Invincible S2 Ep 7 Review
Even though the writing was on the wall, it can still hurt to see play out. Over the course of the series, Mark has tried to make his relationship with his girlfriend, Amber, work. Alas, no matter how much we might try to make things work, some relationships aren’t meant to be. Mark and Amber tried their absolute hardest, and, for a moment, it looked like they might succeed in making things work. Then another one of the Viltrumites shows up, and it becomes painfully clear why this ship was doomed to sink. And it’s all courtesy of Anissa, a Viltrumite woman who is a problem.
The End of the Ship
The episode opens up with that holy land for geeks everywhere, Comic-Con. Mark and Amber are finally on an actual date, though Mark is annoyed by seeing so many people cosplaying as Invincible. However, that gets overshadowed by this hilarious moment:
I loved this moment so much. It pokes fun at how hard animation is and how it sometimes requires cutting corners. However, it comes from a place of love, and a lot of people I follow on Twitter think the same thing. Sadly, the gets cut short when Mark has to bail Rex out. And Amber tries to roll with it, but there’s still tension.
Later on, Mark tries to make it up to Amber by taking her on a real date, and for a moment, it looks like their ship will keep sailing. However, Mark must have gotten the luck of Peter Parker, because that’s when Anissa the Viltrumite shows up and threatens to kill Amber if Mark doesn’t go with her.
And that was the moment that the ship sank for good. Amber tried her best to be understanding, and she did an excellent job at it. But it’s one thing to realize that your partner is a superhero and another to get dragged into whatever danger they may face. While some like Mary Jane and Lois Lane can handle it, others can’t. They can’t handle the potential loss of agency. They can’t handle the near-death experiences. They can’t handle it, period. And that’s why Amber breaks up with Mark for good.
The writing for this was on the wall, and while some part of me doesn’t want it to end, a more prominent part understands this is for the best. Mark needs someone who understands the danger he goes through and can handle it.
Helping Others Trauma Helps Yourself
In the various subplots of the episode, the show also focuses on other characters lingering trauma. While Immortal wanting to leave the Guardians after Kate’s apparent death is big, the plot that takes the most focus involves Donald, Art, and Rick. Donald learns from Cecil that his death at Omni-Man’s hands wasn’t his first; it was his 39th. Every time, Cecil saves him, and Donald asks to wipe his memory of the event. While that is a viable option to deal with trauma that could drive people insane, the episode also points out that that doesn’t really deal with the problem. It just ignores it until it happens again, which is not healthy in the long run. And it takes Art and Rick to make him see that.
In a very poignant scene, Rick’s PTSD from what Sinclair did to him, and what the GDA did to save him, leads him to consider suicide. However, by discussing his own experiences with death, Donald is able to empathize with Rick in a way no one else can. And this scene was so moving! People can say they understand what someone who’s experienced significant trauma has gone through, but that’s not always enough. Sometimes, it’s better for them to speak to people who have gone through similar experiences. And that is the method through which they can begin to heal.
Anissa, the Most Hated Character
Now, for the elephant in the room, Anissa. Those who have read the comics know this, but for those who haven’t, Anissa is a problem. She does try to reason with Mark about how Earth would be better under Viltriumite, and, to be fair, she makes several good points. Humanity really needs to get its act together before it destroys itself and the world. And she doesn’t try to hurt anyone while she’s there; she even helps Mark take down a Kaiju. However, don’t be fooled.
Anissa may not be as overtly bloodthirsty as she is in the comics, but the way she talks is dripping with the same rhetoric that the other Viltrumites espouse. She thinks that because she’s stronger and older than humanity, that means she knows best for them. Therein lies the problem: she’s a space Nazi, like many other Viltriumites.
And that’s not even half of why Anissa is a problem. The comic readers know it, but there is a reason why Anissa is the most hated and disgusting character in the entire series. And if Invincible ends up showing why, I hope they do it with the respect that it deserves.
Things are About to Go Down
So to summarize: Mark’s life is in shambles once more. He’s on the verge of getting expelled from college, and his girlfriend broke up with him. The episode ends with a phone call from the man the season’s been building up: Angstrom Levy, holding Mark’s mother and brother hostage.
There is one silver lining, though. In a mid-credits scene, Allen ends up running into Anissa on his way home and discovers that Thaedus’ gambit paid off. He’s now strong enough to hurt a Viltrumite. And that gives him an idea. So he lets himself get captured in the hopes of staging a prison break and freeing the Empire’s prisoners.
This entire episode is, by far, the best of the whole season. From the animation joke to the way it dealt with trauma to the end of Amber and Mark’s relationship, this episode was peak. The only issue I have is that there’s only one episode left in the season, and now I want more.
