Although there are a lot of complaints about how these first two episodes have felt quite slow-paced, and I'm definitely not going to disagree, it's the right choice for this series. People had to expect something like this as soon as we were told it wasn't going to be as fast-paced and action packed as other superhero TV shows, focusing more on the spy/espionage sub-genres. What these episodes have been doing is introducing the new characters, fleshing-out the arcs of the ones we knew, and building-up the story, establishing the stakes and providing challenges and complications for the protagonists to face. It's classic story-building, and this show is doing it beautifully. So, slow-paced or not, I'm really enjoying this show so far, and feel as though it could really bring something spectacular.
18 Reviews
Better
MamadNobari9728 June 2023
This is a more coherent and more well-paced episode than the first.
They give a decent backstory to the villain and his motivation, though I still think his motive is ridiculous, or at least is presented poorly.
Scenes and dialogue are better written and you can actually follow what they're saying unlike the first one.
And although I think the 6 episode format might, if not definitely gonna hurt the pacing of the show just like the previous MCU shows, I think it's better that these episodes are at least 50 minutes. The pacing for this episode is pretty good and you won't get bored like the previous one, but I feel like we're gonna have a rushed ending.
So far, this episode made the story of the show a little more interesting for me which the first episode failed spectacularly.
It was a decent episode and more engaging than the first episode, but still, nothing to write home about. I don't really have much else to say about it except that it was decent and the next episodes will determine if the show is worthy of a watch or not.
I'm still disappointed that Disney has all the money in the world but still decides to take the most interesting storylines from the comics that have so much potential and turn them into cheaply-made uninteresting boring messes.
They give a decent backstory to the villain and his motivation, though I still think his motive is ridiculous, or at least is presented poorly.
Scenes and dialogue are better written and you can actually follow what they're saying unlike the first one.
And although I think the 6 episode format might, if not definitely gonna hurt the pacing of the show just like the previous MCU shows, I think it's better that these episodes are at least 50 minutes. The pacing for this episode is pretty good and you won't get bored like the previous one, but I feel like we're gonna have a rushed ending.
So far, this episode made the story of the show a little more interesting for me which the first episode failed spectacularly.
It was a decent episode and more engaging than the first episode, but still, nothing to write home about. I don't really have much else to say about it except that it was decent and the next episodes will determine if the show is worthy of a watch or not.
I'm still disappointed that Disney has all the money in the world but still decides to take the most interesting storylines from the comics that have so much potential and turn them into cheaply-made uninteresting boring messes.
Promises
Prismark1029 June 2023
After the demise of Maria Hill. Nick Fury tells a story about his childhood to Talos. It is all to find out from Talos what he has left out. Which is there are 1 million Skrulls on Earth as refugees.
Gravik was there as a child when Fury said he would find them a home. The adult Gravik believes that he broke that promise. In the meantime some Skrulls disguised as humans have got themselves into seats of power. They have their own council which Gravix has pretty much taken over. A collision course with humanity beckons.
Fury has his own collision with Rhodey (Don Cheadle) who has known about the Skrulls for years. He now fires Fury who is rightfully furious about being betrayed by an old friend.
Meanwhile Falsworth (Olivia Colman) brutally interrogates a captured Skrull. She manages to get information out of him about Gravix wanting to make the Skrulls stronger.
There is still a lot of world building but it is also plodding. It was nice to hear about the Fury family tales but surely that conversation with Talos should have happened years ago.
The ending with Fury visiting his wife was a straight lift from the Spielberg movie Lincoln.
Gravik was there as a child when Fury said he would find them a home. The adult Gravik believes that he broke that promise. In the meantime some Skrulls disguised as humans have got themselves into seats of power. They have their own council which Gravix has pretty much taken over. A collision course with humanity beckons.
Fury has his own collision with Rhodey (Don Cheadle) who has known about the Skrulls for years. He now fires Fury who is rightfully furious about being betrayed by an old friend.
Meanwhile Falsworth (Olivia Colman) brutally interrogates a captured Skrull. She manages to get information out of him about Gravix wanting to make the Skrulls stronger.
There is still a lot of world building but it is also plodding. It was nice to hear about the Fury family tales but surely that conversation with Talos should have happened years ago.
The ending with Fury visiting his wife was a straight lift from the Spielberg movie Lincoln.
Getting interesting
Mesina024 July 2023
So far I wouldn't say I'm ecstatic about this show but I think with what i've seen so far it's sort of like a breath of fresh air from what the MCU has produced post endgame.
Speaking on this episode they do a fairly good job at expanding this story. The Skrulls have grown upset that Fury hasn't provided them a new home and in retaliation they send a message that has obviously raised concerns.
We get to know more about Fury but also Gravik who I think stole the spotlight here. His motivations are very understandable and it's clear that he is on a mission to exact justice for his people. This episode demonstrates that and it is interesting how this will carry out moving forward.
Not exactly an improvement from the first episode, I think there is a lot of stuff that they need to cover and hopefully the next couple of episodes does that.
