Secret Invasion’s finale was launched at the moment, and man, did it land flat on all factors. After a lackluster 5 episodes, I didn’t have excessive expectations for the Marvel Disney+ sequence’ sixth, however the round ending and failure to meaningfully interact in any emotional beats really left me chilly.
All Secret Invasion episodes have been directed by Ali Selim, and episode six, “Residence,” was written Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker.
We begin out the episode with the reiteration of Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) promise to search out the Skrulls a planet, which didn’t fucking occur—and a reminder that Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) was elected to Skrull Basic, which looks like it ought to imply one thing, however contemplating how so many Skrulls turned on him in episode 5, doesn’t appear to matter in any respect. We soar proper right into a home scene with Vaara-as-Priscilla (Charlayne Woodard) and Fury. She asks Fury if he’d have cherished her if she had appeared as a Skrull and wasn’t carrying a human pores and skin. Fury is noncommittal, and both he’s manipulating her or he’s a shit communicator, which is actually Fury’s modus operandi this whole sequence, if not throughout his whole lifecycle within the MCU.
Then we’re again in New Skrullos, as an empty automotive rolls in the direction of the doorway. Two Skrulls are taken out by Fury as he launches a one-man assault on New Skrullos, assuming Gravik is there? Which makes… no sense since america is acvitely planning a strike on New Skrullos and if I have been Fury I wouldn’t assume Gravik was hanging on the market as a result of like… what concerning the bluff? And wasn’t he simply in London with Vaara? Already, this isn’t including up.
Again in London, a laid-up President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney) will get Warfare Eagle recommendation from Raava-as-James “Warfare Machine’’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle), whereas a way more reasonable Navy Admiral tells Ritson that they don’t realize it’s the Russians, and “President Vladimov” has denied duty. Genuinely, Rhodey is getting determined, and it’s wild to show this beloved character into such an aggressive army totalitarian. If anybody didn’t realize it was Raava in there at this level, they certain do now. When Rhodes gave Ritson drafted “remarks” for the president to inform the American people, I totally misplaced it. This man is pulling shadow authorities shit and never even being delicate about it. You gotta give your self an out once you’re enjoying puppetmaster, Raava, that’s like lesson primary.
We’re again to Fury in New Skrullos, and he runs into the bloody scene of the put-down revolution. He’s additionally coughing, apparently due to radiation, however radiation doesn’t work like that except you’re stepping right into a reside nuclear reactor, so Fury stumbling round simply appears to be like goofy. Possibly it’s a pretense? Possibly this isn’t Fury in any respect? Suicide has by no means been Fury’s go-to plan, and whereas I don’t agree with Maria Hill’s (Cobie Smulders) evaluation in episode one which Fury doesn’t take dangers, this appears foolishly dangerous. I don’t purchase it! To not point out that people have actually gone into this facility as a part of the Skrull alternative program and so they appear to be doing fantastic. Granted they’re in stasis nevertheless it’s not like they’re in anti-rad pods or something. They’re nonetheless uncovered to the radiation. God, that is all so dumb.
Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman) calls Rhodes and tells him to get Ritson out of the hospital instantly. She’s so mad about Rhodes being a Skrull. Rhodes pulls Ritson to the highest ground and tells his safety staff to go searching, however they’re fairly successfully dispatched by an unknown gunman. To be sincere, Raava has been so aggressive the previous few episodes there’s merely no approach she survives.
However once more, fast reduce to Fury, who’s actually within the Tremendous Skrullification machine with Gravik. We get some backstory with Gravik, and I’ve to let you know that whereas I like Kingsley Ben-Adir, and I can see that he’s working so, so laborious to earn the Marvel Cash—completely performing his ass off—this materials is working him into the bottom, and it’s upsetting to look at an objectively nice actor try and squeeze blood from this stone of a script. Gravik screams about Fury’s failure, and like, I get it, he’s proper, however when are we going to get some accountability, as a result of I’m certain Gravik’s not going to ship?
Fury then admits that he knew throughout the first few years of looking that there can be no different planet for the Skrulls than Earth (infuriating!), and that Fury’s plan B after this realization was constructing a house for the Skrulls on Earth. After which the rationale he didn’t even try plan B is that “people suck.” Which, true, however god, that’s a shitty message, and nonetheless goes again to the truth that Fury mainly conscripted a bunch of aliens into his spy ring after which determined to gaslight them for years and allow them to rot in human skins. And we’re supposed to love this man? Fury then palms over the Harvest—this sequence’ shiny Macguffin that accommodates the DNA of all of Earth’s heroes and some intergalactic ones too.
So Fury makes an attempt to commerce the Harvest for Earth, which is just not an excellent deal. Particularly when there’s no bargaining chip, no go-between, simply… an previous sick man with nothing left to cover. Besides the truth that that is very doubtless not Fury in any respect, as Fury has carried out one factor persistently this whole sequence, which is play on the individuals who underestimate him… or whoever appears to be like like him proper now. Gravik inserts the vial into the machine; we see superhero names flit throughout the display screen, and thank god we’ve watched over 100 hours of the MCU at this level so we all know who all these characters areL Thanos, Thor, Hulk, Valkyrie, Winter Soldier, Captain Marvel, and a dozen extra I didn’t catch.
Gravik flips the change on the Tremendous Skrullification machine whereas Fury remains to be within it and really that is so suspect, they might not have been clearer about the best way that Gravik might be undone by his personal creation, very similar to Fury in a second of tried round storytelling. I’m already drained.
