Caitlin Strucker quotes from The Gifted

Caitlin Strucker

I just can't believe there wasn't any warning.

Lauren

Mom, accept it. Andy is a mutant. That's how mutant abilities first appear - it's moments of stress or danger. Dad talks about this all the time.

Caitlin

Lauren, I... we-we all know about your father's work. I-I just don't see how that suddenly makes you an expert.

Lauren

Mom. I know because... How do you think we got out of that gym?

Caitlin

What are you saying?

Lauren

I got us out.

Caitlin

You, too?

Lauren

Remember when we were coming back from that concert at church? And the truck almost hit us? For weeks, you were saying it was a miracle we didn't die. Mom... it wasn't a miracle.

Caitlin

That was three years ago. Honey, why... why didn't you tell me?

Lauren

Don't you think I tried?

Caitlin

You can always talk to me. Always. Your-your dad, too. Whatever your issues.

Lauren

Are you serious? Dad puts people like us in jail.

Reed Strucker

Did you get any sleep?

Caitlin

Some. But I think you might be a mutant, too, with some sort of snoring ability.

Caitlin

You and my husband had a deal to help our family.

Marcos

Yeah, we did.

Caitlin

I expect you to honor that deal. We need to get Reed back and we need to get out of the country.

Marcos

Do you know your husband was trying to send my girlfriend to prison, right?

Caitlin

He was following the law. Has he prosecuted mutants? Yes, but–

Marcos

But some of his best friends are mutants?

Caitlin

Try his children.

Marcos

That's exactly my point. Tell me this: if it wasn't your kids in that gym, would you be standing up for them? Would your husband?

[after stitching up Marcos' arm] So, how exactly did this happen?

Caitlin

It was an accident.

Marcos

I was fixing stuff on the roof, and you know that sticker on the ladder that says "don't step above the step"? I stepped above the step.

Well I guess we learned a lesson today.

Caitlin

Is it always that bad for mutants?

Marcos

You thought that was bad? That doc actually stitched me up before he called the cops. That's top-flight mutant healthcare right there.

Caitlin

I mean there are protections though. The Civil Rights Act.

Marcos

Uh yeah, mutant rights. They're a nice idea, but there's always an exception for public safety. All they have to do is call you dangerous and you know what happens to those so-called rights? Poof, they're gone.

Marcos

There's seven deep out front. Anything out back?

John

Yeah, there's four of them and then more outside the kitchen door. We're surrounded. Look, I can get us through a wall, but if they start shooting while we run, there's gonna be a fight.

Andy

Run? Why should we have to run?

Lauren

Didn't you hear them? There's an army out there.

Andy

Yeah, so what? We can take those guys.

John

Yeah, of course we can take them, but we do that people are gonna die.

Andy

Well maybe it's time these people learned.

Caitlin

Andy, you don't mean that.

Andy

Yes, I do. Listen to them mom, they hate us!

John

I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. We're talking about attacking the Sentinel Services.

We lost six people the last time we went up against them directly.

John

I know that better than anyone.

Marcos

It won't be like last time.

You're right. Last time we just hit a relocation center with a fence and some guard towers. This time it's a prison. Their systems have improved extrapolating from other attacks. We've got an 86.5% chance of failure.

Marcos

And if we do nothing, there's a 100% chance we never see them again.

Caitlin

I know we're new here, but please...

Marcos

Lorna's risked her life for everyone here in this room. Harry, your parents would be dead without her. Sage, she pulled you out of a gutter and she got you clean. I mean, she's... she needs us.

Doesn't change the math, Marcos.

Marcos

I don't care about the math, I care about Lorna.

Caitlin

No. Kids are not attacking a convoy.

John

We don't have a good alternative here, Caitlin. We're running out of time.

Caitlin

What, so you're gonna use child soldiers now?

Andy

We're not kids like that anymore mom.

Caitlin

I said no.

