improved. Extrapolating from other attacks, the Underground has an 86.5% chance of failure, Sage determines. But as Marcos explains, if they do nothing, then there's was a 100% chance of never seeing Reed or Lorna again. While they are admittedly still new, Caitlin pleads with the Underground for help. Marcos reminds them how Lorna has risked her life for everyone in the room. Harry's family would be dead without her and she pulled Sage out of the gutter and got her clean. With that being said, Marcos asks for a show of hands from those willing to save Lorna. Unfortunately, Sonya, Clarice, and Harry are the only ones willing to help.

Afterward, Andy's concern for his father grows. Almost everyone bailed and Sage confirmed that chances of saving him are minuscule though Lauren is convinced that they will find a way, as is Caitlin, who tells Andy that they can't afford to think like that. Caitlin tells them that sometimes when taking risks, you have to hope for the best.

Marcos is applauded with how few are willing to help save Lorna though John says to give them a break as a lot of them lost friends the last time they went up against Sentinel Services directly. Five (John, Marcos, Sonya, Clarice and Harry) of them to break into a prison, and Marcos has not the slightest clue how they are to accomplish this. Caitlin then joins in on both the discussion and rescue mission. Making it an even six. Clarice informs them that if there's a window, she can portal them in, but there will likely be guards and cameras which they'll likely want to avoid. While Harry can cloak himself from the guards, the same can't be said about the cameras. Going in like that will mean never coming out. So Caitlin suggests that they don't go in at all, rather they make their move when Lorna and Reed are being transported. While in theory, the idea is plausible, they don't know the transit route. However, Marcos suggests using his connection to the Cartel to gain access on the route. John advises him against it but they are out of better ideas.

John approaches Sonya to ask if she has told Clarice the truth about implanting a memory in her head. Sonya admits that she hasn't, and she's not quite sure that she wants to considering that Clarice seems fine. However, giving Clarice a memory without her permission is wrong, John notes. Sonya attempts to explain that the memory is more like a dream or impression that'll fade but John isn't so sure it will. He wants Sonya to tell Clarice the truth or else he will. However, Sonya fears how Clarice will react when she learns the truth. Maybe she gets upset and leave, putting an end to their plan of saving Lorna and Reed. Sonya insists that she had no choice. She did what she did to save the team. If she had more time, she would've asked Clarice's permission, but that wasn't the case. And if Clarice had said no, Sonya admits that she would've done it regardless. They are at war, she reminds John.

That night, in hopes of gathering intel on Sentinel Services' transport route, Marcos headed down to a local club owned by the Cartel. He had hopes of speaking with the boss, but instead is taken to the boss' daughter Carmen Guerra. He insists that he doesn't want any trouble as he assumes there are still hard feelings considering the last time he saw Carmen, he was sneaking out of bed, never to be seen again. Much to Marcos' surprise, Carmen is pleased to see him and would rather leave their past in the past. Carmen then informs Marcos that her father has retired and that she is the new boss. He notices that Carmen has made drastic changes to the club since his last visit though this provides her with an operation that she can run $3 million through and deposit it in an American bank. Marcos cuts straight to the point. Sentinel Services is relocating Lorna and Reed and he needed to know where and when. However, Carmen isn't so quick to offer the information. She recalls when Marcos came to the club with her father to help with business in Atlanta. Marcos claims that he was just a muscle man, but they lost a lot of shipment when he left. Furthermore, he father loved him like a son. He though that Marcos would marry Carmen and take care of the family. Marcos apologizes for his past actions, but he needed the bus route. Carmen agrees to get him the needed information so long as he agrees to be her "friend" again.

Back at HQ, Clarice dreams of the memory that Sonya has planted in her head. She wakes up from her sleep to see that it's 3:30 AM. Meanwhile, John speaks to Marcos over the phone. He doesn't like Marcos getting involved with the Cartel. Whatever he thinks it is going to cost him, it is going to be more. Marcos realizes this but puts it off for another time. The Cartel made some calls to some contacts they have in Sentinel Services. They're moving Lorna and Reed by truck. It's a convoy. Marcos will send John the route when he gets the time frame from Carmen. Carmen then snatches Marcos' phone away. She tells him that they were good together. But Marcos tells her that they cared about different things. Carmen cared about her family, a family that he was apart of. The family was fine. Marcos explains. It was the business, and the things he was required to carry out that chased him away. Carmen compares his smuggling mutants across the boarder to the family's smuggling drugs across the boarding, asking which is more illegal. Marcos needs a time for the convoy. So he asks what Carmen wants from him. She wants his hands, more specifically, the use of his abilities.

