The Reel Rejects - SECRET INVASION Ep. 1x2 Recap, Breakdown, Review, & Ending Explained!

Episode Date: June 28, 2023

ANOTHER SURPRISE ENDING! Secret Invasion Episode 2 Full Episode Reaction: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects We watch and react to Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion, giving our Review, Breakdown, Theories, & Easter Eggs as well as our Discussion on plot theories & easter eggs. The episode features a brilliant scene between Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) & Don Cheadle (James “Rhody” Rhodes), the ending reveal of Nick Fury’s Skull Wife, Ben Mendelsohn (Talos), Olivia Coleman (Sofia) Torture Scene, and Emilia Clarke (Sybil), as this picks up immediately after the Maria Hill death scene where the episode dives further into the Captain Marvel connections (flashback), Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) explained, the Skrull invasion, setting us up for an exciting Episode 3. Dive in with us on this exciting journey into the MCU with 'Secret Invasion' Episode 2 on Disney+. In our first time watching, we're going to share our genuine reactions to the episode's best moments/scenes and conduct a comprehensive review that leaves no stone unturned. Here's our in-depth breakdown of key scenes, as we uncover easter eggs meticulously embedded by Marvel Studios, and speculate on theories that could impact future episodes. SPOILERS Abound! #SecretInvasion #marvel #mcu #SecretInvasionEpisode2#SecretInvasionReaction #SecretInvasionReview#Skrulls #Talos #Fury #NickFury #DisneyPlus #Disney Follow Coy Jandreau On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoyJandreau Support The Channel By Checking Out Our Bomb A** Merch: http://shopzeroedition.com/collections/reel-rejects-merch0:00 POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-reel-rejects/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Coy! Unfortunately, this is how we sound. Yep. And we are going to talk about episode Dose. of Secret Invasion today. Doe! If you want to catch our reaction, look at our faces going,

that's interesting, the whole time. Go to YouTube.com slash real rejects. If not, if you just want to hear us talk, then you stay here. Don't do anything. You did it. You already accomplished it.

Good for you. Sweet. Let's do it. what coby smolders appearing in a box yeah i was like i don't think they even showed her physically nah but they mentioned her they mentioned her name man that was good yeah that was great man that was scroll-tastic quality i wish there were like 10 episodes of the show how many episodes are gonna be because it's great it's just these two shows over nick fury goes home to his wife he's done yeah i got fired oh man i kept thinking in this episode

that if this would had come out like the like year after end game and if we had like less stuff in between like what a different conversation there would be because this feels like such a cool sequel to the paranoia of the dusting to like trauma there's so much remorse it's just so good yeah it's really well done really well done jonathan oh man i cannot agree more like the second this the second i got the sense you know that the episode was ending I was like, ah, damn, like, both of these had that quality of, like, I don't want to stop watching. And I love that, I mean, there has been physical stakes. There has been action.

There have been deaths and things. But so much of it is just debate, which is great, especially when something like this can compel with that. I'm really impressed that the action choreography is as good as it is alongside how good the dialogue is. I feel like a lot of times with shows, you kind of have to choose. Like, the directing either lends itself to good. conversation action or the directing leads itself to good action, but the style of the cinematography

doesn't feel too disparate when it changes from an action scene to a dialogue scene, but it allows for both to feel authentic because it doesn't have that greengrass quality where it's like, I don't know what's happening! And I love greengrass because that works for that world, but it wouldn't work here, whereas this

is like a nice hole to the choreography has to be so tight that it looks plausible. Well, yeah, and the way they shoot this stuff is like it has a nice visual style but it's not overly flashy either yeah well i think with the action too they wanted to be reflective of who the characters are what's our main what's our main guy's name again uh graphic graphic yeah with graphic uh even with him just showing how john wick tactile he is demonstrates doesn't waste time how big of a position he like not only is he the strategist and a great

great to manipulate he is also um the ultimate warrior of them all you can see how much he has trained himself to become who he is and you see that's really demonstrated as he so not only is he a mental threat that you have to go up against but he's also a physical threat that you have to compete with at the same time and I love

