Just like Omni-Man’s attempt at parenting, “Invincible’s” Season 3 packs not only a punch but also itching allergies to teamwork! Season 3 delves into the complex life of Invincible, who grapples with an overworking job, astute relationships, and the trauma he faces from previous experiences. Is it to demonstrate his growth from Seasons 1 through 3? Maybe.
Afterall, who would expect paradoxical infiltration by Earth’s very own protector? You wouldn’t completely expect the brutal divide between father and son either– that is to say, if you’ve watched the show!
If you haven’t, no worries! Before diving into the “Invincible Mid-Season Review”, you can refer to the recap I’ve provided down below.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
Recap of Season 1:
Boy, named Invincible (Oh my, I wonder where the name came from), gets superpowers. Boy’s father is Omni-Man– who is fully alien, by the way, and is one of Earth’s Protectors. Omni-Man secretly kills all the other superheroes so his kind, the Viltrums, can take over Earth. A new superhero team is assembled. Son happens to be a part of said team. Son learns father is evil. Son confronts said father. Father doesn’t like speaking. Fists are involved. Irreparable damage doesn’t only damage son physically (and cities– multiple), but defeats him mentally– nothing a therapist could solve. Omni-Man leaves Earth after facing a dilemma on the morality of his actions. The Global Defense Agency (GDA)– superhero agency kind of like Marvel’s Shield, but 100% more demoralizing and ethically questionable– run by Cecil, a common-foe shared between viewers and the cast alike, temporarily expels Invincible from superhero duties. Reason for suspension was “Like Father, Like Son”. Earth is now being monitored for Viltrumite takeover (and that’s the end of Season 1)!
Recap of Season 2:
Omni-Man flees after having a last-minute change-of-heart. Invincible (or son) carries unbearable baggage of emotional trauma from the father-son encounter. Invincible meets a new supervillain, Angstrom Levi, who ironically wishes for Invincible’s downfall (who would’ve thought?). The new superhero team struggles to function together and continue to fall rock-bottom. Invincible finds out his dad has been up to something else on another planet. Do these things involve a secret family– having a son who is half-bug and half-viltrum on another planet, marked for Viltrum takeover? Maybe. Has it truly been that long since the aftermath of their duel on Earth? Cecil continues to make morally-gray decisions for the sake of “Earth”. Invincible recognizes that he would do anything to protect his family, including those he loved– even the addition of his new half bug, half Viltrum brother. Invincible takes down Angstrom Levi, but in a K.O. way, which makes him think he’s just like his father (and that’s the end of Season 2).
Season 3 Minimal Recap (So-Far) + Review:
Season 3 Episode 1 “Where is Everybody” : All superheroes disappear; Invincible is one of the only ones left. Invincible tracks down other superheroes to find the reason they’ve gone MIA; he finds it’s the work of a common villain, who has suddenly become much stronger. Posing a threat to even Invincible, Cecil sends out used to be supervillains to save the day– via genetic modification.
Review: 7.5/10- I’m all for relationship drama– especially when it involves my two favorite characters. The episode also opens up with a progressing, non-stagnant relationship. The other parts of the episode, like the disappearance of all the superheroes, didn’t seem realistic. Is that how weak the superheroes are that they couldn’t have worked together to stop one measly villain? It seemed like the creators had run-out of ideas, because they used the same-old recycled villain from season to season, to come up with an unoriginal “mastermind”. In my opinion, he was drab and out-of-fashion by this season.
Season 3 Episode 2 “New Season Same Trauma” : Invincible has trouble managing “duty calls” and his personal life. The Viltrumites decide to stop-by Earth to give Invincible a warning (and a few broken ribs to get their idea of conquest across).
Review: 6.5/10- The episode itself was relatively boring but impactful to develop a storyline for future reference and episodes (which will continue to air weekly on prime video streaming services). I didn’t particularly like Invincible’s let-down in the face of a strong opponent, like a Viltrumite. For someone who has been continuously training and taking on new challenges, Invincible creates irreparable damage under a mask disguised as heroism that forces a Viltrumite to get involved and resolve the issue. It seemed particularly weak to me, and it could’ve come across as a signal to the rest of Viltrum that Earth is not strong enough to resist takeover. I feel like his lack of abilities in this episode hastened the process of conquering Earth (for the Viltrumites).
Season 3 Episode 3 “Trust Issues? Never Heard of ‘Em” : Invincible now knows betrayal by book. Blown out of proportion, the assembled team of superheroes plunge in numbers, with Invincible leaving first.
Review: 9.2/10- This was almost identical to the comics which I’ve read, and I would say this was the climax episode in this season so far. The episode sets up Invincible for a path-of-revenge, which is always a great plotline to keep a story going. Invincible’s character arc was a key defining moment which convinced me that his path-of-revenge would be all the more satisfying in the weeks to come.
Season 3 Episode 4 “Heroic Isolation is the New Trend” : The heroes collectively go separate ways; Invincible embarks on a journey of time to the future to meet a familiar face. Villains rack up while the heroes become more and more exhausted day-by-day.
Review: 9.6/10- Time travel hits the spot, especially mid-season when tensions start escalating. It’s like a tiny crack before an earthquake, and it gets the viewer simulated to what may happen in the future episode. I finished this episode as soon as it started because I do love a time-travel trope, which expands originally-based perceptions to a wide array of possibilities. Time-travel wasn’t just included as a bonus– it foreshadows battles to come and Invincible can gain foresight about the consequences of his actions. And, like I said before, I like when the main couple’s relationship progresses, and I saw some significant progress in this episode in particular.
Final Thoughts:
One thing is certain, with each episode’s release, the stakes get higher, the betrayals become clearer, and the line between friend and foe starts to dim. Can Invincible learn to forgive the past, or will the weight of his father’s legacy become self-destructive? Episodes premiere weekly, so you’ll find out soon enough.
