The Gifted S01E10 "eXploited" Recap

Two months ago, Esme was working on the campaign re-elect Senator Montez, who runs on a campaign that stresses security, human right, and a society with no mutants. Esme was working under the name Stacy. She had just asked to sit in on one of his important meetings and gets permission but is forced to flee when she receives a telepathic warning that Sentinel Services is coming. They raid the area, having been tipped off that Montez's campaign has been infiltrated by mutants but Stacy has already gotten away.

Resuming the present day plot, Polaris wants to go back and attack Sentinel Services but Reed and Caitlin want to form a practical plan that won't risk the lives of their children. John tries to get everyone on the same page but struggles to get things truly cohesive.

The Strucker children consider trying to use their combined power to escape but are still weary about doing so. Meanwhile Turner berates Sonya for manipulating his memories and causing him to forget that his daughter was dead and have to re-experience that trauma. She is apologetic but he doesn't care what she has to say on the matter. He brings the prisoners to Campbell, who wants to test the Strucker kids in particular for their abilities.

Reed and Caitlin, after speaking with Esme, head to Turner's home and hold him and his wife at gunpoint to talk about securing the release of their children. Esme relays the news to the other mutants at Underground and try to form a plan to break the kids out.

Campbell orders the Strucker kids to use their powers for testing. When they refuse, he shoots Sonya dead so they can see the threat he pressing. He then threatens to kill Blink so they relent and join hands to unleash their power for the first time within an adamantium holding cell. The monitoring scientists warns Campbell that the censors in the cell are reaching their limit but Strucker orders that they keep going. They end up causing a bit of an explosion but Campbell is still pleased with the display and orders them to be sent back to their cells and given something nice to eat for their great contribution.

Reed implores Turner to understand what's wrong about his children being tested on. Caitlin apologises for coming into their home, noting how when Turner did that to her in her own home, she was terrified. Turner's wife Paula is shaken by this information, not having realised how unethical her husband was being and horrified to hear what Caitlin shared about the experiments done on mutants that result in them being pumped full of drugs, psychologically tortured into being compliant slaves to Sentinel Services. Reed and Caitlin leave in peace and Paula stops him from calling in the authorities and pushes him to reflect on what exactly he has done in their daughter's name.

Campbell's scientists isolate an important amino acid in the Strucker kids that has been in the other Strucker siblings. Campbell believes it will serve as an important and permanent solution to the 'mutant problem'. Turner arrives at Sentinel Services with other agents and declares he'll be taking back the mutants, also learning of Sonya's death though Campbell merely claims it was an 'incident' that took place during one of the experiments.

The Underground learns that Sentinel Services has shown up to Trask Industries with many transportation vehicles and see it as the opportunity needed to free the mutant prisoners. Esme offers herself up to come along and be a key player in the plan by using her telepathy to monitor the security of the situation.

Jace and Caitlin are shocked when they come back and find out that Esme manipulated the entire situation. Esme was the one that suggested they go convince Turner to release the prisoners and agreed that they wouldn't attack but claimed to Underground that they ran off to force them to release the prisoners. They realise Esme is a danger and it's then that she uses a taser on Marcos, declaring that she has a plan of her own. She uses her telepathic powers to make the various guards kill themselves and Turner is forced to sit back and watch the destruction and horror, having been shot but not killed. Two of the prisoners are shown top e identical to Esme and get off the transport vehicle to join by her side and force the remaining guards to kill each other and themselves. Marcos wakes to see the shoot-out and runs back to the other Underground leaders and warn them what has happened. The other prisoners get off the truck and the Esme-trio tell them it's time to go and that the fun is just starting.

The Gifted airs on Mondays on FOX at 9/8c.