Episode Grade: (8.0/10)
Gravik’s position continues to improve as he strengthens his grip over the Skrulls. Fury, on the other hand, finds himself more isolated than ever.
Plot (42/50)
Gravik’s attack on the Russian city square successfully put both Fury and the US government under intense pressure. Gravik further took advantage of the situation by getting himself elected as Skrull General. This gives him absolute power over the Skrulls. In the meantime, Fury had a falling out with both Talos and Rhodes. Gravik’s only active opposition at the moment is Sonya. She manages to capture Brogan and learns of a secret machine Gravik is building, but make no mistake, this was only a minor setback for Gravik. Right now, he’s absolutely dominating the playing field.
Gravik Marches On
With his opposition scattered and weak, Gravik takes full advantage of the situation. He attends a council meeting that was called on to reprimand and/or punish him, but he quickly turns it to his favor. Members of the council include prominent world leaders, including the commander of NATO and the UK Prime Minister. Of course, Gravik had already gained the support of the Prime Minister, who nominates Gravik as Skrull General. The rest reluctantly fall in line, with the exception of Shirley, who is allowed to leave without harm.
Shirley then calls Talos, who requests that she set up a face-to-face meeting with Gravik in front of the Skrull population. This was a desperate move by Talos to get things under control after he fell out with Fury. Both had good reason to be upset with the other, but the important bit of information from their conversation is that there are a million Skrulls on Earth, which is far more than what was previously reported. In any case, Gravik’s opposition leaves much to be desired.
Kicking a Man While He’s Down
With the council’s support secured, Gravik moves on to the next stage of his plan. The US is publicly blamed for the attack and condemned by its NATO allies. Colonel Rhodes is grilled at the emergency security summit, but he stands his ground. Still, he is forced to distance the US government from Fury. Rhodes then meets with Fury and abruptly fires him despite having knowledge of the Skrull threat. Fury’s always been resourceful, but he’s also always had the backing of the US government. Now that he doesn’t, his margin for error became that much tighter.
Back when the attack was happening, Sonya’s men managed to capture Brogan, a Skrull operative. Sonya brutally tortures him until he reveals that Gravik is working on a machine to make the Skrulls stronger. Earlier on, G’iah also learned of this machine as she was snooping around the compound at New Skrullos. Sonya manages to escape just before Gravik and his team arrive to free Brogan. Brogan insists that he didn’t give Sonya any information, but Gravik doesn’t buy it, so he has him executed by Pagan. The episode ends with Fury retreating to his Skrull wife’s house in the woods.
Final Thoughts
I like that they’re continuing with this three-pronged plot structure. It flows well and is easy to follow. Firing Fury feels rushed given how much support and success he’s had over a very long period of time, but this might make more sense later if it’s revealed that Rhodes and/or the US president are Skrulls. The explanation for why the Avengers can’t get involved was flimsy yet necessary for the sake of continuity. The addition of the secret machine is intriguing. Look for Fury to regroup and bounce back strong in the coming episode.
Character Development (12/15)
The backstory of the Skrulls and their connection was given in this episode, and it adds much-needed context for how the current situation came to be. Gravik continues to demonstrate his cunning and ruthlessness, both of which make him a strong leader. Fury, on the other hand, can’t seem to catch a break, and it’s largely his own doing. Talos, G’iah, and Sonya each look to stop Gravik, but on their own, they don’t stand a chance.
Gravik
The flashback gave us a glimpse of Gravik’s trauma as a kid. His parents were both killed in the war, but he somehow managed to escape on his own. His grit was recognized by Skrull leaders, and he was introduced to Fury. Gravik was present when Fury promised to find the Skrulls a new home in exchange for their help. He feels used and betrayed, so eliminating the humans serves a dual purpose in that he secures a new home for the Skrulls and he gets back at Fury in the process.
Furthermore, it’s clear that the war that cost the Skrulls their home still burns in Gravik’s memory. What makes him particularly dangerous is that he’s able to channel all this emotion into a passionate crusade. He uses his anger and frustration as motivation to execute his masterplan. And in situations where emotions would normally cloud an individual’s judgement, Gravik demonstrates an unwavering, cold-blooded, cutthroat approach. He ordered the execution of Brogan without saying a word, let along skipping a beat.
Decisiveness is a critical leadership trait. Add ruthlessness to the mix, and that’s usually enough to secure power as a dictator. Gravik has both qualities, but he’s also demonstrated a social tact about him that transforms him into a populist leader. He knew who to ally himself with on the Council, but he also had the awareness to let Shirley go in peace. This makes him out to be a just ruler and crucially avoids alienating those who disagree with him. Gravik’s the real deal.
Fury
Fury’s having a rough time. He probably feels guilty about agent Hill’s death, but none of that was on display here. It’s clear that he’s underestimated the opposition, but instead of looking inwards to what he’s done wrong, he lashed out at his closest remaining ally. His frustration towards Talos for not disclosing the true amount of Skrulls on earth is justified, but it shouldn’t be that hard to recognize that the Skrulls feel betrayed by Fury’s inaction. The two will reconcile sooner rather than later, but it will likely come at the expense of Fury’s pride.
This is especially true since Fury just got fired by the US government. Rhodes’ demeanor was harsh, but it’s mostly in line with how other characters view Fury: he did some great work in the past, but he’s now an old, washed up general with no troops. In the end, he will prove everyone wrong, but right now, he’s in dire need of a regroup. Could his secret Skrull wife be the one to provide him with the support he needs to get going?
Theme/Messages (3/5)
- “Humans can’t coexist with each other, we’ve been at war with each other since we could walk upright!”
Acting (12/15)
Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Gravik), and Emilia Clarke (G’iah) all performed their parts admirably. Special mention to Ben Peel (Brogan) for a spirited performance in the little screen time he got.
Cinematography (11/15)
- Shot of Gravik from behind as the council members stand to pledge their loyalty around him (25:00)