This week the royal family members on Earth are reunited, in preparation for the season finale. Each side of the ongoing battle in Hawaii loses a key member. Human friends are ditched, having served their purposes. And Maximus continues to go through more advisors than the Trump administration. The phrase “peaceful transition of power” clearly doesn’t mean what he thinks it means.
Maximus is walking down the halls of the palace, alone, when Lockjaw drops in with the entire royal family, wearing their original outfits. They are out to get Maximus. Black Bolt blames Maximus for Triton’s death, and knows that Maximus is the one who really killed their parents. Maximus begs for a peaceful transition of power, as Black Bolt draws a deep breath before using his voice on Maximus.
Before Black Bolt can speak, Maximus wakes up, sitting on the throne, still king of Attilan.
Down on Earth, Dave’s crazy ex-girlfriend/vet tech Audrey is examining Lockjaw and complaining about his injuries and treatment. Crystal gets defensive about her right to use Lockjaw for teleportation, no matter what his injuries are. Then Audrey changes tactics, and tells Crystal to go home, or get registered. In fact, she’ll take the photo for the ID herself.
Crystal’s never heard of the Sokovian Accords, but she knows from having lived in her brother-in-law’s oppressive regime that being registered and photographed is never a good thing, so she shoots fire from her hands to destroy Audrey’s phone.
Now Audrey’s really pissed off. She’s not afraid of an ex-boyfriend stealing floozy like Crystal. She’ll be back.
Dave, the most eligible bachelor on the island, tells Crystal that Audrey is a serious girl who means what she says. Crystal realizes that maybe Audrey was right and she ought to get out of town, ASAP. But how can a girl who controls the elements possibly let her family know where she is? Hey, maybe she should set this barn, which her dog is sleeping in, on fire!!
It’s a sad day when Bachelor Dave is the quick thinker in the room. He steps in and suggests a date with a view of downtown, where Crystal can create lightning without burning anything down. They go to a lookout on the highest point on the Island, where they can talk and kiss as they wait.
The rest of the royals are regrouping. First priority is finding Crystal. Louise figures out that Crystal would have left the same sort of trail when she came to Earth that the others did. You’d think that Louise was a rocket scientist, with those brains. Oh, wait. She checks her computer, and discovers that she can pinpoint Crystal’s location within a couple of miles. Too bad she didn’t remember that a few episodes ago.
The others discuss what to do about Maximus. The boys want to execute him in various brutal ways, but Medusa disagrees. She’s trying to convince Black Bolt to back off on his ruthless oppression, but he still doesn’t get it.
Auran buzzes in from Declan’s lab. She’s holding Black Bolt’s “friends” Sammy and Declan hostage. The royals should come rescue them now. Auran tells them to use Locus to find the lab. Medusa has to tell her that Locus is dead. Auran looks like Locus was special to her.
The royals decide to split up. Gorgon and Karnak will go after the hostages, while Louise, Medusa and Black Bolt will find Crystal. Karnak doesn’t care about human hostages or feel like he’s capable without his powers. Gorgon says that his ten minutes on Hawaii have made him an expert on the culture. Rescuing acquaintances is required. Medusa tells Karnak that he’s still their best fighter even without his powers. Gorgon corrects her. Karnak is their second best fighter.
Medusa, Black Bolt, and Louise will search for Crystal. She has to be around here somewhere, but they’re stymied by the lack of roads that go in a logical grid pattern that allows an easy search. For a while, they literally talk over the weird lightning that Crystal creates. Eventually, Louise figures out that lightning shouldn’t be striking in the same place twice, never mind 20 times. They set out to find the place it’s emanating from.
Maximus has forcibly recruited a group of miners to join Auran on Earth as replacement soldiers. Bronaja’s father is the sole volunteer. Bronaja overhears Maximus being cavalier with the miners’ lives, and looks uncertain about Maximus.
Tibor is definitely conspiring to kill Maximus, but he’s not terribly stealthy about it.
