Review: Invincible “That Actually Hurt”

 

 

Overview:

Mark Grayson is struggling to maintain all his responsibilities along with his new gig as a superhero. Unfortunately, saving the world has made him late for dinner on too many occasions. And his next endeavour may be the one that costs him it all.

Former enemy Titan has come calling on Invincible for help cleaning up the streets by taking down the kingpin of crime, Machine Head. But the robotic crime boss has much in store for the duo. Even the new Guardians of the Globe will not be able to help Invincible out of this mess.

 

Our Take:

As everyone’s new favourite superhero show crosses over the halfway point of the first season, the stakes are lifted even higher. If you think you have seen how gruesome and gut-wrenching this series can get, watch out for this episode.

Actually, the latest episode of Invincible starts out on some positive notes. Which is a nice breather considering the density of terrible things that can happen in this series.

There is the former villain, Titan, who has seemingly reformed. Though he is still up to no good, we discover the driving factor behind it and realize that he may not be so terrible. That holds true even at the conclusion when his true colours shine through.

Invincible himself begins to show glimpses of the powerhouse superhero he will one day become. The episode kicks off with a montage of him defeating villains and saving the world without relying on dumb luck. Training with his father is beginning to pay off. 

But going against his guidance will also prove to be his downfall as the training wheels are only starting to come off.

This episode puts a lot of focus on the teenage life of Mark Grayson. More specifically, how it is all falling apart around him as he spends more and more time defending the world from annihilation. Late for everything, Grayson has lost his job, his grades are dipping, and even more dire is the thin ice he is treading with girlfriend Amber.  

You don’t have to have read Invincible to know this superhero trope. As Mark loses touch with who he is and what he holds dear, there is more to lose when things do not go his way. And that lesson may be hitting sooner than we think as the second part of this episode ramps up the stakes.

There is not much that can prepare you for the brutal superpowered blowout that tops this episode. 

Avengers, Justice League, even The Boys have nothing on this gruesome and honest battle. Never before has a superhero fight been portrayed to showcase just how even the odds can be and what is at stakes. The gut-turning beatdown Omni-Man gives the Guardians in episode one is just a precursor to what takes place in episode five.

With only three episodes remaining in this too-short season, this was a significant turning point. For the multiple plots driving this series, the cards are about to be dealt. Not only have the training wheels come off for the titular hero, but they have also come off for the viewer. The conclusion of this episode is setting the pace for bigger blows, larger stakes, and plenty of tragedy.