Summary
An oddly violent penultimate episode ups the stakes, delivers some decent character work, and lays the stage for a finale in which basically anything could happen.
This recap of Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 5, “Harvest”, contains spoilers.
Episode 4 of Secret Invasion ended with the tragic death of Talos, and the penultimate episode, “Harvest”, opens with Nick Fury escorting the wounded but stable President Ritson, who was saved by Talos’s heroics, to the hospital.
Those heroics have made international news, especially since Talos reverting to his Skrull form under duress has somewhat endeared shape-shifting aliens to the public — not exactly what Gravik, still stinging from the failed attempt on the President’s life, had in mind.
Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 5 Recap
Why does Gravik kill Pagon?
Gravik takes his frustrations out on his right-hand man, Pagon, who gets skewered through the chest with the Groot arm, but not before throwing some very pointed accusations at Gravik.
Apparently, he told Varra to kill Fury knowing she wouldn’t do it, he deliberately missed two opportunities to kill Fury himself, and he has been sending the Skrulls on red herrings to find the Avengers’ DNA. What’s his deal?
Gravik rules through fear. He has been quietly working on his own private endeavors without the knowledge of the other Skrulls, and he openly says that everyone at New Skrullos is expendable. Pagon’s dissent might foment outright mutiny, so Gravik killed him to try and quell that possibility.
It has quite the opposite effect, as we’ll see in a bit.
What is Gravik’s plan?
Gravik still talks a good game, though. He sends some of his men to eliminate Varra and gives Rhodey — whose Skrull name is Raava — a call.
Gravik instructs Rhodey/Raava to make it clear to Ritson that the Skrulls were responsible for the assassination attempt, and that they must necessarily all be wiped out. The idea is to bring Fury out into the open by threatening the deaths of innocent Skrulls in a devastating World War III.
In a scene that makes little sense, Fury confronts Rhodey outside Ritson’s room, reveals he knows he’s a Skrull, and then just leaves anyway because Rhodey brags he has uploaded the video of Fury killing Maria to every major news platform. Rhodey’s entire Secret Service detail, who overheard the exchange, hold Fury at gunpoint until he leaves.
So, are Rhodey’s entire detail Skrulls?
Who becomes the director of the SIS?
Elsewhere, Sonya Falsworth continues conducting her own investigation, and in the meantime becomes the new director of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, or indeed MI6) by exposing the current director, Weatherby, as a Skrull by cheerily shooting him in the hand.
Weatherby gives up the location of the Daltons. Through Rosa, Sonya learns what Gravik is looking for. After, she burns down their lab and shoots Victor, who holds his wife at gunpoint, through the head.
This is a surprisingly brutal episode, no?
Who dies in the mutiny at New Skrullos?
With faith in Gravik at an all-time low, Beto participates in an attempt to overthrow him and gets killed for his troubles.
This also constitutes a face reveal for Gravik’s Skrull form. During the scuffle he’s almost suffocated to death with a plastic bag, revealing his true mug for everyone to see, but he’s able to overpower his attackers, drag Beto outside, and slash his throat in front of the shocked onlookers.
See what I mean about the brutality?
RIP Beto, we hardly knew you.
How does Varra survive the assassination attempt?
After meeting with Fury at the Brixton safehouse, where Fury — it’s a bit on the nose, this — equates the struggle of the Skrulls to those of post-war immigrants from the West Indies, G’iah heads to bury Talos with the help of Varra.
After, with the help of G’iah, Varra survives the attempt on her life by Gravik’s goons with a stash of fancy backpacks that have a bulletproof front plate festooned with weapons and ammo. It’s a funny-looking design but a needlessly cool girl-power scene, as Varra and G’iah lay waste to Gravik’s hit squad.
Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 5 Ending Explained
While this is going on, Fury heads to Finland, getting through airport security with something called a “Widow’s Veil“, aka a photostatic veil or Nano Mask.
In-country, he hooks up with Sonya, who has provided evidence that the Skrulls are operating in Russia to Rhodey, unaware of him being a Skrull himself. She also has “Audacity” by Stormzy playing in the car. Olivia Colman really has been a delight in this.
What is “The Harvest”?
Anyway, Fury finally explains what “The Harvest” Gravik’s looking for is. After the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame, Fury clandestinely sent a bunch of collectors, including Gravik, to harvest the DNA of Earth’s mightiest heroes, including Carol Danvers.
Fury has kept his DNA hidden in a gravestone — his own — in Finland. Gravik wants it, and now Gravik’s going to get it, since Fury, in his classic regalia — including eyepatch, beanie hat, and coat — is going to give it to him.
You can stream Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 5, “Harvest” exclusively on Disney+.
Additional reading:
- Secret Invasion Season 1 Episode 6 Release Date
- Secret Invasion Season 1 Ending Explained
