Secret Invasion Promised Superhero Intrigue however Wasted its Expertise (and Viewers’ time!) on Questionable Plots and Too A lot Exposition

When Disney+ introduced Secret Invasion, it was poised to be a extra grownup, grittier tackle the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Within the wake of the season finale, Secret Invasion appears extra like a colossal waste of time.

Six episodes is not a major funding, however nonetheless, you count on a payoff after spending that a lot time watching a season of TV.

As a substitute of being closed-ended, the sequence was extra about establishing the next tales within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We watched six episodes and acquired little to no satisfaction with the conclusion.

The perfect praise I can provide Secret Invasion is that it was completely different from the opposite exhibits we have watched on Disney+ set on this universe, however because it was additionally the most important chore to observe, that is not saying a lot.

I wasn’t the most important fan of She-Hulk, however a minimum of the characters advanced because the sequence progressed.

Going into Secret Invasion, we had been promised a sprawling story as Nick Fury and Maria Hill acquired their time to shine, stopping the plot of the Skrulls invading Earth.

Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 1 was comparatively slow-paced, however it did assist arrange the conflicts for the rest of Secret Invasion.

The primary purple flag that the sequence would waste our time got here on the finish of the premiere when Maria Hill was killed off, feeding right into a broader downside with how the MCU has handled feminine characters.

Maria was part of the franchise for over a decade however was lengthy overdue for a deeper dive, and that ought to have been one in all Secret Invasion’s brightest spots.

The sequence understandably wished to begin with a splash to get folks speaking, however it left a bitter style understanding that they elected to kill off a fan-favorite to prop up the character of Nick Fury to get there.

Colbie Smulders is incredible, however it should have been troublesome for her to listen to her character can be written out of the MCU universe with so little fanfare.

Kingsley Ben-Adir is a good actor, however Gravik is likely one of the blandest villains in MCU historical past.

It is arduous to think about anybody wanting again on Secret Invasion, hoping to revisit Gravik.

Gravik’s mindset was clearly that he wished the people to pay, and it left little or no for Ben-Adir to do in mild of it as a result of the character was so meh.

The worst half was that there ought to have been a battle of epic proportions between Gravik and G’iah, however it fell flat ultimately, like the remainder of the sequence.

Emilia Clarke has confirmed to be a superb actress from Recreation of Thrones alone, however G’iah was written as an impassive younger lady, modified by the entire loss she’d endured.

Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 6 made you surprise if Clarke was informed her character would grow to be probably the most highly effective particular person within the MCU.

That’d be a reasonably cool factor to be informed if solely G’iah had been well-written.

Certain, there have been some superhero moments, however she might have been utilized to a far nice diploma.

G’iah and Gravik’s closing battle was in all places, and because it’s virtually the MCU’s coverage that they’d die on the finish, there wasn’t a cause to be invested within the battle within the first place.

Watching Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 3 proved they had been already toying with the concept of killing G’iah. Why would his dying within the finale come as a shock?

G’iah and Gravik biking via their powers had been definitely worth the watch, however any good from it was undone by the combat’s sheer lack of logic.

It was over too quickly, and when you consider it, Gravik should not have gone down so simply.

I think about Clarke will return as G’iah in one other MCU story, however hopefully, she will get higher materials.

There was a tease that G’iah would work with Sonya (Olivia Colman) to maintain the world secure, which might be welcome.

Colman was the very best a part of the sequence because the quick-witted operative with a cutthroat perspective.

Sonya commanded each room as a result of she understood what was anticipated of her, so if the very best a part of Secret Invasion was how her character was launched and appreciated.

Had Colman and Clarke shared extra display time, Secret Invasion would have been the higher for it as a result of, because it stands, it wasn’t a worthwhile present.

Such a stellar forged calls for good materials, however on this story, all of the proof proved it wasn’t fitted to the expertise accessible.

Samuel L. Jackson was excellent because the modified Nick Fury, however the materials did not give him what he wanted to indicate his versatility as an actor.

Jackson will subsequent be seen in The Marvels, and from the trailer alone, he appears completely different.

Possibly being away from Earth has helped him, however as Secret Invasion performed out, it appears he was written otherwise for the 2 initiatives.

At its core, Secret Invasion did seize the tone the trailers promised however not the thrills and motion we would count on from a sequence set within the MCU.

As a substitute, it wasted its forged and viewers’ time as a result of, by the tip, every thing that occurred might have been defined in passing in the beginning of the following section of the MCU.

That is not the standard we count on coming off the success of WandaVision and Loki.

What are your ideas on how the present was executed, TV Fanatics?

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Paul Dailly is the Affiliate Editor for TV Fanatic. Comply with him on Twitter.