Promises – This episode of Secret Invasion starts in 1996. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) breaks down his journey so far. In 1997 in Brixton, London, Nick receives a visit from Varra who introduces him to Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). In private, Varra explains that Gravik’s parents were killed in the last stand against the Kree. He escaped from behind enemy lines and piloted a ship all on his own. Varra believes they could use someone like Gravik because he is smart and knows how to survive. When Nick tells Gravik that their work is dangerous, Gravik says he is not afraid. A meeting is held to talk about their journey to find a home. Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) tells everyone why they came and that they can trust Nick.

Nick says he has believed humans and Skrulls can help each other ever since he met Talos. He wants their help. While they help to keep Nick’s world safe, he and Carol Danvers will work to find them a new home. Soren (Charlotte Baker) is the first to accept the offer before others do so. Nick Fury, G’iah (Emilia Clarke), and Gravik walk around the attack. A man calling himself an American is arrested. Nick is thrown in the back of a van before it leaves. On a train, Russian soldiers look for Nick Fury. Once they leave, Talos tells Nick that he hasn’t heard anything from G’iah yet. Nick tells him about riding on the train to Detroit with his mother. One time, his mom asked him to tell her about something she didn’t know about him and Suzie.

They had a standing game of doctor they had been playing behind old man Jackson’s barn. He told his mother a lie. Nick wants to know something he doesn’t know about the destruction of Skrulls. Talos believes he already knows everything. He says they were overpowered by the Kree and held them off for as long as they could. When they couldn’t hold them off any longer, the millions of them left fled. Nick asks for something about the Skrulls that fled. Talos says all of them are there. Nick doesn’t like hearing that there could be a million Skrulls among them. Talos says they were being hunted across the universe. He could let his people be annihilated or summon them to Earth. He goes on to say Nick was gone and he didn’t think he was coming back.

Talos hopes Skrulls and humans can coexist on Earth with Nick’s help. Nick doubts it since humans can’t even coexist with one another. Nick has a blow up so Talos leaves. Maria Hill’s mother Elizabeth (Juliet Stevenson) is with the casket when it arrives. She approaches Nick who admits he was there. Elizabeth wants the truth about what happened to her daughter. Nick says she died in Moscow when they were there trying to stop the attack. Someone set a trap for Nick and ended up killing her. Elizabeth asks him to not let Maria’s death be for nothing. News reports talk about the bombing and arrest of Martin Wallace who is identified as a leading member of the online fringe group Americans Against Russia. The UK Prime Minister Pamela Lawton (Anna Madeley) was quick to denounce the attack.

The NATO Secretary General Sergio Caspani (Giampiero Judica) says NATO is acting swiftly to gather intel on the bombing. The Kremlin believes the bombing was an all-out declaration of war by the Americans. Chris Stearns (Christopher McDonald) argues that the attack couldn’t have been carried out by Americans on his FXN News show. When G’iah asks Gravik how he knew Fury would be there, he says he didn’t. He hoped and wanted to see how much of him was left. Gravik says he is just vapors now. He could’ve killed Fury, but you don’t punish a man by giving him what he wants. Gravik asks her to get him to the Council meeting so he can see their faces while Moscow is still burning. Once they arrive, Gravik gives G’iah a handgun and goes in without her.

He goes in and says hello to Caspani, Pamela Lawton, Shirley Sagar (Seeta Indrani), and the others. He tells them that they’re behaving like men. Gravik likes dogs because they’re not hypocrites and they don’t lie. They eventually move to the recent acts of terror in cities across the globe and how they undermine the stability the Council wants to preserve. Shirley says they need to determine what punishment should be meted out to the individual who has caused this. Gravik reminds them that Fury promised to keep his word and find them a new home. He alleges that Fury abandoned them. Gravik says Earth will be their home because he will take it. He believes it is a war and he isn’t going to lose this one. Sergio asks what happens if the Avengers return.

