Yesterday I covered social media reactions for Secret Invasion. However, as of today the Secret Invasion reviews are in for the first two episodes and the show is currently sitting at Fresh on RT, just. I was unsure when the embargo would lift for reviews when I covered the reactions yesterday. It’s normally longer than 1 day, but it’s also pretty common to be fair. Yesterday I said I struggled to find many negative reactions online. I did however point out that this can change very quickly once reviews hit. Well…..

So far Secret Invasion is sitting at 69% fresh on RT with 35 reviews. As you’d imagine there will be far more reviews to come and this score could shift either direction. It should also be pointed out that all of these reviews are based solely on the opening two episodes. Therefore, no reviewer is rating the full series here, it’s more like an aggregate score for the first two. I personally don’t hold much stock in season reviews that haven’t seen the full run. What if some other negative reviewers start enjoying it from 3 onwards or vice versa?

If I had been reviewing Andor based on only the opening two episodes I might not have been as positive as I was come the end. Switch that scenario for She-Hulk though, but the point remains the same.

Reviews

Here are some selected reviews from some of the big hitters to ponder over. Plus a few I felt worth commenting on.

THR really didn’t care much for Secret Invasion:

“Through two episodes, the series itself is a disappointment. A tremendous cast, led by Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman and Don Cheadle, keeps things generally watchable and, when they’re given the opportunity to interact, you can spot the best version of the show. But for the most part, Secret Invasion is more dour and even dull than one might expect from its John le Carré/Graham Greene trappings.”

This is not the last time a review mentions John le Carré. Thing is, I like his stories, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is an absolute classic. Though, perhaps not what fans expect from a Marvel series?

SuperHeroHype mentioned the author’s influence here also:

“Secret Invasion plainly would like to be the MCU’s Andor. The ‘mature,’ ‘serious’ show for people who generally bash the rest of the franchise for its CG and whimsy. Just as Captain America: The Winter Soldier practically begged everyone to compare it to ’70s political thrillers, Secret Invasion seems to seek comparisons to John le Carre and similar Cold War spy dramas.”

Okay, but that could still be good, right? So was it any good SHH?

“Here’s hoping the story rises to the challenge of being a worthy Nick Fury story, because right now, it’s a mess. A mess that will no doubt be excessively praised for going “dark” and “mature,” while forgetting about “coherence” and “fun.””

Nope, okay, gotcha. Time for a positive one.

RELATED: Mostly Positive Secret Invasion Reactions Say It’s ‘Marvel’s Andor’

Empire Magazine was actually one of the most positive reviews I have checked out:

“As one of the MCU’s most mature projects to date, Secret Invasion is a riveting, tense drama that gifts its actors with weighty material and encourages its audience to look beyond the sheen of superheroism.”

Let’s try a mixed on shall we?

Variety, whilst not as positive as others, were also not as negative overall:

“That Jackson excels when given the chance to lead a project comes as no meaningful surprise: He’s Samuel L. Jackson. But, in the show’s first two episodes, he’s a part of a show that makes a case for itself as, specifically, television, which is a fairly welcome surprise for a brand that’s had mixed results in this arena.”

To be clear, there are still more positive than negative reviews. However, some of the most scathing reviews I’m finding are from the biggest outlets if that means anything to you. We also need to note that the score is only just scraping Fresh on RT.

There could also be a bias against the genre of show Secret Invasion is trying to be. As you can see above, SHH said there was a lack of fun. Well, I don’t need to have fun in a show to enjoy it. Drama is not always fun, and doesn’t have to be to remain riveting. However, that’s my opinion, and it may be a factor that turns some MCU fans away?

For now I’m unsure whether I will review Secret Invasion episodically. Recently with Marvel shows I have been waiting of the series to end and reviewing the entire run. If any readers have a preference for episodic weekly reviews, please let me know in the comments, or vice versa.

So the Secret Invasion reviews for the first two episodes are sitting at Fresh on RT. However, I’m not sure that tells the whole story when you check out some of the reviews. You have not seen it yet, so what do you think of what you read about the show? Thoughts below as always.

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