Secret Invasion - Episode 1 - Review
It has been a few years since we last saw Nick Fury, in fact the last time we did was during that scene in Avengers Endgame, though we thought we saw him in Spider-Man: Far From Home. There was talk that someone wanted Monica Rambeau to join them up there, but it was never confirmed that is who it was, so whatever was keeping him away from everything on Earth, was clearly a big deal. So naturally anything that brought him back to the planet was going to be an even bigger deal and an invasion of beings capable of becoming anyone they want, would certainly classify.
Before I go any further, this review will be spoiler free, however there will be names of characters revealed, but that will be all.
The series starting off with a spy secretly moving amongst the shadows of Moscow was not what I was expecting, if only due to the current tensions that city and country have created. However there is a good reason for it, someone from the Agency has discovered that a seemingly random series of terrorist attacks are actually connected and that a big one is coming. Sadly the person he puts his faith in, isn’t who they claim to be and after a brief struggle, the agent who wanted to prevent the attack is killed. While the other agent calls for an exfil, a foot chase begins and ends in a tragedy, just before things get to chaotic, Talos reveals himself and that is when we get the opening title. It is 10 minutes that is packed with more intrigue and mystery than any other show or movie the MCU has delivered and its final moments before the opening title, leave one massive question about the history of the everything we have seen.
It is at this point that Nick Fury arrives, literally beaming down from space to discover why he has been called, something many folks didn’t want to do before. After getting the rundown from Talos about how he is no longer on the Skrull council, his wife dying and his daughter running away, the real danger is explained. A young Skrull named Gravik has decided that merely living in the shadows of humans is acceptable anymore and he plans to take control of the planet, by eliminating the human population. This is not one person who is standing up on a soap box and chanting about the injustice of things, but rather someone who has recruited dozens and dozens of other Skrull to his cause. Why people, sorry Skrulls are following Gravik is not something I can explain, as Gravik doesn’t appear to do much, as they are clearly taking leadership advice from Thanos. There is talk about what they have done, talk about why they are doing what they are and such, but we never really see them do anything special. The second episode does do more, but I will get into that in the review of Episode 2. After details about the plan are discovered by Nick and co, they make a plan to try to stop it and while it is a solid plan, things are not just as straightforward as they might like.
None of the characters truly stand out above the pack here, as we're either first meeting them or being reintroduced to them. Samuel L. Jackson does a great job of showing that Fury isn't the spry superspy that we knew him to be, but there are times when an edge is shown that proves the character is still quite dangerous. Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos on the other hand is more defeated, the events that we learnt about when the pair reconnected show that life has not exactly gone to plan for the character. Underneath it though there are convictions and while the character is tested, Mendelsohn’s strength isn't showing that while he may not be the strongest fighter anymore, it doesn't mean he won't fight. There are other characters of course we have Olivia Coleman in her role as Sonia Falsworth, think the British Nick Fury and while her introduction isn't menacing, there are elements that pop up later on that hint just how dangerous she can be. Think of it as if Dolores Umbridge was actually a good person but most everything else was still the same, it's that level of I'm right tee-he, that will catch you off guard with her. In order to avoid any spoilers, I will not talk about any of the other characters, let me just say that how the episode ends will catch you off guard.
The problem that premiere episode of Secret Invasion has, is that it spends a lot of time setting things up. Normally set up for a spy drama is perfectly acceptable, but the show also sets up this version of Nick Fury and this version of Talos. Because of the time it's been between us seeing these characters, they have gone through changes some of them quite significant and because of that, it takes just a little bit too long for things to get traction. By the time the final section of the episode does begin to play out, the tension is ratcheted up and how it ends is not what I was expecting. So, while there is a lot of information to relearn, a lot of new characters to meet and a grand and ambitious story starting up it's not the strongest first episode we've seen. All that being said though there are enough moment to moment story beats that are impactful, sometimes funny and also intriguing to the point you can't help but want to watch more.
The Score
8.5
Review access provided by Disney
The Pros
+Who is a skrull is questioned almost from the outset and is a lingering question throughout the episode
+Samuel L. Jackson shows off that Fury has aged, but still puts an edge on the character that proves he is dangerous
The Cons
-This new villain is perhaps not as threatening, due to us being told how bad they are and not us seeing it
-The episode spends a little too much time reintroducing us to characters, but with the questions abound about who is a Skrull, can feel a little unneeded.
