hoMe is where the X-Men are.

The episode begins with a flashback to Gainesville, FL 14 year ago as a young Blink and another girl, Lily, played by Given Sharp, spot their foster father arriving in a tear. Clarice know that he won’t leave them alone. She offers to portal the two of them away. As Clarice struggles to create a portal, she finally makes one so she and Lily can escape just as their foster father barges into the room.

In the present, Clarice awakens to the sound of rain while John is doing research. Evangeline is coming tomorrow, so there’s work to do. Clarice senses that John is nervous, but the glorious crusade leader picked by the X-Men can have a few hours. With that, they kiss.

Marcos and Lorna are still surprised about seeing Reeva with Benedict Ryan. Reeva’s planning a terror attack, and if Lorna doesn’t stop it, Evangeline will. Lorna figures that Evangeline won’t want to see her anytime soon, but Marcos accepts Lorna after what she’s done. Even still, Lorna has to end this by seeing what Reeva has in store. Marcos implore Lorna to be careful.

At base, Evangeline speaks with the mutants and Struckers about protecting Lorna if she is indeed back on their side. Telling Andy would put them in danger. They’re still breathing because Reeva thinks that Andy and Lorna are still loyal to her. The underground leaders will come tomorrow, but some stations have gone dark. At this point, they need anyone and everyone- including the Morlocks.

Luckily, Evangeline saved Erg’s life in Dallas, so he kind of owes her.

As Lorna returns to the Inner Circle, she finds Max and the other two new mutants training. The new recruits are on a special assignment from Reeva, but Lorna is good at keeping secrets. Still, they don’t let her in on the plan.

As Caitlin finishes her workout, Reed hopes that Evangeline can convince the rest of the underground to help. Caitlin thinks that what Lorna’s getting isn’t enough. If they’re going to figure out what’s going on, they need to do more. Caitlin suggests her brother, Danny. His firm works with Homeland Security and tracks dangerous people like the Purifiers. Though it’s possible that the government will be monitoring him.

This can’t wait, and Reed can to go the summit while Lauren and Caitlin go to Danny. This is more of a reason for them to go to him now. Caitlin is certain that Danny will be able to help them.

Later on, Lauren returns to the music box and looks over Andreas Von Strucker’s note. She starts translating it from German to English. Apparently the note says that the Von Struckers wanted to free mutants from bondage. Fenris has two sides: the light and the darkness, and they’re always in conflict. As the Von Struckers always battled, so will they. You must embrace each other’s forces.

With that, Andy and Lauren meet in a dream, with Lauren taking a page from Emma Frost’s wardrobe and telling Andy that he’s going down a dark path and that he needs to stop. She brings up Fenris and starts hurling those energy discs at Andy and manages to overpower him, causing him to awaken from his dream.

As Andy awakens- now with a bloody nose- he tells the incoming Frost Sisters that it was Lauren. As he wipes his nose, he tells the Frosts that the siblings can communicate in their dreams, and this has been going on for months. It wasn’t like this before- Lauren’s stronger and she’s talking about their family heritage. Esme tells Andy that it’s not safe to have Lauren out there. Perhaps it’s time to try and recruit her.

The Frosts can always help with that. After all, Andy’s mind is connected to Lauren, so the Frosts can reach her through Andy. And the sisters know a thing or three about psychic connections between siblings.

So the Frosts consider whether they can afford to rope in Lauren. This is a delicate situation. They can’t push Andy away, but Lauren has great power. More so if she’s getting stronger. So Lauren must join or die.

So Clarice, John, and Marcos arrive at a sewer to meet Erg, who finally arrives and learns that Evangeline is assembling the other mutant leaders. He reluctantly agrees, so Marcos informs Reed that Erg is coming. A few other stations will be there, but it’s not enough right now.

All of a sudden, Reed finds himself drawn towards the Von Strucker music box. He opens it and as the tune begins to play, we flash back to a younger Reed, played by Christian Finlayson, as he pulls the box out of the wall and listens to the tune. But then Reed’s powers start to flare up again, so he knocks over the music box. This, in turn, reveals the hidden note and Lauren’s translation.