Tibor tries to throw Maximus off his scent by turning in some other conspirators. Maximus says that he wonders why others are always underestimating him. That’s an easy one– people with powers will always depend on their powers instead of practical skills, and underestimate how far common sense and a good grasp of basic skills can take you.
Maximus remembers back to a time when Gorgon was teaching him to fight. He couldn’t beat Gorgon with strength, so he used stealth and cunning, just like Gorgon, or at least Karnak, wanted. He’s still using those methods.
Louise asks why the inhumans live on the dark side of the moon. Medusa tells her it’s because humans have a tendency to try to kill them, which should be obvious just from what Louise has seen so far (besides the parts where the inhumans have been trying to kill each other). Louise patronizingly assures them that most humans are “good”, whatever that means.
Given the reality of the MCU since the Sokovian Accords, with enhanced people and especially inhumans being hunted down, rounded up, registered, and often disappeared, Louise must live in a giant bubble to think that the inhumans would have the same experience of earth that she does. Audrey knew that she could get rid of Crystal permanently just by taking her photo.
Maximus and Bronaja have a walk and talk through the palace to discuss why a king must always be paranoid about everyone. Maximus knows that there are conspiracies against him. He isn’t sure yet which faction is currently the most dangerous. Bronaja says that he thought Maximus trusted Tibor. Maximus proves that, genetically, he got the brains meant for the entire royal family:
“Trusting someone and that person being trustworthy are two different things.”
Then he grabs Bronaja’s wrist to incite a vision. Bronaja sees Maximimus and Tibor talking, but isn’t clear about further details. Maximus backs off, realizing that he’s pushing Bronaja too hard. Bronaja assures Maximus that he can trust Tibor. Maximus tells Bronaja that he wants Bronaja to come with him to confront Tibor. Bronaja’s importance to him grows daily, and he wants Bronaja to see things from the inside. An offer to tutor Bronaja and prepare him for high government rank, or a way to threaten Bronaja by showing him what could happen to him if he steps out of line? Or both?
Gorgon and Karnak plan their assault on Declan’s lab. Without his powers, Karnak has no idea how to plan. Gorgon takes over, since he’s used to working without much brain power or foresight. He suggests that Karnak walk on in, bold as can be, because Auran and her soldiers don’t know that Karnak can’t see the flaws in plans. His confidence will scare them into thinking that he knows something they don’t.
Sure enough, he walks toward Auran unarmed and she let’s him pass, because she’s sure that firing would be a mistake. He’s able to get close to every opponent, based on reputation alone. He uses a combination of hand to hand, psychology, and the Vulcan neck pinch to take them all down.
Gorgon takes out the electrical panel, then helps Karnak. They free Sammy, and tell him that he’s not a freak for being an inhuman.
Gorgon wants to fight Auran because she’s his pupil and second in command. She’s got a gun, but doesn’t use it. Instead they fight hand to hand. Gorgon pins Auran to the ground and insists she surrender. She refuses, until he threatens her with his hoof and she remembers that her healing abilities have weakened.
Karnak frees Declan and tells him who Maximus really is. Declan tells Karnak that Maximus paid for his research. Declan makes sure to grab the briefcase that contains his research on the way out.
Dave and Crystal make small talk. He calls her a God of Thunder. Major patriarchal and gender identification fail on his part. Crystal kisses him anyway, because he’s the only boy available before her sister, the Queen of Attilan, shows up.
Yep, there ‘s Medusa, right on cue to break up the kissing. Crystal introduces Dave as a good person. Louise gloats that there are two of them in the world. Crystal neglected to mention that she met Dave when he carelessly ran over Lockjaw, but, whatever.
