ABC

INHUMANS: Pilot {Roundtable}

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Marvel’s Inhumans – the latest in ABC’s Marvel Television Universe – premiered Friday night with a two-hour pilot. For a show that revolves around people with special powers there are so many conflicts between the haves and the have-nots that we all dug into the episodes below.

 

  1. Pick a side, any side: Maximus or Black Bolt. 

      2.  

      Roz: Oh lord, so much Black Bolt. I’m not a fan of how slimy Maximus is and how much he is affected by his lack of power in a place full of them. Iwan Rheon is always great a creepy and still sort of charming, but I can’t stand him so far.

       

      Karen: Black Bolt all the way. I love Iwan Rheon, don’t get me wrong, but he’s the bad guy here. He was amazing in Misfits and I’ve loved him in everything since then as well. Anson Mount has been in some things I’ve watched, but I don’t remember him as they’re not recent. He’s really good in Inhumans though – having to emote via facial expressions and hand gestures only is difficult, and he pulled it off rather nicely. That being said, Maximus has some good points. He just goes about it in a completely back-asswards wrong way.

       

      Cara: I agree. Maximus has valid concerns, and he seems to have good intentions, for all the deceitfulness and sliminess. I know this is supposed to make him a more sympathetic character, but I just can’t warm to him. I’m Black Bolt all the way, in spite of his shoplifting. But, poor Black Bolt can’t seem to catch a break on Earth.

       

      Rueben:  It’s a four-peat.  I’m Black Bolt all the way too.  I’m with Cara that Maximus has valid concerns, but he is going about it in the completely wrong way.  Karen said it best, he’s going about it in a completely “back-asswards wrong way.”

      MARVEL’S INHUMANS – Create your destiny. Meet Marvel’s Inhumans early in IMAX theatres September 1, and experience the full series starting September 29 on ABC. (ABC/Marvel)
      SERINDA SWAN, IWAN RHEON, ANSON MOUNT

       

      1. Given that this works within the rest of the MCU, and especially where Agents of SHIELD left off, how do you find the differences between Inhumans on Earth and the Inhumans with less desirable powers in Attilan?

       

      Roz: Subjugation is the same no matter where, but it’s hard to imagine how something so random as genetics should dictate a whole society.

       

      Karen: The canon in the case of Inhumans is that they do this to control genetics. They use selective breeding to weed out genetic damage and deformities. The caste system developed around that philosophy and evolved into this royal vs. slave dynamic.

       

      Cara: The inhumans on Earth are at risk, but at least they have some autonomy and can fight back. I can’t help but wonder why such physical servitude is necessary when other aspects of the culture seem so technologically advanced.

       

      Rueben:  I’m learning as I go along where the Inhumans are concerned, as I know very little about the MCU except for what has played out in the movies and the TV shows, but Cara brings up an excellent point why do the Inhumans in Attilan need the caste system when they have such technological advances?

       

      1. Lockjaw: best pet/transport or the best pet/transport?

       

      Roz: The BEST! I was rather sad to see him knocked out so early in the episodes because he was a cute and light moment amid lots of dissonance.

       

      Karen: Absolutely the best. He probably costs a fortune in CGI, but I hope they can keep him reasonably cost effective throughout the run so we can see him more often. He’s actually been part of the Fantastic Four universe, which overlaps with the Inhuman storyline they’re using here. I don’t anticipate seeing any of that bleed over into this show except for the strictly Inhuman part.

       

      Cara: Can I please have a giant, slobbery furball to teleport me around? I just want to squoosh and cuddle him.

       

      Rueben:  When I first saw the trailer featuring him, I was a little taken aback – again because I don’t know very much about the MCU; but watching him in action in the two-hour pilot episode, he is pretty darn adorable and who wouldn’t want a giant furball who can teleport you wherever you want to go, am I right?

       

      1. There were some parallels with our current climate. How do you feel about Black Bolt’s muteness in an era of hostility?

       

      MARVEL’S INHUMANS – “Those Who Would Destroy Us” – The highly anticipated new Marvel television series “Marvel’s Inhumans” makes its debut on the small screen with the network premiere of the series’ first two episodes on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Karen Neal)
      ANSON MOUNT

      Roz: Watching him not know how to communicate with anyone was difficult, but I cringed when he was beaten because he had no way to explain himself.

       

      Karen: The dichotomy between the way he communicates and the way he carries himself is fascinating. Anson does an amazing job balancing the two. They were originally going to include an “inner dialogue” with Anson’s voiceovers, but scrapped it in favor of sign language. I applaud that choice wholeheartedly.

       

      Cara: I agree that Anson does a good job emoting with subtlety. The response he provokes contrasts with Gorgon’s reception by the surfers on the beach. Granted, Gorgon can talk, but he has a physical feature that makes it clear he is inhuman. These two interacted with the humans more than others, so it’s interesting to see how one was received so warmly while they other was constantly in conflict.

       

      Rueben:  I thought it was very smart to have him use sign language.  I didn’t know about the inner monologue, Karen (thanks for the tidbit), and I’m glad they didn’t use it.  Anson did such a great job conveying so much with his demeanor and facial expressions.

       

      1. MVP?

       

      Roz: Crystal, even though she’s sort of stuck in Attilan, she removed so many people that Maximus wants to kill to keep their hope alive.

       

      Karen: Crystal is a good choice, so is Lockjaw, but I want to put forward Karnak (Ken Leung). First, I can’t stop seeing him as Leon from Person of Interest – which is NOT a bad thing. I loved that character. Second, his power is stellar. Wouldn’t you love to be able to rewind your last decision and retake it? HELLS to the YES.

       

      Cara: Karnak is pretty cool, but I’m going for Gorgon. He’s a take charge, stomp on a moon rover kind of guy, but still obviously loyal and dedicated to his family. He directly challenges Maximus and adapts to being on Earth with relative ease. I think he’s one to watch.

       

      Rueben:  Ouch, that’s a hard one for me, actually.  Karnak’s ability really made him my first pick, but Cara brings up a good point (yet again) that Gorgon might just have been the MVP.  But all that being said, I think I have to go with Black Bolt because of how resilient he was once on Earth to attempt to blend in as he could, deal with being beaten up – when he could have easily stopped all that from happening (with extreme results, of course), but still handled himself remarkably well.

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Roz lives in the Los Angeles area, and has been a long time California girl. Despite her better judgment, she enjoys shows about the shallow sides of her home city, but will also find time to watch iZombie, Jane the Virgin, and much more. With a love of history, she also watches anything that is grounded in real life, including Victoria and black-ish. Having worked with children, she also follows shows she knows they watch (reminding her of those days of yore for her in the process). Contact her at roz@nicegirlstv.com.