The latest episode of The Gifted, “rX,” delves into the complex question of what constitutes family for the Mutant Underground. Is every mutant automatically part of their family, especially when new and untrained mutants nearly get them all killed? This conflict is embodied in Blink, who overuses her powers and falls into a coma. While unconscious, she inadvertently opens random portals, creating dangerous and unstable rifts in reality.

This phenomenon ties directly into the show’s larger social commentary. We see that mutants, unable to get conventional jobs, are using these portals to steal necessities like food from supermarkets. This leads to their confrontation with the federal agency, Sentinel Services, which is attempting to make a legal test case out of them. Their goal is to have mutant organizations classified as terrorist entities, though such a ruling would initially only apply to the named parties.

The episode also explores the tension between civil rights and state power. Reed Strucker is held without counsel, confident his case will be dismissed, but the precedent is chilling. The narrative argues that if you are deemed a danger to yourself or the public, your rights can be easily overridden—a reality that directly applies to the struggle for mutant rights.

Interestingly, the show presciently highlights specialized knowledge as a form of power. One character, a mutant doctor, possesses crucial medical knowledge, such as the fact that you can’t simply buy cortisol at a pharmacy. However, the episode’s concepts resonate strongly with our modern world of accessible AI. Today, with models like ChatGPT, anyone could theoretically access information to create medical supplies, from IV solutions to antibiotics, using unregulated AI models without guardrails. This democratization of knowledge mirrors the disruptive potential of mutant powers.

The episode’s most striking accuracy may be its portrayal of militarized portals. The chilling scene of soldiers stepping through portals with guns drawn is a powerful metaphor for conquest through technology. Just as anyone can now use AI models to attempt anything from building a medical device to—theoretically—designing a rocket, the show argues that powerful technology, whether mutant or man-made, inevitably becomes a tool for control, challenging our very concepts of rights and safety.