X-Roads

**X-roads** is the thirteenth episode of the first season of *The Gifted*. It is the thirteenth episode of the series overall and the second part of the two part season finale.

## Synopsis

**THE MUTANTS MUST STICK TOGETHER AS THEY FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES**  — Dr. Campbell attends an anti-mutant summit, attempting to take the Hound program national, and some of the team at Mutant HQ goes on a dangerous mission to stop his efforts. Polaris learns more about her past and makes a crucial decision that could have impactful consequences. Meanwhile, the Mutant HQ comes under attack and, with everything to lose, relationships are put to the test and alliances shift.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Four years ago, at Lakeview Mental Hospital , Lorna is a patient of the institute. She sits in her room while magnetically hovering a red medallion (that she got a long time ago from someone her mom knew, which greatly resembles Magneto's emblem) until hearing a knock at her door. She has a visitor. A woman named Evangeline Whedon. She introduces herself and extends her hand though Lorna isn't interested in engaging with her. Evangeline is an attorney and Lorna's situation was recently brought to her attention. According to the court records, Lorna was involved in a Purifier counter-protest that turned violent. Which is how she ended up in Lakeview. She was given psychiatric care as an alternative to jail. Apparently, the judge took pity on Lorna as the judge's sister has a bipolar disorder as well. However, the judge doesn't know that Lorna was responsible for half a dozen protesters "accidentally" falling off an overpass. If she did, Lorna would be in a maximum security facility.

The world has been steadily changing since 7/15 and a hard time was coming for mutants. The X-Men needs fighters like Lorna to join in the upcoming war though the X-Men themselves had disappeared following 7/15. However, before they vanished, they left an underground network behind to help persecuted mutants. But it needs leaders, like Lorna. So Evangeline is hoping to convince her to join despite Lorna's demons as she isn't the only one with demons inside her, Evangeline remarks. She pulls up her sleeve as her hand turns red with scales and black talons extend from her fingers.

Present day, Charlotte, North Caroline, Polaris and Esme stand by the SUV waiting for the others to return as security arrives. At that moment, Thunderbird, Eclipse and Blink portal back to the drop off location. Esme is irate that they didn't return with Dr. Campbell, but as Eclipse explains, it wasn't their fault as Campbell shielded himself with a bunch of kids. Not that Esme cares as a lot of people will die if the Hound program continues. So she refuses to leave without him. But with security moving in, they have no choice but to flee the scene. Which leads to a car chase as law enforcement is right behind them, though not for long. Polaris yanks down a utility pole to obstruct law enforcement's path, allowing the team to get away.

Following his run-in with Thunderbird and Eclipse, Dr. Campbell informs Senator Montez of the attack on the summit. The threat has been neutralized and the attackers are being perused. The rest of the conference events will likely be cancelled, so they should head to the airport and continue moving forward with heir plan to pass the bill and expand the Hound program.

At Headquarters, Sage and Shatter inform Reed and Caitlin that something went wrong at the Summit. They'd been been monitoring the police reports and all they know for sure is that Campbell escaped. Caitlin and Reed relay this information to Andy and Lauren. Andy wants to go out there and back them up. But with them being 2 states away, it would be too late by the time they got out there. Andy disagrees. He still thinks they should go out to help their friends, but Lauren reasons that with people to protect at the station, they better stay put. When Caitlin and Reed urge Andy and Lauren to stop fighting amongst each other, Andy loses his temper as he feels that he's the only one that wants them to be strong. But Lauren corrects him in saying that Andy really wants them to be the von Struckers again. Andy feels they should be ready for when the humans attack. Reed takes offense to this statement and rhetorically asks Andy if he or Caitlin are coming after him as they are human, though Andy claims he didn't mean it like that before brushing past Reed.

Agent Turner arrives on the scene of Southern Worldwide Insurance company, where Ellen Strucker works to learn that Andy attacked two Sentinel Services agent and fled before back up could arrive. However, their getaway may not be as clean as they thought. Dr. Campbell sent Turner a new pair of Hounds. One is clairvoyant and the other one detects organic molecules. Together, they make a good tracker, allowing Sentinel Services to track the Struckers' route.

Polaris returns to the safe house with Sophie and Phoebe. The others aren't far behind. Upon returning to the safe house, Esme questions how they could let Campbell escape. Marcos asks what more could they have done other than attack a bunch of kids, which he is against. Esme advises him to worry about his own kid. Because they let Campbell getaway, he is now on his way to D.C. with the Senator, and after the attack at the Summit, they just gave them even more reason to expand the Hound program. What they need to figure out now is where Campbell is so they can finish what they started.