Speaking of, Lauren and Caitlin- now as in disguise- wait for Danny outside a church. Lauren wishes that she knew her mother when she was fun, but then they spot Danny arrive outside. Caitlin goes to her Danny, with Jeffrey Nordling reprising his role, who tells her that they held a funeral, thinking that she was dead. Clearly not, Right now, Caitlin needs her brother’s help.

Elsewhere with the mutants, Clarice thanks Erg for joining them, with Erg explaining a bit more about his past with Evangeline: the two of them helped found the underground. He moved people through the tunnels while Evangeline worked on the surface. Evangeline never mentioned this. They were betrayed by a human ally and they watched their allies get slaughtered.

Erg argued that they couldn’t trust the humans, but Evangeline disagreed. And this led to the falling out. The Morlocks and Mutant Underground went their separate ways. Erg sees Evangeline’s invitation as a threat, as she knows where the Morlocks’ tunnels are. She apparently threatened to expose the Morlocks to the surface. John says that this is all of their fight, but Erg is just looking to protect his people.

Then we follow-up on Blink’s earlier flashback: she and Lily didn’t get very far. In fact, they’re just right outside their foster home. The foster father threatens to take it out on the other children, and Lily wants to go back, saying that she can face him.

Danny shows Caitlin’s grave to her and Lauren and discusses the funeral held. She couldn’t reveal that she was alive. Lauren informs Uncle Danny that they need help because of his law firm. They have information that could help him. Danny remembers that the last time he helped, it nearly cost him his job. And he watches the news.

Why should he get involved? But they’re already involved. Plus, Andy is one of those terrorists.

Back at the Inner Circle, the Frost Sisters speak with the new mutants who are preparing to go out on their mission. As they head to their chopper, they pass by Lorna, who offers some backup, but Max tells her that they’ll be fine. They’re just going to slay the dragon.

Lorna heads to her quarters, takes out a cell phone, and calls Marcos to inform him that Reeva’s new recruits may be headed to kill Evangeline. After all, who else can breathe smoke and has hands that turn to talons? A fair point, Lorna. They can’t call Evangeline because of radio silence, so the mutants will just have to get their first.

Andy arrives after Lorna’s call to talk about Lauren and how the Frosts wants him to reach out to her, and there are ways that they can help with their powers. He’s wondering if Lorna would try something like that- would she get Marcos to come here. But Lorna doesn’t believe that Marcos would come. But what if she could make him? Lorna figures that you can’t make someone truly believe, not even for the Frosts.

Reed goes through Andreas Von Strucker’s note and has more flashbacks to his violent days as a youth. He should not fear or hide from his power because that’s who he is. As young Reed listens to the music, Otto arrives, taks the box from him, and stows it away. Reed is a Von Strucker, so he must embrace his destiny. As Reed’s powers begin to flare up again, he takes a dosage to neutralize it.

Back at the Inner Circle, Lorna asks Sage for her opinion on the new recruits. She likes them, but knows nothing about the new mission. And quite frankly, neither should Lorna, in Sage’s eyes. In enters Esme- and Sage just sort of leaves- who wants to know what she talked about with Andy. With Reeva, you’re either with or against her, and that goes for all of them.

Lorna asks if that’s a threat, but Esme tells her that it’s the truth. Esme cares for Dawn and wants her to know her mother. So Lorna should stay out of things that don’t concern her.

The mutants arrive at the meeting location and find it in flames with bodies being pulled out of the building. As John tracks to see if he can sense anybody, he’s unable to feel any of their allies. Erg decides that it’s time to go, but John wants to reach out to the other stations…with the help of Erg, but the Morlocks will have nothing to do with this. He won’t let this happen to his people.

Clarice reminds them that they’re all on the same side, but Erg says that they do not. This real world is one where they are hated. As John strikes Erg, he absorbs the blow and fires it back at John in a powerful counterattack.