Later that morning, John tells the others about Marcos' discovery that a convoy of military vehicles is taking Lorna and Reed to a military airport. Based on the route, the best place to hit it would an old warehouse district off Peachtree. John asks Clarice if she can open a portal. She explains that if the driver can see out, then she can see in, but if the bus is moving, it can get messy, meaning they have to stop the bus. Clarice suggests that Marcos melt the tires, but Caitlin objects as that would be far from subtle. Should that happen, a battle will ensue, in which people die. The goal isn't just to get Reed and Lorna, it's to get them alive. John agrees. They need to find another way to stop the bus. Unbeknownst to them, Lauren listens in on the entire discussion.

Lauren approaches Andy outside to tell him that they need to figure out a safe way to stop a prison truck. She asks if he can destroy a truck wheel like he did the parking meter (see: eXodus). Andy clarifies that he only meant to break one but actually ended up breaking several. He lacks control over his abilities, meaning he could tear the entire truck apart with their father in it. So, Lauren suggests that they use her abilities to focus Andy's. She tells him to focus on the lamppost. As he starts to tear it apart, Lauren uses her shields to focus his destructive telekinetic fields, thus resulting in a more precise attack, causing the light to burst.

At Sentinel Services Headquarters, Lorna attempts to break out her cell though the inhibitor collar around her neck sends shock waves through her body every time she uses her powers. Considering that they are stuck in neighboring cells, Reed figures he will at least explain his actions. He always told himself that anyone that was facing him in his courtroom was guilty. He told himself that he was the prosecutor, and that the laws were clear, and if someone broke them, it was on them. He also told himself that he was doing his job. Then he found out that his kids are mutants. They didn't mean to hurt anyone. They were only defending themselves. But they broke the law. And with mandatory minimums, they'll get at least ten years. If not more. And a few days ago, he would have been the one making that argument. Before all of this, Reed didn't understand. But he does now. And for that he's sorry. Lorna congratulates him on realizing that he's the bad guy. He has destroyed many lives. If he wants forgiveness, she tells him to ask the little boy who she strapped on a bus while he screamed, begging to join his mother in prison where Reed sent her. Better yet, he can ask the hundreds of families whose lives he and his co-workers have ruined. Because Lorna has no forgiveness to offer.

Lauren and Andy demonstrate their new found ability on the tire of an old and abandoned cab. John is impressed. So much so that he asks if they are capable of doing it from a longer range. Which they are. The best part is that no one will see where it came from. However, Caitlin is against using them as child soldiers to attack a convoy. John and Andy stay back while Lauren pleads her case with Caitlin. She reminds her mother than it was her who told them sometimes they have to take risks. They want to fight, no matter what, even if it means facing trained men with guns. Caitlin had always told them that there were things worth fighting for. Was that all just talk, Lauren asks. There are risks worth taking. While she is still hesitant, Caitlin agrees to allow them to stop the transport bus, but only if John can guarantee her that Lauren and Andy won't be in harms way.

Carmen takes Marcos to an abandoned warehouse for his help with a project of hers. They enter a room to find a man bloody, beaten and tied to a chair. Marcos recalls that she used to hate torturing people and how she used to beg her father not to do it. Carmen admits that she was a child back then. But now she protects her people. While Marcos may think he's above it all, Carmen knows that they're not so different, referring to him as "Eclipse". The man tied to a chair supposedly stole two kilos from the family's distro centers. Carmen needs him to reveal where they are. Which is why she brought in Eclipse as he could be very persuasive. Eclipse insists that he has changed, but the only way she'll give him what he wants to save Lorna is if he does as he's told. Carmen reveals that the price for her help is him. For now on, she calls and he comes and he does exactly what she asks of him. With no other option, Eclipse concedes. He tries to reason with the man, but when that fails, he threatens to burn the man's eyes out. As he applies a bit of heat, the man confesses that he hid the kilos of drugs in his cousin's garage.

Marcos returns to Headquarters to inform John that the prison convoy leaves at 10:00 AM tomorrow. They sweep the route at 9:30 AM, providing the Underground with half an hour to set up. John asks how it went with Carmen. Marcos claims that everything went fine though this is far from being true. Meanwhile, Clarice's dreams of herself with John persist. Elsewhere, Marcos sends out a prayer, and Sonya joins John as he puts together the final pieces of the plan.

The day of the convoy has arrived as Lorna and Reed board the transport bus along with several Sentinel Service agents, Agent Turner included. They are locked in a plastic cell and strapped to their seats.

Thunderbird and Blink take up position inside an abandoned warehouse. From their position, they should be able to see into the transport bus once Andy and Lauren blow out the tire. When he asks Blink if she is alright, she says that she hasn't been sleeping well. Thunderbird reasons that this is due to the adjustments at the station, with people constantly coming and going. Anything's better than jail, she remarks. For Thunderbird, it was almost impossible for him in the beginning, which comes as a surprise to Blink due to his military background and her thinking that nothing could be hard for him. He explains that originally, it was just him and Polaris with an impossible task. Blink wonders if he ever thought about walking away. All the time, Thunderbird replies. The only thing stopping him is his mission to save those in need. Blink then asks about the night that they first met, wondering if they went outside together. Thunderbird tells her that they didn't, though he knows this to be a result of Sonya's memory manipulation.