the layers that they have shown with him because he's the one who's inspiring the people the scrollopolis I like to call it he's the one inspiring them yet you get these shades of conniving menace and villainy you know piercing through these little smirks that he has so it's like

i i haven't really got in a full sense of what like he just seems like he wants domination like he he just wants to run whatever it is there is no there is no remorse as they point out for this character like there were two thousand people who were killed and it it is an interesting conversation that they're having because you know they're factoring in the history of what brought the here to earth and they're kind of forgetting a lot of what initially got them there in the first place and this invasion is not something where you know they're retaliating because of how they've been treated right you know like most people don't even know about them yeah they are just kind of dominating and it is it is really cool where it's so different from the comic in every way

because like the scrolls, the comics are like loud and maniacals. It's like big letters. Yeah, yeah. We're aliens. We've come to destroy you, beauty humans. But I love just the humanistic portrayal that they're giving here.

It's very interesting stuff. It really suits this medium. And I always talk about what like adaptation versus translation is for comics to shows. This is such a better take for this medium. I think when you have an event comic, you need a bad guy. So in the comic books, you need, like, green aliens that are yelling about alien stuff.

But in a show, that wouldn't work. And in a show that's this well written, you can really make it about violence and refugees and history. And it really is a great commentary on so many of our things by looking at our problems from an outside lens. And I loved, like, the subverting expectations of, like, having Gravick let her go when she decided not to join the coup. I thought that was genius to show mercilessness towards violence failing and show seeming mercy

towards like I understand where you're coming from and that makes him much more interesting than the choice of Legocation dies and then the rest of the time you've got this fear and intimidation and he really seems like he's wanting to help his people because of that letting her go as opposed to him just being a malevolent dictator because he mostly is

I love what they're doing with the whole scroll community. Yeah. And it's interesting, too, that with Nick Fury, and a lot of the conversation was even brought up as well with Rodi, how they are factoring. I feel like this is the first time with Nick Fury that they're actually exploring the fact that he's black,

you know, and going into a lot of the history and the struggles and the oppression as well, of wanting to belong as well and wanting to be accepted. Yeah. And they're using that lineage in a way that is semi-reflective of what's going on with the. scrolls as well. Which I thought they did a good job with Ms. Marvel with

when they tied in Muslim culture, Muslim heritage with where we're leading with mutants, where they made it a commentary on feeling other being outside, and then like this is doing it with historically American treatment of things. And I like those two paths being like

guys, look at what we've done, there are ramifications, but not being I mean, there's people going to complain, but not being in a way that feels like it's the only purpose of it. Like it feels like it serves the story. not it has to be the story yeah and also like with nick fury and rhodie in that conversation when that topic was brought up of that doesn't mean that we should just give each other a pass just because we have difference of beliefs that we have to you know just agree to these things

because like rhodi's stance is so like drastically different on this matter yeah that was a great again i'm a big fan of like when you write a really strong debate and i think this the show I mean, they had two great scenes here, two great powerhouse scenes with Nick Fury, where him and Talos at the very beginning on the train. Yeah. Feeling like they're being light,

like, you know, being light to, and also were Talos, is it Talos or Talos? Is it Falcons or Falcon? In the show, they seem to be going with Talos in the movie. I thought it was Talos. Well, Nick Fury says Taylor's. So I suppose I should

alter my pronunciations just for him Carlos but yeah where Talos's anger was coming out as well like I think these acts they got so many

isn't Olivia Coleman an Oscar winning actors too then she went for something I think so in last like five years I think she won an Oscar as well yeah I don't think Ben Mendelson's won but he's nominated yeah he's one of the best to have just these actors here

and they and like Don Cheatel too who is also an Oscar nominated too this is like man we're really finally because Rodey's usually just like, he's cool. Right. And I'm always like, you guys have Don Chitiel. Like, who out of like, the talent?

