We are almost done Inhumans. After this episode, we will be three quarters through the series. Has the series been the worst bit of television to grace our screens? Not really. Has it done much to justify it’s own existence? Not really.
This episode is called “The Gentleman’s Name Is Gorgon”, which is a reference to the title of Fantastic Four #44, “‘The Gentleman’s Name Is Gorgon’, or ‘What a Way to Spend a Honeymoon!'”. This issue featured the very first appearance of our hoofed friend.
The sixth episode begins rather abruptly, with Gorgon, Karnak, Medusa, Crystal, Black Bolt and Lockjaw teleporting into the throne room of Attilan and confronting Maximus. They accuse him of killing Triton and even his own parents (which is a new development), and Black Bolt opens his mouth to… say something. Suddenly, Maximus wakes up on the throne. Long days being a king, I guess.
On Earth, back at Dave’s barn on Oahu, Lockjaw has been getting a lot worse. According to Audrey, teleporting around has been wearing him out. She asks Crystal to stop doing it, but Crystal, who has the secondary superpower of magically becoming a bitch whenever Audrey is around, refuses because she needs to find her family. Audrey goes to take a photo of Crystal for some “registry” when Crystal ignites her phone with her elemental powers. Audrey says that this is not over and leaves. Dave assures Crystal that Audrey means it, and asks what other powers Crystal has. She explains she can control the elements, and Dave asks her if she can create a signal to find her family. Crystal decides to create a lightning strike that they can all see, and they drive somewhere safe, away from the barn.
Plodding through the forest, the rest of the Royal Family (plus Louise) wonder how to find Crystal. Louise remembers that they all left energy signals when they teleported to Earth, and leaves to see if Crystal left one. While she’s gone, Medusa and Black Bolt discuss what to do when they return – how they are going to take out the guards and overthrow Maximus. Karnak feels he is in no position to make plans at the moment, while Gorgon’s suggestions of smashing and crushing isn’t helping. Black Bolt signs that he wants to kill Maximus for what he did to Medusa, but she disagrees; they need him alive. They are not their parents.
Louise comes back and has traced Crystal’s touchdown location to the northern part of the island and they set out, when she starts buzzing. She reveals that she has been tinkering with Locus’ broken com-link. Medusa answers it, and Auran on the other end threatens Black Bolt’s friends Declan and Sammy. Medusa calls hostages a new low for Auran, but she says that Gorgon always taught them that the mission is the most important thing. Auran wants to set up a place to meet and exchange the pair for Locus, but they tell her Locus is dead. Auran says she is at Declan’s lab and hangs up. Karnak complains that finding some random humans is off-mission, and Medusa proposes they split up. Louise will take Black Bolt and Medusa to find Crystal, while Karnak and Gorgon will fight Auran, Flora and Mordis. Karnak protests that they are at their strongest together, but Medusa assures him that even at half his strength he is Attilan’s greatest fighter. Gorgon disagrees. They part ways.
On Attilan, Loyolis says goodbye to his son Bronaja and steps forward to be part of Maximus’ new army. Maximus tells them all that they are the honored few fighting on the front-lines for their race, makes them pledge their allegiance and step through Eldrac to teleport to Earth. As they teleport down, Tibor warns Maximus that the people aren’t going to like that miners were sent to fight. Maximus says that his people love him and will do anything for him, and are happy to be treated as equal – and if Black Bolt kills them all, it will just make the people hate him more. Bronaja hears this and is troubled.
On Oahu, Louise, Black Bolt and Medusa hit a roadblock. The Inhumans get out to stretch their legs while Louise looks at a map. Black Bolt signs to Medusa, asking why she brought up their parents. Medusa reminds him that when he became king, he promised that he would be better than them. She wants to hurt Maximus too, but they need to give him a fair trial and let the people decide. She is not trying to protect Maximus, she is trying to protect Black Bolt. Louise finds a map and they are good to go.
On Attilan, the still-unnamed leader of the rebellion among Maximus’ Royal Guard and Tibor secretly discuss how to get Maximus alone. Tibor is adamant that he must die before he can do more harm to Attilan. Maximus beckons him. Tibor tells him of a rebel group looking to overthrow him, and Maximus doesn’t believe it. Tibor insists that a concerned citizen brought this to attention, and refuses to let the Royal Guard in on it – if there is an attempt on Maximus’ life, they can trust no one. He asks Maximus for them to handle this alone, using the twins in the control room. Maximus finally agrees, sending Tibor ahead. He mutters that everyone underestimates him, and Tibor questions what he said. Maximus says it was nothing.
(I feel now is a good time to mention that the control room, this entire series, has had two silent, statuesque twin women in white robes. It didn’t seem important to mention before.)
In a flashback, Gorgon and Karnak are trying to train Maximus physically, and Maximus is getting his ass whupped. He doesn’t see the point of the training, complaining that he is a prince and has the Royal Guard to protect him. Gorgon tells him that this is for the day he is alone, and has no one there. Every member of the Royal Family, including Black Bolt, have undergone training. If he wants to survive on Attilan, he needs to be more smarter and more cunning. He dismisses training for the day, when Maximus grabs a staff and stealthily attacks Gorgon. Gorgon gets angry, but Karnak points out that a sneak attack is smarter and more cunning. Maximus thanks Gorgon for his lesson.
