Summary
Invincible wraps up an emotional second season with four poignant episodes, with Steven Yeun and Zazie Beetz giving performances that will amaze.
Fans have had to wait a long time for Part 2 of Invincible Season 2 after Prime Video split it in half, joining an industry-wide trend that teases audiences with what they can expect, only to leave them hanging for months. Well, fans’ patience for the latter half of this season will be rewarded as it manages to close out on a similar emotional high as the Part 1 ending, continuing to push its characters in fascinating directions.
It’s a great achievement, especially as other superhero media quickly brushes aside the emotional side of their heroes to focus on big bombastic battles. Invincible is one of the highest-rated shows on Prime Video, and that’s largely down to the emotional maturity and intelligence it shows with its characters, which is something that the second half of Season 2 is excellent at.
Season 2 Part 2 picks up not long after Mark’s devastating battle with the Viltrumites, as he tries to pick up the pieces of another world that his father has destroyed. It’s something that once again sets Mark trying to resolve the fear he has of becoming his dad, something which drives many of his actions. Family and heritage have a powerful effect on who we choose to be, and audiences see this play out in Invincible through Mark.
Of course, alongside thinking about what hero he wants to be, Mark has to balance his college life, his friends, and his girlfriend. Unfortunately for him, Cecil Stedman keeps buzzing in his ear about new threats he has to deal with. This not only takes a physical toll on Mark but also a mental one, as he’s pulled in too many different directions at once — a relatable struggle for many, especially as sometimes it can feel like the world is falling apart if we overburden ourselves. For Mark, that’s a bit more literal.
There is some blood and gore for those interested, paying off what was set up in Part 1, though maybe not on the scale some might have hoped. Some plot points are purposely left unresolved, which is slightly frustrating, forcing audiences to wait even longer for answers. The main focus is still on the smaller scale, particularly on Mark. The other cast members are attempting to find some normality too, a struggle when the world appears indifferent to people’s lives, though at times they can feel sidelined.
Part 2 dabbles a bit more in meta-commentary and humor than in the past, poking fun at some of its contemporaries in the genre in slight but hilarious ways. It never detracts from the at times heavy emotional beats, but instead, it allows for some much-needed levity that helps to balance what’s going on. The episodes know when to pull back and show restraint, something that can’t be said for many modern superhero films.
The emotional stakes are raised higher in this final half
While many superhero films look to destroy the world to raise the tension, something that starts to fall flat after the world is threatened for the billionth time, Invincible keeps its stakes firmly centered on its characters, Mark in particular. They are tested across the four episodes in ways that will leave audiences shocked by the end.
Mark’s struggles get the most focus, so it’s lucky that Steven Yeun can give him such an affable voice, getting audiences to sympathize with the character. But this doesn’t mean he’s any less able to showcase Mark’s pain in pivotal moments. His girlfriend, Amber Bennett, voiced by Zazie Beetz, similarly has to come to terms with dating a superhero, not something that’s easy to do, and there’s a growing sense of dissatisfaction in her voice.
While the season certainly has its share of fun action beats, it is the emotional stakes for these characters that have audiences coming back, which is something Part 2 delivers on. The writers meet the high bar they set for themselves with the season’s first half, continuing Invincible’s near-invincible run.
