Alright! Today I'm reviewing Secret Invasion, the eighth MCU Disney+ show and its 43rd entry overall, which stars Samuel L. Jackson as an aging Nick Fury trying to stop a secret invasion of refugee shapeshifting aliens called Skrulls, who have infiltrated every aspect of the world government in an attempt to start WWIII, secure their own home, and steal a vial containing Avenger blood.
Based on the comic storyline of the same name, where various members of the Avengers are revealed to be shape-shifting aliens, the MCU's adaptation left much to be desired. Perhaps it was improperly placed in the MCU's timeline, or perhaps it came out five years too late, but at any rate, Secret Invasion was a mostly boring spy thriller that barely worked because Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle are such terrific performers that it would be interesting to listen to them talk about their favorite brand of toilet paper.
Most everything else, though? Just a big gray "meh" that does nothing with one of Marvel's coolest arcs. The Skrull plot twists are all predictable and boring, likewise for the spy thriller, the villain has a point but they also shoot at open crowds, the lighting is all dark and hard to see, the score is unmemorable, and the entire series hinges on the idea that Nick Fury failed so badly that he fled Earth and let the Skrull uprising happen in the first place. The best thing that can be said is that it's an easy binge due to the short episodes (Six thirty-minute episodes? Come on, just make a movie at that point).
The flawed startup is the first problem. It's never a great look to take your cool, suave action hero and turn them into an old guy who failed so hard he has to come back out of retirement to clean up his own mess, and it's an even worse idea when he failed because there "are no other planets capable of supporting the Skrulls," which is utter nonsense given the billions of planets that exist and the number of them that can already support life in this shared universe. And if not, why not carve out a chunk of Canada for the Skrulls where they can live in peace? It's an odd and unbelievable starter plot.
The problems continue all the way until the end with the "mic drop" moment with the President declaring that all off-world visitors are unwelcome, a truly game-changing moment for the MCU brought to you by Disney+... or, at least it tries to be. In reality, it's a completely silly notion that the President of the United States would declare all offworlders illegal, publically, through a live broadcast, given that the likes of Asgardians have been living there for years. It's a baffling finale that takes itself far too seriously with an expected impact of zero after the viewership numbers and critical reception are taken into account.
There are other interesting things - like writing Emilia Clarke's headstrong character as if she's 19, despite the actress being 36, and then ending the series with a giant grey CGI slog fight where she transforms into the most powerful being in the MCU (?). Like, not even Super Skrull - she literally has the powers of Captain Marvel, 12 others, and anyone whose arm the audience might recognize.
Secret Invasion was a lot of things, but at the end of the day, it was an easy binge. You don't have to pay too much attention - the short Disney+ episode count means that an hour and a half is half of the series, and you're likely to forget it by the next day. If anything, you'll feel mildly insulted that it expected you to care enough to remember it. The best part is seeing Don Cheadle slowly lose his mind as he acts out a plot twist that he knows - he knows - would have blown up the internet back in 2016, but is now being relegated to a Disney+ show no one will watch.
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