After being worn down by Marvel’s Inhumans, I felt impressed that stuff actually happens in this episode. In that sense, “Havoc in the Hidden Land” was a standout. But, it was still not a good episode of television.
The royal family is finally back on Attilan, thank God. The show has a lot more momentum now that all the characters are interacting and making moves. The turning point came when the royal family asked Maximus to step down from the throne. In exchange, they promised to release Dr. Evan Declan. Maximus agreed.
But, after they turned Dr. Declan over, Maximus immediately betrayed them. Of course he did. It’s infuriating how stupid these characters are. How could they think that someone who’s already murdered to get power wouldn’t commit the sin of lying to them once?
In another cringeworthy scene, Crystal told Medusa that she wants to return to Earth because of her uninspired romance. It’s embarrassing that the show thinks this relationship is worth our time or that they’re selling Crystal making decisions around it. Crystal wanting to return to Earth could be interesting, if they gave her a compelling reason instead of an incredibly lazy romance.
Marvel’s Inhumans is still plagued by a lack of anyone to root for. In the opening to this week’s episode, the royal family worries that Maximus has resorted to murdering members of the genetic council. The writers still don’t realize how low these stakes are for the audience. The genetic council is a group of people who dedicate their lives to upholding a strict class structure. Who cares what happens to them?
Maximus’ ultimate goal is to redo his Terrigenesis. I’m willing to suspend my disbelief through a lot of sci-fi nonsense, but the science of this is terrible even by the show’s own internal logic. There is no reason for Maximus to think a scientist who’s never even heard of Terrigenesis would be able to help him. Yes, he’s supposed to be blinded to how risky the procedure is. But, this plan is still too blatantly terrible to be believed.