TV Review | Secret Invasion (Episode 2: Promises)

“This second episode of Secret Invasion is a dialogue-driven riveting ride, tensions are rising as Fury is facing his biggest challenge.”

It’s Wednesday, so this means it’s time for our weekly MCU content. After a shocking series premiere, is Secret Invasion still living up to its premise?

DANGER IS EVERYWHERE

(L-R): Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ *Secret Invasion*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

Secret Invasion takes its time to tell its story. It is a proper spy thriller and as such, it slowly but surely builds the tension. It doesn’t go heavy with the action, instead it is dialogue-driven. This episode answers a lot of questions as to why so many Skrulls are here and why the Avengers are not involved in this crisis. It actually makes sense why Fury wouldn’t want our favorite superheroes involved. With the Skrulls, this is the biggest crisis he had to face. Indeed, it is impossible to tell who the enemy is and that makes them even more dangerous.

The situation is becoming more and more dire. Indeed, after Moscow’s attack Gravik is making his moves getting his troops ready for war while Fury is left alone to fight this threat. This episode is dialogue-driven but that doesn’t mean it is boring. Not at all, it is a riveting ride. Danger is everywhere, the series keeps building this paranoid atmosphere A lot is happening. Pieces are falling into place for the coming war against the Skrulls.

OLIVIA COLMAN

Like I said last week seeing Olivia Colman in the MCU isn’t something I thought I would see but it happened. And it is actually brilliant. Her playing an MI6 agent really feels like the right role for her. Her character Sonya Falsworth is a spy who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, she gets things done. There is a contrast between her actions and what Fury does in this episode. In a way, she is like the old Fury while Fury has changed and he isn’t that person anymore. She is definitely a compelling character. I didn’t expect any less for a character played by Colman.

RHODEY IS BACK

Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in Marvel Studios’ *Secret Invasion*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) made a brief appearance in the first episode but he gets more screentime in this episode. It’s good to have him back. More importantly, it is interesting to see more of the character outside the War Machine armor. Here, we see a different side of the character, one that we hadn’t seen since the Iron Man films. Colonnel Rhodes acts as a political man. So, he has to follow rules and a chain of command. He tries to stay in line and clean up the mess that Fury left rather than following him in his mission. This time, he is more of an adversary. There are clear tensions between him and Fury. I think it is quite exciting to see this because it puts the characters in difficult positions and it challenges them.

With Rhodey’s storyline, there is an important political plot that is connected to the overall Skrulls’ storyline. The MCU has often showed the American government as not the good guys. And this series continues to do that showing that the government think they are above the rest of the world. There is a scene in the episode with Rhodey speaking to the leaders of the European countries with a clear arrogance and disdain for them. We see an unstable world where peace is fragile.

VISUALS

Emilia Clarke as G’iah in Marvel Studios’ *SECRET INVASION*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.

Moreover, Captain Marvel featured a de-aged Nick Fury and it already looked great back then but the VFX team has once again leveled up their game for Secret Invasion. I seriously think it looks even better. That opening scene was really impressive. De-aging works just fine and I think Hollywood should keep using it whenever it is needed. It allows for the story to explore the past of a character or to further develop some aspects for a plotline. On top of that, the makeup and prothesis for the Skurlls are amazing. This series may not have big fights with superheroes but it still delivers on a visual level.

VERDICT

Secret Invasion is shaping up to be the MCU’s best series yet. This one goes full spy thriller with a different style and tone. The second episode is a dialogue-driven riveting ride, tensions are rising as Fury is facing his biggest challenge.