(Spoilers!!!)
Previously on Secret Invasion, Nick Fury came out of retirement to investigate the ongoing situation with the Skrulls. He wasn’t the only one; Talos and Hill were up for the task. The problem was Fury wasn’t the same person after The Blip. People were getting paranoid about the dangers of humans being someone else. After 30 years of searching for a home, a good amount of Skrulls were getting tired of waiting. A new council member, Gravik, had gathered Skrulls and placed them in a nuclear plant base in Russia. A refuge and resistance. G’iah had fallen out of respect with her father, Talos. All he wanted to do was save his daughter from the wrong path. It was something her late mother would have wanted for G'iah. Fury met with an old friend, Sonya. He hoped for an ally, but she warned him about the bad consequences of getting involved. Fury, Hill, and Talos knew about the bombs at Vossoyedineniye Square from Fury’s sneaky tactics at Sonya’s place and G’iah giving Talos information. They thought everything would play out their way, but only chaos ensued. Gravik set off the bombs, and innocent people died. Very unexpectedly, Maria Hill was part of those that died. She had been by Fury’s side for decades. A heartbreaking moment that will live in his head forever. This fight can’t be for nothing. The invasion needs to be stopped.
Episode Two:
Nick Fury’s first encounter with the Skrulls was in 1995. Carol Danvers and Fury promised the Skrulls a home. The threat soon blossomed into a friendship. These events happened in the origin of Captain Marvel. Strangely enough, Danvers was never shown in the recap. Fast forward two years later, Fury and Talos met with a few Skrulls. One of them was Gravik, a determined genius Orphan. Nick wanted to form a group that would be his eyes and ears to protect Earth. Talos put his whole life on Fury. He believed him with no hesitation. Fury promised he wouldn’t stop until the Skrulls could live in peace. Everyone in the room vowed to help him. Now in the present day, Gravik calmly maneuvered through the distressed crowd and left the bombing scene with G’iah. Fury was still holding Hill when he was snatched by Talos disguised as a bodyguard, so they could leave without getting questioned. A Skrull in his human shell was taken by other folks. Most likely Sonya’s men. On a train, Russian soldiers looked for Fury. Talos kept him hidden, though. Nick was having a hard time, and it was about to get worse. A little game called Tell Me Something I Don’t Know broke the ice. He knew of the destruction of Skrullos, but he didn’t know about the million Skrulls living among humans. Talos had no choice. Either he walked his people into death, or he placed them on Earth for safety. Fury was gone for five years, and there wasn’t any hope of those coming back in time. Talos had to make the call. He wanted to find a way for humans and Skrulls could coexist. Humans barely coexist with each other, though. Fury didn’t know how to comprehend the truth. A few Skrulls can be handled but millions? The planet could be overthrown. The two parted ways.
Maria Hill was given her respect. Hill’s mother wanted the truth from Fury. How was her daughter killed? Fury told her what he was allowed to share. Maria died because people wanted to hurt him. Because of him, this lady had to bury her daughter six feet under. Fury cannot let this be for nothing. News broadcast the events in Moscow that left 2,000 dead. Top officials around the world voice their opinions. America could be at war with Russia. G’iah took Gravik to the council meeting. Similar faces were just seen on TV. Around the table were high official government heads, who were also Skrulls. You couldn’t tell by the way they were consumed by human culture. Some found Gravik’s actions distasteful. War wasn’t the solution. Gravik held a grudge for decades; a promise not fulfilled yet meant abandonment. No matter what, he will find a way to hurt Fury and take what he and his people were owed. All but one agreed to make Gravik the Skrull General. War made them refugees; she cannot see her people go through that again. The one sister, who opposed, was given the chance to leave peacefully. Fortunately, she contacted Talos about the change in rank. Talos knew he had to meet Gravik soon before it was too late.