This one scene, you really let him have emotion and true scene work here. That's the best roadie scene in the MCU so far. And it's like, we've cast Don Cheatel. And that's my biggest issue with the MCU of like the 15-year run is sometimes they cast so well

that I'm like, it's Don Chitle. Yeah. Like, can you let Don Chittal? Utilize what their range is truly capable of and what everything brewing underneath the surface. I want to see that come out. And I think they capture that with Nick Ferry and Talos on the train. And that's why you do a show. Yeah. Like this is what... I feel like you could have got any scenes in a movie too. No, I don't think. Like, look, we've already spent two hours. They'd be over. Like this is a six... This happened

at the one hour mark. No, but this is episode two. I know, but it happened at the one hour mark if you're factoring in the runtime of when those scenes occurred. Sure, but I don't want that to be the whole thing. Like, this would be the end of the movie. We'd be done. And I think that the reason you do television is because comics are serialized so you can have a slow burn build up and I think that when they announced the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows tying into the movies

and saying this was going to be one big universe I thought it was for stuff like this like this is what you can build and I think this you need these actors to get more time to play this is why Dinoffreo is one of the best villains because you let Kingpin be as captivating as Daredevil. Now we've got an entire

invasion that's just as interesting as the Thanos subplot that took 10 movies to build to. Like, this is why you do TV. Yeah, I completely agree. And the budget allows for you to sit in a room and talk. And also the... It forces you too, also.

And also how it's dealing so much with the ramifications of Nick Fury's choices. Yes. Of not helping out. And you could tell there's that guilt. Like, he does feel solely responsible for it. And I even thought the justification of not calling in the Avengers was like... That is so smart. Yeah, what are you going to do?

Turn on the end of the face. Normally, Like, I think in the trailers or something, they were like, no, this is something I got to do. It's my personal mission. Yeah. But when you're seeing the trailers with, like, a bunch of action and shit, you're like, I don't know, man, calling the Avengers. Seems like a big terrorist threat in the hands. Seems like you're putting more people in danger by just doing this yourself.

Kind of selfish. Yeah. But the conversation that he had with Rody there, I was like, damn, that is so well justified. Why not to call it the Avengers? And one of the best in comic book mediums to not have one. like everything always be an Avengers level event. It's always so frustrating when you've introduced these characters like, you've got their phone number.

Like, and then this one did that, but in a way that feels like it serves not only the medium, but also the tone. But you can tell how it could build to an Avengers level threat, if not uprooted properly. Or perhaps a Fantastic Four level threat with some Super Scrolls. Perhaps some Super Scrolls are introduced

in this, maybe they're built a Fantastic Four. It could have. Like, it actually feels like that, when they introduced that orb, it feels like maybe that's them building a Super Scroll thing. Well, yeah, what they show, like, when they're going through the extremist and the Groot, that there's going to be scrolls who are upgraded. That's what I think is really cool

about this is because right now what we're seeing as scrolls when they're just humanistic. They, you know, they need guns. They need all these other things, but they don't have superpowers that are in shape-shifting. Yeah. And then eventually they're going to evolve the evolution of mutation at scientific level. So it's not like

natural mutation, but they're going to infuse it with stuff. So that's what they were setting up, right? That's what I gathered. And I feel like this tone is going to make it So when we have them in a movie That's only like, you know, you're 90 minute, two hour We're invested in the origin of how they got cool As opposed to the comics are like Cosmic Rays, maybe

Like it's just like this is more exciting for me To make it more plausible, but like in this tone and genre Yeah, it's great stuff Good stuff, John, the guy, a good girl on you Yeah, a little bit It's funny, she didn't speak hardly at all But I actually kind of liked just being able to observe her body language

and yeah she did feel more engaging to me and sort of alive here as you watch her flip back and forth between like maybe Gravick is going a little too hard at this but also I'm still dedicated to the cause so yeah it's not a Gaia rich episode necessarily but I did find myself a little bit more interested

in her just journey from here and too I really appreciated that they start episode in 95 and then you jump to 97 and you see the warping you know what happened in 99 but maybe we'll see that but but i like that you know it's like we're you know 30 odd years on from that in the timeline and and you know at the start of a movement like this at the start of a refugee situation like this the sentiments are different and then you can see how they would warp change complacency can set in for one group of group within the group and then you have characters like Gravick, who you can see this has

sort of festered over time to the point where he has developed this extreme philosophy. And I think that that's just another nice way, too, to complement the idea of, yeah, you have Rody and Fury discussing generational things and cultural

things multiplied by gaps in generation, and you have a similar, different, but similar thing happening with the scrolls there, too, that also applies to a character like Gaia. And I like that the time works because Samuel Jackson in real life has dealt with all that. Like the Samuel Jackson's

real story is staggering and like when he was a child like all the things that he was involved with in his lineage, his parents. And it's cool to have an actor that it really puts timelines in perspective. Like how recently things were even more fucked in our world. And so to have the scrolls go back the 90s, you know, that's

