 |
| Scene from Inhumans |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
In 2018, Marvel will be celebrating a major anniversary as Iron Man turns 10 years old. It's hard to believe that a once niche character would launch a franchise that has featured close to 20 films as well as several TV series across several networks. In fact, Inhumans wouldn't be the only new series to feature X-Men characters. Earlier this year saw Legion, and next week sees the launch of The Gifted. While not all of them fit into the MCU, it makes sense that the elasticity of this too-good-to-be-true franchise would start snapping. And it sort of did in the most bizarre way, which was with a large teleporting dog named Lockjaw and a cast of extremely unmemorable characters. This may not break the franchise, but it will likely serve as the point where faith began to wane.
It was weird enough that the series chose to premiere its 80 minute pilot on IMAX screens nationwide, a factor that backfired when the box office returns showed hesitation. However, the series seemed to have too much confidence, choosing to follow the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange in that audiences will just go with it. Considering that there's a teleporting dog, people with magical hair, and a guy whose voice has the power to destroy, and you get one of the weirdest and least accessible classes of MCU-tangent characters yet. Whereas Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter expanded a reputable canon, this has already made many cautious, as advertisements shifted to calling this the complete series. Will Inhumans be a one and done mistake for the studio? Odds are that if Twitter had a say, it would be gone years ago.
But what exactly is so bad about Inhumans? It is a superhero show that embraces the fantasy side of the coin. It's ridiculous in ways that The Avengers movies can't be - even with sentient computer characters. It should be a moment when superhero culture reached its maxim, proving to make anything a compelling piece of entertainment. In a way, that's kind of the point. Down to the IMAX premiere, the show has felt like it was made retroactively. It was made because it could be made, and it got as far as it did because it had an intriguing and colorful cast of characters that includes Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon. By the end of the two episodes, it isn't just that the dialog or acting lacks something, it's that it isn't clear why the show needs to exist. It doesn't feel cynical, but more lazy in ways that even Iron Fist managed to avoid. One comes out of the pilot and wonders what just happened and why anything going forward should matter.
It's always been difficult to understand how these series connect to the bigger MCU, but that is the least of its issues here. The acting manages to be fine compared to its oddly amateur production for a series that is based largely in grandeur. One can see the edges of the series, including less than stellar action sequences. Considering that The CW has cornered the market on workable action sequences on a lower budget, Inhumans' failures feel even more problematic. With no character that stands out in exceptional ways, this is a melodrama full of characters that are probably a lot cooler than the people writing for them think. The show fails to capture a drama compelling enough to warrant a series, nor a charisma that could skate by on b-level cheesiness.
The only real silver lining in the series is Lockjaw. He is a large teleporting dog whose sole existence is to look extremely odd within a frame. It adds the little bit of charm to the series, managing to discover the slight cheesiness that this show needs to be entertaining. Even then, it's the one innovative tool that Marvel somehow hasn't exploited to death. Lockjaw may not have much to do, but he does have enough of a niche style to make one wonder what the show could've been. Instead, it's a bit lackluster and feels self-important. It didn't earn its greatness, and as a result feels a bit shallow. If the show had any smarts, it would revamp itself as a Lockjaw vehicle where David Lynch-style experimental stories replaced the conventional and familiar nature of these stories. Since they're not, this is probably going to be one of the oddest additions to the MCU ever. It's odd how something this weary came before the franchise turned 10. If nothing else, this feels like something that comes much later when things are much sadder. Still, it's an odd footnote that proves that everyone makes mistakes once in awhile.
It was weird enough that the series chose to premiere its 80 minute pilot on IMAX screens nationwide, a factor that backfired when the box office returns showed hesitation. However, the series seemed to have too much confidence, choosing to follow the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange in that audiences will just go with it. Considering that there's a teleporting dog, people with magical hair, and a guy whose voice has the power to destroy, and you get one of the weirdest and least accessible classes of MCU-tangent characters yet. Whereas Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter expanded a reputable canon, this has already made many cautious, as advertisements shifted to calling this the complete series. Will Inhumans be a one and done mistake for the studio? Odds are that if Twitter had a say, it would be gone years ago.
But what exactly is so bad about Inhumans? It is a superhero show that embraces the fantasy side of the coin. It's ridiculous in ways that The Avengers movies can't be - even with sentient computer characters. It should be a moment when superhero culture reached its maxim, proving to make anything a compelling piece of entertainment. In a way, that's kind of the point. Down to the IMAX premiere, the show has felt like it was made retroactively. It was made because it could be made, and it got as far as it did because it had an intriguing and colorful cast of characters that includes Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon. By the end of the two episodes, it isn't just that the dialog or acting lacks something, it's that it isn't clear why the show needs to exist. It doesn't feel cynical, but more lazy in ways that even Iron Fist managed to avoid. One comes out of the pilot and wonders what just happened and why anything going forward should matter.
It's always been difficult to understand how these series connect to the bigger MCU, but that is the least of its issues here. The acting manages to be fine compared to its oddly amateur production for a series that is based largely in grandeur. One can see the edges of the series, including less than stellar action sequences. Considering that The CW has cornered the market on workable action sequences on a lower budget, Inhumans' failures feel even more problematic. With no character that stands out in exceptional ways, this is a melodrama full of characters that are probably a lot cooler than the people writing for them think. The show fails to capture a drama compelling enough to warrant a series, nor a charisma that could skate by on b-level cheesiness.
The only real silver lining in the series is Lockjaw. He is a large teleporting dog whose sole existence is to look extremely odd within a frame. It adds the little bit of charm to the series, managing to discover the slight cheesiness that this show needs to be entertaining. Even then, it's the one innovative tool that Marvel somehow hasn't exploited to death. Lockjaw may not have much to do, but he does have enough of a niche style to make one wonder what the show could've been. Instead, it's a bit lackluster and feels self-important. It didn't earn its greatness, and as a result feels a bit shallow. If the show had any smarts, it would revamp itself as a Lockjaw vehicle where David Lynch-style experimental stories replaced the conventional and familiar nature of these stories. Since they're not, this is probably going to be one of the oddest additions to the MCU ever. It's odd how something this weary came before the franchise turned 10. If nothing else, this feels like something that comes much later when things are much sadder. Still, it's an odd footnote that proves that everyone makes mistakes once in awhile.
Comments
Post a Comment