Source: ABC Studios/IMAX (Press Release). Marvel’s Inhumans. Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Sonya Balmores as Auran, Ari Dalbert as Bronaja.
We have reached the penultimate episode. One more until the finale! Here we go!
This episode is named after the story of the same name in Fantastic Four #159. What it has to do with Quicksilver, Xemu and the 5th Dimension, I do not know.
Our episode starts most of the Royal Family chasing down the new Royal Guard, who are escaping with Dr. Evan Declan. The Royals win the chase, and Declan surrenders. He pleads with them, saying he is just a scientist and has never even met Maximus, who simply funded his research. Medusa realizes that Maximus wanted to go through Terrigenesis again and though the Royal Family would stop him. Crystal is appalled; the Genetic Council would never allow this. Medusa posits that they are already dead, and wonder how many more have to die.
With the Guard captured, Karnak, Black Bolt, Medusa and Crystal wrap their fallen cousin Gorgon in cloth to bury him. Black Bolt signs that they need to send a message to Maximus, so Karnak snaps Auran’s neck, claiming she brought this upon herself. His plan is to send Maximus her body as a message. This upsets Medusa, even though Auran always comes back; she asks what kind of king Black Bolt is if he descends to Maximus’ level. Karnak angrily replies that they will have no kingdom otherwise.
On Attilan, Maximus sits on his throne, making plans to find out who else was in Tibor’s rebellion. Suddenly, Crystal and Lockjaw teleport in and Crystal takes out some of Maximus’ guards with her elemental powers, and threatens to fry the weapons of the remaining soldiers. Maximus orders them to stand down. Along with the princess and her giant dog is the Royal Guard and Auran’s body, which Crystal returns as a sign of good faith. She says that Black Bolt demands to parley and by Attilan law, Maximus must obey. She reveals that Gorgon is dead, and Maximus agrees to a parley at midday. Crystal leaves. His guards protest that they could have taken her, but Maximus has his family right where he wants them.
On Earth, Karnak and Medusa disagree whether or not to execute Maximus at the parley. Medusa is sick of losing more family members. Crystal protests that they need to strike while Maximus thinks they are weak and tired, and Medusa says that they are tired. Black Bolt signs that he will speak with Maximus and Medusa wonders what happens if he doesn’t listen. Black Bolt signs something that Medusa doesn’t seem pleased with. He signs that there is one place they all need to go. Lockjaw teleports the Family and Declan to the beach. This is cut short when they see something in the water; something green, coming closer. Medusa, Crystal and Karnak run forward to hug the long-lost Royal, Triton.
Triton explains that this beach was a secret meeting place that was arranged when he was sent on his classified mission by Black Bolt. He was wounded, but Black Bolt felt it was best if Maximus believed his plan was working. Crystal asks why they weren’t told, but Karnak assures her that there must have been a good reason. They inform Triton of Gorgon’s death and plan to return to the palace, but Black Bolt has them return to a secret royal bunker instead. Medusa is upset, as she had no knowledge of this bunker. Black Bolt explains that it is for times like this. Declan asks where they are, and Crystal tells him they are on the moon. He thinks she is joking, but all are straight-faced. He admits he is lost. Medusa concurs, asking why Triton is alive and why they have a secret bunker she has never heard of.
Black Bolt pulls Medusa to the side and tries to explain that he had to lie. Medusa argues that his lies cost them their dignity; they all mourned Triton’s death. He signs that this is his duty as a king, but she asks about his duties as a husband – his responsibility to her. She tells him that on Earth she reflected on how they were perceived, and she is done with just being his interpreter. As the queen of Attilan, she needs a say – they move together or not at all.
You go, Medusa!
Black Bolt sends Triton off, and Crystal asks where he is going. Black Bolt signs and Medusa translates: To undermine an impostor.
Elsewhere on Attilan, Auran wakes up from death (again). Maximus greets her. He talks about Gorgon’s death politically, saying that he should publicly honor his death as a family member, even if he was a traitor, to appease the people. Auran confronts him about overthrowing Black Bolt just so he could go through Terrigenesis again. Maximus asks why she cares, if she gets what she wants. Auran says that the reason she followed him was because she believed in a man who was just a human but still rose to become king. Maximus angrily complains that that is all anyone sees – someone who was good for “what he was”. Once he becomes the most powerful Inhuman, he will represent the change Attilan needs; how even the weakest among them can become something powerful. Auran seems unimpressed.
In the bunker, Declan explains his research in second Terrigenesis to Karnak, and asserts that he has no place in a war. Karnak reassures him that if Black Bolt brought him, he has a purpose there. Declan asks if he is safe in the bunker, and Karnak – glancing at Gorgon’s wrapped body – says that none of them are safe.
In the throne room, Maximus gives a speech to the people on Gorgon’s death. He mourns his cousin’s loss, saying he is especially sad that he will never have a chance to bridge his differences with him. He then makes the speech about him and how his family never saw him for who he was, as he tends to do. He then tells the people that they have a parley set up with Black Bolt. Outside, Auran explains the terms of the parley to Maximus; Black Bolt will lay out his terms, no weapons, and Maximus will refuse or accept. The other Royals teleport in, and Maximus meets Black Bolt and Medusa in the courtyard. They announce the deal: They will turn over Declan, allowing Maximus to undergo a second Terrigenesis, as long as he gives up the throne which rightfully belongs to Black Bolt. All other punishments will be set aside. Maximus agrees to the terms, which sickens Auran. Declan is brought over to Maximus’ side, and then Maximus announces that he has freed their prisoner, and now they have nothing. He declines their offer, remaining king, and reminds Black Bolt that using a parley for physical harm would look bad. Black Bolt signs that the next time he sees Maximus, he will kill him. Maximus laughs as the Royals teleport away.