30 years ago now. So we're going to have multiple generations of them feeling oppressed. We're going to have multiple generations of like them growing up. So it's more justified that they're going to have this war they're trying to cook up. So I like tying in, you know, Samuel Jackson, who's lived through so much, his story

feels so authentic. And then, like, these, I'm glad the scrolls were set in the 90s, is what I'm saying. I'm glad Captain Marvel was set long enough ago that there's, like, this slow burn percolation, like, this thing that's boiling under the surface, not like, hey, they landed they're mad, they're aliens. It's like, no, no, we've not done the thing we promised.

They've been in hiding, and, like, the kids of them are never going to know freedom. Like, our villain was a child who came to this angry. He's had all time to train to become angry to become this leader become this thing and he's justified in his feeling oppressed i think it's really beautiful parallel storytelling he almost said percolating he did i almost i was so i did i almost had so many syllables but i was so excited you let me down it was it was wrong with you man it was too much come on we said duplicitousness like a hundred

which i feel is uh appreciate really duplicitous is you not finishing the dread duality, the dichotomy of the two pacing. But you know what's also cool is it's not duality. I was going to try and segue that way. But him talking to Talos and telling the story about tell me what is something I don't know. That reminded

me, that pulled me all the way back to what is that Civil War when he's telling the story about his I can't remember now. It's like his dad or somebody or somebody he used to know who would like walk this bag of he would like deliver a bag every night and then you know the story grow. I'm not going to paraphrase it well

here, but he tells, that was your dad's story. That was my dad. That was your life. I wish Nick Fury was my dad. We all do. I think maybe age of old time. I do not you're talking about. Um, and like that he tells, he relates a personal story that does go on as like a monologue that then factors into the overall point in a way that does feel. It was one of those scenes where I'm like, oh yeah, he is like a person with experience. Yeah, they let them act. Well, what stood out to me in the opening credits was when it said executive produced by Sam Jackson. sure and I did not know that I didn't either I wish I had and I feel like he really got involved

with actually making sure this character felt more human and fleshed out because this is usually shaping up to be the best Nick Fury portrayal so far from Samuel Jackson because you get so many it doesn't feel like they're doing a rewrite on the character it just feels like you're getting a better understanding of the character you know what I mean 1007 you're seeing like these softer sides to him these more compassionate sides and in some ways like that the more the more humanity angles of him seem to have come through with the relationships that he formed with the scrolls and boy we're even married to one yeah i think that's awesome because he's usually around humans he even talks about like humans can't even get along you know like you see how with that with when he's whenever he's everybody's interacting with humans he just seems so like freaking tough and on edge is a hard ass but the softer side comes out of him which was set up in captain marvel but now you're seeing it in this show even more so that there is some there is that softer human to this guy yeah and now we get to really see that in a way that doesn't feel like it's undoing the nick fury that we know totally agree sometimes when you change a character that much it's like wait are they playing the same character this feels yeah Very natural. Trying to rewrite them for television.

Right, right. Or like, it's kind of fit this narrative, huh? Yeah. It's not that. I think they've done a great job with a lot of these things that I felt like Falcon and Winter Soldier were trying to do, but they're making it more interesting and better. Shoot one of action all the time. Well, and they don't seem like they're shying away from things that overlap with real world conflicts

the wake Falcon and Winter Soldier like literally removed aspects like that. And even like there's elements to the scrolls that remind me of the flash. Like Smashers, but this is better done. This is a lot of things I wanted that show to land. Yeah. So far. Also, Alphrey Woodard, is Charlene Woodard, like, related? I have no idea.

