SECRET INVASION 1×04 “Beloved” is the fourth episode out of a six episode miniseries that is supposed to be about the Skrull invasion of Earth. However, it’s mostly been about a couple of thwarted (as well as one not so-thwarted) terrorist attacks by the questionably competent Gravik. This is something that has been dragging the show as well as the killing of multiple well-liked characters. Basically, I don’t buy Gravik as a competent antagonist and given he’s up against Nick Fury, that just makes the entire thing fall apart.
Warning, this review will contain spoilers.
The premise for “Beloved” is that Nick Fury’s wife, Varra, has been given the mission of killing him by James Rhodes’ replacement. Yes, it turns out that Rhodey has been replaced by a Skrull infiltrator and that sadly undermines their conversation in “Promises.” Varra is conflicted about killing Fury despite the fact that Gravik is someone that she swore her allegiance to a long time ago. Also, she was apparently assigned to entrap him as a honey pot many years prior. This is easily the best part of the episode and probably deserved its own episode to focus on it.
Instead, the majority of the episode is focused on Gravik’s plot to kill the United States President and frame Russia for the attack. Which, fine, that’s a perfectly good evil plot and better than the previous couple that have happened. It’s fine and is a pretty good action scene but it also ends in yet another major character death that feels unnecessary and without sufficient build-up. This is one of the big flaws of Secret Invasion, it doesn’t know how to milk any actual drama from its deaths.
Basically, since Maria Hill was killed in episode one, fans have been confused as to whether any deaths would “stick” or not. After all, anyone killed during the show could end up being a Skrull at the end. That was one of the features of the original Secret Invasion comic. They brought back Mockingbird among several other dead characters and almost brought back Gwen Stacy (seriously). So, fans don’t know if they should be shocked or not whenever a major character is killed.
This is demonstrated by the revelation that G’iah, seemingly killed the previous episode, turns out to have survived. This is good because Emilia Clark is a fantastic actress and I kind of wonder what would have happened if this hadn’t been a TV show but had been a movie with her as Spider-Woman and Queen Veranke. Maybe have some actual superheroes be replaced and ended with General Ross becoming President due to killing the Skrull Queen. You know, something similar to the actual comic.
Either way, no sooner do we have it discovered that G’iah survived then we have Talos seemingly killed. I don’t know if we’re meant to take it seriously or not. If so, it seems like another waste of a good character for a mediocre storyline. We also only have two episodes left and I’m not sure the plot has gotten started let alone is ready to come to an end.
