Well, judging by the episode title, someone is getting betrayed. It’s just a matter of who’s betraying whom, and why. So as we near the halfway point of Secret Invasion, let’s take a look and see what the sudden but inevitable betrayal(s) may be and what impact they’ll have on the show.
1. Yep, It’s Super Skrulls
I’m not going to proclaim “I knew it, I saw through all their clever little hints,” because it was pretty obvious that this is where it was going, but yes, the Super Skrulls are a thing now. In fact, it looks like Gravik is already making himself a Super Skrull, at least a little, as we see him demonstrate Extremis-based healing.
Although the Extremis in Iron Man 3 was as much nanotechnology as it was genetic modification, so how exactly the Skrulls can collect DNA samples containing Extremis is questionable. But given that it’s basically a necessity to give Super Skrulls fire powers, I’ll let it slide.
At any rate, the approaching rise of Super Skrulls indicates that the invasion is going to go from “secret” to “outright” pretty soon, as it’s intended to give the Skrulls powers that will let them go head-to-head with the Avengers. They know that once the attack begins, the Earth’s mightiest heroes won’t just sit back, so this is their counter.
In other words: even the TV show’s plan still has to come down to a large battle in central park. Now the next question is: if it does reach that point, which movie characters will be making an appearance (other than War Machine)?
2. Soldiers and Statesmen
Today’s episode had a lot of key moments for Talos, starting with his meeting with Gravik. This served as an important character scene for both of them, as their conversation reveals a little about their characters.
For Gravik, we see how he views himself as a soldier, and would rather paint history in blood than on a canvas. While none of this exactly comes as a surprise, it illustrates his perspective well enough, and further shows the effects of acting as one of Fury’s agents from such a young age.
At the same time, we see that he’s not a bad strategist, as he managed to basically fill the art museum he meets Talos at with Skrull agents and sets a trap to determine if G’iah is the traitor (which we’ll get to in a bit). The scene also shows us a quick look at his Extremis-based powers, so it sets the stage for things to come.
Then we have Talos, who gets perhaps even more out of this scene. We see his views on humans juxtaposed to those of Gravik; while Gravik says humans only know murder, Talos knows that there are good humans and believes that they’ll be able to see there are good Skrulls as well (although whether or not that turns out to be the case will be determined later on, I’m sure). But we also get a moment showing him as a physical threat as well, when he actually manages to stab Gravik and get him by the throat when his daughter is threatened.
So, all in all, a good character-building scene.
3. Talos and Fury
Talos gets another great character moment when he reunites with Fury. This gives us some more great character scenes while building on their shared history and the role that Fury’s undercover Skrulls played in his rise in S.H.I.E.L.D.
For starters, we actually get to see Fury apologize and say that he needs Talos’ help (something quite rare for him, all things considered). But then we get a nice monologue from Talos going into how it was the Skrulls who served as Fury’s spy network, contributing to all the success, knowledge, and dirt that allowed him to climb the ladder to become the director. (And, as a flashback shows, the Skrulls also helped fight against Dreykov, from the Black Widow movie.) We’re also given a moment where Fury asks why Talos is on his side, and it reinforces not only Talos’ loyalty, but their overall friendship.
Not only do these scenes fit nicely in to the MCU canon, it also builds on the characters and their relationship. And props to Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, they did a great job making it feel real; there was some great banter and chemistry that let us feel their friendship, strained though it’s often been.
Continued below4. Busted
For a while now, it’s been unclear where G’iah’s loyalties lie. She’s clearly among the upper ranks in Gravik’s forces, but she still meets with her father. Well, Gravik wasn’t sure either, which is why he tested her loyalties.
It was actually a pretty good example of a “Xanatos Gambit,” as the trope goes. He began a plan that could absolutely start the war his faction has been striving for, and nearly succeeded, but he also let G’iah catch just a bit of important information. That way, when it was thwarted, he knew she was the one to leak it. So either the attack succeeds, or he reveals the traitor and can move on to the next plan—either way, he comes out on top.
Well, G’iah does have to blow her cover to stop the attack, and while it was overall for the best, it was not without its cost, because Gravik shoots her for her treachery.
Of course, a recurring theme in this series is how we’re never sure what to believe, and this is another instance of it. Yes, G’iah fell to the ground with a bullet hole in her and reverted to her natural form, but there’s always the chance that she’s pulling a fast one on Gravik, as well as the audience.
(And before you say anything, I’m still not completely convinced Maria Hill is dead either.)
So, is G’iah behind the “betrayed” in the episode title, or is there more treachery to come?
5. Marriage Troubles
For the surprise the last episode ended on, this one didn’t give us too much into Nick Fury and his relationship with his wife, Varra (AKA Priscilla Fury), but what it did give us is still good.
We only get a brief flashback to the two of them in the 90’s, but the chemistry is clear. To Fury’s credit, he’s clear that she technically works for him, although she counters that their team technically doesn’t exist. Obviously, things work out for them… up until the Blip.
We learn that Varra didn’t get erased with half the universe during the Blip, so she suffered through losing Fury when he got dusted. But, like everyone else in Fury’s life, she felt abandoned and hurt when he went off to space and S.A.B.E.R. as soon as he came back. This is a point that’s been hammered in pretty well by this point, but it has extra impact when it comes from someone he actually married.
Clearly they need some relationship counseling, in addition to the therapy that Fury really should have gotten. (How much of this series could have been avoided if Fury just saw a therapist? Seriously, don’t neglect your mental health.)
But that might not be the only issue with their relationship, as Varra gets a call from one of Gravik’s underlings. It seems as though she’s working with the Skrull Resistance as well, and it’s possible (if not highly likely) that the gun she keeps in a fancy safe deposit box is more than just a handgun, but whether or not she’s another betrayal waiting to happen will have to wait until the next episode.