Priscilla, I assume, is his wife? I don't know if we got her name. Is the scroll guard played by Luke J. Smith related to Will Smith? I mean, they must be. No, but Woodard's not as common in names as Smith. And she also, like, has a presence to her. I'm just wondering if Alphrey Woodard has, like, a sublime. John, I loved Olivia Coleman's.

the violence that comes out within her. I love violence. What do you think about Olivia Coleman? She was terrific. I think it's easily, it's easy to fall into being the trope of being, yeah, like, oh, charming, bubbly, but also ruthless. But I think she just, she is such a good actress that she makes me believe that, even though I'm waiting to see, you know, for, we've only had a couple scenes with her and so far it's all, you know,

what she shows to the outside. I'm curious to see what's underneath, but I think she's killing it right now, and her scenes are a really nice change of tone because it brings all that menace, but she's just so fun and quirky to watch. And I love that they have her talent here as well, and I can't wait to see just her role increase in all of this

because she's clearly very capable. I loved how we've set up Gravick, and I'm trying to find her name. Sonia, how they set up graphic and Sonia, but you only see them from the political side first. And then this episode, towards the end, you get to see what they're like in the field when they're getting their hands there. Yeah. It's really neat. They've done a lot of really cool stuff with this.

I'm really impressed with this. This is like the kind of drama I would put on and watch at home by myself. I'm not going to lie. At one point, I was so in the show. I was like, do I want to just watch this, like, not work? And I don't usually feel that way. I'm like, do I want to just, like, not be doing it this way? But, like, I really like sharing an art, but this is so, so good.

I'm like, I feel like it's for me. I love that. Like, this is all the things I liked about Loki, where it's the two-person conversations that I loved in Loki, but with an even more sizable ensemble cast of powerhouses that can all do that kind of work that Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston did. So, I mean, if this sticks the landing, it's definitely in the top three. I hope to God it sticks the landing. Because I'm enamored. Right now, it's really set.

setting itself apart is this it feels so different in all the right ways and i'm just getting worried that they're going to pull that disney plus finale shouldn't you episode six me don't you do it we were so close to it yeah dropping the ball if it does though man yeah this is this is top to your marvel because the pacing is on point and the writing is really strong and the acting is so good that I'm like I don't want to over compliment you just yet because I've been down this road before

Yeah, I've definitely been like Best Marvel show But really, maybe Best Marvel This, it could Like, it feels like real like high reverency talent It feels like a real movie. This feels easy hairy. It's a drama

Like they've really committed to it being a drama and it doesn't feel like they're trying to any audience satisfaction shit. It definitely feels like a prestige showtime or HBO drama. It feels like a prestige show that happens to somehow

have green aliens in it. Like, it's so good. It's like the Americans, you know? Like, that show is the Russians. Yeah. Carrey Russell. Oh, yeah, yeah. Is that Carrie Russell or Clare Dane's?

I'm totally forgetting after. Clare Danez is on Homeland. Home? Oh, no. Which is the other Estabon. Yeah. But also, you know, all we like our Eskenosh.

Yeah. I get them all jumbled up. Yeah. Matt Reese and Perry Russell are on Americans. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, guys, what do you think about this episode? Leave your thoughts down below. Be sure to subscribe and leave a like and follow us on Patreon and we'll...

Adelia Chamberlain. Adelia, if there's anyone who's a scroll at our Patreon page, it's 100% you. I see what's happened in this world of YouTube. I see you now working for a... bunch of these different people all the time it's an invasion it's an invasion that's what you've done you've come in here pretending under the guys that you're just a fan no no no you know you're not this sheepish shy timid woman you're far from that that was all a con all an act a comic con you might say it was all an act no so that way you could weasel your way

in and then boom get this new career working with the top dogs and the big leagues you know what i say to you bravo well done respect they don't hate the player hate the game and man i love the player oh yeah that's awesome you know how to do it it's a new form of female seduction is what you've pulled off here and i find it very impressive adelia gosh we need more scrolls like you in this world who know how to insidiously invade their way in because you don't want to be obvious about it you knew how to do it in a way where no one would ever suspect and i could learn a thing or a lot of people could learn a thing or two from you oh yeah and and you earned all of it because you're actually good at what you do

Yeah, whatever. A lot of people good at stuff. They're actually talented. Proficient. Do quality work. Keep being that awesome scroll. Love you, dear.