In the closing moments of last week's Secret Invasion, Talos was gunned down by one of Gravik's men but still managed to get the U.S. President to safety.
However, the soldier who gave the Skrull a helping hand was revealed as Gravik in disguise and he proceeded to plunge a knife into his fellow shape-shifter's chest. With no other choice than to leave his old friend behind, Fury raced the Ritson to safety, and we were led to believe that poor Talos' time on Earth had ended.
The previous week, Marvel Studios trolled us all by making us think Emilia Clarke's Gi'ah was dead. In reality, she'd secretly undergone the Super-Skrull procedure and been imbued with Extremis' healing properties, meaning she was able to survive Gravik's attack.
With that in mind, you can see why many fans expected Talos to somehow return.
Alas, he is truly dead and gone, bringing a close to Ben Mendelsohn's time in the MCU after he first appeared in 2019's Captain Marvel. Another fake-out would have been a step too far for the Disney+ series, and the character's demise should definitely help ensure Secret Invasion leaves a lasting impact.
Fury meets with Gi'ah, though she learns about her father's demise off-screen. He points her in Varra/Priscilla's direction, and they're able to give Talos an appropriate send-off with a funeral pyre.
Nick doesn't attend, and Gi'ah is able to later help Priscilla fend off Gravik's men (leaving us to wonder whether that's why Fury sent her there in the first place). It would have been nice to see Secret Invasion make a bigger deal out of Talos' farewell, though this is another brief episode that clocks in under 40 minutes.
Despite receiving a helping hand from Sonya Falsworth, it looks like Fury will confront Gravik on his own in the finale, and the odds are definitely stacked against him when he faces the Super-Skrull.
We'll find out next Wednesday whether he decides to enlist some superhero help...