Our Verdict
Secret Invasion's penultimate episode delivers a couple of thrilling scenes, but tees up a forgettable finale to wrap up the mini-series.
Secret Invasion episode 5 recap. We’ve reached the penultimate episode of Disney Plus’ Secret Invasion adaptation, and this week introduced what could be a huge problem for the MCU’s heroes going forward.
We still think the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s version of the story should have been an Avengers movie, but episode 5 of the Disney Plus show at least introduces some Avengers-related plot points that will surely come back to bite Nick Fury later on.
The Marvel series has just one installment left to wow us, and this week’s chapter did lay the groundwork for what has the potential to be a thrilling finale, so let’s get into this Secret Invasion episode 5 recap.
President Ritson, after the events of Secret Invasion episode 4, is taken into hospital by Fury, who isn’t allowed to accompany him any further due to his revoked security clearance. Instead, Nick plants himself on the other side of the door to fend off any other attackers.
Back at New Skrullos, Gravik’s plan in Secret Invasion is being called into question by some less-than-happy Skrull operatives. In particular, they’re angry Gravik has had multiple opportunities to kill Fury but has elected not to. Gravik then explains that Fury has hidden Avengers’ DNA, and things start to click into place. A big wrinkle in the Skrull takeover has been their desire to stay off of the Earth’s Mightiest Hereos’ radar due to them being more powerful, but with Avenger DNA, they can use the genetic material to level up their Super-Skrulls.
The loudest Skrull continues to come at Gravik, so he murders him, reminding his followers that this is not a democratic organization.
At this point, it’s written on the faces of multiple Skrulls (particularly Beto) that things are turning sour from within the coup.
Gravik gets on a call with Skrull-Rhodey and presents a surprising new idea: he asks Rhodey to show Ritson evidence of New Skrullos in Russia, to convince him Russians are working with Skrulls and provoke a nuclear attack on the country, which would start World War III. Of course, this means sacrificing innocent New Skrullos families who are hiding there.
As promised, Rhodey releases the footage of Nick (actually Gravik) killing Maria Hill to ensure Fury is left hated and hunted by the US and its allies. Talos is dead in Secret Invasion, for real, so images of his body struggling to keep its human form from last week’s battle are leaked too. Considering the plan before now seemed to be hiding the invasion from the world, this is a big change. People are now aware aliens are attacking the US, but they’re being led to assume it’s Russia orchestrating it.
Back at the base, Skrull operatives suddenly attack their leader. As for why the Skrulls tried to kill Gravik, it seems they’re tired of his blasé attitude towards sacrificing his own people and murdering dissidents. They place a bag over his head and attempt to assassinate him, but his Super-Skrull powers mean he’s able to overpower them. He then kills Beto in front of onlookers to prove a point.
Meanwhile, G’iah and Nick meet up, and she tells him Gravik is looking for the Harvest, which is Nick’s collection of Avenger DNA (read the Harvest explained for every detail). Following a pattern in this series, they’re both somber about Talos’ death, but there isn’t really any immediate sense of grief or reaction. It’s all rather cold and to the point. Their conversation does point to G’iah potentially becoming some sort of leader after this battle is over, though, in a similar role to her father’s position before the mutiny.
Sanya, who we haven’t seen a whole lot of, finds the Daltons. They are a Skrull couple working under Gravik. The female Skrull, it turns out, was responsible for leading the science division and creating the Super-Skrull machine. The male Skrull threatens to kill her, so she won’t betray Gravk. Sanya responds by shooting him in the head and torching their laboratory.
We then visit back with Varra as G’iah goes to her home to request she helps with giving Talos a Skrull burial with their culture’s customs. Varra tells G’iah she hasn’t left her house because she’d rather fight for her life there than in a random dark alleyway, so the pair fight off Gravik’s forces who are sent to get rid of her for disobeying the order to kill her husband.
At the hospital, Ritson is awake and talking. Skrull-Rhodey takes the opportunity to try to convince him to bomb New Skrullos, but he is hesitant, knowing the outcome would be a full-scale war.
Gravik, with all the leverage he has, invites Fury to meet him with the Harvest material. Fury gets on a plane, and that guy from the Black Widow cast whose name you definitely don’t remember gives him some documents and transports him. Turns out, he’s called the ‘Widow’s Veil’.
Sanya collects Fury, and the pair drive through rural Finland, which is where Fury is keeping the Harvest. Sanya learns Fury’s wife is a Skrull, and because Olivia Colman is so damn good, it feels like a big moment —Fury is allowing himself to be fully seen which is a rare thing. He also tells her this is basically all his fault because it was he who sent young Gravik and other Skrulls in after the events of Endgame to collect the genetic material.
Nobody else knows this, and if you ask us, this is an example of how Fury will never be a cut-and-dry hero. He’s interesting in this way because he will always put his job above an ethical code.
Fury picks up a vial and straps his iconic eyepatch on, heading out into the cold for a final showdown with Gravik, which we’ll cover in our finale recap this time next week!
Until then, we’ve got guides on the Secret Invasion release schedule, how to watch Secret Invasion, and some thoughts on the Secret Invasion TV series and comic differences.
For more MCU at large, check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order, the Marvel Cinematic Universe upcoming movies, and the Avengers Secret Wars release date. Or, for a different tone, find a new best TV series to watch.