This season gave us a full military occupation by a shady government entity, and a Russian-adjacent foreign threat, both hellbent on turning Freeland’s metas into their weapons. From the first episode, we’ve been in the shit, and every episode since has kept us in it. We’ve watched our heroes struggle, adapt, learn, grow, and evolve. We’ve watched characters we care about be tested in ways we didn’t expect and seen them come out different, stronger, and more prepared to face their enemies and themselves.
Jefferson has always been a leader, he’s always respected authority, and he’s always had a strong sense of what is right. That has been his foundation as a father, an educator, and a superhero. The A.S.A. occupation of Freeland and the treatment of its citizens challenged Jefferson’s moral code, and he had to soften some of his hard lines in order to be effective against Odell and the A.S.A. Ultimately he came down on the side of doing what needed to be done to protect the whole, even at the expense of the individual. Jefferson maintains his sense of rightness but he’s also learned to adapt.
Lynn, on the other hand, held fast to her personal sense of rightness throughout, sometimes to her detriment. She worked for the A.S.A., knowing their intentions to do harm, hoping she could save Freeland’s pod kids and Greenlight metas. She continued her work even when there was a possibility it could further empower the A.S.A. and Markovia. Her struggle with addiction this season made her bold and unpredictable in ways that sometimes worked against her, but she was able to help save Freeland from the Markovian invasion, and eventually stabilize Freeland’s metas. All while under the influence of Greenlight. I have made my feelings about her addiction clear, and I remain unconvinced it was necessary to tell this story, but Lynn has been a more dynamic character this season, which was exciting to see.
Jennifer has grown the most this season. She started out as Odell’s willing apprentice, enthusiastically developing and using her powers in service of the A.S.A. It took seeing the worst-case versions of herself from alternate universes to move her toward independent thought and action. Once she established for herself what was right, what was wrong, and who the real enemies were, she was an unstoppable force. This got her in a lot of trouble, especially in the last episode, when she confronted Gravedigger alone and almost died. But it also showed that she’s fully embraced her powers and accepted the responsibility of having them.
Anissa has been the most consistent over three seasons. She’s always shown potential and a willingness to step up, and this season she came into her own as a hero and a leader. She struggled with having authority earlier in the season, going too hard on Anaya and the Perdi, but she’s a more thoughtful leader now.