In October 2017, showrunner Matt Nix said that he had planned "a couple of seasons, in broad strokes" for The Gifted, and stated that he wanted "to be doing this show for a long time." On January 4, 2018, the series was renewed for a second season, of 16 episodes.
Writing
Following the end of the first season, Nix said that the second would further explore the Hellfire Club and the Purifiers, and would introduce the Morlocks. Following the destruction of the mutant underground's base, the second season sees them become more of a network rather than remain in a single location, and forces them to hide in plain sight and interact with other mutants out in the world. Nix thought this was both an interesting change and "thematically more resonant". Their situation is contrasted with the Hellfire Club also hiding in plain sight, but within "the halls of power". Nix continued that the season would show how these two factions go about helping mutants in different ways, and also how they come together at times due to the relationships between people in each group. He later expressed interest in also exploring the 7/15 incident that was mentioned in the first season, potentially through flashbacks, and said that such an exploration would take place over multiple episodes as "it’s kind of at the center of everything we’re doing." The second season features a new organization from the comics after the first featured Trask Industries. Nix noted that the story for the season had been broken before this decision was made, and then the writers looked through the comics to see which elements lines up with the direction they wanted to go.
Casting
Returning from the first season to star are Stephen Moyer as Reed Strucker, Amy Acker as Caitlin Strucker, Sean Teale as Marcos Diaz / Eclipse, Natalie Alyn Lind as Lauren Strucker, Percy Hynes White as Andy Strucker, Coby Bell as Jace Turner, Jamie Chung as Clarice Fong / Blink, Blair Redford as John Proudstar / Thunderbird, and Emma Dumont as Lorna Dane / Polaris. By January 2018, Skyler Samuels, who recurred as the Stepford Cuckoos in the first season, was being looked at to be promoted to series regular for the show's second season, and she stated that her characters would be appearing more in the second season than the first either way. She was confirmed to be doing so in June along with the announcement that Grace Byers would also be joining the series as a series regular, in the role of Reeva Payge. Also returning from the first season are Ray Campbell as William, Hayley Lovitt as Sage, Jeff Daniel Phillips as Fade, Erinn Ruth as Evangeline, and Francis Turner as Paula Turner. Additionally, Michael Luwoye was announced to have been cast as Erg, the leader of the Morlocks, in August 2018. Nix also revealed at that time that an original mutant named Twist would have a "big role" in the season. Newcomer Anjelica Bette Fellini was soon announced as cast in the role, which was described as coming across as "a sweet wounded bird" who reveals herself to be "a sociopath who lives for chaos". In October, James Carpinello was cast in the recurring role of Max, the undisciplined leader of a group of new recruits.
Filming
Filming for the season began on May 30, 2018.
Release
Broadcast
The season began airing in the United States on Fox on September 25, 2018, and ran for 16 episodes.
Marketing
Nix, executive producer Jeph Loeb, and much of the cast promoted the season at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, where the first trailer for the season debuted; it gave the season the subtitle Dawn of the Mutant Age.
Reception
Ratings
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 83% approval rating, with an average rating of 6.83/10 based on 12 reviews. The website's consensus states, "The Gifted continues to explore shades of grey, but with a more streamlined story that sets the show up for a stronger — if slightly more simplistic — sophomore season."
