(Spoilers!!!)
Well, guys, we’re back with Secret Invasion Ep. 3 and 4! I’m sorry about the double feature in this newsletter. I had typed half of episode three, then got terribly sick. I had no energy to finish, and I’m barely recovering from my sickness. I decided I didn’t want to get too far behind, so I combined episodes three and four. With that being said, let’s take a look at where our protagonists stand. In 1997, Fury promised a group of Skrulls a home if they helped him protect Earth. Gravik was in the room, and decades later, he held a grudge against Fury. Earth will be theirs with him as General Skrull. In the present day, a million Skrulls roamed the Earth without Fury knowing. Talos kept it a secret, hoping Fury wouldn’t mind after all they had done for him, but he did mind. They went their separate ways. It kept getting worse for Fury after he met with a suspicious Rhodey. He was fired. Sonya was able to get information out of Brogan. There’s a machine Gravik will use to make Skrulls stronger. G’iah felt unsure of her place in the resistance. Will she turn completely? Fury felt down and destroyed. So many bad things had happened to him. He needed to go home. It wouldn’t be a home without his love, Priscilla. With love in the air, hopefully, there is a break from horrible events.
Episode 3:
The Council joined Gravik in New Skrullos’ laboratory, and he informed them about Pagon, Beto, and a third Skrull on their way to infiltrate the Royal Navy. Gravik’s plan involved targeting a U.N. member to make a bigger uproar. If he succeeded, humans would be at war with each other. During the war, Skrulls will take advantage of multiple nations’ defenseless homes and conquered Earth. With their new machine, it will become easier to take over. No one will be able to touch Super-Skrulls. Or that’s at least what Gravik thinks. In 1998 in New York City, Fury met Varra with her new human shell, Priscilla. She was one of the first refugees who left their colony. Varra also introduced Gravik to Fury. Now in the present day, Priscilla was happy to see Fury. It was a difficult time for her given that she lost him twice. She mourned him during the Snap, then he decided to leave for space after the Blip. Fury was never the same. Priscilla found herself again. The person she was before meeting Nick Fury. Fury questioned whether she was on his or Gravik’s side. In New Skrullos, Gravik suspected G’iah of treason. He had Brogan killed because of his betrayal. Will he do the same to G’iah? The two traveled to London to meet Talos at a National Art Gallery. Gravik slipped out information about the U.N. plane and its coordinates. As soon as he left, G’iah sent the info to an unknown person. Talos warned Gravik about the dangers of humans when they’re threatened. He won’t just lose a home, but his people too. And if he didn't stop, Talos planned to tell everyone who the common foe was. He wanted humans to know the difference between real Skrulls and Gravik’s sickness. Gravik’s first mention of G’iah angered Talos. He laid off of him when everyone around him turned in Gravik. He had followers everywhere. That didn’t stop him when he mentioned her name again. Talos put a butter knife through his hand that time. It didn’t matter because his new Extremis power sealed the cut easily. Talos dropped his phone, which looked similar to G’iah’s.
Fury met Talos in London. Both are still disgusted by their last interaction. Fury informed Talos of a Skrull high in the U.S. government. He needed help, but he would only get it if he embarrassed himself. He knew the threat of this matter, and he does it. The coordinates were a submarine. The resistance had already infiltrated it. The next step was launching a strike at a U.N. delegation. Fury called Sonya to tell her about his plan. She was busy dealing with problems, so she couldn’t meet them. Sonya was about to give them the name of the captain manning the submarine, Robert Fairbanks. On their way to Fairbanks’ house, Fury and Talos disputed about their 30-year relationship. Fury claimed to clean their mess up every time, but Talos claimed their worth was far bigger. All the spy work they did for Fury to become who he was at S.H.I.E.L.D was too much for no thanks in return. The stealth plan was blown quickly, so Fury and Talos shot their way in. Fairbanks already relayed the message. They tried to negate the order, but Fairbanks kept stalling. He ridiculed Talos, and it was enough for him to shoot him. Time was ticking. Talos called G’iah for the termination password. Alarms went off for a breach at New Skrullos. G’iah used the real Fairbanks’ memories to find out the password and gave it to Talos. The strike was stopped, and G’iah had to escape fast. Gravik caught her, though. The strike wasn’t as important as finding the mole. He told her to run back, but G’iah stood tall. She faced him and asked whether he’ll be their savior or worst enemy. Gravik shot her. Priscilla left home to open a vault at the bank. All she found was a gun. She received a call from a familiar voice. Priscilla wanted to speak with Gravik. She is asked to meet somebody at St. James Church in an hour. A double agent?