The machine turns off and we get full Skrull Gravik, who’s the beefiest Skrull I’ve ever seen, as a result of apparently getting superpowers has the identical unwanted effects that that they had again within the Forties when Steve Rogers turned superhuman. He instantly tries to kill Fury, however Fury fights again with powers after which, the reveal: it’s G’iah (Emilia Clarke)! She hasn’t carried out a lot for just a few episodes, so it’s no shock to see her again, however it’s fairly bizarre how there’s simply a whole lot of teleporting round.
Additionally, as an apart, I do know that this sequence the place G’iah and Gravik combat is meant to underline that G’iah can management these powers higher (in some way?) however she appears to be like goofy as hell with only a full-sized Drax arm coming out of her physique. A minimum of with Gravik in full shirtless beefcake mode the CGI flows higher.
Again within the hospital, Sonya flips on Raava-as-Rhodes, pulls a gun, and is outwardly going to attempt to inform Ritson what’s up. By this level Fury’s proven up on the hospital and Ritson will get a rundown on absolutely the wildest conspiracy concept I’ve ever heard—that shapeshifting aliens have kidnapped the world’s best minds, have them in pods, and except the nuclear assault known as off proper now everybody will die. Skrulls sounded extra doubtless than this bullshit. “Don’t kill the pre-eminent individuals in pods beneath the deserted Russian base” appears insane to me, as an argument. Not nuking individuals must be sufficient.
We’re again to the Tremendous Skrull combat, which I do know was a ache within the ass to do VFX for, however there’s something completely ridiculous about this sequence the place two very, very proficient actors change into dolls with completely different legs and arms connected. It appears Marvel can’t resist a large blow-out-the-budget combat it doesn’t matter what type of story they’re telling. I dunno, man. I simply don’t suppose you’ll be able to name this present grounded when you will have two Tremendous Skrulls utilizing actually Each Energy within the MCU encyclopedia to combat one another. A minimum of the combat solely takes a couple of minutes, extra MCU movies ought to take observe. Oh, Gravik dies, naturally. It’s a really boring loss of life and no one on display screen cares.
Then, Ritson tells the American public concerning the shapeshifting aliens, and declares them enemy combatants, promising to search out them and kill each final one in all them. Which, to be sincere, is strictly what I might count on from a president, nevertheless it actually feels as if we’ve arrived on the worst doable possibility for this ending. Subsequent, G’iah releases all of the trapped prisoners, and there are actually no surprises with who the Skrulls have been imitating. G’iah runs into Falsworth, who presents to assist G’iah get the sources she wants to defend her individuals and keep secure. G’iah is unimpressed contemplating her dad’s long-standing love affair with Fury, and Falsworth instantly says “let’s go away love and friendship out of this,” providing a quid professional quo, however by no means truly saying what she desires from G’iah? G’iah heads to an underground bunker the place a whole bunch of individuals have been put right into a sleep stasis utilizing Skrull tech. Spycraft, it appears, remains to be what the Skrulls are going for use for.
So now we’re on the closing denouement of the sequence. Fury calls Ritson, and we see Skrulls assassinated by vigilantes… but additionally harmless individuals dying for the crime of being suspected of being Skrulls. Fury ends the sequence by strolling in the direction of the very same SABER gentle that transported him down earlier than he’s intercepted by his spouse. Priscilla, lady, you might be too good for this man. Why are you chasing this asshole who left you for like three years to fuck off into area? You’ll be able to do higher!
Now, for no purpose in any respect, the Kree are “open to peace talks” with the Skrulls?? WHY? HOW? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? God, right here it’s, lastly an fascinating plot, an interesting story that I might have truly cherished to have seen on display screen and it’s actually simply an epilogue observe. None of this is smart, and it appears like such an apparent arrange for The Marvels that it makes me wish to tear my hair out. None of this reveal is nice! What’s the level? Why is Fury abandoning the million or so Skrulls on Earth? He nonetheless has to make this proper and he’s simply pretending just like the Skrulls who might be pressured underground will wish to have something to do with him and this bullshit “peace treaty!” Talos can be so dissatisfied in you, Fury.
Then Varra transforms and tells Nick that she loves him. They kiss, as if it is a large romantic second, some type of sweeping gesture, and I’ve to let you know I’m unmoved! I don’t care about Fury’s romantic entanglements! That is boring! The blissful/extraordinarily dysfunctional couple goes to area collectively, fucking off earth fully.
Truthfully, this entire whole sequence appears like an intermission. A really boring, staid, unhappy intermission the place all that’s actually completed is killing Talos and Maria Hill. The purpose of Secret Invasion is content material. The purpose is that it’s a narrative and Marvel can inform it, nevertheless it can’t truly have an effect on the bigger MCU in any approach that issues, so it’s stuffed with quickie deaths and low-cost imitation video games. What’s really modified? Nothing, besides that now everybody is aware of there are Skrulls on Earth. However they’ve traded Fury and Talos for Falsworth and G’iah, and Gravik is an inconvenient blip.
There was such potential for Secret Invasion and the final episode renders your complete sequence forgettable, a footnote that may be summed up in two sentences, the place nothing feels modified. If there was ever a sequence that most likely may have been a part of an e-mail chain slightly than the topic of a pitch assembly, that is it.
All episodes of Secret Invasion at the moment are streaming on Disney+.
This piece was written in the course of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With out the labor of the writers and actors presently on strike, the film being coated right here wouldn’t exist.
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