This is a summary of Secret Invasion available on Disney+. Please do not proceed unless you have watched episodes one through six.

We resumed the story after Priscilla and G’iah’s violent attack. While Scilla examined the deceased bodies, she received a call from Fury. It seemed he was aware of his impending demise in Russia and wanted to speak to his estranged wife one last time. Despite her confession that their marriage was a cover for her Skrull mission, Fury still held affection for her. Shortly after, we witnessed him disposing of a car and taking out some enemies at the entrance of New Skrullos. Known as Fury, he proved to be a ruthless assassin. The credits roll, featuring strange AI.

From Russia with love

Rhodey, played by Don Cheadle, was by President Ritson’s side as he tried to persuade him that the Russians were responsible for the attack on his motorcade. This was in contrast to what the Russian president and US security adviser were claiming. While the adviser suggested it was a false flag, Rhodey believed it was a full-scale assault on the American government. He urged for a military response to be prepared.

At the location of New Skrullos, Fury’s radiation detector was working extra hard as he stumbled around, coughing and struggling. He witnessed the aftermath of Gravik (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir) taking out numerous soldiers. On the other hand, Falsworth (played by Olivia Colman) was tasked with being a decoy and informed Rhodey that Fury was headed towards the president and immediate action needed to be taken.

When Fury and Gravik finally met in the Super-Skrull machine, they traded insults. Suddenly, they both realized that the person in front of them was not Fury, but G’iah in disguise. It seemed unlikely that the real Fury would endanger another planet just to save Earth. It made more sense when considering Fury’s plan to give the Harvest to Gravik and then die from radiation poisoning. Having two superpowered beings, one good and one bad, was a better outcome than just one evil entity. They engaged in a battle of superpowers, which did not overstay its welcome. While CGI fights are common, this one was not excessive.

Upon returning to the hospital, we discovered that Falsworth’s deception had been uncovered and the situation had shifted. It became evident that Fury and his dart gun were targeting Rhodey, and Falsworth had been telling the truth all along. Furthermore, Fury revealed that Skrulls had been masquerading as various world leaders and superheroes, and that the real individuals were being held in suspended animation beneath the Skrull compound that Ritson was planning to destroy with a nuclear missile. As events unfolded, everything fell into place just in time, with G’iah eliminating Gravik, Fury taking down Skrhodey, and Ritson aborting the nuclear strike in a seamless sequence.

G’iah played a crucial role in freeing the individuals who were trapped in the Skrull bunker. Among them was Rhodey, who appeared to be in a very poor state. Is it possible that he was held captive for the longest period of time? Furthermore, when exactly did this happen? Later, Ritson made a reckless statement declaring all aliens as enemies and giving permission to kill them on sight. This will surely prove to be a difficult task, especially now that one of them possesses all the powers from the vial. It seems unlikely that even multiple armies could defeat this individual. However, his words did inspire vigilantes around the world. Unfortunately, this led to the deaths of innocent Skrulls, including Shooter McGavin, and humans like UK prime minister Pamela Lawton (Anna Madeley) who were mistaken for aliens and killed by gunmen. Even Shirley Sagar (Seeta Indrani) was attacked by masked men. The fact that Ritson’s driver was kept out of sight suggests that Skrulls may be closer than he realizes.

Falsworth and G’iah eventually found another group of humans in hibernation. Similar to the ET ending, Fury called a spaceship and fled to his Saber space station with Varra, who is now in her Skrull form. They plan to live peacefully among the stars and mediate peace talks between Skrulls, Kree, and humans. I never thought Fury would be the type to forgive and forget. It will be interesting to see his next move in The Marvels, set to release in November, which will continue the story from this series.

Overall

I have to admit, I wasn’t particularly excited for this finale following the underwhelming previous episode. If I wasn’t obligated to write these recaps, I probably wouldn’t have bothered tuning in. But let’s be real, I’ll watch anything Marvel puts out as soon as it’s available, usually in a pricey movie theater. It’s a bit of a dilemma, really. How can one fully experience disappointment with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania without shelling out £22 for tickets and snacks at the Imax? Marvel wins either way, and as a result, there’s a “good enough” mentality that permeates everything they produce.

Returning to the conclusion of the Secret Invasion storyline, it was an improvement compared to last week’s episode. However, at this stage, there was little that could have been done to make me emotionally invested in the characters. President Ritson had minimal screen time prior to this episode, so I didn’t feel a sense of danger when he was shown in the hospital bed. I was expecting a major twist where it was revealed that Ritson was actually a Skrull, but no such reveal occurred before the end credits.

One person who commented last week expressed their opinion that this seemed like a 12-part series condensed into only six episodes. While I can see where they’re coming from and acknowledge that some parts did feel rushed, I don’t think I could have handled another six episodes of this drawn-out pacing after episode three.

There were positive aspects to note, particularly the interactions between characters using both hands, as I have mentioned previously. When given the opportunity to showcase their skills, actors such as Samuel L Jackson, Olivia Colman, Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke, and Kingsley Ben-Adir excel. However, a show cannot rely solely on acting prowess – it was missing the emotional depth it needed. Furthermore, I cannot and will not overlook the abrupt and unsatisfying death of Maria Hill.

Notes and observations

• The genetic material found in the Harvest displayed on the computer screen included Ghost, Captain America, Corvus Glaive, Thanos, Outrider, Proxima Midnight, Captain Marvel, Abomination, Mantis, Cull Obsidian, Drax, Korg, Ebony Maw, Frost Beast, Hulk, Chitauri, Valkryie, Thor, Gamora, Flora Colossus, and Winter Soldier. It would have been impossible to obtain Ebony Maw’s DNA from the aftermath of the Endgame conflict since he was eliminated when Iron Man ejected him from Thanos’s ship while rescuing Doctor Strange. It is possible that this DNA was obtained from another source. I do not recall seeing Ghost or Abomination in the final battle of Endgame either.

• Great incorporation of the different abilities displayed in Gravik and G’iah’s battle. From a Drax arm to a Hulk punch, Ghost phasing, Captain Marvel energy, Ebony Maw magic, a dash of Groot, Cull Obsidian, and most importantly, Mantis when it truly counted… The original Super-Skrull in the comic books only possessed amplified versions of the Fantastic Four’s powers; G’iah’s rendition is significantly stronger.

• It was great to see the actual Everett Ross (played by Martin Freeman), Rhodey, the arms and art dealer (Uriel Emil), Dr. Rosa Wilton Dalton (Katie Finneran), Pamela Lawton, and the military officer Pagon (Killian Scott) who had been pretending to be among others, all gathered in the basement of New Skrullos.

• Can the people who were impersonated by Skrulls in the series get sick from the intense radiation at New Skrullos? How effective are the iodine pills in this situation?

• What is the future for Emilia Clarke’s character, Super-Skrull G’iah? If having great power also means having great responsibility, how much responsibility comes with possessing all powers? As David St Hubbins almost said, it can be too much to handle. We witness her making a deal with Falsworth, similar to her father Talos (played by Ben Mendelsohn) making a deal with Fury. However, the agreement includes leaving out any romantic feelings or friendships and focusing on what is best for their own people. I will only believe it when I see it.

What are your thoughts on this? Is this series redeeming itself? Is it evidence that the MCU is struggling? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Source: theguardian.com