‘Secret Invasion’ Recap: ‘Beloved’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios' SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Secret Invasion’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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If there is only one real downside to the heroes of the world, it would have to be the timeline they operate on. Because while it is wonderful to know that they are calculated in their actions to combat evil, and thorough and do everything they can to ensure that they are going after the right people and executing the right plan to bring them down… evil doesn’t operate like that. It’s quick, its malicious and eager to execute its own plan and it waits for no one and that sadly… allows for it to win the day and bring forth pain and suffering. Of course, calculation and patience eventually win the war, but that doesn’t stop us from lamenting the fact that heroes don’t work faster and well, that unfortunate frustration is top of mind today, because it was put on full display in the next episode of Secret Invasion on Disney+.

For ‘Beloved’ saw that very problem play out… but not before some housekeeping came into play. The kind that wrapped up some plot threads and followed up on others. Such as G’iah. For when we last saw her, she was apparently at her end, only for us to learn… she would be just fine. For the super-powered project that Gravik has been working on, was a resurrection of Project Extremis, and he indeed perfected it and delivered it to some and G’iah made sure to take a dose of it so she could be forgotten by Gravik and carve her own path. Not to mention, this was the story that featured the end of Fury and Varra’s relationship. Since she was expected to be his assassin and well, while neither side could go through with such an act… the lack of safety and security in their marriage… was enough to prompt a parting of the ways. Clearing the path for Fury to really dive deep and work to stop this mess.

Which brought us to the central theme in question. Because Fury needed answers and the only way to do that, was to plan, to calculate and assess. To figure out what Gravik had planned and how best to respond to it, and that meant, dealing with Rhodey. Whom we also learned… isn’t Rhodey. For this iteration of Rhodey is in fact, a Skrull. One that has been working to get Fury out of the picture to keep the plan on track and well… that reveal was quite the stunner and spoke to how far ahead the Skrull are in their plans for world domination and sadly, the cat and mouse game played here to track Rhodey and uncover those nefarious plans, is where the theme in question came into play. Because Rhodey wasn’t traveling about after a meeting with Fury to discuss and scheme with his fellow Skrull, he was off to bring about World War III. 

A move that involved isolating President Ritson so that Gravik and his team could assassinate him. Which would in fact, spark the war in question and from the ashes of the old guard, the Skrull would rise and live their new lives in their new world. Which made for a terrifying sequence of events. Wherein the bad guys enjoyed several wins. For they did indeed attack with impunity and put the president within an inch of death while Rhodey just sat and watched. But the world was still saved on this day, since that tracker did bring Fury and Talos to the battle site, and that did allow for the President of the United States to be saved, staving off war, at least against the nations. But that tiny victory aside, this was indeed a costly fight. All because Gravik was eager to put his plan in motion and didn’t wait to plan or ponder too much, he merely acted and Fury’s proper need to gather intel, brought forth age old frustrations.

Not to mention… a hero did fall. Because despite heroically using his alien strength to save President Ritson, while injured no less, Talos was punished by Gravik. By taking a blade in the chest while looking his closest ally square in the eye and since Talos didn’t undergo the Extremis procedure, his fate seems far darker. Especially when one considers that Nick Fury was forced to drive off with the president to keep peace and hope for a better tomorrow alive. But while we wait to learn the true fate of Talos, we can revel in one stunning episode. One that featured some powerful reveals and some stunning moments, and a fine reminder that evil does indeed creep forward for a time before it is put in its place, and all of these elements are going to make the wait for next Wednesday’s episode quite difficult. For the stakes are raised and we are in the endgame now, and it is going to be an explosive fight to save the world from Gravik’s machinations. Until next time.

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