Marvel Studios ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 6 Review - Truth Comes Out, But the Skrull War Yet to be Over

The final episode of Secret Invasion, the Marvel show that has kept us on the edge of our seats for six weeks, is here. And boy, does it pack a punch. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his team face off against Gravik (Ben Mendelsohn) and his army of Skrulls in a race to save the world from a secret war. The episode is full of twists and turns, action and drama, and some unexpected revelations that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew.

The episode starts with a tense confrontation between Fury and Rhodey, who is actually a Skrull working for Gravik, the leader of the Skrull rebels. Fury manages to capture Rhodey and interrogate him, while Sonya Falsworth, the new SIS director, kills some Skrull agents and finds out Gravik’s goal.

The episode then shifts to New Skrullos, Gravik’s base, where Beto and some other Skrulls rebel against Gravik, who has become obsessed with his mission and has killed Pagon for questioning him. Beto sends a message to G’iah and Varra, Talos’ daughter and son-in-law, who are on Earth.

They receive the message and decide to join forces with Fury to stop Gravik. Fury arrives at New Skrullos with Rhodey and the Harvest. He meets Gravik and offers him the deal. Gravik agrees but reveals that he has also captured Ritson, who turns out to be Thunderbolt Ross in disguise.

Gravik threatens to kill Ross unless Fury gives him the Harvest. Fury agrees but activates his countermeasure, which causes all the Skrulls on New Skrullos to lose their shapeshifting abilities and revert to their true forms. Fury then frees Ross and fights Gravik, while Rhodey helps them escape. G’iah and Varra arrive with a ship and rescue Fury, Ross, and Rhodey. They also destroy the Harvest before Gravik can use it.

The episode ends with Fury and his team returning to Earth. Sonya Falsworth becomes the new SIS director and thanks Fury for his help. G’iah and Varra join forces with Fury and pledge their loyalty to him. Rhodey reveals his true identity as Raava, a Skrull who was sent to replace Rhodey after he died in Civil War. He says that he regrets working for Gravik and asks for Fury’s forgiveness. Fury accepts him and says that he still needs him as an ally.

 

The episode delivers on the hype of the show’s concept: a covert invasion of Earth by aliens who can look like anyone. The stakes are sky-high, the suspense is nail-biting, and the surprises are jaw-dropping. The episode reveals that Fury has been one step ahead of Gravik all along, using the DNA of the Avengers that he secretly collected after the Battle of Earth to create a weapon against Gravik’s scheme. He also exposes Rhodey (Don Cheadle) as a Skrull spy, who has been working for Gravik from the inside. Fury manages to outwit Gravik and stop him from using the Harvest, a device that can boost the Skrulls’ powers and make them invincible.

Jackson brings his signature cool and humor to Fury, while Mendelsohn portrays Gravik as a nuanced and tragic villain, who believes he is doing the right thing for his kind. 
The episode also features some awesome action scenes which I absolutely loved, such as the hospital shootout, the Finland chase, and the final showdown at New Skrullos. The episode also has some nods to the comics that worked as a fan service for me, such as Fury’s secret base in Finland, which is similar to his hideout in Original Sin; and Gravik’s appearance, which resembles his comic counterpart. The episode also has some humor and heart, such as Fury’s banter with Sonya and G’iah, and his emotional speech to Ritson (William Hurt), who turns out to be Thunderbolt Ross in disguise.

I loved the episode, but the episode feels hurried and crowded, as it tries to wrap up all the loose ends in less than an hour. Some of the plot points are skipped or left hanging, such as how Fury got the DNA of the Avengers, how he created the weapon, how he leaked Rhodey’s identity to the media, and what happened to Rosa (Gemma Chan) after she betrayed Gravik. The episode also relies on some convenient coincidences and plot devices, such as Fury finding the Harvest in a grave near the Russian border, Gravik trusting Rhodey despite his doubts, and Fury being able to contact G’iah and Varra without being detected.

The episode also suffers from some inconsistencies and contradictions with the previous episodes and the MCU canon. For example, in episode 5, Fury killed Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) in cold blood, but in episode 6, he acts like nothing happened and even jokes about it. In episode 5, Ritson was shot in the chest by Talos, but in episode 6, he is recovering in a hospital bed with no visible wounds. In episode 6, Fury reveals that Ritson is actually Ross, who has been working with him since Civil War, but this contradicts Ross’ actions and motivations in previous MCU movies.

The episode also fails to explore some of the themes and implications of the show’s concept, such as identity, trust, loyalty, morality, and politics. The episode does not address how the revelation of Skrulls affects the public perception of superheroes and governments. The episode does not explore how Fury feels about deceiving his friends and allies for years. The episode does not delve into how Gravik’s followers feel about his betrayal and defeat. The episode does not examine how G’iah and Varra cope with their loss and their new alliance with Fury.

Secret Invasion Episode 6 is a thrilling finale that delivers on action and surprises but falls short of logic and depth. The episode wraps up the story of Fury and Gravik in a satisfying way but leaves some questions unanswered and some potential unexplored. 

Final Score - [7/10]