REVIEW: Marvel's Inhumans "Something Inhuman This Way Comes..."
When writing these particular reviews, I sometimes wonder if I ever get repetitive with my complaints. Then again, if the show has no problem going through the same pitfalls over and over again, I should have no problem point them out again and again. That problem only becomes worse when you catch a glimpse of what could have been interesting.
Case in point, this episode was directed by Kevin Tancharoen who was behind some of the most interesting episodes of Agents of SHIELD, multiple DC shows, and the vastly underrated 12 Monkeys series. Although a show can’t be automatically redeemed by one person, it can at least promise a more interesting hour compared to the other weeks. Sadly, much like his foray into an episode of Netflix’s Iron Fist, there are only a handful of things he can improve, if at all.
The first is the action which, while still dismal, manages to be shot by someone who knows what a fight looks like. Who knew that when people are moving that the camera should follow them? Or that if you have a quick edit that the audience can mostly forgive the fact that your punch is fake as hell? Granted there are still clear missteps in the fighting, but it’s a breath of fresh air to have someone competent behind the camera. I’m surprisingly forgiving to a dull plot if it’s covered up by something fun to watch.
To some of the more perverse viewers, this episode is also probably the goriest of the season so far with stabbed eyes, bullet wounds, and a particularly gnarly neck surgery. The reason I point this out is that I’ve concluded how this show would have been vastly superior if they embraced the body horror. This series is about a race of people who go through a biological change to gain superpowers, something no other show has. With the season coming to a close, I’m at the perfect point to start judging the show as a whole, but more on that later.
This episode also had the advantage of focusing more on Karnak, Gorgon, and…pretty much everyone besides Black Bolt and Medusa. The development is highly predictable in the Royals befriending human characters they meet along the way, but there is some effort to produce change. There is some interesting dynamics to a straight-laced warrior like Karnak and a hot-headed fighter like Gorgon inspiring each other, and I almost wish we had more time with that. Then again, I also wish we had more time spent with the villains trying to hunt Black Bolt, so my priorities are clearly screwed.
But they aren’t nearly as screwed as the show’s excuse for moral lessons. I’m not saying they’re awful or not worth a story. I’m saying that there is absolutely no basis for them, which is worse. No one cares about the concept of how doubt makes us stronger or how we should be free to live our lives or even how caste systems suck when there’s nothing to really base it on in the story. Again, there is the potential for an interesting story in those motives, but the show doesn’t execute them. It’s almost like they wanted to get to point E without even stopping on letters B-D, and it shows.
One of the more disappointing aspects of the episode is probably something that hasn’t happened yet. I’m talking about this new plan that the villains have to lure Black Bolt out by holding his human friend hostage. Wouldn’t it have been vastly more interesting and plot-related if they did that for all of the characters not just one of the more boring ones? It would introduce a chance for the plots to converge and to give a purpose to the characters we met offer an exciting climax based on their changing perspective to humans. Not to mention, they would have the chance to fix the underwhelming plot from the Daredevil season two finale. Having that credit would honestly save the show, but I’m not holding my breath.
Where it stands now, we have all the characters sans Crystal reunited, so there’s only so much more we can do. Maybe the villains will continue to hunt the Royals, but this practically the third episode with that plot. How could they really change that for the better now? I mean, besides adding more flashbacks. That could be a good start.
And so we finish yet another episode, which are sadly becoming harder to distinguish from one another. As of now, the biggest problem is not that the show is dull or padded or cliched or silly-looking. It’s that we can almost glimpse something that could have been interesting. Despite my complaints, that’s probably the best compliment I can give.