Speaking on this episode they do a fairly good job at expanding this story. The Skrulls have grown upset that Fury hasn't provided them a new home and in retaliation they send a message that has obviously raised concerns.
We get to know more about Fury but also Gravik who I think stole the spotlight here. His motivations are very understandable and it's clear that he is on a mission to exact justice for his people. This episode demonstrates that and it is interesting how this will carry out moving forward.
Not exactly an improvement from the first episode, I think there is a lot of stuff that they need to cover and hopefully the next couple of episodes does that.
Episode 2 was SOOOO MUCH BETTER!!! NOW Secret Invasion really got good from 6/10 to 8.5/10!!
saadurrehman7028 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The acting of Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelson during the argument was soo good and funny!! 14:14 Talos: "Skrulls and humans can coexist.. here on earth!" Classic savage hood Samuel L. Jackson: "HUmans cant coexist with each other TAYLOS!! You've been here long enough to know that!! We've been at war with each other since we could walk, Up- Right!"🤣 14:23 "There is Not enough room, or tolerance, ON this Planet, for Another SPEC-IES!"🤣 Sam L. Jackson wide eyed astonished face looked soo adorable like pug face here!😆
23:14 Now even the acting by the Gavock kid was great too!!! "I think is a WOARR!!... HM?!"😆 The sudden outbrust was funny and impactful! Sooo shocking the whole world council were skrulls and Gavock ready for even the Avengers was soo exciting!! Instantly thought and realized Avengers: Secret Wars!!
41:55 the Skrulls having these alien samples of Groot, Frost Beast, even Cull Obsidian's hand that Wong cut off with portal in Infinity War was sooo exciting and mindblowing!! AND to top it off, Emilia Clarke daughter of Ben Mendelson was seeing this!! How much more amazing can it get!!! Also him building the machine to make them stronger, all this must mean that Super Skrull from comics and Super Hero Squad Show probably like in trailer!!!
37:28 don cheadle looked exactly like zoe saldana here with the way he spoke; raised head to stress on "to be UnSparing." then immediately brought face back down to give look that had skin fold next to a sour smile and wide eyes like calmly stressing on something using decent American english voice without the expected African-american slang, was what specifically reminded of zoe saldana!
The whole scene Rhodey talking to his fellow admirable African brother Nick Fury, talk about skrull threat greater than hydra, and to call in Avengers, only to eventually fire him was very engrossing! Nick Fury's reaction was so sad! First time see him that downtrodden! And it was sooo interesting see him at his home at end! 28.6.2023.
23:14 Now even the acting by the Gavock kid was great too!!! "I think is a WOARR!!... HM?!"😆 The sudden outbrust was funny and impactful! Sooo shocking the whole world council were skrulls and Gavock ready for even the Avengers was soo exciting!! Instantly thought and realized Avengers: Secret Wars!!
41:55 the Skrulls having these alien samples of Groot, Frost Beast, even Cull Obsidian's hand that Wong cut off with portal in Infinity War was sooo exciting and mindblowing!! AND to top it off, Emilia Clarke daughter of Ben Mendelson was seeing this!! How much more amazing can it get!!! Also him building the machine to make them stronger, all this must mean that Super Skrull from comics and Super Hero Squad Show probably like in trailer!!!
37:28 don cheadle looked exactly like zoe saldana here with the way he spoke; raised head to stress on "to be UnSparing." then immediately brought face back down to give look that had skin fold next to a sour smile and wide eyes like calmly stressing on something using decent American english voice without the expected African-american slang, was what specifically reminded of zoe saldana!
The whole scene Rhodey talking to his fellow admirable African brother Nick Fury, talk about skrull threat greater than hydra, and to call in Avengers, only to eventually fire him was very engrossing! Nick Fury's reaction was so sad! First time see him that downtrodden! And it was sooo interesting see him at his home at end! 28.6.2023.
Promises
lassegalsgaard28 June 2023
I spoke about this when I wrote about the premiere, but this show feels like it should really have been up there on the big screen. The story is spanning the entire globe and while the ending of the first episode felt like a big deal, it would have been better had it actually been seen as more of a global threat and not something that had to be small because of the budget. This episode pushes the scale and it feels a little bigger. And it's a good episode that pushes the plot along, although it's still burried under a lot of necessary set-up.
This episode feels very much like a set-up episode. A lot of its time is focused on the Skrulls and showing what they're plotting and why they've found themselves in this situation. A lot of time is spent with the show's antagonist Gravik - portrayed by the brilliant Kingsley Ben-Adir - and it's all to make him up as a more interesting villain, which he is slowly becoming. There's a lot of anger brewing in him and a lot of it is due to some things that Nick Fury didn't deliver on. It's great that they're making the show feel very personal and that they're making Nick Fury the centerpiece of it all, but it still can't escape the fact there's a lot more that could be done. They try to present an answer as to why he has to do this by himself, but it still comes across as a little desperate. There's also a large ensemble of characters in this show; so many that there isn't enough time to really give them all the necessary screentime. It's going to be interesting to see what it all leads to, because there has to be some more room for these characters to roam in. A few of the pieces are starting to fall into place, and fans of the comics - like me - should be picking up on where this is going, and that is an exciting prospect. It also ends with an entertaining action sequence and a nice revelation that provides Fury with some needed character development.
