Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Betrayed
Paul Dailly
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With a rich tapestry of characters, it's disconcerting Secret Invasion can't tell a cohesive story worthy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After watching Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 3, my hopes are officially dashed that the series can turn things around.
If you're not worth watching by the halfway mark, then it's pretty much a given that the second half won't improve much.
It's a shame because the cast is phenomenal.
You don't have Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman, and Emilia Clarke in the same project and waste their talents.
G'iah's death lacked the punch in the guts we got at the end of Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 1.
Maria Hill was done dirty by the writers because, just when we were promised a more significant arc for Colbie Smulders' alter ego, she was gunned down.
G'iah has been challenging to read, thanks to her lack of expression.
My best guess is that she trained herself to hide emotion because, you know, she was the big traitor who could stop Gravik in his tracks.
The biggest flaw with G'iah working with Gravik is that he let her skate by for so long.
It's hard to believe he would believe she was on his side at any point, no matter how much she wanted to tell him she was against her father.
Talos: When I came here in 1995, you were just a benchwarming nobody in a dumpy field office in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick: Benchwarming?
Talos: What, do you have a different take on this?
Nick: I was ascending the ranks.
Talos: You didn't start ascending the ranks until me and 19 of my people signed on as your invisible spy network. You know, we fed you more dirt and intel than you could've uncovered on your own in a lifetime, so please. I mean, every time you were promoted inside S.H.I.E.L.D., we did that. Every terror attack you prevented, we did that. Every enemy you sabotaged and ally you leveraged with dirt no one else in the world had access to, we did that. You're a smart and capable guy, Fury. Nobody questions that. But you've gotta admit, your life got a hell of a lot more charmed once I came into it. And do you know something? I don't even need to hear a bloody thank you from you. It was my pleasure, mate. Least you can do is not rewrite history when the guy who helped write it with you the first time is sitting right next to you.
Had he laid this trap for her on Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 1, it would have been easier to get on board with G'iah being by his side.
Granted, Gravik is all about displays of power, and he probably got excited at the prospect of Talos believing his daughter was working with the enemy.
G'iah's death should have landed with a thud, but the lack of character development made it more of an eye-roll development.
G'iah's demise will severely impact the narrative because it will send Talos in an unhinged direction as he desperately tries to avenge his daughter.
That could lead to some exciting developments, but out of all of these characters, Talos has the most skin in the game, and his inclusion in this chapter of the MCU has been welcome.
The beauty of Talos is that he was already calling out Nick before G'iah's death, so it makes you wonder just how far he'll go next.
It's hard to shake the feeling that the writers made Nick lose Maria and Talos lose G'iah to push them together.
If that's the case, it's unfortunate that the writers felt the need to kill off two of three female leads to propel the story of the leading men.
Nick was in the depths of grief on Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 2, and it looks like Talos will be headed there on Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 4.
Nick: Why don't you shapeshift back into this piece of trash and call in an abort on that missile strike?
Talos: Great idea. Why didn't I think of that? Maybe 'cause he's the only one who knows the code word.
Nick: You got a code for us, Commodore?
The show's saving grace thus far has been its decision to put Nick under a microscope to examine his past and how he rose the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Talos is tired of the help the Skrulls have given Earth being diminished, and while he's going to be against a lot of them fairly soon, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he didn't stand up for them.
Nick deserved the verbal beatdown Talos hurled his way about how the Skrylls are the reason for his continued success in his career.
It gave Nick food for thought, but will grief bond these two, or will they continue on this collision course?
Talos' meeting with Gravik was as chilling as expected. Gravik is under the impression he's invincible and knows how humans will react when they're under attack.
Deep down, Talos knows that Gravik has a warped perception of reality and of how humans communicate, and he'll probably use that to smite him down when he least expects it.
Gravik's want to make Talos pay for not being the leader he expected will be the downfall of the anti-humans mission.
Gravik would have killed Talos in the cafe without a second thought if he wanted to secure success.
Instead, he wanted to get under Talos' skin by mentioning G'iah, which hasn't gone so well for everyone who said her name.
It's hard to tell how Talos will be able to get into the compound and wipe out Gravik, but the good news is that Talos has vowed he won't let Gravik lead this battle against the human race anonymously.
However, the more significant issue for Talos will be that there will be an anti-Skrull operation that will probably find him under lock and key.
Gravik's plan to give the Skrulls changeable superhero abilities is par for the course with the story we're being told here, but surely, it means we'll have to have appearances from some familiar faces during the final three episodes of Secret Invasion Season 1.
Varra also seems poised to play a massive part in this final battle, which will surely shake up the MCU as we know it.
Nick allowing Varra to have the coded message on the phone in his presence was something else, but maybe he didn't want to push her after her admission that she mourned his death.
Nick was privileged in that he could run away from Earth to space and not deal with his problems, but he forgot about the people he left behind, so he's primarily to blame for the grip Gravik has on the Skrulls.
Sonya: Whoever this is, you shouldn't have this number.
Nick: What do you know about a British submarine called Neptune?
Sonya: First, I want an apology.
Nick: I just gave away the only one of those I had today.
Sonya: Well, you'll have to double down, 'cause you rather rudely attached a nasty bug to my beloved Hoot.
Nick: Tell me that's not the name of that owl clock.
Sonya: No, not anymore. Has a new name now. Nicholas Fury. He has a rather dashing little eye patch now.
Nick: I'm serious, Sonya. I have it on good authority. Neptune is planning to launch on the UN Delegation. That would mean World War III.
Sonya: Well, why would they do something silly like that?
Nick: Because at least one of Gravik's rebels has infiltrated Command. Can you make the call?
Sonya: Unfortunately, I'm dealing with my own infiltration at the moment. Somebody leaked the location of the butcher's shop when I was doing some of my best work, so my hands are tied.
Nick: Loose enough to get the captain's name? His name is Commodore Robert Fairbanks.
Sonya: Bob!
Nick: Can I get a photo and address?
Sonya: Absolutely. Shall I tell him you're on your way?
It seemed like Varra was going over to kill Gravik to help Nick find peace, but this show has taught us that we shouldn't trust anything or anyone.
Alas, all we can do is wait to find out if Secret Invasion Season 1 blossoms into something worth watching.
What are your thoughts on G'iah's death? Do you think it was necessary?
What's your take on Gravik allowing Talos to stay alive? Do you think Talos will regret not killing Gravik?
What's your take on Varra?
Hit the comments.
Secret Invasion Season 1 continues Wednesdays on Disney+.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
