Inhumans is more than halfway through its first season, and things are not looking good for Marvel's latest small-screen offering. From the start, Inhumans has struggled to succeed; the IMAX opening was a critical flop (although it didn't do too badly at the box office), the TV premiere failed to achieve the kind of ratings Marvel hoped for, and since then, Inhumans has failed to really overcome that poor start.
Episode 5, 'Something Inhuman This Way Comes', marked season-low ratings for Inhumans and, combined with continuing negative reviews, there's a good chance that the Royal Family of Attilan won't be coming back to ABC for a second season. However, there has been no official word on cancellation or renewal, so fans shouldn't despair just yet. In fact, it may even be possible for Inhumans to find redemption. It wouldn't be the first time that a Marvel show has overcome a slow start to become a success, after all.
Related: Inhumans Ratings Hit Season Low
A Royal Mess
Before looking at how Inhumans could save itself, it's important to understand where it went so very wrong in the first place. One of the biggest issues that Inhumans has is its small budget, which means CGI that just doesn't meet audience standards for superhero shows. Medusa's (Serinda Swan) terribly-animated hair was one of the biggest issues that fans had with the premiere, but this was far from the only example of poor effects putting a downer on the first episodes. In addition, the bizarre decision to release the first two episodes as an IMAX event meant that these effects were impossible to overlook. Poor CGI on a TV screen is one thing. Poor CGI on a massive screen designed to magnify every frame? Disastrous.
In addition to the awful effects, the opening episodes had some other issues with the overall appearance of the characters and the setting. Fans failed to connect with the costumes on Attilan, which felt clunky and poorly designed, and Attilan itself is far from the gorgeous advanced civilization that we expected. Instead, it is cold, harsh, and predominantly gray. Not exactly a world that viewers want to see more of.
Beyond the look of Inhumans, the characters themselves are also problematic. Unlike most superhero series, there is no clear hero and villain here. Maximus (Iwan Rheon) is intended as the villain, but he is possibly the most engaging character at the start and his desire to create a more equal civilization is laudable (although his methods are violent). In comparison, Medusa comes across as cold and imperious, Black Bolt (Anson Mount) is constantly angry, Karnak (Ken Leung) is robotic, and the most human of the Inhumans, Crystal (Isablle Cornish) and Gorgon (Eme Ikwuakor) get very little screentime. With an icy collection of Royals supporting a slave class, it's hard to find much empathy for the Inhumans at all.
The Humanity Of Inhumans
Thankfully, Inhumans does improve over the next few episodes. Since the series began, almost all of the major flaws have been dealt with. The amount of CGI needed drops hugely (especially after Medusa's head is shaved), and while Lockjaw-the-teleporting-dog is still not exactly cinematic quality, it's a lot easier to overlook the flaws when on a smaller screen and as a smaller part of each episode. The awkward costuming is also gone, replaced by human clothing that actually fits the cast and looks good. It's still not going to be known for stunning costumes (at least, not this season), but they are no longer a problem. The scenery has also changed. While there are a few scenes on Attilan, the majority of the action is set in Hawaii, which is, of course, stunning.
The biggest difference, however, is in the characters themselves. Black Bolt is still silent, and Medusa is still curt and imperious, but the other Inhumans have found their humanity. Crystal got an absolutely perfect moment in "Something Inhuman This Way Comes" as she was introduced to the idea of straightforward fun. It seems that Attilan isn't really a place where sheer enjoyment is encouraged, and there is certainly not enough water to go for a swim just for the sake of it. She begins to relax into her life as a regular young girl, and it's beautiful to watch. Karnak, though, is the one who goes through the biggest change. He, too, discovers the ocean and the pleasure of a simple dip, but he also really falls for a woman for the first time. He starts to cope with uncertainty as his powers are damaged, and his robotic demeanor is softened. With the first season now nearing its close, the audience is finally starting to root for the Royal Family.
The Agents of SHIELD Effect
With Inhumans is improving significantly, fans are hoping that the word will get out and that Inhumans will get the chance to continue to get better over a second series. It wouldn't be the first time that Marvel has managed an impressive turn around, either; just look at Agents of SHIELD.
While Agents of SHIELD is heading into its fifth season, and has had a great past couple of seasons, the early days of Agents of SHIELD were a little bit rocky. The first season was mind-numbingly slow to start (a problem exacerbated by repeated hiatuses), and fans complained that it felt like Agents of SHIELD was treading water. The reason for this was, of course, that they were right. Agents of SHIELD was waiting for the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which would reveal that Hydra had co-opted the agency. This was a central plot point for Agents of SHIELD, and once it was revealed in the film, things could really get going on the small screen. While Agents of SHIELD improved vastly (especially in terms of pacing) by the second season, it still took some time to get really good. However, by the time Ghostrider was introduced in season 4, Agents of SHIELD had definitely found its feet.
Of course, this doesn't mean that it wasn't difficult for Agents of SHIELD to overcome the negative response to the first season or two, but it does show that Marvel has experience with taking a mediocre start and turning it into something fantastic. A great start would obviously have been better, but should Inhumans continue, it could manage the same kind of turnaround that the earlier Agents of SHIELD did so well.
Is It Too Late?
Although Agents of SHIELD managed to turn things around, there are a few issues with redeeming Inhumans. A major difference between these two Marvel slow-starts is that Inhumans has significantly more competition than Agents of SHIELD did. Back in 2013, when Agents of SHIELD first aired, superhero TV series were a rarity, and the only real competition was Arrow (which started in 2012). In 2017, superhero TV is big business; the CW is home to an entire universe of shows (and is adding more each season), Gotham introduced the Batman mythology to the small screen, Marvel has an interconnected universe on Netflix, and even the X-Men have started to make their way onto television with Legion and The Gifted. More shows are on the way, as well, creating a situation where fans may be much less patient with a less-than-stellar show. Even if Inhumans becomes fantastic in a second season, this might not be enough to tempt viewers back when they have so many more options to watch.
Even the Marvel name doesn't have the draw it did five years ago. Hardcore fans are still willing to watch anything with the Marvel name attached, but more casual viewers may have given up on staying up to date on the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe since it has become so incredibly big. Should Inhumans cross over with the MCU, or start to directly impact it, that could draw fans back... but it doesn't look like that is on the cards.
Given that the best elements of Inhumans come from seeing the characters here on Earth, it's redemption will have to involve some big changes. Should the Royal Family return to Attilan, Inhumans will lose what it does best, but should they (or some of them, at least) choose to stay in Hawaii, that could be the best thing for it. A crossover with Agents of SHIELD would also potentially be a good move for Inhumans, especially as the two deal with the same basic mythology and are done in the same style. With two episodes left to go in season 1, Inhumans does have a chance to keep improving, and if it manages a fantastic finale and a solid season 2 opener, this may not be the end of the line for the Attilan Royals after all.