"Promises" is another solid entry into this show that expands on the Skrulls' motivation a little bit, providing a nice backdrop for their evil schemes. Kingsley Ben-Adir's Gravik is coming across as a very menacing antagonist in an episode that takes the focus away from its lead character for the most part, until the end.
This episode feels very much like a set-up episode. A lot of its time is focused on the Skrulls and showing what they're plotting and why they've found themselves in this situation. A lot of time is spent with the show's antagonist Gravik - portrayed by the brilliant Kingsley Ben-Adir - and it's all to make him up as a more interesting villain, which he is slowly becoming. There's a lot of anger brewing in him and a lot of it is due to some things that Nick Fury didn't deliver on. It's great that they're making the show feel very personal and that they're making Nick Fury the centerpiece of it all, but it still can't escape the fact there's a lot more that could be done. They try to present an answer as to why he has to do this by himself, but it still comes across as a little desperate. There's also a large ensemble of characters in this show; so many that there isn't enough time to really give them all the necessary screentime. It's going to be interesting to see what it all leads to, because there has to be some more room for these characters to roam in. A few of the pieces are starting to fall into place, and fans of the comics - like me - should be picking up on where this is going, and that is an exciting prospect. It also ends with an entertaining action sequence and a nice revelation that provides Fury with some needed character development.
"Promises" is another solid entry into this show that expands on the Skrulls' motivation a little bit, providing a nice backdrop for their evil schemes. Kingsley Ben-Adir's Gravik is coming across as a very menacing antagonist in an episode that takes the focus away from its lead character for the most part, until the end.
Promises kept?
Trey_Trebuchet29 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is honestly not too bad!
It IS pretty slow, and this episode definitely feels a like a lot of set-up, but there are enough good character moments and actual development here that kept things from falling apart.
I'm really curious to see what becomes of Fury. He seemed to downtrodden and different after the snap, but I don't actually think that's a bad route to take this character. However, the way things ended for him in his scene with Rhodes seems to indicate we may be getting more of the old Fury again. I hope that's the case.
The train-car scene was really well acted, and the scene with Gravik and the "world-leaders" was a really good scene as well! Adir shows a lot of promise in his acting. Emilia Clarke's character is just kind of along for the ride in this episode, but I'm hoping she also becomes the pivotal character they hinted at in the premiere.
I also kind of loved Olivia Colman's interrogation scene.
This feels like that one episode that builds stuff up before the crap finally hits the fan and things start to actually pick up. I'm not dying to watch more at the moment, but I'll definitely stick with it. I like the premise, and the more serious tone is welcome!
Good not great.
It IS pretty slow, and this episode definitely feels a like a lot of set-up, but there are enough good character moments and actual development here that kept things from falling apart.
I'm really curious to see what becomes of Fury. He seemed to downtrodden and different after the snap, but I don't actually think that's a bad route to take this character. However, the way things ended for him in his scene with Rhodes seems to indicate we may be getting more of the old Fury again. I hope that's the case.
The train-car scene was really well acted, and the scene with Gravik and the "world-leaders" was a really good scene as well! Adir shows a lot of promise in his acting. Emilia Clarke's character is just kind of along for the ride in this episode, but I'm hoping she also becomes the pivotal character they hinted at in the premiere.
I also kind of loved Olivia Colman's interrogation scene.
This feels like that one episode that builds stuff up before the crap finally hits the fan and things start to actually pick up. I'm not dying to watch more at the moment, but I'll definitely stick with it. I like the premise, and the more serious tone is welcome!
Good not great.
[6.3] Don't touch me! - out or in, you choose
cjonesas28 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Episode 2: A better yet unimpressive episode having more development and background, nice fillers through train windows, unimpressive flow, visual effects and CGI (besides tiny bits here and there, index finger processing - show it!, 160 degrees - seriously?! Where are the purple red scars and literally eruption of blood and liquefied grease from cracked skin...),
a heavily underused Emilia Clarke who basically stands here and there with dynamited hairs and uncertain looks or sits with fear and anticipation; Skrulls that better fight in their Skrull form with "8.8" award-winning VFX not cheap lawn-green masks and hands.
Give the series purpose, an action-packed backbone with thrilling vibe & flow; so far what I saw was a super unimpressive Nick Fury, aerial shots, moving objects, morphing creatures with basic "cell-app" effects and a gold ring in the end that would have a better gastro-intestinal use, swallowed, rather than put back on with an arid completely nonsensical tight lip kiss.
a heavily underused Emilia Clarke who basically stands here and there with dynamited hairs and uncertain looks or sits with fear and anticipation; Skrulls that better fight in their Skrull form with "8.8" award-winning VFX not cheap lawn-green masks and hands.