The Frost Sisters are checking all the airports in the area, but Campbell's going to be ready for them. They're looking at a full-on assault. Marcos wonders if they should take this opportunity to get out while they can and hunt Campbell under their own terms, but Lorna can't help but wonder if there may never be another chance like the one they have. She'd never seen anything like the conference before. All those people focused on hating them. Marcos explains that attacking people won't make things better but Lorna wants to do something as she is done hiding. Marcos admits that he's worried about Lorna. Between the way she tore down the telephone pole and what little sleep she's been getting, he asks if she's having another manic episode. She insists that she isn't. This isn't about Lorna's illness. It's about their's. The people all over the country. Lorna thought that if she and Marcos had a child that it would have it easier than they did. That they would build a better world where their kid wouldn't have to hide. Marcos believes that they're doing just that, but they have to have faith. Lorna's always loved that Marcos had faith, but she doesn't seem to share it.

Back at HQ, Andy packs his things to crash with Naya and Skyler upstairs. Caitlin's upset that he's leaving, but Andy assures her that it's not what she thinks. A month ago, he had a bedroom with a door where he could have some space if he wanted it. He no longer has that. Reed concludes that Andy's likely looking for a little bit of independence. Andy heads upstairs to find Naya and Skyler washing clothes. He asks if he can stay with them, which they have no problem with. They begin to talk about Campbell, though none of them knows what will happen next. Nonetheless, this is what Polaris has been training them for. Andy just wishes she was there to guide them.

Lauren finds Andy to talk with him as they were both effected by the their time spent at Trask Industries. That day changed everything for them. Lauren can't get the death of all those people out of her head. But they must focus on making things better, like when they rescued their dad and Lorna and saved Trader when he was shot. While this admittedly felt good, there are people trying to hurt them and Andy has the power to stop the. Or destroy them as Lauren points out as being Andy's true intention. Andy counters that she's the one that denied her abilities and almost destroyed the family.

Using the Hounds, Agent Turner tracks the Struckers' trail down to the gas station where they stopped at to ditch the SUV. Agent Turner calls Director Wolcott to update him on their operations. They're following up on their attack in Atlanta. It appears to be related to the Underground. Wolcott reveals to Agent Turner the attack at the Summit. With Dr. Campbell working to get political support in D.C. to expand the Hound program, they needed a win in their favor. The Hounds are picking up 2 trails after searching the car and the road. One with Ellen Strucker headed towards the highway and the other follows the rest of the Struckers to the city outskirts. They'll alert the local police about Ellen while perusing the Struckers to the Underground Headquarters.

Esme finds Lorna on the back porch organizing her knives. She knows what Lorna is thinking, that her friends aren't seeing the situation for what it is. Campbell has to be eliminated, one way or the other. Someone has to make the hard choices. Lorna questions why Esme's so sure that it's her to make the hard choices. Because whether Lorna likes it or not, she's like her father, Esme claims. Lorna denounces the guy Esme thinks is her father as well as the Brotherhood. Being able to read Lorna's mind, Esme knows that Lorna's biological father gave her that red medallion for her birthday. All he ever wanted was for her to be proud of who she is.

Sentinel Services gear up on the road. The Hounds are indicating that the trail heads off into the woods, but the area is a toxic waste contamination site. the whole area's off-limits as a lot of people supposedly got sick up there. Turner realizes that this worked as the perfect cover for the Underground. He isn't convinced that the area is toxic as the mutants seem to be doing just fine, as well as the humans with them. Agent Turner calls Director Wolcott to inform him that they're closing in on the Underground. Wolcott tells him to send in the S.W.A.T team and then the assault team from Fairburn. While on lookout, Pedro spots Sentinel Services on the nearby road. He tries to project fear and terror onto the agents, but they overcome it. So Pedro alerts the others.

Shatter receives Pedro's warning and begins evacuating the station. He tells Reed and Caitlin that Sentinel Services is coming and that they need to get as many people in vans as possible. Reed tells Caitlin to get the kids while he helps Shatter evacuate. Caitlin sends Lauren to find Andy. She then asks for Fade's help in evacuating the children in the first van and hiding them. Sage requests all hard drives and communication devices as they have to burn everything they have. She throws everything into a trash can before setting it on fire. Upstairs, Lauren finds Naya, Skyler, Andy and the others packing. She tells him that Sentinel Services is coming and that they will do whatever they have to to protect everyone.