Caitlin, Andy and Lauren get into position on top of one of the rooftops in the warehouse district. While awaiting the convoy's arrival, Lauren notices her mother struggling with the medical supplies, and offers to help. When Andy mentions how strangely quiet it is, Lauren remembers that it is Sunday, which is the same day of the football team's fundraiser breakfast, which she was suppose to make corn muffins for. Stopping a government operated convoy is the furthest thing from that.

Eclipse, Dreamer and Trader convene in an alleyway where Eclipse warns Dreamer and Trader to leave if the plan goes sideways. He recalls Sage telling him that it was a suicide mission, and she was right. He never should put them in this predicament. As for Eclipse, he isn't leaving without Lorna.

As the convoy approaches, Lauren and Andy prepare to use their combined powers to disengage the transport bus, however, Andy fails to come through on his end. Perhaps motivating him through anger will work, so Lauren blames Andy for ruining their lives, antagonizing him even further by claiming the bullies who tormented him were right about him. She even challenges Andy to prove them wrong. Allowing his rage to fuel his power, Andy and Lauren attack the tire of the transport bus and successfully bring it to an abrupt stop. Lauren apologizes for attacking him, adding that he is better when he is angry. Having fulfilled their end of the mission, Lauren, Andy, and Caitlin prepare to leave the area.

With the transport bus stuck in the middle of the warehouse district, the Sentinel Services agents exit their vehicles to survey the area. Inside the transport bus, Reed attempts to forge an alliance with Polaris while the guards are distracted by the blown out tire. While Polaris may hate him, their chance to escape may be coming along soon. He wonders if her hate for him is worth more than giving her child a real life. All Reed asks of her is that if they get the chance to escape that she'll help him take it. Polaris reluctantly agrees.

Outside the transport bus, they discover that the axle has snapped on the tire. Though Agent Weeks suspects it's a mechanical failure, Agent Turner is certain that it is in fact a mutant attack. So he orders Agent Weeks to lock down the surrounding area.

Eclipse, Dreamer and Trader watch from the alleyway as Sentinel Services move into a defensive position to sweep the area. Concerned for their safety and that their getaway vehicles will be found, Eclipse tells Dreamer and Trader to leave. However, they refuse. Instead, Trader volunteers to see what is happening at the bus. Dreamer wonders if he can fool that many people as there are a lot of agents on sight. He tells her that he used to sneak into mutant detention camps. If they didn't see him then, they won't see him now.

Because Andy and Lauren failed to stop the transport bus in the designated location, Thunderbird and Blink go looking for it. After ramming his way through a solid wall, he finds the bus a little further down the road. Just as Blink attempts to portal them into the bus, her powers are being interfered with, as are Thunderbird's, who attempts to track.

As Trader makes his way to the bus, his powers fail him and he is spotted by an agent who demands that he get on the ground. When he fails to comply, he is shot multiple times. Eclipse and Dreamer are forced to watch helplessly as he falls to the ground. When Eclipse tries to light up, his powers seem to fail him as well.

Back inside the warehouse, Thunderbird tells Blink that there was only one person he had ever known who could disrupt mutant abilities — Pulse. Though, he died two years ago, or so they thought. Thunderbird looks out the window, and as he suspected, it is Pulse, who is now also working for Sentinel Services. He's apparently disrupting their abilities, which he is capable of doing for at least two blocks. Thunderbird tells Blink that Pulse was his best friend. But he thought he saw him die on an attack at the Sentinel Services relocation center. Thunderbird instructs Blink to check in on the others while he stops Pulse.

As Trader lays bleeding on the ground, Sentinel Services prepare to approach, but not before Eclipse runs out from behind the alleyway shooting at them to draw their fire while Dreamer recovers Trader. She applies pressure to his wounds hoping to slow the bleeding.

Caitlin, Andy and Lauren make their escape. They hear gunshots firing all around the warehouse district as they head back towards their SUV. Upon arrival, they discover a Sentinel Services agent examining the vehicle. Lauren attempt to take him out with a shield, but her powers have been deactivated as well, forcing Caitlin to take matters into her own hands. She approaches the agent up from behind and injects him with an unknown substance that immediately renders him unconscious. Caitlin hands Lauren the keys and tells her to take the car and go without her. Caitlin will be staying to ensure that Reed comes back with them. But she is going alone because she doesn't want to lose the two of them as well. She tells them to return to Headquarters and that she'll meet them there with their father. Caitlin, Andy and Lauren then share a hug before parting ways.