Gravik has already thought about that. He asks them to put their faith in him and promises their loyalty will be repaid. Pamela believes they need to streamline their chain of command. While at war, they need a single commander whose war power is total and unchecked. She nominates Gravik for the role of Skrull General. Sergio complains about the decision until he is attacked by the security guard. Once they side with Gravik, Shirley hopes they haven’t forgotten their history. They did not end up being homeless refugees because they were unwilling to wage war. Instead, Shirley says they were too willing. She refuses to support the coup and war. Gravik tells her to go in peace because she will not be harmed. Shirley leaves and calls Talos to tell him. He asks her to set up a meeting between himself and Gravik in a public place.

G’iah keeps an eye on Gravik when he leaves the meeting. Pagon (Killian Scott) follows him. G’iah listens from a distance as Pagon and Rosa (Katie Finneran) talk about not having something. Rosa says their DNA selection remains extremely limited. Pagon explains that Gravik has given him multiple locations for Harvest although all of them have been empty. Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle) is questioned about Maria and Fury’s involvement during a security meeting. He tries to downplay and deny everything. Rhodes explains he is there as a courtesy because President Ritson has a pretty busy day job. When Rhodes leaves, he gets a call from Fury who says they need to meet. Once they meet, Rhodes tells Fury he should worry about spending the rest of his days in the Siberian retirement community.

They discuss the fact that the Russians are trying to blame the attack on Fury. Nick tries to tell him about the Skrulls only to learn that Rhodey already knows about them. Nick wants his help, but Rhodes doesn’t want to help. Fury says they should make the power mean something. Rhodes wants Fury to get on an airplane and leave. He says they wrestled this power from mediocre men who didn’t look like them and they shouldn’t turn around and hand it to mediocre men who do. Rhodes tells Fury that he is fired. He admits that he volunteered to fire him because he earned all this smoke. Nick attacks the security guard. Then, he tells Rhodes that he is in even when he is out.

Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman) enters a butcher shop and asks where he is. She walks into the walk-in freezer and says she is taking over the torture of the Skrull. She learns about the escape hatch before being left alone with the Skrull. Sonya cuts his finger off and confirms he is a Skrull before saying it is time to party. G’iah uses a computer to learn more about Rosa Dalton. Gravik interrupts to ask what she is doing. She lies and claims she is checking on their newest recruit. Gravik remembers when she came to him as the daughter of a failed general. Their man on the inside located Brogan. Sonya injects the Skrull and asks for the location of Gravik’s compound. He doesn’t know where it is, but he knows that Gravik is building a machine to make them stronger. Some married couple has been helping them.

He eventually says the name is Dalton. Gravik begins storming the butcher shop. When Sonya hears the shooting, she pushes Brogan (Ben Peel) over. G’iah goes around back. Pagon checks on Brogan who tells Gravik that he only told them lies. Gravik tells Pagon to take him to the car. When they drive back, they see cops surrounding their safe house. Brogan is taken into the woods where he is shot and killed by Pagon. Nick Fury retrieves a vehicle and drives away. He goes home and puts his ring on for Priscilla.

 

Secret Invasion Review

Despite expecting a lot less from Secret Invasion, it hasn’t been bad through two episodes although there could be improvements. The cast is really packed with dependable actors and actresses so the performances shouldn’t be an issue. The scenes can be a little too dark sometimes, but it is usually easy enough to see what is happening.

For a Marvel series, it is a little slow without a lot of action so that may be an issue for fans who expect a lot of fight scenes and gun battles. Nevertheless, it does a decent job of keeping things interesting with a lot of politics and interesting dialogue. The story obviously isn’t super realistic, but that is to be expected from a Marvel show.

It would’ve been great if things weren’t too easy for Gravik and some of the other characters because it feels like there is no struggle. Also, some of the dialogue could be better considering how nonchalantly the characters discuss carpet bombing and other serious topics. It could be very confusing if the Skrulls switch appearance on the whim and there is no explanation of who they are at any given time, but that hasn’t happened yet.

If Secret Invasion is taken as something different and on its own, it isn’t bad through two episodes. I am surprised to say it has been pleasantly watchable so far. This episode scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of Secret Invasion can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.