Finally saw Black Panther yesterday. It is by no means terrible, but frankly I'm really not a fan of films where much of the central plot only happens because central characters inexplicably do something senseless. Especially not when two different characters both do it.
First senseless thing is the lie about Prince N'jobu's death. T'Chakka ordered him to present himself to the council for judgment for his crimes - a clear indicator that they knew what he had done. His sudden death might have looked suspicious, but the king killed the prince to protect the life of the spy who had evidence of the prince's crimes; that's sufficient for a "self defense" claim on its own, and the evidence thus preserved would help T'Chakka's claim that he was executing a traitor if he chose to say that. They might have chosen to leave the young Kilmonger anyway, but there was no reason for the lie at all, and definitely no reason to leave the kid behind in service to the lie.
It would have been much more interesting if my proposed changes had been made, and they still left Kilmonger because T'Challa hadn't been born yet, and thus wouldn't be the presumptive heir. But that would require a different writing team.
The second senseless thing involves T'Challa and the rhino farmer guy. That guy really wants Klaue dead, and is hopeful when T'Challa sets out after him. T'Challa's team catches him, and Kilmonger helps him break out - and during this sequence, T'Challa becomes aware of Kilmonger's existence and of his father's inexplicable lie.
Upon return to Wakanda, rhino farmer guy asks about Klaue, and what does T'Challa say? Does he say "We caught him, and we were interrograting him when some armed men broke him free"?
No. He says "He slipped through our fingers." Rhino farmer guy gets pissed, and he gets pissed because what T'Challa says sounds like he just didn't try hard enough to catch Klaue. Such that when Kilmonger shows up with Klaue's body, rhino farmer guy is much more interested in what he has to say.
Which brings us to the final senseless thing: why, when Kilmonger shows up in the throne room, does T'Challa not derail him by asking "Why did you help Klaue escape my team in Korea?" It would be one thing if T'Challa didn't know that it was the same guy - but one of the biggest reasons he returns to Wakanda sans Klaue is because he wants to confront the spy about the guy wearing his grandfather's ring. Kilmonger is in possession of said ring. T'Challa knows its the same guy, and he could win back his lost rapport with rhino farmer guy by pointing out that Kilmonger helped Klaue escape in the first place.
Kilmonger might still have been able to challenge for the throne and win, but he would not have had anyone's enthusiastic support as king.