‘Secret Invasion’ Season 1, Episode 2 Review
by Frank Martin
There’s something about Secret Invasion that just feels awkward and clunky. So far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) has primarily been a supporting character. Secret Invasion has changed that. Also, it’s telling a story about Fury at the end of his game. Jackson might be a little slow to move given his age, so it’s hard to depict him as an action-packed spy. Then again, that’s playing largely into the story. This is happening alongside the larger plot of a Skrull invasion. The show tries hard to balance these two narratives. The second episode certainly gives more than the first, but it still has a ways to go to rival the comic book from which it was based.
After a short flashback, the second episode picks up roughly where the first left off. The Skrulls successfully bombed Moscow and the Americans are being blamed for it. Fury is essentially on the run as the main suspect. This is when Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) also reveals that every Skrull has come to Earth and has been in hiding because they still lack a homeworld. Meanwhile, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) enacts a coup within the Skrull leadership. He’s named general and now has all of the Skrull forces that have infiltrated Earth at his command. Then we get a bit of a cliffhanger as it’s revealed that Fury is married to a Skrull.
While the basic idea of the Skrull invasion is taken from the comics, many elements of the plot are left out. This is understandable given the different natures of the MCU and the comics universe. But still, there are a lot of cool details from the comics that could translate over. This was almost hinted at when the Avengers were brought up in the Skrull meeting and Gravik said that he wasn’t worried. Also, this is a different type of Fury than has traditionally been seen in the comics. He has always been portrayed as the ageless hero, so he’s never been really explored as the aging spy trying to stay in the game. These are interesting paths that the show should continue to go down, but the jury is still out on whether or not the show is a MCU success.
Secret Invasion streams Wednesdays on Disney+.