Meanwhile, John tries to call HQ but no one picks up. Marcos then comes downstairs to inform him and Clarice that he can't find Lorna. John tries to track her, but she's left the safe house with Sophie and Phoebe. John, Marcos and Clarice confront Esme, who reveals that Lorna and her sisters are doing what the rest of them couldn't. Campbell and Montez filed a flight plan. They fly out of Morrison Air Center in 20 minutes. The most important thing is to make sure he doesn't get to D.C. They realize that this has now gone from a kidnapping to an assassination. While John has as much of a reason to hate Campbell as anyone, assassinating him goes against everything they stand for. If they start killing, it's going to make life worse for mutants everywhere. Esme argues that life is already worse for mutants everywhere. Marcos loses his patients and demands that Esme shut up. They're going to get Lorna, and if he even sees Esme's eyes turn blue, he'll blind her permanently.

Whiling driving to the airport to intercept Campbell and Montez, Sophie and Phoebe tells Polaris that it was noble of her to keep her friends out of it. But sooner or later, her friends will join them. Polaris doubts it since the Underground means everything to John and Marcos. The Frost Sisters explain that the Hellfire Club protected mutants once as well, which is why they're trying to rebuild it. They know what she's thinking, but Polaris has to remember that Marcos loves her and that he'll come around. Polaris then tells them to stay out of her head.

With evacuation underway, Caitlin sees the children (and Zingo) out to the van with Fade, who's taking them to the Nashville station. He wishes them good luck before pulling off. Just after that, Reed returns with unfortunate news of Sentinel Services' arrival. They need another van as there are more people, but it's too late. Inside, Reed, Bulk and the others block off the windows and doors with large cement boulders in an effort to secure the station. Caitlin wonders what his plan is. If the refugees are captured, they'll end up as Hounds. Reed isn't sure how to get everyone out as Sentinel Services will have teams on all the exits. So Caitlin suggests making a new exit. Reed recommends the vault. It's partially underground. Sentinel Services is not going to have cover on that side of the building. If they can get through there, they might be able to get away. Reed then gives a speech to the Underground about unity and giving Sentinel Services a fight. Caitlin calls everyone who's been in combat training upstairs while everyone else is to help her in the vault.

Just outside, Sentinel Services surrounds the station and orders for the Underground's surrender. When they don't, the agents prepare to move in.

Caitlin leads the charge inside the vault as Bulk and the others remove the safe deposit boxes. Behind the boxes is a reinforced wall so thick that not even Bulk can punch through it with his super strength. Caitlin calls in Shatter who crystallizes the wall, making it easier for Bulk to punch through.

Upstairs, Reed leads the combat ready mutants, which includes, Andy, Lauren, Naya and Skyler. Considering that Pedro spotted them from the road, it meant that Sentinel Services will be focusing on attacking the front. So their job is to stop them there. Naya and Skyler are doubtful that they can do it on their own, but Reed informs them that they only have to hold the agents off long enough for the others to create another exit. Andy assures them that everything will be okay so long as they stand up and fight, and remember what Polaris told them, to stick together and watch each others' backs. Naya and Skyler are ordered to take the right while Andy and Lauren take the left, with Reed in the middle. Lauren reminds Andy that they're trying to save the station, not settle a score though Andy doesn't seem to show much interest in what she has to say.

The Underground watches as Sentinel Services slowly approaches. About a dozen or so agents move in. When they do, the Underground attacks at once. Reed fires a shotgun as Skyler and Naya attack using their abilities. Lauren shields them from gunfire while Andy also attacks the guards, forcing the agents to fallback per Agent Turner's request. Downstairs in the vault, Caitlin and the mutants continue to break their way through the wall.

Back in Charlotte, Clarice, John and Marcos hope to reach the airport before Lorna does something she regrets. Marcos blames himself for not knowing and stopping her. Ever since they broke her out of that convoy she's been different. John knows that she's had issues in the past, but Clarice and Marcos assure him that it's not a bipolar episode. Lorna knows exactly what she's doing.

Polaris has arrived at the airport with Sophie and Phoebe, who question if she's sure that she can go through with it. Polaris assures them that she's capable of doing what's needed. She then tells the Frost Sisters to leave as she doesn't want her friends to think that she's doing it for them. Polaris then approaches the fence and waits for her moment.

On the plane, Dr. Campbell and Senator Montez get settled in. Dr. Campbell is pleased to be moving forward with the matter. Getting mutant criminals off the street is a priority for the Senator, but he wonders what caused Campbell to become so invested into persecuting mutants. Campbell reveals that his brother Jack had cystic fibrosis. He suffered terribly. Campbell saw firsthand the horror of genetic disease. If it's just one person or humanity itself, he feels it's his calling to ease their suffering.

Agent Turner sends in the Inertia Hound and the Gravity Hound to end the station as they are past taking prisoners. He intends on bringing it all down. And the Hounds are capable of doing jut that with the manacle combining their powers.

