Secret Invasion Review (Episodes 1 & 2): It Took 15 Years For Samuel L. Jackson To Take Centre Stage In MCU & He Might End Up Giving Us The Best Marvel Series Ever, Watch Out!

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Martin Freeman, Don Cheadle.

Creator: Kyle Bradstreet.

Director: Ali Selim.

Streaming On: Disney+ Hotstar (In India).

Language: English (with subtitles).

Runtime: 2 Episodes, Around 60 Minutes Each.

ScoopSecret Invasion Review (Episodes 1 & 2) Review: What’s It About:

The present day post blip world is still trying to find an order and has, in many ways, moved on from the disastrous event. While humans try to return to normalcy, the Skrulls have now decided to rule over Earth as they feel Nicky Fury betrayed them by making a bogus promise to find them a home. Fury is called back to Earth, and the intense game begins.

ScoopSecret Invasion Review (Episodes 1 & 2) Review: What Works:

The exploration of the post-blip era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been mainly through a very mixed lens. After Avengers: Endgame game ended, and a new league started entering with phase 4, in turn leading to the multiverse saga. The blip was mentioned in most of the projects, but the plot was almost lost in the comedy that the last two phases highly took refuge under. The only three projects rooted in the seriousness of the times and situation were Eternals, The Falcon, And The Winter Soldier, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Secret Invasion, that is set in the present times where every change is reasoned by starting the sentence with the mention of the blip, is a staggeringly intense show that Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t only deserve but needed, to find some seriousness to build more intrigue. And I am happy to report, the first two episodes of the new Marvel X Disney+ series is the best opening a show under the banner has ever gotten. The curtain-raiser episodes are a tease of the gravitas we are about to witness after some very peppy pop culture-driven IPs. No hero is busy finding their redemption or purpose; there is no hero, actually. But an aged maverick human is pitched against an army of aliens that are about to take down his home planet.

So it’s serious business with no room for vibrancy and one liners or cheeky dialogues. It is Kevin Feige taking us back to the standalone Captain America era, which was intriguing and intense. It is Marvel going back to basics and realising that this is the niche that actually matters. Story Brant Englestein and Brian Tucker, latter also credited for the teleplay, it is the writing and Ali Selim’s direction that is bang on in the first two episodes of Secret Invasion. A couple of minutes in the opening sequence, and you know no one is supposed to be trusted. The tension around who’s human and who’s a Skrull is immense because they aren’t looking for a lost entity or a powerful stone, but have decided to end the very core of our existence and rule our planet.

Like the days of yore in MCU, the storyline of Secret Invasion rubs shoulders with reality. Skrulls are not just infiltrating our settlement, but also the politics, creating World War lll and trying to activate the terrorist syndicate. It all feels even more accurate, because the man equipped to fight them this time is as human as us. Skilled, but still human with no superpowers or godly weapons. It is his brain that will help him fight and nothing else. So Secret Invasion swiftly taps into the Andor zone and becomes a spy thriller that brings you to the edge of your seat.

DOP Remi Adefarasin is having fun with creating dark frames that scream tension. There is so much in the set design that the world feels three-dimensional. The best part about Secret Invasion from the first two episodes is that you can see beyond what is in the frame. You can see other characters existing somewhere on the same planet.

ScoopSecret Invasion Review (Episodes 1 & 2) Review: Star Performance:

Samuel L. Jackson was waiting for his moment to shine, and he finally had it after being in the MCU for 15 long years. The actor plays Nick Furry with so much empathy this time. He has aged, and the once sharp head of a coveted undercover agency is now an almost grumpy old man with his panache in place. Would love to see more of him.

Olivia Colman, a debutant, has to be my favourite of them all, and there are plenty of debutants in this one. She is the sass to the show, and her punchlines that are borderline arrogant and supremely mean are simply delicious. The actor surprises with her caliber yet again, and there is nothing that she cannot do now.

Emilia Clarke is a perfect addition. Her character has a lot in the two episodes, and the actor ensures her entry doesn’t look unnecessary. She has a breakdown scene, and it is after a long time; we might have seen an MCU character being this vulnerable (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a different game).

Talking about the rest of the actors might lead to some spoilers. So, I will stop. But they are all brilliant.

ScoopSecret Invasion Review (Episodes 1 & 2) Review: What Doesn’t Work:

Secret Invasion has raised a whole lot of hopes, and it cannot afford to let us down this time.

The first episode takes time to establish the base for the show. This is a welcoming attempt at marinating the audience in the vibe of the show, but it might put off some.

It will be interesting to see how the makers shape the fights between Skrulls and Nick Furry, considering there is only much they can do. But it also brings some tension; what if they cannot pull it off? I hope they do.

ScoopSecret Invasion Review (Episodes 1 & 2) Review: Last Words:

Secret Invasion seems like the Marvel bosses have smelled the tea and are taking action to save their fading glory. We hope the show stays on the same track and only excels.

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