In a world where mutants have been deemed too dangerous to be allowed freedom, and the X-Men are a distant memory, a group of mutant outcasts hides at the fringes of society, trying to help others persecuted by the authorities to escape to freedom.

It’s perhaps unfair that this show has to air in the wake of the superlative Legion, a show that took so many brave decisions with every aspect of its being and ended up being one of the best superhero shows in years, if not ever. By comparison, The Gifted can only suffer, being as incredibly safe as it is.

It’s not that the show is bad – it manages its budget well, saving the FX for when they are really needed and concentrating on character development and story beats. It inhabits a relatively believable near future world which may or may not be loosely related to some, all or none of the big-screen X-Men outings (it’s never 100% clear, though the X-Men themselves are mentioned several times). The acting is solid, if unremarkable, and the writing does its best to disguise the exposition dialogue dumps in normal, natural conversations between various characters.

But it just feels very predictable. One of the main catalyst sub plots that drives this opening episode (and indeed the introduction to the show itself) may as well be advertised in flashing neon lights from the opening credits onwards, though I will give credit that there is somewhat of a twist that the viewer doesn’t necessarily anticipate going along with it. The characters themselves feel quite well-rounded and believable – there’s one particular moment where two characters who are close siblings and have recently been through serious mortal peril start having a pointless and silly argument amongst themselves that really resonates as how family works – but they also largely feel cookie-cutter, with nothing to really make anyone stand out. It’s difficult to say much about some of these without giving spoilers, but the gang of mutant outcasts includes the ‘sexy tomboy’ girl, the devoted but foolish boy, the wiser mentor male and so on and so on. The bad guys we see feel even worse, from school bullies to suited government goons, everyone just feels as if they’re being a bad guy because that’s what the script requires, rather than for any discernible or relatable reason. It jars quite badly with the believable, if slightly unimaginative protagonists, and somewhat waters down the sense of danger they face.

The camera work is also quite hyperactive. I stopped counting how many cuts were in the opening scene alone because there were just so many. It’s possible that – this being a chase scene – it was an intentional stylistic choice, but it is so frequent that it distracts, removing the viewer from the action entirely. As the episode went on, I noticed it less, but it was still there, as if the director couldn’t quite ever settle on the perfect angle for any scene, so just elected on using them all at once. Maybe I’m just too used to single camera shows, but it did feel too much.

However, there were positives. As I’ve said, the FX budget is used conservatively and well, giving us displays of the various mutants’ powers which impress with their dazzle, and some interesting set piece action moments. The sets are pleasingly grounded, lending to the slightly grittier tone that the show is clearly shooting for – it’s a contrast with the slightly too-shiny feel of Inhumans or even early Agents of SHIELD, and it combines with the decent acting to make a nicely watchable, if unremarkable show.

The end of the episode gives the viewer a cliffhanger of sorts, although once again it’s one that is entirely predictable a good ten minutes before it happens. The main question I was left with was – can this show shift up a gear from merely competent entertainment to something as exciting as the last Fox X-universe show was? Time will tell I guess.

Verdict: By the numbers plotting saved by some nice writing and some extremely committed performances, this will have to up the game of its villains and its surprises considerably to be rated as a serious player in an increasingly packed stable of superhero TV shows. On the evidence of this pilot, the jury is very much out. 6/10

Greg D. Smith