Give the series purpose, an action-packed backbone with thrilling vibe & flow; so far what I saw was a super unimpressive Nick Fury, aerial shots, moving objects, morphing creatures with basic "cell-app" effects and a gold ring in the end that would have a better gastro-intestinal use, swallowed, rather than put back on with an arid completely nonsensical tight lip kiss.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6.5
- Development: 7.4
- Realism: 6.8
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 6.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
- Visual/special effects: 7.3
- Music/score/sounds: 7.5
- Depth: 5.8
- Logic: 4.6
- Flow: 6.2
- Editing: 6.5
- Action/adventure/drama: 6
- Ending: 3.5.
An amazing Nick Fury.
jordison-2365229 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Resurrection was a great early season episode that perhaps suffered a little from the weight of having to reintroduce Nick Fury to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, lay the foundations of the plot without overusing expository text (not always succeeding) and create a bombastic situation. , as was the attack in Moscow and, mainly, the death of Maria Hill, to show seriousness and commitment. Promises, which does not carry that burden, arrives to show that what we saw a week ago was not a lie and that Secret Invasion promises (he, he, he) to be a different miniseries in this superheroic universe, either because it does not have superheroes , or because it has something that has been increasingly rare in works of the genre: quality multifunctional dialogues that develop the plot, build its characters and naturally work with relevant socioeconomic subtexts without underestimating the viewer.
Picking up where the opening episode left off, but making use of cleverly inserted flashbacks right off the bat to help contextualize and explain Gravik's actions in light of Nick Fury's unfulfilled promise to find the Skrulls a new home, Promises works. A succession of sequences that do the opposite of what is normally expected from series like this, that is, they value conversation, dialogue, leaving the action almost completely aside. On the macro side, we have the exalted spirits of the world powers (and not so powers) being left unanswered by a Colonel James Rhoades loaded with an unexpected arrogance for the character who works almost as a spokesman for the presidency of the bellicose Reagan Era, which works perfectly for a series that tries to emulate the Cold War. Don Cheadle, impassive and self-assured, makes his character climb a few steps in the MCU's internal hierarchy by rejecting the allegations against his country, basically saying that no one there has the power he has behind him, in a very efficient sequence, yet How deliberately boastful.
And Cheadle's differentiated presence in the series doesn't stop there, since, in the next moment, we see Rhoades sitting at the table with a Nick Fury who comes with his hat in hand asking him for help like a brother until the moment he realizes that this new Rhoades is definitely not the good old War Machine of yesteryear. The tense dialogue that takes place between the two is one of the best examples of how Brian Tucker's script manages to work on the development of the plot without losing depth, without failing to comment on something latent and present in the conversation between two people of African descent who know very well that they got to where they are just as easily as people with less pigmentation. And it's phenomenal to see Samuel L. Jackson transform his character in front of the cameras, without for a moment doubting the realism of what we are watching. Fury starts out weakened, almost subservient, but little by little, in the face of Rhoades' coldness, he gives clues to the old Fury, changing posture and tone of voice, until he, in the blink of an eye, takes physical control of the situation by subduing and disarming the security guard who wants to take him away, he utters that clever phrase - "I am Nick Fury. Even when I'm out, I'm in." - surgically created to make the viewer vibrate and fulfills this exact function and, the next moment, already outside the restaurant, reverts to the tired Fury, clearly untrained and out of shape, panting on a bench.
But this is not even the first time that a dialogue of this quality is seen in the episode, since the conversation between the same Fury and Talos works exactly the same way, but with another function. There is the same subtext in the story that the protagonist tells about his past when he could only travel in the segregated carriages of the trains and that serves to make it clear to his friend that he knows there is something he has not told, something that he extracts right away. : The silent invasion of the Skrulls is not about to happen, it has already happened. Talos' "benign" betrayal, of course, is not well received and opens a gigantic gate that puts all humans in this universe in check, something that is immediately amplified in the great sequence in which Gravik executes his coup d'état before the Council Skrull made up of very important personalities of world politics.
To those who ask themselves "where are the superheroes who release lightning from their hands?", the script hasn't forgotten about you either and delivers not one, but two answers. On the one hand, Fury doesn't want the superheroes involved right now to prevent the Skrulls from turning into them, which is a weak-sounding excuse that carries its logic. On the other hand, Gravik is acutely aware that the Avengers are a problem, with much of the episode devoted to G'iah's discovery that the Skrulls are likely experiencing power-ups a la the Super-Skrull of the comics. With samples of Groot (I don't need to say who it is, do I?), Cull Obisidian (from Thanos' Black Order), an ice monster from Jotunheim (from Thor's mythology) and even the Extremis nanotechnology created by Maya Hansen and Aldrich Killian (from Iron Man 3, better known as the most underrated and misunderstood Marvel movie that I will defend to the death) precisely with the aim of going head-to-head with the flashy suits.
