Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest “Into The Deep”
Tiger Shark asking T’Challa “Do you believe in dragons?” was unbearably cool.
I love Shuri trying to make T’Challa thank her for being wonderful. Of course, he declines.
“For a Panther, you sure are impatient.” Is that a thing? Are panthers actually known as patient? I was not aware that particular wild animal had been psychologically deconstructed in that particular manner. Alternatively, it could just be a really badly written line. Alas, I believe it is the latter.
And you know what? Even if that line is badly written, the rest of the episode wasn’t. It’s been hinted by the producers that this season is going to be better written than the others, and supposedly better than the other Marvel shows of this era. And I can see it already. It’s not amazing yet, but Shuri’s scene with Atuma was all kinds of amazing for all kinds of reasons.
Shuri is definitely a better diplomat than T’Challa, which is making me rethink the whole “Black Panthers must fight for their crowns” thing, and makes me find it even more ill-advised than I already did. T’Challa is doing and saying everything wrong. He’s acting like an aristocratic royal, instead of a politician. If it wasn’t for the besting in battle rule, Shuri should and would be queen of Wakanda. She is much better at the personal politics than her brother, and that ultimately turned out to be more important here (and the thing that actually avoided a war.)
She’s canny enough to ask Atuma to dance, and when he disgustedly dismisses the idea because he seems to find the notion frivolous, her face lights up and she says, “Oh! A first-timer!” That was brilliant. She framed it in a way that made the dance sound more enticing and exciting than it probably was. And that’s the value of Shuri. And while T’Challa is telling Atuma about what he “Must do”, he’s forgotten that Atuma doesn’t answer to him. And Shuri knows being nice and using flattery is how you get Atuma to listen. Atuma says Shuri speaks plainly and honestly. No, Shuri just isn’t trying to fill his head with contradictory conspiracy theories that are impossible to sort out in the moment. She simplified the situation by merely using common sense and making common cause with Atlantis. They can hash out the rest when the smoke clears.
For the record, the Wakandan Ambassador might have been able to win and blow up Atlantis if he hadn’t shown his cards when he did. The precise moment to set off the bomb was when T’Challa and Shuri were taken into custody with their insane allegations against Atuma’s old friend, and out of Atuma’s eyesight. But doing it in front of Atuma, and with T’Challa and Shuri still on the gameboard, he just gave them a chance to stop him.
I doubt Tony will be very happy with Cap for the notion of Black Panther as a Secret Avenger. Honestly, I’m a little tired of Black Panther quitting the Avengers every single time there is the slightest bit of friction. Did I mention he was REALLY bad at the politics thing, and that Shuri should be queen? Because if he WAS smart, he wouldn’t be always alienating people who he’ll obviously need help from to take down the Shadow Council.
Tony very notably does NOT call Black Panther “Buddy” here. Not once.
It strikes me that this is less of a fifth season of Avengers Assemble, and more of an actual spin-off, but not one of those tenuous other shows supposedly in the same Marvel Universe canon. This new season strikes me as a legitimately different show, that legitimately follows the rest of the first four seasons of the Avengers show. But it doesn’t actually strike me as an Avengers show itself.
This episode was VERY promising. I am impressed. ****1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Into the Deep"
