The X-Men universe is wonderfully channelled in "The Gifted".
This series, produced in association with Marvel Television, exposes a polarised world where growing anti-mutant sentiments sent many mutants underground.
Reed Strucker (Stephen Moyer) went from oppressor to protector and, in a new twist, he is now on the cusp of joining the mutant world. It’s a conflict that he battles with immensely this season.
Meanwhile, Natalie Alyn Lind, who plays Lauren Strucker, can’t stop marvelling over the story arcs for the characters this season.
She said: “This season we are really getting into the characters and going far into what it is like to live in a society where mutants aren’t accepted, which is very important. Everything is darker this season, which I really enjoy, and our storylines are really building up.”
The writers have decided against juggling 12 storylines, which put strain on viewers trying to keep up. This season, they’ve kept it down to one of two major story arcs.
On the topic of Reed’s superpower being anything but a gift, Moyer said: “Everyone thinks superpowers are great. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a superpower? Well, what if the superpower isn’t great and the superpower is debilitating or bad, a dark power, destructive? We talked about that and what it would mean. Instead of it being a gift, it being something that could be destructive to all mankind.
"We also talked about the fact that if it has been 30 years since that power had been blocked, what happens when you pull the plug? Those are the sort of questions we were asking with reference to what happens to Reed and how it will manifest and alter his life trajectory.
"We know from his character history and his grandparents that their power was dark. When his grandfather and his great aunt got together they had this power, Fenris, which is a dark power and, when they used it, they used it destructively.
"We also know from last season that when his children use their power together, it is a dark power. That is certainly within his genealogy, so it could be that he has something dark. Obviously, that is also what his father was trying to do when he operated on him, to get rid of that darkness.”
This new development triggers upsets on the family front -but he isn’t the only one keeping secrets.
In this instalment, there is a strong female cast.
Alyn Lind said: “My character is trying to go off by herself. It was very family oriented last year but this year she is finding her place in the Underground and at the same time she is trying to keep everyone together... But Jamie Chung, who plays Blink, is awesome. We have a couple of good moments this season where we both had this thing where we are lost in who we are.
"My character hid it for so long so now that she is open with it, she has the problem where she has a darkness in her that she tries to hide. Jamie has the problem where she has a special quality on the outside - she has these beautiful eyes and marks on her skin - but people in society constantly remind her that she is different and these things are very difficult. We have a pretty bad-ass cast of women."
There is also a new character called, Twist. Moyer said: “Of the groups who are very specifically being into power for mutants, one of them is into trying to free people who have been imprisoned wrongly and taken out of society and Twist might be one of them."
The Gifted 2 airs on Fox (DStv channel 125) on Mondays at 8.50pm.