Let’s Talk about Secret Invasion Episode 1-5
Nick Fury just saved the President’s life, but it happened only after the spymaster learned that his friend James Rhodes, was a Skrull.
So, yeah, that’s a fair demonstration of how his Secret Invasion is going.
Will Fury’s cold streak continue? Let’s talk about Secret Invasion Episode 1-5, which won’t take long because I HATED it!
Did I Miss an Episode?
Image: Marvel
We start this episode with a Skrull rebellion – no, not that one.
All Gravik’s loyal soldiers are in open revolt over what just happened.
Specifically, the entire world just learned that shapeshifting aliens walk among us. Also, the President lived.
Image: Marvel
The sole purpose of the assault on the President’s caravan was the assassination. It failed.
The formerly loyal Skrulls are happy because their former leader, Talos, died in place of the President.
For his part, Gravik is livid that the President survived and blames his troops.
Image: Marvel
One of his confidantes blames him for assigning Varra to betray Fury, which anyone competent would have known she would never do.
Also, Gravik failed to kill Fury during the encounter. In short, he didn’t demonstrate great leadership in the previous episode.
Do you know what’ll fix that? Violence.
Image: Marvel
Yes, Gravik kills his top ally in plain sight of other Skrulls…and it won’t be the only time in the episode.
Gravik has just turned into a remorseless killing machine now, which makes him wholly uninteresting as a character.
Also, we already watched something similar with Karli in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Anyway, for whatever reason, Gravik blames Varra for his self-owns. He instructs his minions to kill her…but not before telling them they don’t matter.
Gravik would do well as a Wall Street CEO.
Still, throughout this entire segment, I’m confused more than anything.
Image: Marvel
We hadn’t witnessed a single sign of discontent on New Skrullos. Now, the entire compound has lost faith in Gravik.
I haven’t seen a fanbase quit on somebody this quickly since Mark Sanchez butt-fumbled.
Change of Plans
Image: Marvel
Apparently, the Skrull masquerading as James Rhodes didn’t hear about the rebellion. She is still quite loyal to Gravik.
Otherwise, she’d rightfully hang up on his phone call and block his number.
I say this because Gravik calls with impossible instructions about how to proceed.
Image: Marvel
Gravik wants the Skrull to save the President less than an hour after requesting his assassination.
Also, the new instructions call for fake Rhodes to reveal the location of New Skrullos and that it’s allied with the Russians.
This strategy will lead to an attack on New Skrullos, which is what Gravik wants. That dude takes a peasant revolt hard.
Image: Marvel
Once the Skrull reaches the hospital, Nick Fury is there waiting and points a gun at him.
Before that, Fury warned the semi-conscious President not to trust Rhodes. Did the President hear him? Who knows. It’s that kind of episode.
We do learn that fake Rhodes has leaked the video of fake Fury (aka Gravik) murdering Maria Hill.
Image: Marvel
I’m cracking up at the thought of how a newsroom would handle this information.
First, a shapeshifting alien and Nick Fury save the President. An hour later, they receive a video of Fury killing a famous ally of The Avengers.
Image: Marvel
Wouldn’t one of the people idly wonder if maybe shapeshifting was involved with the latter event? I guess we’re not supposed to think about that.
Fury is officially wanted by the law…and I mean pretty much every law force on the planet.
He Was a Skrull?
Image: Marvel
We cut to Tony Curran as…somebody. Technically, he appeared in a grainy video in the first episode, but this is…weird.
We’re talking about one of the best actors in the world…absolutely wasted in Secret Invasion.
I say this because Sonya Falsworth shows up at his office, shoots him in the knee, and then kills him.
Image: Marvel
These actions carry virtually zero emotional resonance because we don’t even know the character. He’s Falsworth’s boss, which we learn through context.
I dunno. Somebody might have said it during the first episode or earlier in the episode as well, but it’s lazy.
Anyway, the character we don’t know is a Skrull, and Falsworth kills him, thereby becoming the official Nick Fury of Great Britain. Congrats?
Image: Marvel
Back at the Skrull compound, the revolt finds newfound momentum. Remember the Skrull who showed up at the gate in the first episode?
Yeah, he decides that Gravik is “nothing but a monster” and attempts to kill the villain. Other Skrulls help, and, well, they’re all dead now.
If you’re a Skrull and survived this episode, consider yourself one of the lucky ones.
Image: Marvel
Speaking of which, G’iah meets with Nick Fury in a quick scene to remind us that she’s not her father.
Fury informs her that he’s leaving for Finland, which happens to be where the tomb of the unknown S.H.I.E.L.D agent is.
For her part, G’iah chooses violence and heads to Varra’s house. Don’t worry, they’re a team now.
Image: Marvel
Oddly, they reintroduce themselves, which makes no sense since we learned in the series premiere that Varra helped the children, including G’iah.
Maybe Skrulls cannot tell anything about one another when they’re in non-Skrull form?
Anyway, the ladies get into a gunfight, which they win. Congrats!
Setting the Table for a Big Finish
Image: Marvel
Elsewhere, Sonya Falsworth is off having her own grand adventure.
She has finally tracked down the husband/wife Skrull science team and proceeds to torture them both.
The male half suddenly pulls a gun on his wife in a desperation move. He then threatens to kill her, which causes Sonya to shoot him in the face.
Image: Marvel
Seriously, episode five is When the Skrulls All Die.
In Finland, Nick Fury disguises his face using S.H.I.E.L.D. tech and sneaks into the country.
There, he meets Sonya and leads her to a weapon cache. Fury is ready for the final battle.
Image: Marvel
So, he throws on his eye patch and girds for battle.
None of it makes a lick of sense, nor is it entertaining. This was a shockingly bad episode and quite possibly the worst Marvel episode on television to date.
Image: Marvel
I had enjoyed the first four episodes well enough, but the story collapsed this week. Hopefully, Marvel saves it next week. I have concerns, though.
This episode’s weaknesses are so glaring that I cannot help but think the behind-the-scenes turmoil at Marvel played a significant factor.
Image: Marvel
The storyline was haphazard, the action scenes felt forced, the editing was brutal, and at least three characters died without being fully fleshed out.
Secret Invasion needed to include several more episodes, and at a staggering price of $212 million, that should have been possible.
This episode likely hides a more engaging story about everything that went wrong during its filming.
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