Secret Invasion: Episode 3 Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of Episode 3 of Secret Invasion. Check out our review of the first two episodes here.

The halfway point of Marvel’s Secret Invasion offers a clearer look at the rebel Skrull’s grand plan, but in doing so throws further clouds over what the show is trying to achieve. When trying to be a convincing spy thriller it occasionally excels, with solid performances lifting it above its languid visual style, but all-too-often it feels like a series never fully confident in what it is. Instead, it looks back on tried and tested MCU methods rather than creating something exciting in its own right.

This is something perhaps best displayed in the series’ main villain. Kingsley Ben-Adir remains a quietly menacing presence as Gravik, his calmness and cutthroat nature only making his diabolical plans more unsettling. The reveal of his master plan is welcome at this midway point but also sees the show lean away from its paranoid spy thriller background and chase more traditional superhero trappings as they come to the fore. Although there were hints previously that the plot would head in this direction, I’d be lying if it didn’t spark a small eye-roll from me. 

That said, there’s still an element of paranoia on display, with Nick Fury cutting shapes more synonymous with doggedly inquisitive Alan Pakula characters from the likes of The Parallax View and All the President’s Men. The sometimes solo nature of his mission is also reminiscent of Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor – two leads who never manage to let their undeniable cool fail from cutting through the most desperate of situations. These murky moments are what make up much of Secret Invasion’s intrigue, so it’s a shame the show can’t wait to get Fury partnered back up as soon as possible then. 

While his scenes with Talos are enjoyable in their buddy cop nature, it’s these quippy conversations that drain a lot of the tension out of what could be a legitimately thrilling spy story. It’s another example of the MCU getting in its own way and falling back on the familiar rather than chasing something truly different. There’s a lack of commitment to the genre it’s claiming to be, which is just frustrating when you look at what something as uncompromising as Andor achieved in the Star Wars universe. Sadly, Secret Invasion is more than happy to play it safe by comparison.

It’s another example of the MCU getting in its own way and falling back on the familiar rather than chasing something truly different.

This doesn’t take away from any of the actors’ work on screen, however. Samuel L. Jackson’s performance as Fury is as strong as it has been since Winter Soldier and further proof that he shines brightest when moving in the shadows of this world. We also see more of the human side of Nick Fury than we ever have before. It’s a welcome look into his personal life with Jackson leaning into his softer side with ease. These scenes add preciously unseen dimensions to his character but are more crucial in adding yet more personal stakes to this globally threatening story. Alongside Talos and G’iah’s bond, it adds another reason for us to care about the people we’re spending time with and the collateral damage they may become, rather than just all eyes being focused on a villain’s main plot that we know will ultimately likely fail. 

Jackson continues to lead a cast that is studded with stars with top-class performers such as Ben Mendelsohn and Olivia Colman having the maximum impact on the few scenes they have. Mendelsohn is the pick of the bunch, with Talos’ story allowing him a great range of emotions to play in. Colman is clearly having a lot of fun playfully wielding her own brand of slightly unhinged power and Emilia Clarke continues to engage as G’iah, even if she does feel oddly sidelined for much of this episode. They’re aided for the most part by a fairly strong script, and while I’m not overly keen on the direction the plot appears to be taking, the scenes that make up its story are believably written, with dialogue bouncing around its many darkened rooms.

Although the characters and plot may be trying to conjure up images of classic spy thrillers, there’s very little in the images themselves that honour them. The look of Secret Invasion is very much taken from the Marvel style guide with interesting cinematography coming at a premium – establishing drone shots of cities and static close-ups making up most of what’s on offer. They do a job – never taking their eye off the action – but it just feels like a missed opportunity to stamp its own style on proceedings. The series is begging for a lick of visual creativity, especially when the main themes of the show play with the ideas of point of view and what your eyes can and can’t trust. Sadly, what we get for the most part are pages ripped from the early Russo playbook as cold colours and grey skies fill static, conventionally filled frames.

We’re halfway through Secret Invasion now and I’m still not 100% sure if the show quite knows what it wants to be. At times it threatens to break out into a genuinely exciting espionage thriller, but there are too many signs pointing towards a more conventionally MCU-like resolution to its premise. Without the superpowered cast of the comic book run to play with in its story, it seems destined to create its own through an underwhelmingly typical villainous plan, rather than play with the global superpowers that the Skrulls have seeded themselves into. I’m hopeful that there are more interesting story beats to come, as Secret Invasion presents a genuinely intriguing proposition, but for now, a lack of commitment stops it from standing out in the crowd.