An unexpected return of a family member causes some dissent among the Royals.

Behold…The Spoilers

Wait…What in the hell has he been doing this whole time?

After Royal Family quickly mourns the death of Gorgon, Black Bolt has one more stop on the way to Attilan.  A speedy jaunt to another beach reveals Triton has been alive this whole time and hiding out in the ocean.  If you are asking, “Triton, who?” I don’t blame you.  He is the Inhuman we were introduced to in the very first episode before he was shot and fell into the ocean.  Since he was barely mentioned after that, we all assumed he was dead.  But, it turns out he and Black Bolt had a plan to meet on that beach if something (like a coup carried out by Maximus) were to happen.

Medusa is peeved her husband hid Triton’s whereabouts from her this whole time.  Her disappointment turns to anger when Lockjaw teleports them to a secret bunker in Attilan.  Black Bolt must have known his brother would betray him, or was anticipating a war with humans.  Either way, he had a shelter built, loaded with supplies and weapons only he and Triton knew about.  Medusa has had it with the man her husband has become and demands she not only be his interpreter, but someone who has decision making powers for her kingdom.

“Parleley, parlelellyleloooo, par le nee, par… snip, parsley”

Black Blot is ready to storm the palace to kill his brother, Medusa pleas with him to try peace.  Crystal is sent ahead to negotiate a parley with Maximus.  As a show of good faith, Auran and the other minions are returned.  Needing to play the game of benevolent leader, Maximus gathers the citizens of Attilan and holds a memorial service for Gorgon before the arrival of his exiled family members.

Wanting to strike a deal with Maximus, Black Bolt hands Declan over to his brother and promises to allow him to go through Terrigenesis again.  But Maximus has to step down from the throne.  The usurper king agrees long enough to get Declan back, the immediately reneges.  Black Bolt is hindered from killing his brother then and there with the whole of his city watching.  Angry, but not unprepared, Black Bolt sends Triton out to sabotage the city’s facilities.

The Flippity-Flop

Karnack is working a plan of his own to bring back Gorgon.  Studying Dr. Declan’s research, the royal councilor notices a massive flaw in Maximus’ scheme.  Karnack realizes he can use Auran’s DNA to bring back his beloved cousin.  After a little speech about feeling changed by his time on Earth, Karnack sways Auran, to his side.  She donates some of her blood, which Karnack injects into Gorgon.  They get him set up in a Terrigenesis chamber and release the Terrigen, but nothing happens.  The two flee, leaving Gorgon as Maximus and Declan arrive.

“It is bigger on the inside”

Maximus’ plans are really no different than Karnack’s.  Choosing the DNA of an Inhuman who powers he wants, Maximus is ready to undergo Terrigenesis once again.  Declan is having cold feet.  No testing has been done and the scientist unsure if Maximus will make the change.  There is a stay of execution as the palace’s power goes out.  Maximus, surrounded by his guards, returns to his quarters while Declan stays behind to work out any possible glitches in the plan.  He is not alone for long.  Gorgon wakes in the chamber, growing and looking less like the lovable cousin we enjoyed.

Triton ambushes Maximus, killing all the guards, knocking out the wannabe king after a minor scuffle (should have trained harder), and delivering him to Black Bolt in the bunker.  Surrounded and defeated, Maximus has one last trick up his sleeve.  There is a failsafe under Attilan and if Black Bolt where to kill him, Attilan will be destroyed.  The crazy-eyed brother could be bluffing, but will Black Bolt take that chance?

Thoughts

While it is nice to see the return of a major character from the comic books, Triton’s sudden re-emergence is just another example of how the producers and writers have gotten the pacing of the show all wrong (Auran’s sudden change of heart doesn’t help either).  The family has been on Earth for several days now.  Has Triton been swimming around in the ocean this whole time, licking his wounds?  If the writers knew he was going to be an Inhuman-ex-Machina, why did they not feature Triton in a few of the flashbacks and keep him fresh in the audience’s minds and build his relationship with the rest of the family?

Also, did anyone feel Mike Moh looked unhappy to be there?  Like he was thinking he was going to be a major cast member, only to realized he was going to be in just three episodes (one of which was for five minutes).  At least he got a really cool fight scene.

Medusa has been the heart of this show for the last few episodes.  Serina Swan has really put Inhumans on her back and grounded her character with real emotions.  It almost makes up for Medusa being immediately stripped of her power.

The newly resurrected Gorgon is going to be a major problem for the series in terms of how race has been handled.  So far, Inhumans has not treated the issue of race and casting too well.  The Royal family are white, their closest council and guard members are not.  Gorgon’s death was sad because the character is loved, but he was also the first to be killed in a genre that is known for killing off black characters first (or at least early on).  Now it seems as if Gorgon is being brought back as a mindless barbarian, one of the absolute worst stereotypes for a black actor.

Next week is the season (series?) finale.  Let’s hope this ends on a better not than how it started.

Till Next Week!

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The Nerdling was born in the majestic land known as Texas and currently resides there after several years of journeying through Middle Earth in a failed attempt to steal the one Ring from that annoying hobbit, serving the Galactic Empire for a time, and then a short stint as a crew member on the Serenity. Since moving back to her homeland, Nerdling flirted with a hero reputation. Saving children from the dangers of adoring domineering, sparkly vampires (champions with souls are the only vampires worth loving) and teaching normals the value of nerdom, all while rooting for her beloved Dallas Stars. Then came the Sokovia Accords and her short spell of saving others came to an end. With Darth Vader’s reputation rightfully returning to badass status, Nerdling is making her way back to the Empire. They do have cookies, you know. You can find her on Twitter @nerdlingstale.