Fox’s The Gifted has clearly opted for a left-leaning perspective this season, and it unfortunately seems like this trend won’t end anytime soon. That’s why this one scene in the latest episode of the X-Men series took me by surprise. In a brief moment, the show reminded us about the innate value of human life, even in the womb.
The October 16 episode “outMatched” continues the plot of the Strucker family being separated when youngest son Andy (Percy Hynes White) joins the dangerous pro-mutant group the Inner Circle. Now, parents Reed (Stephen Moyer) and Caitlin (Amy Acker) along with their daughter Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) are desperate to find Andy before the Inner Circle can complete their nefarious plans.
However, this episode first takes us back sixteen years as we see how special Andy really is. When pregnant with Andy, Caitlin suffered from severe complications. Still, when a doctor implored her to terminate her baby, she refused, choosing her son’s life over her own.
Doctor: Mr. And Mrs. Strucker, I'm afraid I have some bad news. The prognosis is worse than we expected.
Reed: What's the treatment? What are our options?
Doctor: Your liver function is already seriously affected. And I'm afraid we don't have many options besides... termination.
Reed: But she's five months pregnant. There must be something.
Doctor: I'm sorry, Mr. Strucker. At 20 weeks, the baby isn't viable. And carrying it to term is very risky.
Reed: No, this... This is crazy.
Doctor: I know it's difficult, but you have to understand. The pain you're experiencing will get worse. There could be severe bleeding, seizures.
Caitlin (crying): But there, there ha-- there has to be a chance.
Woman: A successful pregnancy is technically possible. But there's a much greater chance of death for you, your baby or both of you.
Reed: Honey... I am so sorry.
Caitlin: Reed, I'm not gonna do it.
Reed: But you heard the doctor.
Caitlin: Yes, I did. And I'm not gonna lose this baby.
Reed: You have to consider your health. And Lauren... We-we don't have to decide this right now.
Caitlin: I have already decided. I am not giving up on our son. He's gonna make it, and he is gonna be amazing. Just like our daughter.
Of course, we know she was right to continue as both she and Andy are still alive in the present, but the sentiment still stands. Whether the show knows it or not, it promotes the value of an unborn child to the point where a mother will risk her own life for one. It’s a nice contrast to today’s culture which insists it should be the other way around with abortion as an unalienable right and the first choice at any sign of trouble.
I don’t expect many moments like this in the future, but I’ll gladly take them when I can.