It may seem out of context, but I am forcing myself, regardless of anything, to talk about her: what to say about Olivia Colman, huh? Her character Sonya Falsworth, from MI-6, was introduced in the first episode in a tête-à-tête with Nick Fury and I confess that I didn't expect to see her back so soon because Colman is Colman and not... an Emilia Clarke of life , but behold, we have her back starring in a scene that carries a certain encore in idem, but that just having her is worth the episode. After all, when could we imagine having this actress, apparently having fun like there's no tomorrow, ripping off an alien lizard's finger (oops, was I politically incorrect here?) and injecting whatever-whatever into her derrière ( French twice in the same paragraph, oh là là!) to torture him and this right before he crawls through a tunnel to escape? Will we get her back, gun in hand, to fight alongside Fury in the miniseries' climax? It will be a massacre, because, after all, there's no way to win any fight against these two together!
And, just when we thought the episode was over, behold, we got another twist, only this one is the exact opposite of the tragedy that was the death of Maria Hill: Nick Fury, who knew, married a Skrull (her name is Priscilla, according to the credits, lived by Charlayne Woodard, who, in turn, lived the mother of Jackson's character in the Body Closed Trilogy). If he knows she's a Skrull, well, he's Nick Fury and Nick Fury, even in his old age, is still "fashionable" Nick Fury, so yes, he knows. We can glimpse, there, a little more of the secret life of the character that has been unveiled in the series and that, of course, has a very close connection with the destiny of the alien race that, by all indications, already commands a large part of the planet with few people. Knowing your neighbor might have green skin, pointy ears, and a grooved chin. This additional and unexpected layer for Fury is welcome, as it helps to humanize the character who is normally seen as more invincible than the Hulk.
Already in its second episode, Secret Invasion confirms that it did not come to play, but to offer a miniseries that has everything to be of high quality on its own merits and, of course, affect the entire MCU in the process. Let's just hope this isn't just an optical illusion or a series that looks like something, but turns out to be something else.
Picking up where the opening episode left off, but making use of cleverly inserted flashbacks right off the bat to help contextualize and explain Gravik's actions in light of Nick Fury's unfulfilled promise to find the Skrulls a new home, Promises works. A succession of sequences that do the opposite of what is normally expected from series like this, that is, they value conversation, dialogue, leaving the action almost completely aside. On the macro side, we have the exalted spirits of the world powers (and not so powers) being left unanswered by a Colonel James Rhoades loaded with an unexpected arrogance for the character who works almost as a spokesman for the presidency of the bellicose Reagan Era, which works perfectly for a series that tries to emulate the Cold War. Don Cheadle, impassive and self-assured, makes his character climb a few steps in the MCU's internal hierarchy by rejecting the allegations against his country, basically saying that no one there has the power he has behind him, in a very efficient sequence, yet How deliberately boastful.
And Cheadle's differentiated presence in the series doesn't stop there, since, in the next moment, we see Rhoades sitting at the table with a Nick Fury who comes with his hat in hand asking him for help like a brother until the moment he realizes that this new Rhoades is definitely not the good old War Machine of yesteryear. The tense dialogue that takes place between the two is one of the best examples of how Brian Tucker's script manages to work on the development of the plot without losing depth, without failing to comment on something latent and present in the conversation between two people of African descent who know very well that they got to where they are just as easily as people with less pigmentation. And it's phenomenal to see Samuel L. Jackson transform his character in front of the cameras, without for a moment doubting the realism of what we are watching. Fury starts out weakened, almost subservient, but little by little, in the face of Rhoades' coldness, he gives clues to the old Fury, changing posture and tone of voice, until he, in the blink of an eye, takes physical control of the situation by subduing and disarming the security guard who wants to take him away, he utters that clever phrase - "I am Nick Fury. Even when I'm out, I'm in." - surgically created to make the viewer vibrate and fulfills this exact function and, the next moment, already outside the restaurant, reverts to the tired Fury, clearly untrained and out of shape, panting on a bench.
But this is not even the first time that a dialogue of this quality is seen in the episode, since the conversation between the same Fury and Talos works exactly the same way, but with another function. There is the same subtext in the story that the protagonist tells about his past when he could only travel in the segregated carriages of the trains and that serves to make it clear to his friend that he knows there is something he has not told, something that he extracts right away. : The silent invasion of the Skrulls is not about to happen, it has already happened. Talos' "benign" betrayal, of course, is not well received and opens a gigantic gate that puts all humans in this universe in check, something that is immediately amplified in the great sequence in which Gravik executes his coup d'état before the Council Skrull made up of very important personalities of world politics.
To those who ask themselves "where are the superheroes who release lightning from their hands?", the script hasn't forgotten about you either and delivers not one, but two answers. On the one hand, Fury doesn't want the superheroes involved right now to prevent the Skrulls from turning into them, which is a weak-sounding excuse that carries its logic. On the other hand, Gravik is acutely aware that the Avengers are a problem, with much of the episode devoted to G'iah's discovery that the Skrulls are likely experiencing power-ups a la the Super-Skrull of the comics. With samples of Groot (I don't need to say who it is, do I?), Cull Obisidian (from Thanos' Black Order), an ice monster from Jotunheim (from Thor's mythology) and even the Extremis nanotechnology created by Maya Hansen and Aldrich Killian (from Iron Man 3, better known as the most underrated and misunderstood Marvel movie that I will defend to the death) precisely with the aim of going head-to-head with the flashy suits.
