The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

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T'Pau
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The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by T'Pau »

It's Marvel against Marvel, enhanced human with the X gene against human changed by terragenesis.

After watching both opening salvos in the last week, I have to give the edge to The Gifted. The plot started quickly right out of the gate, and kept you wanting to see more. Not a lot of information was given about these 'gifted' people, so I'm guessing they will be evolving that over the upcoming episodes. Taking place after Apocalypse and before Logan, the X-men are gone and the youth with the emerging X gene gifts, are being hunted down. It makes it a place where you really don't want to have special powers, as opposed to the X-men films where it would be cool to join the club and fight beside them. Another FOX product, I hope it makes it long enough to show us more.

Inhumans was a mess from the start. Geometric nonsense overshadowed the feel for Attilan, and the poor actors had wooden dialogue, terrible costumes, and an awful set to deal with. In the second hour, moving to Hawaii, it got better. Not by much, but better. Having a main character who cannot speak is a stretch, and the evil brother is playing his previous role on Game of Thrones (Ramsey Bolton) to a tee. The only saving grace, for me, was the outrageously adorable Lockjaw, the giant teleporting bulldog. CGI won the day with him, and it might be the only reason I will watch again.
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by stitch626 »

On The Gifted, the kids were believable. I work in a school and they were convincing to me as people. Thats a major point in their favor.
I understand what is going on in the universe and it fits in with the X-Men cinematic stuff just fine.
The story didn't feel dragging even during the slow bits.

My only specific complaint atm is that some of the powers are not entirely clear (like the captured gal who seemed to be using magnetics to move stuff, but then could move things with ease that would not be very magnetic).

Inhumans... I struggle to enjoy. Especially because it doesn't feel like it matches anything else out there universe-wise (even though Agents of Shield sucked at times, the regular references to event in the MCU helped it) and doesn't fill in many lore blanks.
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by Mikey »

I feel like Inhumans sort of got past someone... sort of like, "Oh shit, we're going to air in a week and I haven't got any shit done at all!" There's a lot of material there, and it seems that the show - the pilot, at least - was in such a huge rush to get to the action that we missed the build that a premiere usually comprises.

OTOH, that's precisely what The Gifted did well. While there was no defined "this is person x, this is a specific definition of his powers" moment, I believe that added to the "underground," misunderstood ambiance of mutantkind in the show's milieu. Also, Steven Moyer is great.
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by T'Pau »

2nd episode of Inhumans was better, surprisingly better. A bit more 'acting' for Black Bolt and some good fun for Medusa. Less Lockjaw, sadly, but when he was featured, I was happy! I did notice that he is featured in the opening title sequence, as his comic book self. Wonder if they knew he'd be the more interesting character from the get go?
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

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2nd episode of The GIfted continued at the same pace as the pilot...foot on the gas, go go go! Even in the scenes without crash boom action, there is still tension between characters that keep you watching. I'm increasingly optimistic about it's chances to get picked up for a second season, if FOX goes against it's norm to cancel good shows after one season.
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by Graham Kennedy »

One thing I'm confused about a little with Inhumans. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but...

The good guys of the show are the Inhumans royal family. The bad guy is Maximus, who wants to overthrow them.

The Inhumans society on the moon is a bunch of people who have been through Terragenesis and got cool powers. But if you come out without powers... you are thrown into the mines and forced to work there forevermore. Maximum gained popularity in part because he ended this situation.

So... the good guys were running a state that had a kind of caste-based slavery...? And Maximus is their Abe Lincoln?

Why are we meant to be rooting for the good guys again? In fact, why are they even considered the good guys? They were slave owners, and are fighting to restore an administration that supports slavery. Aren't they actualy the bad guys? Isn't Maximus actually right?
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by T'Pau »

Graham Kennedy wrote:One thing I'm confused about a little with Inhumans. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but...

The good guys of the show are the Inhumans royal family. The bad guy is Maximus, who wants to overthrow them.

The Inhumans society on the moon is a bunch of people who have been through Terragenesis and got cool powers. But if you come out without powers... you are thrown into the mines and forced to work there forevermore. Maximum gained popularity in part because he ended this situation.

So... the good guys were running a state that had a kind of caste-based slavery...? And Maximus is their Abe Lincoln?

Why are we meant to be rooting for the good guys again? In fact, why are they even considered the good guys? They were slave owners, and are fighting to restore an administration that supports slavery. Aren't they actualy the bad guys? Isn't Maximus actually right?
Maximus, while using the non-specialized Inhuman/Human population to support his overthrowing the kingdom, has tortured and murdered various other people and plans to hunt down his 'family' and murder them as well. So, yeah..still bad guy.

Should the way the moon is governed be changed after all the time they've been there? Yes, most likely. Someone will still have to work the mines (no idea what is being mined), and tackle other jobs that they are skilled to do, no matter their placement in society. Lots to work out, and not enough show to do it.
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by Mikey »

This is why having rushed through an unfocused premiere was a problem. Maximus is the bad guy not for ending the caste system, but because he only did so as an expedient means to assist his power grab. If allowed to play out, I’m sure Maximus’ junta will prove to be far more totalitarian and megalomaniacal than Black Bolt’s reign. Unfortunately the show’s clumsiness obscured that sitch.
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Re: The Gifted -vs- Inhumans

Post by Graham Kennedy »

I get that he's really interested in power and freeing the slaves is a means to that end. But it's still a weird story choice to me that the good guys are the ones leading a state which engages in one of the great evils of human history, which the bad guy ends. It's like finding that it was the Allies who were carrying out the holocaust in WWII... a WTF moment.
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