As they continue to break through the vault, an opening appears, letting in a ray of light. Caitlin instructs them to keep digging so that they can crawl through while she gets the others. Caitlin heads upstairs to inform them that they're almost through the vault. Just a couple more minutes. Unfortunately, they may not have that long. While the Underground managed to hold off the S.W.A.T team, Sentinel Services is now bringing in the Hounds, who hit the station hard. Caitlin, Reed, Andy, Lauren, Naya and Skyler fight off the agents though they are no match for the Hounds, who shake the building with each blast. So everyone runs downstairs into the vault. Meanwhile, Agent Turner watches from a safe distance as the Underground stops resisting and the Hounds continue their assault.

Downstairs in the vault, Bulk and the others have finally managed to break through to the other side as the Hounds continue their assault of the station. While Shatter helps escort everyone out, telling them to go downhill and stay near the trees, Caitlin and Reed worry that the Hounds will see them and know where they went, resulting in their capture. So Andy and Lauren volunteer to stay behind after everyone's out so that they can destroy the building in order to cover their tracks. Reed and Caitlin reluctantly agree, telling Andy and Lauren that they will see them outside. Just as Reed and Caitlin exit, the Gravity and Inertia Hound enter the station. Agent Turner tells them to end it if they meet any resistance. Just behind those Hounds are the Clairvoyant and Molecule Hounds, who unleashes a sonic scream, causing the building to crumble. As the Hounds proceed further into the station, they are met by Andy and Lauren, who have conjoined hands and combined powers before unleashing a wave of power so strong that it kills the Hounds and completely vaporizes the station. Outside the station, Agent Turner orders that his men fallback as the station falls. Concurrently, Reed, Caitlin, Skyler and Naya watch the building explode just after escaping the tunnel.

Meanwhile, in Charlotte, Eclipse, Thunderbird and Blink arrive on scene at the airport to find Polaris waiting to make her move against Campbell and Montez. She tells them this is something she has to do before begging them to stay out her way. When they refuse to comply, Polaris blocks their path with barbed wire. Campbell and Montez are on the plane just as it is about to take off. The Senator explains that they'll have a narrow path at Washington to push the program through as there's still support for mutant rights in some states. In exchange for pushing the bill, Senator Montez wants Dr. Campbell's support during the next presidential primary season.

Back at the entrance, Eclipse tries to reason with Polaris, reminding her of 7/15 and all the innocent lives that were lost. Not everyone on the plane is trying to hurt them. If she takes the plane down, they die. But if Polaris doesn't take it down the innocent people on their side will die. Thunderbird tells her that she's not a killer and this isn't why the X-Men chose them. Polaris claims they made a mistake in picking her. Like Eclipse, Polaris cares about her family and wants to keep them safe. They merely have different ways of approaching the matter. She's tired of hiding and they have to take a stand. Not like this. This changes everything, Eclipse counters as their kid will have to live in this world. To that, Polaris replies "It's time to make a new world". As the plane carrying Senator Montez and Dr. Campbell takes flight, Polaris tears it apart in the sky, causing the plane to crash and presumably killing everyone on board. The blast from the impact knocks Eclipse, Thunderbird and Blink to the ground. By the time they get up, Polaris is gone.

Nashville, Tennessee, the Underground has regrouped at the Mutant Way Station. John, Marcos and Clarice arrive some time later. When they do, Sage informs them that while it was close, everyone got out. If not for Andy and Lauren, they would all be dead. Sage goes onto tell them that the station is completely gone. No one got out but Andy and Lauren. John and Marcos have an especially hard time taking this in as they've put everything into the station. Marcos asks if there's been any word from Lorna, Sage tells him that there hasn't been. Meanwhile, Caitlin checks in on Andy and Lauren to ensure that they are fine. Lauren's just trying to wrap her head around what happened, but it was either them or the Hounds as far as Andy is concerned. Lauren knows this, but the Hounds were mutants too. They didn't choose to be that. Campbell made them into monsters. Reed then tells all 3 of them that while what happened today was hard, the fact is that they recused the station.

At the Sentinel Services Regional Headquarters, Director Wolcott scolds Agent Turner for the mishap at the Atlanta station. They've reviewed the operation and so far there are grave questions about Turner's judgement. He launched the assault without proper backup. However, Turner launched that assault under the Director's instructions. Director Wolcott claims that his instructions were to apprehend any terrorists in a way that secured the safety of their agents and mutant assets. Agent Turner realizes that he's being made out to be the scapegoat. However, Director Wolcott explains that it's not just the Underground they have to worry about. They lost Senator Montez in a plane crash at the hands of a mutant criminal (Polaris) that Turner failed to secure. Had he been more careful, theses tragedies may have been prevented. Agent Turner becomes irate. He accuses them of being cowards who are only concerned with covering themselves while real people die. If they want to play their bureaucratic games, they can do it without him as Jace quits the agency.