G’iah had a questionable expression. There is no telling if she is really for or against Gravik. She followed Pagon into a lab. Two scientists were building a machine, but the capabilities were unknown. The time wasn’t right for it to be used, either. In Washington D.C., Rhodey found himself seated in front of many foreign nations to discuss the events in Moscow. Fury needed to be held accountable for what he allegedly did. Rhodes tried to defend Fury. No solid proof meant no detainment. After the stressful meeting, another one was about to start. Fury and Rhodes met for a quick talk. 2,000 heads were lost, and Fury’s face was all over it. Rhodes had a tight space to work in. There’s a bigger threat that people are missing, but they can’t know about it. Rhodey had encountered Skrulls before. He was positive no invasion was possible. That wasn’t the case, though. No Avengers help because they could be seen as terrorists in a matter of minutes. This fight was for Fury alone. Rhodey fought it to be insulting. He wasn’t willing to help a brother out if Fury didn't allow help either. The conversation was heavier, but it was worth seeing rather than reading. Rhodey was mainly there to fire Fury. It wouldn’t matter because even if Fury’s out, he’s always in. Although Fury looked unbothered, he was feeling broken more than ever.
Elsewhere, at a butcher shop, Sonya met with one of the men carrying the decoy bombs. She wanted information about Gravik’s plan. He wouldn’t let up, so torture was the play. She proved he was a Skrull by cutting his finger. Didn’t see that coming! Back in New Skrullos, G’iah researched the scientists behind Gravik’s machine. They had some interesting DNA samples from Groot, Frost Beast, Cull Obsidian, and Extremis! Super-Skrull coming or Super-Skrulls? Gravik, G’iah, Pagon, and Beto went to return Brogan from Sonya. After some more torture, Brogan didn’t reveal their compound location, but he did tell her about the machine. Gravik and Pagon entered quietly and then fought brutally. Sonya escaped just in time. Brogan lied about spilling any beans. Gravik had his doubts, especially when their safe location was blown. It was enough for him to pull over the car and let Pagon take care of business. Gravik’s calmness about killing made him ruthless. He doesn’t care how many Skrulls live to see the Earth as their own. G’iah, on the other hand, felt ruined. She looked the same way Talos did after Fury killed one of the Skrulls. They don’t want to lose their people, even for the greater good. Varra, one of the first Skrulls who vowed to help Fury, was shown making dinner. She also introduced Fury to Gravik. Nick walked into her home, but she changed to her human shell before Fury saw her. This wasn’t a get-together to find out more information on the Skrulls. This was a moment for a married couple to reunite once again. How lovely.
Final Thoughts:
Before discussing my favorite and jaw-dropping moments, I have to discuss the discord of the series. As I stated before, the reception has been mixed. Some love it, others hate it. They find it to be boring, but I don’t get it. This show has been grounded and for a fantastical world, more realistic. The vibes of Captain America: Winter Soldier and Black Widow are there. It feels real. It’s one of the reasons I’m enjoying it as much as I am. There might be a lot of exposition rather than action, and I’m okay with that. I felt the same way for Moon Knight because these shows have a bigger grab to them than actions. For this particular episode, it was the conversations Fury had with Talos and Rhodey. Those were my favorite scenes because they were written and acted so well. You feel the emotions deep in your skin. You sometimes forget these individuals are acting. It might sound like I’m hyping it up too much, but I don’t think so, especially not in those two scenes. The conversation between Fury and Rhodes left me saying wow, this stuff is good. Like really good. Two jaw-dropping moments in the episode were the development of a possible Super-Skrull or Skrulls. I appreciate the way they’re going about it, too. Instead of using the Fantastic Four’s abilities, they’re pulling from powers already seen in the MCU. Groot is from the Guardians. Frost Beast is from Thor’s world. Cull Obsidian was a child of Thanos. His arm was kept after Wong cut it off. The Extremis is from Iron Man’s world. It’s always nice pulling from older films. I see it as Groot = Mr. Fantastic, Frost Beast = Invisible Woman, Cull Obsidian = The Thing, and Extremis = Human Torch. I think Gravik will get all the powers to be THE Super-Skrull, while other chosen ones are given one power set. I’m curious how Fury handles them because he can’t do it alone. He’ll need backup, for sure. The last scene wasn’t that startling. I mean, yes. It was surprising, but I could see Fury hooking up with a Skrull or two. Getting tied down with one, though, is wild. She did turn back into her human shell before he walked in, so the question is, does he know? I don’t think he would be mad mad about it, but I’m sure he would be shocked. It’s too big to be kept a secret, especially from a partner. To end the discussion, I still think Rhodey is a Skrull. Something is up with that man, or I am being paranoid, too. Haha. We’ll continue with paranoia in the next episode!
Hello there! I’m happy you took the time out of your day to read my post. Remember, if you have any questions or want to have a discussion, leave a comment! Till next time comic folks! Happy days and take care!