Spoilers

The repercussions of events in Moscow…

The shape of Secret Invasion comes into focus with this episode. Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke stand more fully alongside Sam Jackson in taking the story forward. In the fall out from events in the first episode we see Colman’s character in particular making efforts to understand what’s going on.

She clearly has a better understanding of this war than anyone else and is acting to get something done.

At the same time, the Skrulls have penetrated deep into the heart of much of human society but here’s one major problem that I think is unfortunate. There is a rather grim conspiracy theory that’s been around since the Russian secret service first published the propaganda on which it’s based more than a century ago. I won’t do it the dignity of explaining it here but suffice to say when you talk about a secret cabal of people who ‘look like us but aren’t like us’ ruling the world from behind the scenes it becomes a fine balancing act to avoid stumbling headlong into antisemitic tropes.

When these stories were first told in the comics the world was still in the throes of a global cold war where the major antagonists did all look alike (White Russians vs. White Americans) and that paranoia about communists was thread right through American culture. In that context this story makes sense on its own terms.

In today’s multi-polar, multi-cultural world where right-wing conspiracies and even right-wing mainstream politicians can shout racist and antisemitic dog whistles without their own side calling them on it, this kind of story is more difficult.

Add to that the fact that under the human façade the shapeshifters are essentially lizard people (hello to David Icke and any number of others in that vein) and it’s an odd story to watch without being pulled in a dozen ways by very unflattering cultural trends.

Secret Invasion is not in any way trying to say that the Jewish people are secretly ruling the world. It is, however, a very easy comparison to make given where the existing cultural dialogue is.

Add to that a story that posits the world taking Russia’s side when unaffiliated terrorists of US origin commit an atrocity and we have a show with two major threads that just cut wrong in the current climate.

I really feel for the people in the writer’s room because there will have been a lot of conversations about the setting of this show when Russia invaded the rest of Ukraine in 2022. I can only imagine it was too late to switch up the setting when Russia committed to its invasion.

Setting aside the cultural headwinds this show is navigating I think it’s pretty good. The writing is, at times, excellent. There’s a scene here between Fury and Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes that sparks and bites and leaves you wishing the entire show could capture this lightning.

Olivia Colman remains the MVP, playing the most dangerous and cunning pantomime dame I’ve ever seen on screen. More of her is to be openly welcomed.

If episode 1 was a setting out of the premise this second episode delivers on that premise and grows it into something more threatening and sinister. There remain missteps – not least the waste of the powerhouse that is Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos – and Emilia Clarke, although present, is largely passive.

I get the feeling both will be central in what’s to come and this passivity is necessary in order for the pieces of the story to fall into place but it was still frustrating to see them and wonder why they were so low key when they could have been more.

Another misstep is Kingsely Ben-Adir’s Gravik. Ben-Adir oozes presence and charm, is delightfully good looking and fills the screen when he’s about, and yet he’s taciturn and does little to nothing to demonstrate why the Skrulls appear to have fallen completely in love with him.

Worse still he kills people whose only mistake is to work for him while letting others live who are clearly against him. As a lesson in leadership this one’s called ‘how to fail at staying in power’.

Right now he does not feel a worthy opponent to any of the main protagonists and given these first two episodes appear to have him entirely unopposed it’s a weird opportunity untaken to show why and how he’s become this influential.

Nevertheless, this show has legs and there are moments of great tension – we’ve a long way to go but so far I’m enjoying what I’m seeing.

Rating? 7 out of 10.

Stewart Hotston