Invincible S2 Ep 5 Review
So, remember when Invincible went on a winter hiatus, and everyone made a stink of it online? It’s back; if this episode was any indication, it was worth the wait. The last time we saw Mark, he was on an alien planet, watching as the other Viltrumites took away his Dad. And he was given the unwanted job of “preparing” Earth for their coming. Today, Mark is returning home and trying to return things to something that resembles normality. Except things go so bad I had to rewatch it to ensure I wasn’t dreaming. When the title says it will shock you, it means it. It will shock you!
Shock After Shock
Two months have passed since Mark got the tar beaten out of him by the Viltrumites, and it’s time to go home. And, since Andressa won’t live long enough for her son to grow up, Mark has to take him along. That makes for a big shock for his Mom. It’s bad enough he ruined her and Mark’s lives, but now her ex-husband has another kid. Thankfully, Deborah’s not the spiteful type, and despite Mark suggesting he take a year off college, she agrees to look after his half-brother. They both decide to keep Cecil far away from him.
Speaking of Cecil, he’s about as happy as one would expect when his ace in the hole leaves without saying anything. As the trailer shows, while Mark is gone, the Guardians of the Globe fight another supervillain who comes close to killing them. So, Cecil isn’t happy with Mark. To his credit, though, he backs off regarding the baby, so he’s taking it well.
Mark’s best friend Will and his girlfriend Amber aren’t taking it well. Both seem to resent Mark when he gets back, even though they act like they’re not. However, given how they tried covering him for two months (and failed), they have every right to be upset. Amber tries to be cool about it, but it’s clear that she’s also starting to feel the stress. Time will tell if their relationship can survive.
Someone who could be taking the news better, though, is Cecil’s right hand, Donald. Last season teased up the idea that Donald, who we saw die trying to kill Omni-Man, might be something else entirely. The good news is that he’s still Donald, the original Donald. The bad news? His human body was so damaged that Cecil had to put his brain into a robotic duplicate, making him a cyborg. In this case, though, it feels like Cecil made the right call. While this potentially means Donald might have lost an aspect of his humanity, he’s still alive. I’d call that a win.
Shapesmith Screws Up and Ruins Everything
Meanwhile, things for the Guardians of the Globe go from bad to worse. The trailer for the second half of the season made it clear that the Sequids, the squid-like parasites Mark found on Mars, were about to make a big comeback. They’ve hijacked a Martian warship and are headed to Earth with millions of their kind onboard. And the kicker? It’s all Shapesmith’s fault.
Shapesmith not only impersonated Rus Livingston, an American astronaut, but he left him stranded on Mars at the mercy of his people and the Sequids. The Sequids turned him into the singular host for their hive mind. In other words, Shapesmith gets an F in heroics!
I won’t spoil what happens when Invincible and part of the Guardians try to head off the invasion, as it ends on a cliffhanger. But that’s only the start of the Guardian’s woes. Rex, Dupli-Kate, and Shrinking Rae have to fight the Lizard League alone, and (again) without spoiling anything, Rex and the Lizard King are the only ones left standing, and the latter has a gun to the former’s head. The shock on my face was palpable!
I have never read that far back in the comics, but if this is the end of Rex Splode, they set up a big death flag for him earlier in the episode. With Atom Eve having given up crime-fighting, Rex comes along and gives her a pep talk to get her out of her heroic BSOD. And, instead of the smart-mouthed jerk, we’ve come to see him as Rex is very genuine in his attempts to help Eve get out of her funk. Underneath his callous demeanor, Rex can be a good guy, which makes it all the harder to see him die potentially.
At Least Allen is Alright
One character that we now know to still be alive, though, is Allen. Thaedus turned off his life-support to give Allen the zenkai boost he needed to match up to a Viltriumite warrior. And it seems to have worked, too. There’s another big reveal about Thaedus, but I will let you guys find out for yourselves. If it doesn’t shock you, it will, at least, surprise you.
So, there are three episodes left in this season of Invincible, and I do not know what might happen. All I know is that this episode made up for the extended break the show took. Not everyone may agree, but I had already accepted its brief hiatus without much trouble. Hopefully, the rest of the season can keep up the momentum. And may the next episode be as big of a shock.
