Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Secret Invasion’s season one finale.
After the Secret Invasion season finale famously smashed records as one of the worst episodes in Marvel history, some fans have started to walk back their criticisms of it thanks to Emilia Clarke‘s recent admission.
This hurdle is difficult to clear, especially considering how long Marvel has been in the comic adaptation game. But Secret Invasion was doomed pretty much from the onset. In addition to fan favorites such as Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Talos’ (Ben Mendelsohn) unceremonious deaths peppering the season, the series also suffers from an anticlimactic conclusion.
The biggest crime was the ultimate battle that was imminent between Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Gravik (Kinsgley Ben-Adir). Gravik holds a grudge against Fury for essentially being a disappointing father figure. He decides that the Skrulls need a homeworld, and the aliens will take Earth by force if necessary. But despite this somewhat compelling dynamic between the two, the rug was pulled out beneath viewers in the final episode.
The series ends with no confrontation between Fury and Gravik but inexplicably between G’iah (Emilia Clarke) and Gravik. He and Talos’ daughter absorbs all the power of the Harvest, and the episode culminates in a boss battle that doesn’t measure up to viewers’ expectations. Instead of a fascinating espionage-inspired series, we got another beat-’em-up fight with no emotional stakes. Fans can be ruthless, especially in the Marvel-sphere, and hold the studio accountable.
But when Clarke took the stage to speak on the episode’s events, somehow the crimes of the series seemed to matter less. The actor spoke to Marvel.com and explained that her experience in that final fight sequence was one she will never forget.
“I literally was like, this is my best day ever. I’m a theme park-riding kind of gal. Give me a trapeze. Give me a roller coaster. It felt exactly like that. I just kept giggling. I couldn’t stop giggling. It was genuinely the funnest day I’ve ever had on set — ever, ever, ever. if I could just live in wires, if I could be in wires now— Oh, it’s so good. After I wanted to tell everyone, I just came back, I’ve done something!”
Clarke putting a personal touch on the vilified episode seemed to have softened some fan reactions — even though G’iah is now MCU’s permanent plot hole. Viewers didn’t exactly excuse the execution of the episode, but they did appreciate Clarke’s passion for the material.
Others were never ones to argue her ability as an actor. Even if the writing was subpar, fans wanted to make it clear that watching how she worked with the material was one of the best parts of the show.
No stranger to unfair treatment in fan-favorite television series, Clarke at the very least deserves to have her craft respected. Her final moments as Daenerys Targaryen in the nonsensical Game of Thrones finale were blasted for disappointing those who had stuck with the show for all those years. But ultimately, Clarke’s performance was never up for debate. She remains an accomplished actor and should continue to get impressive roles, no matter how people feel about G’iah’s storyline.
The entire season of Secret Invasion is now streaming on Disney Plus.