Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) isn’t done with his very bad, no-good week yet. Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 4, “Beloved,” was written by Brian Tucker and directed by Ali Selim.
G’iah (Emilia Clarke) lies in the woods after being shot by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). In flashbacks, she uses the machine to steal the thoughts of Doctor Rosa Dalton (Katie Finneran). Then G’iah sets the Super Skrull machine to “Extremis.” In the woods, G’iah is healed by the Extremis. She gets up from the ground and resumes her human form.
Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.
“Beloved”
At a bar in Paris in 2012, Fury reunites with Varra, aka Priscilla “Cilla” Fury (Charlayne Woodard). She references a newspaper cover about the Battle of New York from The Avengers (2012). Cilla suspects Fury was involved, which he implicitly confirms. The pair share a tender moment over the poem “Late Fragment” by Raymond Carver.
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In the present day, Cilla is seated in the back of St. James Church. She is approached by “James Rhodes” (Don Cheadle). Cilla says Fury was fired, possibly by President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney). Rhodes claims credit. Then he orders Cilla to kill Fury. Meanwhile, Fury uses electronic surveillance to eavesdrop on the conversation. Rhodes says either Fury or Cilla will be “catching a bullet today.” Cilla claims the “old Fury” is gone and argues for sparing his life. Rhodes threatens her before leaving.
Elsewhere, Gravik and his soldiers load a plane with supplies. One of them questions G’iah’s absence. Gravik states that she was the mole and has been taken care of. He underscores the importance of making the impending operation resemble a Russian attack.
Masks
Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) sits beside G’iah on a park bench. G’iah asks Talos about his strategy for finding the Skulls a home. Talos advocates for continuing to serve as an ally to Fury. He believes the “model behavior” will eventually pay off. G’iah asks if he doesn’t want to live in his own skin. Talos doubles down. G’iah calls him delusional. She says that’s now who they are, and it’s now who she’s become. Then, she leaves.
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Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.
Cilla arrives at her house to find Fury’s wedding ring still in the vase under a wall decorated with theatrical masks. Fury is in the kitchen preparing tea. The pair share a tense conversation. They each place their pistols on the table between them. Cilla reveals where she gained the visage she adopted. Doctor Priscilla Davis had a secret congenital heart defect and was about to die.
Varra explained the situation to Davis. In exchange, Varra made three promises to the dying originator: to bury Davis at sea, to continue to be a daughter to her parents and never to hurt Fury. Fury and Cilla exchange the lines from “Late Fragment” and then fire their weapons at one another.
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However, they both aim wide, sparing each other’s lives. Fury says they’ll be coming for her. She says she’s a big girl and can take care of herself. Cilla asks if Fury would have loved him if she’d been her true self. Before leaving, Fury says he guesses they’ll never know.
Liquid Luncherino
The Rhodes Skrull, Raava (Nisha Aaliya), takes a shower, resuming the form of Rhodes afterward. When “Rhodes” leaves the shower, Fury waits at the table for him. Fury offers Rhodes a drink of expensive liquor, Pappy Van Winkle’s 23-Year-Old Family Reserve Bourbon. Fury makes a big deal out of it. Then, he brings up the Skrull infiltration of the U.S. Government again. Rhodes is dismissive. Fury asks for his job back.
“Rhodes.” Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.
In response, Rhodes reveals he has a video of Gravik (in Fury form) murdering Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). Fury says that’s really Gravik. Rhodes mocks the idea of Fury using “the alien defense” at trial. He takes the liquor from Fury and tells him to get out before he has him thrown out the window.
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Fury and Talos sit in a car outside the hotel where Rhodes is staying. It is revealed that the liquor was actually a liquid location tracker. Navigating around the protesters, Fury and Talos follow Rhodes. Soon, Rhodes welcomes Ritson to the United Kingdom. Rhodes begins coaching Ritson. However, Ritson smells the liquor on his breath and calls him out for it. The Presidential motorcade departs with Rhodes a few cars behind Ritson.
Skrull Kill Krew
As the motorcade travels through the countryside, Rhodes reports the location of Ritson to Gravik. Soon a pair of helicopters attack the convoy. Ritson is trapped in an overturned car. The helicopters are joined by vans full of Skrull soldiers who open fire on the convoy. The motorcade shoots down one helicopter, but the resulting crash is destructive. Fury and Talos arrive in their vehicle. Fury states they must rescue Ritson. He and Talos remove weapons from the car. Fury uses one to take out the second helicopter. The wreckage stops just short of the car containing Ritson.
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One of Gravik’s soldiers spots Fury. Gravik uses Groot Super Skrull abilities to take out a Secret Service Agent. U.K. reinforcements arrive. They help Fury and Talos reach Ritson. Talos begins using his strength to punch through the bulletproof glass of Ritson’s vehicle. Talos is shot by opposing forces. He begins to lose human form and return to Skrull form. One of the reinforcement soldiers nearly shoots him. Fury is able to stop him in time. Talos eventually shatters the glass.
Talos fully returns to Skrull form. Fury frees Ritson from the vehicle. Before carrying Ritson to his car, Fury tells Talos to hang in there. The reinforcement soldier begins carrying Talos. After Ritson has been deposited in Fury’s car, Fury realizes what’s going on. When the soldier refuses to put Talos down, Fury fires at him. The soldier is revealed to be Gravik. Gravik stabs Talos, who collapses. Fury shoots Gravik several more times, but he can heal himself with Extremis abilities. Gravik escapes by motorcycle. Fury departs with Ritson. Talos remains, lying on the battlefield.
New episodes of Secret Invasion are released Wednesday on Disney+.
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