TV Review | Secret Invasion (Episode 4: Beloved)

“Secret Invasion keeps surprising its audience as any great spy thriller would. This week’s episode is quite a shocker. It’s an intense episode that also heavily relies on the emotional pathos.”

We’re already more than halfway through Secret Invasion with only 2 episodes left. Usually, the fourth episode of Marvel’s 6-episode series have been real shockers, so is this one continuing the trend?

REVEALS

(L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ *SECRET INVASION*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.

Last week’s episode ended with Gravik shooting Gi’ah giving us the impression that she was dead. It’s been one week of painful waiting to figure out if Gi’ah is alive. The writers sure know how to keep us on the edge of our seats. Indeed, the series keeps the tension running, you never know what is going to happen. It keeps surprising its audience in all the good ways. This is how you recognize a great spy thriller. This week’s episode may be the shortest so far but it is quite a shocker with some interesting reveals that keep spicing things up. It’s a rollercoaster from the beginning to the very end of the episode. With only two episodes left, I am excited to see how it all ends. But one thing is sure, it won’t be without consequences.

Moreover, this is the second Marvel series (the first one being What If) that has an opening credits in every episode. And I love this, we should have this more often. Opening credits adds a little something to any series.

FURY AND PRISCILLA

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ *SECRET INVASION*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.

Beyond the tensions ramping up, this episode also heavily relies on the emotional pathos. In fact, this episode brings Fury and Priscilla’s relationship to a stalemate. The two share a scene that is deeply touching, the acting is really outstanding. On top of that, Ali Selim has a skillful eye for directing. The way he films his actors and their surroundings really help creating this dramatic atmosphere. And it’s the same with Talos and the storyline about his daughter. Whether it’s Talos or Fury, both characters are facing an emotional weight.

WAR IS COMING

(L-R): Dermot Mulroney as President Ritson and Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in Marvel Studios’ *Secret Invasion*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

Furthermore, the last part of the episode is action-packed. It is a visceral sequence that really is the turning point of the series. After the tensions of a Cold War, now we get to the aggressive negotiations as Padmé would call it. It’s really intense. What happens in that sequence is going to have consequences in the remaining episodes. And that’s what it is all about. It’s not about bringing up an action sequence because it’s an MCU series but because this sequence is going to have repercussions for the entire story. It shows that the writers helming these series know what they are doing. With such a sequence, the ending had to be a shocking one. Indeed, it ends in true Secret Invasion fashion and it is going to be a long week to wait until the next episode!

VERDICT

Secret Invasion keeps surprising its audience as any great spy thriller would. This week’s episode is quite a shocker. It’s an intense episode that also heavily relies on the emotional pathos.