Lauren and Caitlin meet at a baseball field that’s apparently a famous make-out spot. Caitlin doesn’t kiss and tell, but Lauren really wants to know. Lauren then tells her mother about her dream fight with Andy and how she not only attacked him, but won. Caitlin isn’t happy, but her daughter has been given this power and it’s up to her to decide what to do with it.

Uncle Danny arrives to explain that this is bigger than they can imagine. Caitlin tells Danny that he’s the only one that they can trust, and Danny then rips off his wire. He tells them to leave, but Homeland Security apparently already knew. They gave him no choice. Danny just talked to a friend and says that Benedict Ryan is running the Purifiers. After bringing up Reeva Payge, Danny found himself in cuffs.

As Danny contemplates how deep the mutant influence goes, Sentinel Services arrives at the scene. Lauren manages to stop the cavalcade of vehicles with her energy discs and creates a barrier when they open fire. She keeps it up long enough for her and Caitlin to escape.

The Frost Sisters pay Andy a visit, and his heart is racing. That never happens. They inform him of what’s happening with Lauren and Caitlin. Since Lauren is in danger, the Frosts figure that this is why they should help him. Andy says that Lauren should be here if she wants to be. The Frosts did some digging into Reed as well. When his medicine runs out, his powers could go haywire.

If Lauren joins, then Caitlin and Reed won’t be far behind. This is Andy’s opportunity to save his family.

Clarice tells John that they should leave and explains that Erg redirects the force of use against him. John is tired of Erg’s excuses, and Clarice knows how hard it must be to lose Evangeline. John calls Erg a coward, saying that he’s running from a fight, but Clarice asks if this is really about bravery. She says that the bravest person she ever knew was her foster sister, Lily. Their foster father beat the crap out of them.

But after the escape, Lily went back…and paid the price with her life. She was dead before the ambulance ever arrived. Running into a battle you know that you’ll lose isn’t noble, but selfish. John ran off and he’s just barely back, but John won’t just let everything they’ve worked towards be destroyed. But Clarice loves John too much to let him kill himself over nothing.

As she kisses John, she bids him farewell.

On the road, Caitlin and Lauren head back, with Lauren unable to get back to sleep. Not because she may dream, but because of what she did to Sentinel Services. She fears that she went too far, saying that she wasn’t herself, but if not for her, the two of them would be in cuffs. Caitlin didn’t see a monster, but a powerful woman with extraordinary abilities who would do anything to protect her family. Caitlin’s proud of her daughter.

And they should probably keep the shootout with the cops a secret. Stress is pretty bad for Reed, after all.

Marcos meets with Lorna and informs her that they were too late. But Lorna couldn’t stand Evangeline. She never liked lawyers or dragons, but Evangeline did help her when no one else would. Evangeline did accept that Lorna was on their side. Then Lorna reveals that Reeva and the Frosts want Lauren. All that kept Lorna going was the thought that maybe she, Marcos, and John would be together.

But now it feels like they’re slipping further apart. Marcos is confident that they will get there. Lorna then decides to head back before the others realize that she’s gone.

Underground, Blink tries to get accustomed to the Morlocks food, with Erg saying that she made a brave choice by giving up her life for her beliefs. He says that all of the mutants underground are safer because of her. So welcome home, Blink.

As Reed takes another dosage, Caitlin notices that there’s less of the serum than she remembers. He’s surprised that they could escape from the full force of Sentinel Services, but neither Caitlin nor Lauren reveals what really happened. But Danny has friends who can help.

Then it’s musical montage time. John is reeling over the loss of Blink, who watches two mutant girls in the underground.

As Lauren goes to sleep, the Frosts instruct Andy to relax and think of Lauren. As he rests, the Frost Sisters work their magic.

There seems to be no end to Reeva Payge’s reach. She’s got an in with Benedict Ryan. The mere mention of her name almost got Danny into trouble. She’s sending the new mutants off on a mission to kill Evangeline. And now, while we don’t know if she sanctioned off on it, the Frost Sisters are working to bring yet another mutant underground member into the fold.