Lauren

Mom, please. I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But think about what you said last night, about how sometimes we have to take risks.

Caitlin

Really? You're gonna use my own words against me? Look, this isn't going to visit your uncle Daniel. This is about trained men, with guns.

Lauren

We want to fight for this. You've always said that there are things worth fighting for. Was that all just talk? You said it yourself, there are risks worth taking.

Lauren

Andy, go!

Andy

I... I can't do it.

Lauren

What do you mean you can't do it? You have to.

Andy

I... I don't know. It's moving, it's just different.

Caitlin

You can do this, we believe in you.

Andy

It's not what we practiced.

Caitlin

Okay, okay, just calm down.

Lauren

Mom, stop babying him.

Caitlin

Lauren!

Lauren

[to Andy] Hey! You're the reason we're in this mess, and now you can't even help us get out?

Caitlin

What are you doing?

Andy

Back off!

Lauren

Maybe those bullies were right. Maybe you are nothing. If they're wrong, then prove it!

Lauren

Sorry, you're better when you're angry.

Andy

Hey, I'm O negative. It's universal donor, right?

Caitlin

Andy!

Andy

Why? You surprised I actually remember something from biology?

Caitlin

No.

Lauren

I am.

Caitlin

No, Reed! You can't do this! We just got you back.

Reed

The police are coming. We can't evacuate, and even if we did there is nowhere to go.

Caitlin

It has to be you? I mean we're in a building filled with people with powers.

Reed

They didn't just escape from jail. They're looking for me. These people, they need to know which side I'm on. And if this is my chance to make things right, I have to take it.

Caitlin

What will I tell the kids?

Reed

Tell them I'll be back by dinner.

Caitlin

You better.

Reed

I was looking for Lauren, but I think she's avoiding me.

Caitlin

Very perceptive, counselor.

Reed

I always knew we were gonna be arguing over curfews or trying to keep wrong guys away. But this? Didn't see this coming.

Caitlin

I know. It feels like with all that's happened, everything should just stop, but our kids keep growing up.

Reed

I just want to protect her.

Caitlin

I know. We were blind to so much about the world, about our family. That's why Lauren hid herself from us.

Reed

I can't change the past.

Caitlin

I know, but right now she doesn't need a prosecutor, she needs a dad.

Reed

So, what happened in the vault?

Caitlin

What did you feel exactly?

Andy

Everything around us kind of disappeared. And it's like there wasn't two of us anymore. There was just one.

Lauren

It's like we're seeing out of the same eyes.

Reed

You said you could've destroyed a building. How did you know that?

Lauren

I could feel it. Andy pushes things apart, right? I do the opposite, I can pull them together.

Andy

Combined it was like we could do whatever we wanted. I mean, we were looking at the wall in front of us and we could of just vaporized it. Maybe if we practice–

Lauren

Practice?

Andy

What? We can do it. We might as well get better at it.

Reed

You've been given a gift, and a power like that can hurt people. You can't just go around using–

Andy

So we should just stuff it down and bury it, like your dad did? How'd that work out?

Caitlin

That's way out of balance, Andy.

Andy

Mom, it's who we are, okay? It's who I am.

Reed

Andy, sometimes you can't control your own powers.

Andy

I see, so I'm just some kind of monster. [gets up to leave the room]

Caitlin

That's not what he meant.

Andy

At least you have one kid you can actually trust. [leaves room]

Caitlin

How did you deal with it? The nerves?

Reed

The first few times, I threw up.

Caitlin

Really? You never told me that.

Reed

We were still dating, and I was trying to impress you.

Caitlin

Reminds you of our own neighborhood, doesn't it? Lawns, flags...

Reed

I wonder how patriotic they'd feel if they knew their fellow Americans were being used as science experiments 15 miles away.

Caitlin

Honestly, I... I think a lot of them would be fine with it. You think people couldn't water the lawn, or put up holiday decorations, knowing that people are suffering, but... I did.

Reed

We all did.