Summary
Episode 5 is another chapter that starts innocently, and then it throws the audience off with a dramatic third act, and we are all here for it.
This recap of Amazon original Invincible season 1, episode 5, “THAT ACTUALLY HURT”, contains spoilers.
Invincible has a way of surprising viewers — nothing about this series is predictable so far — it has a similar shock factor to The Boys.
Episode 5 opens with the supervillain made out of rock (Titan) taking out an underground gang — a few more montages show how he deals with a lot with organised crime. He tells them to get away from his turf. The next day, Invincible continues to fight supervillains. Many students think Invincible is “dope”. At school, Amber is mad at Mark for being late, and he buys her cheesecake to make up for it. He then quits his job after his boss berates him. Juggling being a superhero and having a normal life is hard.
Titan gives his boss (Machine Head) a technological chip — he thinks he’s done with paying back his boss, but he doesn’t want to let him go as he’s too useful. Machine Head threatens his family and tells him he will continue to work for him.
Amber feels Mark doesn’t care
At this point, is it even worth Mark having a relationship? Episode 5 suggests not.
As part of his training, Invincible has to stop an asteroid from hitting the earth. His father, Omni-Man, tells him to throw it back into the Universe. Invincible’s phone goes off, and it’s Amber. He’s once again late, and he missed dinner with her family. Amber states she doesn’t feel Mark cares for her. Mark explains that he is struggling to fit everything into his life but promises to do better.
Crime life/ family life
Episode 5 shows Titan’s family life –, he has a wife and a kid. He has problems with his wife — his crime life is getting the better of him. And for the Grayson family, Debbie is still suspicious of her husband and looks at notes and dives into her recent memories of Nolan. Debbie looks through her house for clues with her husband out of the country, but suddenly, she sees a bag with his bloody superhero costume in. Like in the previous episode, her suspicions are not going away.
Helping Titan
Titan reaches out to Invincible and asks him to take down his boss. He explains how Machine Head runs this city and if anything illegal happens, it’s usually him. Titan offers to show Invincible what really happens; he shows areas of the city that Machine Head manipulates and controls. When Mark returns home, Nolan tells him that Titan’s request for help is “beneath him”. Debbie explains that helping someone is never beneath him. The theme of opposing parents continue — one serves as a morale compass while the other instils a vanity project.
Planning to take down Machine Head
And then Invincible season 1, episode 5 becomes another bloodbath in shocking consequences. These superheroes ain’t all that.
Invincible and Titan scope out Machine Head’s headquarters. They plan together how they can take him down. Invincible asks about his daughter at the community centre — Titan explains how it’s her second home.
Titan and Invincible get to work, but Machine Head thinks he can take them on with his team of supervillains. Invincible tries to fight the supervillains Machine Head has called upon, but he struggles badly. Eventually, he manages to fight back, but he’s soon knocked over again. The new Guardians of the Globe show up to help. However, they fail as well.
It goes from bad to worse…
Mark is badly injured by one of the supervillains; he’s severely injured, and to the viewer, he nearly looks dead. Black Samson tries to help, but he’s killed. Monster Girl attempts to stop the supervillain, but she’s also severely wounded — it’s a terrible version of events; the shock factor hits us again. The other Guardians of the Globe recover and they are angry this time but the supervillain that has beaten all of them finds it too easy and leaves the planet. As Machine Head is arrogant about the situation, Rex attacks him.
The ending
Meanwhile, Amber volunteering at the community centre and asks Eve to join her. She tells Eve that if Mark doesn’t show up, his arse is on the chopping block. She gets anxious when she looks at the time. Titan apologises to a severely injured Invincible and says he has to take care of his own. Robot and the medical team arrive, and Cecil Stedman tells them that they need Invincible to live, and one of his men take his blood. Invincible flits in and out of consciousness.
Eve gets a call about the incident and she tells Amber that she has to go — she tells her that Mark loves her. Monster Girl seems to be okay as the medical team puts a mask on her.
As the episode ends, Machine Head is arrested. It’s revealed that Titan’s plan all along was to take over Machine Head’s organisation. His children visit him at the headquarters– his eldest daughter is Amber; this is getting awkward for Mark.
In the epilogue, Cecil’s organisation are analysing Mark’s blood –the scientist says viltramites cells will not die.
Invincible season 1, episode 5 is another chapter that starts innocently, and then it throws the audience off with a dramatic third act, and we are all here for it.
Teen superhero diary
- Eve’s parents tell Eve to get back with Rex and forgive him.
- Amber asks Eve if Mark had being weird lately as he’s always Kate and acting strange.
- Mauler Two makes a twin version of himself. They are twins again. Robot enters the laboratory and asks for their expertise and tissue.