Declan stares out the window of an apartment in Attilan in awe. Maximus enters and Declan expresses wonder that they terraformed a city on the moon. Maximus asks how the second Terrigenesis research works. Declan explains that he has collected samples from humans that have undergone Terrigenesis, and documented their powers. Maximus asks for a list of them, so he can choose what powers he wants, and then they will do the gene splice. Declan protests, saying it is untested and unsafe and Maximus could die, but Maximus doesn’t care. He echoes the speech in the first episode that Terrigenesis a great tradition that binds Inhumans together, and says that to be skipped by it is an insult – one that can be rectified. He says that Declan’s name could be cemented in both human and Inhuman history, when Auran interrupts and Maximus excuses himself. Auran tells him that there have been water and power failures in parts of the city, and wonders if it is the Royal Family. Maximus speculates that they must have returned to Earth, and decides it must be sympathizers. He asks the Royal Guard to investigate and remain on repair duty until further notice. He then beckons for Declan to follow him.
In the bunker, Medusa approaches Black Bolt, who is upset the parley didn’t go the way he wanted. She reminds him of the first time they met. She came to see him in his meditation room because she wanted to gloat – his parents exiled hers, and now he was in pain after losing his. Once she saw his face, she realized that they were dealing with the same thing. That’s what she saw at the parley today. Karnak, who is listening in the shadows, tells her that it was a lovely story but it ignores context. He tells them that he spotted a flaw in Declan’s research, which he will let Maximus figure out on his own, but he wants to perfect it and use a second Terrigenesis to bring back Gorgon. Black Bolt forbids it. Karnak protests, but Black Bolt doesn’t budge. Karnak walks away, resolved to do it more than ever.
Elsewhere, Medusa sits with Crystal, who is miserable. She misses Dave. She always thought humans were so terrible, but then she went to Earth and it was normal people living normal lives; no palaces, no powers. She realizes that this is what she wants.
Auran arrives in the control room to look at the power grid, but instead of being greeted by the repairmen is greeted by Karnak, who takes out the guards before being shot. He retraces his steps, revealing his powers are working again, and takes out the guards successfully. He tells Auran that he has been watching her, and he needs her help – he needs her DNA. They prop up Gorgon’s body in the Terrigen chamber, and Karnak injects him with Auran’s DNA. (She’s afraid of needles, which is a nice humanization of her. Inhumanization?) She warns him that her power isn’t as strong as it used to be, and Karnak understands. He went through something like that recently. They attempt the second Terrigenesis process on Gorgon, but it doesn’t work. To Karnak’s heartbreak, Gorgon remains dead. Suddenly, they hear guards coming their way. They flee, leaving Gorgon’s corpse in the chamber.
As lights begin to flicker, Maximus and Declan approach the other Terrigen chamber. They are all prepared for Maximus’ second Terrigenesis. As Maximus grabs a crystal, he remarks that this isn’t how he imagined it. The first time, he was surrounded by his family and loved ones. This was supposed to be a victory. Declan assures him that it is; he is the first of a new generation. They then notice Gorgon’s body in the other chamber. Before they have time to wonder how he got there, the city starts to rumble and power goes out. The guards inform Maximus that there has been an incident in the control room, and he leaves Declan behind.
As Maximus investigates the instance in the courtyard, a hooded Triton secretly takes out his guards one by one. He then corners Maximus and kills the rest of his guards with his twin knives while Maximus escapes, then chases the king down and drops his weapons. They have a fist fight where Triton beats the ever-loving hell out of Maximus, ending it with a bicycle kick to the face. He drags Maximus down to the bunker, and Maximus protests that they can’t keep him prisoner there. Black Bolt approaches and slams his brother against the wall. Maximus tells him that he has a failsafe in place: If he dies, the city’s protective dome shatters and they all become space debris. It’s Black Bolt’s choice if he wants to kill him or not. He laughs.
In the Terrigen room, Declan is trying to figure out the composition of a Terrigen crystal without the use of an electron microscope. Suddenly, the power goes out again and as it does, something clatters to the ground with a bang. Hearing monstrous growling, Declan declares that he works for Maximus and is allowed to be there, when Gorgon steps out of the shadows, growling.
Remember last week when I said I hoped they brought back Gorgon somehow, because there were a lot of stories they could have told with him? Believe it or not, I actually had in mind a specific comic story in which Gorgon undergoes a second Terrigenesis and becomes a monster!
This is exciting! I’m excited by Inhumans? What’s going on?
God help me, but I’m actually enjoying this show. It has had some really bland moments and at only eight episodes is definitely the least consistent thing Marvel Television has ever put out, but it’s really stepping up the game. Maybe it’s having the whole family back together, but at several parts of the episode it actually felt like the comics. That’s something I never thought I would say about this show.
I am genuinely excited to see how the finale plays out, and actually really disappointed that there will likely be no second season. I think under a different showrunner, they could most definitely iron out the kinks and produce a really kick-ass show with some of the coolest, most out-there plots Marvel has done.
As for this episode, I give it an 8/10. Maybe I’m rating this show too high, but dammit, I’m actually starting to really like it.
See you next week for the finale.
