While the MCU’s shapeshifter stuffed spy series has more than fulfilled its quota for tense meetings, shock reveals and clandestine plots, one area where it’s struggling to find its identity is with the action sequences. So far, whenever the sneaky espionage stuff has had to give way to something louder and more explodier, Secret Invasion has failed to deliver – which is weird when you consider that large scale carnage is usually the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s forte.
However, with the fourth episode, the show is finally getting to flex its action muscles with a sizable set piece that sees our leads get entangled with helicopters, rocket launchers, Super Skrulls and even an honest to goodness President in peril. Can the show shift its nature from stealth to thunderous with all the dexterity of those feature shifting Skrulls?
It turns out that our suspicions last episode were bang on the money as in short order we are informed that James Rhodes is indeed a Skrull planted near the U.S. President in order to hasten a war between America and the Russians and he has quite a complicated mission for Nick Fury’s Skrull spouse, Priscilla – assassinate her husband post haste. However, it seems that Fury’s theories mirror our own as a handy bug confirms his wife’s duplicitous nature and despite the anguish the knowledge brings, it finally gets Fury a foothold to get some much needed intel.
Meanwhile, the cliffhanger the last episode left us with also proves to be less than honest as it’s revealed that G’iah didn’t actually succumb to the gunshot wound given to her by Skull leader Gravik after he discovered she was a mole for her father, Talos. Unbeknownst to everyone, G’iah had helped herself to Gravik’s machine that doles out superpowers like bubblegum machines give out candy. Armed with the self healing Extremis virus (thank you, Iron Man 3), she shrugs off her “fatal” wound and reports back to her dear old dad. However, she is dismayed to find that Talos’ plan to unite humans and Skrulls to be horribly naive, especially considering how direct Gravik’s invasion plan is.
Elsewhere, Fury has a couple of head to heads that have two very different outcomes, first with Priscilla and then with the Skrull portraying Rhodes. But while the showdown with his wife is an emotional one on one that sees honesty finally enter the conversation, the tête-à-tête with James is a smokescreen in order for Fury and Talos to figure out Gravik’s next move which turns out to be an out and out play for the visiting President that end in fire, blood and further tragedy.
Frustratingly, Beloved turns out to be something of a game of two halves as once again, Secret Invasion nails the relationships but fumbles the ball when it comes to paying everything of with a huge action sequence.
So let’s look at the quieter stuff first and as this episode hasn’t got much for Kingsley Ben-Adir to do apart from a spot of shooting and display only a couple of disappointingly isolated instances of Super Skrullism and it doesn’t even feature Olivia Coleman at all, Samuel L. Jackson is free and clear to dominate all the dramatics. His confrontation with Charlayne Woodard’s Priscilla (or should I say, Varra) is raw, especially seeing as the show also shows them bonding back in post-Avengers moment set in 2012. Once again, Jackson, relishes playing Fury at his most human, gently questioning his wife about her reasons and even who her human identity used to belong to. It’s powerful stuff and both actors sell the hell out of it right down to the shock ending where Nick doesn’t shoot his not-so-better half and even manages to reconcile with his would-be assasin. However, his meeting with “Rhodes” is an entirely different kettle of fish as it crackles with barbs, hidden threats and a very real sense of both participants dancing around each other, testing each other’s weaknesses and strengths while chatting about Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve bourbon. It’s a counterpoint to the earlier scene which saw Nick give up his vunerabilites and instead gives us the closest we’ve had to the Fury of old all season. Even better, he gets to do it with Don Cheadle who is more than capable of delivering his own withering comments with devastating results.
In comparison, a very important discussion between Talos and G’iah sort of melts into the background as the rebellious, younger Skrull essentially rejects her father’s Hope’s despite cashing in her chips with Gravik as a double agent. I’m kind of concerned that, for such a potentially vital character, Emilia Clarke is kind of being wasted a little as she hasn’t really had a chance to stand out so far except for having questionable skills in picking a side. None of her scenes have resonated much and even her greatly exaggerated death and resurrection didn’t have the impact you think it should. However, maybe the climax to the episode may lead to a change in that respect.
That’s right; after the episode ends with shooting and flames, we are treated to yet another shock death as Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos seemingly bites the bullet at the hands of Gravik. It should be an earth shattering moment, but the moment feels weirdly muted much in the same way that Maria Hill’s fatal shooting was fluffed by being being staged in an oddly flat fashion. It doesn’t help that the fraracas leading up to Talos’ fateful end feels kind of leaden even though numerous helicopters are blown out of the sky and cars are flipped like tiddlywinks. Jackson and Mendelsohn are fine actors, but the sight of them slowly huffing and puffing their way through oncoming fire looks faintly absurd. Even more unforgivable, the show is seemingly unwilling to loosen the purse strings to give the Super Skrull the entrance he deserves with Gravik only busting out a single, body crushing, Groot-like tendril and a quick healing face wound courtesy of Extremis. It’s hardly the grand unveiling of a foe that’s been bothering the Fantastic Four in comics for over sixty years and you can’t help but feel openly disappointed that we didn’t get a full showcase of Gravik’s abilities being unleashed upon a battalion of secret service guys.
It just seems that series director, Ali Selim, just can’t find that moment to push Secret Invasion over the top with the explosive payoff rarely living up to the emotional build up. I think that the most damning issue is that, for a show that’s outed two established MCU characters as Skrulls and killed off two more outright (so far), the show isn’t as surprising as I hoped it might be.
With two episodes left to air, there’s still everything to play for, but if Secret Invasion doesn’t find its feet soon, it’ll lose face rather than changing it.
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