It may seem out of context, but I am forcing myself, regardless of anything, to talk about her: what to say about Olivia Colman, huh? Her character Sonya Falsworth, from MI-6, was introduced in the first episode in a tête-à-tête with Nick Fury and I confess that I didn't expect to see her back so soon because Colman is Colman and not... an Emilia Clarke of life , but behold, we have her back starring in a scene that carries a certain encore in idem, but that just having her is worth the episode. After all, when could we imagine having this actress, apparently having fun like there's no tomorrow, ripping off an alien lizard's finger (oops, was I politically incorrect here?) and injecting whatever-whatever into her derrière ( French twice in the same paragraph, oh là là!) to torture him and this right before he crawls through a tunnel to escape? Will we get her back, gun in hand, to fight alongside Fury in the miniseries' climax? It will be a massacre, because, after all, there's no way to win any fight against these two together!
And, just when we thought the episode was over, behold, we got another twist, only this one is the exact opposite of the tragedy that was the death of Maria Hill: Nick Fury, who knew, married a Skrull (her name is Priscilla, according to the credits, lived by Charlayne Woodard, who, in turn, lived the mother of Jackson's character in the Body Closed Trilogy). If he knows she's a Skrull, well, he's Nick Fury and Nick Fury, even in his old age, is still "fashionable" Nick Fury, so yes, he knows. We can glimpse, there, a little more of the secret life of the character that has been unveiled in the series and that, of course, has a very close connection with the destiny of the alien race that, by all indications, already commands a large part of the planet with few people. Knowing your neighbor might have green skin, pointy ears, and a grooved chin. This additional and unexpected layer for Fury is welcome, as it helps to humanize the character who is normally seen as more invincible than the Hulk.
Already in its second episode, Secret Invasion confirms that it did not come to play, but to offer a miniseries that has everything to be of high quality on its own merits and, of course, affect the entire MCU in the process. Let's just hope this isn't just an optical illusion or a series that looks like something, but turns out to be something else.
Not Good, Not Bad [6.7/10]
panagiotis19933 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My Reaction / Review for Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 2: Episode One was good and I gave it a rating of 7.5/10. I hope this one is better. The de-aging was good for Fury. So this guy thinks that he can control earth with just a few hundred Skrulls? I don't see how that's possible no matter their position or how smart they are, not really convincing. That's a good question, what about the Avengers, this problem seems big enough for the Avengers, you have an invasion by an alien race. 25 minutes in and im not really excited about what im watching, hope that changes soon. So the worst dude out of them all becomes their leader, interesting.
The most interesting character so far is Talos for some reason. The main villain is not intimidating at all, so far the villain sucks... which sucks. Rhodey, ok that's nice to see him. Fury is getting fired? Damn didn't expect that. Fury: ''Even when im out, im in'', I like this line. This episode is a long series of conversations. I see that the show is TV-14 but the lady special agent cut off one of this guy's fingers, isnt that supposed to be TV-MA? These Skrulls know how to fight. They killed the Skrull who gave the information to the agent, brutal. Fury has a relationship with a Skrull female? I didn't expect that. Overall not that good but also not that bad. Just mediocre. My rating is 6.7/10.
The most interesting character so far is Talos for some reason. The main villain is not intimidating at all, so far the villain sucks... which sucks. Rhodey, ok that's nice to see him. Fury is getting fired? Damn didn't expect that. Fury: ''Even when im out, im in'', I like this line. This episode is a long series of conversations. I see that the show is TV-14 but the lady special agent cut off one of this guy's fingers, isnt that supposed to be TV-MA? These Skrulls know how to fight. They killed the Skrull who gave the information to the agent, brutal. Fury has a relationship with a Skrull female? I didn't expect that. Overall not that good but also not that bad. Just mediocre. My rating is 6.7/10.
Not bad so far
leonardosalreta28 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode brings some of the MCU timeline between Captain Marvel and the first Iron Man to the show and ends up revealing more about Nick Fury past something that's been on hold since captain marvel. Better than the first episode no doubt. Didn't like the scene with Maria Hill mother because this Universe keeps on repeating the fallen friend/family/loved one as motivation and that scene, even if the character turnout to be important is a major unnecessary filler for that purpose. Also I hope that the all plot of the series doesn't rely on Gravik hate for Fury not keeping a promise. Hope Gravik has a deeper meaning in future episodes.
Good start, get a little boring throughout the episode
ghazi-zbalawi-3109830 June 2023
The first scene made a great impression, the plot of this show is mildly interesting, however throughout the episode I got little bored, not much happened, there is only a thing or 2 about "skrulls", and that it, there is no exploration about their identity (yet), but such thing should have been a little bit explained in the first episode.
I can't wait to see how Nick Fury is connected to all of this.
However, I don't know how Disney write a story, I felt like politics should not be an addition to the story, you got stories like Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, where the antagonist try to snap the whole world, yet we did not see any politics interference on global scope (I am talking about how the environment of politics in this show is so equated to our own world, which sucks, because Marvel is a different universe).