Maximus’ newly minted soldiers arrive on Earth and are astounded by it’s beauty, but Auran snaps them out of it. They’re soldiers, not tourists. The current remaining Royal Guard on Earth – Auran, Mordis and Flora – are unimpressed with the up-jumped miners. Auran tells them her plan: They will lure in the Royals and then the miners will sneak attack them. Declan, tied up, thinks Auran is in over her head. He notices a burn on her hand, and points out (in scientific terms) that she is able to heal herself less and less each time. Eventually she will die, and that will be it. Auran doesn’t believe him.
Crystal and Dave reach the highest point on Oahu. They both talk about how they’ve never left – Dave with Oahu, Crystal with Attilan. She never imagined it would be like this. Dave asks her if she wants to go on a trip after this, but she doesn’t respond. Her look says a thousand words. She uses her power and causes a lightning strike. Elsewhere, Medusa, Louise and Black Bolt arrive at where the energy signal was, and Crystal isn’t there. They deduce she could be within miles from here, all while trying to ignore the sudden lightning storm that sprung up. Louise gets sidetracked and asks why they live on the moon, and Medusa says they left because humans hate what they don’t understand. Louise contests that if not all Inhumans are like Maximus, not all humans are bad either. She then remarks on the lightning, finding it odd that it is striking the same place so frequently. Medusa and Black Bolt realize that it is Crystal.
On Attilan, Maximus talks to Bronaja about the rebellion. He isn’t concerned about assassins, he is more concerned with how the revolt with affect the people. He wonders who might be behind it, and then wonders if it is Tibor. He grabs Bronaja’s arm, triggering a vision, and asks what it showed. He claims it just showed him and Tibor talking. Maximus asks what they were talking about, and if they were happy or sad. Bronaja guesses happy, and Maximus demands to know how he knows. Bronaja cowers and Maximus realizes he is pushing him too hard. He asks if he can trust Tibor, and Bronaja thinks so. Maximus asks for Bronaja in the room when he meets with him and dismisses the boy.
At Declan’s lab, Karnak and Gorgon are preparing to go in. Karnak is worried that he can’t use his powers properly, but Gorgon points out that the Guard doesn’t know Karnak’s powers are broken and that they can use this to their advantage. He cuts the power. Auran, realizing they are there, heads to the window and sees Karnak walking up alone. Flora tells her to shoot him, but it’s Karnak – he must have a trick up his sleeve. He wants her to shoot him. (Meanwhile, Karnak is secretly hoping she doesn’t shoot him.) Flora warns Mordis. Karnak stealthily takes out Flora, and then Mordis looks for him. From the shadows, Karnak taunts him with memories of his Terrigenesis and how he was locked up. Suddenly Gorgon distracts him and Karnak stealthily takes out Mordis too – for now. They untie Sammy and Gorgon goes to take on Auran while Karnak takes out Loyolis. Gorgon has a pretty cool fight scene with way too many jump cuts and forces Auran to surrender. Karnak unties Declan, who asks who Maximus is. Karnak tells him he is the traitor brother to the king and asks how Declan knows him. He paid for the research.
Waiting for the Royals to show up, Crystal admits that – while she is excited to go home – she didn’t expect Earth to be so beautiful. Her and Dave kiss as Medusa, Black Bolt and Louise show up. Awkward. They have a happy family reunion and introduce each other to their new human friends. Black Bolt signals that they need Lockjaw, so they can retrieve Karnak and Gorgon and go home. They arrive at the barn and get ready to teleport, when the police show up. Audrey tipped them off. Medusa asks Louise to help one last time and apologizes, and the Royals teleport away. The cops open the barn and find that the giant dog and aliens were just Louise, who claims to be Dave’s new girlfriend who was locked in the barn by his jealous ex Audrey. The police, annoyed, leave and order Audrey not to call them again.
Leaving the lab, Karnak and Gorgon tie up Auran and Flora. Auran asks what happens when they return and see the people prefer Maximus, and Karnak says that he guesses they will see. They go to tie up Mordis, who wakes up and starts struggling to take off his mask. Gorgon orders everyone out as he grapples with him, and stomps, causing a shockwave. The building collapses on the two. The rest of the Royals show up, and find Mordis’ mask. Karnak sits in shock next to Gorgon’s body. He tells Black Bolt he tried to stop him, but he couldn’t. Gorgon is dead. They take the body outside and the Royal Family mourns as a really pretty piano song plays.
R.I.P. Gorgon Petragon. You were a lot of fun. It’s a shame to see you go.
On Attilan, Maximus and Bronaja meet with Tibor. All the rebels arrive and Maximus announces that he has all their families captive and orders them to surrender. He slits Tibor’s throat and screams at the rebels, asking if they thought he was a dumb human who didn’t know when someone was lying to his face. He dismisses them and asks Bronaja why he lied about the vision. Bronaja admits he was scared. Maximus wipes Tibor’s blood on Bronaja’s cheek and demands his loyalty. He pledges it.
Woo. Actually a solid episode, probably the strongest one Inhumans has had so far. Part of me does hope that Gorgon isn’t actually dead. I feel like there were a lot of wasted stories that died with him – even if the show likely will not get renewed and those stories will never be told anyway.
I’ll give this episode a 7.5/10. I hoped it would ramp up towards the end game and it does appear to be doing just that. Let’s cross our fingers for the next episode.
Stay tuned for next week as we recap and review the penultimate episode, “Havoc in the Hidden Land”.
