The Gifted S01E13 "X-roads" Recap

Four years ago Polaris was at a mental hospital for being involved in an anti-mutant protest that turned violent but law enforcement don't know that she herself is a mutant. An attorney named Evangeline visits her, knowing about her mutant state, and recruits her to join the underground on behalf of the X-Men. Evangeline reveals herself to also be a mutant.

Esme is enraged when the mutants escape the building without Campbell, caring little that the lives of children were in danger during the fight. They drive away while pursued by local law enforcement but Polaris knocks over a telephone pole to stop them from following her.

Campbell informs Montez about the attack and stresses that now is the time to strike. They decide fly to Washington to set things in motion with expanding the Hound program.

The Reeds argue when Andy says he wants to go out and help the other underground leaders. Lauren points out he is speaking like the infamous Struckers and Reed points out that he himself and Caitlin are humans but they're not going after the mutants so they can't claim that all humans are a threat. Lauren later pleads with Andy to not go down a path of darkness and destruction but the two continue to disagree philosophically about being mutant and how to solve the problem that their kind face.

Esme warns the other underground leaders that if they don't stop Campbell from getting to Washington that the threat against them will be more severe than ever. Eclipse tells Polaris he is worried about her after seeing the ease with which she tore down the telephone pole. Esme continues to convince her to embrace her heritage, as her father had been a member of the Hellfire club.

Turner is tracking the Struckers with a new pair of Hounds and manage to find the underground's headquarters. The underground members are forced to escape, while Eclipse figures out that Polaris has missing. Esme admits that she has convinced Polaris to go after Campbell and take him out. The trio decide to go after her and Eclipse warns her that if she sees Esme's eyes turn blue, he will kill her. Polaris is being driven to the airport by some other Frost sisters.

Though some members of the underground have escaped, including a van full of children, the remaining inhabitants have to retreat back inside since the SS has nearly arrived. Reed leads a defense of the building with Caitlin by his side. Reed leads the remaining fighters while Caitlin continues to help the others escape through a hidden evacuation tunnel. Upon getting everyone out, the Hounds are infiltrating the building and Lauren volunteers to stay behind with Andy so they can use their combined abilities to bring the building to the ground with the hounds still inside of it. While the mutants escape, they manage to briefly look back at the building about to be destroyed before continuing to get away.

Eclipse, Polaris, and Thunderbird arrive and try to reason with Polaris at the airport where Montez and Campbell are in their private plane preparing to leave for Washington. Despite their pleas Polaris will not change her mind so she attacks the plane while it's in the sky and rips off pieces of it until it falls out of the sky, crashes, and explodes on impact. The other mutants are knocked down by the destruction and when they look around, Polaris is already gone.

Turner quits SS when his superiors attempt to set him up as a scapegoat for the botched mission to bring in the members of the underground. The underground regroups in Nashville, Tennessee where Polaris and the Frosts arrive to interrupt their meeting. They are looking for recruits for the new Hellfire Club. Several underground members decide to join them, including Andy.

The Gifted will return for season 2 on FOX.