The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been in a rut for the previous couple of years, churning out half-baked motion pictures and collection whose sole objective is to generate income, regardless of inflicting irreparable injury to the franchise’s longevity.
When I first heard of Secret Invasion, it appeared like simply what the physician ordered to breathe life into the MCU.
Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 1 re-introduces us to Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Talos, however it’s a painfully common hour of TV that utilized exposition to advance the story as a substitute of motion.
Despite the story not specializing in the heroes we have grown to like over time, we’re seeing this story from a a lot completely different viewpoint than earlier than.
Nick might not have superhuman talents, however he is a hero in each sense of the phrase.
Nick, Maria, and others who work with them have been integral to this universe due to their fearless devotion to saving the world.
We take a look at them as unconventional superheroes: They’re not the individuals plastered everywhere in the media, however they’re the individuals making the choices that may make or break the world’s existence.
Fury: Tell me about Gravik.
Maria: Let’s… Let’s simply speak about you first, yeah? We’ve been serving to you for all these years to make sure that you stored your promise. But after The Blip, you had been completely different. And then you definitely disappeared. Carol Danvers disappeared.
Taros: And so did G’iah.
Nick: Hold it. Your daughter? Disappeared too… Where?
Taros: She was younger. Angry that our individuals nonetheless haven’t got a house. Many of them are upset. I bought kicked off the Council, pushed into exile.
Checking in with Nick was nostalgic, but when the premiere is any indication, Nick has some deeply rooted points he must work via as Secret Invasion Season 1 progresses.
Despite his finest makes an attempt to placed on a contented face and inform everybody he is as much as this problem, he is aware of this mission may very well be his undoing.
From trying within the mirror at himself to listening to Sonya inform him he was now not up for the problem, he’ll face an uphill battle if he desires to avoid wasting the world and reignite hope for future generations.
Thanos’s snap was a cataclysmic occasion that formed Nick’s present arc. It’s been largely a waste of time for the MCU, sending nearly each character’s arc in a miserable path.
For Nick, this is not merely a mission of redemption; it is a mission to show to everybody that the world is not protected, regardless of how the media want to body it.
Despite Nick feeling like he is had a character transplant because the final time we noticed him, it is good to inform a narrative with somebody who’s been a major presence on this franchise over time.
If we take his actions on “Resurrection” at face worth, the Nick Fury we all know continues to be in there, however he is been battling many inside demons because the snap heard across the universe.
I wasn’t keen on the choice to kill off Maria. You do not carry again Colbie Smulders for one freaking episode and count on followers to be glad about it.
The seemingly situation is that Smulders will proceed to seem via both flashbacks or as Skrulls taking her likeness as a result of it will likely be the final word approach for them to stay up the center finger at Nick.
The unhappy a part of Maria’s ultimate arc is that Gravik pulled the set off on her whereas posing as Nick. It units a worrying precedent for the rest of the season.
How can viewers belief something on-screen if even characters with one of the best intentions may very well be revealed to be Skrulls?
It provides to the narrative’s depth and paranoia, however it’s a plot system that would put on out its welcome fairly shortly.
Prescod: Imagine a world the place data cannot be trusted. Not very arduous, is it? News service says one factor, web site says one other. Society begins to fray. All we are able to flip to are the individuals we care about. But what if these individuals weren’t who we thought they had been? What if those closest to us, those we have trusted our entire lives… …had been another person solely? What in the event that they weren’t even human?
Ross: Agent Prescod, respectfully… uh, what precisely are you speaking about? Prescod: Chaos. And that is solely the start. Five world terrorist strikes inside the previous 12 months. Each one claimed by a special group. It’s enterprise as normal. That’s exactly what they need you to assume. Argentina assaults Colombia, Colombia assaults the Philippines. A violent chain response consuming the globe. Do you notice that the complete world is at warfare?
Ross: Well, the ambiance has been tense.
Prescod: There is an architect to that stress, Agent Ross. These assaults are escalating. If they hit the soil of the main energy…
Ross: Oh. So you… You assume the identical individuals are behind all of this?