Episode 4:
No need to wait for G’iah’s return. She used the machine to turn herself into a Super-Skrull moments before Gravik shot her. Back in 2012, Fury visited Priscilla in Paris after his heroic role in the Battle of New York. Priscilla had no doubt he led the team to the win. He was indestructible and bold. She shared a compassionate poem from Raymond Carver's Late Fragment. It played out beautifully. Priscilla met with Rhodey at a church. Yes, it was his voice. The sudden turn against Fury made it very obvious what was to come. Either way, Rhodey demanded Priscilla kill Fury. Gravik needed this to happen. She opposed the idea because this isn’t the same Fury. He was weak and no threat to their plan. It didn’t matter. Either he was dying, or she was. Fury planted a device on Varra and heard everything. He was devastated. She was his beloved. Talos met with G’iah. She had turned on the resistance but with no regrets. She needed to know what the plan was now. Talos believed Skrulls had no leverage. If they stopped Gravik, they would be stopping WWIII from happening. That would be enough for the President of the United States to give them refuge. It may not be enough for them to walk the Earth as their true selves, though. G’iah found that as a problem. She wanted to walk freely in her own skin. She felt Talos was being delusional and left. Fury confronted Priscilla at their home. All these years of thinking to himself to stop what he was doing with her, he never listened to his head. He followed through with his heart. She may have been his greatest mistake, but he would do it all over again. Priscilla shared the story of the real Dr. Priscilla. On her deathbed, she permitted Varra to use her face under three conditions. She held her promises, but the last condition was never hurting Fury. They recited Carver's Late Fragment in unison. Both shot at each other as they said the last word in the poem. Both missed. It proved both loved one other more than it seemed—a touching moment for what possibly could be their last interaction.
It turned Rhodey was a Skrull! The question was, for how long? He was surprised to see Fury in his room. He wanted to make amends with a drink, but Fury was really there trying to catch Rhodes slip on his identity. Rhodey must have played this role for years because he had a counter for everything. Fury wanted a clean slate and his job back, but Rhodey showed him footage of Gravik in Fury’s body shooting Hill. There wasn’t a clear way of beating that in court, so Fury couldn’t move a muscle legally. Rhodes got him again. Gravik’s new plan was must more problematic. The Skrulls, posing as Russians, attacked President Ritson on his way to his meeting with the British Prime Minister. Rhodey gave them their location, and chaos ensued. They hit the President pretty hard, but he lived. Fury and Talos were near the attacks and rushed to help. There was no sight of fresh air. Rockets and bullets scattered the area. The Skrulls continued to play as Russians while Fury and Talos tried to protect the President. Talos used his strength to break the window. Pagon shot him, but it didn’t stop him. Talos will get his chance at freedom. In a hybrid of human and Skrull form, he continued smashing the hard glass until he freed Ritson. Fury took the President to his vehicle while Talos, in his full Skrull shape, was helped by a US soldier. It wasn’t just a soldier, and Fury knew it. It was Gravik. He stabbed Talos straight in the heart. Fury shot Gravik in the face, but it did absolutely nothing. He healed instantly. The Skrulls took off as soon as more backup arrived. Fury left to get Ritson to safety. All while Talos’ body lay on the pavement. As if a 30-year relationship never existed.
Final Thoughts:
One thing I hate about having short seasons is the pacing. There are two episodes left, and it feels like there is so much story left to tell. Secret Invasion could be multiple seasons with seeds planted in movies. It may be too much to ask since this is a self-contained story. I’m enjoying it so far for what it is, but at least make it longer. Another thing that irritates me is the cliffhangers are ruined at the beginning of each episode. Imagine binge watch this series. The excitement would be lost quickly. Luckily, it’s a weekly series right now. Episode three was okay, but episode four was much better. One of my favorite scenes was Priscilla and Fury at the table to settle their issue. I think it was the beautiful poem Priscilla shared in 2012, and how their love felt real. Neither wanted to pull the trigger directly at the other. My favorite scenes involved two people speaking to each other. It’s great what good writing could do, amirite? They revealed Rhodey as a Skrull, and I’m pretty sure it was a female Skrull. Pretty interesting. I hope he recently became a Skrull. The moments he had in previous films kind of feel pointless if he was in disguise. I 100% believe he was made a Skrull because a hero had to be one. I wonder where G’iah will be at the end of the series. She doesn’t want to be on Gravik’s or Talos’ side. Will she start her own group for what she believes in? I loved the action in the final battle. The sequences were spectacular. I was really impressed. Aside from that, it was great seeing Talos save the President. If only G’iah was there to see her father become a savior for their people. The makeup and CGI for the half-Skrull/human were incredible. I hate how Fury left him alone. What was the reason behind that? He could have saved him, and he was proof that some Skrulls are good allies. I have no idea how Fury or Sonya will face Super Skrulls without a powerful ally. They seem to be indestructible! There is no way Captain Marvel makes an appearance since the story is too grounded for a cosmic being. I’m having a great time with the series. I’m intrigued to see how everything plays out.
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!