This episode get 7/10.
I can't wait to see how Nick Fury is connected to all of this.
However, I don't know how Disney write a story, I felt like politics should not be an addition to the story, you got stories like Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, where the antagonist try to snap the whole world, yet we did not see any politics interference on global scope (I am talking about how the environment of politics in this show is so equated to our own world, which sucks, because Marvel is a different universe).
This episode get 7/10.
Bleak and dismal.
dean-20230 June 2023
After watching the first episode, I had hoped that there would be some of that Marvel charm in this episode, after all, the cast is top notch. Instead, I discover that not only is Cobie Smulders out, she's out of the entire MCU. I can't say I enjoyed the weak exit written for her, nor her lack of screen time. Her exit doesn't make me want to see more, it makes me want to see less. The scenes between Don Cheadle and SLJ are an interesting, yet unbelievable move to 'raise the stakes' which falls flat and hard. I almost expected to hear someone utter "jive turkey" at some point, such was the oddly lacking conversational style between two 'brothers'. It should have been written as two powerful, competent, dedicated, fearsome men confronting each other, one for his inaction, one for his heavy-handed approach. Frankly I don't really care if anyone wins this boring invasion, and its manufactured "The Bear" daily no stakes drama. Win, lose, it's just a time filler that I have no desire to see completed.
The First Episode Was Way Too Better!!
zawandxoshnaw2 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The second episode of Secret Invasion is not easy to decide because of the many events in it, but we see a beautiful beginning, a simple middle and a beautiful and strange ending, taking us back to the 1990s and the end of Captain Marvel gives us more familiarity with the story of Nick Fury and the Scrolls as well All the promises they made to each other, but in the end Gravik turns around and attracts the Scrolls to him. They also speak very clearly in an argument between Talos and Nick Fury, this time after Talos reveals that He's invited a million scrolls, and Nick Fury says humans have been together ever since How can you bring a million creatures to live together with humans!! Finally, when Nick Fury goes back to James Rhodes, he asks him how he knows they're not all Scrolls. That's when the whole point of the series becomes clear that there are a million scrolls on earth and how much we have to believe in the people around us and how to know if they're real! Nick Fury has been charged in Russia and returned to the United States.
The strengths of the film are the beautiful introduction of the villain Gravik and the fact that not all Scrolls are villains when the lady leaves the courtroom, which is very unique It was to me that the expression of Gaia's emotions, played by Emilia Clarke, shows her face so beautifully He didn't need to talk most of the time and in the end the writing was extremely unique, especially the dialogues between Talos and Nick Fury were very unique and not to mention Olivia Coleman's role was very beautiful with this little appearance.
The weaknesses were that we saw very little action scenes again in two episodes and the cinematography was much weaker than in the first episode ...
"I'll give it a 7/10 in the end. I think the first episode was better in many ways and we'll see how Nick Fury comes back this time..!!"
The strengths of the film are the beautiful introduction of the villain Gravik and the fact that not all Scrolls are villains when the lady leaves the courtroom, which is very unique It was to me that the expression of Gaia's emotions, played by Emilia Clarke, shows her face so beautifully He didn't need to talk most of the time and in the end the writing was extremely unique, especially the dialogues between Talos and Nick Fury were very unique and not to mention Olivia Coleman's role was very beautiful with this little appearance.
The weaknesses were that we saw very little action scenes again in two episodes and the cinematography was much weaker than in the first episode ...
"I'll give it a 7/10 in the end. I think the first episode was better in many ways and we'll see how Nick Fury comes back this time..!!"
MCU's best show since Loki
moviesfilmsreviewsinc21 December 2023
In the second episode of Marvel's Secret Invasion, "Promises," Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) indoctrinates refugee Skrulls he helped rescue from the Kree into human-presenting foot soldiers. The series exposes Nick's manipulative nature over the years. The episode also introduces a younger version of Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his connection with Talos' daughter, G'iah (Emilia Clarke). Initially reluctant to recruit a child soldier, Nick convinces Gravik to join his cause. He promises the Skrulls that if they agree to his dangerous spy work, he and Carol Danvers will find them a new home. The Skrulls are grateful, traumatized, and lost, willing to do anything to make Fury happy. In the present day, Nick faces the consequences of his actions, including the death of Maria and the destruction of Russia by Gravik's Skrull faction. Sonya's men are already on the ground, and they pick up a Skrull henchman for her to torture information. Olivia Colman's character, Sonya, is ruthless and likable, even if she's a James Bond villain to a random alien. Colman's bright red pantsuit in Secret Invasion stands out visually, reminiscent of nature's warning colors of danger. Overall, Colman's portrayal of Sonya is enjoyable to watch. In the second episode of Iron Man 3, the plot of the show revolves around the arrival of a million Skrulls on Earth, who are summoned by Gravik to avoid their annihilation. The Skrulls, who are now a threat to humanity, are portrayed as cold, calculating, and now a Skrull general. Gravik's nefarious plans involve creating Super Skrulls, and his chief scientist uses Groot, Frost Beast, Cull Obsidian DNA, and Extremis tech from Iron Man 3. This unexpected twist adds to the tension and intrigue for fans of the show. Episode 2 introduces a major twist as Nick Fury is secretly married to one of Talos' most trusted Skrulls, Priscilla (Charlayne Woodard). This romantic relationship is a surprise, as Nick has failed to find a new planet for his people in the last 30 years. The show's upcoming episode will provide more information about their relationship, with the hope of revealing more about their relationship during the next week's episode. In summary, the show's plot revolves around the arrival of a million Skrulls on Earth, the emergence of a Skrull general, and the unexpected romance between Nick Fury and Priscilla. "Promises" is a slight improvement from the premiere of Secret Invasion, with themes better fitting the past and future threats. However, the slow burn approach of the series makes the episode feel rushed. The intimate scenes between Nick and Talos and Rhodey are appreciated, but Nick's lack of knowledge and his jaded relationship with Skrull make it difficult to predict the future. The third and fifth episodes of the series often contain the biggest revelations, making it difficult to predict how the complex relationship between Skrull and man can be salvaged.