Prescod: Not individuals… Skrulls. Come on, Ross, you realize the tales. This did not begin yesterday. It began 30 years in the past when the Skrulls discovered Earth. Carol Danvers and Nick Fury promised to search out them a brand new planet. But now… ( Chuckles ) now they do not need simply any planet, they need ours. Look, cannot you see it? All these teams, they’re the identical. Skrulls may very well be anyone, wherever, at any time. And there may be solely a tiny handful identified to stay on Earth. Ross: That’s barely sufficient to…
Prescod: To what? You don’t have any goddamn thought what you are speaking about, Ross! There may very well be 1000’s of them, tens of 1000’s! And you’ll by no means know.
Ross: Okay, Prescod, let’s play slightly sport of forest for the bushes, we could? Yes, Skrulls can shapeshift. Yes, they’re on the lookout for a brand new residence. But, as you say, the one Skrull contact has been via Nick Fury. That means they’re our allies.
Prescod: Then the place is Fury?
Ross: He’s on S.A.B.E.R.! God… And if I’m gonna carry him down for regardless of the hell that is, I would like to present him one thing extra than simply theories, I would like proof. All these different assaults, they might be nothing in comparison with this.
Prescod: This is the one which units the world on hearth. I ended submitting stories on the workplace. Don’t know who I can belief anymore. Other than you…
Ross: Hey, Prescod, look, I’m right here to assist. Okay? So… So let me take this and I’ll give the data to Fury.
If we needed to say goodbye to Maria, a minimum of we mentioned goodbye to her whereas she was doing what she does finest: serving to to avoid wasting the world.
Truthfully, I anticipated one thing horrible to occur to Maria when she was tailing G’iah.
Everything that occurred when Maria began tailing G’iah performed out far too conveniently for my liking. Maybe that was the intention, however there was zero emotion when Talos realized the mysterious particular person was his daughter.
We already knew his daughter had just about gone rogue, however there was a whole lack of emotion when she realized of her mom’s demise.
I puzzled whether or not she would assist or hinder her father and Nick’s operation.
Before the Secret Invasion Season 1 premiere, I anticipated G’iah to be one in every of my favourite characters, however she felt extra like a script word to the writers saying, “Introduce someone who looks like that chick from Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
It could be grand if the collection begins creating G’iah with Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 2 as a result of it is a disgrace to waste Emilia Clarke’s expertise.
Talos is fascinating as a result of you may see how a lot he cares in regards to the individuals of Earth, however he is additionally wrestling with how finest to deal with individuals like Propischchin.
On the one hand, he may have been as cutthroat as Nick and shot him, however on the opposite, he wished to point out some humility to those individuals.
It makes me ponder whether he understands why the Skrulls are taking up and doing all these lethal issues.
It appeared like Talos wished to speak to Propischchin, however Nick felt the simplest method to deal with him was to shoot him.
Rhodey: We have a scenario, Mr. President.
Ritson: Concerning?
Rhodey: Agent Fury. We’ve simply obtained phrase that he is left S.A.B.E.R.
Ritson: What do you imply, “He left S.A.B.E.R.?”
Rhodey: Well, I can attempt to consider a special phrase. Abandoned, departed… Ritson: Agent Fury is build up essentially the most advanced aerospace protection system within the historical past of mankind. He cannot simply depart.
Rhodey: No, I agree, sir.
Could we attain a degree within the narrative the place Talos may notice that Earth’s individuals are too heavy on the Anti-Skrull hate, and he’ll change sides? I do not know, however it positive is one thing enjoyable to ponder.
The addition of Olivia Colman as Sonya was a stroke of casting genius. Colman bought a few of the finest materials of Secret Invasion to this point.
Sonya shortly counted Nick out however failed to acknowledge that he was pondering a number of steps forward of her, even in his present state.
I’m intrigued to find out how she’ll react to the bombshell that Nick and his staff bought the intel they wanted by planting the bug in her workplace.
Then once more, given the espionage-y tone the collection goes for, possibly she knew Nick would plant the bug and helped set the wheels in movement for the lethal encounter on the finish of the episode.
Kingsley Ben-Adir can also be a wonderful actor, however there’s a lot we do not know in regards to the villainous Gravik that it is difficult to get a learn on him.
“Resurrection” had all of the components of a profitable premiere, however the execution of those nice concepts did not hit the mark, delivering an episode that felt extra like a prologue for the motion that ought to have transpired.
What are your ideas on Maria’s demise? Do you assume it will stick?
What’s your tackle this hardened Nick Fury? Are you on board?
What did you consider Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Kingsley Ben-Adir?
Hit the feedback, and remember to maintain up with our Secret Invasion evaluations because the collection progresses.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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