Back at the Mutant Way Station, John announces that they need to start thinking about next steps. With Headquarters gone, a lot of people have nowhere to go. So Marcos tells them it's time to rebuild. Clarice reminds Marcos that there's nothing to rebuild as the station disintegrated. It's not about the building, Marcos explains. It's about the network and the people in it though Sage doubts that it's even possible to start from nothing. Furthermore, Shatter worries that anything that they build, Sentinel Services is just going to smash it again. But to Caitlin, that's only a reason to fight harder. Fade understands that she wants to help, but she's not even a mutant. Reed reveals that he is. As well as his children. The Underground saved their lives. If Sentinel Services comes after another family, they owe it to them to be there. Sage points out that since the Struckers arrived, half their stations have been destroyed, but Caitlin counters that the Hound program was coming one way or another.

The X-Men didn't do this because they thought it would be easy. They knew it would be a struggle and take sacrifice. Lorna interrupts with Esme, and tells Marcos that there's nothing noble about struggle. And sacrifice is just a pretty name for losing. The Mutant Underground is dying, but that world that they've always talked about where they don't have to hide and live in fear, she wants to build that for them. Marcos tells Lorna that while he will do anything for her, he can't help her do what she asking of him. Esme informs Marcos that they aren't there to ask for his help. The people they've come for know who they are, which includes Fade, Bulk, and Sage, who apologizes for switching allegiance. But at the end of the day, they ended the Hound program. For sage, this is just about survival. Last to join them is Andy. Reed and Caitlin refuse to let Andy leave, but ultimately, it's his decision. What they're trying to rebuild, the Hellfire Club, Andy explains that their family was apart of it. He feels as if it's his birthright. Caitlin and Reed try to reason with him, but they fail. Lauren reminds Andy of their childhood when they used to play X-Men. They did that because they are heroes. She begs Andy not to leave, but Andy does so anyways, explaining that the X-Men are gone and that they aren't kids anymore. When Reed grabs Andy's arm and forcefully tries to stop him from leaving, Andy pushes him off and causes the station to shake. He apologizes for that before joining Polaris, Esme, Sage, Fade and Bulk.

## 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* Skyler Samuels as Esme Frost/Phoebe Frost/Sophie Frost
* David Norona as Senator Matthew Montez
* Jeff Daniel Phillips as Fade
* Erinn Ruth as Evangeline Whedon

Special Guest Star* Garret Dillahunt as Dr. Roderick Campbell
* Matthew Cornwell as Hound Tech
* Elliot Dixon as Clairvoyant Hound
* Andrew Benator as Aide (Hound)
* Alex Collins as Jack Campbell
* Cristian Gonzalez as Insurance Agent
* Charles Green as Political Strategist
* Mimi Fletcher as Nurse
* Jessica Goei as Naya
* Elliot Gray as Director Wolcott
* Dinarte De Freitas as Pedro
* Kate MacCallum as Inertia Hound
* Michael Milligan as Gravity Hound
* Hayley Lovitt as Sage
* Charlie Nix as Skyler
* Jeff Daniel Phillips as Fade
* Jermaine Rivers as Shatter
* Renes Rivera as Bulk (Hulking Mutant)
* David Shae as Molecule Hound

## Trivia

* This episode marks the introduction of Evangeline Whedon, who in the comics, much like in the series, is an attorney for the X-Men and a mutant with the ability to shape-shift into a dragon.
* Sage's departure from the Mutant Underground to join the Hellfire Club shares similarities with her comic book counterpart who infiltrated the Hellfire Club as a spy per Professor Charles Xavier's request.
* On the front gate of the Mutant Way Station is a sign that says "J. Kirby's Feed Store". The use of J. Kirby is a reference to the late Jack Kirby, who was widely referred to as "the King of Comics" for his work in creating Captain America, Fantastic Four and even the X-Men.

## Multimedia

* Promotional
* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes
* Videos

### Videos

The Gifted 1x12 "eXtraction" 1x13 "X-roads" Promo (HD) Season 1 Episode 12 Promo Season Finale

## References

1. ↑ Final Adjusted TV Ratings for Monday 15th January 2018 - SpoilerTV
2. ↑ Instagram Confirmation via Derek Hoffman (@brghtidea)
3. ↑ The Gifted - Episode 1.12 - 1.13 (Season Finale) - First Look Photo & Press Release