Karnak and Gorgon tie up their prisoners. Mordis wakes up just as Gorgon ties Mordis’ hands in front of him. Mordis decides that he’d rather die than be locked up again, and he’ll take a few other inhumans with him. Gorgon grabs Mordis and they struggle as Mordis attempts to pull his mask off to reveal the face of death. He appears to have laser light shining from his skin. Gorgon stamps his hoof to create an earthquake and bring the lab building down around them. The falling debris kills them both, neutralizing the threat from Mordis. Gorgon dies a hero.
But- if only he’d thought to tie Mordis’ hands in back, instead of in front, the whole thing could have been avoided. Or, if only Karnak, who was right there, had knocked Mordis out with another neck pinch. Or, if only anyone, since they were all going to die, regardless of orignal side, had thought to hit Mordis over the head with something. There was really no reason for Gorgon to die.
The rest of the royals, plus Louise and Dave, their pet humans, drive back to the barn to get Lockjaw. Louise is under the impression that she’s going back to the moon with the inhumans. Medusa is getting ready to let her down easy when Audrey shows up with the police. She’s told them all about Crystal and Lockjaw.
Dave goes out to talk to Audrey, who explains that she’s only thinking of his safety. Medusa has her out, and she takes it. Louise understands that her job is to be the distraction while the inhumans teleport away. She pretends that she and Dave have been dating, and Audrey is jealous. Not too far from the truth. The police buy it and leave. They don’t even check the plates on the stolen convertible.
Medusa, Crystal, Lockjaw and Black Bolt teleport to Declan’s lab. They find Karnak sifting through the rubble around Gorgon’s body. The family is distraught, especially Karnak.
There was a weird editing glitch on at least my mountain time zone feed, so I don’t know how the next scene began. Maximus, Tibor and Bronaja end up in the control room facing off against the rebels. Maximus tells them that he has their families. If they surrender, he’ll let their families live. Maximus knows that Tibor is part of the rebellion, and slits his throat.
Then Maximus has the required paranoid tantrum about everybody underestimating him because he’s short the younger brother a stupid human. He questions Bronaja about the vision from earlier. “Was there a knife in Tibor’s hand?” “Maybe.”
Maximus is trying to build something amazing, and he needs Bronaja to get over his fear so Maximus can lead him to something great. Maximus dips his fingers in Tibor’s blood, and paints some of it on Bronaja’s face. He needs Bronaja to believe in him. He instructs Bronaja to repeat, “Long live King Maximus.” Looking Maximus in the eye, and with a bloody face, Bronaja repeats it.
Iwan Rheon must have bribed some writers to pretend that he was on Game of Thrones again at the end there. That last scene between Maximus and Bronaja is the most compelling scene this show has ever done, thanks to the two actors. I would watch the “Maximus and Brunaja dysfunctionally rule the world and possibly have an inappropriate relationship” show long before I continued with this one. The rest of Maximus’ family are dead weight.
It’s sad to see Gorgon go. He wasn’t my favorite character, but he did provide some amusing comic relief, especially when paired with Cousin Karnak, his clueless straight man. He died a hero’s death, taking out Mordis, who never got to fulfill his potential as a superweapon of mass destruction, and spent his life in prison, a symbol of the oppression the people have endured under Black Bolt.
We can only be getting a mention that Triton exists, after so long, because he’s done healing under the water and will be returning next week to take Gorgon’s place.
Also, Maximus’ dream contained the massive bombshell that it was really Maximus who killed Black Bolt and Maximus’ parents, the former king and queen. With some undetectable form of slow acting poison? Or maybe Maximus just blames himself, or wishes it was him.
Medusa is as cold as anyone born to the royal family. She doesn’t want to kill people, but, if they die on her watch, like Locus, that’s the way it goes. She uses whoever is nearby and can give her what she needs, then tosses them aside without a second thought.
Medusa’s never taught anyone else the sign language that she and Black Bolt use (which is also on him), leaving him in isolation, and making her the only one who knows what he’s saying. Why haven’t any of the other cousins bothered to learn the signs in all these years? What does Black Bolt do when Medusa’s not available?
Metawitches 
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