Agent Weeks reports to Agent Turner that he was right about it being an organized mutant attack. Shots have been fired up the street and there were at least three hostiles (Eclipse, Dreamer and Trader). Agent Turners orders all teams to maintain their position and look for more hostiles. Back inside the transport bus, Reed and Polaris are about to be moved to a more secure location. As the agents unlock them from their seats, Polaris and Reed enact their escape and attack the guards. However, it doesn't go as planned. Meanwhile, Eclipse continues to draw the agents' gunfire though when he runs out of ammo, he tries once more to light up, but to no avail. Little does he know that Pulse is still alive and disrupting their abilities.

Even without his abilities, Thunderbird makes quick work of the Sentinel Service agent that is guarding Pulse. In a purely tactical assault, he disarms the agent in hand-to-hand combat, then takes the agent down by throwing him into the nearby Sentinel Services vehicle. Thunderbird tackles Pulse to the ground, before calling out to him, hoping to reason with him. Though there is something visibly wrong with Pulse, as he is unresponsive and sickly in appearance. Thunderbird's nose begins to bleed as Pulse strengthens his disruptive abilities. With no other choice, Thunderbird knocks him unconscious with a single punch. He then notices an unfamiliar tattoo or branding on Pulse's right wrist.

Back inside the transport truck, with Pulse out of commission, Polaris can feel her powers coming back. Unfortunately, there is nothing inside their plastic cells that she can use to escape. Everything metal is outside of their cell. Reed remembers the metal screws in his leg that Polaris tugged on during their first encounter (see: eXposed). He tells her to take it. Polaris yanks the metal screws from Reed's leg and uses them to free Reed and herself from their restraints. She then attacks the guard with the very same screws as he attempts to call-in their escape.

With access to his powers once more, Eclipse fires back at the attacking Sentinel Services agents. He projects beams on energy at them and blows up an agent's car. Watching from the warehouse as Eclipse regains full reign over his powers, Blink opens a portal for Dreamer and Trader to escape through. Thunderbird convenes with Eclipse as he covers behind a car to tell him that they need to leave immediately. But Eclipse refuses to leave without Polaris despite the fact that reinforcement is in-route. As Polaris shatters all the windows from the inside of the bus, Agent Turner sends out the order to shoot-to-kill. Thunderbird and Eclipse watch as Polaris escapes through the back of the bus with Reed. Sentinel Services waste no time opening fire. However, Polaris ferrokinetically halts the bullets in midair and sends them flying back at the agents before stripping them of their firearms completely, forcing the agents to fallback. Eclipse reunites with Polaris while Reed reunites with Caitlin as she pulls up in a Sentinel Services car and tells them all to get in as they make their escape.

Turner is outraged by their escape. He orders his men to shutdown every safe house in the area as he doesn't just want them. He everyone, including the mutant sympathizers.

## Cast

* Amy Acker as Caitlin Strucker
* Sean Teale as Eclipse/Marcos Diaz
* Natalie Alyn Lind as Lauren Strucker
* Percy Hynes White as Andy Strucker
* Coby Bell as Jace Turner
* Jamie Chung as Blink/Clarice Fong aka Clarice Ferguson
* Blair Redford as Thunderbird/John Proudstar
* Emma Dumont as Polaris/Lorna Dane

Guest Starring* Elena Satine as Dreamer
* Michelle Veintimilla as Carmen Guerra
* Zach Roerig as Pulse
* Tom McIlwain as SS Guard #2
* Josue Gutierrez as Francisco
* D James Jones as Trader
* Stephen Jones as Driver
* Hayley Lovitt as Sage
* Aaron Nelson as SS Winkler
* Joe Nemmers as Agent Weeks
* Jesse O'Neill as SS Guard #3
* Jermaine Rivers as Shatter
* Jason Ripoll as Gangbanger
* Gino Vento as Juan

## Trivia

* Guest star Michelle Veintimilla also appeared with Jamie Chung and Natalie Alyn Lind on the FOX TV series *"Gotham"*.

## Multimedia

* Promotional
* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes
* Videos

### Videos

Preview Take A Chance Season 1 Ep. 4 THE GIFTEDReed Tries To Team Up With Polaris Season 1 Ep. 4 THE GIFTEDPolaris Rejects Reed's Apology Season 1 Ep. 4 THE GIFTEDBlink & Thunderbird Have An Intimate Conversation Season 1 Ep. 4 THE GIFTEDLauren & Andy Combine Their Powers Season 1 Ep. 4 THE GIFTEDMarcos Runs Into His Ex-Lover Season 1 Ep. 4 THE GIFTED

## References

1. ↑ Final Adjusted TV Ratings for Monday 23rd October 2017
2. ↑ Upcoming Episode Titles - Various Shows - 15th August 2017
3. ↑ The Gifted - Episode 1.04 - eXit strategy - Press Release