Review: Secret Invasion, "Promises" | Season 1, Episode 2
Marvel's spy thriller ups the stakes (and the violence) as it starts to find its voice
As someone who cut her teeth recapping Netflix’s Defenders shows, I’ve seen my fair share of gruesome live action Marvel violence before. (Remember that Daredevil bowling alley scene?) But even I was shocked to see a proper MCU series—one starring flagship character Nick Fury no less—casually deploy dismemberment and bloody knife fights. Building on last week’s unnerving bombing scene, the second episode of Secret Invasion ups the brutality far beyond Marvel’s usual standards, with weightier themes to complement that brutal tone.
Marvel reportedly wanted Secret Invasion to be its Andor, and while I don’t think this series is anywhere near as smart or nuanced as that Star Wars one, there’s definitely a pointedly adult edge here. More so than last week’s expository premiere, this feels like the episode where Secret Invasion locks into what it wants to be tonally. And though I’m still not entirely sold on the series, the clearer sense of focus is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
While last week’s premiere mostly told its story from Nick Fury’s perspective, this week’s installment switches to a more Skrull-centric point of view. Samuel L. Jackson still gets two major moments to shine (and one sexy kiss to end the hour), but this episode is largely about deepening our understanding of just how far the Skrull conspiracy goes. And that means quickly answering some of the lingering questions I had last week—questions that arguably should’ve just been answered in the premiere to begin with.