Secret Invasion: Confusing for All The Wrong Reasons
Secret Invasion tries to deceive its audience into being thrilled.
Deception. Lies. Thrills. The attempt at an espionage adventure performed by Marvel in its latest series Secret Invasion promises the following characteristics by premise alone. Nick Fury, having spent years on S.A.B.E.R after the snap, returns to earth after hearing of a new Skrull invasion, one led by Gravik, a Skrull from Fury’s past. Other characters find themselves in the fray: Fury’s Skrull partner Talos and Maria Hill welcome Fury back to earth with blatant reluctance that kills any and all tension. A simplicity that is seen in just about every other aspect of the show.
A voice over from Talos sets the scene, waxing to the audience about a hypothetical situation that should terrify: what if you couldn’t trust those closest to you in an age of misinformation? An interesting idea that is undercut by the following line: “What if they weren’t human?” The audience didn’t need this final line, one could assume the danger and resulting fear of a potential Skrull invasion without the character’s telling them about it. But Secret Invasion, existing in a genre dependent on subtlety, complex relationship dynamics and a trust in the audience, is dull from its determination to explain everything. Three characters tell Fury he hasn’t been the same since the snap, yet we are shown an aged Fury who is different in beard length alone. One scene of a character looking depressed before a sad flashback can only carry so much weight in terms of defining their key characteristic, but at least Fury is given one at all. Maria Hill, despite being in the MCU since phase one, performs her usual role as exposition courier, with the opening ten minutes revealing how contrived this plot will be as it unravels in a straight line. Any twist is a simple “x character is an actual y” that is usually made clear to the audience before the reveal itself happens, and any “thrill” is enacted simply because the plot necessitates. Why does Fury knowingly follow his main target while refusing to take any action? Because there’s five episodes left of course!
And it was this thought that made me realize, Secret Invasion seems to be missing the key components of the type of story it’s trying to tell. A series all about deception, defined by the audience questioning every person on screen if they are who they say, requires well defined characters in the first place. How can I wonder if Talos is telling the truth about his identity if I don’t even know what his identity is? What do these characters believe in? Sound like? Imagine a series where a simple slip of one’s vernacular can reveal their true identity to the keen viewer. That level of audience engagement, of course, would require unique characters, and the audience being able to understand why they are unique in the first place. Instead, Secret Invasion’s reveals fall flat because characters are propped up by flaccid motivations introduced in a rushed manner within this very episode. In fact, much of the decades-long, trickling Skrull invasion is introduced in this episode, and worse yet, strictly through dialogue instead of action. Meaning, Secret Invasion is also missing the necessary established world espionage drama’s thrive on. A clear understanding of the dynamics at play between terrorist groups, characters, governmental bodies should be at the forefront of a thriller where the main character’s are supposed to be living in an oppressive, paranoia inducing world. Sadly, Secret Invasion fails to live up to Winter Soldier’s successes in this department, leaving this viewer confused or bored with the plot more than anything else as it pretends to scare the viewer. Character’s say the Skrulls are everywhere, but the plot and presentation both work against building the tension that should result from such declarations.
It does not help that the plot itself is contrived on multiple levels. Characters missing an impossible to lose hand off, Fury refusing to take action in key moments (not because of any trauma induced by the snap; this series is not afraid to use flashbacks to inform the audience, and yet there are none in this pivotal moment that could clarify Fury’s inaction), character’s knowing or missing key information simply because they say so, etc. Again, espionage thrillers are defined by specificity and logic, that’s what makes twists interesting. Believing in established information only for it to be flipped on the audience’s head is crucial for an engaging experience. However, Secret Invasion has to establish all of this information in an already crammed episode, making stakes feel flat and the world unbelievable. It takes more than a character saying information should be trusted by way of plot credentials labeling them as an important side character than for me to feel engulfed in a story and its world. This is a universe created through words, not action, and that is a simply ineffective approach at worldbuilding.
The sense of paranoia could have been amplified by the series’ presentation, but Secret Invasion constructs chase scenes of jogging fifty year olds with awkward cuts that only serve to confuse instead of thrill. A scared Nick Fury is told over the line that their lead target, one on their route to bomb a parade full of innocent civilians, has escaped. Cut to Fury…in wide. With pedestrians awkwardly placed in a shot that could generate real fear if it chose to focus on Fury’s reaction to this news. As the only character with a semblance of, well, character, Fury should be the focus. Yet, in the most dire moments, the camera refuses to accentuate the tension by cutting away from our protagonist, and thus seems determined to create an atmosphere of calm in the midst of a “thriller.”
While Secret Invasion has disappointed this viewer on multiple levels, that doesn’t mean there isn’t potential. Delving into Fury’s arc is a must by defining his past and weakness instead of characters telling it to him, and by extension, the audience. The characters aren’t afraid to call out Fury’s wrongdoings, I only hope the series is willing to show them, and the consequences of such. Similarly, the series’ themes have potential. Fury refuses to allow Skrulls on earth despite being 30 years late on a planetary promise. At what point is Fury hurting instead of helping the Skrulls? Sadly, this gray is hindered by the over-the-top evil of the alien race; these space traveling refugees are just looking for a home! But by way of extreme acts of terrorism? Again, I can only hope the series trusts the audience enough to develop nuanced themes and scenes with interesting subtext.
Secret Invasion is made powerful by its premise, but is weakened by being the most formulaic, simplistic execution of that premise. There is potential, but from the cast of characters present to the lacking dialogue, there’s no promise that the series will pan out to be the breakout hit the MCU needs at this point. Who knows how the series will end, but as of now, Secret Invasion is disguising itself as a political thriller, and it’s failing to deceive me into thinking it’s interesting.