Reeva’s influence stretches far and I think it speaks volume to how influential she is when operating from the shadows. Even though we don’t see her, Reeva’s presence is very much felt in all of the actions done based on her command. It’s these actions that have led Lorna to playing both sides with her wanting to keep up a front, but also bring down the Inner Circle from within.

That’s hard to do because so much is kept in secrecy. Sage notes that Lorna is prying when she asks about the secret mission, and Esme warns Lorna about talking to Andy. It’s great that Lorna seems to be turning around, but it remains to be seen how she can pull this off when Reeva seems to be several steps ahead of her and everyone else. That and being kept in the dark when it comes to Reeva’s goals.

I wouldn’t be surprised if, by season’s end, Lorna ended up returning to the mutant underground. Or, at the very least, remaining with Reeva, but not sharing the same belief anymore, if she hasn’t already stopped that by now.

With the Frosts, they see something special in Lauren. More like she’s another power source that they can draw upon. One Strucker is strong enough as is, but the dual power of Fenris would be a huge benefit for Reeva. So I get the Frosts wanting to reel Lauren in only now that Andy has just started talking about his dreams.

After all, he’s not supposed to be in contact with his family, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t have brought this up until Lauren gave him a bloody nose that stayed with him outside of his dreams. Now that the Frosts are aware of this, they can tempt Andy with the promise of being reunited with his family.

Though, at the same time, we see that Esme is still the cautious one of the three. She’s trying to be the nurturing one while Sophie and Phoebe are more aggressive in their approach. Like Lorna, Esme seems like someone who could defect because she doesn’t want to go as far as her sisters. But by episode’s end, she’s still right there at Andy’s side to help bring Lauren into the fold.

Like the previous episode, it’s nice to touch upon the Von Strucker family history. We see Reed realizing that his daughter is slowly learning more about her background. His flashbacks showed he was just as eager as his daughter. He seems to be playing the same role that Otto did in shielding his child away from the true nature of his family. But Reed has to realize that Lauren is going to keep pursuing this.

It helps that she’s got Caitlin encouraging her. This was a good episode for both Lauren and Caitlin. For one, again, they’re being proactive in pursuing any and all information that would help them. I thought that Danny would turn on him because whenever the Struckers go public, something bad happens. And sure, Danny removed his wire, but the threat was still there.

We got to see mother and daughter bond on a deeper level than most episodes. And Caitlin is now openly encouraging her daughter to embrace her mutant abilities. You would never get that from Season One Caitlin. But she’s becoming much more outspoken. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she started encouraging Reed to stop taking the dosages that repress his mutant powers.

Then you have the underground mutants who did their part by bringing Erg into the fold, but it appeared to be too little, too late. I’m not entirely convinced that Evangeline is gone because if TV has taught me anything, if you don’t see a body, then they may not be truly dead. Though the supposed “death” does create a further divide between the underground and the Morlocks.

Erg revealing the true nature of his relationship with Evangeline shows how much distrust that he has for mankind. The experiences that he’s faced have solidified that people above the surface who hate and fear mutants are not what you call allies. It’s why he puts his people before anything else and why he and the underground could never truly be on the same side.

Blink might think that they want the same thing, but like Charles said in First Class, they do not. And deep down, I wonder if Blink has slowly realized this since she first encountered the Morlocks. The underground has had some minor gains, yes, but there have been more losses than victories. It’s suicide to continue this, which is why she ultimately ends up with the Morlocks after all.

Do I think Blink will stay here for the remainder of the season? Yes. Could she eventually return to the mutant underground? Perhaps, but right now, she has no reason to do so. This is her “hoMe” right now. But I will admit that Blink’s absence is a huge disadvantage for the underground because now they don’t have a way to quickly get from one place to another.

The underground may be further divided, but they aren’t completely out just yet. However, they may have a new challenge on their hands now that the Frost Sisters have their sights set on Lauren. See you next week!