Episode 2
bobcobb30111 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The Rhodey and Nick Fury scene was okay, but it still feels as if it dragged on for about 5 minutes longer than it needed to be. We know the direction and point of each character and yet this was just killing time.
It was good to see some backstory early on and yet not have the entire episode debated to it (an issue with so many other of the Marvel shows on Disney+) but I just don't know if this setting and this batch of characters is that interesting. This is not hooking me in at all the way a lot of the other series on Disney+ did.
I'll stick with it, but this is pretty lifeless for a show about aliens.
It was good to see some backstory early on and yet not have the entire episode debated to it (an issue with so many other of the Marvel shows on Disney+) but I just don't know if this setting and this batch of characters is that interesting. This is not hooking me in at all the way a lot of the other series on Disney+ did.
I'll stick with it, but this is pretty lifeless for a show about aliens.
Everything episode one should have been
simonowen-312735 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Much better episode, less jarring and muddled than episode one and filled in a lot of missing pieces that episode one ignored. A greater tie in to the story from the films, in terms of what's happened with Fury and where he has been.
The only major issue in this episode seems to be with the ability to move from one country to another and back again in the blink of an eye. So Fury needs to go on the run from Russia and Talos helps him on the train out of Russia, but a little into the journey they part ways and Fury is left on his own and completes his travels off screen...so why was Talos so important for the journey in the first place if they can split up after a fight. Then Fury happens to be at the British air base to see Hill's body being transferred from one plane to another plane...so train travel across the continent is believed to take the same duration as a flight. And that leads me to the transfer of Hill's body via a British air base, surely the diplomatic situation following the bombing in Russia would not be so bad that they couldn't fly the body from Russia to USA, going east rather than west across the whole of Europe.
And it seems out of character for Gravik to let the council member not of his side to leave without any issue yet he is happy to kill anyone else that doesn't agree with him.
The only major issue in this episode seems to be with the ability to move from one country to another and back again in the blink of an eye. So Fury needs to go on the run from Russia and Talos helps him on the train out of Russia, but a little into the journey they part ways and Fury is left on his own and completes his travels off screen...so why was Talos so important for the journey in the first place if they can split up after a fight. Then Fury happens to be at the British air base to see Hill's body being transferred from one plane to another plane...so train travel across the continent is believed to take the same duration as a flight. And that leads me to the transfer of Hill's body via a British air base, surely the diplomatic situation following the bombing in Russia would not be so bad that they couldn't fly the body from Russia to USA, going east rather than west across the whole of Europe.
And it seems out of character for Gravik to let the council member not of his side to leave without any issue yet he is happy to kill anyone else that doesn't agree with him.
Hopefully not downhill from here
phoebecl5 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The show seemed to have started off with a promising first episode. However, the writing for the second episode was really lacking. Poor storyline, so many characters but we don't really go in depth into each one.
Did not enjoy the cheap violence done for shock value as opposed to the gun shot scene at the end..but I guess that was the point of those scenes.
Sonya...really do not like her. Valentina Fontaine's annoying 2.0 character.
Locations are really nice tho.
- Standard 'we are taking over the world' story with weak characters. I get that this is the second episode so they are still trying to build the plot. Hopefully it gets better as the series progresses.
- More "race related" conversations that seem so forced (standard phase 4 marvel agendas we are all familiar with by now). That entire train sequence was so unnecessary. The only portion that added value was the part where they mentioned that (paraphrasing here)"humans can't get along with each other, much less with another species".
- Characters that are supposed to be the 'ex-top director of a world wide organisation' looking at u fury behaving like they are in a kindergarten sandbox...Rhodes should know better than to blame Fury for something entirely out of his control. Marvel needs to stop downplaying what their heroes do. (Hulk and Ant Man got similar treatments recently)
Did not enjoy the cheap violence done for shock value as opposed to the gun shot scene at the end..but I guess that was the point of those scenes.
Sonya...really do not like her. Valentina Fontaine's annoying 2.0 character.
Locations are really nice tho.
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